Utilities company moves to new Black Country premises

A Black Country utilities company that is committed to training local young people has moved premises to accommodate its growing business.

Groundworks and Utility Services Ltd (GUS Ltd), which provides electrical connections to residential properties and businesses, as well as street lighting to local authorities, has relocated to unit 4, Watt House, at The Innovation Centre, The Pensnett Estate.

The move comes after it agreed terms with London & Cambridge Properties (LCP), which owns and manages the business estate, for a five-year lease on the 1,493 sq ft office building.

The company moved to the estate 18 months ago, initially renting a small office in LCP House. It later expanded within LCP House before deciding it needed even more space.

GUS now employs 87 people, from field-based operatives to office staff and managers. The company also sponsors a number of its employees through their college training.

Chris Welch, director of GUS Ltd, said: “The company has grown in the last 15 months quite rapidly and we have taken on more office staff and operatives out in the field, where we work nationwide.

“We are proud that the continued growth of the company is due to using labour that is local to where our contracts are based, both locally and nationwide.

“We are a strong believer in on-going training and investing in young people and school leavers that want to progress in the utility and civils industry.”

Paula James, sales negotiator of LCP, said: “GUS Ltd has been a real success story on a local and national level and we are very pleased to be able to accommodate it in another office premises in The Pensnett Estate.”

The Innovation Centre consists of four blocks of offices in a courtyard setting, with attractive landscaping and ample car parking. Tenants include Dudley Stroke Association, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Howden UK and the Cromwell Group.