A growing IT support business has become the second company to move into Barnsley’s new flagship digital media business centre – DMC 02. Contrac IT has moved just over the road from DMC 01 to take on a larger office and create five new jobs.
DMC 02 is a newly refurbished £1.7million business centre which opened its doors to creative, digital and tech businesses this month. Both DMC 01 and DMC 02 are part of Barnsley’s newly launched digital business campus, The Seam.
Mark Harding, European managing director of Contrac, said: “We are very excited to be moving into DMC 02. It’s a fantastic building with great character and our new office provides the up-scale we need to work better as a team and also collaborate with others.”
Contrac has taken on a 1270 sq ft office with curved panoramic frontage. The move has also prompted the company to transfer its headquarters from Beverley to Barnsley.
The company will use its new office to oversee nationwide delivery of its specialist IT support and facilities management services, as well as deliver those services direct to regional clients.
Mark said: “We decided to move our HQ to Barnsley as part of this move after building up a real affinity with the town’s spirit of enterprise and with the vibrant community of tech innovation and business support at DMC 01.
“Barnsley is also a great location which puts our new headquarters within very easy reach of places like Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Doncaster."
Digital marketing agency Go Amplify, who work with Contrac IT on its online marketing, has also moved into DMC02 to facilitate a closer collaborative working.
Global technology performance and security consultants TÜV SÜD were the first tenants to move into DMC 02 earlier this month, moving from offices in the north east.
Mark said: “We expect the larger workspaces, innovative facilities and great location provided by DMC 02 will attract larger IT businesses like TÜV SÜD and these new neighbours will be well aligned to our own growth trajectory. It will be excellent to rub shoulders with potential partners, customers and suppliers in a lively tech community.”
DMC manager Tracey Johnson said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Contrac IT over the past couple of years at DMC 01 and we are delighted they have moved over to larger office space in DMC 02 to create a new national HQ and facilitate growth.
“Our new business centre continues to attract interest from the UK's digital technology sector which continues to grow, despite uncertain times, as we increasingly look to tech solutions to tackle the challenges of the working in a world with Covid-19.
“Whilst remote working and online communication have become massively more important aspects of running a business, innovative companies still need a physical space to call their own at the heart of their organisation – a hub at the centre of a network of satellite offices and remote workers. We are happy to provide this to Contrac IT.”
DMC 02’s development was supported by more than £2 million investment from the Sheffield City Region’s Local Growth Fund.
Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “It’s fantastic to see Contrac choosing to expand its business in to DMC 02, which has received more than £2 million investment from the Sheffield City Region’s Local Growth Fund.
“DMC 02 provides new opportunities for digital businesses to start up, grow and thrive and I’m sure the centre will play a hugely important part in securing Barnsley’s role at the heart of digital technology and innovation in the North.”
Contrac currently employs 45 people in the UK. IT plans to create five new jobs in Barnsley within the next two years.
The company will keep a branch office in Beverley, where it was found in 1974, and continue to grow its network of UK offices and remote workers supplying 24/7 IT support to businesses in food production, manufacturing and public service sectors. Contrac also operates in Europe with remote workers, an office in Malaga, Spain and plans to open more offices in the near future.
