thebigword talks growth with office acquisition

LANGUAGE specialists thebigword have acquired a new Leeds building to accommodate its growing workforce, having created 100 jobs in the city.

The business, which has just won a £120m contract with the Ministry of Justice for translation services, has bought the Orion building, close to its Link Up House HQ.

It will invest in the building, developing further car parking facilities.

Following the contract win, the ambitious company which is aiming for an IPO in the near future has a client list which includes 80% of the Fortune 100, works in 235 languages, and employs more than 600 people in 11 offices around the world.

It also recruited more than 3,000 linguists to provide interpreters and translators to courts, tribunals, prisons, the probation service and other organisations in the justice sector.

Last year the company returned annual revenues of £47m,with plans to increase that figure to £175m by 2018-19.

Chief executive of thebigword, Larry Gould, says: “We are an international company and have offices around the world. However, we are proud to be headquartered in Leeds. Leeds has been a fantastic source of talent for us over the years and it’s fantastic to be able to invest more in the city.

“The knowledge, enthusiasm and passion of our people in Leeds has been instrumental in the continued growth of thebigword and this investment is a further demonstration of our commitment to the city.

“The recent wins have been fantastic for the business, but we still have big ambitions. We’ve been in Leeds for more than 30 years and know we can rely on this city and region to deliver the people and skills we need to realise those ambitions.

“I’m hugely proud of our people and this city and we remain committed to investing further in them both in the months and years to come.”