Alliance warehouse set to be comic supplier’s national depot
Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of English language comics, has chosen a Runcorn warehouse for its new national distribution centre.
The US-based comic book distribution company signed a deal with Property Alliance Group for an 80,000 sq ft two-storey warehouse, known as Canalside, located on Warrington Road in Manor Park.
Diamond Comic Distributors committed to a ten-year lease on the building, acquired by PAG in 2006.
Advisers Edwin Hill, who originally sold the building to PAG, and CBRE jointly advised PAG on the deal.
Julian Hamer, of Edwin Hill, said: "Diamond Comic Distributors has been scouring the Cheshire area for some time to find the right space. Canalside beat off strong competition to secure the deal, providing an unusually configured two-storey building which has been offered on competitive terms and is well-positioned for the M56 and regional motorways."
John Hitchen, general manager of Diamond Comic Distributors, added: "The company is growing from strength to strength and our former base could not facilitate our expansion. Canalside provided us with a national depot comprising both administrative and storage space in an ideal location for distribution purposes."
Diamond Comic Distributors, based in Timonium in Baltimore, Maryland, was established in 1982 to provide comic book speciality retailers with non-returnable comic books and related merchandise. It now deals with 1,000 suppliers, buying and selling to over 4,000 comic bookshops and retailers worldwide.