Perfect chemistry for solvent company's expansion

Tockwith based company, Leading Solvent Supplies Ltd, has significantly expanded its premises at Marston Business Park, to coincide with acquiring the assets and stock of a Doncaster based competitor which has prevented 24 possible redundancies.

The company, which trades as Leading Solvents, is one of the largest suppliers of solvents and chemicals in the UK and has leased an additional 16,000 sq ft of space at Marston Moor Business Park, which is marketed by Leeds property consultancy Gent Visick.

The company now occupies more than 85,000 sq ft in Tockwith and last month acquired the assets and stock of packaged solvents distributor, Solvents With Safety (SWS) which is based at Bircotes, near Doncaster.

It was founded in 1986 with 800 square feet of warehouse space and a small caravan as an office, near Wetherby at Walton, before expanding into a Portakabin and then moving to Tockwith in 1989.

Today the firm employs a 74-strong team and supplies a vast range of products servicing many industries, as well as household items such as window cleaning sprays and nail varnish removers.

Derek Walker, managing director said: “Marston Business Park has been our home for more than 30 years and has continually provided the space to grow. Although our customers are now spread throughout the UK, it remains a fantastic base, close to the A1, in a semi-rural location but easily accessible for our workforce.

“This latest expansion comes at a particularly exciting time, following the acquisition of the Bircotes facility. This deal gives our customers access to a wider product range than ever before, as well as enhancing our service levels. Crucially, increasing our footprint at Tockwith will enable us to effectively accommodate this broadened portfolio.”

Jonathan Jacob, from Gent Visick, added: “Marston Moor Business Park is strategically situated equidistant between Harrogate and York and offers high quality, modern warehouse units in a broad range of sizes. Leading Solvents are one of numerous companies that now provide national coverage from their base there, and we are pleased to have been involved in the latest phase of their growth.”