Balfour Beatty set to create more than 200 jobs
Sep 14 2010 by Peter McCusker, The Journal
MORE than 200 new jobs are on the way to the North East - with possibly more to follow - after engineering and construction giant Balfour Beatty unveiled plans to establish a new office in the region.
The company, which currently employs 30,000 people in the United Kingdom, says it is creating a new customer support centre which will bring together some of its nationwide accounting and payroll functions in one office. Balfour has taken lease on a 41,000 sq ft office at the Quorum Business Park, North Tyneside.
It will initially start with 200 staff, with the office able to accommodate up to 400, and Balfour saying it expects to create additional jobs within three years.
Ian Dawson, who has been appointed head of the centre and joins from IBM UK, said: “We have already started recruiting for the centre, both from Balfour Beatty and in the local area.
“When the centre is up-and-running early next year, we will have a dedicated and highly motivated team delivering an excellent service to our customers.”
Jonathan Walker, head of member relations at the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s fantastic news and a much needed positive boost for the region as a whole in the light of what are going to be difficult times in the public sector. It is vital that public bodies make every effort to attract more companies into the North East, especially with the potential for the supply chain.”
Staff who currently work in the firm’s nationwide accounts department will be given the opportunity to relocate to the North East, with the anticipation that somewhere in the region of 20% will ask to move.
There will be some job losses elsewhere as a result of the relocation.
Mr Dawson went on to say Balfour had scoured the country looking for possible sites to establish this division, but plumped for the region for two main reasons.
“The skills and adaptability of the local workforce and the facilities at Quorum are the kind of top class facilities we are looking for,” added Mr Dawson. Fergus Trim, development director at the Quorum Business Park, said: “We have invested heavily in the infrastructure, amenities and sports facilities at Quorum and are pleased that high-quality buildings such as Q14 are enticing major plcs like Balfour Beatty to our region, creating hundreds of valuable jobs.”
Balfour Beatty employs 50,000 people around the world. It recently publishes results for the first half of 2010 which showed a 13% fall in sales to £3.3bn.
Tyne and Wear Development Company has been heavily involved in the Balfour Beatty project and will deliver ongoing support to assist staff relocation.
Paul Buie, TWDC manager, said: “It’s good news for the region and will help to create a significant number of jobs at an important time.
“It’s a project we’ve been heavily involved in since the formative stages of the process and another major inward investment success for Quorum.”
