EJ Parker Technical Services has opened a new office on Whitehaven’s harbour front.

The engineering company has created a local business hub, having won an 18-year contract with the Programme and Project Partners (PPP) at Sellafield.

West Cumbria’s very own ‘Marathon Man’ Gary McKee briefly broke his stride to officially open the new facility at Blencathra House, Queens Dock, Whitehaven.

Paul Silvester, Regional Director EJ Parker Technical Services said: "A key factor in our bid was to make a difference in Cumbria and provide a workspace that would not only provide local opportunities, but also be positioned in a fantastic location.

"We felt this would place us in a strong position for attracting local talent to join our team, and we have already created six opportunities for people from local areas to thrive in our new workspace.

"Successfully securing our place on the PPP Framework has created new opportunities for us and we are looking forward to further growth, supporting local initiatives and completing our first projects with the PPP at Sellafield."

The new hub creates a West Cumbrian base for EJ Parker Technical Services, who will deliver Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) services across PPP’s long-term pipeline of major capital projects at the Sellafield site.

While helping them grow the business in the area and secure more work, it will also be used to support PPP’s major project delivery at Sellafield and will be accessible to other partners over the programme’s 20-year duration.

EJ Parker has successfully recruited six members of the community to key roles, to build the core team. The company will be holding social impact planning sessions with PPP and other key partners and suppliers.

Duncan Elliott, Managing Director Programme and Project Partners (PPP), added: "One of the things PPP is doing differently is bringing long-term partners from the supply chain, to help us drive social impact in the area. Seeing this office open marks quite a symbolic step for us and we look forward to seeing the benefits to the local community with the creation of new jobs and an attractive space to do business."