MIDDLESBROUGH
Teesside has so much potential for expansion in the digital age and it fills me with excitement for what could be a fruitful future ."
When we look at what ’ s in place here , the Tees Valley has some of the largest steel profiling and bending companies , marketleading coating service companies in the UK and an abundance of welding skillsets to build modules of all shapes and sizes . Combine those with Durata ’ s in-depth infrastructure knowledge , design team and project managers , the combination creates a whole new offering which can be distributed globally .
Due to a fantastic logistics infrastructure , we can also deploy from Teesside to anywhere in the world via rail , road , sea and air because of what the Tees Valley has available and the trusted partners we are working with .
How important is Teesside ’ s rich industrial heritage to Durata ’ s plans ? Teesside ’ s industrial heritage provides a strong foundation and gives confidence to our clients that Durata can build these modular solutions expertly . Being able to transform Teesside ’ s skillset from delivering on iconic projects such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge , Canary Wharf , the Wembley arch and the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge in the past , and redistributing that heritage into the digital age , helps the Tees Valley move forward into the 21st century .
We envisage being able to deliver on projects even further afield in the coming months and years .
In fact , Durata is opening an overseas office in Frankfurt , Germany , where the data centre market is huge , after following up two contracts with its largest one to date .
What does it mean for Durata to be putting Teesside on the map on a global scale ? Durata is a business founded on Teesside by Middlesbrough man John McGee . For John to see the company go from being a successful localised company , operating from his hometown , to entertaining a client base spanning internationally has been part of his ambition . He is proud we are bringing clients to his local area .
Initially opinions might be of uncertainty when we have visitors , with prospective clients wondering what they will see . As soon as they go on a ‘ Durata Teesside hub tour ’ there is a growth in confidence , understanding and ambition – highlighting where the business can go .
We can help other companies transform operations by offering something they didn ’ t know about .
What is being brought to the Tees Valley from Durata ’ s offering ?
In the past four months alone we have hosted up to 15 visits of potential clients , partners and manufacturers , all interested in the modular data centre space .
We are bringing in personnel from hyperscale data centres through to telecommunications and high-performance computing , covering a lot of disciplines . They have been blown away by the infrastructure that ' s in place here .
Having entertained clients from the UK , Spain , Germany and the USA , they are all getting eyes on an operation that they didn ’ t know existed . They are bringing their data centre technologies with them and are willing to turn to us to distribute their data centres globally .
How are you personally finding the Tees Valley and its potential since joining the team ? Being based out of Liverpool via Hertfordshire , I find myself in Teesside unexpectedly but I ’ ve found an area which is incredibly welcoming – it has so much potential for expansion in the digital age and it fills me with excitement for what could be a fruitful future . From those I have met so far , and others I have not yet met , I am excited to see what opportunities lie ahead .
And what more do you think can be achieved in the area from a Durata perspective ? The sky ' s the limit in terms of what we can do . Not only are we distributing modular data to all corners of the globe , the vision is that we are redefining what is in place . I can envisage a Durata campus , building solutions for different varieties of requirements and client-designated buildings .
What is also an aim for us is the idea that we bring in new businesses to operate on Teesside as well , so those other businesses we work with then put their own flag in the Teesside sand . That would be fantastic for the Tees Valley economy too .
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