Onyx opens office recovery centre in Stockton
Oct 22 2010 by Laura Woodcock, Evening Gazette
FAST-GROWING Stockton-based technology firm Onyx Group has made a six-figure investment on Teesside with the launch of a new workplace recovery centre.
Workplace recovery centres help to mitigate corporate risk by providing an alternative workplace that allows businesses to transfer operations and employees to a second office, if their primary office cannot function as usual. Businesses can use workplace recovery centres at any time, as part of their continuity plan.
In this new facility at Onyx’s headquarters on Portrack Interchange Business Park there are 100 recovery seats which adds to its 260-seat Newcastle facility and also its continuity centres in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Neil Stephenson, chief executive of Onyx Group, said: “This is a significant investment and a significant opportunity which has created and protected jobs.
“At a time of cutbacks, job losses and general doom and gloom, it’s good to talk about something positive that is happening in the region.
“This latest expansion is another step in the right direction for Onyx as we aim to create a UK-wide footprint, providing key technology services to national and regional businesses.”
He added: “We work with a range of companies across the UK, helping them to put in place robust continuity strategies that will ensure the business can and will operate as normal if disaster strikes. The new opening is a result of demand in this region, particularly from businesses that are starting to seriously look at business continuity and ensure they have in place appropriate contingencies, at a time where industry is becoming ever more regulated and monitored.”
The new facility is the latest good news for Onyx - the current nebusiness Company of the Year. Earlier this year it won what it said was a “transformational” contract with part of the giant Balfour Beatty construction group. It also continues to pursue its target of becoming a £50m turnover business.
The workplace recovery centre was opened by Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham yesterday.
“The success of Onyx to date is testament to the group’s hard work and determination,” he said. “It is great to see a local company grow into a national technology provider with a UK wide footprint and expansion plans still underway.”
Mr Stephenson said opening another facility in the region shows how important the North-east is to Onyx Group.
“The region is where our heritage lies and remains important to our business plans. Investment here is a priority and it always will be.”
