Issue 46 | Page 3

We’re delighted to bring you the latest issue of Aycliffe Business – the magazine for Aycliffe Business Park – as we all try to navigate our way through the current climate. Online meetings and networking events are very much here to stay for some time yet, but it has been brilliant for me personally to start getting out around the business park a bit more in recent weeks. Calling in for coffees at Siesta – and seeing some familiar faces, albeit at a safe social distance – has brought back happy memories of life before lockdown. It’s been almost six months since Covid shut everything down, and although there are still many businesses working from home, we do now sense that there is an appetite from businesses to get back to some sort of safe normality. At Aycliffe Business, we’ve been working hard to maintain our presence on the park in print, while we continue to invest in sponsored posts on social media to increase online views – we’re also mailing copies to dozens of home addresses. We have also expanded the print circulation of the magazine to other parts of County Durham, with copies now going to Faverdale in Darlington, the business parks around Shildon FOREWORD FROM SHARON HUTCHINSON HELLO Welcome to the 46th issue of Aycliffe Business and Auckland Park near Bishop Auckland. We feel this is a fantastic way for us to ensure we’re maximising visibility for our clients while also promoting Aycliffe to other areas beyond the business park. You can read more about that on page 5. In this issue, our feature writer Peter Barron talks to Excelpoint managing director Ian Brown, and Richard Tucker from AAA Caring Caretaker answers our 20 questions over a cuppa during our Coffee Break. We also have features with Business Durham’s DBOP team, Greystone Legal, DurhamWorks, Stiller Warehousing and Distribution and NBSL, along with news covering Roman, Warrens Group, Tekmar, Crafter’s Companion, INEOS and Resolution Media and Publishing. And a big shout out to our sponsors, including Business Durham, The Work Place, Lucid, NBSL, LemonTop Creative, Sparta Security, Certax Durham, UED, Thrive Marketing, MT Print and Burns Rowatt Photography. We hope you enjoy this issue – we’ll be back with issue #47 in October. Sharon Hutchinson Business manager, Aycliffe Business CONTENTS Included in the August- September 2020 issue of Aycliffe Business… 5 SPREAD THE WORD! Aycliffe Business expands print circulation to parts of Darlington, Shildon and Bishop Auckland 6-7 COVID CASH-SAVERS Greystone Legal save clients £500,000 during virus crisis 10-11 COFFEE BREAK Caring Caretaker managing director Richard Tucker answers our 20 questions over a cuppa 13 BUILDING BLOCKS AYCLIFFE BUSINESS Aycliffe Business is Newton Aycliffe’s only business publication, which is mailed exclusively to companies on Aycliffe Business Park. Launched in November 2012, we provide firms with a unique platform to tell everyone about their services and success stories in our prestigious, high-quality publication. With an estimated readership of more than 8,000, copies are mailed direct to every company on our database, and the rest are distributed by hand across the park as well as nearby hotels, restaurants and conference centres. Our next issue will be out in October, and the deadline to book is 5pm on Friday September 25. To get involved in the next or any future issues, email [email protected] Aycliffe Business Units 8-9, Parson’s Court, Welbury Way, Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham DL5 6ZE www.aycliffetoday.co.uk Published & distributed by Mantis Media Ltd: www.mantis-media.com Business manager: Sharon Hutchinson Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone] Email: [email protected] Managing Editor: Martin Walker. Contributors to this issue: Peter Barron, Colin Young, Joanne Barrett, Martin Walker, Sarah Burns, Paul Humble, Patrick Lonergan. Our photographers: Graeme Rowatt (including cover), Chris Booth, Tom Banks. Designed by KINSHIP: Call 07846186220 Email [email protected] Printed by: MT Print, Darlington. New funding programme to boost County Durham construction firms 17 DESIGN FOR LIFE Health and wellbeing provider tackles Covid-19 with innovative solutions 18-21 SCALING THE HEIGHTS Ian Brown, managing director of Excelpoint, talks to Peter Barron about plotting his route to business success 25 TECH THAT! Publishers defy Covid to deliver smash hit awards event online 27 WELL GEL Stiller secures deal to distribute 27,000 gallons of INEOS hand sanitiser The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 3