Multimodal specialist AV Dawson says it has taken advantage of the drop in commercial property prices to buy four new sites over the past 12 months.
The Teesside haulier has spent £7m to acquire the Bowes Road Industrial Estate in Middlesbrough, the old base of biofuels company D1 Oils at Riverside Park in the town, as well as 3.5 acres of playing-field land and a former pie factory.
AV Dawson plans to develop the D1 site to expand its own rail-freight handling and distribution operation, as well as lease some of its acquisitions to other businesses.
Rob Turnbull, business development leader at AV Dawson, says: "Road haulage is a lot quieter this year, but the drop in property prices has been an opportunity to develop warehousing and storage. Things will eventually pick up, but we will be prepared for the future. We plan to market the properties as well as use them for our own storage needs."
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