Tees Business Tees Business issue 17 | Page 87

Serving the Teesside Business Community | 87 / HARTLEPOOL NEWS Plans for a new civil engineering training academy have been given the go-ahead for the Tees region. Seymour Civil Engineering, who will deliver the project with Hartlepool College of Further Education, hopes its 11- acre training facility in Hartlepool will help tackle a skills shortage in the sector, both locally and on a national level. #TalkingUpTeesside Printing firm changes hands New premises - Emmerson Marketing’s Matt Emmerson and Ian Jolly. Marketing agency moves to Castle! L eading Teesside marketing agency Emmerson Marketing have moved into new office space following a further period of growth. The firm, which offers a range of marketing support to local and national companies, has taken up residence in The Old Brewery Business Centre, situated in scenic Castle Eden, just north of Hartlepool. Director Matt Emmerson said: “With new client acquisitions such as Hartlepool College of Further Education and Psyche, alongside established clients such as Cleveland Centre, Middlesbrough Football Club and Hodgson Fish, we felt we’d outgrown our previous offices and needed a little more space. “The Old Brewery Business Centre has all the facilities to suit our current business needs. It’s a stone’s throw away from the A19, which is really convenient in travel terms for ourselves and clients alike, plus the age and history of the building and the natural surrounding areas really do give the offices a certain charm.” METAL FIRM STRENGTHENS UNI TIES Hartlepool-based expanded metal mesh specialist The Expanded Metal Company has forged closer ties to Teesside University, thanks to a major research project. Teesside University worked with The Expanded Metal Company on a project which investigated the properties of the firm’s foil product. It examined the potential use of foil in innovative new commercial applications and generated a range of new technical data on the material: this is being used by The Expanded Metal Company to drive further product development. The project was undertaken by mechanical engineering graduate Ryan Kennedy over three months during his final year at Teesside University, and was supervised by David Hughes, senior lecturer in materials engineering at the university. THIRTEEN ACQUIRES GUS ROBINSON Thirteen Homes, part of Thirteen Group, has acquired Gus Robinson Developments as it bolsters its commitment to delivering high quality housing throughout the North of England. Hartlepool-based Gus Robinson Developments has become one of the North East’s most well-regarded building contractors, delivering a wide range of construction and building services. It employs around 50 people in the North East. With revenues for its current financial year forecast to be in the region of £25m, the company has been highly successful in delivering construction projects for a variety of clients ranging from local authorities and health trusts, through to private businesses and registered housing providers. An entrepreneurial couple have acquired a long-established Tees printing business. Richard and Julie Bennett have completed the acquisition of Hartlepool- based Atkinson Print from former owner Adrian Liddell. As a successful lithographic and digital commercial printer, Atkinson Print works with clients across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, retail and local government as well as professional services including solicitors and accountants. Richard and Julie have gained a wealth of experience in business management, having founded Derwentside Environmental Testing in 1999, which was subsequently sold. The husband and wife team also owned and ran Gateshead Football Club for three successful years before selling to a Hong Kong-based business. Late last year, Richard and Julie completed the acquisition of Newcastle Print Solutions and now plan to develop their growing printing portfolio.