Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 29 | Page 14

The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 15
Plastic Mouldings Northern sales
director Freddy Bourdais (right) with
production director Mark Rigg.
Plastics firm is moulding growth
after record £2.3m year
A County Durham plastics firm is celebrating 15 years in business
by achieving a record annual turnover.
By Martin Walker
Plastic Mouldings Northern, founded by
business partners Freddy Bourdais and Mark
Rigg with two staff in 2002, saw sales grow
by more than 10% to £2.3m at the end of
May this year, up from just over £2m in 2016.
Now they plan to grow even more by
doubling staff numbers and turnover with a
new £1m expansion.
Plastic Mouldings Northern, based at South
Church Enterprise Park in Bishop Auckland,
hopes to build a 12,000 sq ft operation close
to its existing premises.
The new development, which will initially
be used for warehousing, will be in addition
to the firm’s existing 13,000 sq ft head office
and a 7,000 sq ft site on the AGL Business
Park in nearby Coundon.
Plastic Mouldings Northern has built up
an industry reputation for supplying Jouplast
adjustable risers, which ensure decking
and paving slabs sit even, having previously
gained an exclusivity agreement to distribute
the equipment across Britain.
The firm supplies DIY chains including
Homebase, B&Q and Wickes, and it also
manufactures parts for the automotive
industry, with clients including Bentley, Jaguar
Land Rover, JCB and Rolls Royce.
Plastic Mouldings Northern has also
recently supplied reusable packaging
solutions to Hitachi Rail Europe in Newton
Aycliffe.
Sales director Freddy Bourdais said: “There
hasn’t been a year where we haven’t grown.
It has picked up gradually year-on-year.
“There were only four of us when we
started out 15 years ago and even eight years
ago there were only six of us – now we have
a team of 20.
“I think the success of the business has
been down to not being tied up into one
market. We work across a whole range of
industries.
“One minute we could be supplying
material for the automotive industry, which is
what we’re mostly known for, and the next
minute we’ll be producing bespoke, low-
volume packaging solutions in other niche
sectors.
“In 15 years, I can probably count on one
hand the amount of clients who have left
us, and I think that’s because we’re always
looking outside of the box.
“I always see opportunities. I will go into a
company, and I can always find something we
can do for them, to help with their process
which will save them money as we offer a
wide range of products.
“And I always tend to find that if you look
after people, they will look after you.”
The company aims to expand its new
premises and eventually consolidate all
operations into the new headquarters, and
take its workforce to around the 40 mark over
the next five years.
Mr Bourdais says the firm has been
assisted in its planning application by
John Parnell, Business Durham’s business
development area manager (South), and
Laura Eden from Durham County Council’s
planning department.
Mr Parnell added: “It’s great to see the
company retain its business in the area and
we wish them every success.”
The firm’s proposed new building has been
designed by Middlesbrough-based Logic
Architecture and is being project managed
by Gary Marshall, from Steel River Cost and
Project Management, of Stockton.
More details about Plastic
Mouldings Northern can be found at
plasticmouldingsnorthern.co.uk, or you
can give the team a call on 01388 777 700.