Custom Neon founder buys into Barwon Business Park

International Geelong success story Jake Munday is the latest entrepreneur to buy into the Barwon Business Park, delivering another confidence boost for the Newtown development.

The founder of Custom Neon, which sells handmade LED neon signs to more than 60 countries, has added to his property portfolio with an off-the-plan strata office purchase.

Mr Munday and his wife Jess initially started the business as a side project after they struggled to find an affordable neon sign for their son’s nursery.

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The founder of Geelong’s Custom Neon inspects the Barwon Business Park site with developer Phil Petch.

Despite expanding globally with teams in the UK and US, which now accounts for an estimated 75 per cent of sales, Custom Neon’s headquarters remain in Geelong.

Mr Munday said the Barwon Business Park’s location adjacent to the Barwon River and the scarcity of strata properties in the region made it an appealing investment.

“Being first in, at such a prime spot along the Barwon River is an incredible opportunity,” he said.

“The views are going to be spectacular.”

Newtown’s river end is familiar territory for the business owner, who first started working from a nearby coworking space.

“When I first worked for myself I was working down in Rutland St, out of a coworking space just down from Boom Gallery,” he said.

“We expanded from a coworking space to our own office for Custom Neon so we have been in that area for seven or eight years.”

An artist’s render of the business park, which is expected to be completed in late 2025.

Views are a big drawcard of the office spaces. Source: Luda Studios.

He credits Barwon Business Park developer Phil Petch’s personal involvement during the sales campaign as influencing his decision to buy an office in the project as an investment.

“It’s rare to have such active involvement from a developer and it was reassuring to know that Phil was so committed to this project,” he said.

Barwon Business Park comprises 22 individually titled A-grade offices and is expected to be completed next year.

“It is going to be the first of the kind. I think there will be more to come, anything around the water is going to be prime real estate,” Mr Munday said.

Barista Patrick Dann (left) recently signed on to operate a cafe at Barwon Business Park.

Geelong agency Gartland is handling sales in the riverside development.

Gartland director Michael De Stefano said purchasers had seen the advantage of buying with a fixed price contract in a location tipped for high capital growth

“We have seen some astute buyers getting ahead of the curve and locking in before next year’s expected rate cuts,” he said.