Issue 3 | Page 39

Washington news
Triotec founders going from strength to strength
Signs are good for Radecal growth plans
Washington engineering company expands during Covid-19 slowdown
Extra staff and equipment on the way to Triotec

Washington-based Triotec , which

uses computer programmed machinery to produce precision products such as valves and shafts , is investing in new machinery and staff after its order book swelled during the pandemic .
The company created two new jobs and invested heavily in new machinery after seeing demand soar .
Now the company , founded less than three years ago , sees an exciting future ahead .
Andy Calvert , Gary Marshall and David Downes founded the business in March 2018 after their previous employer – where they had worked for over 60 years combined – unexpectedly closed .
Since then , the company invested in three units on Washington ’ s Pattinson Industrial Estate and employs nine full-time members of staff , with the latest two recruits joining
after they themselves were made redundant from their previous roles , due to the industry downturn .
Andy said : “ When the firm closed without warning , we sat in the pub and decided the time was right to try it ourselves - we pulled together a business plan and Triotec was born
“ While many in our industry were hit hard by the pandemic , we have been lucky that we ’ ve been agile enough to ensure our machines continued turning and our order book continued to fill up .
“ While previously we were focused primarily on a few niche markets , we ’ re now able to serve a variety of sectors from oil and gas to renewables , power generation , bearing companies and the yellow goods sector and are expecting to see turnover continue growing .”
A Wearside signage and graphics firm is making space to expand its operations thanks to a new five-figure investment from the £ 120m North East Small Loan Fund .
Radecal Signs is turning a 4,000 sq ft area of land alongside its premises on the Armstrong Industrial Estate in Washington into a secure area to store materials needed to manufacture street signs , fascias , building signs and vehicle signage .
Radecal worked with NEL Fund Managers to secure the investment aimed at increasing production efficiency , reduce costs and enhance profitability .
Washington HR specialist teams up with marketing expert
Hotel ’ s work for ex-Armed Forces personnel is recognised
A-lister architects get perfect birthday present
The George Washington Hotel - quickly becoming a regional hub for the Armed Forces Covenant initiative , which has picked up two awards in quick succession and is on course for a third from the military .
The hotel has enthusiastically backed the covenant initiative , which aims to find jobs for ex-servicemen and women , and in 2021 will be going for gold after picking up bronze and silver .
Hotel manager Ian Gray said : “ The ethos of the armed forces has never been more relevant to the hotel and hospitality industry , given that with Covid-19 we face a challenge needing dedication , organisation and courage to overcome .”
An architectural metalwork business favoured by celebrity A-listers has celebrated its 10th anniversary by landing one of its biggest projects .
Washington-based Taylorhood Metalworks is an independent metalwork engineering business specialising in the production of hand-crafted bespoke staircases , architectural balustrades and feature metalwork .
Founded in 2010 , the company grew rapidly and now employs 17 working on some of the UK ’ s highest-profile developments .
Now Taylorhood has just landed a lucrative six-figure contract creating bespoke staircases for the £ 3.1bn Mandarin Oriental Hotel development , a historic 19th-century hotel facing Knightsbridge and Hyde Park .
An HR specialist and a marketing expert have joined forces to form a marketing consultancy to support Wear SMEs .
Beyond Partners brings together over 40 years ' experience in HR and marketing , in the shape of Washington ’ s Maxine Henry and Sally Cowling .
The pair originally met working for a North-East engineering company and hope their complementary skills and expertise are a hit with clients .
Maxine said : “ We knew we were on to a good idea when we landed our first client before we had even launched .”
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