Member Article

Newcastle chosen as New Zealand cloud company’s European HQ

New Zealand cloud-based software solutions firm, Tidy has chosen Newcastle as its European headquarters.

The firm, which chose Newcastle ahead of competitors London, Manchester and Leeds, aims to create 20 new, local jobs within the next three years.

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.

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.

Kevin explained: “Locating in Newcastle was an easy choice to make, 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.”

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.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →