Tidy, a New Zealand company developing cloud based software solutions has chosen Newcastle as its European headquarters. Its products TidyWork, TidyStock and TidyBuild provide project management, workflow and inventory control software specifically for the architectural, engineering consultancy, manufacturing, construction and creative agencies industries.
Newcastle won over strong competition from London, Manchester and Leeds. Kevin Mann, CEO of Tidy, chose The Core, located on Newcastle’s landmark location for science and technology businesses, Newcastle Science Central, to open his first European office.
Newcastle Science Central is home to The Cloud Innovation Centre, housed within The Core, a co-locating space helping to foster partnerships between researchers, industry and the public sector – a natural fit for companies within the sector.
“Locating in Newcastle was an easy choice to make” said Kevin, “the city has a buzzing creative and digital community, with global software giants such as Sage Group plc headquartered in the city and fantastic reliable transport links both nationally and internationally. In terms of convenience and culture the city has everything we were looking for.
“The support for business in the city is second to none. Newcastle City Council’s backing and tight bond with businesses did not go unnoticed when considering where to locate. The team at Invest Newcastle also went above and beyond, not only showing us office space options and helping us to recruit but also introducing us to key contacts in the city helping to establish us in the tech community. The fact that Newcastle is a centre of excellence for Building Information Management and RIBA Enterprises has its UK base in the city added to the appeal.
“With Newcastle’s vibrancy, cultural buzz, friendly atmosphere and sporting culture I know that my team would be happy living or relocating here. It is a clean city with fantastic architecture and it has all the conveniences of London; everything you need is just closer. It’s a motivating place when I am working in the office here. We are excited to be in Newcastle and look forward to the journey ahead.”
The ambitious global company, aiming to create 20 new jobs in Newcastle within the next three years, follows a string of Australasian companies, including Spotlight Reporting and Panalitix, choosing Newcastle as a base.
Newcastle, recognised for its thriving Creative & Digital sector, encompasses successful start-ups and global companies, which work with some of the biggest international names around. Over £12.5m has been invested in Newcastle’s digital infrastructure supporting the 2,800 creative and digital businesses across the North East employing approximately 27,000 people.
Catherine Walker, Inward Investment Director at Invest Newcastle, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tidy to the city. Being chosen above cities such as London and Manchester is a testament to the city’s competitive offering including our strong technology sector and acclaimed excellence in academia and research.
“We have an ambition to be internationally recognised as one of the top five cities in digital and technology by 2020. Our strategy focuses on attracting companies within this sector to further develop the international reputation of our city as a tech hub.”
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