FEATURE
Succession – Westray Recruitment Group founder and managing director Maureen Wright ( left ) with commercial director Ashleigh Wright , the firm ’ s future MD .
PICTURES : TOM BANKS WORDS : PHILIP TALLENTIRE
Westray ’ s the best way to recruit
Thriving Tees firm ’ s ready to shout about the secret of its success
Longevity – Westray Recruitment Group was founded by managing director Maureen Wright , pictured ( left ) with commercial director Ashleigh Wright , in Stockton 33 years ago .
It ’ s hard to believe one of the region ’ s genuine success stories has flown under the publicity radar for so long . But that ’ s about to change . Westray Recruitment Group was founded in 1990 by Maureen Wright and , 33 years later , the time to loudly celebrate the firm ’ s remarkable growth is well overdue .
It ’ s also the time that Maureen has chosen to begin handing over the leadership reins to her daughter Ashleigh , who has proudly witnessed her mother tirelessly build the company into one of the region ’ s major players in the recruitment sector .
In fact , it was when the Westray founder was taking baby steps as a new businesswoman in the harsh economic landscape of 1990 that she discovered she was pregnant with Ashleigh .
Showing remarkable fortitude to overcome potential business-busting problems and raise a young family in those early days , Maureen ’ s journey has come full circle .
That ’ s because the baby she was expecting is ready to take over as managing director .
Looking back to those tough times , Maureen , who will soon oversee the operation as chief executive officer , recalls : “ I started in a tiny little office on Albert Road above a newsagents .
“ But , to complicate matters , six months after founding the business I discovered I was pregnant with Ashleigh .
“ It was 1990 , the recession had hit and I was getting bigger by the day as the baby grew ! It was just the worst possible timing , but we survived .”
As the saying goes , mighty oaks from little acorns grow , and those wise words certainly sum up the Westray story .
From that modest little HQ in Middlesbrough , the company now boasts a staff of 30 spread across thriving offices on Surtees Business Park , in Stockton , and Team Valley , Gateshead .
The business ’ s customer base now covers the entire North-East region and most of Yorkshire in a patch that stretches from Northumberland down to Leeds .
And , thanks to technology , Westray is looking to expand even further afield while always maintaining the personal touch .
The firm is very much a family affair , with Ashleigh ’ s sister Sadie in charge of HR and her cousin Steven Hodgson the finance director .
There ’ s no doubt watching such a determined and hard-working mother inspired Ashleigh , who was 16 when she first started
72 | Tees Business