By Julian Whittle

Published at 11:30, Monday, 10 September 2012

A SPECIALIST provider of training resources based at Alston in Cumbria has opened a second office – in Australia.

Glasstap, set up in 2001, has customers in more than 50 countries but is especially strong in Australia.

Commercial director Rod Webb said: “We have more customers there than in any other country outside the UK.

“I’m really excited by this opportunity to drive forward our business in that region.

“Having a local office will make that task easier, especially as our market there expands.”

The offices at Clunes, in New South Wales, employs three staff led by Malcolm Baker, managing director of Glasstap Australasia.

It also serves clients in New Zealand.

Mr Baker said: “Our aim is to maintain the focus on first-rate, one-on-one customer service with a human voice at the end of the phone and a genuine interest in helping our subscribers to succeed.

“The response that we have had from the training community Down Under has been hugely positive.”

Glasstap’s head office, at Skelgillside Workshops in Alston, employs eight people.

The business was founded by Mr Webb and Craig Worcester, another experienced trainer.

It claims to offer a unique membership-based service.

The trainers’ library, launched in 2003, gives professional business trainers access to comprehensive materials they can use to develop skills and behaviours.

These cover a range of business skills and topics from first-time management and coaching to equal opportunities and holding effective meetings.

Other services include trainers’ talk, the official forum of the British Institute for Learning and Development, and trainers’ images, which supplies images to help trainers deliver messages in an interesting and engaging way.

The company prides itself on its green credentials with all the electricity used at Alston coming from renewable sources.

JWhittle@cngroup.co.uk

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk