New business hub created on historic factory site in Cradley Heath proves a hit with start-ups

The Perry family have created what they say will be a flexible space for the whole community with the opening of The Workstore.

Guy Perry, MD of A. Perry Ltd, and his son Steve, along with Ian Dunnaker and other relatives, have repurposed the former A. Perry factory in Doulton Road into a brand new facility offering secure storage space, offices and workshops in one location.

The 50,000 sq ft facility boasts 120-plus secure storage units ranging from 20 sq ft to 150 sq ft plus modern, 16 fully serviced and maintained offices and 16 powered workshops for businesses and local residents.

They’ve invested £250,000 into the venture which offers access 24/7 and has on site parking.

The Workstore has been open since January and it hosted public open days on March 27 and 28 to officially launch the facility, located next door to the present HQ of long-running A. Perry, which manufactures hinges, hardware, ironmongery - as well as equestrian and decorative garden products.

A. Perry, which was founded by Arthur Perry in 1925 in Old Hill, had operated from the factory since 1953 – the year of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation – and it moved to a neighbouring larger site around 10 years ago. The Perry family maintained ownership of the original site – renting it out to other businesses – but decided to turn it into a brand new venture to fill local needs.

Steve Perry, marketing director, said: “We're about three months in now. This venture is essentially a complete repurpose of our old HQ. We now offer well over 100 storage units, workshops with power and offices as well, all completely refurbished.”

Managing director Guy Perry, who runs the historic A. Perry business which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2025, added: “We’re really security conscious - everything is alarmed - every storage unit, office and workshop, and there’s AI controlled CCTV.

“It works out very well particularly if you've got a start-up business - or if you have a small business.

"We offer everything from if somebody is just moving house or just moving from university and needs to store something for a short while or even for a long while.”

He said the facility offers solutions for all circumstances - adding: "We're a family business, we run it in a family way, we look after people, if we can help people out we will."

Already the venture has been proving popular with local start-ups.

FleetSafe AI is among the ambitious, fast-growing firms that have snapped up a space in the serviced office facility.

The business provides automotive safety solutions to keep vehicles safe on the roads and has only been going for about two years but has already grown to be 10 times bigger than when it first started.

Callum Crisp, head of operations, said: “It’s a really dynamic space. We’ve seen exponential growth over the last two years from the start-up of the business to actually needing quite a lot of space.

“The Workstore is giving us the chance to have office space, a workshop and storage so for us it's everything we need for our warehouse operation and daily operations. We couldn't have asked for better.”

Dean Leonard, chief technical officer at FleetSafe AI, added: “It’s perfect for a start-up business and for a growing business.”

Neon Green, a start-up IT disposal business and re-seller, has also taken one of the workshops at the former factory site.

Founder Sam Moore, who had been working out of a tiny unit prior to moving to The Workstore, said: “It’s been brilliant. It’s secure, it’s local, it’s safe, it features everything we need and the guys at A. Perry are incredible landlords.”

Ian Dunnaker, commercial director at The Workstore, said there are no minimum terms for tenants and he added: "We're about 20 per cent full now, after just doing a soft launch. We offer a personal service and 24/7 access to more than 120 units, about 16 workshops and 16 fully serviced offices.”

To find out more about The Workstore visit website www.theworkstore.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01384 904050.