SEGRO Celebrates Centenary
NovaLoca has a long and proud relationship with SEGRO the owner, manager and developer of Slough Trading Estate, the largest trading estate in Europe owned by a single company. They are celebrating their centenary this year, and what a 100 year it’s been!
Slough Trading Estate began life as a military repair depot in the First World War. It was purchased by The Slough Trading Company Ltd in 1920. The war department staff were rehired to adapt the military vehicles for civilian use. When these vehicles were sold and workshop space became vacant they were put up for rent and so the modern industrial estate was created. Visit SEGRO’s website and take a look at the amazing photographs and archives detailing this history
Many world famous companies have had homes on the estate at one time or another including Mars, Telefonica O2, Ferrari, DHL, Lanes Group and UCB. Between 1964 and 1966 the puppet show Thunderbirds was produced on site and Ricky Gervais based his TV sitcom The Office on offices here. Today it has the second largest portfolio of data centres in the world as well as a colony of Buckfast Bees in the Estate’s new green space.
From the very beginning employee wellbeing has been important to the company starting with a reduction in hours, with no loss of pay for the retained war staff, a community centre in 1936 and the first worker training centre. It is no surprise then that in April 2020 a £10m Centenary Fund was launched to “help young and disadvantaged people and create community spaces to support training and improve health.” As a result of the current pandemic in this first year funds will go to projects providing emergency relief and which will help address the longer-term impacts of COVID-19. Read more about the fund here.
Congratulations from all at NovaLoca. Here’s to the next 100 years!
