Aycliffe Today Business PNE1578_AycliffeTodayBusiness_Issue28_WEBhighres | Page 10

10 | Aycliffe Today Business
Resolution Media and Publishing directors
Martin Walker (left) and Dave Allan and
with the firm’s new business development
executive Jenny Williams.
Mantis Media director launches
new venture with business partner
Newton Aycliffe-based
Mantis Media, publishers
of Aycliffe Today
Business, has launched
a new lifestyle magazine
with a newly-created
publishing company.
Mantis managing director Martin Walker
has launched Resolution Media and
Publishing with business partner and former
colleague Dave Allan, who runs his own
successful PR business in Middlesbrough.
The pair, who worked together at
Middlesbrough Football Club, first reunited
to work on Tees Business, Teesside’s only
business magazine, which was initially
published by Mantis Media and launched in
February 2015.
The quarterly publication has grown from
36 pages to 68 in two years, with more than
100 companies across the Teesside region
using it for their marketing and networking
purposes.
But now Walker and Allan have jointly
created their own publishing company, which
is now responsible for Tees Business and
their new lifestyle magazine, Tees Life, which
launched early May.
Mantis Media, based at The HUB
Workspace on Aycliffe Business Park and
owned solely by Walker, continues to
publish Aycliffe Today Business, which was
launched in November 2012, as well as
running the ever popular aycliffetoday.co.uk
and associated social media channels, which
combined reach thousands of people every
week.
Walker, who trained as a journalist with the
Teesside Gazette, worked in Allan’s media
team at Boro from 2000 to 2005, writing
for club publications such as the matchday
programme as well as magazines and books.
He then spent four years in Sunderland
AFC’s media team before setting up his own
company, Mantis Media, followed by Aycliffe
Today Business four-and-a-half years ago,
which was named Newcomer of the Year
at the first Make Your Mark awards event in
2014.
Walker, who was brought up in Newton
Aycliffe and went to Greenfield School in
the town, said: “I’m really proud of the fact
that our concept of the high-quality but free
business magazine, funded by sponsored
content as well as traditional advertising, was
launched here in Newton Aycliffe and has
now really taken off in Teesside.
“Of course, we remain absolutely
committed to Aycliffe Business Park and
Aycliffe Today Business, which continues to
be used by dozens of companies every year