ACQUISITION OF ARGOS REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE

RNS Number : 7444K

Tritax Big Box REIT plc

20 April 2015

 

20 April 2015

TRITAX BIG BOX REIT PLC

(the "Company")

ACQUISITION OF THE ARGOS REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRE, HEYWOOD, MANCHESTER FOR £34.1 MILLION

The Board of Tritax Big Box REIT plc (ticker: BBOX) is pleased to announce that it has exchanged contracts on the Argos Regional Distribution Centre at Heywood Distribution Park, Heywood, Manchester for a purchase price of £34.1 million (net of acquisition costs), reflecting a net initial yield of 5.3% on the asset purchase. The purchase has been funded out of equity proceeds, with senior debt finance expected to be introduced in the near term. Completion is expected to take place on 29 April 2015.

Developed in 1998 for Argos, this high specification facility incorporates design features such as cross docking, has an eaves height of 15.2 metres and comprises a rentalised area of approximately 381,106 sq ft., with a low site cover of 46%.

The Heywood Distribution Park is strategically located on the A58 trunk road linking Leeds and Manchester. It is approximately seven miles north of Manchester city centre and junction 18 of the M62 motorway is two miles to the south, providing good access to the North-West of England and the wider trans-Pennine motorway network.

The Argos Distribution Centre is being acquired with an unexpired lease term of approximately 13 years, subject to five yearly open market rent reviews. The next review is due in 2018.

Buchanan Bond represented the Company and Rapleys represented the vendor.

Colin Godfrey, Partner of Tritax, commented:

"We are delighted to acquire the Argos Regional Distribution Centre in Manchester. The property is strategically positioned to service large parts of the North-West region, supporting Argos' e-retail and click and collect growth in the region. The North West is a key logistics location and, in 2014, the region saw the highest take up of logistics space with major occupiers such as Travis Perkins, the Hut, Nice Pak, B&M and DHL, helping to support the more attractive rent levels of comparable assets in the surrounding area."

For further information, please contact:

Tritax Group Colin Godfrey (Partner, Fund Manager)	via Newgate (below)
Newgate (PR Adviser) James Benjamin Andre Hamlyn Lois Engstrand	Tel: [phone] Email: [e-mail]
Jefferies International Limited Gary Gould Stuart Klein Alex Collins	Tel: [phone]
Akur Limited Anthony Richardson Tom Frost Siobhan Sergeant	Tel: [phone]

NOTES:

Tritax Big Box REIT plc is a real estate investment trust to which Part 12 of the UK Corporation Tax Act 2010 applies ("REIT"). The Company invests in and asset manages a portfolio of well-located, modern "Big Box" assets, typically targeting buildings greater than 500,000 sq. ft., let to institutional-grade tenants on long-term leases (typically between 12 and 25 years in length) with upward-only rent reviews (providing the potential for inflation linked earnings growth), and with geographic and tenant diversification throughout the UK. The Company seeks to exploit the significant opportunity in this sub-sector of the UK logistics market owing to strong tenant demand in high growth areas of the economy and limited stock supply. The Company is the first listed vehicle to give pure exposure to the "Big Box" asset class in the UK.

Further information on Tritax Big Box REIT is available at www.tritaxbigbox.co.uk

 

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