North, a provider of IoT, networking andconnectivity and safety and security solutions, has announced two major project wins in Newcastle, with Northumbrian Water Limited and The Lumen, a large office block development, to provide safety and security technologies.
Northumbrian Water Limited operates in the northeast of England, where it provides water and sewage services to 1.3 million properties, and in the southeast of England, where it trades as Essex & Suffolk Water and supplies water to 794 thousand properties. While North has a long-standing relationship with the northeast England arm of the organisation, it has now also been awarded a new contact for Essex and Suffolk Water.
An enormous operation supplying 1,104 megalitres (1.1 billion litres) of water every day, it is essential that Northumbrian Water Limited has an incredibly secure operation. Its water, which is drawn from reservoirs, rivers and groundwater sources before being treated and delivered to homes and businesses, will now be protected by North’s safety and security solution.
The project will see the company install the likes of CCTV, access control, intruder alarms and high-security technology across both regions, while it will provide a managed support contract for the provider.
In addition, North will be working with The Lumen which forms part of the £350m Newcastle Helix development – the city’s flagship regeneration scheme and home to the National Centre for Data and Ageing. A Newcastle City Council, Newcastle University and Legal & General development, the project is at the very heart of the city centre and is set to boost local jobs and drive economic growth.
North has been awarded the contract for the building’s smart systems control and will install fire and security alarms in addition to a PA system and a disabled refuge system. The company will also provide a managed support service for the eight-storey Grade A office building and will install technology for each new tenant within the building based on individual requirements.
The projects mark a significant boost for North’s Newcastle base as the company looks to grow the team. Adding to its current workforce in the city, North is recruiting for life safety systems engineers and technical engineers as part of its business growth plans.
In line with the contract wins, North, which employs 20 people in Newcastle, has launched a recruitment drive to support growth plans in the region.
Lewis Reid, Head of Construction and FM Services at North, said: “These projects mark a significant growth period for us in the North East and underline our high-quality, critical systems service offering.
“We are thrilled to continue working with Northumbrian Water Limited and expanding across the southern arm of the company to deliver a wider range of services. High-level security is essential for the provider and we are installing and maintaining the very best of technology throughout the project.
“As part of Newcastle’s regeneration, The Lumen building is a flagship project at the very heart of the city centre and we are integrating smart systems control to ensure safety and security for all occupants within the building to support future growth.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for North and as we grow and expand, with an ambitious strategy to attract new business and reinforce North’s expertise across the North East. We’re looking forward to welcoming new team members, each who will bring unique skillsets to the existing team and enable us to continue our expansion.”
Sarah Thompson, Assistant Building Manager at The Lumen, said: “We are delighted to be working with NORTH. With our high-tech systems, we have in place within The Lumen, we needed to ensure we had a service provider with the skills set to maintain these systems. We find the service team very knowledgeable and quick to react.”
Within the North East, North has additionally been involved in the pioneering 5G Connected and Automated Logistics (5G CAL) pilot which has succeeded in its mission to prove the potential of next-generation technology in overcoming barriers for a more efficient future for the last mile logistics. As the prime contractor, project manager and systems integrator, North put the infrastructure in place to test and demonstrate the operational 5G-enabled autonomous delivery.