Deep Business Centre set to welcome new tenants

Freya Cross (right) outside The Deep Business Centre, with Tracey Taylor of Vizion Network after the company expanded on its way to occupying more than 5,000 square feet.

A HULL landmark which is famous worldwide as a spectacular and successful tourist attraction is now set to offer opportunities to new and expanding businesses after the relocation of two existing tenants.

The Deep Business Centre will soon unveil the arrival of a technology business which is expanding from its base elsewhere in Yorkshire and creating six new jobs in the process.

Freya Cross, Business and Corporate Manager at The Deep, said a deal is also close to completion with a Hull-based start-up, and enquiries are coming in from other businesses which are attracted by the location with its flexible terms and accommodation.

Space has become available as a result of the recent relocations of two businesses which both expanded significantly during their time at The Deep Business Centre.

Wealth management specialist Vobis Limited has now completed its move to new premises after acquiring a building in Harpings Road, Hull.

Prometheus, an American-owned enterprise application software company which opened its European operations centre at The Deep more than four years ago, has moved to Leeds as part of the next phase of its expansion.

Freya said: “From a straightforward business point of view it is never good to see clients leave and space become vacant but that is something of an occupational hazard when you deal in success stories.

“In the past few years James Legal and Myton Law have both moved from The Deep Business Centre after acquiring their own premises elsewhere in Hull. Prometheus have left the area having made great progress, expanding from one person to a team of more than 15 after choosing our Centre to launch their products and services in Europe.

“They have been attracted by the strength of the established digital sector in Leeds whilst Vobis, who had taken the remarkable step of expanding their London headquarters to Hull, have underlined their commitment to the city by purchasing their own premises.

“We are proud to have supported the development of both companies and we look forward to welcoming new clients. By virtue of our continually high occupancy levels there is a perception that we are always full but this is not necessarily the case as our status is always very fluid.

“We help businesses expand, for example Vizion Network opened here with only one person in 2009 and have now become the UK’s biggest general motor repair management company, occupying 5,000 square feet.

“We also help clients downsize when necessary. Some have expanded to 1,000 square feet or more and then dropped back to 500 square feet. That sort of flexibility is important to businesses which are starting from scratch or expanding into a new area and it is a key factor for the people who will be moving here in the coming weeks.”

Vobis was set up in London in 2009 by Marc Hackney, who comes from Hull, and his business partner Richard Stott. They built a client base which includes big names in the media industry, celebrities and sports personalities but they chose Hull when the time came to expand in November 2014.

Vobis doubled its space at The Deep in April 2015 and expanded its local workforce to seven at the beginning of this year following the launch of Outbox, a new venture set up to help employers deal with the requirements of auto enrolment. The company then completed the move to its own premises.

Marc said: “We were a mature business when we opened an office in Hull but we faced the challenges of building a team and launching a new company. We couldn’t be sure how that would work so we needed all the support and flexibility that The Deep Business Centre could offer.

“With their help it went very well and it meant that when the opportunity arose to move to our own premises the business was robust enough to take that step.”