AUSTRIAN technology company SSG has chosen the Lingfield Point complex in Darlington as the site of its UK headquarters.

The Darlington operation will be the UK arm of Starlim-Sterner Group GmbH, a major Austrian automotive and IT supplier.

SSG will use office space at the complex, as well as third party warehousing. It expects to create about six jobs.

Lingfield Point, currently home to British American Tobacco was built for wool manufacturer Patons and Baldwins in the 1940s.

Lingfield Investments are investing millions of pounds in converting the 107-acre site into cost-effective industrial building, warehousing and modern office space.

SSG Technology is a distributor of PC components to personal and commercial users.

It is new to the UK, though its parent company has been operating in the Austrian market for more than a year.

Managing director Paul Welch expects the Darlington operation to service the whole of the personal computer market across the UK.

Initially, the company will focus on component distribution, although future expansion could see it offering fully-configured PCs and peripherals such as monitors and printers.

Mr Welch said: "I firmly believe that more IT companies should think about locating in the North-East. With an available skilled workforce and high-quality, flexible and inexpensive locations like Lingfield Point available there is no reason why we shouldn't be leading the country in this sector."