ECUS secures loans to further growth as an independent

Environmental consultancy ECUS Ltd has received loans totalling £85,000 from the South Yorkshire Investment Fund. In 2007, £50,000 was used to complete a management buy-out from the University of Sheffield - where the organisation was established in 1986. A further £35,000 has recently been secured to develop new business opportunities, improve IT equipment and project management software, and for devoting increased resources to marketing and website development.

ECUS specialises in five core areas: environmental management, geoscience, ecology , environmental impact assessment and landscape architecture. It has a strong client base in the Yorkshire region, as well as winning contracts from around the world.

Chris Routh, one of the founders and managing director of ECUS, commented: "We've been able to grow our fee income by over 30 per cent in 2008 and added five new members of staff. But it's a fiercely competitive industry and we need to be able to go out there and continue to develop the business and our market share."

• ECUS news release