IT HAS been a busy and productive couple of years for Tyne and Wear Development Company. At a time when business support is evolving, it has been continuing to work hard to drive inward investment in Tyne and Wear by attracting a host of flagship projects to the region – including Tesco Bank and Balfour Beatty.

The company is one of the region’s leading business support organisations and has been working to enhance economic growth in Tyne and Wear for over 25 years. Its track record stretches back to 1986 when it was formed to encourage inward investment and to provide business and aftercare support for local companies.

Over a quarter of a century on, it is still providing free, independent and confidential advice to investors big and small. It offers help with everything from property searches, advice on finance, training, recruitment and labour availability through to strategic business support, and remains the first port of call for businesses needing a helping hand.

Paul Buie, Tyne and Wear Development Company manager says: “We’re here to help anyone with an investment project whatever support is required. For some companies this is a quick search on our property database, while other projects are more complex requiring long term assistance.

“We work closely with other organisations and partners around the region to leverage additional support for businesses and offer real added value to our clients.”

This partnership approach – and willingness to go the extra mile – has seen Tyne and Wear attract some of the UK’s biggest inward investment projects in the last couple of years with Tyne and Wear Development Company fronting several high profile campaigns that have created hundreds of jobs.

Last year was a high point with Tesco Bank opening a contact centre at Quorum Business Park that will create over 1,000 new jobs. Tyne and Wear Development Company was also able to announce construction giant Balfour Beatty was opening a shared service centre in the region, creating 200 jobs, and that Ebiquity, one of the world’s leading media monitoring companies, is establishing its European headquarters here.

Previous successes for the company include supporting Banco Santander through its expansion plans which saw the creation of 500 jobs at its facility on Cobalt Business Park and playing a pivotal role in attracting the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to Newcastle Business Park following a nationwide search. The MMO, which has created 140 skilled jobs and enhanced the region’s reputation as an international centre of marine expertise, was one of the first big Government relocation projects to come to the North East.

Paul explains: “These are prestigious projects and we’re delighted to have been involved in them. With many of these investments we were in direct competition with other areas of the UK, so it was essential for us to promote the region and present Tyne and Wear’s case as the best location in order to succeed.

“Thanks to the specialist support and assistance we can provide along with the natural assets, infrastructure and facilities we have in the region, we’re fortunate to be able to offer such an attractive package to investors.”