Member Article

Five-man South Shields business announces £800k contract in China

Db Show Control & Automation, a five-man South Shields business which helps design some of the world’s most exhilarating multimedia show experiences, has announced an £800k contract in China – the biggest it has won.

The company, based at the state-of-the-art mixed use office and workshop units at One Trinity Green, South Shields, is a technical design consultancy providing design, programming and project management services for show control, audio visual and IT systems.

The company’s robust, engineered solutions are at the core of the world’s most demanding multimedia shows, theme park rides, museums and interactive visitor centres.

Projects completed include two new rides at Universal Studios Orlando, the Big O water show at the World Expo in South Korea, the Wings of Time show on Sentosa Island in Singapore, the park-wide audio system at Thorpe Park, Nissan Auto Expo India, Audi A3 Experience at the product launch in Barcelona, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the JCB presentation theatre at its headquarters in Staffordshire.

This latest contract win includes full technical design and build plus on-site commissioning for a giant 24-rack system. The system drives all of the special effects, lasers, lighting, projection, audio and water effects for a night time water show that takes place on a lake in the area of Wuyishan, China.

The company, which was formed in 2011 by technical director, Dave Birchall, has a £1.2 million turnover, the majority of which is generated via projects overseas, especially in the Middle and Far East and the United States.

The company is a member of the Themed Entertainment Association, an international non-profit association representing the world’s leading creators, developers, designers and producers of compelling places and experiences.

To enable it to manage continual growth, Dave and his team decided to locate to a light industrial unit within the highly popular One Trinity Green, which is jointly owned by South Tyneside Council and Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle, which also manages the facility.

It is a state-of-the-art development providing managed offices, workshop and hybrid units to rent for new and growing businesses. It also offers extensive support services including meeting and conference rooms with free Wifi, a roof top garden and communal areas offering networking opportunities with fellow businesses.

Dave Birchall, said: “The China project was huge and we really needed a bigger, better resourced environment from which to design and build the system. One Trinity Green had many advantages for us. The easy and flexible letting terms were very appealing but perhaps more importantly was the fact that we knew the design and layout of the centre would be attractive to our clients, some of whom come to South Shields to see how the projects are developing and can be here for some time.”

With close links to the A19 and Tyne Tunnel, free on-site parking and tenancy agreements on a short term ‘easy in, easy out’ basis, One Trinity Green is a previous winner of the Legacy – Sustainability prize at the ninth annual Constructing Excellence in the North East (CENE) ceremony. Judges praised the way the principles of sustainable construction would leave a positive and long-lasting legacy to the innovative £5.4 million development.

The 35 offices span three floors in varying shapes and sizes from 16sqm to 53sqm. Prices start at £76 per week. The four workshop units have roller door shutters for easy access, offering 83sqm from just £192 per week. Two hybrid units comprise workshop space and office covering 178sqm and are available for £385 per week.

Dave, added: “A great deal of the work that we do requires fast internet connectivity. Also, we did not fully realise the facilities that are on site for meetings and even conferences and we can envisage a time when we will be taking full advantage of that resource.”

During the course of this calendar year the meetings and conference facilities at One Trinity Green have been comprehensively used. Figures show that a vast variety of organisations had used the boardroom facilities 164 times, the conference room 192 times and the meeting room on 186 occasions. Further calculation has estimated that in excess of 8,200 business visitors have used the vast resource available.

Cllr John Anglin, South Tyneside Council’s Lead Member for Regeneration and Economy, said: “It’s great to see a home-grown business flourishing and proving a real success story. One Trinity Green’s award-winning facilities are attracting companies that operate on a regional, national and international level. Businesses like DB, with strong export activity, are showcasing the talent we have here in the Borough on the international stage.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by South Tyneside Council .