Member Article

Global Research Group moves into Grade A workspace in Macclesfield

Illingworth Research Group has moved into Orbit Development’s Hazelwood House on Tytherington Business Village, taking the whole 14,800sq ft to support an ambitious global growth plan.

Founded in Macclesfield by John Illingworth in 1998, the company supplies a range of clinical development services to the pharmaceutical, healthcare, biotechnology and medical device industries.

Its primary drive is to become the best Mobile Research Nursing provider in the world, putting patients at the heart of a quality service, to empower them and make clinical trial participation easier and more effective for patients and their sponsors by taking the trials to the patients in their home, school, workplace, or even if they are on holiday.

Illingworth has been especially busy throughout the Covid-19 pandemic as companies with millions of pounds invested in drug development sought to keep their clinical trials on track.

Moving to Macclesfield’s leading business park takes the company from fairly tight, multi-site conditions in the town centre to a high-quality office development in 43 acres of mature parkland and keeps an exciting, fast growing global pharma brand in the area.

John Illingworth commented: “The business is Macclesfield born and bred and this is where we wanted to stay, but in workspace more suited to us that could accommodate not only existing headcount but support our growth plans. I have an exceptionally dedicated team of healthcare professionals who have struggled on in less than ideal space in recent years. Hazelwood House is the perfect location for our ambitious growth schedule.”

Illingworth Research Group was the first in the world to offer home healthcare as part of clinical trials – visits by qualified research nurses – and also recently launched PatientGO, a patient concierge service with a dedicated mobile app which reduces the impact of trial participation on patients and their families.

This has been a winning formula for clinical trial sponsors and driven a lot of business growth.

Many of the firm’s 135 full-time employees and remote workers expect to be calling Hazelwood House home this month, with the required Covid-19 compliant safety measures and requirements in place.

The new premises will cater for Illingworth’s UK IT team, the global finance and HR functions, UK recruitment team, research project managers and co-ordinators, nursing recruits, a medical photography department and logistics team.

John again: “Ongoing communication and regular interactions have been key to ensuring successful delivery during the past couple of months.

“However, the idea that we can once again start to reintroduce that social and cultural cohesion within our workforce face to face will be of immense benefit – and all within our new surroundings.

“It will be amazing to be able to spread out comfortably, park the car easily, enjoy bright, airy meeting space and common areas and have all this beautiful scenery around us.”

Paul McLeman, Leasing Director at Orbit Developments, said that it was always exciting to negotiate on an entire building lease, but this has been special.

“Illingworth Research is a fast-growing pioneer in its field with strong Macclesfield roots and we were delighted to be able to offer Hazelwood House. It is an entirely fitting space to which to welcome world-renowned pharma and clinical professionals, customers and other stakeholders. We wish them continued success.”

Illingworth Research Group will join medico-legal consultancy Collaboras Legal who moved its expanding team into Oakfield House on the same business village in March, reflecting growing interest in the park for clinical specialists.

Tytherington Business Village amenities include a Premier Inn hotel, the Springwood pub, a Subway store, Bright Horizons nursery and the newly opened Coffee Tree café. Orbit also provides regular fitness classes including free yoga and mindfulness classes for customers on the Village.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sue Souter .