Elite Office Furniture: Supporting Long-Term Manufacturing Growth in Goole

Elite Office Furniture is a well-established East Yorkshire manufacturer with nearly 40 years of experience producing contemporary, adaptable furniture for workplace, education and hospitality environments.

Having grown from a small start-up in a residential garage in 1986, the company now operates from a state-of-the-art 244,254 sq ft facility in Goole and employs 150 people.

Rooted firmly in the area, Elite is recognised for its commitment to high-quality design, sustainable materials and modern manufacturing methods.

The Challenge – Finding Space to Grow

By 2012, Elite had reached full capacity at its existing premises following several phased expansions. To continue their strong growth, they required:

• A significantly larger manufacturing footprint
• Enhanced office and showroom space
• A freehold site to support long-term investment
• A location within the Goole area to retain their skilled workforce

However, available employment land locally could not meet the scale or timescales of their expansion needs. The company required support to understand their options and identify a viable route forward.

Our Support

Elite has been a long-standing key account for Invest East Yorkshire. Working closely with the business, we provided intensive support over a 12–18 month period to help them navigate land availability, planning and development challenges.

We conducted a detailed search for suitable land to accommodate a facility of approximately 250,000 sq ft. Existing allocations were reviewed and ruled out due to size, configuration or availability constraints.

Through our business networks, we were aware of a local consortium that had purchased nearby farmland after facing similar challenges accessing allocated employment land. We facilitated introductions and supported discussions around a potential freehold purchase of their surplus land that would meet Elite’s requirements.

As the land was not originally allocated for employment use, we worked with the business and landowners to progress the necessary planning permissions. This included providing evidence that no alternative sites were available and supporting the case with the sequential planning test, ensuring the project remained on track.

The Outcome

In 2019, Elite successfully acquired the freehold site and developed a new 244,254 sq ft advanced manufacturing facility and office showroom in Goole. The project delivered:

• 150 new jobs
• Enabled increased production capacity from £24m to £55m
• A modern, future-proof base to support further growth
• Continued investment and employment within the local area

Elite remains an active member of the J36 Stakeholder Group, and we continue to support the business with signposting across East Riding of Yorkshire Council services, including planning enforcement and renewable energy support.

What the Business Says

“Invest East Yorkshire has been an invaluable supporter of our business throughout multiple projects. Their team has supported our plans and our vision, offering not only expert guidance but also the reassurance and encouragement that they value our local presence. We are grateful for their ongoing support and would highly recommend them to any business looking to establish or expand in the East Yorkshire region.”
— Julian Jowett, Sales Director, Elite Office Furniture

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