Hull is emerging as a major centre for transport and mobility solutions provider ESP Group’s operations following the recent Network Rail contact centre win.

The Scottish-headquartered company has welcomed the initial team to its new base in Spyvee Street – Rix Group’s former headquarters – with the new business win being brought together with existing city operation Systex on site, and more in the offing.

Theresa Slevin, chief executive, celebrated the launch with the 32-strong team transferred over from Network Rail’s previous provider, and is looking forward to more than trebling the numbers in the coming months.

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“The feel of the building is amazing,” she said, delighted to have the staff in.

“We looked and looked, and it felt right, and it is going to be right, we will deliver on that 10-fold. It is very much a flexible working pace, quite a quirky building and the way the previous user operated, building it with them as they grew, and that fits with us, with lots of different services being offered by the same organisation. It is exactly how we are – providing dedicated spaces for people who have fixed needs, while having flexibility everywhere.”

As reported, its Journeycall brand won the £3.8 million three-year contract to provide the customer service support centre for Network Rail.

Ms Slevin said: “It was a natural choice to bring the contact centre to Hull. The existing Network Rail team was transferring over, and that has been a real gift for us, the residual knowledge and residual expertise, which we really need.

“It is absolutely fantastic, and has allowed us to move into the new building which will be for all of ESP Group’s offering.

“The software development, product, administration – and we’re aiming for the summer.

“We are moving the Holderness Road team in (Systex) and creating an environment where we all want to come in. Lessons have been learned from Covid, that you can deliver and drive a business from anywhere, but we’re looking at welcoming 100 to begin with, and we’ll continue to grow that as our services grow.

“Network Rail contract has come online and that is fantastic, then we have a couple more which will require additional personnel both here and in Arbroath, it is really positive.”

The base became available when Rix moved to Two Humber Quays, having acquired the prominent marina building during lockdown.

“The feedback has been amazing, people are very quickly starting to move across ahead of schedule,” Ms Slevin said.

“They love the space we have created, it is very open, with really nice break-out space and, being a frontline customer experience centre, it can be quite stressful at times dealing with particular call types, so it is good to have somewhere to go to be separate. That was very important to us.”

Prior to the pandemic ESP had topped £100 million turnover for the first time, but took a significant hit as public transport – a huge driver of the business – saw passenger numbers decimated. Revenues dropped to £49.5 million then £8.1 million in the two financial years, with staff numbers dropping from 418.

It now employs 175 in Scotland, underlining the share of the business Hull will cover.

Looking ahead, Ms Slevin said: “With Network Rail it is a three year contract in the first instance, but how we have grown the business is we have won contracts and they don’t tend to leave, because we like to deliver over and above.

“Most of our clients have been with us for a considerable length of time, which is something I’m very proud of, given they are mostly within the public sector. We are winning again and again and again, while under pretty challenging competition. I’m very pleased with how things are going.”

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