FEATURE
Bill Scott OBE says Stockton-on-Tees has everything businesses need to thrive
THE PERFECT PLACE
Wilton Engineering boss Bill explains why businesses should invest in Stockton-on-Tees
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Stockton-on-Tees is a great place to live and work .”
Chief executive of Wilton Engineering , Bill Scott OBE , has been talking about why investing in Stocktonon-Tees is the best choice for businesses .
Last year , the Invest Stockton-on-Tees campaign was launched to highlight everything the borough has to offer and encourage more businesses , particularly in the energy and environment , life sciences and biotechnology , and manufacturing and engineering sectors to join Wilton and the 5,000 other businesses that already call Stockton home .
Bill founded Wilton Engineering with his business partner , Steve Glenn , 28 years ago and has grown the business into a successful member of the offshore energy sector supply chain , initially in the oil and gas sector and more recently , offshore wind .
“ Stockton has an industrial heritage incorporating manufacturing going back to the 15th century , including railways , shipbuilding , mining and many other things ,” says Bill .
“ We set up our first facility in Middlesbrough in 1994 , moved to Hartlepool in 2000 and then moved to Port Clarence in Stockton in 2006 .
“ That was a great move , as it meant we had direct access to the river , which makes the transporting of goods easy . We ’ ve recently bought Haverton Hill Shipyard too , extending our base to 112 acres ."
The company possesses a strong and diverse portfolio of successfully completed projects , including 21 transition pieces – large yellow structures that connect the underwater foundation to the offshore wind turbine – through its client SteelWind , for Ørsted ’ s Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm .
“ It ' s been a real career highlight to be able to witness some of the world ’ s largest and most complicated projects being loaded onto the River Tees , showcasing everything that ' s good about our area ,” adds Bill .
And it ’ s not just the connectivity to the river , access to the UK ’ s largest freeport and readily available land with access to major commuter routes that makes Stockton stand out . Bill says there ’ s also a vast pool of labour and talent to tap into , and you couldn ’ t get a more committed workforce .
98 | Tees Business