SURGING confidence in the strength of the UK's economic recovery has prompted a North-East firm to announce ambitious new expansion plans.

Teesside-based Steel River Consultants (SRC) is set to open a satellite office in the Midlands to help manage a growing list of blue chip clients.

The consultancy, based at Concorde House, in Stockton, already provides health and safety management services and construction and design management (CDM) co-ordination to some of the biggest companies in the world.

In the past three years SRC has forged an international reputation for its expertise and support in the off-shore industry.

The company has worked on some of the biggest off-shore projects in the past decade including the Humber Gateway Wind Farm, which will produce enough electricity to light 170,000 homes, and the UK's largest on-shore gas storage facility, near Aldbrough, in East Yorkshire.

The opening of a new office in Shardlow, six miles south-east of Derby, will see the company extend its service portfolio beyond renewables to encompass a number of other sectors including the automotive industry, commercial property, ports and harbours and housing.

The satellite operation will be headed up by Chris Lawson who has worked in a variety of sectors including the automotive, commercial and renewable industries.

Most recently, he was involved in the 315MW offshore wind farm at Sheringham Shoal and has worked closely with Ford Motor Company helping to decommission tooling and presses at the famous Dagenham factory, in London, as well as carrying out projects at Ford's Dunton Technical Centre and its engine plant in Bridgend, Wales.

A member of the Association for Project Safety, the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management and the European Wind Energy Association's health and safety group, Chris has also published a number of papers on health & safety culture in the offshore industry.

Among the projects he will be working on for SRC are a new quayside development near Aberdeen and a UK based offshore wind farm. He will also be assisting with SRC's renewables portfolio.

SRC managing director Graham Tyerman said the time was right to branch out: "The country is out of recession and the economy is growing strongly. Confidence is returning and we need to be ready to meet future growth opportunities. To do that we need to grow our expertise.

"Further expansion on Teesside was limited by resources and the need to attract people with specialist skills," added Mr Tyerman. "Opening a second office in a different part of the country gives us added flexibility to deliver for clients beyond Teesside."