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MAYOR SIGNS STEEL WHICH WILL CONSTRUCT NEW TOWN CENTRE OFFICE DEVELOPMENT
Middlesbrough mayor Dave Budd signs a piece of steel which will go into the new office development at Centre Square .
Middlesbrough mayor Dave Budd and Finley Structures managing director John Finley ( right ) with Finley estimating manager
Andrew Workman and senior production controller Phil Metcalfe .
Middlesbrough mayor Dave Budd signed his name into a landmark project which signifies the start of its steel production .
The town ’ s elected mayor visited Finley
Structures in Newton Aycliffe after the family-run construction firm won a contract to fabricate and erect the steel for the new Centre Square development in Middlesbrough . The 210,000 sq ft scheme , which is being delivered by Ashall Projects , will create a 21st century business destination in the heart of Middlesbrough with Grade A offices . Preparatory works began on the site earlier this month and main contractor Bowmer and Kirkland awarded Finley Structures the steel contract . The Aycliffe firm fabricated 685 tonnes of steel to make up two structures ( one 465 tonnes and the other 220 tonnes ). Mayor Budd signed and dated a large panel of its structure , which will be welded into the steel , and he said : “ It ’ s not something I ’ ve done before !
“ But it emphasises how important the new developments on Centre Square are , to Middlesbrough and the wider area , and it ’ s great having a local company do this as well . “ When I look outside my window every day I can see holes being dug in the ground , and we ’ ve now seen the steel from here at Finley Structures going up , which is when people have really started to see what this means to the whole of Middlesbrough . “ It ’ s enormous because of the number of jobs it potentially brings with it , and that ’ s really what our Investment Prospectus is about . “ A lot of the projects are actually happening now and that tells a different sort of story , and maybe it raises ambitions that we can do these things . “ There ’ s a lot more optimism about and actual physical structures like this really emphasise that .”
Middlesbrough mayor Dave Budd with Finley Structures managing director John Finley at the steel firm ’ s premises in Newton Aycliffe .
Finley Structures , founded in 2000 , is wellknown for working on high-profile projects in the North-East – other notable projects have included Teesside University ’ s Curve building and Middlesbrough Council ’ s Sports Village – but the firm also works across the UK . The company ’ s founder and managing director , John Finley , said : “ It ’ s good to win local jobs , it keeps people employed and we use as many suppliers and contractors from around the North-East to work with us to build the contract . “ We ’ re very buoyant at the moment . We ’ ve invested £ 500,000 in new machinery and the contracts we have go well into Spring 2019 , so our order book is very strong .”
ISSUE 15 / WINTER 2018-19