Aspin®, an infrastructure engineering company with a sizeable rail division, has expanded its UK operations by opening an office in Derby.
The company’s growth has been supported by the city’s inward investment company Marketing Derby and a grant from Derby City Council through the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund.
The new office Royal Scot Way, Pride Park, is the company’s sixth office. It will be a central focus point for Aspin® activities and paves the way for the recruitment of 17 new engineering and support staff.
The £20 million Derby Enterprise Growth Fund is supported by the Regional Growth Fund and run by Derby City Council. DEGF aims to support growth and job creation in businesses in the city and surrounding area through a mix of loans and grants.
Derby City Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning, Environment and Regeneration Cllr Martin Rawson chairs the DEGF panel of industrial and financial experts who consider business applications.
He said: “The decision by Aspin® to choose Derby for this key expansion is fantastic news – particularly in the year that we are celebrating the 175th anniversary of rail manufacturing in the city.
“It reaffirms our reputation internationally as the UK’s number one city for hi-tech industries and innovation.
“The proactive work by Marketing Derby and the DEGF team at Derby City Council has shown Aspin Consulting and others that this city means business and that we are prepared to go the extra mile to secure inward investment.
“The DEGF grant to Aspin Consulting is money well spent. It has been the catalyst for creation of highly skilled job creation in a key priority sector for Derby.”
Marketing Derby Director John Forkin added: “We’re delighted to welcome Aspin® into Derby and this is another example of a hi-tech company choosing the city as a location for its expansion.
“Marketing Derby has worked hard with partners at Derby City Council and with local companies to secure this investment and once again the quality of the workforce in the Derby area has been a significant factor.”
Aspin® is soon to celebrate its 15th anniversary, it was formed in 2000 by two entrepreneurs. Andy Hoffman who is from Derbyshire and Barry McMahon.
In the period leading to the formation of Aspin®, both of them gathered valuable experience in foundations and structures engineering which led to the identification of a ‘steel pin’ solution for rail infrastructure foundations such as signalling gantries and posts and electrification masts.
This offering and product entry point in the market place was timed to perfection given that the rail environment was a challenging place to be in terms of expectations to improve on timescales for delivery and the establishing of more cost- effective, innovative solutions.
This piece of innovation provided both of these criteria at a time when the privatisation of the network also established added imperative to avoid costly delays, due to revisited financial and commercial structure of the UK railways.
Since then Aspin has researched, developed and rolled out multiple innovative products into the market place.
Managing Director Andy Hoffman explained that innovation began the ‘Aspin® Way’ which is captured within the Aspin® ethos ‘Solution Providers’.
He said: “Aspin® are industry leaders and innovators in their fields of expertise and the opening of the sixth office located in Derby will allow Aspin® to better serve existing and future partners in the local area.
“This is therefore an important move for Aspin® to ensure that we continue to provide a local presence and focussed support to our customers. Aspin® is committed to providing all of its customers with the most innovative and effective solutions.
“Aspin®’s primary rationale to locate in Derby has been to be close to the rail infrastructure in the region to capitalise not least on the electrification of the Midlands Mainline. We were also keen to be co-located next to our existing client base to ensure collaborative working is at its strongest.
“Our growth ambition is to bring new positions to the area and additional revenue with potential for further growth in support of infrastructure opportunities within the UK.
“The plan is to utilise local technical capability and form relationships to support the Rail sector initially and furthermore into transport infrastructure, water, energy and retail.
“The support we have received from the DEGF has without a doubt secured the move to Derby for Aspin®. It is stage one in our expansion plans and a key growth contributor to employment within the region.
“We are grateful to Derby City Council and the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund for supporting our growth plans. The DEGF funding will allow us to meet growing customer demands and allow us to speed up recruitment of local people into our growing and successful business.
“Aspin® has, throughout the process of opening the Derby office, been fully supported by Marketing Derby who have been extremely informative with local knowledge which they have shared with us.
“We believe that Aspin® fits with the Derby objective of attracting hi-tech organisations within the transportation sectors of industry.”
Chris Keogh from commercial property agents Salloway concluded: “We were happy to help our client Ivygrove along with endeavours from Marketing Derby to bring Aspin® to Derby. This is just the type of business that Derby, as a centre of technological innovation, should be looking to attract.
“It is extremely encouraging that firms such as Aspin® are making a commitment to growth by locating to Derby and I believe that this further demonstrates the important role that Derby plays within the rail industry and as part of the technological advancement of the UK.”
Applications for the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund continue to be accepted by Derby City Council. To find out more visit: www.derby.gov.uk/degf . Alternatively call 01332 641628 or email degf@derby.gov.uk .
