Last updated 15:54, Wednesday, 26 March 2008

award winners: Pete Woolaghan (right) of REACT Engineering accepts the 'Most Dedicated Company Award' from Lord Sainsbury at the House of Lords

REACT Engineering – which has just won a prestigious award following their work for the Science & Engineering Ambassadors (SEAs) Programme – has expanded by opening a new office in Carlisle.

The engineering company is now looking to recruit up to 25 new engineers to work on nuclear decommissioning and environmental contracts.

It is hoped the new premises at Clifford Court, Parkhouse Business Park, will attract engineers who are interested in working on innovative and exciting new projects.

Steve Knight, a React director, said: “We believe Carlisle is the ideal place for our expansion plans as it offers new business opportunities with access to the airport and the Kingmoor by-pass. We also believe we can tap into a greater pool of skilled and committed engineers which are essential to our continual growth.”

One of React’s future business ventures is developing a new wildlife surveillance technique for use on a new off-shore wind-turbines project which is supported by the government.

Steve continued: “While we may work in the nuclear decommissioning business, our engineers do not necessarily need to have experience in this area. The decommissioning industry offers multi- million-pounds’ worth of contracts as well as the opportunities to save the tax payer billions of pounds through innovative problem-solving.

“We will be delighted for anyone who feels React may be the company for them to come along and ask us questions.”

Based at Westlakes Science Park, near Whitehaven, React was established in 1994 by Steve Knight, Trevor Craig and Pete Woolaghan. Their commitment to engineering has been rewarded with a variety of awards and accolades from organisations such as Aimhigher and The National Council for Work Experience.

React staff were invited to the House of Lords to attend the STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Network) reception where they received their winner’s certificate for their work in the SEAs programme from Lord Sainsbury.

It was the only Cumbrian firm nominated for the award and part of a short-list of four companies.

React has also, for the fifth year running, won a Royal Academy of Engineering award for their work promoting staff development in engineering.

And last year the company was runner-up at the prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology Awards, competing alongside BT plc and Artesis, for developing the N-Visage system which measures and identifies radioactive material.

In 2004, the company also set up The React Foundation – www.Reactfoundation. org.uk – a charity which encourages local students to think about a career in engineering.

The company will be holding a recruitment fair at Tullie House on April 16 from 11.30am to 2pm and from 3pm to 8.30pm for anyone interested.