FEATURE
PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
Leading lady - Sharon ( left ) poses with the 2019-20 Tees Businesswoman of the Year Award with Professor Jane Turner of category sponsors Teesside University .
by focusing on more complex , specialist , contracts . Her partner , Mark Speke , is works manager and a key part of that strategy .
Despite the global challenges of the pandemic , the company continues to invest in the future . In August , it unveiled its latest £ 500,000 precision boring mill , significantly increasing capacity at its CNC machining facility .
A month earlier , it supplied four Tees White Gill Thrusters for the £ 200m polar research ship , that was eventually named Sir David Attenborough after a public vote had initially suggested Boaty McBoatface .
“ That was a great project for us , and we are doing a lot of work around renewables – offshore , solar , and hydro – so these are exciting times ,” she says .
A clear sign that the mother-of-three ’ s stock is rising in environmental circles is the fact that she was recently chosen to represent Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership on the government ’ s Green Jobs Taskforce , supporting a drive for two million green jobs by 2030 .
“ I ’ m proud to have that role and to be able to research where the skills gaps are . There ’ s so much potential in the Tees Valley , and it will be fantastic to see it come to fruition .”
Tees Components ’ own workforce stands at more than 60 , and two new apprentices were added in September .
“ We might not need them now , but we ’ ll need them in the future – when times are tough , it ’ s about coming back even stronger ,” she insists .
Other plans in 2021 include an extension at the North Skelton site , featuring welfare facilities , offices , washrooms , showers and a new canteen .
Meanwhile , Sharon is making the most of the opportunities presented by her status as Tees Businesswoman of the Year .
“ It was lovely to be recognised , but , much more importantly , the awards brought together a fantastic group of businesswomen , who are all passionate about making a difference .”
As part of a national movement called The Girls ’ Network , the “ gang ” of Tees Valley businesswomen are busy mentoring girls and helping them achieve their dreams .
With Sharon also serving as a governor at Middlesbrough College , few women in the North-East are better placed to inspire the next generation of engineers .
And yet there is so much more to come . In January , she embarks on a master ' s degree in Space Science with the Open University .
“ I ’ m excited about it because it ’ s fascinating , unchartered territory , and I want to see where it leads ,” she smiles .
Always thinking bigger , always aiming higher , it seems the sky ’ s the limit for Sharon Lane .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 31