22 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 23
Woodham Academy students get into
the FBM spirit by taking a selfie at
awards ceremony.
The FBM awards are lined up ready for the
presentation.
HITACHI AMONG WINNERS
AS AYCLIFFE BUSINESSES
HELPS FBM TO PROSPER
Aycliffe Today Business editor Martin Walker was at the 2015 Future Business
Magnates awards ceremony held at the Xcel Centre...
There was a special sense of achievement
in the air when 24 school teams from around
County Durham packed into the Xcel Centre’s
auditorium for the 2015 Future Business
Magnates awards ceremony.
FBM was launched by the late, great Sir
Bobby Robson in 2005. Since then, more
than 70 companies from around County
Durham have been involved.
The competition aims to get schools
engaged with local businesses. Teams are
paired up with company bosses to work on
prototype ideas and they compete, almost
Dragons Den style, by pitching their business
plan to a panel of expert judges.
The competition celebrated its 10th
anniversary this year, with five Aycliffe
companies involved.
Hitachi Rail Europe entered two teams as
their staff were partnered with Sedgefield
Community College and Aycliffe’s own
Woodham Academy.
Ebac also entered two teams, with the
firm’s new Norfrost b