Newcastle attracts investment from international technology firm Xplor who will create over 200 jobs this year.
Newcastle has beaten off stiff competition from nine other UK cities as a business location for international software and payments firm.
NEWCASTLE, UK, March 25, 2021 – As part of their global expansion plans, Xplor, a leading provider of enterprise software, payments and commerce-accelerating technologies for businesses, has selected Newcastle city centre as the location of its new customer service operations. The brand-new service delivery centre will create over 200 new jobs in the region, with skilled customer service; software development; R&D; multilingual and technical support employment opportunities.
As part of the support received from Invest Newcastle, Xplor has been introduced to the North of Tyne Combined Authority, who has ambitious plans to create 10,000 jobs and boost the local economy by £1.1bn through its Inward Investment Grant Fund. Xplor has been successful in securing approximately£965,000 from this fund, that is used to support foreign or UK owned businesses setting up in the region, creating new jobs which otherwise would not exist. Xplor will create over 200 jobs initially in 2021, with plans to expand further in the coming years. This is great news for the city, who competed with other leading city locations including Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Nottingham, York,Liverpool and Leicester.
Early in 2020, just before the government announced a UK-wide lockdown, Xplor visited the region, with Invest Newcastle and Invest North East England showing off the city’s strengths and offering as a place to innovate, collaborate and grow a business.
Newcastle’s city centre is an attractive location for Xplor’s new UK service delivery centre because of its ability to attract and retain talent, proximity to the region’s universities and transport links.
Xplor offers enterprise software solutions for businesses in five fast-growing ‘everyday life’industries: Education, Health and Fitness, Boutique Wellness, Field Services and Personal Services as well as a global, cloud-based processing platform that allows clients to seamlessly and securely process payments for their services. Xplor already employs more than 2,000 colleagues across offices in the UK, Europe, Australasia and North America.
“Newcastle is a city on the global stage. We are now building a strong digital sector, which includes a growing FinTech base, that can compete with other big cities and have the ingredients we need – good transport links, culture, beautiful open spaces, a vibrant night-time economy and a skilled versatile workforce to attract investors.
“Xplor is a global leader, and any ambitious city would have been delighted to be host to their new UK base, but they chose Newcastle which underlines real confidence.
“In the short term Xplor will provide over 200 jobs for residents with the prospect for many more to come which is exactly what we need as we begin to recover from the pandemic. I welcome Xplor to the city and want other investors to know we are business friendly and will work hard to help them make their businesses a success in Newcastle.’’
Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes
Part of Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, Invest Newcastle’s mission is to help businesses locate, expand, and thrive in Newcastle and Gateshead. They champion the city on a national and international stage, working collaboratively to drive forward economic growth.
Jennifer Hartley, Director, Invest Newcastle who has been working closely with Xplor,supporting its plans, introducing Xplor to the North of Tyne Inward Investment Fund and wider regional support said:
“Working closely with our partners including Invest North East England and the North of Tyne Combined Authority, I had the pleasure of showing off our city and its strengths to Xplor just before lockdown. From applying for funding, Xplor being awarded £965,000, to providing introductions to partners, supporting on recruitment and information on the wider business base in the city, all throughout lockdown, this investment is also a collaboration story. It is testament to the support of everyone involved and their commitment to providing opportunities and jobs for our people.
“Xplor is the perfect fit for Newcastle and this international investment shows confidence in our city as a place to attract and retain talent and build a successful business. It isn’t just the talent, connectivity, and culture we have here, people buy into our city’s aspirations. We are bold and ambitious,and we look forward to watching Xplor thrive in our vibrant city centre. Invest Newcastle will continue to support them at every step of their journey.”
Jennifer Hartley, Director, Invest Newcastle
“Jobs are the foundation of our economy. These are good, well paid jobs that will go to the people of our region. And they’re hi-tech exporting jobs,developing software for global use, exporting over the internet.
“It’s fantastic news that Xplor has chosen to create hundreds of jobs here. They could have chosen to go anywhere. It shows that when we work together as a region, we can we be winners. This is what the North of Tyne devolution deal was all about – improving life for our people.”
Jamie Driscoll, North of Tyne Mayor
“We’re incredibly excited to be building a brand-new customer service delivery centre in the city centre of Newcastle to better serve our health and fitness, and business clients across the UK and Europe. As their needs change and grow, we will continue to invest in intelligent solutions, greater automation, and in our talented people, to build a world-class service delivery model capable of meeting their needs now and in the future.”
Camilla Sunner, Chief Commercial Officer for the UK& Europe, Xplor
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Notes to editors
MEDIA CALL
Spokespeople available for interview:
Jennifer Hartley, Director, Invest Newcastle
Please call Kelly Gleadow on 07900 000 089 to arrange.
About Newcastle Gateshead Initiative
Newcastle Gateshead Initiative is a destination management organisation that markets Newcastle Gateshead on a national and international stage, its mission is to inspire people to visit, and to live, learn, work, and invest in the region.
About Invest Newcastle
Part of Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, Invest Newcastle drive and deliver economic growth in Newcastle and Gateshead. They secure capital investment, work to attract new businesses and create jobs. They help businesses to locate, expand and thrive through a bespoke range of services. They champion the region and its strengths on a national and international stage, promoting Newcastle as a city to collaborate, innovative and thrive. Since it was established in 2013, it has supported more than 200 new businesses to relocate or expand, helping to create and safeguard more than 11,000 jobs.
About Xplor
Advent International portfolio companies Clearent and TSG have merged to form Xplor Technologies, a superior global platform integrating software, payments and commerce-accelerating technologies to help businesses succeed. Xplor offers enterprise software solutions for businesses in five fast-growing ‘everyday life’industries: Education, Health and Fitness, Boutique Wellness, Field Services and Personal Services – and a global, cloud-based processing platform that allows clients to process payments seamlessly and securely for their services. With operations across North America, Australasia, Europe, and the UK, Xplor serves over 82,000 businesses that processed over $27 billion in payments, operating across 158 countries in 2020.
About the North of Tyne Combined Authority
The North of Tyne Combined Authority is a combined authority with an elected mayor that was created in November 2018, when Parliament signed off on a £600 million devolution deal bringing Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside councils together in an unprecedented transfer of power and investment from Westminster to the North East. It is tasked with initiating projects to boost growth, create jobs, and create a more green, inclusive economy. North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll was elected on a promise to support communities in the North of Tyne to create and build wealth, then keep that wealth in the region.
About Invest North East England
Invest North East England is the first point of contact for companies looking to locate and invest in our region. They open the door for businesses to the region’s network of specialist organisations and individuals with the information, support, and advice essential for businesses looking to locate in North East England. We co-ordinate investment enquiries on behalf of our region’s local authorities.
Article by Xplor Technologies
First published: March 25 2021
Last updated: May 20 2024