BTS finance director Marcia Atkinson with MD and husband Phil .
1 : |
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE SUBJECT AT
SCHOOL ?
|
A : |
Humanities and Philosophy . |
2 : WHO WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD HERO , AND WHY ?
A :
Audrey Hepburn , she had poise , was beautiful , elegant , compassionate and had fashion sense . She was an amazing actress and devoted her time to humanitarian work .
3 : HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW ?
A : Determination and a good work ethic , being flexible and working around my family .
4 : WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE ORGANISATION ON AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK AND WHY ( EXCLUDING YOUR OWN )?
A :
There are so many amazing organisations on the park it ’ s difficult to choose one , but hand on my heart , I love Five Acres Community Garden . I was so moved when I visited them at ROF 59 . Seeing their champions and listening to how their staff and volunteers nurture and develop their independence and skills in a fun and exciting environment is commendable .
5 : WHICH AYCLIFFE BUSINESS OR INDIVIDUAL DO YOU TIP FOR FUTURE SUCCESS ?
A
I am hearing and reading great things about Armitage and Wilson Furniture . What they have achieved since 2020 is testament to their hard work and commitment . Their journey from where they started predicts a great future !
6 : WHAT ’ S THE BEST BUSINESS DECISION YOU EVER MADE ?
A :
Encouraging the company to have a BTS Forum so every employee has a voice for a bottom-up approach to all decisionmaking .
7 : WHAT ’ S THE WORST DECISION YOU ’ VE EVER MADE ?
A :
Agreeing to a smoking area in the staff car park . I feel we should be encouraging and promoting a no smoking policy and healthy living . But I was out-voted by the forum !
8 : IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION , WHAT WOULD IT BE ?
A :
To have more female staff in the male dominated industry and to persuade more suppliers to get on board with our carbon neutral journey .
9 : ARE YOU AN EARLY RISER OR A NIGHT OWL ?
A :
Depends on what is happening – I can be an early riser but I like a great night out , too , especially if there is music and dancing followed by a lie in !
10 : WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS MANTRA ?
A :
Share your knowledge for others to succeed – positive feedback is free to give and precious to receive .
11 : WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A SMALL STARTUP ?
A :
Explore all avenues for grants , take any free advice from other successful business owners , read up on all you need to know – knowledge is power . And work hard .
12 : WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU ?
A :
We have a great team at BTS , I look forward to hitting monthly targets , improving quality , investing time and more training for our younger team and being more involved with The Power of Women , a charity I am very passionate about ( see pages 30-31 ).
13 : WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR ORGANISATION ?
A : Hopefully becoming a B-Corp company ; everyone at BTS is totally invested and committed to achieving this . Also continuing with our growth plans , improving our carbon neutral journey and investing in wind and solar power .
14 : WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE PRIME MINISTER IF YOU SAW HIM ON AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK ?
A :
I would ask what he can do to help tackle the crime in and around the park , and how he could improve the CPS on sentencing to prevent reoccurring break-ins and theft . I would also use the opportunity to ask him what he would do to invest in Aycliffe , since we did not receive a ‘ levelling up ’ fund .
15 : WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL CHARITY ?
A :
Our whole team took a vote on the charity we should support , and The Great North Air Ambulance Service was nominated . Honestly , I didn ’ t know too much about the organisation until we started generating funds and I was shocked to find out the service is totally reliant on donations to save lives in the area . It ’ s a charity which is totally taken for granted , and after visiting the base , I now understand how incredibly important their work is .
16 : WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL RESTAURANT ?
A :
Locally , in Aycliffe , it would be The County , we take our customers when they visit our company , or we have business lunches . I love fine dining too so closer to home would be The Bay Horse in Hurworth .
17 : WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL EVENING MEAL ?
A :
Oysters , scallops , fish , and I ’ m partial to a medium rare fillet steak , too , with homemade chips , a nice beetroot and walnut salad with balsamic glaze alongside a nice glass of champagne !
18 : WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME ?
A :
I love walking in the countryside with my two Shih Tzu ’ s , spending time with my family and friends , ballroom dancing ( much to my husband ’ s despair ) and visiting Whitby , which holds a special place in my heart .
19 : WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM , AND WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTOR ?
A :
It ’ s hard to choose ! I love a good chick flick really ; Breakfast at Tiffany ’ s , My Fair Lady , Pretty Woman , Grease , Dirty Dancing … If it has Audrey Hepburn or Julia Roberts , I will probably love it .
20 : WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF ?
A : More investment in County Durham , more opportunities , aspirations and career guidance for younger people .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 13