Innovation the key as £3m offices open

Staff and directors outside the new building . . . (front, from the left) directors Marcus Tiedt, Mustapha Hadj Ahmed, Aidan Towey, David Bellis MBE, TJ Crowley and Alun Evans, with fellow directors Chris Robinson (left) and Tony Morrison immediately behind

A GLOBAL technology firm based in Oldham has officially opened a new £3 million office with research and development facilities for engineers, scientists and mathematicians.

Derker based Innovative Technology designs and manufactures automated coin and banknote validation equipment for the gaming, amusement, vending, retail and kiosk Industries. It trades in more than 20 countries and was founded in 1992 by David Bellis MBE, who is now its chairman.

The firm has over 270 staff worldwide, around 140 of whom work in Oldham. The company is expanding its Oldham base with new recruits at all levels in mechanical and electrical engineering and software development.

Prototypes are developed at the Derker Street site then later manufactured at the group’s overseas factories. The Derker base includes an older distribution warehouse where equipment manufactured overseas is configured for customers.

Mr Bellis, who performed the opening ceremony with managing director Aidan Towey, said. “This is a beautiful building and it is fantastic to be officially opening it. But the innovation that happens inside it is even more important.

“Firms like Apple and Microsoft sell their products across the world because they make products that the world wants to buy. We are an international company too, and our products are used across the world. We have built this building to help us be more innovative and develop our global business further.”

The ceremony was also attended by Innovative Technology employees from offices in Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and America.