NEWS ADVICE
Finley Structures celebrated its 20th anniversary – left to right is the firm ’ s managing director Julie Raistrick , Paul Howell MP , John and Valeria Palmer ( centre , back ), Esther McVey MP and director Gary Finley . Picture by Tom Banks .
2020 VISION
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leading politician praised a familyrun County Durham construction company as it celebrated its 20th anniversary .
Former Secretary of State and one-time Tory leadership candidate Esther McVey visited Finley Structures in Newton Aycliffe , with local MP Paul Howell , to mark the firm ’ s milestone .
The steel fabrication specialists , which helped to construct the nearby Hitachi Rail factory , was formed by John Finley in August 2000 .
It has worked on a number of high-profile projects in the North-East and around the UK over the years , including factories for Nissan in Sunderland , Teesside University ’ s awardwinning Curve building and the Victoria Gate shopping centre in Leeds .
It is also currently helping to construct the huge Riverwalk development in Durham city centre .
Ms McVey , the Conservative MP for Tatton and former Housing and Communities Secretary , said : “ Finley Structures couldn ’ t have the 20th anniversary celebration it would have liked , but it ’ s all about the people .
“ You don ’ t have a great business without great people and the vision going forward .
“ Celebrating 20 years is fantastic . It shows the resilience of the founder , John Finley , who started out as a steel erector , then had the vision to start this business 20 years ago .
“ Now they ’ re creating jobs for their local community and providing work for future generations – it ’ s a fantastic story .”
The Conservative MP for Sedgefield , Mr Howell , added : “ Getting round our local companies and seeing what they ’ re doing is wonderful – these businesses are the lifeblood of our economy .
“ We ’ ve heard today about the Hitachi factory which Finley Structures helped construct , but there ’ s also other major projects like Milburngate in Durham and the new Durham County Council head office .
Family-run steel firm celebrates 20th anniversary with special visit
“ All of these big projects are coming out of Aycliffe Business Park , which is brilliant .”
The two politicians were given a brief tour of Finley Structures ’ vast site on Aycliffe Business Park , which was bustling with steelwork running through its factory floor .
Mr Howell added : “ We met some of the staff , one of which has been with the company since it started 20 years ago , and many other longserving employees , which shows to me the quality of a company .
“ They ’ re clearly doing the right thing and I applaud them for their anniversary .”
Finley Structures managing director Julie Raistrick added : “ We ’ re naturally delighted to celebrate our 20th anniversary , it ’ s a milestone we ’ re all incredibly proud of .
“ We ’ ve invested heavily in our site , our people and state-of-the-art steel fabrication facilities over the years which saw us through the financial crisis , and we ’ re confident it will stand us in good stead during this current climate .
“ We ’ re grateful to Esther McVey and Paul Howell for coming to celebrate our birthday , which was all done socially distanced , of course – let ’ s hope we can celebrate our 25th anniversary in a bigger way .”
From its eight-acre site in Aycliffe , Finley Structures provides a wide range of structural solutions to the construction industry and offers a range of in-house services – including estimating , design and detailing , steel fabrication , painting and installation – enabling a cost-effective and efficient all-round service to main contractors .
The firm works with major contractors all around the UK , including Sir Robert McAlpine , Tolent , Bowmer & Kirkland , Willmott Dixon , BAM Construction and Galliford Try .
Read Peter Barron ’ s special in-depth feature with Finley Structures managing director Julie Raistrick on pages 16-19 .
4 REASONS YOU NEED BRANDED FOOTWEAR
Why is branded workwear so important for your business ? There are many benefits , but here are four main reasons ….
Creates a professional appearance This reassures customers and tells them that your business is professional . Customer loyalty is likely to be improved as in many people ’ s minds , workwear equates to professionalism and trust . Makes employees feel part of a team Branded workwear can create a strong sense of unity among staff which encourages everyone to support each other .
It can make them feel that they are an important part of the company and will enhance their feeling of belonging within the business .
This could even help motivation and increase productivity within your company as the employees will feel appreciated . Health and Safety Ensuring your team are quickly identifiable plays an important role in keeping them safe , particularly in industrial settings where there can be many hazards .
It will also provide extra protection and visibility to reduce accidents , for example Hi-Viz clothing to stand out and hard hats for protection .
For employees within the health care sector , branded uniform is extremely important to make them recognisable when entering homes . Advertising and brand awareness Having branded workwear is like a walking advert , your company is being advertised constantly to anyone your employees come into contact with ; it is a great cost-effective way of advertising .
It might be worth adding a company website or telephone number across the back as this will encourage people to contact your business .
Contact us to discuss any of your branded workwear requirements . Call 07740 031655 or 01740 657831 , email laura @ caembroidery . co . uk or visit caembroidery . co . uk . Laura Flood C & A Embroidery and Print
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 9