A new £1million veterinary practice is set to open in one of Shrewsbury’s iconic buildings creating 18 new jobs, bosses revealed today.
It will be the first branch of the, not for profit veterinary surgeons, Animal Trust to open in Shropshire following the completion of a 12-week re-fit programme of the building on Coleham Head which was formerly antique centre Mansers.
Mansers closed in November last year after being in the town since 1944. The business moved on-line after Halls fine art specialists held a two day fine art auction.
Bosses of the Animal Trust – a not for profit organisation – said they hoped to be able to open the doors to their first customers on April 24.
Owen Monie, director general of the Animal Trust said the group already had four sites, in Bolton, Manchester, Blackburn and Ellesmere Port and the Shrewsbury practice was their first in Shropshire.
Mr Monie said he hoped the move would create 18 jobs within the first 18 months to two years, and the business would offer “the highest quality of clinical care for pets” and would be available to all.
The Animal Trust bought the building through Halls commercial agents in Shrewsbury.
Rebecca Welch, commercial surveyor said: “The building Animal Trust has bought is perfect for their business plans and team.
“They wanted a prominent building at the heart of Shrewsbury which they could refit to their needs and the former antiques centre offered exactly that.
“The business model promotes veterinary services to all regardless of finances as they believe veterinary care should be about making sick animals better and not about making profits which is great news for the pet owners of Shropshire.”
Mr Monie said: “I come from Whitchurch originally and know Shrewsbury very well. We spent a lot of time shopping in the town when I was young and I am looking forward to the new venture immensely.
“We were able to buy the iconic building through Halls which proved to be a very professional agent in progressing the sale which has allowed us to start the refit and set a provisional opening date.
“We are very grateful to Rebecca and her team at Halls for their work.”
Mr Monie said the 18 potential jobs to be created included technical jobs, nurses and vets, along with administration posts.
“The Animal Trust is a not for profit veterinary company committed to providing high quality care. We provide a vital service and have been well received at our other locations.
“People can come to us for free consultations and we are open to everyone – last year we provided 60,000 free consultations at our Manchester practice alone,” Mr Monie added.
“We chose to open in Shrewsbury after looking at the catchment area, the pet population and after requests locally which identified a need for our services.
“Animal Trust will be moving into an iconic good quality building in Coleham Head, which has great access and will be ideal to work in. The refit is well in hand and we plan to open on April 24.
“We are looking forward to seeing the pets of Shrewsbury and being able to provide a service to the community of Shrewsbury.”
Talking about the investment in Shrewsbury Mr Monie added:
“Shrewsbury being the county town was an obvious choice but we also wanted to invest in a town centre location which also provided parking and convenience for the pet owners of Shropshire.
“This makes our practice accessible to all regarding financial situations but also for people with various travel arrangements including public transport.
“We are extremely proud to be offering new jobs and contributing to the economy of the town.”
Mr Monie said the idea of free consultations was to try and encourage people to take their pet to the vet when there was a problem, allowing them to be treated earlier in a bid to prevent unnecessary suffering.
Anybody interested in Animal Trust’s services should visit www.animaltrust.org.uk or email shrewsbury@animaltrust.org.uk Anybody looking for commercial premises can email Rebecca at rebeccaw@hallsgb.com or call 01743 450700.