4 | Aycliffe Today Business
BUSINESS BITES
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 5
/NEWS
Our MP Phil Wilson has welcomed news of a
£10m investment at Durham Tees Valley Airport.
John Finley outside the new
ROF 59 activity centre on
Durham Way South.
TEKMAR COMPLETE
MAIDEN PROJECT
Newton Aycliffe cable protection
specialist Tekmar Energy has marked a
major milestone after its cutting-edge
TekTube system was installed for the
first time on an offshore project.
MP WELCOMES
£10M INVESTMENT
PLANS AT DURHAM
TEES VALLEY
AIRPORT
TekTube was successfully installed on
Westermeerwind near-shore wind farm
in the Netherlands.
Tekmar supplied cable installation
contractor, VBMS, with 92 of its systems
to protect the cables into the 48 wind
turbine foundations for the Siemens’
EPC (engineering, procurement and
construction) project which is located
along the dikes of the Noordoostpolder.
AWARD FOR MODERN RUGS
Newton Aycliffe-based online retailer
Modern Rugs has been awarded the
title of ‘Best Online Retailer 2015’ by
Interiors Monthly Magazine.
The awards, which are now in their
seventh year, cover the UK’s interiors
and flooring markets, and are voted for
by the Magazine’s readership.
Modern Rugs was set up by Ben Dale
in 2004 and moved from its original
premises in Bishop Auckland to a new
5,000 sq ft site at Maple Way on Aycliffe
Business Park before undergoing
a £3.2m management buy-out last
December.
COUNCIL HQ MOVE WILL
CREATE JOBS
Thousands of new private sector jobs
and millions of pounds into the county’s
economy – that’s what a move of council
HQ could mean for the regeneration of
County Durham.
Depending on the outcome of
discussions on the County Durham Plan,
between 2,500 and 6,000 new private
sector jobs could be secured with DCC’s
relocation from Aykley Heads, it says.
In addition it is estimated that up to an
additional £1m could be spent in the
city if the council moved into a new city
centre location.
AYCLIFFE AURASMIC!
Bring our magazine to life with in-print
films! Follow us on Aurasma then scan
the page whenever you see the Aurasma
logo to watch the page come to life.
Newton Aycliffe’s undisputed Number
One website with 20,000 unique visitors
a month and 40-50,000 page views.
Facebook: 4,750 likes
Twitter: 5,900 followers
Nobody in Aycliffe reaches as many
people as we do!
ROF 59 is transformed
into 21st Century activity
centre
Thrill-seeking people of all ages can now enjoy a state-of-the-art
activity centre which has opened on the site of a former World War II
munitions factory in Newton Aycliffe.
ROF 59 is a £1.1m, 70,000 sq ft mixedleisure complex which opened its doors on
Aycliffe Business Park this week, creating 20
new jobs.
Owners Finley Structures have brought the
former bullet-making factory back to life with
a 10-month overhaul which has transformed
the site into a 21st Century entertainment
venue.
It now consists of a climbing centre
featuring 20 walls – one standing 20 metres
tall – and a series of ‘adventure walls’.
And for the adults ROF 59 features a plush
new bar/lounge, called The Bunker, as well as
a fine-dining restaurant named The Blitz.
Finley Structures joint-managing director
John Finley said: “ROF 59 has been designed
for kids with adults in mind, although we’re
sure parents will get as much enjoyment out
of the activity centre as their children will.
“This is an exciting new development for
Newton Aycliffe and surrounding areas, and
we’d like to think we’re offering something
completely different.
“There is literally something for everyone.
The climbing area consists of 20 different
walls for people of all ages and abilities,
including a 20-metre wall – one of the tallest
in the country – for the more experienced
climbers.”
John says they have taken their time to
appoint experienced people to manage the
activity centre.
He added: “The climbing walls will be
managed by full-time professional people in
those specific areas and those taking part
have to understand and appreciate them.
“We want to create a safe environment,
but we also want to make ROF 59 a
comfortable environment for parents as well
as an exciting place for youngsters.
“That’s why we included the bar/lounge
and restaurant into the complex, so there’s
a nice, comfortable place for them to sit and
relax.
“We’ve also appointed three full-time
chefs who have drawn up two exciting
menus – one for the afternoon and one for
the evening – as we also want the restaurant
to be a place where people