U.K. energy company to add 30 Navy Yard jobs

As Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter continues his trade mission in the United Kingdom, a British company said it plans to add 30 new jobs to its U.S. headquarters at the Philadelphia Navy Yard over the next 18 months.

The Mark Group, an energy efficiency service provider, selected Philadelphia as its U.S. headquarters in 2010 and opened its Navy Yard offices with seven employees It now has 155. The company hoped to have 300 employees here by now. But its U.S. CEO, Jeff Bartos, who is traveling with the mayor to the United Kingdom, told me last week that its growth was curbed somewhat by the recession.

According to a press release from Nutter’s office Tuesday, Mark Group said that it had aggressive U.S. growth plans, including the piloting of a new energy efficiency program and expansion at the company’s Philadelphia Navy Yard headquarters.

“The success of Mark Group, a British company, underlines the importance to Philadelphia of building international relationships and promoting ourselves globally as a city in which to start and grow a business,” Nutter said in a statement. “Mark Group is a success story that has brought investment and jobs to Philadelphia, and they are making a difference by improving the energy efficiency of homes and reducing energy costs for Philadelphia homeowners. As Philadelphia establishes itself as a leader in energy efficiency, my full expectation is that more international companies will follow Mark Group’s lead and establish a presence in Philadelphia.”

Mark Group is a partner in Nutter’s trade mission and sponsored a roundtable discussion in London that brought together 50 energy efficiency executives to share best practices and hear a pitch from Philadelphia about positioning the city as a hub for the industry. At the session, Mark Group executives said they plan to open new offices in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia and Virginia over the next 18 months.

“Mark Group is excited to share its plans to open an additional 10 branches in Pennsylvania and other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States,” Bartos said in a statement.

Mark Group provides energy efficiency assessments to property owners and installs insulation, air sealing measures, HVAC upgrades and replacement windows. The company plans to add energy efficient lighting and home controls to its customer offering.

Nutter leaves London Wednesday for Tel Aviv, Israel, and returns to Philadelphia Nov. 12. The goal of the trip is to woo companies from both countries that might be interested in establishing a Philadelphia location and work with local tourism and airport officials to attract more visitors

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal