Electronics giant Fujitsu Services is seeking more than 400,000 sq ft of new space as it continues the shake-up of its portfolio.
The company, which has been actively reviewing its holdings for the past 12 months and is halfway through the process, is looking for up to three data centres in the South East and Midlands of around 150,000 sq ft each.
It is also seeking to consolidate its four offices in the Midlands in Solihull and central Birmingham into one 70,000 sq ft building.
It presently occupies 85,000 sq ft in the area.
Head of property David Silletoe said the need for more data centres was being driven by the company’s move away from manufacturing and toward call and support centres.
Fujitsu Services has been rationalising its portfolio for several years.
It has 3.6m sq ft of space across 92 locations in the UK but over the past year has been moving out of non-core space, refurbishing core space and moving into new offices.
“We have reduced our vacant space in rental terms by £15m pa over the past year and now have only roughly £4m of vacant space,” said Silletoe.
Over the past 12 months, Fujitsu Services has disposed of around 450,000 sq ft, including: 120,000 sq ft in Stevenage; 15,000 sq ft on Strand, WC2; 93,000 sq ft in Feltham; and 165,000 sq ft in Manchester.
Silletoe said the company had been able to get rid of so much space only because he had installed a dedicated disposals team when he joined Fujitsu Services 18 months ago.
Previous property head Richard Reed had used Chesterton.
“The market has not picked up at all, so we needed a team to keep at it all the time,” he said.
Colliers CRE is retained by Fujitsu Services.
References: EGi News 19/12/05
