Constantine, the European fine art handling and shipping and museum storage company, is expanding its private client storage service from centres in London and Glasgow, the firm said yesterday, highlighting how fine art has become a growing area of interest to investors as well as art-loving collectors.

As part of the Constantine Group; a diversified, global art transportation and museum storage company, Constantine Ltd. has provided services for the past 10 years to a variety of clients.

Fine art and other collectables have become a notable feature of the “alternatives” asset management category in recent years, attracting private client investors and prompting firms to set up specialised funds to offer clients a way to tap into this sector. At a time when there have been worries about slow growth and the threat of rising inflation, fine art is seen by some investors as a way of hedging risks.

“The company continues to invest in sophisticated technological developments in art packing, logistics and storage, including bar-coded storage, individual storage rooms, environmental systems and detailed database and collections management systems,” Constantine said.

Constantine’s Scotland facility outside of Glasgow is a high-security building that features bomb-proof, temperature-controlled storage vaults specially designed for the long-term storage of fine art and antiquities. The building also includes a separate area of more than 30,000 square feet devoted to commercial storage.

The Constantine Group was established as a shipping company in 1885 by Joseph Constantine.