The success of a North East office set up by a chartered quantity surveying practice with expertise in the process and energy sectors is being seen as a positive sign for Teesside and the region.
Solomons Europe Ltd works with blue-chip companies and major contractors in the nuclear, oil and gas, petrochemical, renewable energy, power, chemical, pharmaceutical and process industries.
The company opened a satellite office in the Innovation Centre at Hartlepool run by UK Steel Enterprise in 2012 but have rapidly outgrown the space as the team and its client list expanded. Now, with 11 qualified surveyors and a trainee, currently studying at Teesside University, it is still recruiting and has quadrupled its space with a move into a 400sq ft office in the Innovation Centre’s Hub Two.
“We are very pleased with the progress we have made since we opened the North East office,” said Director Ian Hedley. “We provide quantity surveying and project support services to a range of industrial clients and the fact that we have grown so well has to be a good sign for Teesside and the North East as it demonstrates that these sectors are still investing and developing despite recent setbacks.”
Solomons’ North East clients include a number of large EPC (Engineering Procurement & Construction) contractors and engineering houses. The company, based near Warrington, and with aspecial projects office in Cumbria, works with a raft of national blue-chip companies such as Doosan Babcock, Jacobs, Morgan Sindall, Costain and Balfour Beatty on some of the largest projects in the UK.
“The Innovation Centre has been an ideal place for us to start and grow a third office and the location gives us easy access around the region,” said Ian Hedley. “The offices and facilities are excellent and the UK Steel Enterprise team did everything they could to help when we outgrew the office and needed more space.
“We are continuing to attract new clients and are in the process of recruiting additional surveyors for the team here,” he added.
Joan Cook of UK Steel Enterprise, the Tata Steel subsidiary that supports businesses with finance and premises, said: “Our Innovation Centres at Hartlepool and Redcar are purpose-built to provide all the facilities and support that businesses need to grow and create jobs. Solomons has certainly done that and we are delighted that we were able to find them the additional office space they needed.”
Details of UK Steel Enterprise’s support for business is available at www.uksteelenterprise.co.uk. Solomons is at www.solomonseurope.com