Business Archives - Page 13 of 30 - Invest in Middlesbrough

A Teesside entrepreneur who is behind the resurrection of an air show and a famous local name in pies has launched a new company that can help businesses and schools safely return to work amid the coronavirus crisis.

Steve Davies, who owns Middlesbrough-based Upex Pies and is part of the team behind the Tees Valley Air Show, has joined forces with electrical engineer Stephen Dandy to market an innovative treatment that kills 99.999% of viruses including COVID-19.

Chem-Clean UK uses a touchless disinfection machine that has a state-of-the-art fogging spray system to kill harmful bacteria, fungi, mold and viruses such as COVID.

Chem-Clean’s ground-breaking treatment is designed to enable businesses and healthcare operators to combat and prevent outbreaks of infections, such as H1N1, Norovirus, Coronavirus, Clostridium Difficile, MRSA, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and many others.

Several local firms have already undergone the treatment including Prysmian Group, Steel River Consultants, Magnum Packaging, Northern Safety Supplies and Cornerstone Business Solutions.

“I’m truly excited about the system’s potential,” said Steve. “Clearly it’s key purpose right now is in eradicating the COVID-19 virus, especially with so many businesses and schools set to reopen and staff returning to work.

“Businesses are needing the green light to get going again.

“If Chem-Clean UK can play its own small part in helping Teesside’s businesses and schools get back up and running and help kick-start the economy, then that would be something I couldn’t be more proud to be involved with.”

The machine uses a specially engineered nozzle to produce an ultra-fine mist of up to five-micron droplets of hydrogen peroxide, which penetrate and decontaminate hard-to-reach areas such as air vents and computer keyboard monitors.

The tiny droplets also avoid areas from becoming wet, making the treatment safe on or around electrical equipment including computers.

Steve’s business partner Stephen Dandy added: “Not only is the special formulation powerful in eradicating coronavirus, but its fine touchless misting system, means it reaches places that are beyond conventional cleaning that require a spray and wipe, which often cause cross-contamination due to the cleaner using the same cloth.”

Chem-Clean expect high demand for their services within such sectors as food preparation facilities, schools, care homes, offices, hotels, all modes of transport plus distribution warehouses such as Amazon.

They also report interest from hospitals, other healthcare facilities, shipping and football clubs.

“The system is also perfect for care homes, which have unfortunately been such a hot topic around the crisis in recent weeks,” adds Steve.

Launching with a team of four, Steve and Stephen have “invested significantly” in Chem-Clean UK and plan to invest further in more machines as the business expands.

“COVID-19 is naturally everyone’s focus right now, and we’ve already had much interest from local firms who are returning to the office,” said Steve.

“But one treatment from the system will kill 99.999% of all viruses, bacteria and mold, so there’s a wide range of uses that will stretch long beyond this pandemic, which we’ll hopefully put behind us in the months ahead.”

For more information, visit the Chem-Clean UK website.

Don’t panic it – plan it!

If you can focus now on what lies ahead rather than what is happening now you are more likely to emerge from the crisis stronger. Having a strong plan is the foundation for recovery.

Businesses thrive when they implement a well thought out plan. It is vital business owners spend some time now planning for the future and assessing what they need to do now to ensure your business is successful as we come out of lockdown. Businesses need to anticipate obstacles that will arise in the coming weeks and months and set a course for the business.

About this event

Middlesbrough Council and Business Doctors have teamed up to offer businesses in Middlesbrough the chance to take part in a FREE 1 hour online Covid-19 resilience planning seminar and follow up 1-1 online support.

The COVID-19 Planning Workshop and Toolkit will benefit business owners who:

Want to feel more in control and have confidence that their business can survive and recover
Are seeking to establish a 180-day battle plan to tackle the immediate challenges due to COVID-19
Need clarity on current cash planning and to create reliable scenario projections and forecasts
Would like to understand how to assess any shortfall in cash, and present a coherent case for raising funds and grant applications
Are looking to refocus their sales activities around immediate short-term opportunities
Want to motivate, engage and sustain their workforce
Like to have the security of having full visibility and control of their business on daily basis.

Key features include:

A one-hour online seminar with the chance to ask questions
A structured 180-day planning workbook to help capture and record key learnings
A downloadable cash scenario planning tool
A downloadable 180 Planning Implementation/project management tool
Access to the Flow cash management tool
30-day FREE access to the Pulse Forecasting and Financial planning platform
Private 1-hour follow up review sessions with a Business Doctor advisor

Places are limited

To take part in these sessions you must be within the Middlesbrough Council local authority area. Only available to businesses that have not already taken part in the Business Doctors planning sessions being delivered by other organisations

Online seminars will take place week beginning 25 May 2020.

To book a place information please email invest@middlesbrough.gov.uk

Businesses in Tees Valley looking to improve the skills and productivity of their workforce are being encouraged to take advantage of free online training from the Skills Support for the Workforce Programme.

The Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) Programme upskills employees in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Tees Valley and is co-financed by the European Social Fund.

Delivered by Calderdale College and working through a network of locally based, professional training providers, the programme has expanded its offer to include a variety of remote and online training courses to help businesses grow and improve during lockdown.

SSW provides fully funded qualifications and training courses tailored to help meet individual business’s skills needs, in order to increase productivity and encourage growth.

The programme has already experienced success in the region, having funded training for over 580 businesses and up-skilled over 1,900 employees.

In addition to training in areas such as Team Leading, Customer Services, Business Administration, Health Care, IT User Skills, Digital Skills and many more, the SSW programme has also added training and development to specifically support the current situation for businesses, including Resilience and Recovery in Business, Digital Productivity, Promotion and Growth, and Remote Working Technologies, Best Practice & Employer Support.

Helen Howland, Head of Skills Support for the Workforce programme in Tees Valley, said: “This online training could make a real difference to the businesses and people who live and work across the region.

“During this period of uncertainty, training can help to keep staff engaged, and ensure that they come back to their role, whether from home-working or furlough, with a higher skills level.

“At a time when there is already general skill shortages across most sectors, this fully funded training means we can provide residents in Tees Valley with the right qualifications to stay in work, whilst meeting the needs of businesses to have a workforce with multiple skill sets.”

Support is also available for employed staff who have been furloughed under continuous professional development. Employers are encouraged to contact the SSW team for a free skills needs analysis.

To find out more about the support available and to see if your business is eligible for fully funded
training visit the Skills Support for the Workforce website.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is urging business owners across the region to help shape future support for companies as part of the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Mayor is leading efforts along with Teesside University and other organisations across the region to develop a package of targeted measures to help businesses impacted by the pandemic to recover quickly, to be resilient to future shocks and to help them grow.

To inform this, a short survey has been launched to understand in detail the effects the pandemic has had and may continue to have on companies across the five boroughs, and the short, medium and long-term support they need.

This comes just days after the Mayor spoke to the Prime Minister, Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick and Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government Simon Clarke, about the key role metro mayors will play in the local recovery.

The results will allow Mayor Houchen to ensure the right measures and support are put in place for businesses both large and small. The information will also allow the Mayor to influence Government policies so that they reflect the needs of Tees Valley businesses.

Mayor Houchen said: “It is vital that we do all we can to keep local businesses afloat. They are not only the backbone of our economy, but they are also people’s livelihoods, and they are currently facing greater pressures than ever before.

“That’s why I recently launched the Buy Local Tees Valley website, which aims to connect local people with businesses and tradesmen that are still open, or operating differently, during the virus outbreak.

“It’s also why I am determined to make sure our amazing business owners get the support they need over the coming weeks, months and even years. We need to get as much information as possible, then we can make sure the right support is available.

“Every business will be different, each one with its own story to tell and unique concerns, so I’d ask as many business bosses as possible, from across Teesside, Hartlepool and Darlington to fill out our short online questionnaire so we can get our brilliant businesses back on their feet and so our voice can be heard in Government.”

Professor Jane Turner, OBE DL, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Enterprise and Business Engagement) at Teesside University, said: “We are all too aware of the impact that the Coronavirus has had on our businesses in the region.

“As a University, we are doing everything we can to provide support, assistance and guidance at this time but it is absolutely vital that we work together as a region through this crisis, acting now, to support our businesses, to understand their immediate issues, so they are able to emerge from this situation better equipped to face the challenges ahead. This survey provides a voice for business leaders to express their current needs, concerns and plans, thus enabling a coherent and relevant response to the business community.”

It is the latest initiative to back local companies to be launched by the Mayor following the success of Buy Local Tees Valley, a portal where businesses and tradespeople can highlight they are still open for business during the pandemic, and the Tees Valley Business Support Helpline, for companies seeking advice or information as the coronavirus situation continues.

The survey is open to businesses of all sizes, from sole traders to large enterprises, and will run until Friday 22 May. Complete the survey online now.

To sign your business up with Buy Local Tees Valley or to find out more about local companies still open, visit the Buy Local Tees Valley website.

To contact the Tees Valley Business Support Helpline, call 01642 662 777.

COVID-19 is causing many uncertainties across so many business sectors. The pandemic is forcing companies to make hard choices, including radical restructuring and cost reductions, and to seek improvements in agility and flexibility.

Through this challenging time, Grow Tees Valley is here to help your organisation emerge stronger, leaner and ready to take advantage of new opportunities.

So whether you want to pivot or realign your business model, have identified new product or service opportunities, or want to realign your processes to meet surges in demand (eg. hand sanitiser, PPE) they can help you rethink what creates real value, now and in the future.

They’ll take you through their ‘Business Diagnostic’ to understand what makes your business tick. They’ll recommend the type of support that is right for you, or put you in touch with their wider network of business support providers. Grow Tees Valley is a part-funded service available to growth-oriented Tees Valley businesses employing fewer than 250 staff with an annual turnover no greater than €50m per annum.

Growth Spark voucher scheme
Supporting you with up to 50% of the costs associated with procuring expertise and specialist equipment to develop ideas, products and services. Due to COVID-19 the grant contribution has been upped to a maximum of £15k.
Growth Associate programme
Recruit a graduate for 12 months to deliver a pre-set work plan to achieve your ambitions. You’ll also have the support of Teesside University (or an industry expert) for half a day per week – and they’ll support up to 50% of the project’s costs.

Grow Tees Valley believes the COVID-19 outbreak will give rise to more resilient, more agile, and kinder ways of doing business. The business community will come together to meet this challenge – and they’ll be right there with you.

They’re operating ‘business as usual’ as far as possible in these exceptional circumstances, and they have the technology in place to deliver remotely. So please get in touch with Grow Tees Valley if you think they could help.

Middlesbrough businesses have now had more than £20m in support grants processed to aid them through the Coronavirus outbreak.

Middlesbrough Council began paying out to local businesses before Government money was provided and the authority has now received numerous messages of gratitude for the rapid response.

The Federation of Small Businesses even said last week that “we want to celebrate that Middlesbrough is going the extra mile to help businesses”.

Among the more than 1,700 Middlesbrough businesses to receive a grant from Middlesbrough Council is Stainsby Grange Equestrian Centre.

Jade Lemmon, Riding School Co-ordinator, said: “We want to say a big thank you to Middlesbrough Council for the grant we received in response to the Covid-19 situation.

“The grant has meant a great deal to us with the riding school completely closed we had no revenue coming in at all.

“But unfortunately the upkeep cost of the horses and their welfare needs to continue so with the grant we have been able to keep some staff in employment and we’ve been able to make sure that all the horses’ needs are met.

“We are ready that when all this is over we can get straight back to business and we will still be here for all our clients.”

The Council has also this week launched its Buy Boro campaign with a free online directory to encourage residents to buy from local businesses.

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “I can’t say strongly enough how important it is for us all to support our local businesses in Middlesbrough and that’s why we acted so quickly to start giving grants out before we’d received a penny from the Government.

“The next priority is that we all try as much as possible to buy local from our brilliant independent businesses.

“For every £1 spent with a local business or trader between 50p and 70p stays in the local economy – with the big chains or online businesses that drops to 5p.

“It’s an absolutely staggering figure and if you add the fact that for every extra 10% spent locally 100 local jobs are created you don’t need to say anymore about the importance of buying locally.”

Middlesbrough Council officers are attempting to contact businesses that have not submitted a request for support by email and phone. Anyone who thinks they may be eligible for support should visit the Middlesbrough Council website.

Middlesbrough is a front runner for the headquarters for a ground-breaking new bank that would create upwards of 120 high-quality jobs within five years.

Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston has welcomed as “hugely promising” news that prospective bank GBB – to be called GB Bank – may base itself in the town’s unoccupied Centre Square buildings.

Set to launch later this year, GBB will be the first new North-East based bank in six years, with a focus on residential and commercial property developers.

With recruitment focusing on North-East talent, the bank expects to initially employ a team of around 60 people including bankers, accountants, admin, marketing, sales, compliance, risk and HR staff.

Positive talks have been held with the mayor and other Middlesbrough Council officials during the coronavirus crisis, with members of the GBB team having previously been given a tour of the impressive Centre Square buildings in the centre of the town.

Mayor Andy Preston said: “Along with council staff, I’ve been liaising with the directors about the prospect of GBB having its headquarters in Middlesbrough for some time now.

“These talks have not stopped during the pandemic because we are planning for the future.

“For the good of the town, it’s something we’re determined to make happen.

“Middlesbrough has played second or third fiddle to Newcastle and Leeds – and everywhere else – for way too long.

“We need strong local businesses and big national businesses to be based in the centre of Middlesbrough to bring high-quality jobs, boost the economy and raise the profile of the town.

“Senior officers such as Kevin Parkes and Tony Parkinson put a lot of effort into this and have clearly impressed a potential investor. The positive energy and actions of key council staff that have allowed us to get to this point deserve praise, whether we win this deal or not.

“I and everyone at the council will do everything we can to persuade GBB to base themselves and their jobs in our great town.

GBB co-founder Stephen Black said: “GBB will be the first specialist property bank with a focus across the UK regions.

“We were hugely impressed with the mayor and his colleagues. They couldn’t have done a better job in selling the town to us.

“We really bought into their enthusiasm and vision for the town, which are things we share in terms of our own vision and enthusiasm for GB Bank.

“Our board and management team will be looking to make a final decision in the next three months, but the quality of Centre Square speaks for itself.”

GB Bank’s chief executive Steve Deutsch added: “We’re looking to employ 60 staff by early next year and more than 120 within five years.

“Other banks to have launched in recent years have started with similar numbers but have quickly grown to create hundreds more jobs and there’s undoubtedly an opportunity to employ significant numbers at GB Bank.

“We’re clearly looking at a range of options, however Middlesbrough offers the right kind of positive, entrepreneurial environment and a supportive local council, so we’re excited by the talks we’ve had with the town’s officials.”

Set to receive its provisional banking licence in the late summer, GBB will provide credit facilities for property developers looking to build new homes, offices, industrial units, student accommodation and hotels across the UK but focused on the North-East, North-West, Yorkshire, Humberside and Scotland.

Focused on “trying to get Britain and the regions building again”, Stephen believes GB Bank can contribute to the North-East region’s post-Covid economic recovery.

“Development finance is currently not well supported in the regions,” he said. “Most of the existing property banks are based in and around London and naturally tend to provide credit to areas they know and are naturally predisposed to lend on their own patch.

“Accordingly, there’s a real need for a new bank for the UK regions and to have one emerge from the North-East would be superb.

“It is a wonderful chance to facilitate more activity right here at home, especially in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.