THE newest addition to a business park is planning to expand by 30 per cent a year.

Excel-sys, at Kirkleatham Business Park's Innovation Centre, east Cleveland, is predicting the growth because of its strategy of exploiting a national skills shortage, and an increasing demand for Internet know-how.

The software development specialist has already attracted multi-national clients looking for a single supplier capable of providing everything from one-off software projects to system maintenance and network management.

Brian Hall, the firm's senior partner, said: "More and more companies are looking to get past first base with the Internet, particularly as the increased sophistication of PCs means they can downgrade on hardware.

"Just having a web presence is no longer enough - people want practical solutions that deliver real business benefits.

"With skilled IT professionals hard to come by, we are able to offer the best of both worlds - experience of developing effective Internet-based systems for range of clients, plus the personnel needed to implement and maintain those systems."