Serving the Teesside Business Community | 65
/ MIDDLESBROUGH NEWS
COMMERCE HOUSE
IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The South Tees Development
Corporation site, near Redcar, is
expected to create 20,000 jobs over
the next 20-25 years.
The iconic
Commerce House in
Middlesbrough is now
open for business after
a £1.2m renovation.
#TalkingUpTeesside
Export award-
winners host Saudi
delegation
A
n iconic Teesside building, which
has spent the last year undergoing
an impressive £1.2m renovation to
create a stunning business community, is
now complete and open.
Commerce House in Middlesbrough
has had life breathed back into its Grade II
listed structure by Commerce Chambers.
A whole host of fully furnished and
serviced office space is available for
immediate use, ideal for small one or two-
man businesses up to 14-desk rooms.
There is also a chic business lounge,
where old meets new, creating a relaxing
yet professional environment.
The building, which was built in 1872, is
in the heart of the city’s soon to be thriving
commercial district TS1 and is right next to
the train station and a stone’s throw from
the A66.
Every office comes complete with
access to all the high-class facilities and
high-speed broadband is included. There
are also a number of offers available on a
first-come-first-served basis.
Christine Huntington, facilities manager
at the building, which was purchased from
the North East Chamber of Commerce,
said: “There is real luxury on offer here,
which creates the right impression for
visiting clients. Our range of space which
has just become available won’t be around
for long, so interested parties will have to
reserve their space quickly.
“The hot desk facilities and virtual office
service are both in demand already too.
There are also plans underway to open a
coffee shop soon, meaning Commerce
House really will be a one stop business
shop.”
Information is available and
appointments can be made by calling
Christine on 01642 917116. Images
are available to view on Facebook
@CommerceHouse1872 or at
www.commerce-house.co.uk
CLEVELAND CENTRE
BUCKS NATIONAL TREND
Middlesbrough’s Cleveland Centre is
looking forward “with confidence” to
a positive 2018 after bucking a national
retail trend and increasing footfall by
nearly five per cent during 2017.
Home to more than 60 stores, the
town’s largest shopping centre reported
positive news across all sectors, with
Perfume Shop, Topshop, H Samuel,
Toytown and ShoeZone all reporting that
trading was up.
The opening of a new luxury retail store
by Flannels, together with high street
giant Sports Direct and clothing retailer
USC, combined with the hotel expansion
of the neighbouring Holiday Inn Express,
further boosted figures.
Customer service centre
to create 200 new jobs
A fast-growing customer services centre that
created 500 jobs in 2017 says it’s planning to
add another 200 new recruits this year.
Firstsource Solutions has revealed its
award-winning Teesside-based customer
financial services centre is currently
recruiting for new customer service advisors,
team leaders and business support roles.
The centre, based at Fountain Court on
Grange Road in Middlesbrough, aims to take
on the new employees to meet increased
demand for a financial services client.
A family-run Middlesbrough firm has
hosted oil and gas leaders from Saudi
Arabia after being crowned the only
Teesside winner in the PD Ports Northern
Powerhouse Export Awards.
ESCS, who design and build specialised
systems for surface preparation and
surface coating as well as corrosion
control equipment, were crowned High
Growth Markets Exporter of the Year
ahead of businesses from across the
north of England.
In the awards, held at Leeds Town Hall,
the firm was also shortlisted for the Micro
Exporter of the Year award and narrowly
missed out on the overall Exporter of the
Year gong for the entire northern region.
The ESCS team includes MD Shaun
McDonald’s wife, son and niece but they
have gone global by setting up distributors
in Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia and China,
while they also have an office in Houston,
USA.
DOUBLE FILLING
FOR PIE JACKERS
Career switch couple Julie and Neil
Fletcher are celebrating a double
achievement at the British Pie Awards.
The couple, behind Middlesbrough
artisan pie company Pie Jackers, scooped
a silver and a bronze at this year’s national
awards, held in Melton Mowbray.
The pair are thought to be the only pie
makers in the Tees Valley to win British Pie
Awards in the last two years – the couple
won two golds in 2017.
It’s a great achievement for the newly-
weds, who left their PR and marketing
roles to launch their pie business less than
two years ago.