NEWS
TEAM BOOST
Five new appointments for Aycliffe firm Excelpoint
Newton Aycliffe firm Excelpoint has enjoyed a positive first-quarter performance with increased sales and recognition in the FSB , North East Business , and Aycliffe Business Park awards .
It has continued to build on the sales momentum from 2021 , acquiring new customers in the engineering and manufacturing , energy , pharmaceutical , construction , shipping and ports , and industrial services sectors for its innovative no-code software .
To support its growing customer base and diverse utilisation of its software , Excelpoint has recently appointed two new software developers responsible for building additional depth and functionality , keeping pace with technological developments , and keeping ahead of a highly competitive market .
Joining the team are Ed Wyllie and Luke McNaughton . Drawing on his experiences at IBM , Cognos Analytics , Vertu Motors , and Mott MacDonald , Ed joins Excelpoint as a software engineer focusing on the front-end development of the client application and user interface .
Luke joins the team as back-end software
COUNCIL NAMED AMONG COUNTRY ’ S TOP 100 APPRENTICE EMPLOYERS
Durham County Council continues to be recognised among England ’ s best employers of apprentices . The local authority is one of only two local authorities listed in the UK ’ s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers .
The council is currently recruiting nearly 100 new apprentices across a wide range of occupations from entry to degree level , offering people the chance to earn as they learn as part of its largest apprenticeship recruitment campaign to date . Roles include business administration , civil engineering , executive support , refuse and recycling , gardener , financial management , electrician , joiner , solicitor , human resources ,
engineer with previous experience working at Bishop Auckland College .
With customers from SMEs to corporate brands recognised worldwide , Excelpoint has appointed Parry Jenkins as strategic business consultant .
With over 30 years of experience within the technology sector at Accenture , B2E Consulting , and as head of homecare at Age UK , Parry is responsible for broadening the scope of services and pursuing high-value opportunities in the private and public sectors .
Charlie Auld and Lee Dodgson have also joined Excelpoint as an apprentice software support technician and apprentice business consultant .
They will gain invaluable experience in customer service , product testing , system configuration , and continuous improvement while working towards the achievement of their apprenticeships .
CEO Ian Brown said : “ We continue to grow year on year , and importantly , we are delivering an even broader range of solutions to address business-critical challenges .”
To learn more about Excelpoint , visit excelpoint . co . uk .
procurement , and teaching assistant , among others .
Cllr Richard Bell , the council ’ s deputy leader and Cabinet member for finance , said : “ It is a fantastic achievement to once again be named among the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in England .
“ Apprenticeships provide a vital pathway for people to get into employment and gather the skills and knowledge they need to progress their careers .
“ Equally , being able to attract and retain talent enables us to continue delivering highquality services to communities .”
IS GLOBAL TIDE CHANGING ?
COMMENT
Just as we think that we are through the most testing times , more is yet to come .
Everyone is studying one key thing – their supply chain . Disruption has been to the forefront and it is set to continue .
Covid pushed supply chains to the limit for continuity . Since then global shipping costs rose by up to 800 per cent and remain high . As you see a downward trend , then Felixstowe goes on strike – and not seemingly set to be a one off .
We talk about energy costs here , but globally the picture is more complicated . China has huge energy problems – recently droughts caused hydroelectric power to dry up .
Then factor in sustainability . This looks set to manifest itself as Carbon Taxes in the UK . Ultimately , behaviour change is driven by taxation and not good intentions . However , beyond purely environmental considerations , is it sustainable for us economically to base supply chains around simply importing finished goods ?
Moreover , as an economy , the UK must add value and create jobs . Moving boxes around a warehouse adds little to “ UK plc ” in terms of jobs in comparison to manufacturing . Then factor in what is going on in geo-politics .
At Roman we are passionate UK manufacturers . We lead our industry in sustainability and the circular economy – and we have just received our second Queen ’ s Award for International Trade .
We offer 16 metal finishes into the UK market – creating clear differentiation from competitors who could only import a fraction .
We have just been launching stunning soft close systems , offering a genuine breakthrough . This investment is not about price – but is based around a value proposition .
When you now assess the real value of a UK brand , we think the global tide has clearly changed . David Osborne CEO , Roman
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 9