Member Article

Office move for growing communications company

A FAST growing communications company is moving to new leased offices after seeing its turnover and portfolio more than double.

LEC Consultancy, which was launched by former business journalist Leanne English in September 2012, has taken an office at East Durham Business Service’s Novus Centre in Peterlee.

Since launching, the business has been home based but after experiencing significant growth and securing four new clients in a matter of months, Leanne took the decision to re-locate to her own office.

Leanne, 33, from Peterlee said: “Over the last six months the business has gone from strength to strength. My turnover in year two more than doubled, my portfolio has rapidly increased and I’ve exceeded every target I’ve set myself which is fantastic. With all that in mind I started to think about the direction I wanted things to go in my third year and moving to a professional office environment was the natural route to go down.

“I’ve worked so hard to build the business from nothing, starting with just a few hundred pounds of my own savings, and I see this milestone as a reflection on just how far I’ve come in two years.”

LEC Consultancy’s portfolio of clients has recently been bolstered by contract wins with Thirsk-based Hawkesworth Appliance Testing, Peterlee company Mecaplast, Gateshead manufacturing firm Astley and Newcastle software company SGP Consulting. LEC also manages communications for Durham Oktoberfest, the region’s biggest engineering and manufacturing event, and Peterelee Business Park which includes sitting on the steering group tasked with taking the area’s development and growth forward.

Leanne previously worked at the Hartlepool Mail, regional development agency One North East and local enterprise partnership Tees Valley Unlimited before launching LEC Consultancy two years ago with the support of client and new landlord East Durham Business Service.

LEC also counts NSK Bearings Europe, The AMA Group and The Employability Trust among its clients.

The company provides a broad range of communications services including media profiling, social media support, internal communications, crisis management, speech writing and strategy development.

Leanne added: “I could not be happier with how the business has grown in 2014. And what’s just as encouraging as the growth I’m experiencing is that I’m also being asked to take on other roles, including running communications workshops for businesses and presenting at events. For me this is testament to how well things are going.

“The challenge now is to continue to grow and I am confident that the move into the Novus Centre will facilitate that.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Leanne English .