World-leading digital business Big Bite has relocated to Albert North to accommodate its future growth.

The enterprise WordPress agency, which counts Amnesty International, The Times and The Wall Street Journal as clients, is the only WordPress VIP Gold partner in the UK and one of only nine in the world.

The move is an essential milestone for the company as it will enable the team to fulfil ambitious growth plans by hiring in excess of 20 staff in the next three years from the local area.

Iain McPherson, CEO and founder of Big Bite, said; “We had been looking for office space for some time, and had explored a number of options to accommodate our planned growth.

“We knew we wanted to stay local, ideally within the town’s digital and creative cluster, and Albert North provided the perfect solution.”

Boasting floor space of over 6,000 sq ft, the new first-floor office has been designed to meet the company’s long-term needs. A range of spaces and meeting rooms have been included to encourage collaboration across the company. Inspiration for the interior has been drawn from the team’s experiences in the US, including offices in New York, San Francisco and Texas.

The space will also be used for networking and training events, which includes the company’s Engineer training program which launched earlier in the year to train aspiring developers.

Big Bite has been committed to working with as many local businesses and tradespeople throughout the office fit-out. They enlisted the help of interior design specialists Cocoon & Bauer to design the space, Hartlepool based Big Interiors for the furniture, and Fox Creative and Smooth Print for signage.

“Our business operates globally, but our roots are firmly in Middlesbrough,” added Iain.

“The fact Albert North has been designed to specifically attract ambitious digital and creative businesses working alongside smaller independents and food outlets made it even more appealing for us.

“Even with the current backdrop of Covid-19, we’re very lucky to be continuing with our recruitment plans thanks to a number of new projects. We’re always on the lookout for talented web developers, and a full list of vacancies are on our website, bigbite.net.”

The rebirth of the town’s historic quarter has gone from strength to strength since Albert Road was transformed by Jomast into Albert North almost two years ago. With support from Middlesbrough Council, the area has benefited from significant regeneration with many of the town’s iconic buildings renovated to expand the digital cluster and create a bustling commercial district.

Mark Hill, commercial property director at Jomast, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Big Bite to SIXTEEN/26.

“The fact that this world-leading business has chosen Albert North as its new home is testament to the expanding digital and creative hub we have created.

“Since regeneration of the area started, we have welcomed numerous other high-profile businesses, including Mabo and Salesfire.

“All the upper floor space at SIXTEEN/26 is now fully occupied, and our focus remains on letting the ground-floor units which are suitable for a variety of uses such as food and beverage operators, independent retailers as well as office space.

Bespoke male groomers, King B, are also a recent addition to one of our ground-floor units alongside Cocoon & Bauer, Pie Jackers, Alkaline Kitchen and Ananda Wellbeing they are creating a vibrant business community.”

Businesses relocating to Albert North can take advantage of an incentive scheme which includes perks such as high-speed broadband, rent and rate incentives, free public health initiatives for all staff and a town centre loyalty card with exclusive discounts.

 

 

New tenants LouTom Media have chosen Albert North as their base for expansion into the North East.

The Liverpool-based marketing and advertising agency, which also has offices in Edinburgh, moved into the Albert North development in early October.

They will also be joined by interior designers Cocoon & Bauer, who will move into 21 Albert Road in early November.

Cocoon & Bauer owner Peter Turner said: “We needed to expand and as we’d always had our heart set on opening a showroom we had a few places in mind. With the success of the redevelopment of Albert Road and the growing community, I felt this was the perfect location for us to become a face on the high street.”

The Albert North development is a joint venture between Middlesbrough Council and property developer Jomast.

The development already houses a number of small to medium businesses, including award-winning digital companies which have flocked into Middlesbrough as it becomes an established digital cluster.

Middlesbrough Council City Centre Manager Michelle McPhee said: “It’s great to see more new businesses join this unique opportunity at the heart of Middlesbrough’s ambitious regeneration programme.

“The Historic Quarter and Boho Zone are now firmly established as the place to be for cutting-edge creative and digital, retail and leisure businesses.”

Business	Offer
Alkaline Kitchen	10% off food & drink
Ananda Wellbeing Studio	10% off classes & membership
Pie Jackers	10% off when eating in on Mondays & Tuesdays
Al Forno's	Two for one (any pizza/pasta from ala carte menu) Cheapest one free *offer not valid 1st to 31st December *offer valid in Middlesbrough Restaurant only *offer available between 12pm and 6pm
TP Coffee House	10% off per minimum spend of £4 and have a loyalty card for the purchase of which will buy 10 hot drinks and get one free.
Umi Japenese	10% of the food bill when total exceeds £20.
Elianos	10% off Food from Al A Carte menu (excludes any other offers or promotions on the menu) Please mention Albert Road North Loyalty card when making booking.
Mannequin Café	Loyalty card for hot drinks afternoon treat, coffee and cake for £3.90 Breakfast bun w/tea/white coffee/black coffee £3.00
Turtlebay	20% Discount of food bill (when a drink is purchased) Sunday - Friday. Excludes set menus (inc. Christmas)
La Pharmacie	10% of Food Bill - does not apply to the £5 menu
Peri Peri Original	10% of A-F meals on the menu
Uno Ristorante	10% Discount
Boho Bytes café	loyalty card scheme for drinks and specials
Pierre	10% of ladies and gents hair. 15% of Spray Tans
Little Vegan Market	10% off on zero waste products. 15% if you bring your own container
Manjaros	15% of Food Bill when dining Mon-Thurs 12-5pm
The Nesting Box	Tuesdays and Fridays 20% of Everything (excluding facial treatments)
UltraChique Salon	10% of all spa, beauty and clinic therapies. Full priced items only
Dovecot	20% of all Food Purchases between 12-2pm
Oodles Noodles	10% discount on take away and sit in meals- Linthorpe Road
Holiday Inn Express	15% off bedroom & 20% off food and beverage during stay
The Stottie Company	20% off any purchase between Monday 7th January and Sunday 20th January then 10% any purchase. Restrictions; not including alcohol sales

A multi-million-pound regeneration project in the centre of Middlesbrough has been hailed a success as it welcomes a further hat-trick of new tenants.

Albert Road, which is a main thoroughfare in the town, was transformed into Albert North 12 months ago. Now a vibrant new business community, the area has benefited from a joint approach to investment between Middlesbrough Council and local property and regeneration specialist Jomast.

Mabo, Alkaline Kitchen, Pie Jackers, Salesfire and Carbon by Clicksco are some of the businesses that committed their future to the area, and more tenants have joined them.

Cocoon & Bauer and Ananda Wellbeing are the latest businesses to make Albert North their home. Interior design business Cocoon & Bauer had outgrown their existing space when it set its sights on premises here.

Managing director Peter Turner said: “When we started looking for space to expand, it made sense to open a showroom as the domestic side of the business was taking off.

“We’d already designed commercial interiors for other businesses here, so we were fully aware of Albert North’s potential, and this made the decision to come here easy.”

Cocoon & Bauer, which will be next door to Pie Jackers at 21 Albert Road, expects to be open before the end of October. Work will start on the showroom design once Jomast has completed the first fix stage on the premises.

“Jomast has been incredibly supportive throughout the entire process. There is such a buzz here, and we wanted to be part of this community,” added Peter.

The area has also welcomed Middlesbrough’s first dedicated yoga and wellbeing studio. Ananda Wellbeing is the brainchild of Anna-Marie Morgan and her partner Adam O’Neil. The couple chose the central location after they were impressed with the vision Jomast have for Albert North and the regeneration taking place in the town.

Having worked with Cocoon & Bauer to create a design for the interior Ananda Wellbeing is transforming space at 10 Albert Road into a studio. It will cater for everyone, with beginners’ courses and more energetic classes for those more experienced. As well as pilates and salsa, hot yoga will be available on a ‘pay as you go basis’, which is a first for the area. Treatment rooms providing physiotherapy, reiki, hot stone massages and reflexology will also be available.

Talking about the new tenants, Mark Hill, commercial property director at Jomast, said: “It’s been 12 months since we welcomed our first new tenant, Mabo, to Albert North and the area has developed into a bustling commercial community.

“The success is down to the variety of tenants we’ve attracted which has resulted in a diverse but complementary community that includes tech and creative firms, quirky eateries and city living apartments.”

Innovative intent data management platform Carbon DMP has moved into the heart of Teesside’s flourishing technology hub, as it reveals plans to double its North East workforce within the next 18 months.

Relocating to Albert North’s SIXTEEN/26, the 24-strong team now occupies 5,000 sq ft in one of the buildings biggest newly refurbished units.

Having spent three years at Cleveland Business Centre, Clicksco-owned Carbon DMP has officially opened the doors at its new location, following the rapid expansion of its cutting-edge audience targeting and monetisation technology. Pioneered by the award-winning team of digital consultants, developers and data scientists, Carbon DMP’s unique suite of tools and solutions have been embedded by leading US and European publishers, brands and agencies.

Pete Danks, divisional CEO at Carbon DMP, says the decision to take up larger, more flexible space was primarily driven by the company’s commitment to innovation. He explained: “Innovation is central to everything we do – we’re lucky to have some of the best creative minds in the sector developing our industry-leading technologies and as such, we recognise the importance of ensuring they have the optimal environment to thrive.”

Offering its employees the option of a four-day working week, Carbon DMP also gives every team member two hours of wellness time per week so they can recharge their batteries. The company’s new office even boasts a dedicated ‘wellness room’ – a major design element that aligns to its people-centric culture, with the aim of stimulating long-term productivity.

Pete added: “There are plenty of activities for our staff to get involved in such as yoga, table tennis and pool and we’re looking forward to having several new starters join us in the coming weeks. As a champion of wellbeing in the workplace, it’s invigorating to see the positive impact it has on our people – contributing not only to retaining highly-skilled digital experts, but attracting specialists at all levels, whether that’s filling senior technical roles or engaging interns from the region’s rich talent pool. Innovating in this way is the key to our success, as demonstrated by our raft of new appointments and active recruitment strategy, which supports our ambitious plans to double our headcount by the end of 2020.”

With firms such as Mabo Media and Salesfire already counted as neighbours, Carbon DMP is one of many technology companies flocking to the area as it becomes an established digital cluster.

Pete continued: “Moving to Albert North perfectly positions our team within a bustling commercial district and it’s exciting to be part of the buzz – especially as Middlesbrough has been identified as a fast-emerging UK digital tech hotspot. As Carbon DMP heads into this next stage of growth, that’s a major draw for us. We welcome the opportunity to connect with a wider community of like-minded businesses while we strive to position our technology as a must-have for brands, agencies and publishers located in the North East and beyond.”

Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast, which owns the development said: “It’s very exciting that Carbon DMP, another award winning company, has decided to join the ever-growing tech community at Albert North. Working with their appointed designers and using our experienced fit-out team, we have together created a fantastic space for both working and relaxing. We wish them every success with their ambitious growth plans.”

 

Artisan pie makers judged to be among the best in the region are taking the law into their pastry rolling hands.

Pie Jackers – the brainchild of Julie and Neil Fletcher – is opening its first bakery and diner in the former court chambers at the heart of Middlesbrough’s historic quarter.

The company burst on to the local food scene in 2016 after the husband and wife team quit their jobs in PR and Marketing and began selling their handmade gourmet pies at farmers markets and food events.

Since then they’ve scooped a whopping seven British Pie Awards, making Pie Jackers one of the most decorated pie makers in the North East.

The couple’s plans for the historic stone-fronted building include a bakery counter and licensed casual dining, a place where customers can tuck into a pie meal washed down with a local craft ale. There will also be a takeaway service.

“It’s the most beautiful building, it’s got bags of character and we can’t wait to get started on the refit which will include a fun twist on its historical links to the courts,” said Julie.

“We love the work that’s being carried out to regenerate the historic quarter and we hope Pie Jackers will prove a popular destination for those working in the creative digital industries that are flourishing in this part of town.”

The new venture is at the heart of Albert North, home to some of Middlesbrough’s most iconic buildings.

Work is ongoing to expose the area’s industrial heritage, and many of the spaces are being renovated by urban regeneration specialists Jomast in collaboration with Middlesbrough Council.

Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast, said: “It is great news to have signed the multi award-winning Pie Jackers as our latest tenant at Albert North.

“There is a real buzz of excitement around this announcement and personally I can’t wait for them to open their doors.”

 

Salesfire, a rapidly growing digital firm is the latest tenant to make a move to Albert North having secured 5,000 sq ft of new office space on the second floor of SIXTEEN/26.

Founded in 2017, it provides e-commerce businesses with solutions to increase website conversions, sales and ROI, and it boasts Hype, Ringtons Tea and Lifestyle Fitness as its clients.

Richard Himsworth, Salesfire’s CEO, said: “We’ve experienced tremendous growth during the second half of last year which resulted in us growing our client base by 175% and trebling the team to 23 full-time employees.

“This resulted in us quickly outgrowing our existing premises, and we needed a new office that would be flexible enough to meet our ambitious growth needs.

“Having searched the market, we quickly realised Albert North provided us with the perfect opportunity as it offered us the space we required now with the flexibility for future expansion.”

Salesfire has joined Mabo Media, Alkaline Kitchen, Keystage Recruitment, Working Links and Hays Recruitment who have also chosen this central location.

“The fact that this area has been designed to attract the town’s ambitious digital and creative sector alongside living space and food outlets made Albert North even more attractive to us,” added Richard.

Tenants based at Albert North receive many perks including high-speed broadband, rent and rate incentives, free public health initiatives for staff, and a city centre loyalty card offering discounts and incentives in local shops.

Mark Hill, commercial property director at Jomast, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Salesfire as our latest tenant, and the fact that we have modern facilities and space flexible enough to meet their future growth needs demonstrates the calibre of what we have available.

“In under six months, we have let 20,000 sq ft at Albert North, and this is a testament to the potential businesses see in this bustling new community.”

We’re looking for a new food and beverage or leisure operator to add to Albert North’s existing offer and we’ve launched a competition to find our latest tenant!

The winning business will be offered a lease of a ground floor unit along Albert Road, of between 750 sq ft and 1,200 sq ft with a generous rent incentive and the opportunity to apply for a £2,000 grant from Middlesbrough Council to assist with the fit-out.

The new business will join Mabo Media, Salesfire, Keystage Recruitment and Hays Recruitment on Albert North, and our newest edition, vegan café, Alkaline Kitchen, the development’s first food and beverage operator.

Budding yoga studios, coffee shops, beauty salons and eateries are encouraged to apply.

Mark Hill, Commercial Property Director at Jomast, said: “We aim to bring together passionate people and inspiring businesses into one exciting business community.”

“This is a great opportunity for a business to establish itself as a brand in the ever-growing community at Albert North.”

Michelle McPhee, City Centre Manager at Middlesbrough Council, added: “The historic quarter and Boho Zone are already home to a host of cutting-edge creative and digital businesses, with Middlesbrough firmly established as a regional centre of excellence.

“Albert North is the latest phase of an ambitious programme of regeneration that is creating a vibrant city centre offer, with first-class retail and leisure sectors.

“This competition offers the right business a unique opportunity to play a part in the creation of a prosperous future for Middlesbrough and the wider city region.”

Albert North is a multi-million-pound regeneration project, led by local property developers Jomast in partnership with Middlesbrough Council.

It forms part of a wider Council strategy to drive significant investment to Middlesbrough’s city centre and support local business growth.

The development is situated on a major thoroughfare through Middlesbrough’s centre, close to the rail station, Middlesbrough College, and the main shopping area.

To enter the competition, applicants must submit their business plan to monk@jomast.co.uk by Friday, May 17, 2019.