Technical, software and hardware consultancy Cotronix has made a sideways move into bigger premises.

The Cirencester-based firm, which specialises in software and hardware prototyping for the engineering industry, says it is excited about the new setting from which it can grow its expanding customer base.

Cotronix's 2,000 sq ft premises are leased from developer Robert Hitchins Ltd at Bond's Mill, Stonehouse – the same address where Cotronix founder and Engineering Director Christopher Smith first set up the Stonehouse operation in 2019, accompanied by his Labrador George.

Anousia Smith, Director and Business Manager, said: "We'd pressed our noses up against the glass of larger offices in Bond's Mill with hopes of where we might grow to. When the time came, we knew we didn't want to leave - its beautiful location and excellent facilities have served us very well and, now we've tripled in size and are still growing, it's also an attractive proposition for our staff."

The new setting will help provide key employment incentives, she said: "Finding the right high-calibre of engineers is difficult enough. The office premises have to work very hard to be attractive, especially as we want our engineers to work on-site with access to the best equipment to do their job to the best of their ability. Now we even have room for a pool table and retro arcade machine."

Helen Hawke, Robert Hitchins' Asset and Administration Manager, added: "We are proud of our track record in looking after our tenants and we're pleased to be able to play a part in helping their businesses to thrive at Bond's Mill.

"Many companies have started here and been able to grow on-site, attracted and retained by our many fully-accessible facilities of ample parking, bike storage and showers, self-service café, meeting room, prayer room and table tennis. A wellbeing room will soon be open for activities such as yoga and art."

● Bond's Mill is located on the A419 alongside the Stroudwater Canal and River Frome in a mix of refurbished Victorian mill buildings and modern commercial premises, all within a mile of J13 of the M5. It accommodates 40 tenants in premises ranging from 100 to 15,000 sq ft and is home to many start-ups, as well as established companies such as UK Power Solutions, Omega Resource Group and RSK Biocensus.