The voice of business in the Tees region | 97
/ MIDDLESBROUGH NEWS
PSYCHE 2 CELEBRATES FIVE-YEAR
ANNIVERSARY WITH FURTHER PLANS
Clients of Middlesbrough-based
Appamondo – a digital customer service
and engagement solution specialist
– include some of the UK’s most
recognisable brands, including Arriva,
Grand Central, Northern Rail, Eurotunnel,
GHD and Moss Bros.
#TalkingUpTeesside #TalkingUpTeesValley
Psyche boss Steve Cochrane,
pictured above with the Cleveland
Centre’s Craig Weatherall.
P
syche fashion store owner
Steve Cochrane says its store
in Middlesbrough’s largest
shopping centre continues to thrive
after five years as a result of its
ability to attract a range of diverse
customers.
Despite challenging times for high
street stores, Psyche 2 is celebrating
its fifth anniversary in Cleveland
Centre because owner Cochrane
believes it allows his brand to reach
out to a more diverse customer base.
Along with a main department
store on Linthorpe Road, Psyche also
now has a base in Durham as well as
a large and growing online presence
that now accounts for around 50% of
total sales.
But Cochrane says the smaller
Psyche 2 store in the Cleveland
Centre will continue to play an
important role for the business.
The store, which employs nine of
Psyche’s 86-strong team, is currently
looking to introduce a ladies’ line
to its current men’s and children’s
products.
“Both Psyche and Cleveland
Centre are synonymous with
Middlesbrough,” said Cochrane,
whose business turned over £9m in
the last financial year.
“Psyche 2 provides a totally
different offering to our main store
gives shoppers an entry price for
a more casual, younger product. It
gives us more of a presence in the
town centre and helps give us a much
larger, stronger footprint in the town.
“It attracts a really diverse
customer base, possibly a little older
than we initially anticipated, from their
early 20s to their mid-40s.
“It’s proved to be a great test
bed for us to trial new products
and brands so, alongside the big
names, we like to introduce new and
emerging brands, and often a more
casual product.”
Innovate Tees Valley
support for filmmaker
A Tees film
production
company has
been helped to
expand a vital
new service to
clients thanks to
the support of
Innovate Tees Valley.
Judy Kulpa, a filmmaker at
Middlesbrough-based Ithica Films, has been
trained in how to improve the quality of
drone footage with the help of the Teesside
University-led programme.
Ithica Films was founded in 2014
by Teesside University alumnus Matt
McGough with the help of a DigitalCity
Fellowship which supports entrepreneurs
in the Tees Valley to develop their business
product or idea.
Innovate Tees Valley has been financially
supported through the European Regional
Development Fund, working with
companies to help them try new things
in their business and create and improve
services, products and processes.
MABO’S MATTHEW IS
EURO WINNER
Mabo PPC trainer
Matthew Soakell is
celebrating another
top award after
joining the growing
Tees firm just three
years ago.
Soakell has been crowned the European
Search Awards’ Young Search Professional of
the Year for 2019 – his second award win and
the fifth time he has been shortlisted.
It comes after he was named Rising Star
of the Year at the UK Biddable Media Awards
2019.
Mayors old and new
launch community bank
A major initiative to combat ruthless loan
sharks has been officially launched by
Middlesbrough mayors old and new.
Current elected mayor Andy Preston
formally opened the town’s new
Community Bank, which opened its
doors earlier this year, offering support
to those in financial hardship who may
otherwise be turned away from the
major high street names.
The initiative was kick-started by
former mayor Dave Budd, who was
among the guests at the official launch.
MIDDLE EAST DEAL FOR
WORKFLOW EXPERTS
Tees-based FNVi has secured another
significant contract to supply the oil
and gas sector with its ground-breaking
intelligent workflow system.
The ACCORD system, which was
designed and developed by the
Middlesbrough-based software experts,
was selected in the face of strong
competition from other major European
suppliers.
The deal to supply the workflow
management and completion system,
signed as part of a non-disclosure
agreement, will be used on a major
project in the Middle East.