Stockport’s Merseyway Innovation Centre welcomes new tenants
After opening its doors in November last year, Stockport’s Merseyway Innovation Centre is now more than a third full.
The centre’s aim is to “breathe new life” into the community as well as support business through consultancy business Oxford Innovation Space, which will manage it on behalf of Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, as part of the Innovate Stockport portfolio, which includes Stockport Business & Innovation Centre at Broadstone Mill and Merchants House in the Market Place.
The Merseyway Innovation centre offers flexible accommodation from coworking space, to shared offices and individual units from 100 sq ft up to 570 sq ft, plus a 1,000 sq ft business lounge. It also offers cycling facilities, rooftop parking and digital connectivity through Gigabit-capable broadband.
Among the new tenants are three companies, Caspian Non-Destructive Testing Solutions (Caspian NDTS), The Wheelie Good Travel Company and EK Automation Systems.
Caspian NDTS moved to the centre after outgrowing its previous office in Edgeley. It is using the centre as a communications HQ for its engineers and customers around the country. The business undertakes structural integrity testing to ensure infrastructure, including lighting columns, signal masts and floodlighting, isn’t at risk of falling due to corrosion or mechanical fault.
Managing director, Ollie Anderson, said: “Around 95% of our work is done on site by our team of technicians, but we need a facility to run the business out of. Our previous office had become too small and when we began looking for somewhere new, we came across Merseyway Innovation Centre, which offered everything we were looking for.”
EK Automation Systems, which provides automation technology and software to factories looking to digitalise their operations, came across Merseyway Innovation Centre when looking for a new northern hub to expand the West Midlands-based business.
Co-founder and director, Ed White, said: “The manufacturing arm of the business is based in Stourbridge in the West Midlands but our customer base is growing, with many in the North, and we’re keen to take on more employees in the next 12 months.
“We needed an office that would meet our demands as a software and tech company, and Merseyway Innovation Centre ticks all the boxes.”
Jon Fletcher
Inclusive travel agent, The Wheelie Good Travel Company, is an experts in accessible travel, providing information to people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
CEO, Jon Fletcher, said: “Our business is all about showing people they can travel freely and feel inclusive, so I wanted an office space that reflected that.
“Merseyway Innovation Centre is disability friendly making it accessible for people who prefer face to face meetings. After winning the LuxLife Travel and Tourism Award, I’ve got growth plans for the business and one of the best things about being located here is the opportunity to do that at my own pace and flexibly, with larger spaces available should I need them.”
