4 | Tees Business
BUSINESS BITES
TATA REVEALS £ 2M PLANS A steel firm has revealed £ 2m plans to build next generation offshore energy sector products – with its Hartlepool plant identified for the work .
Tata Steel says the move emphasises its commitment to supporting North Sea oil and gas production .
The plans come just days after bosses revealed they would pump £ 1m into its North-East base to continue work on high-strength tubing for construction and machinery and safeguard 270 jobs .
The investment will be made in its Hartlepool base and follows confirmation that Tata had finalised a deal to sell parts of its North-East pipe mills business .
£ 200M PENSION FUND BOOST The Tees Valley mayor and Combined Authority have signed a ground-breaking agreement with the Teesside Pension Fund to work together on projects to support the economic growth of the area .
Under the agreement , the Tees Valley Combined Authority will identify projects which could boost the local economy , and benefit from long-term investment from the Teesside Pension Fund .
By working together , the two organisations will help to implement the Tees Valley ’ s Strategic Economic Plan to deliver 25,000 jobs by 2025 .
QUORN ’ S £ 150M INVESTMENT Meat substitute firm Quorn Foods plans to create 300 jobs and invest £ 150m over the next five years to boost production at its plant in Billingham .
The global meat-free brand , which is headquartered in Stokesley and has capitalised on growing consumer demand for diets containing less meat , said it saw UK sales grow 15 % in the first half of the year .
Global growth rose 19 % over the period , while European sales also grew by 29 %. Business in the US was also up 40 %, while in Asia and Australia sales climbed 35 %.
CHEMOXY SOLD TO FRENCH FIRM Tees chemicals manufacturer Chemoxy International has been acquired by French-based trade buyer Novacap SAS for an undisclosed sum .
The firm , which has sites in Middlesbrough and Billingham , utilises advanced manufacturing techniques to create low-toxicity products for uses as wide-ranging as environmentally friendly plants , industrial coatings and cleaning products .
Chemoxy was acquired from Dow Chemicals in 2011 by current CEO Ian Stark and COO Martyn Bainbridge .
Wilton Engineering boss Bill Scott says Teesside is perfectly positioned to supply the offshore wind sector .
Winds of change can transform Teesside industry
Leading Tees businessman Bill Scott , whose Wilton Engineering firm recently won an £ 11m contract relating to the UK ’ s largest offshore wind project , believes the renewable energy sector could be a “ game-changer ” for Teesside industry .
Having already won the contract to deliver 20 transition pieces – each weighing 400 tonnes – for Germany-based Steelwind to be used as part of the Hornsea One wind project , Scott says his Port Clarencebased company is “ well positioned ” for further contract wins from the fastgrowing industry in the near future .
And Scott – who has been named Teesside ’ s Most Inspiring Businessman by his peers ( see page 20 ) – says further deals would be “ transformational ” for Teesside , creating new opportunities and hundreds of jobs for local firms .
A 100m-long , state-of-the-art preparation and coating facility is currently being built on the Wilton Engineering site , close to the Transporter Bridge , that will allow the firm to provide a dedicated facility for handling the giant structures required for offshore wind projects .
“ By investing in the new facility , we are positioning ourselves for work we plan to win in the near future ,” said Scott .
The major breakthrough into the offshore
“ Everyone is looking for a sustainable business landscape for Teesside – and that ’ s exactly what this is .”
wind sector has enabled Wilton to bounce back after a torrid few years following the collapse of the oil and gas sector .
“ Just about everyone in the oil and gas sector was in survival mode ,” said Scott . “ It could have been disastrous for us – the entire business could have gone .
“ I pressed the survival button and we had to let a number of people go but , after much arduous work , we ’ ve morphed across into offshore wind and we ’ re starting to bring back many of those who we had to let go .”
With huge windfarms being built about 120 miles off the Teesside coast , Scott says : “ Teesside is perfectly positioned to supply the offshore wind sector . It is a huge hub for manufacturing and all aspects of engineering . The wealth of knowledge in the area is incredible .
“ Everyone is looking for a sustainable business landscape for Teesside – and that ’ s exactly what this is .
“ Barring materials not manufactured in the UK , every single order we ’ ve placed – amounting to millions of pounds - has gone to Teesside companies . What I ’ m trying to do is create a supply chain on Teesside specifically for the wind farm industry .
“ We ’ re looking to try to place as much work as we possibly can to firms on Teesside and the wider North-East .”