TRAGO Mills has opened the doors of its new Build Centre, for trade and DIY customers, at its Newton Abbot site. The £3.5m centre opened for business at 7am on Wednesday morning. It’s created 12 new jobs, and three new signature ‘Trago Towers’ on the skyline. The Trago Build Centre, next to the main store, comprises more than 2,000 square metres of building materials, tools and work wear, and an additional external stock yard. Geared towards the construction and building trade, it also includes an expanded range for Trago’s DIY customers. DIY products currently account for around 20 per cent of the discount retailer’s turnover. Bruce Robertson, company chairman and owner, said: ‘The opening of the Garden Park in 2009 and the subsequent vacating of the former Garden Centre site has finally allowed us to deliver a vision that has been nurtured for many years, to provide a better, more comprehensive service to the building trade. ‘It also has the virtue of releasing space within the retail store, allowing the business to re-focus on home improvement and decorative products, the finishing touches if you will. ‘Our customers, whether improving their homes or “in the trade”, will find a new depth to the offer with much more choice, more brands and at better than ever Trago prices.’ Managing director Brent Pinhay added: ‘This is the culmination of several years of planning and working with Teignbridge Council. The Build Centre sits perfectly alongside our main store here at Newton Abbot.’ The Build Centre has created 12 new jobs for local people, in addition to the 600 staff already employed across Trago’s Newton Abbot site. Build Centre manager Martin Staveley said: ‘The team is very excited about the opening and they all worked incredibly hard to get everything ready. It’s fantastic for me to be here right from the start and I’m really looking forward to taking on the challenge and to welcoming our customers.’