A Shropshire company with an eight-year record of providing logistics support for equipment supplied to the UK’s armed forces is to create 20 new jobs after opening a new £2 million training centre in Telford.

Defence contractor Quorum Logistic Support Ltd, which employs a staff of 30, is aiming to share its expertise in integrated logistic support through the setting up of the new a hi-tech facility at Hadley Park.

The company, set up in 2000, has transferred to new offices at Quantum House and is aiming to move into new markets including construction, oil and the rail industry, while allowing other companies to make use of its expertise.

Many of Quorum’s employees are former Army, Navy and RAF personnel, with a high degree of knowledge of Ministry of Defence requirements and support.

Since Jogi Sidhu and Ian Rees, both of whom were previously employed by an armoured vehicle supplier, set up the company in 2000 it has established a reputation for high quality logistic support to the defence sector.

Jogi said: “Essentially, when the MoD procures systems or equipment, our job is to analyse and identify how reliable each piece of equipment is and how it needs to be supported.

“A guy at the frontline needs to have confidence that the equipment he has received is reliable and that it can be maintained in the event of any breakdown and fully supported with the necessary spare parts having predicted when these will be needed.

“We employ very high calibre consultants and have grown from a staff of just two up to 30. We aim to continue that growth and create at least 20 new jobs over the next 12 months by continued business development and diversification into other business sectors.”

Quorum turned to Business Link in the West Midlands for help with developing marketing material to continue its rapid growth and now the organisation is encouraging the company’s development through marketing support and contributing to funding for a new website: www.qlsl.com.

Business adviser Barry Jones said: “The management team has invested very heavily in new premises in Telford and they provide a unique service.

“I was impressed by the high calibre of their staff and the complex defence projects they have handled in recent years. We are happy to help their growth and feel that their expertise could be invaluable to many market sectors, including construction, oil and gas and civil engineering.

“At the same time, their new training centre is a valuable facility, which we hope to see other companies in the region making use of.

“There is very little training on offer for people working in logistic support and we would like to see Quorum take the lead in setting up an NVQ level training course.

“We are in talks with both the NVQ awards bodies and the Learning and Skills Council to pursue this idea.”