Work to build a landmark £7m headquarters for a major energy sector employer at Beacon Park in Gorleston has reached a key milestone with the company’s logo fixed onto the building today.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is developing a new base for Proserv to rent on a prominent site at the park, a growing hub for the energy sector which is owned by the borough council and part of an Enterprise Zone.
Construction of Artemis House started in June, with Proserv set to move in during spring.
Today saw representatives of the council, Proserv, New Anglia LEP and contractor Morgan Sindall go up on a scissor lift to witness the fixing of the final letter of the external Proserv badge onto the building.
One of the largest commercial buildings in terms of floorspace ever constructed in the borough, Artemis House will enable Proserv to consolidate and grow its Great Yarmouth operation under one roof.
Proserv currently employs about 190 staff at two sites in Great Yarmouth.
The landmark facility, flanking the A47/A143 link road, will serve as Proserv’s global centre of excellence for control systems and services for the offshore energy market, comprising 65,000sq ft of modern office and production floorspace.
The council has invested £4.5m in the development, with an additional £1.5m coming from New Anglia LEP’s Growing Places Fund. Proserv is contributing up to £2m towards the fit-out and will be taking a 20-year lease on completion.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Cllr Chris Walch, and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “Construction on Artemis House has progressed well and it is now very visible on Beacon Park and from the link road.
This milestone is a reminder that in a few short weeks the building will be a busy workplace for nearly 200 staff: a clear symbol of this council’s close work with partners to support jobs and growth.
“This project ensures that those jobs continue to be based within the borough and gives Proserv the capacity to invest and expand further in this purpose-built base, while adding to the council’s important property portfolio that generates significant rental income to help support vital public services.”
Simon Harvey, head of operations at Proserv, said: “The construction team have made excellent progress and so I am delighted to say that we remain on schedule for a late March entry date. This marks an exciting chapter for the whole of Proserv as we invest significantly in our future and growth aspirations.
“A lot of consideration has gone into how we create the right space, in terms of both working environment and servicing our customers; something which our staff have been heavily involved in, and so we are looking forward to plans and concepts becoming reality in the coming weeks.”
Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “We’re delighted to see this fantastic new building nearing completion at the heart of our Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone.
“The new Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk underlines our aspiration to be the place where high growth businesses with aspirations choose to be and as such, we’re really pleased to see Proserv committing its support to its local staff and suppliers.”
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