HBP Systems Has Opened A New Hull Office

The doors to our new offices in Hull have now opened, adding a new base for staff in addition to our head office in Scunthorpe. The new office is based in Hessle and whilst it is just a short drive from our previous office in the city, the new location sees us in a prominent location on the A63 which will be visible to thousands of people a day who come in and out of Hull.

It’s just one significant step from a company determined to come back strongly from more than a year of Covid-restricted activity by setting a course for growth over the years ahead, says company MD Jo Dixon.

“This is a high-profile statement,” says Joanne Dixon, our Managing Director. “We’ll be keeping the Scunthorpe premises as our HQ, but a prominent home at the north end of the bridge will give us a springboard into the north bank economy, from its growing offshore energy sector to the more traditional industries. It will also bring other Yorkshire cities within much easier reach.”

A commitment to the area’s economy has already been made, since the contractors and suppliers who’ve had an input to the move all operate on the north bank.

What Brought Us To Our New Home?

The decision to establish new premises is about more than business. HBP Systems still has ambitions to earn a place on The Times list of the UK’s best companies for which to work. “Although that initiative went onto the back burner when the COVID difficulties began, it never went away completely. The new Hull office, which will have space for about 15 people and by managed by Rachel Hand, illustrates that.

“As well as the business rationale behind it, we have employees who live on the north bank. Giving them somewhere to work that’s closer to home will reduce their commute, enhance their work/life balance, and be good for the environment too.”

Throughout the pandemic Joanne has done her best to ring every employee every month. “Making sure staff are happy is an important part of our culture, so these weren’t directly work-related calls,” she explained. “I wanted us to support our colleagues as best we could by providing opportunities or people to chat, share any concerns they had, ask questions, and get to know us on a one-to-one basis, which can be difficult in an office environment. Often their questions were the same as ours, so we had no answers, but I still think we had a responsibility to tell them as much as we could. The conversations were the opportunity for a shared experience.”

Now that the numbers of vaccinations are increasing, a return of office-based work is becoming possible. “It’s important that people start to take the opportunity to return to work in a controlled and safe manner,” says Joanne. “Interaction with colleagues is of great benefit, but we recognise that as an IT company we can look after our customers from anywhere. That’s why we’ll be incorporating more ‘working from home’ into our daily routines as things get back to normal – though there will be some vulnerable people who’ll continue to work from home. We need to look after them too,” she added.