EAST Anglia-based ambulance company Norvic, which is contracted to provide support to the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, is expanding after winning new work in the West Country – and also plans to create around 50 new jobs in his home region during 2012.

Norvic, which also works with hospitals including Ipswich, Addenbrokes and Papworth, has opened a new base in Bristol, with another planned on the south coast.

The company was bought by Elijah Adeyemi, Steve Brundle and John Banbury in July 2010 and doubled its turnover to �3.6million during 2011 ? a year which also saw the company reduce staff pay.

Mr Banbury, chief executive, said: “Our growth has been quite aggressive, but it has been planned. And we’ve got excellent people and processes in place to cope with even more demand.”

Norvic’s core business, Norvic Ambulance, was awarded a three-year East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust contract last April, and later in the year it also launched three new sister companies.

It has launched training company Norvic Academy and first aid and event medicine company Norvic Medical as well as Norvic Security to offer event organisers a combined package of medical and security cover. Norvic now employs more than 200 staff with planned turnover for 2012 set at �5.5m.

The group, based at Taverham in Norfolk, has developed services such as emergency rapid-response vehicles, ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) transport and mental health transfers as well as increasing the number of bariatric patients it transports.

“Launching Norvic Academy, Norvic Medical and Norvic Security is all part of our strategy to diversify within the independent healthcare sector so as not to become overly reliant on any one business or any single customer,” added Mr Banbury

“Running a business in today’s climate certainly has its challenges, and we had to make a difficult decision last year to reduce staff pay so that we remained competitive and ensure we had a sustainable future.

“This has not deterred our plans for growth, and we expect to recruit a further 50 or more people throughout the eastern region in the coming months, plus taking on new staff in Bristol.”