Business hub opens on harbour to support Sellafield Partners

EJ Parker Technical Services’ has opened a new office on Whitehaven’s harbour front.

The engineering company has created a local business hub, having won an 18-year contract with the Programme and Project Partners (PPP) at Sellafield.

West Cumbria’s very own ‘Marathon Man’ Gary McKee briefly broke his stride to officially open the new facility at Blencathra House, Queens Dock, Whitehaven. Gary McKee is running a marathon every day this year raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.

The new hub creates a West Cumbrian base for EJ Parker Technical Services, who will deliver Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) services across PPP’s long-term pipeline of major capital projects at the Sellafield site.

While helping them grow the business in the area and secure more work, it will also be used to support PPP’s major project delivery at Sellafield, and will be accessible to other partners over the programme’s 20-year duration.

EJ Parker has successfully recruited six members of the community to key roles, to build the core team. The company will be holding social impact planning sessions with PPP and other key partners and suppliers.

Paul Silvester, Regional Director EJ Parker Technical Services said: “A key factor in our bid was to make a difference in Cumbria and provide a workspace that would not only provide local opportunities, but also be positioned in a fantastic location. We felt this would place us in a strong position for attracting local talent to join our team, and we have already created six opportunities for people from local areas to thrive in our new workspace.

“Successfully securing our place on the PPP Framework has created new opportunities for us and we are looking forward to further growth, supporting local initiatives and completing our first projects with the PPP at Sellafield.”

Duncan Elliott, Managing Director Programme and Project Partners (PPP), added: “One of the things PPP is doing differently is bringing long-term partners from the supply chain, to help us drive social impact in the area. Seeing this office open marks quite a symbolic step for us and we look forward to seeing the benefits to the local community with the creation of new jobs and an attractive space to do business.”

The newly renovated office space provides a variety of agile work zones including touchdown areas (for short-term work and collaboration), focused spaces (study booths), breakout areas and traditional work spaces, as well as formal and informal meeting rooms.

Gary McKee (centre) with his daughter Minnie, cutting the ribbon at the new EJ Parker Technical Services’ Office with (left to right) PPP Head of Supply Chain Peter Hogg, PPP Managing Director Duncan Elliott and EJ Parker Regional Director Paul Silvester. They were joined by EJ Parker Personnel, other PPP Key Delivery Partners, and guests from local businesses and the community.