COMPLIMENTARY
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
Family steel firm named Company of the Year...
M SEVEN
£ 1m refurb programme brings new arrivals...
Global craft supplies firm talks exclusively to Aycliffe Today Business...
COFFEE BREAK
Beaumont Grounds Maintenance boss Alex Lineton is in the chair...
COMPLIMENTARY
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
New board of directors is revealed...
RAISCO
£ 4.3m sales boom gets steel firm back on the up...
COFFEE BREAK
John Finley takes a break to answer our 20 questions...
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 3
The last few weeks and months has been a rollercoaster journey – culminating, of course, with a Brexit vote on 23rd June.
There is clearly some uncertainty about how this decision will play out over the coming months, but I want to encourage those here on Aycliffe Business Park that as a community we will continue to support one another and do all we can to ensure the continued growth and success of businesses in our area.
Whether your vote was to remain or leave, the decision has now been made and what we must do now is come together, continue to work hard and keep making Newton Aycliffe a great place to do business.
We have some of the North-East’ s biggest companies here in Aycliffe, the business park is home to hundreds of thriving firms and an estimated 9,500 employees.
The new Aycliffe Business Park Community limited company has now been established and it’ s our role to progress the collective work that has already been done on the park, to get more businesses to engage with one another and to strengthen what we think is already a strong community spirit on the park.
You can read more about the individual board members in a special feature on pages 14-15.
Of course, the ongoing success of the business
WELCOME
FOREWORD From Kerina Clark
Welcome to the 23rd issue of Aycliffe Today Business for July-August 2016 – it gives me great pleasure to write the guest foreword for this edition.
AYCLIFFE TODAY BUSINESS
Aycliffe Today Business is Newton Aycliffe’ s only business publication, which is mailed exclusively to every company on Aycliffe Business Park.
Launched in November 2012, we provide firms with a unique platform to tell everyone about their services and success stories in our prestigious, high-quality publication. park and its residents is dependent on our future workforce. Business Durham run an annual competition, called Future Business Magnates, which gets local businesses involved with schoolchildren, and challenges youngsters to come up with new business ideas. It’ s a wonderful initiative, and you can read more about the final which took place here in Aycliffe on pages 10-11.
Meanwhile, the main feature( and cover) for this issue focuses on one of our up-and-coming entrepreneurs Lisa Fleming, who has grown her fledgling Driver Hire franchise from scratch into a £ 1m-a-year business in just five years. It’ s a great example of the entrepreneurial spirit that exists on Aycliffe Business Park, and evidence of what can be achieved with ambition and determination. You can read more about Lisa’ s story on pages 18-19.
There’ s lots of other news and features packed into this issue, so enjoy the read and lastly, can I encourage you all to get involved in Aycliffe Business Park Community and help shape the future of our business park!
Aycliffe Today Business will be back in September with issue 24.
Kerina Clark Managing Director, Xcel Centre & Chair, Aycliffe Business Park Community Ltd
Business.
Aycliffe Today
The business magazine for Aycliffe Business Park
www. aycliffetoday. co. uk | business @ aycliffetoday. co. uk | ISSUE 21: MARCH-APRIL 2016
A NEW COMPANION
Business.
We produce 2,500 copies every issue – with an estimated readership of more than 8,000. One copy is mailed direct to every company on our database, and the rest are distributed by hand across the park, in hotels and conference centres.
Our next issue will be out in September( deadline 12th August), so get in touch with us if you want to get involved.
Our trained journalists can write your advertorials and we can take your pictures. Or if it’ s a traditional advert you’ re after, our professional graphic designer can do that for you.
This is all part of the package – professional writing, photography and graphic design – which offers a truly unrivalled service in Newton Aycliffe and County Durham.
Email martin @ aycliffetoday. co. uk to ask for our rate card.
FINLEY STRUCTURES
Aycliffe Today
The business magazine for Aycliffe Business Park
AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK COMMUNITY
www. aycliffetoday. co. uk | business @ aycliffetoday. co. uk | ISSUE 22: MAY-JUNE 2016
IN SAFE
HANDS
We meet growing Aycliffe family firm Caring Caretaker which is winning local and regional plaudits...
INCLUDED IN THE JULY-AUGUST ISSUE OF AYCLIFFE TODAY BUSINESS …
/ 06 MAKING BUSINESS THE FOCUS
Local councillor John Clare stresses the importance of Aycliffe Business Park to County Durham...
/ 14-15 ALL ABOARD!
Meet the 11 new directors of Aycliffe Business Park Community...
/ 17 WHINBANK PARK
Estate enjoys surge in occupancy rates after major investment...
/ 18-19 DRIVE & AMBITION
Lisa Fleming tells Martin Walker how her fledgling firm has grown from scratch to a £ 1m-a-year business...
/ 25 WEIRD SCIENCE
Aycliffe Today Business | www. aycliffetoday. co. uk Enterprise House, The HUB Workspace, Welbury Way, Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham DL5 6ZE
Published & distributed by: Mantis Media Ltd, www. mantis-media. com Designed by KINSHIP: Call 07846186220 | Email sarah @ designbykinship. co. uk
Editor: Martin Walker | Tel: 01325 728024 | Mobile: 07826 525907 Editorial: martin @ aycliffetoday. co. uk
Contributors to this issue: Martin Walker, John Clare, John Elliott, Sarah Burns. Photography: Martin Walker, Chris Booth( cover and feature pictures), Lee Dobson.
Boffin joins growing marketing agency...
Aycliffe Today Business We’ re now working on the September- October issue – contact us to get involved on 01325 728024 or martin @ aycliffetoday. co. uk