A digital marketing and e-commerce firm whose clients include Harvey Nichols, Usborne Publishing and Habitat has opened an office in Torbay’s £8million tech innovation centre.
Superb Media Ltd designs, builds, creates and markets e-commerce solutions for big-name retailers also including Tripp Luggage, Defected Records, Missy Empire and Portmeirion Group.
Since its launch in 2012, Superb has grown and employs more than 120 staff across Europe.
With offices in Barcelona, Ukraine, London and Nottingham, the company’s directors want to make an impact in Torbay.
It will be operating from the Electronics and Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC), in Paignton’s White Rock Business Park, a Government and EU funded digital innovation centre managed by Torbay Economic Development Company Limited (TDA).
Superb, which boasts a 975 retention rate, has already created three new high-skilled jobs and is currently carrying out interviews for programming and digital marketing positions. The business is planning to expand further this year and take up more space within EPIC and create more jobs.
Matthew Blay, co-founder and managing director of Superb, who has worked in Devon before, said: “It’s fantastic to create a Superb office in Torbay. The EPIC Centre is an amazing place to work and has been a deciding factor in attracting talent. The company and I had aspirations of finding a suitable location in the South West to grow the business.
“We are passionate about our work, and when we saw the offices at EPIC we immediately had a vision of how we would set up and how we could provide opportunities to local experts.
“One of the reasons for wanting to return to Torbay is to give something back to an area I love. There are many skilled people living in Torbay who have to travel out of the area to find work.
“Superb has an incredible portfolio of clients and we are offering local people the opportunity to work with some of Europe’s largest brands.
“We want to work with local universities to develop talent and be an employer of choice. We are looking to expand our team over the next 18 months. This is a great opportunity to join one of the most experienced and technically skilled teams in Europe.”
Wayne Loschi, EPIC centre director, said: “Superb is a great addition to EPIC. Matt and his team have a top-floor office with stunning sea views and have invested heavily in branding the space.
“They have exciting growth plans and are working with high-profile multinational customers. We look forward to working with Superb to raise the profile of EPIC, its businesses and the wider hi-tech sector.”
EPIC is a centre of excellence, supporting technological innovation and promoting collaborative activity between businesses and research institutions.
It focuses on supporting high-potential companies and encourages investment into Torbay’s microelectronics and photonics sector, and in the wider South West.
EPIC is partly funded by a £3million grant from the Heart of the South West LEP Growth Deal. In addition to this, £1.375million has been secured from the European Regional Development Fund, and £1.1million in Coastal Communities Funding. This funding supports a £2.5milion investment in the centre made by Torbay Council.
