8 | Aycliffe Today Business
WE’RE PROUD
OF AYCLIFFE
BUSINESS PARK
Paul Stiller gave us an update on the
People Task Group - a sub-committee of
the Aycliffe Business Park Community...
Our task group consists of myself, John
Finley, Mark Donnelly from Sunderland
University, Andrew Winney (Stiller’s
lawyer), Chris Hyde (JPD Centre),
Emma Little (Gregg Little Testing
Centre), Gordon Wooding (Probation
Trust), Alex Layton (Beaumont
Landscapes), Geoff Talbot (Durham
County Council) and Chris Dacre, who
owns the former Holiways site.
We’ve teamed up with Sunderland
University and we now have a student
who has been given a project to
approach local businesses and asses
the need on the park and then to
recommend how we fulfil that need.
This is something we’re very keen on as
a group. We have an instinctive feeling
that we should have a proper formal,
not-for-profit organisation that should be
tasked with carrying out the scope and
purpose of the group.
It’s likely that we’ll be approaching
companies for a small levy in order to
fund this organisation.
Of course, we’re also exploring the
potential of local authority funding for
an organisation of that type.
It’s early days, we’re in a period of
assessment and evaluation at the
moment, but certainly we have a
long-term aim to form this kind of
organisation.
TEESSIDE PORTS FIRM
EXPANDS TO AYCLIFFE
A Teesside-based ports firm which has
locations across the UK has expanded
to Aycliffe Business Park.
PD Ports has opened a project and
commercial office in Newton Aycliffe to
complement its Teessport head office.
The company, which offers end-to-end supply
chain solutions, operates at many key UK
ports and logistics centres – including Hull,
Thames, Felixtowe and the Isle of Wight – as
well as a growing European presence.
Its new office, at Evans Easyspace on Aycliffe
Business Park, which is home to more than
250 businesses, will facilitate easier working
with the large number of local businesses
which currently use the port infrastructure in
Teesport.
It will also allow PD Ports to assist other
businesses to discover and benefit from
the expertise which has helped companies
save money, reduce road miles and CO2
emissions in their supply chain.
PD’s Business Development Director Geoff
Lippitt said: “We are pleased to have secured
a base in Newton Aycliffe as it helps PD Ports
to extend its presence in the North-East.
“We hope that this site will enable local
companies to enhance their supply chains
by utilising our experience and knowledge,
which has already enabled other North
East companies to deliver significant cost
savings.
”
Any enquires should be directed through
the new office on 01325 328870, or through
head office in Middlesbrough on 01642
877000.
See more about PD Ports on page 15.
FIRMS DISCUSS RAIL
OPPORTUNITIES
Business Durham, the economic
development company for County Durham,
hosted a workshop to outline opportunities
for businesses to break into the expanding
rail sector.
into the rail sector.
We want to make our environment
better. We want guests and visitors to
arrive at a park which is well looked
after, has attractive plantations, has a
nice environment, the roads are well
kept, and is a place we can continue to
be proud of.
It comes on the back of Hitachi’s £82 million
train factory investment in Newton Aycliffe
which is bringing 730 jobs to the region.
“To compete in this sector, businesses need
to collaborate and innovate to succeed.
Paul Stiller
Managing Director
Speakers included rail and export specialists
from UK Trade and Investment and the Rail
Alliance.
I think we all have a vested interest.
Aycliffe Busines Park is the secondbiggest in the North-East, and we’re
quite proud of where we are.
Stiller Warehousing & Distribution
The event, held at Ramside Hall in June, was
also open to companies already involved in
the rail sector and looking to expand their
market.
Consett company Romag, who are making
the windows for the new high speed trains,
also gave a first-hand account of breaking
Business Durham Managing Director, Dr
Simon Goon, said: “The rail sector in the U,)