Aycliffe Today Business Aycliffe Today Issue 44 | Page 7

N EWS FINLEY S TR UC TU RES WINS 12, 000 -METRE S TEEL DE AL FOR DU RHAM COUN C IL’S NEW H Q F inley Structures has won a contract to fabricate 12,000 metres of steel for Durham County Council’s new futuristic offices on the banks of the river Wear. Work to build a smaller, more efficient headquarters for the region’s largest council began Finley Structures contracts manager Fred earlier this year, paving the way Searle (left) and trainee contracts manager for a new multi-million-pound Jack Burleigh (right) with Kier Construction project manager Jason Hartnell. business district at Aykley Heads, creating up to 6,000 new jobs and Council’s new headquarters for decades to come.” delivering a £400m boost to the county. It isn’t the first time Finley Structures has Aykley Heads in Durham is already home worked with main contractor Kier, after the to more than 30 businesses employing 1,300, Aycliffe firm completed a 330-tonne project for people but in order for the site to realise its full them at Bishop Barrington School in the county potential, it is necessary for Durham County earlier this year. Council to relocate its headquarters from Aykley Phil McDowell, operations director of Kier Heads. Regional Building North-East England & The authority is, therefore, creating a new, more modern, base in the heart of the city centre, Scotland, said: “We are proud to be working collaboratively with local company Finley which will be less than a third of the size of the Structures to deliver the new steel structure for current County Hall. Durham County Council’s new headquarters. As part of the construction approximately “We are dedicated to leaving lasting legacies in 250 new jobs have been created by main areas in which we build. Currently, 95% of our contractor Kier, which will be building the new supply chain for this project is within a 40-mile headquarters. radius and we have three apprentices learning all The multi-national, £4.5bn group awarded about a career within the built environment.” Aycliffe firm Finley Structures a contract to The new building on the Sands car park fabricate and erect 12,000 linear metres of steel in Durham city centre will not only mean a for the new office development. reduction in the local authority’s running costs, it It comes after the family-run steel specialist will also enable staff to embrace modern ways of completed major works on the Riverwalk working and boost trade within the city centre. development in the city two years ago. The new headquarters will accommodate Finley managing director Julie Raistrick 1,000 staff from the current County Hall site said: “After the completion of the Riverwalk with 700 workstations, whilst a further 850 staff development in 2018, it’s great to be back in Durham, working on another project which is on will be relocated to one of four key council office sites being developed across the county, also our doorstep. providing a boost to the local economy. “We work on projects across the country, but as a North East firm, we love working on local projects, particularly in Durham – given that our founder, John Finley, was born just a few short miles away. “We’re now helping to change the skyline of Durham for a generation, so we’re very proud to be leaving our footprint on the huge developments that are happening in the city. “It is vital that local contractors are being given Finley staff are celebrating a record- the opportunity to work on such an important breaking start to 2020. local project, which will be Durham County ADVICE EI CAN DRIVE SU C C ESS K nowledge, vision and experience are all traditionally associated with leadership. Of course, these professional skills are essential for effective management. But what makes the world’s top leaders stand apart from the rest? They all use the game-changing power of emotional intelligence to transform themselves – and the people around them – into high performers who succeed. But what exactly is emotional intelligence? Simply put, emotional intelligence is recognising and managing your own and other people’s emotions to build strong and valuable interpersonal relationships. Today, some of the world’s most successful company leaders are using an EI perspective to shape their organisation. From recruiting, promoting and developing their teams to shaping company culture and fulfilling their mission, values and goals – companies including Amazon, Tesla, and American Express are all known for using EI to drive organisational success. Research is showing time and time again that emotional intelligence is the key differentiator between mild success and outstanding leadership performance – regardless of intellectual intelligence. With EI becoming increasingly mainstream, we’re helping leaders to use the power of emotional intelligence to rethink their leadership approach, build a positive company culture, enhance performance, inspire their teams and pioneer change. Aside from boosting wellbeing, confidence, communication skills and relationships, our EI training is also helping top performing leaders to enhance the workplace environment, align their team’s values, nurture relationships and inspire the teamwork, productivity and achievements needed to drive results, profit and growth. Contact us to find out how our training can help advance your leadership. Email [email protected] or give the team a call on 01325 789464. Gary Hosey High Impact Development The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 7