Enterprise plc to create 1,500 Liverpool jobs

Jun 26 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

THE UK’s largest maintenance support services company, Enterprise plc, is to open offices in south Liverpool, creating 1,500 new jobs.

Enterprise, which provides outsourcing services to councils and private companies across the country, hopes to open a complex on Estuary Business Park, next to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, in Speke, by 2011.

Last night, the Leyland-based firm said the jobs being created in IT, finance, plan-ning, and clerical posts were in anticipation of business expansion in coming years. The firm also plans to offer a wide range of skills training for people, including those who want to work in the public sector and utilities industries.

It plans to submit a planning application within the next few months for the 11.5 acre, 200,000 square feet site, and have the complex built within two years of receiving planning consent.

Last night, Liverpool city council leader Warren Bradley said the decision by Enterprise was a “further sign of the growing business confidence which is evident all over Liverpool”.

Enterprise chairman Owen McLaughlin said it had chosen to invest in Liverpool because it was one of the top cities in the UK.

The company has had a major presence in Liverpool since it set up a joint venture with the city council – Enterprise Liverpool – to run highways maintenance, street cleaning and other services.

Last week, it was given the contract to handle the refuse contract from November 2008.

The company plans to build the offices in two phases and wants to forge close links with the Business Academy planned for Garston as part of the council’s Building Schools for the Future programme.

The new school is set to replace New Heys Comprehensive and St Benedict’s Roman Catholic High by 2013, and discussions are already under way about how the company will be involved.

Enterprise already runs a busi-ness support centre at the nearby Matchworks site, in Speke, and employs around 300 people on its contracts with the city council, Defence Estates, Whitbread PLC and back office support functions.

Once the offices are open, the company will be one of the largest private sector employers in Merseyside.

Cllr Bradley said: “This is a major boost for the area and will create a large number of high quality jobs for Liverpool people.

“We already have an excellent relationship with Enterprise through our pioneering joint venture and this scheme shows their absolute commit-ment to making a real difference to the city.”

Enterprise was created in August, 2000 when Enterprise plc merged with ARM Services, and has grown from revenue of around £100m in 2000 to £1.2bn.

It is now the largest dedicated provider of UK maintenance services with more than 15,000 employees and operatives and has its headquarters in Leyland.

Mr McLaughlin said: “We are looking forward to developing the office and training facilities in Liverpool, which we believe is one of the foremost cities in the country.”

Cllr Keith Turner, executive member for education, skills and employment, said: “The skills training that this new centre of excellence will provide is absolutely crucial if local people are to take advantage of Liverpool’

davidbartlett