• biggest shared office space in Frome opens for business
• idea came from local entrepreneurs’ struggle to find space for their expanding business
• new facility to provide £15.6 annual boost to the local economy
• 15 businesses already signed up

Frome, Somerset -In a boost for the local economy, a new £5m business park in Frome has opened its doors for business, providing the biggest shared office space in the town.

The Frome Business Park stands on the former site of the Tool & Gauge building on the Marston Trading Estate. The £5m project has seen the old factory location regenerated, fully refurbished and transformed providing over 23,000 square feet of high spec offices with super-fast broadband, meeting rooms, a gym and a community café.

With space for 250 people, the 23,000 square foot site is already proving popular with businesses, with 15 local companies already moved in and enjoying an 88% occupancy rate.

Frome has been severely lacking in office space for a number of years – a challenge which faced the co-founders of DNA Worldwide Group when they began looking to expand their company. Having outgrown their premises at Commerce Park but keen to stay in the town where they set up their advanced DNA testing company 15 years ago, their solution was to create a new modern office space for themselves and other local businesses.

Now 18 months on from making that monumental decision, the Frome Business Park has opened.

“The process began a few years ago when we were looking around Frome for a larger site and quickly realised there simply wasn’t anything suitable,”

said David Nicholson, Co-Director of both the new Frome Business Park and DNA Worldwide Group.

“While we needed something suitable for our company, we also wanted to create and build something that would be of use to the wider community.”

“While it has been hard work, it’s turned out better than we could’ve hoped as it means we can stay in Frome. Being able to live and work in one of the best towns in the country means a lot to us and our employees.”

“We’ve definitely had some challenging times, including the removal of sizeable amounts of asbestos from the old site,”

said Frome Business Park and DNA Worldwide Group Co-Director Hannah Modern.

“But from the beginning we wanted to offer a space where people wanted to come to work. So the design and the detail of the space is key. That’s why we have invested so heavily in the quality of the finishes and creating a design led space that ultimately supports people who come to work.”

“The end result is that we’ve created a much-needed space for Frome’s business community. An independent assessment has forecast it will provide an annual £15.6m boost to the local economy.”

As only a quarter of people who live in Frome also work in the town, the park offers an opportunity to buck the trend by generating more local jobs, lowering the amount of people commuting to places such as Bristol or Bath and help keep the community of Frome thriving.

Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet member for Economic Development, Planning and Community Infrastructure, said:

“This is fantastic news for a town that’s already renowned for being home to a wide range of vibrant, independent businesses.”

Businesses interested in knowing more about Frome Business Park can contact the management team on lease@fromebusinesspark.com.