A KNUTSFORD entrepreneur has made ground-breaking steps in office innovation by installing treadmills for his employees.

Dafydd Stuttard, director of PortSwigger Web Security on Regent Street, inspired his workers to get active when he set up his Knutsford business in June 2013.

Dafydd has been using a treadmill at work for around four years, and made the decision to bring them into his newest office when people started expressing an interest in his unusual habit.

The most he has ever walked in a day is 30,000 steps, or 15 miles. But most days him and his staff walk around 7 miles a day, which equates to around 1,700 miles a year or the distance from London to Moscow.

“It was just an idea I had,” said Dafydd. “Every single person who tried it wanted one. And it’s even cheaper than an office chair.”

“Most people’s response when first seeing it was to laugh and think it was rather ridiculous. Then, after having a go, the near-universal reaction is that this is amazing and to ask if they can have one!

“We all firmly believe in a healthy balance between work and life outside work and being healthy at work is really important.”

“Aside from the health benefits, we also think that standing and walking improves people's performance - it seems easier to stay alert and focused throughout the day, as compared with sitting.”

Dafydd, who launched PortSwigger in 2008, hopes that this innovative set-up will attract the perfect employees to the business, which has been steadily growing since moving to Knutsford.

The ‘hacking’ company, who develop software to test a company’s web security, has already attracted world-wide interest with graduates from London, Spain and even Colombia.

“We only look to hire the very best people, lots of companies claim this, but for us it is genuinely true.

“People think that the job we do is quite sexy, almost James Bond-esque, but it’s not really. It has got a mysterious element!”

Dafydd is now looking into buying more treadmills as the company expands and with 12 out of 15 employees currently having access to their own personal device, he is certain that it improves productivity.

“Aside from the health benefits, we also think that standing and walking improves people's performance. It seems easier to stay alert and focused throughout the day, as compared with sitting.”

“The first few seconds on it feels weird but then subconscious takes over. It works really well.”

For more information about PortSwigger visit https://portswigger.net

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