SOFTWARE company AutoRek has leased the entire fourth floor of The Garment Factory, a B-listed building in Glasgow's Merchant City.

AutoRek, which provides software solutions for organisations operating in the global financial services market and also has offices in Edinburgh, London and New York, is taking 8,385sqft of space on a 10-year lease at a rental of £24 per sqft. The firm will relocate from Bath Street, Glasgow later this year following a period of fitting out. Its new space in The Garment Factory is double the size of the its current premises and represents a significant expansion for the firm.

The Garment Factory, on the corner of Ingram Street and Montrose Street, is regarded as one of Glasgow's most notable buildings. Developer Castleforge Partners has recently completed a £6 million refurbishment project at the seven-storey building which involved restoring original features including exposed ceilings, steel and brickwork, wooden flooring and ornate staircases, and the introduction of contemporary finishes throughout to provide a 21st-century workplace.

Built in 1898 to designs by Glasgow architect James Thomson, the building's basement was converted to a bomb shelter during the Second World War.

AutoRek's managing director Gordon McHarg said: “We have achieved considerable business success over the past few years which has led to the need to significantly expand our operations. Our new space in The Garment Factory will offer us the larger premises we need to accommodate this growth.”

Tim Jacobsen, a partner at Ryden, letting agent for The Garment Factory, said that the building was 50 per cent let just three months after completion of the refurbishment project. "We are also in talks with more occupiers regarding other floors in the building,” he confirmed.

Well-known Glaswegian deli, shop and restaurant The Wilson Street Pantry will operate a café in The Garment Factory and will commence trading next month.