News and Events
21.10.10
Merthyr Tydfil's new £5.5 million Orbit Business Centre is set
to welcome its first commercial tenants. Designed by South Wales
architects Austin-Smith:Lord, the iconic building stands at the
gateway to the town near the A470, the main artery between South
and North Wales, and will be home to around 150 jobs.
Designed to show visitors that the town is pressing
forward confidently with its ambitious plans to modernise, it is
seen as a major step forward for the area's economic development.
Orbit Business Centre is a Joint Venture between Merthyr Tydfil CBC
and the Welsh Assembly Government and has been funded by the
Objective 1 European Regional Development Fund, the Welsh Assembly
Government, the Local Regeneration Fund, Heads of the Valley (HoV)
and Merthyr Tydfil CBC.
The first commercial tenant is Graft Ltd, a locally-based civil
engineering company which has seen turnover double in the last six
months to £1 million. Director Emma Thomas explained that Orbit has
two main advantages for her company. "We work mainly in the railway
sector and are dealing with international clients, and Orbit
presents the right image when they visit our premises. Also, The
Centre has business advice and training on site, and this is very
important for us, as we are growing quickly." Sharon Phillips,
Orbit's Business Development Manager, is delighted that Graft is
moving into the centre. "This is precisely the kind of start-up
business we are aiming to attract.
They will be able to access all the facilities Orbit has to
offer, from training to networking, and there is on-site expertise
available to them as far as business advice and support is
concerned." The 30,000 sq ft building has been designed to impress.
"It stands in a prominent position at the entry to the town, and
this fact was important when we planned the building," said Dennis
Hellyar of Austin-Smith:Lord. "Its whole design speaks of modernity
and self confidence." As well as providing accommodation for
commercial tenants, Orbit is a major conference centre.
"The main conference area can accommodate up to 150 people, and
this can be sub divided for smaller events," added Mr Hellyar.
Training suites and meeting rooms are available for a wide range of
business activities and events. "The building is flexible and
adaptable, and interesting spaces have been created within," he
added. Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport said
the new centre would provide useful facilities for the local
business community and provide the support and advice that new and
existing businesses needed to grow and expand. "Small and medium
sized businesses are the life blood of the Welsh economy and this
new centre will help nurture innovative young companies during a
critical stage of their growth and provide the expertise needed to
help existing companies grow their business."
Catering and other services are available for events, and the
centre is aiming to become a major player in the conference scene.
Orbit will play an important part in nurturing business start-ups
in the area. The Orbit Zone offers 'warm-desking' at just £46 a
week to small companies who could benefit from being part of the
centre. "This is an all-in price for a desk, secure storage, a
professional image and of course all the benefits of business
support on offer at Orbit Business Centre. We are sure small
businesses starting-up will find this most beneficial," said Sharon
Phillips.
Plans are underway to develop training programmes covering
business topics in conjunction with other training providers. "We
envisage offering a whole raft of business training, including
specific topics such as how to survive the difficult present
circumstances, and other subjects of concern to enterprise," added
Mrs Phillips. Design has enabled Orbit to provide such a range of
flexible services.
"Austin-Smith:Lord has considerable experience in commercial
buildings, and in particular those designed for public spaces and
large gatherings. This helped us in our work on Orbit, which
combines conference and office facilities under one roof," said Mr
Hellyar. "In particular, we drew on our expertise in designing the
BSC building in Barry, which is home to the Vale of Glamorgan
Economic Development and a number of local companies."
Sustainability is a high priority in the building's design and
construction. It has achieved one of the highest levels of BREEAM
accreditation.
It is hoped that Graft Ltd will be typical of the companies that
will make use of Orbit. The company was launched just 18 months
ago, and has fulfilled prestigious projects, notably at Ebbw
Junction in Newport for Network Rail, and a major project at
Merthyr Vale station. "We are confident that Orbit will be the best
place for us to develop our business, and make use of all the help
that is available to help us grow and expand," said Mrs Thomas