News: Signs are that NatWest are taking Rotherham call centre building

NatWest, the major UK-based retail and commercial bank, appears to be taking on a vacant building in the Manvers area of Rotherham.

A planning application has recently been approved for new signage at Callflex Business Park showing that the company intends to use Unit 6, also known as Discovery House.

Recruitment for Customer Service Advisors based in the building began in February after refurbishment completed last year.

NatWest took on the large Cyan Building at Adwick Park in Manvers in 2007 when RBS Group plc, now known as NatWest Group plc, moved their Lombard business across Rotherham.

Lombard is one of the UK's leading asset finance providers and started out as the North Central Wagon and Finance Company in Rotherham in 1861.

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Unit 6 at Callflex is 33,822 sq ft and was previously used as a call centre by the The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Rothbiz reported in 2022 that at least 1,000 jobs were at risk over DWP's planned closure of 13 processing sites, including Rotherham.

Records indicate that Ashfield District Council operates the Callflex building as an investment property.

Also at Manvers, the Concentrix Call Centre at Adwick Park has been put up for sale as an investment.

At 62,652 sq ft over two floors on a 4.95 acre site, there is car parking either side of the building providing 440 car spaces.

The property is let on an FRI lease to Telecom Service Centres Ltd (TCS). The lease was re-geared last year on a ten year term from March 2024 at £430,000 per annum with a tenant option to break March 2029. TCS has been in occupation since 1999.

Concentrix Corporation is based in the United States with operations around the world, including the UK business entity, Telecom Service Centres Ltd. It has previously operated under the name, Webhelp. Concentrix set out plans in 2023 to buy Paris-based outsourcing and consultancy firm Webhelp in a $4.8 billion deal.

AP Investment and Andrew Dixon & Company are marketing the Manvers property for sale having been instructed to seek offers in excess of £4m.

Images: AP Investment / Knight Frank

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News: Rotherham call centre sold

Europa Capital and partner Addington Capital have sold a 62,652 sq ft call centre in Rotherham to a privately owned Isle of Man property company for £6.875m.

Home to Webhelp, and around 900 staff, the Dearne Valley site includes the freehold of the modern two-story building, with 440 car park spaces. It is let until March 2024 at a rent of £675,000 per annum (£10.75 psf). The deal represents a net initial yield of 9.25%.

The joint venture partners acquired the property as part of Prospect Portfolio in January 2016. The portfolio of 28 assets was bought from receiver on behalf of creditor PIMCO.

The assets were previously owned by individual borrowers. The loans secured against the properties were originally issued by Northern Rock. They were subsequently sold to Lehman Brothers which used them as collateral in the midst of the financial crisis to pay debts owed to German Bundesbank. This debt was subsequently sold as part of a wider loan portfolio to PIMCO.

In the recent deal, Allsop and Cushman & Wakefield acted jointly for the seller and Andrew Dixon & Company of Telford advised the purchaser.

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Matthew Allen, principal of Addington Capital, said: "This deal follows on from our flurry of investment sales announced in February and is a further testament to the strength in demand for sub £10m properties. Breaking up portfolios acquired over the past two / three years remains further underpinned by the strong auctions market."

The Webhelp Group, a French based call centre specialist with turnover of €750m, acquired the Rotherham operation when it bought HEROtsc in 2013. The Indian-based HERO Group had bought TSC in 2007 for £40m.

When HEROtsc took over the former T-Mobile site at Manvers in 2004, staff numbers had dwindled to less than 300. Today the thriving Dearne Valley centre has employees working for leading trade names such as Vodafone, E.ON and Office Depot – with an ongoing recruitment and training programme to bring new jobs to the area.

Webhelp has seen exponential growth, becoming a global market leader in its sector. The TSC subsidiary has seen turnover increase by approximately 32% and profits increase by 26% since the 2013 takeover.

Plans to recruit 170 people at its Rotherham site were announced at the end of 2016.

Webhelp website

Images: Allsop

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News: Webhelp UK to create 150 jobs in Rotherham

Customer experience company Webhelp UK, is looking to recruit 150 new permanent positions at its Dearne Valley site in Rotherham over the next two months.

The Paris-headquartered Webhelp Group is to recruit over 600 new people throughout its UK network that also includes Derby, Falkirk, Glasgow, Kilmarnock and Greenock.

The new recruits will join on a rolling programme and will be trained to deal with customer sales and service enquiries via telephone, email, webchat and social media platforms.

Webhelp acquired the Dearne Valley site earlier this year when it bought leading contact centre operator, HEROtsc. When HEROtsc took over the former T-Mobile site at Manvers in 2004, staff numbers had dwindled to less than 300. Today the thriving Dearne Valley centre has over 830 employees working for leading trade names such as Vodafone, E.ON and Office Depot – with an ongoing recruitment and training programme to bring new jobs to the area.

David Turner, chief executive at Webhelp UK, said: "This latest recruitment drive continues the steady expansion that has been such a feature of our business in recent times. We are acutely aware of how important the Webhelp UK operation is within the areas where we are based and proud that we can bring new jobs, particularly at this time of the year."

The company hopes to recruit even more people in the year ahead.

The news follows on from Capita announcing recently that over 500 jobs in its Dearne Valley and Leeds call centres will be created over the coming months.

Webhelp UK website

Images: Webhelp UK

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News: HEROtsc acquired by Webhelp Group

The Indian owners of leading contact centre operator, HEROtsc, has sold the business to Paris-headquartered Webhelp Group.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, includes the Dearne Valley contact centre in Rotherham that employs over 800 people.

HEROtsc, which changes its name to Webhelp TSC following the acquisition, gives the Webhelp Group a major presence in the UK for the first time and the capability to provide English-language customer management to its international client base.

The combined group will be one of the largest independently-owned customer experience organisations in the world, with revenues in excess of €350m (£300m), 33 centres serving 25 clients and 16,500 employees globally.

HEROtsc increased turnover last year to £82m from £63m.

Webhelp TSC will retain its operational headquarters in Falkirk, Scotland, and continue to be run by its existing management team. A new marketing office has been established in London, where Webhelp Group founder and co-chairman Frédéric Jousset will be based to support the company’s growth and development in the UK market.

David Turner, chief executive of Webhelp TSC, said: "This acquisition is excellent news for our people and customers. Webhelp is a dedicated customer relationship management organisation and is therefore totally supportive of our ambition to provide customers with the very best multichannel experience. Our management teams share an entrepreneurial drive to push the company forward and achieve new growth across all of our markets."

Frédéric Jousset, founder and co-chairman of Webhelp Group, added: "HEROtsc is an excellent business with a strong track record of delivering first-class customer experience on behalf of UK and international clients. We are very excited about joining forces with the company, its management team and employees, to expand Webhelp's global footprint and support the company in the UK market with the resources available from our group organisation and investors."

The acquisition marks an end to the company's ownership by the Indian-based HERO Group, which bought TSC in 2007 for £40m. The HERO Group has divested of its ownership to focus on its existing core manufacturing businesses.

When HEROtsc took over the former T-Mobile site at Manvers in 2004, staff numbers had dwindled to less than 300. Today the thriving Dearne Valley centre has over 830 employees working for leading trade names such as Vodafone, E.ON and Office Depot – with an ongoing recruitment and training programme to bring new jobs to the area.

David Turner, added: "The dedication and commitment of our teams in the UK cannot be underestimated and they are a major part of our success. Under our new ownership, we will continue to provide the very best career opportunities and support to our people as we continue to expand our operations geographically and into new service areas."

Webhelp TSC website


Images: webhelptsc.com

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