A sports nutrition wholesaler has pre-let the biggest unit at AXIS 5, Lichfield South, and will move 50 staff from Sutton Coldfield. Three units are still free.
A sports nutrition wholesaler is moving its business to Lichfield South. Tropicana Wholesale has agreed a 10-year lease on the largest unit at AXIS 5, the new industrial scheme being built on the business park.
The firm will relocate its 50 staff from Minworth Industrial Estate in Sutton Coldfield, roughly nine miles to the south. The developer, Tungsten Properties, announced the deal on Thursday 24 September. It is the first letting on the scheme, which Tungsten is delivering with the investor L&G.
The deal
According to Tungsten’s announcement:
- Tropicana Wholesale, which also trades as Tropicana Health & Fitness, has pre-let unit 2
- the unit covers 44,899 sq ft (4,171 sq m), the biggest of the five
- the lease runs for 10 years
- the company is family-owned, was founded in 1980 and stocks more than 200 brands
- Garrison Real Estate acted for Tungsten and L&G
“Pre-let” means the lease was signed before the building is finished. The same announcement says unit 1 is under offer.
What is being built
AXIS 5 sits on an 8.8-acre plot two miles south of the city centre, next to the A38 and the A5. Tungsten’s project page sets out the scheme:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Units | Five, for industrial and logistics use |
| Total floor space | 140,383 sq ft (13,042 sq m) |
| Builder | Magrock |
| Construction started | August 2025 |
| Power | 1.5 MVA |
| Height | Up to 10 metres to haunch |
| Car parking | 10% of spaces with EV chargers, the rest “EV ready” |
| Targets | BREEAM Excellent, EPC A, 20% biodiversity net gain |
The announcement adds that the units will carry solar panels.
The two Tungsten pages disagree on timing. The 24 September announcement says the whole scheme is due to complete in September 2026. The project page gives practical completion as October 2026, and “Q4 2026” further down. The announcement also gives the total floor space as “140,000 sq m (13,042 sq m)”, which is a slip for square feet.
What the company says
Debbie Butlin, Tropicana Wholesale’s chief operations officer, said the move would “significantly increase our warehousing and distribution capacity”.
The firm offers same-day dispatch on orders placed by 4pm. The extra space will also support TropAutomate, its new service that restocks gym vending machines automatically from their sales data.
Stephen Ford, the chief executive, called the move “a significant investment in the future of Tropicana Wholesale”.
David Mole, development director at Tungsten Properties, said the company had “received encouraging levels of interest in the remaining units”.
What it means for you
- Jobs. The announcement talks about 50 staff relocating. It does not promise new posts, so this is a move of existing jobs rather than a hiring drive. Openings from local employers are listed on our Lichfield jobs page.
- More to come. Units 3, 4 and 5 are still available, ranging from 13,306 sq ft to 31,416 sq ft. More occupiers are likely to follow once the scheme completes. JLL and Garrison Real Estate are the letting agents.
- Traffic. Lichfield South sits beside the A38 and the A5, south of the city. For current closures around the city, see our Lichfield roadworks page. Wider development news is on our Lichfield planning page.
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