Sunderland firm relocates in drive to have more people working in city centre

RTC North has had its headquarters in Sunderland since the business was formed in 1987 and is currently based at Hylton Riverside.

Now, it’s been announced that the firm has signed a lease to take 2,222 sq ft of space in The Beam on Riverside Sunderland.

The organisation, which has supported more than 3,400 businesses in the last year, as well as working with 160,000 young people to spark an interest in STEM based careers, has been moving its out-of-town bases across the North of England into city centres.

The firm says it’s a strategic move to deliver a better employee experience and maximise the economic impact it has in the communities it operates in.

This is the latest move for the firm, which recently relocated its base in Leeds to West Village in Bruntwood and Liverpool to The Spine. It also has hubs in The Catalyst in Newcastle, The Tannery in Leeds and The Innovation Centre in Daresbury.

It’s the latest company to move into Sunderland city centre, with Just Eat recently relocating its Customer Service Centre from Rainton Meadows to Maker at Maker & Faber.

Jamie Ollivere, chief executive of RTC North, said: “We’re thrilled with the new office in The Beam. It puts us right at the heart of our transforming city of Sunderland, ensuring we can offer our team a base that allows them to reap the benefits of being in a city centre.

“We want to provide attractive opportunities for young people joining our team, and part of that is ensuring that we support them to enjoy a great quality of life.

“As Sunderland transforms, with more and better housing and leisure facilities and places to enjoy on the doorstep, it feels like we’re moving into the city at just the right time. As a B Corp, we are committed to balancing profit with purpose, ensuring our work drives positive impact for people, communities, and the environment.”

The company employs 120 people across the North of England, with around 20 to be based out of its new headquarters in The Beam.

RTC North joins retail giant Ocado, Asset55, Richard Reed and North East Screen, all located in the building, which was the first to rise from the ground at the former Vaux Brewery site.

Jamie added: “Sunderland has always been our home. We were founded here 37 years ago, and have grown our reach and impact from our base here, so it was important to us to find a new headquarters in the city we started in.”

RTC was supported in its move by the Business Investment Team at Sunderland City Council who signposted them to The Beam and will move into the centre in February, with the fit out of its new space set to begin over the coming weeks and months.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, portfolio holder for housing, regeneration and business at Sunderland City Council, said: “It’s brilliant to welcome the team from RTC North to The Beam, which was our flagship building that effectively fired the starting gun on a programme of quite staggering regeneration at Riverside Sunderland.

“Since it opened, the skyline has transformed, and the building is now close to being fully-occupied with fantastic businesses that are adding huge value to the local economy. We’re thrilled that RTC North are joining a vibrant community of enterprises that are thriving at Riverside Sunderland.”

The relocation of RTC North to The Beam means the building is now almost at capacity.

It will form part of the wider multi-million pound Riverside Sunderland development, which aims to significantly increase the number of people living and working the city centre.