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Deputy PM announces French firm Sanef will create 300 jobs with new contact centre

Deputy PM Nick Clegg has announced that French motorway operator firm Sanef will be siting a contact centre in Leeds creating over 300 jobs.

Clegg is visiting on the eve of the Grand Depart of the Tour de France, and spoke at the Leeds Economic Forum as part of the Grand Depart International Business Festival.

Over 300 jobs will be created at the new sanef office in Leeds and will manage the new Dart Charge payments, including payment processing, account management, enquiry handling and penalty charge processing.

This comes after Unilever committed over £20 million to expand its production facilities in Leeds in May, building on innovative processes developed at its R&Dcentre, and Siemens, working with Associated British Ports, are investing over £310 million in building 2 new factories in Hull and East Riding to assemble offshore wind turbines and manufacture turbine blades, creating 1,000 direct jobs and the expectation of many more indirectly and across the supply chain.

Charles Hewson, from sanef said: “We are delighted to have been awarded such a prestigious project and look forward to working on delivering an excellent solution for both the motorist and the Highways Agency.

“Leeds has been chosen due to its significant experience in Contact Centre operations along with its highly skilled and educated work force and I truly believe this is the start of a long term and mutually beneficial relationship.

Deputy PM Nick Clegg said: “Economically, it’s estimated that the race could generate an extra £100 million for the UK’s economy in the years to come and our more immediate target is to create at least £20 million in new trade and investment opportunities across the country.

And I’m pleased to announce today that Sanef, the French motorway operator, is building its new £1 million frontline customer support centre in Leeds. This centre will create up to 300 jobs, including 10 new apprenticeships, and support Sanef’s operations in the UK.

These companies believe in this city’s future. They recognise what it can contribute to their company’s success and, with government committed to investing in critical infrastructure projects like High-Speed 2 (HS2), Leeds can offer them even bigger opportunities in the decades ahead.

Photo: Copyright David Angell

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .