NEWCOMER RYAN‘ ELATED’ TO WIN MAKE YOUR MARK AWARD
Aycliffe Business Make Your Mark Awards
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by
THE FINALISTS
METRICK CONSULTANCY
Husqvarna UK manufacturing manager Dan Wilkinson handed the Newcomer of the Year award to Dart Industrial Services managing director Ryan Gibson.
NEWCOMER RYAN‘ ELATED’ TO WIN MAKE YOUR MARK AWARD
He started his career 12 years ago on a Teesside bridge revamp – but now“ absolutely elated” Ryan Gibson is celebrating his firm winning the Newcomer of the Year title.
Dart Industrial Services, which specialises in surface preparation and protective coatings application, only moved to Aycliffe from Teesside in early 2024.
Aycliffe was strategically chosen because it’ s halfway between MD Ryan’ s home in Spennymoor and operations director John Featham’ s in Stockton.
And, says Ryan, the move has worked brilliantly.
He said:“ We moved to Station Place, which is one of the newer parts of the estate, and the facilities are fantastic and the location is great – we’ ve found it brilliant.
“ The support from even our little part of the industrial estate and the friendliness of it has been amazing – we couldn’ t ask for a better place to work.”
Ryan said he first met John 12 years ago when he was an 18-year-old beginning a scholarship as a trainee project manager on a big refurbishment of the Newport Bridge between Stockton and Middlesbrough and John was operation manager.
He said:“ We met on my first day on site and 12 years later we’ re here now, picking up an award – it’ s amazing really.
“ To start with, we argued like hell! It’ s a bit of a father-son relationship with the age gap between us, but I couldn’ t ask for a better guy to do this with.
“ When I started the business, we went out, sought investment and did a bit of a Dragons’ Den pitch. I phoned John, told him I had the funding, gifted him some shares and the way things are going, I couldn’ t be happier to give back to him – I can’ t thank him enough.”
Ryan, who said he was“ made up” to win the award, especially as most of the management team was also present, added:“ There’ s been so much hard work put into getting the business off the ground from a complete standing start.“ And from moving to Aycliffe just over a year ago to winning this – we’ re all elated.”
But what’ s to come? He smiled:“ Big things, really. We’ ve been officially trading two years next month and we’ ve seen 100 % growth two years in a row.
“ Hopefully we’ ll top that with 125 % growth this year and tip over 50 staff which, in 27 or 28 months’ trading, is pretty good going.”
PREVIOUS WINNERS 2024: FORREST PARK SCHOOL 2022: THE FISH TANK 2018: DIGITAL EDGE 2016: UTC SOUTH DURHAM 2015: ROF 59 2014: AYCLIFFE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Founded in 2021 by Chloe Raistrick, Metrick Consultancy has quickly grown from a small consultancy into a thriving business offering grant applications, accreditation support and residential upgrades.
With a strong commitment to supporting businesses and homeowners, Metrick has secured more than £ 100,000 in funding in the past year alone and saved 80.7 tonnes of CO2 through eco4 residential upgrades, including insulation and solar panel installations.
The company has expanded its services and team to meet increasing demand, focusing on efficiency and client satisfaction.
Metrick’ s development of an in-house CRM system has streamlined operations, setting it apart in a competitive industry.
AUCKLAND INNOVATIONS
Auckland Innovations is an existing small business diversifying into offering printing and laser cutting services trading as Print Hub.
Over the last 12 months, the firm has made significant investments in various state-of-the-art printing tools and equipment.
Auckland Innovations is focused on offering quality, affordable printed products and services to individuals and the business community in Newton Aycliffe and the local surrounding areas.
Print Hub has so far produced and supplied a number of local businesses with external and internal business signs, business cards and recently supplied a variety of products to a local golf business, including signs, banners and posters.
32 | Aycliffe Business