The voice of business in the Tees region | 117
/ REDCAR AND CLEVELAND NEWS
STEEL DEAL IS ‘WONDERFUL’
NEWS FOR TEESSIDE
More than 1,300 vessels were built
at Smith’s Dock – a major shipyard
and dry dock in South Bank –
between 1910 and 1987.
#TalkingUpTeesside #TalkingUpTeesValley
T
ees politicians have welcomed the
news that leading Chinese steelmaker
Jingye Group has agreed a deal to save
hundreds of jobs in the region.
British Steel collapsed into liquidation
in May, threatening 5,000 staff directly
– including 700 who work at Teesside’s
Lackenby and Skinningrove sites – and
around 20,000 more in the supply chain.
Jingye Group announced it has agreed a
reported £70m deal which will see the two
businesses combine to create a world-class
steelmaking group with global scale and
ambition.
Labour’s Anna Turley and Conservative
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen have both
been involved in talks with Jingye in the past
month.
Ms Turley said: “This is very positive news.
When I met the chairman of the Jingye
Group, the scale of their ambition for the
company was very clear.
“They see a very strong future for British
Steel and its workforce and they were
determined to increase production and grow
the business. I was impressed with their
determination and their vision.”
Mayor Houchen said: “After many months
of uncertainty and worry about the future of
British Steel, this announcement that a deal
has been done and Teesside jobs have been
protected and secured is wonderful.
“I’m delighted for all of those who work
at British Steel who now know that their job
is secure. I couldn’t imagine a better early
Christmas present for all of those workers
who have had to deal with the uncertainty.”
Firm’s pride at polar
research ship launch
Council’s royal honour
for training young people
A council project designed to
transform the lives of young people
picked up a royal award at St James’
Palace in London.
Redcar and Cleveland Council is the
only local authority in the country to
achieve the prestigious Princess Royal
Training Awards Standard 2019.
The recognition follows the relaunch
of the council’s apprenticeship
programme, which has supported
some young people not in education,
employment or training, young people
in receipt of Job-Seekers Allowance,
including the most vulnerable people,
those with special educational needs
and disabilities and young people in
local authority care.
BUSINESS SURGE BRINGS
EXPANSION FOR IT FIRM Boulby set to apply for
25-year mining extension
Technology
specialists Gbiz
IT are moving to
bigger premises
after substantial
growth in
customer numbers.
Gbiz expanded rapidly through personal
recommendations after setting up over 15
years ago as a mobile PC repair service.
They went on to open a small shop in
Saltburn before relocating to Marske town
centre 13 years ago and now employ six
people.
They now have 200 direct business
service clients totalling 80 per cent of their
annual turnover compared to just ten per
cent a decade ago and are moving to new
offices at Kirkleatham Business Park in
Redcar. A public consultation programme is
underway that could lead to another 25
years of mining at ICL Boulby, the world’s
only polyhalite producer.
The consultation period takes place
in advance of the firm submitting an
application to the North York Moors
National Park Authority for permission to
continue mining operations.
The current planning permission, which
has been in place since 1968, expires in
2023 and ICL Boulby’s general manager
Andrew Fulton says seeking renewed
permission
underlines the
commitment
to securing the
mine’s long-term
future.
The official naming of the polar research
vessel RSS Sir David Attenborough by
the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was
a proud moment for staff at engineering
firm Tees Components.
The company, based in North Skelton,
supplied four of its Tees White Gill
thrusters for the £200m ship after being
contracted by the Cammell Laird shipyard
on Merseyside.
The innovative 60-T3S-QR azimuth
thrusters are specifically designed to
allow the ship to overcome challenges
at sea and provide highly accurate
manoeuvrability in any direction, even in
heavy ice.
Boxing clever leads
to task force’s 350th
start-up
A lifetime passion for boxing has led to
a new business and career as a “box-fit”
coach for a former steelworker.
Niki Wiley, 33, started his business
after becoming the 350th entrepreneur to
receive support from the SSI Task Force’s
Business Start Up Fund.
Niki was a supervisor at SSI and
when the works closed in 2015 he found
work in a fabrication workshop, but he
was made redundant a second time six
months later.
Now he is developing a boxing exercise
gym based at Redcar Amateur Boxing
Club.
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