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