Partner Article

Hartlepool deepsea company receives Real Help from One North East

A Hartlepool business has opened a new quayside facility, with the help of government support, showing the “wide range of practical support available.”

JDT Cable Systems are a leading provider of subsea power cables for the energy sector, and they were granted £850,000 by the Real Help campaign to create 80 new jobs, and a purpose-built facility – making the state-of-the-art 100,000sq ft building the only sight in the UK designed to manufacture subsea power cables.

The funding was given through a Grant for Business Investment (GBI) from Regional Development Agency One North East (ONE), which aims to encourage capital investments for long-term productivity improvements.

Managing Director of JDT Cable Systems, Patrick Phelan, said: “We are delighted, both with the support that was available to us, and in turn, the fact that we will now be able to make a significant contribution to the economy of the North East, particularly in the current climate.

“The new JDR Hartlepool facility has been built in response to a significant growth in demand from customers for our products and a move to expand our offering to the renewable energy sector.”

He added: “The new site in Hartlepool has been designed specifically to manufacture these products, along with other specialist equipment for oil and gas projects. The response from the market has been very positive and we are at an advanced stage of tendering for many other projects.”

The Real Help campaign is a Government initiative set up in the wake of the global recession, protecting people from “the worst of the storm and beginning investing so that we come through the recession stronger.”

In the North East, the Grant for Business Fund is open to small and medium-sized (SME) firms, who have the potential to expand but cannot because of current economic constraints.

Real Help combines ONE, the Learning and Skills Council, Business Link, Jobcentre Plus and the Government office to work together to offer a range of solutions.

According to Real Help, the North East economy is worth more than £40bn, meaning it is better placed than any other region to rise form the recession stronger than before.

Ian Williams, Director of Business and Industry at ONE, said: “One North East is pleased to support JDR in its expansion to Hartlepool, and with it the creation of new jobs and investment in Tees Valley.

“Their recent opening is testament to the high calibre of skills, sites and supply chain opportunities on offer in the North east which are helping to position the region as a hub for oil and gas and renewable energy companies.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .