Specialist PPC Management Agency Mabo have reached the big 5-0 and hired their 50th member of staff this month.
Over the past six years Mabo as a whole has gone from strength to strength; award wins in the UK and Europe have given Mabo the need to hire regularly to keep on top of the huge demand for their award-winning service.
The talented team at Mabo are made up of people with years of experience in the digital marketing industry, marketing, media graduates and apprentices. Mabo are passionate about helping Teesside’s digital sector grow and being apart of an apprenticeship program plays a big part in this, so it’s apt that their 50th staff member is an apprentice.
Mabo’s Operations Director Rob Jackson says; ‘It’s great to be breaking such a milestone in our company’s growth and particularly apt that it is as we employ two new apprentices. We’ve made a habit of giving people their first career opportunity and the two newest appointments will be looking to follow the example set by our existing staff; particularly the three people who have recently completed apprenticeships and earned themselves permanent roles with Mabo.’
This time last year Mabo’s staff numbers were at 30 with 3 apprentices; over the past 12 months Mabo have taken on a further 21 full time staff members including 2 apprentices to bring their total to 51. With the success Mabo have achieved from being part of an apprenticeship scheme, they have no plans to stop using this method when it comes to hiring.
Rob adds, ‘We’ve had fantastic success in the past through the apprenticeship placements we’ve offered with the apprentices hugely benefitting from the combination of on-the-job training and studying for a recognised qualification, as well as being able to earn as they train. It gives us the opportunity to take on some of the region’s most talented and driven young people and mould them into key employees.’
Mabo, who work with the likes of Bannatynes, Lifestyle Fitness and JT Atkinson are expected to see their multi-directional growth continue over the next year. It’s begun already with a recent expansion onto the 6th floor of their office block on Albert Road in the heart of Middlesbrough town centre.
Lee Mableson, Managing Director says, “We’ve had success in growing Mabo from day one and I’m happy to say, even with tough market conditions for businesses lately, we’ve continued our growth. We’ve recently invested in another floor in the Albert North building where we’re based and have recruited more staff to facilitate further growth. It really comes down to our business ethics and great staff that we have as to the reason we’ve been successful, without them we can’t deliver our award-winning service.
We’re looking forward to seeing how we advance over the next couple of years, it’s an exciting journey we’re on.”
The owners of an independent coffee shop have told how “investing in Middlesbrough is at the heart of who we are” as they opened their second outlet in the town.
Rounton Coffee Roasters have recently taken over the prime café space in Debenham’s in the centre of Middlesbrough which was previously occupied by Patisserie Valerie and which they have named The Corner.
The business opened its first coffee shop on Bedford Street in March 2016 as part of the major Baker/Bedford Street regeneration project and has been there ever since attracting a loyal customer base.
One famous fan was Radio 1 DJ Greg James who, when hosting the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Stewart Park in May, said it had given him the “best breakfast I’ve ever had”.
He went on to say on social media that “I’d genuinely commute to it” and later added “can’t stop thinking about it” alongside a photo of the meal.
Rounton source and roast their own coffee in East Rounton and also offer a selection of craft coffees, quality light bites and snacks along with speciality Storm Teas and single origin drinking chocolates by Kokoa Collection.
Rounton director Dave Beattie revealed the company were approached by Debenhams about the available space for what would become their second Middlesbrough outlet.
They have now committed around £30,000 in the store and created 16 jobs in The Corner, six of which are full time.
He said: “We looked into it and thought actually, there’s something we could do here and offer something slightly different, yes the same awesome customer service and the same incredible coffee but in a more convenient location for the people of Middlesbrough.
“Personally I think both coffee shops have their own identity and we are not dividing our customer base – this opens the doors to more customers.”
Fellow director Chris Keegan said: “Investing in Middlesbrough is at the heart of who we are and we wanted to take a sensible risk to get the high street moving. For us we thought let’s go for it, let’s try to make the high street happen and let’s create some jobs and I’m super proud of the jobs we’ve created.”
Visiting the coffee shop to offer his congratulations, Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “Rounton Coffee Shop on Bedford Street is one of my absolute favourite places to have lunch and I’m really pleased to see the guys investing more of themselves and their business in Middlesbrough.
“They have got one of the absolutely prime spots in the town centre and I’ve no doubt they can thrive as a brilliant independent Boro outlet.”
Pictured: Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston (L), with Rounton directors Chris Keegan (C) and Dave Beattie (R) at The Corner coffee shop in Middlesbrough.
A local business that started small but has established an impressive reputation in the engineering sector is on target for a £3m turnover and expects to double its current 28-strong team by the end of 2020.
INDUSTRO Solutions Ltd, set up by John Betts and Joanne Bell in 2016 following the closure of an SSI supply chain engineering business where they both worked, recently moved into larger premises in Middlesbrough, allowing the company to increase their fabrication capacity and take on more large- scale bespoke projects for clients in the UK and abroad.
UKSE, the business-support subsidiary of Tata Steel, supported the move with a third investment. An initial loan from its Regeneration Fund helped the business start up then move into UKSE’s Innovation Centre in Redcar and a further loan in 2017 backed growth.
INDUSTRO Solutions provides a growing range of specialist services including design engineering, steel fabrication, installation and asset management. The new facility, alongside the expanding workforce, will see INDUSTRO take on a growing number of complex and exciting projects, from initial design to completion, for companies in mining, renewable energy, oil and gas, process and other sectors.
Projects to date have included the refurbishment of the Saltburn Cliff lift, a process skid for Qatar and the fabrication and installation of a renewable process plant on Teesside.
“We have doubled turnover each year and are expanding services steadily including our design engineering capability and asset inspection work,” said John Betts. “We have a dynamic and innovative approach to what is a traditional sector and this has helped us attract a healthy customer base. UKSE has been very supportive since the beginning with investments, premises and advice. We are continuing to grow and expect to see a £3m turnover next year with around 50 staff by the end of 2020.”
Joanne Bell added: “When we started we were able to take on a number of former SSI and supply-chain workers and continue to build a strong, skilled and highly experienced team, from senior management, supervisors, platers, welders and mechanical fitters to apprentices.
“Our team is our greatest asset and are all committed to our innovative business approach, modern culture and health and safety. We have our own apprenticeship scheme and are committed to recruiting two new apprentices each year. We are confident that the combination of our skills and experience in the sector means we can continue to create a successful business and are very pleased with progress to date.”
Peter Taylor, Business Development Manager for UKSE, said: “INDUSTRO Solutions made an impressive start and is continuing that success by expanding its services and growing its team and client list. It has been very rewarding for us to watch the company develop and to support it with the investments needed as it grew.”
A £250million project to establish Middlesbrough as the UK’s digital city, leading to the creation of more than 2,000 jobs, has been unveiled today.
The plans include building the highest office and residential towers for 30 miles as part of an initial £45million phase of the project that will transform Teesside’s skyline and lead to 1,000 new jobs in the digital and creative industries, rising to 2,000 jobs in future phases.
Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston met 200 business leaders in Middlesbrough today to present the bold vision for the town which will benefit from the biggest single investment in Middlesbrough’s history.
Construction of the first phase, which will include three 20 storey-towers, will start next summer and create up to 400 construction jobs. It will see the creation of a digital campus, a 750-seat indoor amphitheatre beneath a glass atrium and a 400-seat outdoor amphitheatre to host events such as lectures, cultural events and entertainment.
Mayor Preston said: “For the next few years my obsession, my mission, my purpose on this planet is to get Middlesbrough on track as the digital city for the UK.
“This is a £45m first step of a quarter of a billion pounds scheme that will propel Middlesbrough on a journey to become the UK’s digital capital – bringing investment, jobs and prosperity to the town.
“The sky’s the limit if we think big – and that’s exactly what we’re doing with this project. All of the old perceptions of Middlesbrough are going to go out of the window.
“We want our existing digital businesses to grow, regional businesses to realise this is the place to be, and national and international businesses to be attracted here.
“We can do that by ensuring we have the best office space with the best facilities and environment, and the most positive mind set
”I don’t care what’s happened in the past with the empty promises. This isn’t another pipedream that might happen in two, four or ten years’ time. This is happening now.
“We have the money and investors in place. Planning consent will be sought within weeks and construction will start next summer.”
Mayor Houchen said: “This is another transformational project for the Tees Valley which shows just what can happen when mayors work together. I’m delighted to support mayor Preston’s bold vision to develop Middlesbrough into the digital powerhouse of the UK – and send out a strong message that Boro’s on the up – literally!
“Our region is already home to some world-leading digital businesses and we’ll be able to offer cutting edge accommodation in the heart of the oldest part of Middlesbrough, bringing well-paid jobs to the town. This will be adjacent to two new residential towers, new shops and facilities which will make this a great place to live as well as work.”
The £30m office development is being joint funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority and Middlesbrough Council. This includes £26.5m from the Combined Authority’s £588m Investment Plan which was agreed earlier this year and sets out a ten-year vision to transform the region. The council will contribute £3.5m, with a further £15m investment in residential accommodation by a third party consortium.
Mayor Houchen added: “This is the kind of exciting and bold project that our local authorities can deliver through the Combined Authority’s Investment Plan. Through the funding which was agreed in January, we have already bought Teesside International Airport and more than half of the developable land at the South Tees Development Corporation as we push on with transforming Tees Valley.”
Teesside University’s Middlesbrough campus is to become a £5.6 million enterprise zone, providing a dynamic environment for new entrepreneurs and established companies to grow through digital innovation.
The Innovate Tees Valley University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) will build on the University’s established track record in helping tech start-ups, with the development of two enterprise hubs on its Middlesbrough campus.
Underpinned by academic strengths in digital technologies (including AI, augmented reality and intelligent gaming) and a focus on interdisciplinary working, the UEZ will be the driver for increased tech start-ups and productivity growth through digitalisation in priority sectors for the Tees Valley. With all academic Schools involved, it will expand opportunities for university-business collaborations leading to new digital products and processes, new business creation, and recruitment and retention of graduates in the Tees Valley.
The UEZ will be part-funded by a £1.485m capital grant from the Research England Development Fund, matched by the University, and levering in at least a further £2.6m over the next three years. Key partners and supporters include the Tees Valley Combined Authority, Middlesbrough Council and Tees Valley local authorities, Double Eleven, Visualsoft, Cubic, Amazing Interactives, R8 Games, the North East England Chamber of Commerce and MAKE UK.
Work for the UEZ will include re-purposing the existing Launchpad start-up centre and Phoenix Building to provide exciting and transformative incubation, collaboration and acceleration space on campus, including additional start-up and grow-on units, games studios, co-working and maker spaces and events facilities.
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University, Professor Paul Croney, welcomed the news, saying: “This is a hugely positive development for the area. The UEZ will place Teesside University and its focus on enterprise, innovation and growth firmly at the heart of the Tees Valley economy. It reflects our key mission as an anchor institution driving economic growth in the region.
“Teesside University has an excellent reputation for creating and sustaining digital start-ups and, by working alongside our established academic expertise in business and digital technologies, we look forward to delivering a new pipeline of sustainable, high-growth businesses into the Tees Valley business sector.”
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, said: “The Tees Valley is already home to world-class digital companies, many stem from graduates of the University. As we look to drive forward growth in this vital sector, we need to make sure we are providing the top-quality facilities businesses need to help them
“Increasing the number of opportunities and suitable spaces for scale-up companies is key to the region’s economic growth. This investment will help drive innovation and growth through digital technology and create the industries for the future, ensuring well paid, high-quality jobs are available for generations to come.”
Science Minister Chris Skidmore said: “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and Teesside has a thriving ecosystem of local businesses and entrepreneurs whose creativity and determination help underpin the UK’s position as a leading innovator.
“Alongside this, many of Teesside’s research community are right on the precipice of turning ground-breaking ideas into real products and services which could change the lives not just of people in the local community, but people around the world.
“Today’s funding will not only help local scientists take their ideas from lab to market – but will also support an enterprise hub at Teesside University. Providing space for local businesses to forge crucial partnerships, the UEZs will create jobs, drive local growth and provide SMEs with a vital stepping stone to succeed.”
Pictured: The UEZ will see the Phoenix Building (pictured) and the Launchpad start-up centre re-purposed into exciting and transformative incubation, collaboration and acceleration space
PD Ports, one of the UK’s major port groups has won the coveted title of Business of the Year 2019 at the Rail Freight Group’s (RFG) annual awards ceremony.
The port operator took the top prize with the judges praising its outstanding commitment to its customers and to the wider local community in the North East.
The judges were particularly impressed by PD Ports’ show of industry leadership in the way it promotes rail freight services, especially across the North, and by launching a second weekly service to Scotland at the business’ own financial risk.
This second weekly service, known as the Teesport Express, was launched last year and combines ferry and rail to replace an alternative ferry service form Rosyth to Zeebrugge which had been withdrawn by its operator.
PD Ports recognised the need to bring about an alternative solution for customers, enabling cargo to be moved more easily to Scotland, with the only existing options in addition to Teesport being to bring it by water to Felixstowe or the Humber and then completing its journey by road.
Five years after the launch of the company’s Intermodal Rail Terminal at Teesport, the investment has taken the port from strength to strength. The port operator now offers more daily connections to Scotland than any other port in the North.
Frans Calje, PD Ports’ CEO, said: “We are delighted to have won this award, as it highlights our promise to deliver the very best customer service, as well as our ongoing commitment to getting more goods moving by rail.
“The fact that the Teesport Express service could be commissioned so quickly demonstrates the strength of the relationships that we hold with our partners within the supply chain as we were able to influence decision-making with ferry and rail operators to get an entirely new service up and running.
“Customer care is the lifeblood of our business and is embedded in every department, location and function across the UK. As a business we acknowledge that without our customers we wouldn’t operate, and we do everything within our power to help them be successful, profitable and secure their own futures as well as ours.”
The judges also paid tribute to PD Ports continued support to the local community when announcing the port operator as their Business of the Year.
PD Ports was commended for both its internal scheme ‘Find It Fund It’ which helps staff support their chosen local charities, as well as for its partnership with Stockton Riverside College to establish and support the Logistics Academy – an initiative which encourages training and upskilling to current staff and the local population.
Frans added: “To not only be recognised for our commitment to our customers, but also for our ongoing work within the local community on Teesside is truly rewarding.
“We take great pride in giving back to the community and have a firm belief in nurturing local talent to secure our future workforce and help the Tees Valley continue to thrive.”
The awards were presented by the awards’ sponsor John Smith, MD of GB Railfreight (GBRf), and Simon Coppen of Burgess Salmon at a dinner held on 12 September at the De Vere Latimer Estate Hotel, Chesham.
Maggie Simpson, RFG Executive Director, said: “We continue to be amazed by the excellent and innovative work done by the member of the Rail Freight Group and are pleased to be able to recognise some of them through these awards.”
The Rail Freight Group is the representative body for the rail freight industry in the UK. The annual awards acknowledge outstanding contributions in seeking solutions to increase the volume of goods moving by rail.
Pictured: John Smith from GB Railfreight, PD Ports’ Frans Calje, Patti Burt and Kim Catterick, and Simon Coppen from event sponsor Burgess Salmon
A local family-run company that has supplied the North of England with timber windows and doors since 1979 is celebrating its 40th birthday.
ERW have been based in the town for four decades. Since 1990, the company has been owned and run by Lawrence Wall and his wife Julie.
Lawrence is part of the fabric of ERW having originally worked as Sales Manager before purchasing the company when the previous owners were looking to sell, placing Lawrence’s job and those of his colleagues under threat.
This year – the company’s milestone 40th in business – is also Lawrence’s last. He’ll step down, handing over the reins to his children.
Originally based at Bolckow Road Industrial Estate in Grangetown, the company opened its first showroom on Eston High Street in 1986, before moving to Renovation House in 1988 – the Skippers Lane premises which remains the company’s home today.
During that time, headcount has grown from seven to 33 and many staff have grown with the company. This includes Lawrence’s and Julie’s children Phillip, Helen and Stuart who, along with fellow senior leaders Kirsty Semark and Phil Tye, will take over the running of the business, when their father steps down later this year.
Lawrence said: “We’re proud to have reached the 40-year milestone and to have done it as a family.
“We’ve been employing local people and nurturing new apprentices since 1979 and have staff that have been with us for over two decades.
“During challenging times such as the recessions of 1990 and 2008 which claimed many local businesses, we were able to battle through and ultimately come out bigger and stronger.
“I put that down to being a family run business and having a tightly knit, loyal team that understand the ethos of hard work, dedication and professionalism.
“Looking back, I think that’s my biggest achievement. And I know that when I move away, the company will carry on those family values,” he added.
ERW is regarded as one of the north’s leading providers of bespoke timber windows and doors having worked on many local prestige buildings including Hartlepool former Post Office, Stewarts Park, Rockliffe Hall, Norton Hall and Wilton Castle as well as many other historic buildings throughout the North East.
Last year, the team worked on the restoration of Auckland Castle, one of the most historically important buildings in the region.
This helped make 2018 ERW’s most successful year to date, with a turnover of over £2 million – 37 per cent up on the previous year. Increased demand for their products has also seen the company employ two new members of staff, with plans to recruit two more by the end of 2019.
Commercial Manager Phillip Wall says the company’s growth is down to the team’s drive to get better.
“The biggest change in the business over the years is the quality of our products and services,” he said.
“The company is where it is today because we never rest on our laurels. We continually invest in research and development so that we’re ahead of the curve in manufacturing and maintain relationships with the best local suppliers so that our customers receive market-leading products.”
ERW has always believed strongly in investing locally. It’s long list of suppliers includes Middlesbrough-based ATF Supplies, York glass supplier Twinseal and Ernest Bennetts of Darlington.
“Teesside has some of the best hardware, timber and machine suppliers in the UK so we’ve never had a need to look elsewhere,” said Phillip. “It also means we’re putting money back into the local economy. It’s important that businesses support each other in that way, especially in a challenging economic climate.”
Reaching 40 years in business is a huge achievement and the company hopes to continue its success with the new generation of Walls at the helm.
“We’d like to thank all of our customers and staff and suppliers, both past and present,” said Lawrence.
“ERW would never have reached this birthday without the loyalty of our customers, the quality of our suppliers or the dedication of the workforce.
“With all the work the senior leadership team are doing to build on the last 40 years and push the company forward, I step aside knowing the future’s looking bright.”
Plans have been drawn up for an exciting new railway station to revitalise Teesside’s transport links.
The proposed park and ride interchange between Nunthorpe and Guisborough is a joint project between Redcar & Cleveland and Middlesbrough Councils and the Tees Valley Combined Authority aimed at easing road congestion and improving access to East Cleveland
The new station – provisionally named Roseberry Parkway – will serve a population of around 70,000 people in East Cleveland, Guisborough, South Middlesbrough and parts of North Yorkshire.
The 21st century facility will bring together trains, buses, cycle provision and parking to create an integrated hub serving Guisborough and East Cleveland, Stokesley and villages in North Yorkshire.
In addition to existing trains from to Newcastle, Carlisle and Whitby, it is hoped services to Middlesbrough will increase to every half hour, while the number of daily trains travelling to Whitby could be doubled.
The two local authorities are currently working in partnership with Tees Valley Combined Authority, Arriva, Northern and Network Rail, with an outline business case due to be drawn up later this year.
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “Good transport links are vital for a vibrant and successful local economy, and that’s why it’s essential that we work together to find the right solutions.
“This exciting proposal is a fantastic example of that approach, creating an innovative and forward-thinking facility that will improve access to employment, education, healthcare and other services.
“In the long term it is also estimated the parkway station will help to divert at least 30,000 car trips every year from the ‘Marton Crawl’.”
Cllr Mary Lanigan, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “This is fantastic news for the region and particularly for people living in the towns and villages of East Cleveland.
“One of our priorities is to improve public transport and provide better connectivity for everyone.
“There are some communities where this has been a challenge but this link will help provide a vital link to help people to work, study or access key services, such as healthcare.
“We are delighted to see these plans come to fruition and we will continue to develop further plans to improve transport links in East Cleveland.”
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Simon Clarke added: “This is a really exciting moment in our shared mission to deliver a lasting solution to traffic congestion in south Middlesbrough, while also improving transport links across East Cleveland.
“The opportunity to create a new station with both Park and Ride and proper interconnection with local bus services is a hugely ambitious scheme that I hope local people will warmly support.
“Both Andy and Mary have been a breath of fresh air since they became Mayor and Council leader respectively and we’ve resolved to work together to design the best possible scheme that makes it easier for people to get to school, work or the shops in our part of the Tees Valley.
“We’ll also be reaching out to Ben Houchen as the process moves forward so that he can help us to make the funding case to Transport for the North and the Department for Transport – but for today’s announcement our message is clear: there’s a plan, it’s a good one and we’re all looking forward to the next steps.”
Matthew Soakell, 24, landed his first role at Mabo following a family BBQ in Guisborough. Fast forward 3 years, 5 award shortlists and 2 wins later, Matthew is now crowned the European Search Awards – Young Search Professional of the Year.
A punt was taken on Matthew in May 2016 by Lee Mableson, Managing Director and Rob Jackson, Operations Director of Mabo after they decided it was time for Mabo to grow, recruit and train up the next generation of digital marketers.
Previously working as a Marketing Assistant for a Newcastle based music production company, Matthew had no prior PPC (pay per click) experience. This turned out to work in his favour as from day one, Matthew was able to learn the award-winning Mabo way of managing accounts.
Within two years, Matthew’s work spoke for itself, with amazing results through PPC for a large range of online advertisers far and wide, the start of the award shortlists began.
2018 saw Matthew’s first award shortlist for his campaign work with outdoor clothing giant Montane. Shortlisted for Best PPC Campaign: Reaching The Summit Of Paid Search With Montane at the Northern Digital Awards 2018; unfortunately, Matthew didn’t come away with a win but the award entries didn’t stop there.
When 2019’s award season rolled around, Matthew’s job role at Mabo had changed, with more responsibility came more power… to influence.
Now a Senior PPC Trainer, Matthew’s role is focused on training the 20+ strong PPC team; whether that’s the initial training of new staff members or training the wider group who manage Mabos client’s accounts. He structures weekly training sessions to keep everyone up to date with product knowledge and introducing new ways of approaching tasks and strategy; alongside this Matthew speaks at various events around the county talking all things PPC related on behalf of Mabo.
When asked what Matthew enjoys most about his role, “…it’s great to be at the forefront of the development of a constantly growing team.”
With Matthew’s industry development growing from strength to strength 4 further award shortlists came into play all based around his personal development, the impact and the influence he has had on the PPC industry.
“This industry is ever-evolving. If you’re not willing to adapt and change, you’re going to get left behind. The most important thing for Account Managers in our industry is to have commercial awareness, to be creative, yet analytical, and to always ask questions.” says Matthew.
Two out of the next four shortlists turned into wins, taking home, Rising Star of the Year at the UK Biddable Media Awards 2019 and Matthews’ biggest one yet, Young Search Professional Of The Year at the European Search Awards 2019. Matthew comments, “To be named the best in Europe is something we at Mabo know all about, being named Best Small PPC Agency in Europe last year, and so to follow on this year with a win at this prestigious industry awards ceremony is nothing but an absolute honour and something I’ll never forget.”
A huge part of Matthew’s role at Mabo involves public speaking at industry events alongside the likes of Google and Bing. Matthew has been public speaking from the age of 17 and has spoken up and down the country helping his parents charity. “I gave my first public talk around 17 or 18 and was a bag of nerves, but you get used to it. You have to learn to enjoy it, and learn to love the nerves. The more I get to do public speaking, the more events that I talk at, the more confident I become, and the more I enjoy the occasion” He adds, “I believe this experience has helped me develop greatly in my role at Mabo.”
Having spoken up and down the UK, Matthew’s passion and focus to influence the next generation of digital marketers always starts on Teesside. As well as talks at industry events Matthew frequently speaks at local student events; Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities. From this, Matthew recently featured on the BBC Bitesize World Of Work series in which he talks about his job role, how he’s got to where he is today and offers out advice to the younger generation who might be thinking of following in his footsteps.
Matthew’s aim to influence as many people as possible continues through writing online. Keeping everyone in the online digital market up-to-date with new PPC facts and features great and small. You will find his blogs featured on industry PPC blogger sites such as PPC Hubbub and PPC Protect.
His presence on social media doesn’t go a miss these days either; regularly involved in PPC chats via Twitter, his thoughts have been picked up by well known sites including searchengineland, seounity and clixmarketing to name a few.
Looking to the future Matthew aims to continue his love of public speaking about all things PPC, “One thing I’m aiming for is to speak at digital marketing events and conferences that are even bigger than the ones I’ve spoken at previously; seminars and sessions that can really go on to help make a difference to how the attendees do business and achieve what they set out to do within their marketing creatives.”
With hopes of becoming an even more well known face within the PPC industry, Matthew hopes that one day he will take home the crown of UK Search Personality of the Year, to really prove his knowledge and passion for the industry. “The sort of people you look up to in this industry are those who win the likes of UK Search Professional of the Year or European Search Personality of the Year, so that’s certainly something to aim at achieving.”
Matthew’s final nod to the future, “In terms of the future; who knows? In the words of Steve Jobs, “stay hungry, stay foolish”.
For more information on Mabo and Matthew, please visit www.mabo.co.uk
A business founded by two Teesside University aerospace engineering students has won a prestigious entrepreneurial award.
StratoBooster has been recognised at The Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards 2019. The awards are organised annually and presented at the University of Huddersfield.
The awards are presented to students or graduates who have displayed remarkable entrepreneurship while at University by creating a business or social enterprise.
StratoBooster was founded by Andrew Dunn and Ben Massey, both BEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering graduates, with their business based at Teesside University’s start-up incubator Launchpad.
Andrew and Ben completed the DigitalCity Fellowship Accelerator which works with Tees Valley entrepreneurs to offer funding, workshops and bespoke consultancy as they develop their product or idea.
HRH The Duke of York presented Andrew and Ben with their award at the University of Huddersfield.
Andrew said: “It has been really exciting to win this award and it was fantastic to meet HRH The Duke of York and speak to him about our aims. We want to thank Teesside University too for their support.”
Steve Dougan, Head of Enterprise at Teesside University, said: “We are delighted that StratoBooster has earned such recognition by winning this award.
“They have established an innovative enterprise and it is great to see them develop and grow.”
Pictured: Ben Massey and Andrew Dunn with HRH The Duke of York
