27/02/2018
Having reached capacity at the site in Hull where more than 670 people currently work ResQ considered various sites within a two-hour travelling time of Hull but, as Nic puts it: “We just fell in love with Seaham.”
It is not so long ago that Seaham felt unloved following the decline of the coal industry, but the seaside town is now a vibrant place to do business with a rich network of talented, hardworking people.
Nic added:
“It was really important to us to have access to the right workforce, and the people of Seaham have exactly the kind of attitude we look for. Attitude is more important to us than skills because if people have the right attitude, we can give them the skills they need.”
The people of Seaham have a lot of similarities with the people of Hull. They too have had their dark times, due to the decline of the fishing industry and the docks, but hardship has engrained in them a determination to do well.
Nic said:
“Those hard times in Seaham and Hull have led to people wanting to better themselves, and that gives them a real pride in the job. We strive to be a good employer – it’s really important to us. Our employees do a cracking job for us and they are rewarded with a good living.”
When ResQ expanded to Seaham’s Spectrum Business Park last summer, ResQ announced that its objective was to employ 1,200 people by the end of 2018. That ambition makes it one of the county’s largest inward investments.
The jobs tally at the site is currently more than 200 with ResQ already making a raft of key appointments to support its latest contract wins and to kick-start the growth plans for 2017.
The fantastic positivity of the Seaham workforce has been matched by the excellence of the facilities at the Spectrum Business Park.
Nic said:
"If you had to draw the perfect site for a call centre, you’d draw what is available to us at Seaham.”
The positive workforce and perfect facilities were underpinned by the openness and flexibility of Durham County Council and Business Durham, the economic development company for the county, working on behalf of the council.
Once the initial discussions were over and ResQ had more or less set its heart on Seaham, it was a question of asking what Business Durham could do to ensure the smoothest transition possible.
Nic was delighted with the response:
“The attitude was ‘What can we do to help you?’ It was so refreshing that our minds were made up. Of course there were barriers, but there was always a will to find ways to overcome them.”