The latest continental investment in Peterborough has been celebrated this week (25 Feb 2019) by Coloplast, a leading medical device manufacturer specialising in chronic care products which has had its UK Headquarters in Peterborough since 1978.

On Monday afternoon Coloplast celebrated ranking 33^rd in the Sunday Times Top 100 Businesses to Work For list (up 35 places from last year) and officially opened additional office space in Lynch Wood, Peterborough.

Coloplast is the only company headquartered in Peterborough to have made the list.

The new office space will accommodate the company’s continued growth in customer service, including the recent addition of 50 employees; as well as a dedicated training space to develop skills across the company.

In addition to this investment, Coloplast is also building a new 135,000 sq ft warehouse at Peterborough Gateway Business Park which is set to complete at the end of the year.

The investment news comes after economic development company Opportunity Peterborough confirmed that in the last six months it has received over a dozen investment enquiries from continental European companies.

In that period six investments have taken place, including Coloplast’s office expansion, with four enquiries still ongoing. These are a mix of new companies moving to the city, expansion of existing operations and acquisitions.

Coloplast’s extended office was officially opened by The Mayor of Peterborough, Cllr Chris Ash and The Mayoress of Peterborough, Doreen Roberts on Monday 25 February. The occasion was also marked with a donation of £50,056 to Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice which has been fundraised over three years by Coloplast’s staff. The cheque was presented to Nilesh Patel from Sue Ryder.

Ms Annemarie van Neck, Coloplast Country Manager said “I am delighted to welcome The Mayor of Peterborough, Councillor Chris Ash and The Mayoress, Doreen Roberts to Coloplast to open our extended offices. Their presence in our celebrations is highly appreciated and recognises the role of Coloplast in the City’s fortunes.

“At Coloplast, we pride ourselves in being a good employer and ensure that our staff feel supported and valued so that they can achieve to the best of their abilities. We invest heavily in their continuous professional development and were proud to be the winner of the Peterborough Telegraph Business Award for Staff Engagement in November 2018.

“We have been in Peterborough since 1978 and are committed to investing in the City and its people. We will be opening a new warehouse later this year with increased capacity to provide timely services to our customers across the UK and Ireland. We are very excited about these developments and are positive about our continuing partnership with the City of Peterborough.”

Tom Hennessy, chief executive of economic development company Opportunity Peterborough, added, “Over the last 40 years Coloplast has developed a fantastic reputation as a local employer. We’re delighted to see them making a firm commitment to Peterborough and receive such praise for their working environment and investment in their staff.

“Opportunity Peterborough will continue to support Coloplast’s growth within the city, and work with other local companies to address economic challenges and support their growth aspirations so that Peterborough remains a thriving business hub.

“As a Danish company, the investment from Coloplast is one of many that demonstrate a desire to retain close business relationships between the rest of Europe, Peterborough and the UK.”

“From Peterborough’s perspective, companies on the continent are continuing to invest in Peterborough despite the uncertainties posed by Brexit. There’s been a real diversity in the types of investment, from Coloplast’s expansion, to second-hand clothing retailer Patatam choosing Peterborough as its first UK base and the acquisition of commercial trailer manufacturer Lawrence David by The Wielton Group.

“Peterborough has a fantastic reputation both at home and abroad for its diverse workforce, brilliant connectivity and affordable operating costs. Brexit may be acting as a catalyst for continental businesses to act sooner rather than later but the vast majority of investors we work with haven’t raised it as a major concern yet.”