4 | Aycliffe Today Business
/NEWS
BUSINESS PARK IS
ON THE WAY UP
With Jonathan Simpson, a partner with
property management firm Sanderson
Weatherall
This year sees the 65th anniversary of
Newton Aycliffe and, while businesses
on the park have come and gone, I can
imagine there have been few times
when the area has been as popular as
it is now.
Demand is definitely outstripping
supply and this isn’t just a good sign for
the area, it is an indication of positive
movement in the economy.
During the last 12 months, we have
done property deals to fill up to
300,000 sq ft of space, including
finding new homes for Meditek and
Raisco.
At the time of writing, we have one
16,000 sq ft building at Angels Close
and the 17-acre former Radius Products
site under offer, following strong
interest from a number of parties, and
we are in discussions with a number
of high profile parties about other
premises, including 1 Grindon Way.
Additionally, the former Holliways site is
under offer.
Even prior to all of this, the park was
blessed with some great companies
and a thriving business community.
All of this and I have yet to mention
Hitachi. Supply chain companies are
looking very closely at Aycliffe Business
Park and it is fair to say that there isn’t
currently enough space for all of the
enquiries coming in.
It’s a nice problem to have, but while
there is a lot of space off Long Tens
Way, there is poor commercial viability
of new build in the current climate,
so this is the next challenge for a very
successful business park.
Jonathan Simpson
Partner, Sanderson Weatherall
Tel: 01642 426900
Raisco managing director Gary Raisco (right) with new senior estimator
Stephen Forster (left) and contracts manager Paul Dickinson (centre)
RAISCO TAKE ON MORE STAFF
AFTER WINNING MORE WORK
A Newton Aycliffe steel firm is
expanding again after winning more
work and taking on additional staff.
Raisco, based at Langton Business Park just
off Durham Way North, has already seen a
jump in turnover this year after seeing a dip
in 2012-13.
Turnover dropped to £2.5m after it had
doubled two years previous to £3.8m, but
managing director Gary Raistrick says he
expects it to leap to £6m in the current
financial year.
He now has exciting plans to expand the
company even further, with new lines of
work and more job creation in the pipeline.
“We’re winning a lot of repeat business with
the likes of Interserve, Miller Construction,
Surgo Construction, Robertson, Esh and WS,
”
said Gary.
“But we’ve also recently taken on a number
of new clients as well and we’re now
working with the likes of Kier and Styles and
Wood.
“Our projects cover the length and breadth
of the country and with recent ongoing and
awarded contracts from North Scotland,
North West, South West and South East
including also our local area in the North
East shows our ability to operate nationally
simultaneously.
”
Raisco, which recently gained ISO9001
accreditation, has taken on five new
members of staff over the last couple
of months, taking the total number of
employees up to 35.
Part of the new recruits to arrive with
extensive experience within the construction
and steel industry are Paul Dickinson, who
has worked as an estimator, draughtsman,
contracts manager and director and Stephen
Forster who has worked as a senior quantity
surveyor, commercial manager, director and
most recently divisional manager.
Raisco have also appointed Craig Gregory
as quality and production assistant, to assist
with quality management and to alleviate
pressures created within production caused
by a significant increase in workload.
Raisco is working on a contract with Miller
Construction on three Hub Health centres
in Northern Scotland, totalling 320 tonnesworth of steel.
After successfully completing a structural
steel package on a 170-tonne bus depot in
Dunston for Surgo Construction, the firm
awarded Raisco the 45-tonne steelwork
package for a new Mitchell and Butler
restaurant in Shiremoor.
Other work has included a 50-tonne
Mother and Baby Care Unit in Glasgow
and a 63-tonne structural steel package for
Redwell Primary School in Alloa, both for
Robertson Construction, as well as a number
of contracts for WS Construction, working on
extensions and re-furbs for the supermarket
chain Lidl in both the North East and South
West of England and Interserve projects
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