TreeLocate's new premises start to take shape in Belford

The thriving Belford business currently operates from Belford Industrial Estate, creating and selling artificial trees, foliage and plants to firms in the UK and overseas.

The new base, which will be on the opposite side of the A1 from its existing site, will be used as a storage facility and a showroom.

The expansion took almost three years to secure permission to build, after it created worries about interfering with plans to dual parts of the A1.

The green light was finally given in June last year after a representative for TreeLocate insisted there was a “pressing need” for extra space and that the company was already forced to rely on storage facilities throughout the county to meet the demands of large orders.

Construction work began on the new site several months ago, when the ground was prepared for the build and 84 base concrete holes were installed. But in the last two weeks the new building’s metal frame has been installed, giving a better idea of how the new premises will look.

The company is hoping the much-needed extra storage space will be open by early spring.

And once the new base is completed, it is likely TreeLocate will need more local people to join its workforce.

Currently, the business has more than 40 local people on its books to help it prepare, create and organise business deals with UK and overseas clients.

The public has been welcomed into TreeLocate over the past few weeks when it opened its doors as a showroom. The idea was for people to get discounts on excess stock and samples.