Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 43

30 | Aycliffe Today Business 2019 REVIEW JA N UA RY • Subsea Innovation, part of the Newton Aycliffe-based Tekmar Group, becomes the world’s first manufacturer to achieve industry approval for its SIClamp structural pipeline repair clamp technology. • Conveyor manufacturer Advance Automated Systems adds four new engineer recruits at its manufacturing facility on the town’s business park. • 70 people representing a host of businesses gather for Aycliffe Business Park Community’s first meeting of the year at Hitachi Rail’s factory. • Growing commercial finance firm Commercial Expert completes one of its biggest deals to date, finalising a £1.6m bridging loan for a London-based property company. FE B R UA RY • Investor and businessman Duncan Belton returns to his roots – acquiring a three-year lease to let 10 self-contained apartments which were built in the former North Briton pub in Aycliffe Village. • Tekmar Energy celebrates another major wind energy deal after being elected to provide its patented Tekmar Cable Protection System (CPS), TekLink Mechanical Latch, for the Northwester 2 offshore wind farm. Stiller Warehousing and Distribution opened a new 50,000 sq ft warehouse in 2019. • Stiller Warehousing and Distribution creates a new 50,000 sq ft warehouse – taking the logistic firm’s total investment in property, facilities and people to £11m in a four-year period. • Award-winning craft supplies firm Crafter’s Companion appoints Ross Brown as its new head of commercial after seeing sales grow more than a third in the last year. • Joint venture company Forrest Park Newton Aycliffe, supported by leading commercial property developers Richardson Barberry, submit a planning application to deliver a £140m development on Aycliffe Business Park. • Engineering specialists Sabre Rail plan to build a 4,000 sq ft extension after a contract win which it says will create eight new jobs. • One of the region’s leading IT firms razorblue, which looks after several clients on Aycliffe Business Park, reveals a move to the North-West region following the acquisition of the J-Media IT Managed Services business from Manchester-based CMAP Group for an undisclosed sum. MARCH • Homes by Carlton secure a £1m loan from FW Capital, which manages the North East Property Fund, to finance the construction of nine luxury family homes. • Crafter’s Companion invests more than £120,000 in a new digital platform and recruits 13 employees to support its ongoing growth. • Sixth formers visit 3M’s Aycliffe site ahead of British Science Week to learn about manufacturing and devise projects that will inspire their scientific creativity. • Software specialist Excelpoint – a key player in the global no-code systems and process automation market – announces it is on target to realise a 100% increase in sales by the end of its financial year. • FirstGroup agrees a £100m deal with Hitachi Rail for five new AT300 electric trains that will be built in part at Hitachi’s plant on Aycliffe Business Park as it plans a rival low-fare service between the North East, London and Edinburgh. • Steel firm Finley Structures invests more than £500,000 in a new state-of-the-art cutting machine to increase capacity and improve efficiencies. • Tekmar Group reveals it has completed the acquisition of Ryder Geotechnical, which provides expert geotechnical design and consulting services in the offshore wind and subsea oil and gas sectors. APRIL • Aycliffe Today marks its seventh anniversary by refreshing this website – aycliffetoday.co.uk – with the help of Thrive Marketing. • Forrest Park is one of 11 projects to feature in a property portfolio launched by the Department for International Trade, showcasing the wide array of opportunities on offer in the UK to foreign investors. • Crafter’s Companion is named International Business of the Year at the North East Federation of Small Businesses’ Celebrating Small Business Awards. • Printable electronics centre CPI welcomes new resident clients to its state-of-the-art facility, just months after opening. • Air Compressors and Blowers seal a £25,000 deal with Darlington luxury bespoke car firm Evolution E-Types to supply a “vital” air compression system. • Enter the dragon – BBC Two announce that the latest Dragon to enter the Den is Crafter’s Companion founder and entrepreneur, Sara Davies. • Leading international shower designer and manufacturer Roman officially opens a new showroom with Cosentino in Malaysia. Crafter’s Companion founder Sara Davies MBE was revealed as the latest ‘Dragon’ for BBC Two’s hit TV programme. • Aldi’s Newton Aycliffe store donates surplus food directly to two local charities that provide housing and support for vulnerable young people in the area, ROCSOLID and County Durham Floating Support. MAY • One of Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe-built Azuma trains carries passengers on the East Coast Main Line for the first time, entering service from London Kings Cross to Leeds. • Logistics firm Stiller Warehousing and Distribution joins the Hazchem Network, which has 60 members around the UK, Ireland and in 28 European countries. • Software innovator Excelpoint develops and implements an automated software system tailored to the needs of Middlesbrough-based glazing form Polar NE. • Family-run BTS Facades and Fabrications – which worked on Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium - takes up additional 10,000 sq ft. of space on Aycliffe Business Park to cope with demand. • International shower designer and manufacturer Roman appoints Graham Speed as new commercial director. • There’s further recognition for Crafter’s Companion as the firm places 73rd in the Sunday Times WorldFirst SME Export Track 100 list. JUNE • Long-established hair and beauty care products manufacturer Tricogen Laboratories eyes up expansion after upgrading its telecommunications system. • Training providers Optimum Skills support neighbouring Kensington Specialist Joinery

Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Business Issue 43 | Page 30