London, 11 March 2009. Support services company Amey has announced its intention to open a 70,000 sq ft International Design Hub in Birmingham, pulling together 250 staff currently located in the city into one location and creating up to 500 jobs over the next two to three years.
The announcement was made at midday on the Team Birmingham stand at MIPIM, the global property conference in Cannes, and Amey has already begun the hunt for a prestigious city centre office location. The Hub will provide infrastructure design services for central and local government in the UK and for clients around the world.
Chris Webster, chief operating officer of Amey, who was at MIPIM to announce the news, said: Amey is delighted to announce that we have chosen Birmingham as the location of our new International Design Hub. Birmingham is a city with a real focus on development and a history of engineering excellence and we have been working closely with the City Council to finalise our plans.
This announcement demonstrates Ameys commitment to the development and prosperity of Birmingham, both as a major employer, and through the creation of the 500 new jobs. Amey currently employs around 1,400 people across the Midlands, including 700 in Birmingham. In 2006, the company strengthened its presence in Birmingham by acquiring an engineering consultancy based in the city, which designed many national projects, including the iconic Spaghetti Junction motorway interchange.
It is looking to establish the Design Hub in order to consolidate its existing consultancy team and 250 designers, plus a further 500 professional design engineers. Ameys announcement about its intention to set up an International Design Hub in Birmingham was welcomed by Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council. He said: Amey is to be congratulated in choosing Birmingham, a city with an ideal central location, for its International Design Hub.
Birmingham is a powerhouse of professional services and Ameys decision to locate such an important part of its business here is testimony to the citys reputation in the global business community.
I am very pleased that Amey has chosen Birmingham for its International Design Hub as this decision not only supports our business case, it also creates activity and wealth for our airport, our hotels and all our support services. This is kind of announcement demonstrates what MIPIM is all about. Understanding market demand, sourcing investment and delivering results for our city. This year, Amey is supporting Birmingham City Council at MIPIM, which runs from March 10-13.
