[15
MAY 00] MARCONI NEWS
Marconi Move Will Attract Top Staff
BY ANTONY HOPKER
Marconi’s
new development in Ansty will be a state-of-the-art building to
attract the best graduates in the country to the firm, according to
its chief executive officer.
Recruitment
and retention of the best minds in computing and engineering is the
biggest challenge facing the firm, said Mike Parton.
He
said plans for the worldwide growth of Marconi were well underway and
it was decided that the company had to move from its home in New
Century Park.
He
said:
“We’ve
been here for over 100 years and although we’ve added bits and
refurbished, it’s not the image of a new internet company that we
want to portray.”
Building
work will start in the autumn and will be finished in 2003.
The
project, one of the largest in the UK, will eventually accommodate
4,950 staff, and will take 1.1 million square feet.
Staff
from the existing building will be moved over in phases and the land
will then be used for development.
It
is hoped that another 2,000 jobs can be created on the current site.
Cllr
Eddie
Smith, cabinet member for the Environment at Warwickshire County
Council, said the strategic work to keep the Ansty site together had
been crucial.
He
said many developers and companies had called for the 100 acre site to
be split up and parcelled into smaller units.
Cllr
Smith said:
“It’s
absolutely brilliant for the county and the region as a whole,
especially when you look at what’s happened to Rover in the last
couple of weeks.
“Hopefully
Gaydon will keep its best staff and together with Marconi will attract
more companies here.”
Carl
Pearson of Coventry Centre For Investment said the experience of other
cities with high-tech industry was that it attracted similar companies
and led to a boom.
He
said:
“You
don’t get the supply chain building up as you would in something
like the automotive industry, but other firms come to the area to
try and pick up top-quality staff.”
SEE:
[15 MAY 00] NEW COVENTRY MARCONI
JOBS CONFIRMED
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