February 15, 2008

Microsoft Gold Certified Partner organisation, James Thornton Group have located to Aston Science Park due to the unrivalled opportunities on hand for this world-known IT group to benefit from at the Park. 

Mr Tim Childe, Regional Training Manager at James Thornton Group’s technologically advanced, state-of-the-art new offices at Faraday Wharf, Aston Science Park said: “There were three key drivers in our decision to locate James Thornton Group of companies to Aston Science Park: primarily we were attracted by the flexibility and quality of the accommodation available to us as well as the wide range of facilities within this 22 acres development site, plus the very close proximity to the local infrastructure meant that there simply was no alternative office accommodation choice for us in terms of assisting in meeting our business objectives. All factors that our employees, trainees and corporate clients can look forward to benefiting from now James Thornton Group is located at Aston Science Park”.

The move will strengthen James Thornton Group national and worldwide reputation with future planned business growth meaning the Group can benefit from the flexibility of growing into larger business premises within Aston Science Park’s flagship incubator building, Faraday Wharf.

Speaking about James Thornton Group’s plans for the future, Tim said: “We have established the Group in specific markets and offer unprecedented IT expertise and knowledge through our range of products. The Group is growing at an exceptional rate, largely due to the fact that we have created a niche sector in terms of IT training provision available to those persons whom are looking at a career change or simply to update their current levels of expertise as well as a safe and secure learning environment for women trainees. This approach is unique for an IT company and we are very proud of being able to offer all our individual trainees guaranteed employment after successfully completing their qualifications with our IT solutions provider based division LanIT”.

Within James Thornton Group are four divisions: James Thornton Student; James Thornton Women; James Thornton Corporate Campus; and, LanIT. Collectively, these four divisions offer a complete one-stop shop facility in terms of IT training and IT solutions.

James Thornton Group is only one of less than 400 UK based IT companies that are recognised for knowledge and service delivery as a Microsoft Gold Accredited Partner. Tim Childe of James Thornton Group is one of only 12,924 worldwide Microsoft certified trainers and knows firsthand the rigorous processes and criteria that have to be met to become and remain certified.

Tim said: “It is our continuous commitment to high quality expertise and service delivery that James Thornton Group adheres to that we found mirrored in the hi-tech accommodation and support services offered at Aston Science Park”.

Specifically designed to provide unrivalled support, facilities and accommodation for knowledge based companies, Aston Science Park continues to attract a range of businesses from seedbed enterprises through to larger SME’s and corporate businesses. All businesses located at Aston Science Park can benefit from the wealth of business and management services available which includes support from the Business Partnership Unit, the commercial department of Aston University as well as a programme of regular high value business briefings offering world-class advice and support, the aim of which is to increase the profitability of businesses attending.

With a further eight companies locating to the Park since the beginning of the year, Dr Derek Harris, Chief Executive of Birmingham Technology Ltd, the managing company for Aston Science Park said: “From the Park’s inception in 1983, our objectives have remained constant: our key driver is in creating an environment to nurture and sustain business growth, wealth creation and employment for knowledge based businesses and directly, positively impacting upon the local and regional economy. Attracting a world-class IT company like James Thornton Group to Faraday Wharf is testimony to the very high quality of accommodation and inter-related support services that regional, national and worldwide businesses can benefit from by locating here”.

Matthew Hidderley, Marketing and Sales Manager at Aston Science Park concluded: “James Thornton Group is world-known as only one of a very few elite high class IT companies which is recognised as a prestigious Microsoft Gold Certified Partner learning organisation. For James Thornton Group to compete and continue to retain their Gold status, it is vitally important that their choice of accommodation reflects the very ethos of their business and supports them in maintaining this very high accolade achieved by the Group and awarded by Microsoft. We are extremely happy that Aston Science Park could step up to the podium and receive James Thornton Group as one of its prized tenants”.

Photo Caption
From left to right: Matthew Hidderley, Marketing and Sales Manager at Aston Science Park welcomes Mr Tim Childe of James Thornton Group to the Group’s new offices.