4 | Aycliffe Today Business
BUSINESS BITES
GREEN LIGHT FOR SOLAR FARM
Councillors have given the green light
for a solar farm to be built between
Darlington and Newton Aycliffe.
The application, by Lightsource
Renewable Energy, is to convert two
fields off School Aycliffe Lane into a
solar farm that would generate enough
electricity to power 1,200 homes.
Pamela Petty says RBS
has provided Ebac
with a "solution which
is adaptable to the
changing needs of a
growing business".
In total the site would measure around
24 acres although one of the fields falls
outside Darlington Borough Council’s
boundary and will have to be considered
by Durham County Councillors.
Objections from three nearby residents
had been lodged, but planning officer
Roy Merritt said the proposal was in line
with the council’s planning policy.
DPE EXPANSION PLANS
EBAC SECURES £10.5M
REFINANCE DEAL
Newton Aycliffe engineering firm DPE
Automotive Limited has announced
expansion plans with funding from
Barclays.
Newton Aycliffe-based manufacturer Ebac has secured funding of £10.5m,
including £5.5m of new facilities, from RBS Invoice Finance, RBS and Lombard.
DPE, established in 1984, designs and
manufactures parts for the automotive
industry including seat frames,
suspension parts, speaker frames and
more.
Ebac manufacture bottled water coolers
and dehumidifiers and earlier this year
announced plans to become the first
UK-based appliance maker in 10 years to
manufacture washing machines in the UK.
They employ 200 staff all based at their
Newton Aycliffe site in County Durham.
The refinance facilities will support the
growth of the business in this exciting
new area of production as well as the
development of their Norfrost by Ebac chest
freezers range.
The facilities consist of a £6.5m working
capital facility from RBS Invoice Finance
and a £1m revolving credit facility from
RBS. A further £3m asset finance line from
Lombard has been provided to support the
introduction of new machinery.
Pamela Petty, Group Managing Director of
Ebac said: “RBS have supported our plans
from the inception of the project throughout,
The firm employs more than 100 staff
across the North East and turnover this
year is expected to exceed £14m.
Barclays relationship director Matthew
Elliott said: “We’re delighted to provide
DPE with the funding required to
support the investment in the new
presses.
”
£10M ‘BOOST’ FOR AIRPORT
Peel Group, which owns Durham Tees
Valley Airport, has pledged £5m to
kickstart its Southside development
project.
The scheme, to transform land south of
the airport runway, has been drawn up
to attract jobs and investment.
A further £5m has also been earmarked
through the Government’s Local Growth
Fund, overseen by Local Enterprise
Partnership Tees Valley Unlimited.
The plans, which are being submitted
to Stockton and Darlington Councils,
include a new 1.8km link road between
the north and south sides of the airport
and a large building, in the first phase of
the Southside Business Park.
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Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 5
/NEWS
providing us with a solution which is
adaptable to the changing needs of a growing
business.
”
Paul Goodchild, Business Development
Director at RBS Invoice Finance added: “We
are delighted to support a UK manufacturer
that is doing something different and seeking
to reinvigorate the production of white goods
in the UK.
“By working with my colleagues in the
banking and Lombard teams we have
structured a package that offers a flexible
solution to suit Ebac’s growth plans.
”
Graham Robinson, Relationship Director at
RBS said: “Ebac is a fantastic manufacturing
story in the North East region. The business
continues to diversify its product line and
we are delighted to continue supporting the
business. We wish Ebac every success for
the future.
”
FORMER
FUJITSU
APPRENTICE
GOES SOLO
Former Fujitsu Apprentice Chris
Lambert has started his own laser
service providing company.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
A former Fujitsu Apprentice has
fulfilled a lifetime ambition
of starting his own business.
Newtonian Chris Lambert - who has
previously worked for 3M and Gestamp
Tallent as well as the Japanese firm - has
launched Chris Lambert Engineering, an
independent Trumpf laser service provider.
A time-served multi-skilled service
engineer, Chris specialises in all Trumpf CNC
lasers, from CO2, Fiber, 2D, 3D, Tube cutting
to welding and OEM.
The married of father-of-three has more
than 10 years’ experience with CNC lasers
and over 20 years in a service environment.
“It’s a lifetime ambition to start my own
business and after more than 20 years in a
variety of disciplines I feel I can offer Aycliffe
Business Park companies a competitive and
reliable service which is on the doorstep,
”
says Chris, 40.
“My services offer preventative
maintenance,