NEWS
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Beaumont Landscapes ’ new managing director Sophie Lineton has ambitious plans for the family firm .
FAMILY AFFAIR
Ambitious business leader smashes the glass ceiling with top job
An ambitious business leader is smashing the glass ceiling of the grounds maintenance industry after being appointed to lead a growing firm .
Sophie Lineton has taken over the role of managing director of Newton Aycliffe-based Beaumont Landscapes .
The family-run business has excelled during the pandemic , with sales increasing and staff numbers growing to 20 .
Sophie has worked as an account manager for Beaumont over the last seven years and earlier this year was appointed operations director .
She has taken over the top job from her brother , Alex Lineton , after the business saw a 30 % sales increase in the last year .
“ I ’ m excited to take on the responsibility and proud to continue building the family business ,” said Darlington-born Sophie , who lives in Aycliffe .
“ I ’ ve had a good solid foundation within the
LORD BARNARD ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS DEVELOPMENT PLANS AT RABY CASTLE
Raby Castle , which has stood as a landmark within County Durham for 700 years , has announced the full extent of its significant investment to enhance the visitor experience of the castle , park and gardens , securing it as an important resource for the region .
The ambitious plans for a two-year major development programme , which were passed by Durham County Council in December last year , will restore and preserve historic buildings within the park and gardens , which have been without purpose for decades .
The development , which has been over three years in the planning , will also support
business over the last seven years and I feel I ’ m ready to take the business on to the next level .
“ We ’ ve enjoyed growth in the last year and I ’ m ambitious to grow it even further over the next 12 months and coming years .”
Beaumont also looks after about 70 per cent of the land across the huge Aycliffe Business Park , with its client list including Gestamp Tallent , Stiller Warehousing and Distribution , Ebac , Finley Structures , the Xcel Centre , Vine Property Management , Roman , Raisco and II-VI Incorporated ( formerly Compound Photonics ).
The company has recently won a number of new high-profile contracts , most notably with PHS Green Leaf and Wynyard Hall .
Now Sophie plans to bring in a new management team , including a contracts manager , foremen and a non-executive board , creating more local jobs .
See pages 16-19 for our cover feature with Alex Lineton .
A CGI showing the proposed new developments at Raby Castle .
an enhanced visitor journey for Raby Castle , park and gardens – providing contemporary spaces for enjoyment but also creating new vistas to the castle within a hub of activity .
The dynamic scheme , known as The Rising , will re-purpose heritage buildings as well as introduce new structures to provide stylish events and exhibition spaces , retail and dining experiences and a visitor information hub – which will all be available without having to pay an entry fee .
NEW CHAIR Patrick Lonergan has been appointed as the new chair of Bishop Auckland College Corporation , which includes Aycliffe-based South West Durham Training , replacing Pamela Petty who has served on the board for eight years .
Patrick set up his own recruitment consultancy based on Aycliffe Business Park five years ago , supporting everything from start-ups and high growth companies to £ 100m turnover businesses within the UK engineering / manufacturing , scientific , renewable energy , automotive , rail and emerging technologies sectors .
INEQUALITY TASKFORCE Teesside University has hosted a summit designed to help tackle regional inequality and provide additional opportunities for jobs and growth .
The UK2070 Commission ’ s Teesside Taskforce held a formal evidence session at Teesside University where it heard how areas including freeports , steel , hydrogen and the wider net zero agenda can provide a boost for the region .
It came days after Teesside University was named as the top university in the country for social inclusion , highlighting the institution ’ s work to embrace social mobility and encourage greater participation in higher education from underrepresented groups .
GREGGS ON A ROLL Greggs is targeting 3,000 shops in the UK after seeing trade exceed pre-pandemic levels in the last few weeks .
The Newcastle food-on-the-go chain – which has two stores in Newton Aycliffe – has released first half results in which revenue reached £ 546.2m and the company made a pre-tax profit of £ 55.5m .
That compares to a loss of £ 64.5m last year , while sales were almost identical to those seen in the first half of 2019 , before the pandemic and the various local and national local lockdowns pushed Greggs to major losses .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 5