SPONSORED BY TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY
SMALL TEES BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
FINALIST ALT LABS
A Stockton-based innovation and tech consultancy , Alt Labs ’ recent projects include accelerator programmes for London North Eastern Railway and Transport for Wales , supporting 34 UK start-ups to develop digital products , launching Teesside co-working space Flok and delivering police reporting app COPA with Cleveland Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner .
FINALIST
AM RECRUITMENT ( NORTH EAST )
Trophy – Elemy managing director Richard Brine is presented with the Small Business of the Year award by Shona Duncan of sponsors Tees Valley Combined Authority .
WINNER
ELEMY
It ’ s been a meteoric rise to success for glass reinforced polymer ( GRP ) firm Elemy .
And , as he reflected on winning the Small Business title , MD of the Redcarbased firm , Richard Brine , admitted : “ We ’ re ahead of where we thought we ’ d be .”
He said : “ Four years ago , we started as two people in a front room and we were still in a front room 18 months ago .
“ We were in a trading estate with four people 12 months ago and now we ’ re a team of 13 .
“ This is fantastic recognition for all of us . We have a two-acre site and we really feel we can do so much more .”
Elemy began trading from a home office in 2019 , acting as a GRP and metalwork trader .
It now offers a full service – from design to fabrication and installation – and last year bought a former scrapyard in Redcar where it can continue to grow .
Mr Brine , who praised the support received from various companies and the likes of the Tees Valley Combined Authority , said : “ We ’ ve got a lot to offer and we still feel we ’ re only at the tip of the iceberg .
“ This week we got ISO 9001:2015 and we ’ ve got several other things going on . The fact we ’ ve won a Tees Business Award is unbelievable for a small business like ours .”
And as for the immediate future , Mr Brine added : “ We ’ ve got a lot more to go at so this is a brilliant benchmark and a fillip for the team who have worked their socks off .
“ We have a seven-year business plan , seven-year profit and loss , seven-year cashflow , seven-year balance sheet – we ’ re on plan , on track . Let ’ s do it !”
SPONSOR ’ S MESSAGE
Born from AM Engineering , Billingham-based AM Recruitment has traded since 2014 . Historically known for recruiting blue and white collar personnel , 2022 saw it transition from specialist engineering and construction recruiter to offering roles in various industries including hospitality ( for example , Middlesbrough FC ), commercial , sales , finance and administration , subsequently breaking company records for permanent positions placed .
FINALIST BETTER
Based in Middlesbrough ’ s historic quarter , brand agency Better blends strategic , verbal and visual thinking to make brands around the world more distinctive and effective . Proud of its Teesside roots and brimming with local talent , the fact its clients are worldwide confirms its transition from local design business to global brand agency .
FINALIST
DOORNBOS EQUIPMENT UK
Doornbos began in Billingham in 2000 with expertise in ( ultra ) high-pressure water jetting , with a rental fleet of high-pressure machines , accessories and vacuum equipment . It provides safety training and equipment to enable safe and efficient usage of its machines , which include high-pressure jetting units , vacuum trucks and drain cleaning equipment .
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said : “ All of these brilliant businesses are going from strength to strength and we ’ re proud to have them here . Elemy stood out as having come so far in such a short time – and in the face of the pandemic – to take its polymer services from Teesside to the world .”
38 | Tees Business