Hundreds of new jobs are to be created in Newcastle after the city secured major investment from a US payments firm.
Newcastle beat off competition from nine other 海角视频 cities to attract Xplor, which has been formed by the merger of two global technology companies.
The company is to set up an office in Newcastle city centre as part of its worldwide expansion plans, though its exact location has not been finalised.
A wide range of roles will be on offer, with 200 jobs created initially and the hope of more to come in later years.
Teams from Invest Newcastle and the North of Tyne Combined Authority helped secure the new site, using a grant of almost £1m from the combined authority’s Inward Investment Grant Fund.
The city beat off competition from the likes of Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Nottingham, York, Liverpool and Leicester to attract the company.
Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said: “Newcastle is a city on the global stage. We are now building a strong digital sector, which includes a growing FinTech base, that can compete with other big cities and have the ingredients we need – good transport links, culture, beautiful open spaces, a vibrant night-time economy and a skilled versatile workforce to attract investors.
“Xplor is a global leader, and any ambitious city would have been delighted to be host to their new 海角视频 base, but they chose Newcastle which underlines real confidence.”
Most Read
Jennifer Hartley, director of Invest Newcastle, said: “Working closely with our partners including Invest North East England and the North of Tyne Combined Authority, I had the pleasure of showing off our city and its strengths to Xplor just before lockdown.
“From applying for funding, Xplor being awarded £965,000, to providing introductions to partners, supporting on recruitment and information on the wider business base in the city, all throughout lockdown, this investment is also a collaboration story. It is testament to the support of everyone involved and their commitment to providing opportunities and jobs for our people.”
North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “Jobs are the foundation of our economy. These are good, well paid jobs that will go to the people of our region. And they’re hi-tech exporting jobs, developing software for global use, exporting over the internet.
“It’s fantastic news that Xplor has chosen to create hundreds of jobs here. They could have chosen to go anywhere. It shows that when we work together as a region, we can be winners. This is what the North of Tyne devolution deal was all about – improving life for our people.”
Xplor has been formed by the merger of St Louis company Clearant and Transaction Services Group, which was originally founded in New Zealand. Both companies are owned by global investment group Advent International.
The company offers software for businesses in the education, health and fitness, wellness, field services and personal services sectors, employing more than 2,000 people in the 海角视频, Europe, Australasia and North America.
Senior staff from Xplor visited Newcastle in early 2020, just before the first coronavirus lockdown. The city impressed the company with its ability to attract and retain talent, proximity to the region’s universities and transport links.
Don’t miss
Camilla Sunner, chief commercial officer for the 海角视频 & Europe at Xplor said: “We’re incredibly excited to be building a brand-new customer service delivery centre in the city centre of Newcastle to better serve our health and fitness, and business clients across the 海角视频 and Europe.
“As their needs change and grow, we will continue to invest in intelligent solutions, greater automation, and in our talented people, to build a world-class service delivery model capable of meeting their needs now and in the future.”