AYCLIFFE TODAY MONTHLY | 17
@AYCLIFFETODAY
BUSINESS BRIEFS
COMPOUND PHOTONICS
AIMS TO DOUBLE
WORKFORCE
STILLER SHOW COMMITMENT
TO TRAINING YOUNG PEOPLE
A family-run distribution company
is showing its commitment to training
up young people by taking on a new
Apprentice, while the number of young
staff is at its highest number ever.
Stiller Warehousing and Distribution,
based on Aycliffe Business Park, has
taken on Keiran Jones after a string of
Apprenticeship success stories.
The 17-year-old, from Newton
Aycliffe, has just started his level
2
Apprenticeship
in
business
administration through local training
provider Optimum Skills.
He’s following in the footsteps of
three employees who completed
similar training programmes with the
firm.
Former
Sunnydale
School
pupil Jessica Tweddle, 23, from
Middridge, has just finished her
level 2 Apprenticeship in business
administration while Jessica Walton,
20, from Spennymoor, finished the
same Apprenticeship last year and
now works in customer services - both
programmes were delivered through
Aycliffe-based training provider ITEC.
Ryan Bailey, 21, a former Greenfield
College pupil from Newton Aycliffe,
has been with Stiller for two-anda-half years after completing a
level 3 Apprenticeship in business
administration, also through ITEC, and
is now transport operator for the firm.
Managing Director Paul Stiller
said: “We feel training young people
is critical, while also employing
experienced members of staff.
“We have a fantastic balance of
highly-skilled, experienced people who
are passing on their knowledge and
knowhow to our young staff.”
Stiller’s young workers make up a
total of 21 members of staff aged 25
or under, representing just under a
fifth of its 115-strong workforce.
That also includes 24-year-old
Lizzie Brophy, a former Teesside High
School student from Eaglescliffe,
who completed a psychology degree
at Leeds Metropolitan University in
2010 and initially joined Stiller to cover
summer holiday relief, but has recently
been promoted to sales executive
after working in customer services.
Paul added: “Lizzie is a fine example
to show graduates that they don’t
have to leave the North-East to climb
the career ladder.
“She came to us as a graduate in
psychology and has worked in various
areas of the business until being
promoted to sales executive recently
and she thoroughly enjoys the job.”
Stiller last year announced a 20%
turnover jump to £10.5m and has
recently invested £1m in a fleet of
state-of-the-art vehicles, while more
than £3m has been invested in its 14acre site in the last year.
The company’s premises, at the
heart of Aycliffe Business Park,
includes a 15,000-pallet store within
about 160,000 square feet, which
stores for 15 customers from varying
industries, including the likes of
Gestamp Tallent and 3M.
Stiller is the largest shareholder in
national award-winning firm Palletline,
which has 70 members across Britain
and operates an impressive UK-wide
distribution service.
ABOVE PIC: Stiller Warehousing and
Distribution managing director Paul
Stiller (right) with his young recruits Keiran Jones, Jessica Tweddle, Ryan
Bailey, Jessica Walton and Lizzie Brophy.
AThe US firm which bought the
troubled former Fujitsu and RFMD
plant last year wants to double its
workforce.
Compound
Photonics,
which
acquired the 50,000 sq ft facility on
Aycliffe Business Park in July 2013
and employs 107 people, wants to
take on 100 skilled staff to support
growth into new markets.
The
firm
makes
GaAs
semiconductors for aircraft and
automotive radar applications and
driver aids.
More at www.aycliffetoday.co.uk
HOLIWAYS SITE HEADED
FOR A NEW START
Sanderson Weatherall is hoping to
find new occupiers for a well-known
commercial site after completing its
sale earlier this year.
Interest in the Horndale Business
Centre, the former Holiways garage
site in Newton Aycliffe, has been
strong since the Teesside firm of
chartered surveyors, helped complete
its sale.
Yorkshire-based
property
development company, Prestige Car
Direct Properties, bought the site from
administrators KPMG at the start of
2014.
More at www.aycliffetoday.co.uk
‘HEXACOPTER’ TRACKS
HITACHI CONSTRUCTION
State-of-the-art camera kit is being
used to track the construction of
Hitachi Rail Europe’s train-building
factory in Newton Aycliffe.
Newcastle film-makers Three Motion
have used a six-rotor drone – known
as a ‘Hexacopter’ – to produce an
impressive three-minute movie, with
the camera hovering high above
Hitachi’s £82m facility in Newton
Aycliffe to capture some stunning
images.
The full story on this, including a
video showing the development to
date, is at www.aycliffetoday.co.uk