Pictured above: (l-r) Tim Sandford, managing director of Roba Metals Ltd, with Paul Mourton of Lodders Solicitors and Richard Hardy of commercial property agents Bromwich Hardy

A Midlands scrap metal processor has announced a major expansion as it continues to grow. 

Roba Metals Ltd, based in Alcester, has acquired a massive new warehouse and doubled throughput. 

The deal was put together with the help of legal advice from Lodders Solicitors of Stratford-upon-Avon and Coventry commercial property agents Bromwich Hardy who negotiated the freehold acquisition and which also involved negotiating a surrender of the occupational lease.

Both Roba Metals Ltd's existing headquarters and the new building are on the Arden Forest Industrial Estate just a few hundred yards apart - the former on Kinwarton Farm Road is now named Site 1 and the latter on Tything Road East is Site 2. 

Tim Sandford, managing director, said the firm had acquired the 36,616 sq ft unit because of its near ten metre height that enables lorries to be unloaded and loaded much more efficiently. 

"A crucial part of our business is logistics and materials handling. We are incredibly busy. We are gaining market share, we are very successful at what we do and we have got a good team." 

Volumes have increased significantly to warrant the acquisition of the new warehouse. 

Surrounding occupiers within the estate include the likes of Bliss Home, Severn Lamb UK, SJG International, Pro-Pack, EIC and Travis Perkins. 

Roba Metals Ltd, the subsidiary of an independent, family-owned Dutch company with nearly 75 years experience in the business, is a significant player in the UK aluminium sector, working with both factories and scrap merchants and alike. 

It also handles copper, brass, stainless steel, zinc and nickel. 

Paul Mourton of Lodders Solicitors, said: "It is always good to see a company expanding. We were very pleased to help Roba Metals Ltd with this project." 

Richard Hardy of Bromwich Hardy, noted: "The complex fitted Roba Metals' needs perfectly.  Even in today's market it is rare to find such a good quality freehold building at an affordable price. " 

Tim Sandford added: "We buy industrial production scrap, quality check and analyse the material before sorting and processing it in preparation for efficient recycling. We have been successful in our operations thanks to a quality-oriented approach.

"And we have an on-site baling facility which contributes to the reduction of overall environmental impact - our carbon footprint. 

"The new purchase makes us one of the most advanced and efficient scrap handling centres in the UK." 

Founded in the Netherlands in 1937, Roba has evolved from small beginnings into a complex Euro 628 million international group employing 500-plus people engaged in the processing, trading and smelting of non-ferrous scrap in addition to providing stockholding and service centres for new steel and aluminium products.

It launched into the UK in 1987 and services plants throughout Britain and Ireland. 

For more information about Lodders, please visit their website here: www.lodders.co.uk