Tees Business Tees Business issue 19 | Page 99

The voice of business in the Tees region | 99 / STOCKTON NEWS The Hampton by Hilton hotel in Stockton has sold 16,000 rooms since opening its doors in February. Though it may seem incredible today, the town of Yarm – located 18 winding miles from the sea - was once the premier port of the River Tees until merchant ships became too big to make it up river with first Stockton, then Middlesbrough taking over the role as the River Tees’ main port. #TalkingUpTeesside #TalkingUpTeesValley Hotel off to a flyer with 16,000 rooms sold in first six months H ampton by Hilton is celebrating a flying start since opening in Stockton earlier this year. The hotel has sold 16,000 rooms since opening its doors in February, with corporate guests as well as crew from major public events swelling the numbers. The multi-million pound Hampton by Hilton, in the heart of Stockton, includes a fully-equipped fitness centre as well as a bright modern lobby which is proving popular for meetings. The six-storey structure, with 128 rooms, is located on a former dairy site, next to Stockton Baptist Church overlooking the River Tees, and forms part of the mixed- use Northshore regeneration scheme, incorporating new offices, homes and leisure facilities near Stockton town centre. John Lambourne-Richardson, general manager at Hampton by Hilton Stockton, said: “We have some incredible international businesses right on our doorstep – and we WORK UNDER WAY ON £1M SCHOOL HALL Steelwork is rising from the ground as work begins on a new state-of-the-art school hall for Conyers in Yarm. The £1m hall will be able to transform into a multipurpose space with 250 capacity seating for performances, activities, assemblies and examinations. It will also contain state-of-the-art changing rooms and an activity studio, available for use by the local community with the aim of tackling inactivity amongst young people and hard to reach groups to improve their health and wellbeing. The construction of the hall forms part of a £37m programme of investment announced in 2017 to improve, expand and rebuild schools across the borough. can offer corporate rates for companies large and small. “We have been accommodating corporate guests from all over the world with some guests in house for a number of months whilst working in the area. “We have been lucky enough to work with some of the organisers and promoters for the amazing events that have taken place within the Tees Valley so far this year, including rooms for the crew of BBC Big Weekend and Take That. “We have also been heavily involved with local events; hosting performers from all over the world for both SIRF and the Billingham International Folklore Festival. “With nearly 16,000 rooms sold within the first six months, we’re very proud of that and we look forward to building on that record.” TEES FIRM EYES GROWTH AFTER £16M BACKING Stockton-based business Billions Europe, which sells high-performance titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigment, has secured funding worth around £16m from HSBC UK to grow sales and improve its efficiency across its European markets. Billions Europe plans to use HSBC UK’s financial support to place more stock in warehouses across Europe, helping to substantially reduce delivery times. The business has also appointed two new sales managers for the European region, one based in Germany and the other in Stockton-on-Tees, with more appointments expected. New dental implant clinic opens after £500k investment Award-winning clinic Queensway Dental has opened a state-of-the-art dental implant suite at its Billingham site following a £500,000 investment. Queensway Dental, which has sites in Billingham, Jesmond, Darlington and Ferryhill, unveiled the new facility to the public in September, and is expected to create an additional 10 jobs in the area. The recent expansion of the premises has seen the firm take on two new leases for 11 years and an extra 2,300 sq ft alongside renewing its existing agreements to 2030. Tees venue’s £1m upgrade A £1m investment project in a Teesside entertainment venue that has hosted performances from Suggs, Heather Small, Toyah Wilcox and Jason Donovan has been completed. In addition to a new bar area at Yarm School’s Princess Alexandra Auditorium, the development has seen the creation of a large lounge area, which will be used by pupils during the day. New changing rooms for visiting performers and a new drama studio complete the work undertaken in the basement of the auditorium. The venue will also benefit from new toilet facilities, which offer an unusually high ratio of toilets to visitors.