The company is set to move its headquarters from the Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury to Battlefield in February 2013. The new 20,000 square feet building, which will have two fine art salerooms, dedicated offices and storage space, will be adjacent to Shrewsbury Auction Centre, which is run by Halls.

“It’s a very exciting time for the business,” said Halls’ director David Giles, who is managing the project. “The move to the new head office and fine art auction centre will be a giant step forward, representing a multi-million investment by the company.

“Apart from raising our profile in Shropshire, the development will allow the company to expand and improve the wide range of professional services that we provide to our clients.

“We have outgrown our long established home at the Welsh Bridge and everyone is looking forward to moving into a modern building, which is much more accessible to our clients.

“We are an ambitious company with plans to expand the agricultural, professional and fine art departments and there will be a natural synergy by being located on the same site as Shrewsbury Auction Centre.”

Halls’ fine art director Jeremy Lamond is excited by the prospect of having purpose-built salerooms for an extended range of specialist auctions.

“We have been pressing for new fine art salerooms for the past decade,” he said. “Whilst our present headquarters are in a beautiful setting, they are entirely impracticable for a modern auctioneering business

“The new facilities will allow the fine art department to expand and offer a greater sales programme, with more dedicated specialist sales, to our ever-widening national and international market.

“We will be looking to recruit consultants in several specialist areas as part of our expansion programme to serve the people of Shropshire, Mid Wales and the West Midlands. We aim to be one of the leading regional fine art auction houses outside London.”