Resolution Media and Publishing ’ s new office manager Vicky Thomas with directors Dave Allan ( left ) and Martin Walker .
Growth plan back on track as publisher makes new appointment
The publisher of Tees Business has got its growth plans back on track by adding another member to its team .
Marketing graduate Vicky Thomas has joined Middlesbrough-based Resolution Media and Publishing as the firm ’ s new office manager .
Resolution had to shelve ambitious growth plans in 2020 after the Covid outbreak but then saw sales grow as it ramped up its digital offering and continued to drive print sales of both its Tees Business and Wear Business publications , while also winning a new contract to publish Middlesbrough Council ’ s quarterly magazine , Love Middlesbrough .
Now directors Dave Allan and Martin Walker aim to grow their team with further appointments in 2021 , with 24-year-old Vicky the first .
She joins sales manager Chris Garbutt and writer / events manager Julie Burniston at Resolution , while Resolution also employs a team of local freelance writers , photographers and designers .
Middlesbrough-born Vicky , who graduated from Northumbria University with a BA ( Hons ) in marketing management in 2018 , joins Resolution from Barker and Stonehouse , where she held an administrative role .
Vicky previously spent two years as studio co-ordinator with Better Brand Agency .
Sales of Resolution ’ s Tees Business magazine were 10 per cent up in 2020 compared to 2019 , while the firm also managed to salvage two major events by taking them online – the Tees Tech and Tees Businesswomen Awards .
Resolution expects to see sales of publications increase significantly in 2021 , along with the rollout of at least one additional publication and another event , the Best New Tees Business Awards in November .
TEES BUSINESSES URGED TO TAKE APPRENTICE INCENTIVE
Businesses are being urged to take advantage of a time-limited cash bonus scheme to support apprentice recruitment .
The Budget extended a scheme that now offers £ 3,000 to employers across the region that take on an apprentice before September .
This is in addition to the current £ 1,000 incentive employers can receive for hiring a 16-to-18-year-old or an under-25 with an education , health and care plan or who has been in the care of their local authority .
Pete Donnelly , business development and commercial manager at Northern Skills Group – Middlesbrough College ’ s apprenticeship training arm – is calling on businesses to take up the offer , now that many are considering long-term plans as part of the post-lockdown roadmap .
Tees Valley businesses can also take advantage of the Tees Valley Combined Authority ’ s Apprenticeship Support Grant .
The grant supports SMEs that create apprenticeships in sectors facing high demand and growth from employers , as identified in the Tees Valley Strategic Economic Plan .
These sectors are advanced manufacturing , process , chemicals and energy , logistics , health and biologics , digital and creative , business and professional services , construction , health care , culture and leisure and education .
BUSINESS BITES
NEWS
£ 20M SME BREXIT SUPPORT FUND OPENS FOR APPLICATIONS Smaller businesses can now apply for grants of up to £ 2,000 to help them adapt to new customs and tax rules when trading with the EU .
The £ 20m SME Brexit Support Fund enables traders to access practical support , including training for new customs , rules of origin and VAT processes .
To be eligible , businesses must import or export goods between Great Britain and the EU , or move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland .
More information can be found at gov . uk .
GMI CONSTRUCTION TO EXTEND WITH TEES BASE GMI Construction Group ( GMI ) has announced it is investing in the North- East by expanding its operations and creating employment , as part of the company ’ s ongoing strategic growth plans .
The Leeds-based plc , which also has offices in Manchester and Birmingham , says it will establish a more permanent presence with office space in the Tees region .
GMI is also looking at the possibility of a second office with a location more central to the whole North-East region .
£ 3M SCHEME LAUNCHED TO BOOST LOCAL SKILLS GAPS Businesses across the region will be given support to identify their skills needs and access employee training to help their businesses to grow under a new £ 3m programme .
The new Skills for Growth Programme is the latest support launched by Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen to help companies deal with the impact of the coronavirus and secure their future .
It follows initiatives such as Buy Local Tees Valley , the Welcome Back Fund , Back to Business Fund and the Emergency Apprenticeship Fund .
TEES FIRMS URGED TO APPLY FOR HS2 CONTRACTS Businesses in the Tees region and wider North-East are being encouraged to bid for millions of pounds worth of upcoming contracts supporting the delivery of Britain ’ s new railway , HS2 .
Fewer North-East businesses have registered an interest in becoming a potential than in other parts of the country .
HS2 ’ s construction partners are seeking to engage businesses across a broad range of sectors from catering services , designers and ecologists to logistics and electronic components .
For more information visit hs2 . org . uk / building-hs2 / supply-chain /
The voice of business in the Tees region | 13