Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 31 | Page 24

Speakers at the Aycliffe Business
Park Community website relaunch
event included (left to right) Crafter
Companion founder Sara Davies,
Phil Wilson MP, Sora Group training
manager Lee Childs and Ebac
chairman John Elliott.
NEW LOOK
Business leaders gather for park’s website relaunch event
T
he relaunch of Aycliffe Business Park’s
exciting new website was celebrated at
a high-profile event.
Four keynote speakers, including the
Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson, headlined the
business seminar at the Xcel Centre, which
was sponsored by Stockton-based IT firm
Cornerstone Business Solutions.
Around a hundred people gathered for the
event as Aycliffe Business Park Community’s
new branding and website were revealed.
The community group was officially
formed as a limited company a year ago,
and its new website – which is more user-
friendly and mobile-responsive – is designed
to improve engagement and communication
across the business park.
Labour’s Sedgefield MP Mr Wilson kicked
off proceedings with an insightful overview
of the park, and Ebac chairman John Elliott
delivered a colourful and humorous speech,
while advising businesses to understand
their weaknesses, suggesting they should
create a ‘no blame’ culture, where staff who
can do the job are not criticised for making
mistakes.
Sora Group training manager Lee Childs
spoke of the skills shortage, and how
Aycliffe Business Park’s 21 training providers
were well-placed to cover 18 of 34 sectors
identified as having a projected skills gap.
Crafter’s Companion founder Sara Davies,
meanwhile, advised guests to focus on
your strengths, surround yourself with good
people, and dare to be different.
Chair Kerina Clark, managing director of
the Xcel Centre, said: “The event was a huge
success and we’re very grateful to all the
guest speakers, who helped to provide a
broad range of advice for guests.
“It was our highest attended event since
we officially formed the company just over a
year ago and now our aim is to build on that
and to get more companies engaged with us.
“And, of course, we’re encouraging all
firms on the business park to embrace the
new website, by registering their business
details in the directory and sending us their
news and events so we can help publicise
them.”
Spread across 400 hectares, and with
future expansion plans, Aycliffe Business
Park is already home to an estimated 500
companies and 10-12,000 employees.
The ABPC board is made up of Kerina
along with Sarah Slaven (Business Durham),
Steve Robson (South Durham Enterprise
Agency), Rachel Townsend Green (Thrive
Marketing), James Goodliffe (Formula
Plastics), Pamela Petty (South West Durham
Training), Lee Harris (Mitchell Gordon), Emma
Little (Gregg Little Testing Centre), Chris
Hyde (JDP Contracting) and Martin Walker
(Mantis Media).
ABPC’s new website is now live at
www.aycliffebusinesspark.co.uk