Major innovation boosts growth
/ REDCAR & CLEVELAND NEWS
Serving the Teesside Business Community | 61
REDCAR FINANCE FIRM NAMED REGION’ S BEST
Robert Little( centre) with comedian Rory O’ Hanlon and Gemma Harle, managing director of award sponsor Tenetlime.
Teesside financial planners Bob Little & Co are celebrating after beating off fierce competition to be crowned North East Adviser Firm of the Year. The prestigious trophy was presented to director Robert Little at the Professional Adviser Awards’ annual black-tie dinner at The Brewery in London.
“ We’ re all absolutely delighted,” said Robert, who at 28 is one of the country’ s youngest Chartered Financial Planners.“ It’ s the first award I’ ve won since rugby trophies when I was a kid!
“ The competition was extremely stiff and some of the others firms on the shortlist have multiple offices across the region.
“ When our name was read out I thought we’ d come second, which I was pleased with. Then it came up on the screen that we were the winners and I realised I had to go up and
Ex-SSI technician sets up Steelriver Training
A former technician has started up his own training company thanks to support from the SSI Task Force.
Redcar-based Graham Howes set up Steelriver Training after being made redundant from SSI.
He had spent more than 30 years in the industry, where he worked as a technician, metallurgist and as a security team leader.
This experience led to Graham setting up his own company, which provides specialist security training for businesses around the region.
The training ranges from teaching door staff and CCTV operators, to selfdefence and conflict management.
The SSI Task Force funding provided Howes with support and advice on how to set up his business as well as a grant. collect the trophy!” More than 200 firms entered the awards, which seek to reward excellence in financial advice. The judging panel included financial advisers, fund and wealth managers, business consultants and platform experts.
Entrants were asked to tackle case studies on retirement planning, tax planning and investments, as well as answering questions about the firm and how it treats clients.
Bob Little & Co was founded by Robert’ s father, Bob, in 1985. Robert took charge after Bob died from cancer in 2011.
The firm, which employs four advisers and seven support staff, is based at Kirkleatham Business Park in Redcar. It offers advice on a wide range of areas including savings and investments, retirement planning, mortgages and tax planning.
This latest honour comes just two months after Robert was among the finalists in the Personal Finance Society’ s Investment Advice Specialist category in a ceremony at Wembley Stadium.
NEW WINE BAR OPENS
A former steelworker and his long-term partner have opened up a swish new wine bar in Redcar with help from the SSI Task Force.
Gerry Morrison, 52, and Joanne Adams, 45, have set up the intimate, classy No 5 Cocktail and Wine Bar on Station Road in Redcar’ s buoyant‘ Northern Quarter.’
The Redcar couple, whose son, Callum, 23, was also an SSI worker and lost his job at the same time, received funding from the Business Advice Start Up Fund as well as investing their own money.
The bar is a former shop that had been empty since June 2016.
So far 248 new businesses have been started with help from the SSI Task Force funds.
Major innovation boosts growth
WRL Glass Media, part of the Teessidebased Ward Recycling Group, has made innovative investments to boost productivity at its South Bank site.
The investment has seen the installation of a secondary glass imploder, which has already boosted the volume of glass media output at the firm by 30-40 %.
The company produces a range of products for the international market, including environmentally-friendly shotblast and swimming pool filtration materials.
This year, the company has already exported more than 4,500 tonnes of its recycled products.
Ward Recycling was founded in 2002 as a small, kerbside recycling firm in the North East.
It has grown significantly, and including WRL Glass Media, now employs 146 people and has a turnover in excess of £ 10m.
COMPASS CASH FUNDS EXPANSION
A Marske-based roofing and building specialist business has embarked on a new venture thanks to support from the Tees Valley Business Compass.
The Capital Grant Scheme, operated by Tees Valley Business Compass, granted AAA Roofing £ 49,000 funding to support the company in establishing a new roofing supplier’ s yard on Marske Industrial Estate.
The new enterprise supplies reclaimed roofing materials to builders and roofers, filling a gap in the local market as the nearest facility is currently in Durham.
The family business was founded in 1976 and has grown in recent years from two staff to 20 with 13 vans.
/ TeesBusiness @ Tees _ Business