Leadership – Frans Calje is CEO of PD Ports , the Statutory Harbour Authority of the River Tees and operators of Teesport .
“ If I ’ ve learned anything , it ’ s the value of surrounding yourself with people who are better than you are – that way , you make the right decisions , and get the right results ,” says Frans .
Being part of the wider community is also central to the PD Ports ethos . In April , £ 9,000 was donated to local good causes , including iPad donations to NHS trusts , and £ 3,000 to foodbanks .
At Christmas , a further £ 40,000 was donated to local and national charities , including the British Heart Foundation , the My Sisters Place domestic violence service , in Middlesbrough , foodbanks , and hospices .
It also included a £ 5,000 donation to the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation to kick-start the ‘ Tech for Kids ’ fund , aimed at tackling digital poverty .
Looking to the future , PD Ports not only created 95 jobs in 2020 , but launched an industry-leading programme to recruit 50 apprentices by the end of the first quarter of 2021 .
The engineering apprenticeship intake has doubled over the past year , and the business remains committed to attracting , developing and retaining talent through partnerships with the High Tide Foundation , Tees Valley Logistics Academy , Teesside University , and the North East School of Shipping .
More than 20 per cent of its workforce is aged under 30 , and it was a source of pride that PD Ports was the best represented company on the shortlist of the Multimodal 30under30 initiative that seeks to find 30 young “ superstars ” of the freight , transport , and logistics industry .
There are plans to host a young people summit early this year , to give the next generation the chance to engage directly with the business and discuss career opportunities .
Any of those who join PD Ports know they are part of a business determined to have a long-term impact .
For example , work will soon begin on the development of the Northern Gateway Container Terminal – a further investment planned to accommodate rising demand for container traffic , the project will enable Teesport to handle new deep-sea liner service and larger container ships while increasing capacity .
The company aims to be carbon neutral by 2027 , and plans were recently unveiled to work with key partners and stakeholders to make the River Tees the UK ’ s most successful port region by 2050 .
The company employs 1,250 now , but Frans believes that can grow to 2,000 by the end of the decade .
“ We need to bring in new talent , and allow them to fail , as well as allowing them to flourish ,” he says .
“ Who ’ s going to be the next chief executive ? Who ’ s going to be the next crane driver ? We must always look ahead – not just to tomorrow , or next week , or next month , or next year , but to the next 20 years .”
Respect for the past , care for the present , and a bold vision for a long way into the future .
The visionaries of the 1950s look down , in black and white , from the boardroom wall . Their spirit lives on .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 19