‘ It ’ s all about our people ’ says awardwinning Senstronics boss Andy Reed
Aycliffe Business Make Your Mark Awards
BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Recruitrite
Senstronics boss Andy Reed received the Businessperson of the Year award from Melissa Coutts of category sponsor Recruitrite .
‘ It ’ s all about our people ’ says awardwinning Senstronics boss Andy Reed
He may have been named Businessperson of the Year at the Make Your Mark Awards – but for Senstronics MD Andy Reed , it was all about the team .
In just two years at the helm , Andy has stamped his own mark on the company , which produces millions of pressure sensors for industries across the world .
When asked what makes a good business leader , Andy was keen to share the credit .
He said : “ It ’ s all about our people – nothing ever gets done without the people .
“ One of the things we ’ ve done at Senstronics , and one of the things I ’ ve personally brought , is a real focus on everybody in the organisation – being able to focus on making sure people are paid fairly , making sure they have all the benefits they should get .
“ We want to be an importer of talent . Senstronics has been an exporter of talent – people have taken our team members so we really want to be a great place to work so that doesn ’ t happen .
“ It ’ s part of our values and it ’ s all about putting people first and foremost and making sure Senstronics is a place where I would want to work if I was at any other organisation . “ I started as an electrical mechanical apprentice and have been lucky enough to work with some really good global organisations .
“ I ’ ve worked all over the world and in different industries – I ’ ve had some really good jobs , had some not so good jobs , but all that brings experience .
“ Because I started as an apprentice , I know what it ’ s like to be on the bottom rung of the ladder and I ’ ve never forgotten that . I make sure my team and everybody realises that the people on the shop floor are the ones that add value to the business .”
After receiving his award from Melissa Coutts of category sponsor Recruitrite , Andy admitted : “ I ’ m a little bit speechless , which is quite unusual for me as my team will attest to .
“ But I ’ m really proud to have won this - really proud that other people have noticed what we ’ ve done and really proud of the team that I manage and lead . No one can do this on their own .
“ There are so many talented people around Newton Aycliffe and the room tonight is full of winners .
“ To be voted top of some of them is an amazing achievement that I never really expected . It was a surprise when I got nominated by Kate , my HR manager – to win it is unbelievable .”
FINALISTS
MARCIA ATKINSON ( BTS FACADES & FABRICATIONS ) The finance director at family-run BTS Facades and Fabrications , Marcia successfully steered BTS through the turbulent year of 2020 , making some extremely difficult decisions along the way .
She has been instrumental in BTS gaining carbon neutrality . As well as her total investment in the success of the company , Marcia is a firm believer in investing in the younger generation , from employing apprentices to building strong relationships with local schools .
In contrast to the corporate side , she is also extremely compassionate , always willing to take time out of her hectic days to talk to the staff about any issues they are having , whether personal or workrelated .
GRAHAM MARSH ( DIGITAL EDGE ) Graham has created a positive working culture for his people at Digital Edge , ensuring high standards of work and helping to grow the business beyond delivering standard websites to working with larger organisations , increasing profitability .
Graham is passionate about hiring people from the local community and giving jobs to people , collaborating and doing business with other firms in the area to create a positive e-commerce culture and environment .
Family man Graham has a wife and three young children . However , he still finds time to grow his company , support his team and develop those in the business while changing how websites are done as a whole across the UK and beyond .
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