Tees Business Tees Business Issue 16 | Page 11

Serving the Teesside Business Community | 11 /NEWS Psyche owner Steve Cochrane MBE says his firm is looking forward to a strong year despite a difficult period for retail. Psyche set for further growth P syche owner Steve Cochrane says he’s going into 2019 with confidence in the future of his clothing business despite the toughest year he can remember for the retail sector. Cochrane recently received an MBE from Prince Charles for his services to Middlesbrough and the local economy on the back of Psyche being awarded the 2018 Drapers Award for Menswear Independent of the Year. He revealed that he’s looking to open a further store in the North-East over the next 12 months when he believes opportunities will come from the challenges of the past year. After opening his first store, Sliced Tomatoes, in Redcar, 36 years ago, Cochrane has established Psyche as a leading brand across Teesside and throughout the fashion business. Along with the established Middlesbrough store on Linthorpe Road, there is also Psyche 2 in the Cleveland Centre and a new store in Durham. Psyche launched an American website last Christmas and an Australian site in September, a New Zealand site hits the internet soon and they’re investigating the logistics of a Chinese version too. Cochrane said: “It’s a tough time for the high street because of the internet and changing consumer habits - and I think there’ll be a different landscape again over the coming months, as more big brands fail. “But I believe Middlesbrough is on the cusp of lurching forward. There are loads of good things happening including a snow centre, a student village and five-star office buildings in the centre of the town, all of which will improve local employment prospects. “The retail sector’s challenges of 2018 have been the toughest I’ve known – tougher even than 2008 – but those challenges create opportunities for businesses like ours that have always evolved and innovated. “That’s what we’ll continue to do – and we’ll be actively looking to open a new North- East store during 2019.” FIRMS CAN ‘UPSKILL IN DIGITAL’ WITH FREE WORKSHOPS S MEs across the Tees Valley have an opportunity to improve their digital knowledge with a fully-funded workshop through Skills Support for the Workforce. Teesside firm RAW Digital Training has teamed up with Calderdale College to be able to offer businesses a comprehensive course covering a whole range of digital marketing and web skills. The Upskill in Digital course is being held in Stockton and covers a number of key areas including digital marketing and planning, understanding Google, search engine optimisation (SEO), social media for business, content creation for marketing and online advertising. The six-day workshop runs into early 2019, but only 40 course places are now remaining, and eligibility criteria applies. A number of local firms have already benefited from the course, which is funded by the European Social Fund. Janice Auton, who runs The Boutique at Poppy’s store on Silver Street in Stockton, said: “It has opened my eyes to so many things I thought I was quite savvy at what I do. “Looking at the logic behind digital marketing, particularly SEO, has prompted me to make a lot of changes to my website BUSINESS BITES RAMSDENS RAMPS UP Boro shirt sponsor Ramsdens says it’s storming ahead with its strategy to open dozens more UK stores after weathering the woes of the High Street. The AIM-listed retailer and pawnbroker currently has 139 stores, including four franchises, and has set a target of opening 12 new stores a year. So far this year eight new Ramsdens stores have opened and it’s committed to opening one more, while two others are going through legal processes. INVESTMENT FOR PHUSION Teesside-based engineering information management firm Phusion has secured a significant six-figure investment. Billingham-based Phusion, which employs 20 people, has received the funding from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) and managed by FW Capital. The cash will boost product and business development. FIVE-YEAR BOOST Stockton-based Trade Interchange has secured a five-year contract renewal to provide its innovative supplier management software to global oil and fat manufacturer, AAK. Trade Interchange’s ARCUS supplier information management (SIM) module helps AAK manage key supplier data, including production, quality and technical information, and has recently started monitoring site level information to ensure complete transparency and compliance associated with supply chain risks. RAW Digital programme lead Scott Carney (centre) with (from left) Janice Auton (Boutique at Poppy’s), Sophie Lamont (Hewitts Solicitors), Jason Maxwell (Stockton BID) and Gill Waistell (Advanced Material Handling). already.” The Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) project, which offers fully-funded training courses, is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency. The programme is facilitated by Calderdale College, which works with a network of local training providers in the Tees Valley region to ensure the training is delivered in a way that suits the business. More courses are being held at Digital House in Stockton. Those interested can call Scott Carney on 01642 688411 or 07951708714, or email scott@rawdigital. training Businessman Andy Preston has heaped praise on the outstanding skills and workmanship of a host of Tees companies that transformed his vision into reality by completing the first phase of Stockton’s Level Q, dubbed Teesside’s most luxurious offices. The first phase of what will become a £4.5m project has been completed with “pretty much everything” done by Teesside-based firms. #TalkingUpTeesside