Serving the Teesside Business Community | 13
/NEWS
Animmersion’s Andrew Liddell (left) and Claire
Stockton on a video call with Thomas Butler,
director of business development at Mueller.
/ADVICE
Data protection officers:
have you appointed yours?
S
ANIMMERSION INCREASES US EXPORTS
A
nimmersion has experienced a 40%
growth in enquiries from the United
States in recent months, which will, this
year, account for a quarter of its turnover.
The Middlesbrough-based company has
secured six new clients from across the US
providing a variety of its digital visualisation
technology solutions to support activities
such as industrial product marketing and
immersive exhibition experiences.
Among its recently secured contracts
is a new relationship with Georgia-based
Mueller Water products, which is one of the
largest manufacturers of fire hydrants and
water and gas valves in the US and Canada.
The company has contracted
Animmersion to utilise its immersive
technology to create digital versions of its
products to help test new markets.
The technology will be used for marketing
materials as well as at events to provide
potential customers with an enhanced
visual representation of products.
As part of the agreement, Animmersion
will also provide long-term maintenance
services to support the company’s use of
its digital assets.
Dominic Lusardi, owner and managing
director of Animmersion, said: “We broke
into the United States a couple of years
ago, but have really gained traction in recent
months.
“It is a buoyant market where companies
across a number of industry sectors
understand the benefits of their digital
assets and the importance of re-purposing
them for maximise impact.
“Many of these companies are extremely
forward-thinking and want to lead change
through the use of digital technology in
whatever sector they operate, making them
keen to engage with us.
“Together with our immersive solutions
we bring knowledge and experience from
industries such as manufacturing and
utilities, which is a real benefit to these
businesses.”
See pages 14-15 to read more about
the very first Tees Tech Awards, being
organised for April 2020.
Tees sales drive
for Aston Martin
T
ees Valley customers are helping to
drive the success of Aston Martin
Newcastle, with the North-East
dealership now boasting a fresh showroom
line-up of the latest models.
The new DBS Volante, Aston Martin’s
most powerful Volante to date, is now
available to order, as is the Vantage AMR,
with its seven-speed manual gearbox.
High-end motor fans are also urged to
keep an eye out for the new DBX, Aston
Martin’s first luxury SUV, set to be unveiled
in the last quarter of 2019.
Chris Fox, sales manager at Aston Martin
Newcastle, said: “We’ve now been open
for three years and we’re seeing a steady
growth in units sold and turnover.
“We’re seeing a bigger overall presence
in and around the Tees Valley region with
the help of our new models.
“We continue to host and join activities
in the Tees Valley area - with track days
starting at Croft Circuit.”
Aston Martin Newcastle also attended
Supercar Saturday on Stockton High Street
and will be attending the Prestige and
High-Performance Car Show hosted by JPC
Specialist Motorsport.
The showroom will be organising more
events throughout the year, including Croft
Track Days, ride and drives, and golf days,
as well as showcasing their fantastic range
of cars at a number of shows across the
North-East.
To book onto an event or to book a test
drive, visit www.newcastleastonmartin.
com or alternatively, contact chris.
[email protected] for a
personal introduction to the brand and
showroom.
ince the GDPR was implemented,
there’s been a big change in how
organisations process data and monitor
their compliance with the regulations.
This change includes a notable increase
in the number of DPOs being appointed.
Although the concept of appointing a
DPO isn’t new, the ICO now strongly
recommend all organisations have one.
Is it mandatory to appoint a DPO?
It is mandatory if you are a public
authority/body, and/or if your core activities
involve large scale monitoring and
processing of certain categories of data.
However, appointing a DPO helps all
types of organisations comply with the
GDPR. It is important to remember, as an
organisation, you will process data every
day, be it about your staff, customers, or
suppliers.
This is why it is important to appoint a
DPO, not only to ensure your processing
is “GDPR compliant”, but also to have a
named individual to manage data queries
and potential data breaches within the
tight reporting timescale.
What are your obligations once a DPO
is appointed?
A DPO plays a vital role in instilling good
practice into any organisational culture.
They are responsible for ensuring GDPR
principles are implemented and suitable
data records are retained. To do this
efficiently, the organisation must provide
training to DPOs, so that they have a
working knowledge of the GDPR, and can
stay up to date with any developments.
Where can you find suitable training?
Get in touch with me – I can provide
specialist training, working with you and
your DPO to develop their knowledge of
the GDPR, providing practical tips on how
to effectively manage and ensure your
organisation’s ongoing data compliance.
Jessica Maine
Endeavour Partnership
[email protected]
KP Snacks Teesside, home to some of
the nation’s most-loved brands including
McCoy’s, Pom-Bear, Discos and Hula
Hoops Puft, has launched a new £6m
pellet production facility at its Billingham
factory. The plant is the largest of KP
Snacks’ manufacturing sites, employing
750 people.
#TalkingUpTeesside