OH2 International finds bridge to success - from left to right, John Bendel (OH2 International), Rosi Monkman (Keele University Science and Business Park) and Alan Roden (Advantage West Midlands

Spanish owned translation specialists, OH2 International, has recently opened its first UK office, and first office outside of Spain, at North Staffordshire's Keele University Science and Business Park.

The decision to involve the UK in the company's expansion plans came about after owner and British ex-patriot, John Bendel, approached regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM) in the summer of 2008 after their one-stop shop package of advice, the Bridge to Growth scheme, whilst surfing the internet.

John established OH2 International over 20 years ago in Spain after emigrating there. The company specialises in translating and producing international marketing collateral for businesses, from all major industrial sectors, in over 20 different languages and has offices across Spain, in Madrid and Barcelona.

The new UK arm of OH2 International aims to have created 10 new jobs by early 2012 and have a possible further 50 expert collaborators on the books.  

The Bridge to Growth Scheme offers businesses a complete package of expert tax, legal and business advice specifically designed to attract and assist knowledge-based innovation-led companies into the West Midlands region for the first time at minimal cost and risk. 

The popular scheme was set up in 2006 by AWM, and has so far attracted businesses from the USA, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, France, Sweden and Belgium to the West Midlands region. OH2's arrival is the first case of a Spanish company taking advantage of what the Scheme has to offer.

John Bendel, owner of OH2 International, said: "The Bridge to Growth Scheme has provided me with an excellent platform to expand the business overseas. The support I have received from AWM has proved invaluable - particularly the use of an accountant, telemarketing facilities, and a legal advice.

"I was keen to come to the West Midlands as it is renowned for being an industrially rich region - ideal for us as these clients make up a large proportion of our target market. Our production centre is based in Madrid, but because of the region's excellent links with business we are also considering building another centre in the West Midlands in the future.

"Keele Science Park has proved to be an excellent location to establish the UK arm of the business, not only because of its excellent motorway access and links with international business, but the access to the University's academic pool which we are looking to tap into.

"In fact, we are currently looking to recruit for a position for someone who is fluent in a minimum of four languages and would like to hear from multi-lingual people within the community."

Owen Hillis, International Investment Manager, from Advantage West Midlands said: "We are delighted to have welcomed our first Spanish company to the region through the Bridge to Growth programme and are very pleased to see how OH2 International is growing from the support we are giving them. The West Midlands is a hot bed to foreign-owned firms and currently has around 2,300 companies employing more than 250,000 people - around one in ten of the region's workforce.

"The Bridge to Growth Programme is a great example of how Advantage West Midlands is driving the economic development of the West Midlands region by supporting projects where business enterprise is encouraged and jobs are created."

John also has further expansion plans once the UK offices are up and running, and is looking into setting up two more offices in Poland and Germany.

OH2 International is the second company through the Bridge to Growth scheme to set up shop at Keele University Science and Business Park. Scandinavian owned marketing company, Write-It, set up by Paul Steele, moved to the Science Park in November 2008.

For further information on the Bridge to Growth programme please visit http://www.bridgetogrowth.co.uk/