A Warwickshire mechanic is branching out from the family business to set up his own enterprise at a new business park in Warwick.
James O’Brien, 28, from Cubbington, has worked for major construction firm O’Brien Contractors since leaving school at 15, but has flown the nest to start his own contracting business – JP O’Brien – based at the new Space Business Centre Warwick.
The 35,000 sq ft development, created and developed by Warwick-based property company AC Lloyd Commercial, contains flexible, multi-use units available on a 30-day monthly rolling agreement, and James has become one of the first businesses to join after it opened at the end of February.
Alongside working for O’Brien Contractors on a part-time basis, James will use the space as a new HQ to build his own mechanic contracting business.
James said: “It’s an exciting new chapter for me and I’m really excited to get started. I’m really grateful for the opportunities that the family business has provided for me but it feels like the right time to try and make my own success with the skills I have developed over the years.
“I’ll be using my new unit as a HQ and workshop to serve my clients, a lot of which are locally based, though I hope the new premises will also help me to reach new markets from a well-connected base.
“When I saw that Space Warwick was due to open, I knew it was the ideal place to grow my business. The process for signing up and moving in has been really smooth, and it represents a brilliant opportunity to make the most of the resources on my doorstep.”
Katherine Skerry, Site Manager at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre Warwick, said: “It’s fantastic to see more and more local businesses choosing to join us at Space Warwick.
“We are well on our way to creating a vibrant business community in south Warwickshire, and feel we can bring a lot of value and support to people like James who are looking to take their home business to the next level.”
Space Business Centre Warwick has 61 units ranging in size from 285 sq ft to 840 sq ft along with two facilities blocks to provide amenities.
Car parking spaces are allocated to each unit, with 12 electric car charging points installed, solar panels on some of the roofs and multiple cycle shelters.