Sheffield software specialist makes move to larger office following wave of new business

Hive IT, the software specialist, has announced plans to set up in a new office at Park Hill in Sheffield.

This move follows on from a series of expansions at the neighbouring Electric Works; a serviced office building which is home to a community of creative, digital and media businesses.

This will be the fourth expansion in four years for the IT company, which is a multi-disciplinary team of web experts offering a range of digital services, from consultancy and analysis to user experience design and software development.

The business provides web services for a wide range of clients from Government departments such as the Ministry of Justice to international charities, having recently worked with development and performance management consultancy, IOD Parc, to create an online planning tool for Unicef.

The new system helps the charity manage sanitation, meaning that eventually every person in India will have access to a safe and hygienic toilet.

Hive IT was set up in January 2014 by managing director Jonny Rippon, who has more than 14 years of digital agency experience at his home in Stockport before moving into Electric Works in May of the same year.

Jonny first moved into Electric Works’ ‘24/7 Club’; a lounge area with individual work spaces, lockers and meeting areas, purpose-built to suit the needs of young businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers.

As the company grew, Hive moved into a shared office and has since expanded three times within Electric Works. The company’s current office is a 1,300 sq ft space on the ground floor. Hive IT now employs 18 permanent staff and around 20 contractors.

Hive is set to move across the road to a 3,500sq ft office in the Park Hill development in early 2018.

Jonny Rippon, director, commented: “Electric Works has been a fantastic home for us over the past three years. We’re up and down the country quite regularly, so to be in a space where we have such easy access to the train station and also the opportunity to move offices as and when we need to is so handy.

“Unfortunately, we’ve now outgrown all the building and are moving across the road to Park Hill, but we will really miss this brilliant space.”

Paul Taylor from Creative Space Management, managing agent for Electric Works, added: “Hive IT are a great example of a business whose growth can be facilitated by the available spaces at Electric Works.

“The building is currently almost 100% let, and Hive’s expansion will free up much needed office space for similar fast-growth creative companies who can thrive at the development.”

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