PICTURE : TOM BANKS STOCKTON-ON-TEES
Why the borough ’ s ideal for business and leisure
IT ’ S ALL GOING ON IN
STOCKTON- ON-TEES
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Whether you ’ re a business looking for ready-made premises or for somewhere to establish a new base , you should look no further than Stockton-on-Tees .”
That was the opinion of the leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council , Councillor Bob Cook , when asked why Stockton is the perfect location for firms to do business in .
He said : “ The borough is already home to more than 5,000 businesses , who collectively contribute to around a third of the entire Tees Valley ’ s economic output .
“ We ’ re ready to both welcome new businesses and help our existing ones grow . Stockton-on-Tees is a great place to do business , with great people and great places to live .”
And it ’ s not just the council that thinks Stockton-on-Tees is the place to be - it ’ s what companies based in the borough think too .
Chief executive of Wilton Engineering , Bill Scott OBE , founded Wilton Engineering with his business partner , Steve Glenn , 28 years ago and has grown the business into a successful member of the offshore energy sector supply chain .
“ We set up our first facility in Middlesbrough in 1994 , moved to Hartlepool in 2000 and then moved to Port Clarence in Stockton-on-Tees in 2006 ,” Bill said . “ That was a great move as it meant we had direct access to the river , which makes the transporting of goods really easy . We ’ ve recently bought Haverton Hill Shipyard too , extending our base to 112 acres .”
Bill added : “ It has been a real career highlight to be able to witness some of the world ’ s largest and most complicated projects loaded onto the River Tees , showcasing
Proud – Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council leader , Councillor Bob Cook .
everything that is good about our area .”
There ’ s excellent connectivity for business , whether it be by road , rail , air or sea . It ’ s also easy to access the UK ’ s largest freeport and the multimillion-pound terminal redevelopment at Teesside International Airport has revived business travel and international trading .
Combine this with more than 500 hectares of available land and competitively priced premises , businesses looking to establish a new base would struggle to find a more convenient location .
And it ’ s not just the available space and connectivity that makes Stockton-on-Tees the obvious choice - it comes with a skilled workforce of more than 121,000 .
Mike Manders is managing director at Lusso Stone , one of the UK ’ s fastest growing luxury home brands with a new , state-ofthe-art , 10,000 sq ft headquarters at Teesdale Business Park .
He explains : “ There ’ s a great pool of talent in the area and we love the fact that we can recruit within the Tees Valley . The people we employ have primarily come through the excellent universities and colleges in the area and many have already worked in eCommerce , which is perfect for us .
“ The workforce is talented , passionate and committed to growing our brand as much as myself and the CEO are .”
It ’ s not all work and no play either . Councillor Cook said : “ This is a great place to live , with great housing and schools . Our six towns are undergoing exciting transformations and provide shopping , theatre , museums , entertainment and leisure attractions in amongst our countryside and parks . And , of course , running through all of this is the beautiful River Tees .
“ We ’ re also proud to say that there ’ s always something going on in the borough , with a packed programme of events and festivals throughout the year – you won ’ t be stuck for something to do .”
To find out more about what Stockton-on-Tees can do for your business , visit investstocktonontees . co . uk
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