STOCKTON NEWS
Scott Bros ramps up production as call for sharp sand soars
NEW DEPOT FOR DAIRY AS DOORSTEP DELIVERY DEMAND GROWS
McQueens Dairies has officially
opened its new distribution depot in Stockton as part of ambitious expansion plans .
The family business , which specialises in doorstep deliveries , was founded in 1995 by company chairman Mick McQueen and his wife Meg and now operates distribution depots in Scotland and the north of England , employing hundreds of staff including the couple ’ s five children , who hold senior positions within the business .
The new 4,500-sq ft depot at North Tees Industrial Estate has already employed 13 staff and will serve customers living in Stockton and surrounding areas .
Ruairidh McQueen from McQueens Dairies said : “ Our new Stockton-on-Tees distribution centre is our fifth in the north of England and will join our busy depots in Mansfield , Huddersfield , Warrington and
Preston .
“ Demand for doorstep deliveries has been increasing for some time now and since the coronavirus pandemic hit the country we have seen demand increase further as customers looked for safer and reliable food delivery services . Our decision to open this new depot reflects that demand .”
Chris Norton , Stockton depot manager for McQueens Dairies , said : “ It is exciting for all of the new depot and delivery staff who are delivering fresh milk daily to our customers ’ doorsteps , and for McQueens Dairies to become part of the Stockton-on- Tees and County Durham community .”
In addition to milk products , the company also delivers orange juice , apple juice and free-range eggs , which customers can order using the company ’ s online shop or by calling its customer call centre .
Scott Bros is extending the operating hours of its “ urban quarry ” to meet a huge rise in demand for sharp sand .
The family-run firm has already created an extra job as it ramps up production at its £ 1m state-ofthe-art wash plant , which converts construction and excavation waste into high-quality sand and aggregate .
The demand is driven by an upswing in construction and has prompted Stockton-based Scott Bros to extend the plant ’ s normal weekday operation to include Saturdays .
It is being fuelled by the reopening of construction projects , in particular house building , as well as groundwork projects , including landscaping and block paving .
COURSE OFFERS STEP UP TO SUCCESS
No sign of slowdown for booming razorblue
MORE JOBS PREDICTED FOR RENEWABLES SECTOR
Managed IT service provider razorblue says it has seen 363 per cent growth over the last five years and shows no sign of slowing down .
Due to businesses increasing its investment in IT throughout the pandemic , demand for razorblue ’ s wide-ranging portfolio of services remains high . To meet growing demand , razorblue continues to expand its team on a nationwide scale .
The firm – which has offices in Wynyard , Newcastle , Manchester , Leeds and London and recently acquired new office space in Edinburgh – now has approaching 100 staff , with 27 new starters since March and more vacancies in the pipeline .
After Able UK ’ s recent announcement of jobs at its Hartlepool and Dogger Bank sites , the boss of a thriving Tees energy safety company is predicting a further boost for the region as some of the UK ’ s biggest renewables projects continue to build momentum on the North-East coast .
Graham Tyerman , whose Stocktonbased company Steel River Consultants has been growing impressively through the current pandemic , is confident the region will thrive as thousands of jobs are created on the banks of the Tees and the Tyne thanks to the huge Dogger Bank project , which will become home to hundreds of renewable energy turbines .
Three unemployed learners have walked straight into jobs and five more are equipped with the skills to find work thanks to a pilot course offering a step up into the scaffolding industry .
The short programme , delivered by NETA Training , was funded by the Tees Valley mayor and Tees Valley Combined Authority ’ s devolved Adult Education Budget , to help get people back into work .
Working alongside Stocktonbased employer , JMAC Scaffolding , the eight-day programme came with an interview , with three jobs up for grabs .
Liam Bates , 29 , Dean Bishop , 31 , and Dylan Frost , 21 , have now started work in the scaffolding yard as trainee scaffolders .
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