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Jade Business Park to become jewel in East Durham ’ s manufacturing crown
The new Jade Business Park near
Murton is tipped to become a significant economic engine for East
Durham in the years ahead .
The park made an instant impression on Wearside when Global Fortune-500 company Sumitomo Electrical Wiring Systems Europe moved into its brand-new , custom-built 50,000 sq ft unit on the 55-acre employment site last July .
And for businesses on Wearside and the wider North-East , it ’ s not hard to see why phase one of the 155,000 sq ft might not become hot property , with its ideal location and business rates savings .
Despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic , phase one of Jade Business Park was completed in August 2020 and the signs are it will become a key
employment location on the North-East landscape .
The Durham County Council-owned site , managed by Business Durham , provides seven industrial units from 11,109 sq ft ( 1,032 sqm ) to 50,000 sq ft with service yards and integrated offices .
The site will provide much-needed industrial property in East Durham with the potential for over one million square feet of new employment space and a significant number of jobs .
Sarah Slaven , interim managing director at Business Durham , said : “ The park is a prime location for businesses to establish themselves in Durham for relocation and expansion , thanks to its high-quality industrial units and excellent transport links .”
A family-run Seaham-based electrical contractor is bouncing back from the Covid-19 challenges it faced during 2020 .
Nala Engineers , in Tempest Road , which employs a team of 20 , was forced to furlough staff as the country entered lockdown last March .
Despite a healthy order book , many of the contracts the company was working on or due to start were put on hold because of the pandemic .
But a few months later , having gained support from the banks and grant funding , the company was back at full strength and is now looking ahead to a positive 2021 with client and staff growth .
Smart recruitment way forward for housebuilder
Prima Cheese joins drive to support Covid-19 hit businesses
Training courses will preserve town ’ s heritage
Seaham-based Prima Cheese , one of the UK ’ s largest dairy food processors , has donated £ 2,000 to the not-for-profit Open North Foundation in its quest to support businesses hardest hit by the pandemic .
The money will go to eligible businesses suffering as a result of Covid-19 and which it is considered would deliver long-term , positive economic impact and also create high-quality jobs , if they were supported .
As well as making a financial donation to assist North-East businesses in need of support , commercial director Nagma Ebanks-Beni headlined a recent Open North Foundation fundraising webinar , " Surviving in difficult times ".
Training courses on repairing and maintaining historic buildings have taken place in Seaham .
Durham County Council teamed up with East Durham College to deliver heritage construction training courses as part of the £ 2.25m Seaham Townscape Heritage Project .
The training courses , funded by a £ 1.6m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund , form part of the scheme ’ s primary goal - to encourage the heritage-led regeneration of targeted properties in Church Street .
As part of the scheme , grants have been offered to cover the cost of repairing and reinstating traditional features , as well as opening up inaccessible upper floor spaces .
Innovative modular housebuilder CoreHaus is recruiting a string of technical specialists .
The company , which has a 20,000 sq ft unit on Jade Business Park near Murton , is sourcing skilled staff with technical and engineering backgrounds as they aim to deliver around 1,000 modular homes a year over the next five years .
Managing director Scott Bibby said : “ We ’ re doing something different in the sector and need people who think and work differently .
“ Our production and designs draw on modern , technical skills and we have a real opportunity to break the mould and bring about change in house building .
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