Teesside-raised Sky Sports presenter Hayley McQueen hosted the third annual Tees Business Awards event on behalf of Aycliffe Business sister publication, Tees Business.
The Tees Business team( from left): Shane Hopson, Dave Allan, Chris Garbutt, Millie Smith, Dave Robson and Martin Walker.
“ I’ m originally from Chester but I came here from Spain two years ago with my family. At first, my wife and daughter were like‘ why would you go to Middlesbrough?’ but this is the future – the energy, the development, everything about it.
“ Just to be nominated and be here with my team is incredible – to win, I can’ t even describe the feeling.
“ For the company, the exposure from winning something like this is incredible. We work with massive international names – companies like Caterpillar, British Steel, Navigator, SeAH Wind. Winning a contract with SeAH allowed us to employ five extra engineers.
“ So, all the work being done across the business means we are giving people opportunities – I’ m just the lucky guy who gets to lead it.”
Meanwhile, Imran Anwar – CEO of
Middlesbrough-based digital innovation agency Alt Labs – was voted by sponsors as Tees Business Leader of the Year, succeeding fellow tech leader Bob Makin of Behaviour.
Accepting his trophy from Punch Robson Solicitors senior partner John Wilkin, he told the audience:“ I wasn’ t expecting this! It’ s extremely humbling, especially when you’ re in a room full of peers that you look up to.
“ I’ m really proud but I’ m privileged to have an amazing team around me that allows me to do what I need to do and get on with growing the business.”
With his other roles including co-founding the Flok co-working space, sitting on the Tees Valley Business Board and being on the board of governors at Middlesbrough College, he was asked how he fits it all in.
He said:“ I’ ve always thought as a leader in any business we have to give back to the community.
“ With the role at Middlesbrough College, for example, it’ s about building not just the next leaders, but as employers we can’ t complain if we’ re not getting the right talent or putting the right voices to the right audience.
“ And with the Business Board, Middlesbrough is leading the way outside London in the digital economy, so I’ m proud to be leading the voice for the digital sector within the Tees Valley.”
Other individual winners include Paul Griffiths MBE of Middlesbrough’ s IMH receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, Brenda Plowman of Home Instead Cleveland lifting the Making a Difference trophy and Venator’ s Jo Douglas-Harris winning the Future Leaders award.
SeAH Wind – the firm behind the giant new monopile manufacturing facility at Teesworks – won the Training & Apprenticeships award, the Net Zero Award went to Education Training Collective and the Diversity gong was won by MFC Foundation for a second time in three years.
Outrank were crowned Small Business of the Year, Pocket Sergeant won the Diversity Award and Talk Cancer Teesside were crowned Community Champions.
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 31