The team behind North East training provider iqms Learning has re-acquired the business after a decade.
Established in 1992, the business has evolved under different guises throughout the last 30 years, growing to offer coaching, consultancy and audits before eventually being sold to an international certification body in 2013.
The company withdrew from the UK market in 2020, but has now re-entered following the acquisition by five senior team members.
As a result, it has set up a new headquarters at the North East BIC, and created five full-time roles, alongside associate consultant positions.
Managing director Steve Nicholas said: “The BIC has been instrumental in helping us get back to where we want to be – for the last 20 years the team have provided iqms with support and office spaces, and especially during our transition from multinational to independent, we couldn’t be more grateful.”
He added: “Before we were bought in 2013, we were a really well-embedded company within the North East and our acquisition saw our relationships dissolve, so with help from the BIC, we’re hopeful that we can regain our title and help the North East prosper.”
Paul McEldon, chief executive of the North East BIC, said: “It is fantastic to see the team at iqms Learning come back home to where it all began.
“This year marks the BIC’s 30th anniversary, and iqms was here with us at the very beginning, so I think it’s brilliant to see the founders still have the same appetite to come back, grow the business and continue creating opportunities for local people as they did back then. We’re proud to have been able to support them on their journey.”
