26 | Aycliffe Today Business
2016 REVIEW
In a year which saw the opening of the North-East’ s first University Technical College( UTC), brought the return of washing machine manufacturing to the UK and saw Hitachi’ s first train roll off the production line, 2016 was yet another eventful 12 months for Aycliffe Business Park. Aycliffe Today editor Martin Walker looks back with a round-up of the year’ s headlines...
JANUARY MARCH
County Durham who are not in education, employment or training.
MAY
• Commercial Expert, which manages more than £ 48m-worth of deals a year for clients nationwide, takes on additional team members after expanding to larger premises at the HUB Workspace on Aycliffe Business Park.
• Finley Structures secures a contract to build a 616-tonne steel framework for a multiple unit development at Navigation Park in Enfield, North-East London, from West Midlands-based building and civil engineering contractors A & H Construction.
• Crafter’ s Companion gets the go-ahead to convert the former Holiways garage into its new corporate headquarters, as part of ambitious expansion plans which will create scores of new jobs.
• Construction firm Raisco wins a contract to build a new Lidl store in Crook, County Durham.
FEBRUARY
• Crafter’ s Companion unveils exciting plans to open a new retail outlet, next door to its proposed new HQ on Horndale Avenue.
• Lawnmower manufacturer Husqvarna says it’ s gearing up to take on 680 extra staff as part of its summer rush.
• Beaumont Grounds Maintenance announces a new partnership with Darlington Mowden Park – a three-year deal which will see the Aycliffe familyrun business become the club’ s official grounds maintenance partner at the Darlington Arena site.
• Finley Structures is named Company of the Year at Aycliffe Business Park’ s Make Your Mark awards event at the Xcel Centre.
• Sir Richard Branson unveils the first of Virgin’ s new fleet of trains which will be built in Newton Aycliffe. The 65 new intercity trains – called Azuma, the Japanese translation for east – will cut journey times on the East Coast Main Line by up to 22 minutes.
• Councillors vote unanimously in favour of a proposal to install vital new infrastructure just off the A167 to support a major development on Aycliffe Business Park which will create 3,200 new jobs.
• Tekmar Energy secures a major contract with DONG Energy to supply 189 cable protection systems( CPS) on its Race Bank offshore windfarm in North Norfolk.
• Asset managers MSeven Real Estate – acting on behalf of owners M & G investments, a UK-based investment manager which is part of the Prudential Group – reveals three major expansions on Aycliffe Business Park which are set to bring more jobs to the area.
• Altec Hydraulics, the North Shields-based specialist hydraulic engineering company, acquires the assets and trade of Aycliffebased Hydrofit Alliance.
APRIL
• South Durham UTC appoints new deputy principal Jenny Trapp, a former air traffic controller.
• Durham County Council secures £ 17m from the European Council’ s Youth Employment Initiative( YEI) to fund DurhamWorks – a two-and-a-half-year programme to develop skills and increase opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds living in
• Air Compressors and Blowers( ACB) North East moves its headquarters from Gateshead to Aycliffe Business Park after seeing turnover double to £ 1.2m in the last three years.
• Construction firm Raisco predicts a record year after already securing £ 4.3m-worth of orders.
• Staff kitchen manufacturer PWS help to raise £ 250,000 for Help for Heroes after completing a gruelling 320-mile cycling course.
• Four people from Newton Aycliffe help to raise £ 45,000 for a homelessness charity after Aycliffe Today editor Martin Walker, councillor John Clare, Gemma Siddle from Eldon Financial Planning and Ian Outterson from Quality Hydraulics sleep‘ rough’ for the night at Preston Park Museum. The cash later helped to fund a new not-forprofit restaurant which provides training and job opportunities to former addicts and offenders.
• Online software and mobile applications developer Mobile Rock. it says it plans to take on five new staff after relocating from Stockton to Aycliffe.
• The new Aycliffe Business Park Community( ABPC) is officially formed as an 11-strong team of directors is appointed to the board.
JUNE
• Newton Aycliffe plastic injection moulding firm Formula Plastics announces a £ 500,000 investment to expand the business following an impressive year of growth.