Tees Business Tees Business Issue 15 | Page 50

50 | Tees Business Businesses back first-ever Tees Businesswomen Awards Businesses from around the Tees region have responded positively to the idea of the very first awards event for women. Tees Business will host the inaugural Tees Businesswomen Awards 2018, in association with Northern Skills Group, at a ceremony in Wynyard Hall’s Conservatory Room on November 8 this year. Here are more details about some of the sponsors... Venator – Charity/Voluntary award px Group – Training & Apprenticeships V p enator, the experts in pigments and additives which has its global HQ at Wynyard Park with sites at Greatham and Birtley, is sponsoring the Charity/ Voluntary category for the inaugural event. Venator’s Kevin Wilson (right) with Kevin Wilson, VP Tees Business co-editor Martin Walker. Human Resources at Venator, said: “We believe The Tees Businesswomen Awards event is a much needed initiative to recognise the role female business leaders play across the region, and we're more than happy to support it as a company. “As an employer we believe in being a great place to work, and part of that involves actively encouraging our associates to undertake charitable events and get involved in the causes they care about. “Earlier this year we launched a £20,000 Community Fund to promote teamwork and innovation amongst groups and organisations across the North East, in a bid to support the communities in our region. The Together Fund, the first of two to be set up under the Venator Community Fund (www.venatorcommunity.com), is offering 40 grants of £250 to local community groups and organisations for activities that inspire teamwork, one of our core values. “This is why the Tees Businesswomen Awards – and in particular the Charity/Voluntary category – stood out to us and struck a chord in terms of what we're trying to do as a company. “The strength of these awards will be the strength of the nominations and the strength of the categories, so we'd encourage all companies and individuals across the Tees region to push forward and nominate people for these awards.” Tees Business co-editor Martin Walker added: “We’re yet again delighted that our first-ever Tees Businesswomen Awards have attracted such a major Tees employer as Venator – the only New York Stock Exchange listed business in the region – and we thank them for their support. “It has proved that our idea is not only filling a niche gap in the awards market, but is hitting the right notes with lots of employers, of all sizes, across the region.” x Group has joined a high-profile list of Tees firms sponsoring the historic first-ever awards event to celebrate the region’s women in business. px Group, which px Group’s Katie Woods-Ruddick with Tees Business co-editor Dave Allan. employs 550 people from its Stockton HQ and across its UK operational sites, is the latest company to back the competition by sponsoring the Training & Apprenticeships category. The firm delivers services across the UK and has gained experience in other regions such as the UAE, Abu Dhabi, Tanzania, Europe and South America by working with global organisations. The firm’s head of HR Katie Woods-Ruddick said: “Our industry is changing and today it offers a huge range of exciting and rewarding opportunities for both men and women. “The Tees Businesswomen Awards provides a great opportunity for px to be able to demonstrate to a wider audience that we support the employment and development of talented women in the high hazard industries in which we are involved. “As a company we employ many talented women in a variety of roles and levels in technical, engineering and business support activities. “The event provides an opportunity to recognise the contribution that women are making to business and the economy, and in particular those working in the Tees Valley.” Tees Business co-editor Dave Allan said: “We’re thrilled to have px Group on board for this historic event, which will help us create more female entrepreneurs and business leaders than ever before. “We have such a group of businesses getting behind the first-ever Tees Businesswomen Awards – from some of our well-known industrial and engineering firms to those ranging from IT, law and recruitment sectors – which we’re sure will help us attract entries from all types of sectors from every corner of the Tees region.” Tees Business now want to hear from individuals and businesses to enter the 10 different categories. Submissions can just be a simple Word or PDF document of no more than 500 words which can be uploaded online at teesbusiness.co.uk/awards.