Disposal of Nestle Chocolate Factory, Castleford
The Challenge
Cushman & Wakefield was appointed by Nestle to provide development and agency advice on the disposal of their chocolate factory site in Castleford, West Yorkshire. The challenges were: to identify an optimum strategy for disposal given Nestle’s competing priorities around timing and certainty, risk and return; and to execute the disposal in an effective and timely manner.
The Solution
Our approach was split into two phases. The first involved the preparation of a disposal strategy, assessing the various site, market, planning and operational issues and challenges. This report ensured that the appropriate level of due diligence had been given to the opportunities, risks and possibilities relating to the disposal options, possible uses and mechanisms for disposals that optimised Nestle’s dual objectives of maximising price and minimising risk. The second stage involved the implementation of the disposal, which completed in June 2014.
The Results
The disposal of the site was completed in accordance with Nestle’s stated timescales providing certainty to the firm’s operational rationalisation programme and minimising its risk exposure.