A major energy sector employer is set to expand further within the Great Yarmouth area with the construction of one of the largest buildings of it kind for the borough.
Proserv has signed an agreement with Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the local enterprise partnership that will see the council delivering a landmark base built in the Enterprise Zone at Beacon Park in Gorleston.
The company approached Great Yarmouth Borough Council last year to discuss its ambitions to consolidate and grow its Great Yarmouth operations under one roof in a building that may cost up to £8m
It employs about 190 staff at three sites across the borough. Most of these employees already live within 10 minutes of Beacon Park, a growing hub for the energy sector, which is owned by the council.
Through an agreement between Proserv, the borough council and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the council will develop a new headquarters for Proserv to be called Artemis House on a prominent site on the park, which is part of the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (New Anglia) Enterprise Zone.
Comprising 65,000sq ft of modern office and production floorspace, the prestigious building, flanking the new link road, will be one of the largest commercial buildings in terms of floorspace ever constructed in the borough. There is also an option to add a further 20,000sq ft of workshop capacity at a later date.
The borough council has invested £4.5m in the development, with £1.5m coming from New Anglia LEP's Growing Places Fund and Proserv contributing up to £2m towards the fit-out for their requirements and will be taking a 20-year lease on completion.
Proserv, which operates worldwide through 22 operating centres based in 12 countries, has a 40-year track record in delivering bespoke technologies and services for the energy industry, particularly in the drilling, production, subsea and marine market sectors. For more than 20 years, the company has been providing subsea controls and communications equipment.
The completed development will form another part of the council's important property portfolio generating significant rental income which is used to help support vital public services.
The council has awarded the construction contract to Morgan Sindall and is due to start on the 5.75-acre site in early June, with Proserv moving early 2018 into the new purpose-built base, which will be their new technology centre for subsea controls and communications.
In a joint statement, the council's political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Kay Grey, Cllr Trevor Wainwright and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: 'This exciting development and Beacon Park more widely are part of the borough council's work with partners to support sustainable economic growth and unlock its benefits for communities.
'This is a genuine win-win situation for the borough. These important skilled jobs, which are mostly filled by local people, will now stay within the borough, supporting the local economy and prosperity, and Proserv can expand to create more local job opportunities for local people.
'Proserv gets the huge benefits of staying in Great Yarmouth, world famous as England's energy sector capital, and within a new, purpose-built, landmark headquarters on Beacon Park, a growing hub for energy sector businesses and the most successful Enterprise Zone in the country.
'This success has come about through close partnership working across the public and private sectors, and we look forward to welcoming Proserv and its staff to Beacon Park early next year.'
News of the latest development comes at a time of strong growth for Proserv after the company recently secured over £12m in contract awards for its new-build, after-market and decommissioning services.
David Lamont, Proserv CEO, said: 'This is great news for the whole of Proserv but especially the team in Great Yarmouth. As an established employer in the region since the 1960s, we have developed an outstanding workforce that is well recognised globally for its expertise and engineering capabilities. Investing in this new facility firmly underlines our long-term commitment to Great Yarmouth and plans for growth in the area.
'Consolidating operations into a modern purpose-built site will make us leaner, more efficient and better placed to deliver for our global customer base, whilst creating capacity for future expansion. The centre will serve as a global hub and Centre of Excellence for our subsea communication and controls activities and ensures we remain at the forefront of our field.
'I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Great Yarmouth Borough Council for their unwavering support over the years in getting us to this exciting stage.'
Chris Starkie, managing director of New Anglia LEP, said: 'This is an important development and we're pleased to see work starting on site. As well as being a flagship building on our Enterprise Zone, it is great to secure the future of Proserv – a key energy sector supplier and employer – in Great Yarmouth.'
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