Former carpet tile factory goes on the market

Earlier this year, 112 jobs were lost in Shelf, West Yorkshire, when InterfaceFLOR, one of the world’s biggest carpet tile designers and makers, announced it was cutting back the size of its business.

The company closed its manufacturing and distribution operations in Shelf at the end of March.

However, the company still employs 93 staff in Shelf, which is the site of its UK headquarters. At the time, Lindsey Parnell, president and chief executive of the company in Europe, said the decision was made with regret but there was a strong business case for the closure.

He added: “Our recent investment in state-of-the-art production technology has considerably increased our capacity but unfortunately the market has not grown to the same degree.

“Now, by consolidating our European manufacturing operations in to a smaller number of sites and taking advantage of our recent investments, we would be able to increase our efficiency and achieve annual cost savings in excess of £4m.

“Given the challenging market conditions we face, we have to explore the savings this proposed rationalisation would provide.”

Production has moved to the company’s other two manufacturing sites in Europe – in Craigavon, Northern Ireland and Scherpenzeel in the Netherlands, where distribution is also to be based.

Now CBRE, acting on behalf of InterfaceFLOR, is selling the firm’s former carpet tile production and distribution facility, at Shelf Mills.

According to CBRE, the property will be suitable for owner occupation or redevelopment as a potential multi-let industrial estate. InterfaceFLOR will keep its operations on part of the site.

Dave Cato, the associate director at CBRE Leeds Industrial team, said: “The facility at Shelf Mills has great potential for existing use as industrial and warehousing or as a refurbishment programme to create a multi-let estate.

“Furthermore, the complex offers the possibility of greater flexibility as, subject to planning, there may be scope to consider alternative higher land value uses for the site.”