A fast-growing customer contact firm will create 1,200 jobs in one of County Durham’s largest ever inward investments.
ResQ’s contact centre at Spectrum Business Park in Seaham will service new and existing customer growth, new business wins and jobs being reshored to the UK.
The Hull-based firm scoured the North of England for a new business centre and worked closely with Business Durham, the economic development company for County Durham, to identify suitable premises.
ResQ employs 670 people at its Hull site which is at full capacity. The family-owned business offers companies inbound and outbound customer services, helping firms connect with their customers through services including direct sales, customer retention and support lines.
ResQ CEO Nic Marshall said: “Spectrum Business Park and County Durham as a whole offered us the quality of premises we needed for this key expansion of our business, with access to a high quality workforce which was critical in our decision-making process.
“We are delighted to be expanding our operations into the North East. Our growth means that County Durham will benefit economically as we create hundreds of jobs in Seaham over the next three years.
“Our growth is being driven by our customers who are growing with us and also the re-shoring of contracts which are currently being undertaken overseas with new customers in the digital, energy, retail and insurance sectors.”
ResQ plans to create 1,200 posts over the next three years. These posts will comprise of staff in client relations, IT specialists, HR professionals, training specialists and support staff. The first 60 employees have started work at Seaham.
Councillor Neil Foster, Durham County Council cabinet member responsible for regeneration and economic development, said: “ResQ’s expansion into Spectrum Business Park is fantastic news for the local economy and one of the biggest inward investments County Durham has ever seen.
“The high quality premises at Seaham and the skilled and flexible workforce the area has to offer was key to ResQ’s final decision to move to County Durham.”
Paul Wellstead, Developer of Spectrum Business Park, said: “I am delighted to welcome ResQ to Spectrum Business Park and I am certain that their staff will appreciate the high quality of office space that Spectrum offers.
“ResQ specifically targeted the excellent recruitment catchment of Spectrum and our well connected location will enable them to successfully grow their business. The business park is now a vibrant community of organisations across all sectors and we hope to achieve full occupancy in all of our Grade A offices in the coming months.”
ResQ has made an application to the Let’s Grow North East Regional Growth Fund operated by BE Group in partnership with UNW LLP, The Journal and Middlesbrough Evening Gazette.
It provides grant support for capital investment and R & D projects that will create new and sustainable jobs in North East England.
Simon Allen, Let’s Grow senior project manager, said: “BE Group, with our partners UNW chartered accountants, The Journal and Middlesbrough Evening Gazette, are delighted that ResQ has made an application to Let’s Grow for a grant from the Regional Growth Fund to expand into the North East.
“This is a very significant investment for ResQ which will create new jobs in Seaham and the availability of grant support will be instrumental in accelerating the delivery of jobs.”
ResQ supports the outsourced communications needs of a host of well known major companies in the digital, energy, retail and insurance sectors.
ResQ is actively recruiting now for staff to fill posts and urges people interested in working at their Seaham business centre to go to its website http://resqcs.co.uk/careers/
It is working closely with Job CentrePlus on its recruitment drive.
Business Durham has helped ResQ prepare its grant application, with the final application prepared by Neville Baldry of Clive Owen LLP.
It is on stand-by to assist the company further with its move through, for example, Durham County Council’s Employability Team to help it find the employees it needs.
Source: http://www.businessdurham.co.uk/
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