Orbit secures payments firm at Barlow House

The developer and landlord has let 5,600 sq ft at the office property in Manchester city centre to Reading-headquartered UTP Merchant Services.

The seven-storey Barlow House is located on the corner of Minshull Street and Portland Street and has been owned by Orbit Developments for more than a decade.

UTP, which provides credit card machines and online payment gateways to retailers across the UK, has agreed to lease one floor of the building whose floorplates are around 5,000 sq ft -6,000 sq ft each.

The company is expanding across the UK and internally, with new offices having opened in recent months in Gibraltar, Ireland and Spain. Around 20 of the company’s staff are to be based at Barlow House.

UTP’s sales director Jaime Lower said: “Manchester has a fantastic talent pool, including a large number of foreign language speakers that can provide tailored native language support to our international customers.

“We are looking forward to providing exciting new employment opportunities and being part of the city’s Build Back Better push as we come out of the pandemic.”

And Orbit’s leasing director Adam Jackson added: “Barlow House is an excellent location for the company to deliver its ambitious growth plans, provide jobs for local people and get to know the city.”