Hellens’s sights fixed on Olympics

Jun 21 2008 by Chris Knox, The Journal

A DEMOLITION and reclamation company is hoping to land a number of Olympic contracts after doubling its capacity.

Wearside firm The Hellens Group believes it can grow its £33m turnover after doubling its factory space by moving from Hetton-le-Hole, near Sunderland, to its new self-built home in Teal Farm Park, Washington.

The firm built the 6,000sqft facility as part of a wider 40 acre mixed-use development, which includes nine industrial units that are now available to rent. It has also completed the demolition of the nearby Cape Insulation manufacturing plant, which will now make way for 18 acres of residential land, of which nine acres has been sold to Newcastle housebuilder Barratt.

It now hopes to add to its 140-strong workforce over the coming years as a result of increased production.

Chief executive Gavin Cordwell-Smith said: “The new facility will allow us to expand at an even faster rate than we have been doing over recent years. Our wide range of contracts should also ensure that we aren’t too badly hit by the downturn affecting other firms at the moment.”

It now believes it is in a strong position to work with the Olympic Delivery Authority on a number of demolition and construction contracts in the run up to the 2012 Games after recently working at a number of sporting venues in the North East.

These include pitch resurfacing contracts at Newcastle’s St James’s Park and Sunderland’s Stadium of Light and its training facility the Academy of Light. It is also undertaking a £4.5m landscaping contract at the University of Manchester, following the merger of Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.

Cordwell-Smith said: “We feel we have the experience and know-how to secure work for the Olympics as well as the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Although there is some uncertainty in the market at the moment we feel our expansion will ensure growth.”