A recent article where Addooco were featured as Chesterfield’s Champion of the week in the Derbyshire Times and Destination Chesterfield.
Chesterfield based Addooco are a leading provider of Managed IT, Cloud and Communication solutions, delivering an innovative approach, a premium customer experience and proactive ongoing support at an affordable price for all businesses.
Since our formation in 2008, Addooco has enjoyed sustained success and following continuous growth we now occupy our own dedicated building on Dunston Technology Park.
Nigel Mallender, is Head of Sales & Marketing at Addooco, after 24 years at another leading Chesterfield business he joined Addooco last summer in order to assist with their next phase of growth.
What was the greatest achievement for your business over the past year?
The past year has seen so many developments here at Addooco so it is tough to choose just one achievement. We have retained our ISO accreditation for ISO27001 Information Security Management, ISO9001 Quality Management Systems and ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems.
Our Team has grown by 20%, we have invested 10% of our turnover in a new Data Centre with best of breed technology and implemented projects at some great local businesses including Knights Care and Precision Products.
2022 was a hugely positive year for Addooco.
How would you describe Chesterfield and North Derbyshire, using only three words?
Underrated, ambitious (and, in many ways) thriving.
What are your favourite places to visit in Chesterfield and why?
Queen’s Park, the home of Chesterfield Cricket Club where I am Chairman. Our historic Club is at the heart of the community and we’re incredibly proud to carry the town name. We work closely with Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire County Cricket Club each year to stage the hugely successful Festival of Cricket which brings so many visitors to our town. It’s a very exciting phase for our Club with so many great initiatives either planned or already underway so it is a great time to get involved and support Chesterfield Cricket Club if you’re a local business reading this or are someone who is interested in joining as a member.
My family and I love Italian food and wine and my wife’s favourite restaurant is Lombardis, where we always have such a lovely evening, Bottle & Thyme in the town centre is also another favourite place of ours to eat and drink.
The Technique Stadium, since the takeover by the Community Trust, Mike Goodwin and his Team have worked so very hard to put the pride back into the football club and it’s such a great way to spend an afternoon or evening with friends and family, cheering on the Spireites… after a couple of fantastic Brampton Brewery pre-match pints in the Glassworks!
How is your business becoming more sustainable? (Some ideas could include sourcing products and materials locally and responsibly, eco-friendly packaging, renewable energy, managing waste, water, electricity use, encouraging employees to look after the environment etc.)
As a business Addooco are tremendously focused on the environment and sustainability, we’ve had our ISO14001 for Environmental Management Systems in place for several years now and by the end of 2023 we will be PAS2060 certified for carbon neutral, there’s many other initiatives that feed into this too including our EV charging points at our offices, all our company cars are electric also and all the energy we procure, whether at our offices or our Data Centre, is renewable.
Why do you love working or doing business in Chesterfield or North Derbyshire?
I’m sure this is a common answer but it has to be the people. I grew up in a beautiful part of North Yorkshire but I’m very proud to call Chesterfield my home. I cannot imagine living anywhere else and that’s down to the friendly people and the community spirit. Chesterfield is great for families with its huge range of parks, play centres, sporting appeal and family friendly pubs and restaurants. For history lovers there’s the likes of Hardwick Hall, Bolsover Castle, the Peak District and many other places close by. Chesterfield is so well connected and great for business too with Sheffield and Nottingham on the doorstep, East Midlands Airport within 45 minutes drive and London only two hours away by train.
How are you supporting young people in your business through apprenticeships, traineeships or work experience and how are young people contributing to the success of your business?
Supporting young people is a huge passion of mine and one of the reasons I was so pleased to join Addooco as they share so many of the same values, particularly when it comes to giving youngsters an opportunity. A Large proportion of our growing Team have come through our successful Apprentice Scheme, we’ve had Chefs, Petrol Attendants, Taxi Drivers and Baristas join us and with no previous experience in the IT sector and who have gone on to become talented members of our Team, respected by colleagues and clients alike.
How are you, your business or your team supporting local people?
Addooco is owned and run by local people who have a real pride and motivation in making our business, and indeed Chesterfield, an attractive place to live and work. Most of our Team are under the age of 30 and either live in the town or close by. We encourage our Team to continue learning new skills and to study for additional qualifications, Addooco support them every step of the way both financially and, when required, with time away from work to study.
It’s incredibly satisfying seeing youngsters progress through the business and become “go to” members of our Team. Additionally, and well before my time in the business, Addooco became a long standing supporter of Chesterfield Cricket Club and it’s successful junior section. Addooco’s (and others) support for Chesterfield Cricket Club is so important as it allows the Club to continue investing in vital equipment and coaching to provide our juniors.
Which upcoming development do you think will have the greatest impact on the town and why?
The Waterside project will be a wonderful addition to Chesterfield. First impressions always count and when people step off the train at Chesterfield Railway Station to a hive of modern offices, luxury apartments and bustling shops and cafes it will portray our town in such a positive way, that of a modern, vibrant Chesterfield and one that is also steeped in history.
I’ve been impressed by The Glass Yard too, it’s an eye catching development with easy access and The Batch House is incredibly popular with locals and is heaving on Chesterfield FC match days.
What is your vision for Chesterfield and North Derbyshire in 2030? What do you think the town needs to achieve this?
Chesterfield is clearly growing and almost unrecognisable to the town I moved to back in 1997. The growth through so many exciting new ventures and housing developments has been phenomenal. But, and whilst it isn’t easy in the current economic climate, we cannot rest on our laurels and need to continue pushing forward. The many exciting planned developments need to come to realisation to allow our historic town to continue competing with the bigger cities. This in turn will increase visitors to that beautiful Derbyshire town with it’s Crooked Spire. A town where people want to visit, shop, eat, base their business and spend a day or long weekend with their friends and family.
