It started with one man and his dog. Now technical, software and hardware consultancy Cotronix has moved into new premises near Stroud with a growing customer-base and enough space for a pool table.
Its new 2,000 sq ft premises are leased from developer Robert Hitchins Ltd at Bond’s Mill, Stonehouse where Cotronix founder and Engineering Director Christopher Smith set up his first small office in 2019, accompanied by his Labrador George.
“We’d pressed our noses up against the glass of a few of the larger offices in Bond’s Mill with hopes of where we might grow to,” said Director and Business Manager Anousia Smith.
“When the time came to move, we knew we didn’t want to leave Bond’s Mill. Its beautiful location and excellent facilities have served us very well and now that we have tripled in size and are still growing it’s also an attractive proposition for our staff.
“Finding the right high-calibre of engineers is difficult enough. The office premises have to work very hard to be attractive, especially as we want our engineers to work on-site with access to the best equipment to do their job to the best of their ability. Now we even have room for a pool table and retro arcade machine.”
Robert Hitchins’ Asset and Administration Manager at Bond’s Mill, Helen Hawke, welcomed the expansion of Cotronix, which specialises in software and hardware prototyping for the engineering industry.
“We are proud of our track record in looking after our tenants and we’re pleased to be able to play a part in helping their businesses to thrive at Bond’s Mill,” she said.
“Many companies have started here and been able to grow on-site, attracted and retained by our many fully-accessible facilities of ample parking, bike storage and showers, self-service café, meeting room, prayer room and table tennis. A wellbeing room will soon be open for activities such as yoga and art.”
Bond’s Mill sits on the A419 alongside the Stroudwater Canal and River Frome in a mix of refurbished Victorian mill buildings and modern commercial premises within a mile of J13 of the M5.
It accommodates 40 tenants in premises ranging from 100 to 15,000 sq ft and is home to many start-ups as well as established companies such as UK Power Solutions, Staffline – Omega Resource and RSK Biocensus.
Robert Hitchins, based at Boddington in Gloucestershire, is one of the leading property developers and investors in the South West and South Wales. It provides the full development process from site acquisition and planning through to development and investment.
For details of properties to buy or let, www.robert-hitchins.co.uk and www.bondsmill.co.uk