CONTRACTORS have been appointed by a York landscaping firm as part of a £2 million project to develop new headquarters on a 10-acre brownfield site.

Turning over £10 million, Green-tech is preparing to move its team of 40 staff and 6,000 plus product range out of its current base at Nun Monkton and into a new site, known as Rabbit Hill Park.

Previously a farm, the site is located between junctions 47 and 48 off the A1, and was purchased by landscape and forestry supplier Green-tech with part-funding from a £200,000 grant from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership’s Business Grant Programme.

Ahead of a completion date of November this year, Green-tech has appointed North Yorkshire construction company Sutcliffe Construction, based at Skipton, to carry out the build.

Rachel Kay, managing director, Green-tech Ltd, said, "Green-tech is a progressive business and we are growing at an exceptional pace, with new product developments and bolt-on acquisitions within our pipeline of future work.

"This new purpose build will give us the capacity to increase our output and staff numbers once again as well as becoming a valued asset in the local area.

"As a Yorkshire-based business, locally sourced equipment, consumables and expertise is a principle that runs through the core of Green-tech. Sutcliffe Construction is a natural fit for the project and our business as a whole."

Designed by York architects Lawrence Hannah, the project maximises use of the space for the business to house a vast number of product lines including rural supplies, grounds maintenance equipment, soils, wildflower seeds and the latest additions which include a range of ecological products.

The project involves demolishing existing buildings and constructing seven new buildings; a head-office for Green-tech, three warehouses, a single-storey office for rental and retail units in mixed styles and materials from single skin cladding to cedar cladding for the HQ and traditional masonry for the offices.

James Sutcliffe, managing director of Sutcliffe Construction, said: "Green-tech is a fast-growing company with ambitious plans and a big supporter of like-minded Yorkshire companies.

"We’re delighted to be working with the Green-tech team who are experienced in the construction sector and passionate about the landscape environment. "