Top US software firm comes to town

WARRINGTON’S Birchwood Park has been selected for the international headquarters of US environmental software company AttentionIT.
Working with the North West Development Agency (NWDA), the USA North of England Investment Agency (NoE) and the Cheshire and Warrington Economic Alliance (CWEA), AttentionIT has established a UK office which will Initially employ up to 15 staff.
The company projects growing its workforce substantially within the next three years. In total the project will represent a £4-5 million investment for the region.
AttentionIT was founded in 2001 in Knoxville, Tennessee, developing a unique waste tracking software known as eMWaste. This provides electronic storage of information related to the characterisation, storage, movement, processing, treatment, shipping and disposal of hazardous, radioactive and mixed waste – a term referred to as “cradle to grave”.
The UK has authorised more than £73 billion over several decades for the clean up of 20 civil nuclear sites. AttentionIT will initially supply software to Magnox South Ltd for use at five nuclear sites currently being decommissioned in southern England.
Howeve, AttentionIT has recognised the need for a central base from which they can eventually service sites nationwide.
Mark Hughes, executive director of economic development at the NWDA said:
“AttentionIT has been able to benefit from the expertise and industry knowledge of our colleagues at the North of England Investment Agency, who since 2006 have worked closely with the company to establish good relationships. By having representatives on territory in key overseas markets, the NWDA is able to directly showcase the region’s opportunities, innovation, talent, infrastructure and affordability.
“The NWDA looks forward to working with AttentionIT as it grows and develops within the UK, providing future support to assist with expansion.”
Mark Orren, CEO and Co-owner, AttentionIT said:
“The Warrington site will not only be our national UK base, but our international headquarters. We are able to operate our software remotely from a central location and Warrington’s central base in the heart of England’s North West has the necessary infrastructure to allow us to tackle the entire UK market and to ultimately break into the European market and beyond.
“We plan to hire from within the UK, utilizing the skills and enhanced knowledge of the local population. Our company may be based in Knoxville, but I anticipate the UK office becoming the larger employer within the next three years.”