New owners for Falkirk Business Hub as Ceteris acquire property in £2m deal

Commercial landlord and business support specialist, Ceteris Scotland Ltd, has expanded its property portfolio by acquiring the hub in Vicar Street.

The acquisition from previous owners, Tartan Commercial, expands Ceteris’ footprint into the Falkirk area for the first time. The firm already owns and operates 20 business parks across nine sites in Clackmannanshire and Stirling. It provides serviced, co-working and virtual offices and industrial units to 190 businesses that employ around 1400 employees.

With the Falkirk Business Hub as part of their portfolio, it adds over 40 tenant companies with around 150 staff.

Josie Saunders, Ceteris CEO, together with her fellow directors has driven the acquisition as part of an ambitious new corporate strategy.

Josie, who knows the area well having previously worked as head of corporate affairs for Scottish Canals during the development of the Kelpies and Helix Park, said: “This is a very exciting step in the Ceteris journey and brings to life our vision of Making Business Happen through the creation of new opportunities. As we are about to mark our 40th year of driving economic regeneration and business growth in Central Scotland, it is fitting that we are adding this vibrant hub in Falkirk to our 20-strong portfolio of office and industrial parks in Clackmannanshire and Stirling. This acquisition means Ceteris now has a presence right across Forth Valley.

"We will continue working with partners to use this space to help our tenants and other businesses across the region thrive, create sustainable jobs and grow. A huge thank you to the Ceteris team that helped make this happen. We’re looking forward to welcoming Falkirk Business Hub tenants and staff members to the Ceteris family.”

Nick Watson, managing director of Tartan Commercial, added: “We’re delighted that ownership of Falkirk Business Hub is being transferred to a commercial landlord with such a strong reputation and presence in the Forth Valley region.

"Ceteris’ vision for the future of this dynamic, vibrant business centre and its commitment to investing in tenants and in the local community as part of its social mission make it a great fit.

"We’re proud that we leave the Hub in a strong position, with occupancy levels at 100 per cent. As we focus our activities on properties and developments in Edinburgh and East Lothian, we know that with Ceteris, the Falkirk Business Hub has a fantastic future ahead of it.”

Falkirk Business Hub is located in the town’s former General Post Office building and was completely refurbished in 2013. The four-storey building provides serviced offices, co-working space, conference and meeting rooms as well as virtual office services. It also includes an award-winning cafe and a fitness and wellness centre.