In the last year over 800 companies have been set up in Teesside. Many others have grown, meaning they need larger offices. The hardest thing these businesses experience is finding affordable office accommodation right in the city centre…..so one company is stepping forward to offer office space for free!
The management team at Commerce House have decided that as a tranche of their office space is due to be completed in the next five weeks that they will offer up free opportunities to a limited number of companies to support entrepreneurialism in the area. This is partly to stop talented people and businesses leaving the city centre.
Commerce House is a stunning Grade 2 listed building in the heart of Middlesbrough, which is undergoing a transformation into a business community complete with boardroom, meeting rooms, office space, hot desking and virtual office membership.
Works are due to be completed on phase two in just five weeks so over that time, there will be a sliding scale of how many months free you may receive. Christine Huntington, facilities manager on site explains:
“This week with five weeks to go, you will have a massive five months free. That’s five months in a fully furnished office with broadband included with nothing to pay!
“Next week this will drop to four, the week after three and so on until the office space is officially opened and tenants can move in.
“We are keen to support business in the area, and this is part of our commitment to the local community. It is important that business grows and survives in Teesside and we want to show support to those determined to succeed!”
Although terms and conditions will apply, you don’t have to be a new business to qualify. You just need to show determination to succeed. Office space is available from two desks up to rooms that hold fourteen desks. More information is available at www.commerce-house.co.uk
In the first instance, as we expect enquiries to be busy, please email Christine on Christine@commercechambers.co.uk, with your name, company details, size and contact number. She will then phone back to move onto the next stage.
Teessider Mike Szwacki has just been crowned third best in the world at the skill of wrapping.
Mike travelled to Hamburg in Germany to take part in the world final of the Hexis wrapping battle, which challenged finalists to show off their skills in the art of wrapping a plastic panel in vinyl.
As owner of Middlesbrough-based company MEK Wrap Squad, transforming motors for proud owners by wrapping them in removable plastic vinyl is something Mike does every working day.
But such is his passion for the art form that he also does it when he’s not working too.
He has travelled the world taking part in competitions – known as battles – to test his skills against the world’s best.
Wroclaw-born Mike, who moved to Middlesbrough from Poland with wife Elwira 12 years ago, took part in the Hexis Battle World Final as part of FESPA 2018, Europe’s largest global print expo.
Taking top spot when representing his adopted UK in the European Hexis Battle, he qualified for the following day’s World Final where he took on fellow wrappers from Mexico, South Africa, Japan, Brazil, USA, Sweden, Russia and Bulgaria.
After three rounds of challenges, a panel of expert judges gave Mike third place behind only his fellow competitors from Bulgaria and Brazil.
Mike, who is officially the most qualified wrapper in the UK, admitted to mixed feelings about being crowned third best in the world.
“I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, so I’d like to have been first,” he said. “Wrapping is a passion, not just a job for me.
“Of course, it’s mind-blowing to be recognized within your industry as one of the world’s best. It was a privilege to compete against other wrappers from around the world – and I was honoured to represent the UK as my adopted country that I now call home.”
Businesses across Middlesbrough have benefited from a free masterclass in the art of bid writing.
The free workshop – hosted by Middlesbrough Council in partnership with the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO), B2B North and the Federation of Small Businesses – was a unique opportunity to undertake specialist training from procurement expert Garry Stone.
The intensive one-day session held at Boho Five was aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as charities and social enterprises.
Businesses were given a fantastic opportunity to develop successful strategies and techniques to improve their success rate in winning new work in their relevant sectors.
Hannah Williams of Boho One-based Logic Architecture added: “It was a great workshop, very beneficial for growing businesses to get involved with bigger projects.
“The full day was interesting and full of great tips to create a successful tender.”
The NEPO Business Club is a partnership initiative between NEPO and B2B North Ltd funded by NEPO and its Member Authorities in the region.
Stephen Roberts from NEPO said: “The NEPO Business Club workshops and events are very popular and we are delighted that we are able to meet the needs of businesses based in the Tees Valley.
“Tendering is a competitive process and the aim of the Bid Writing Masterclass is to put businesses and organisations in the best position to win public sector frameworks and contracts and grow their business.”
Councillor Lewis Young, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure, said: “We have a great business community with real entrepreneurial spirit, but the right insight and advice can still help enterprises develop and move on to the next level.
“Middlesbrough Council is pleased to be able to provide the opportunity for business owners and voluntary agencies to receive this type of expertise to support their business growth.”
For more information on the NEPO Business Club, visit the NEPO website at https://www.nepo.org/suppliers/participate
Employees from around the region are to be celebrated at the second annual North East Employee of the Year Awards.
Individuals are urged to nominate colleagues they feel make an invaluable contribution to their businesses for the range of awards including, the Leadership Award, Unsung Hero and Best Apprentice.
Nominations from managers, directors and board members are welcomed for employees who deserve special recognition, or who have already been awarded by the company. Nominations should be made online.
Award entries will close at 12 noon on Friday 19 May.
The evening will culminate with the presentation of the coveted ‘North East Employee of the Year’ award, which is selected from all category winners.
Tesco Underwriting were quick to confirm their partnership with the event once again with HR Manager Lesley Clapperton keen to sing the praises of North East employees. She said: “Everyone at Tesco Underwriting considers this a fantastic event for the area. We believe the hard work of staff at all levels should be commended so we’re thrilled to once again be a part of an event that does just that.”
Heading into its second year, the programme was founded by leading North East event management company, She’s Gott It!, following the decision by leading local businesses to showcase the talent of the region’s employees.
She’s Gott it! event manager, Sie Francis, said: “The awards add a great deal of value to the region, as there are no other ceremonies in the North East that offer a platform to shout about employee success.
“Being able to bring the event back for a second year is very exciting and it means so much to have Tesco Underwriting as our headline sponsor once again. We’re keen to get as many businesses from around the North East involved as sponsors or supporters to make this year’s event bigger and better than ever.”
For more information on how your business can be a part of celebrating the region’s employees by supporting or sponsoring, contact Sie Francis at She’s Gott It! on 0191 385 6619, or at info@northeastemployeeoftheyear.co.uk.
To enter or learn more about the awards, please visit: www.northeastemployeeoftheyear.co.uk.
A new initiative has been launched at Teesside University to build stronger links between students and employers.
Leading entrepreneur and networker Meryl Levington has been appointed as the new Head of Student Futures and will work with the business community to find out how the University can meet its needs with its graduate talent.
She will develop programmes for students at the University to ensure that they are ready for the world of work when they graduate.
Meryl will also work alongside the University’s award-winning graduate enterprise initiative to encourage entrepreneurship amongst students and grow the number of business start-ups emanating from the University.
Meryl, who has an MA in Entrepreneurship from Durham University, joins Teesside having spent 16 years working in the private sector as a business consultant and mentor.
She said: “My first degree was in modern languages and living and working abroad really taught me how to network and get to know people.
“I have always had a hunger to work with business and I’ve spent a lot of my career working with entrepreneurs helping them to set up their own companies.
“I’m really looking forward to transferring these skills to my role at Teesside University.”
A key aspect of Meryl’s job will be engaging with employers and the business community to promote the benefits of working with the University and developing opportunities for graduate employment and student placements.
She added: “We will be working with students to develop key skills for employment so they are better equipped for work and help raise aspirations for graduates.
“We will work alongside employers to understand the changing needs of their businesses and respond to them by developing our programmes and modules accordingly.
“Particularly for SMEs, recruiting a graduate can be a relatively inexpensive way of bring in extra skills and talent into your company and as a University we can help with the recruitment process.
“I really want to create strong industrial links and showcase all the fantastic expertise there is here at the University and demonstrate that the University is not just about endowing academic qualifications on students but also works to create valuable future employees.”
Over £2.1 million is now available for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Tees Valley for training. The Skills Support for the Workforce project offers fully funded training to help SMEs fill skill gaps, raise productivity, and boost business growth.
Staff development through professionally delivered training, offered at no cost to a business, can help to increase productivity, motivate and engage staff, and improve employee retention.
“In addition to giving access to a wide range of training courses and qualifications, this project provides businesses with expert support to identify their existing skills gaps, and to pinpoint the skills they’ll need in future to facilitate their growth plans,” explained Andrew Lewis, Managing Director of Tees Valley Combined Authority. “Accessing support through this project can improve your ability to adapt to the evolving business environment in Tees Valley, nurture a leadership team for the future and make you an employer of choice for emerging talent.”
“By training your staff you can improve your ability to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment, nurture a leadership team for the future, and make you an employer of choice for emerging talent,” explained Ebrahim Dockrat, Director of Calderdale College, the main contractor for the project.
Research has found that employees who undertake non-compulsory work-related training do their jobs better and are more satisfied with their work, but a lack of time and possible costs can act as barriers to accessing training. The Skills Support for the Workforce project is designed to address these challenges.
The project is co-financed by the European Union’s European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency and is available for SMEs seeking non-compulsory work-based training to support their business growth plan.
“As this training is funded with European money this is the last project of its kind,” explained Mr Dockrat. “This funding is only available until July 2018 and so it’s a case of get it whilst you still can.”
The Tees Valley is an important location for UK manufacturing and contributes £12 billion to the national economy. Recently there has been major investment in innovative new technologies such as subsea, biologics, and energy from waste. However, the shortage of skills in the process and offshore sectors has resulted in a dependency on imported skills.
Delivered by Calderdale College, the country’s largest provider of European Social Fund funded training, through local providers, the training is for businesses operating in advanced manufacturing and engineering; digital and creative; chemical; low carbon; energy; logistics; business and professional services; culture and leisure; and health and biologics.
For more information and to see if your business is eligible for fully funded training please visit http://ssw.fundingunit.org.uk/
PD Ports scooped two awards at the inaugural Northern Lights Awards 2017 with CEO, David Robinson claiming the top accolade of the night.
Both Transport & Logistics Company of the Year award and Business Personality of the Year award were presented to Mr Robinson and the team at PD Ports in recognition of the business’ commitment to collaboration across the Northern Powerhouse and helping to rebalance the economy.
One of the UK’s largest ports and logistics operators, PD Ports beat off tough competition to take the title Transport & Logistics Company of the Year.
David Robinson, CEO of PD Ports, said: “We are delighted that PD Ports has been named Transport and Logistics Company of Year. We are very proud of the levels of service and commitment we offer all of our customers, underpinned by our company core values.
“This award isn’t just reflective of the high levels of satisfaction felt by our customers it is also recognition of the passion and dedication of each and every one of our team.”
The Northern Lights Business Personality of the Year Award was the top honour of the evening which commended Mr Robinson for his outstanding business leadership within the Northern Powerhouse.
The judges cited David’s win as recognition of not only his impressive track record and tangible personal impact on the economic fortunes of the North, but also for both the time he dedicates to acting as a business ambassador and his charitable endeavours.
The Northern Lights Awards formed part of the UK Northern Powerhouse Annual Conference held in Manchester from 21st – 22nd February. Now in its second year the event attracted more than 3,000 visitors over the two-day event with 500 delegates attending the Northern Lights Awards ceremony.
MPI Offshore has gained a new apprentice through its work with the High Tide Foundation. Rachel Boynton was offered an engineering apprenticeship with the Stokesley-based company after taking part in High Tide’s Engineering Week.
Established last year, High Tide’s Engineering Week is a dedicated week-long work experience programme, ran during the summer academic break, designed specifically for students interested in engineering. During the week, the young people visit a number of local engineering companies to gain an insight into the local industry.
After taking part in Engineering Week last year, Rachel was asked by MPI Offshore to submit her CV for potential future apprenticeships. After an interview process, Rachel successfully secured a position as an Apprentice Draughtsman and started her employment in December.
In her role, Rachel will be predominantly based within the drawing office where she will gain experience of specialised computer software that will over time allow her to produce detailed engineering drawings. Working at MPI Offshore allows her the opportunity to combine office-based work with on-site visits to see the company’s fleet of vessels and work with local fabricators to observe operations first-hand.
Her apprenticeship will take two years to complete and when finished Rachel will have gained a HNC in Mechanical Engineering.
Commenting on High Tide and her new position with MPI Offshore, Rachel said: “I’m am so pleased that High Tide were able to give me the chance to visit MPI Offshore last year which resulted in the company offering me this opportunity. I am looking forward to the challenge and expanding my learning further with the help of my apprenticeship.
“Something I really enjoyed about getting involved with High Tide was being able to go onboard the MPI vessels, being able to look around and talk to the Captain. Also what I found interesting was learning all about what MPI do from the drawings office to the installation vessels.”
Managing Director of MPI Offshore, Peter Robinson, commented: “When students engage with organisations such as High Tide it shows initiative and an enquiring mind. MPI Offshore is a member of High Tide to showcase our business to those most interested students. It is a great starting point for business and students with common goals to meet and on occasions, as in the case for Rachel, to start a working relationship.
“We are delighted to have Rachel on-board and over time, with training, we look forward to seeing her develop into a first-class Teesside engineer upholding the area’s worldwide reputation for engineering talents.”
A research project between Teesside University and a North East business looking at how advanced computer simulation can be used in product testing has been rated at the highest possible standard.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with PSI Global has been given a grade of ‘Outstanding’ for its research into how Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software can be used to study the flow of gases within a vacuum pump.
PSI Global, which is based in Bowburn, County Durham, manufactures filters and separators for the compressed air and vacuum industries and the KTP will enable the company to reduce the time and labour used for product testing by up to 70%.
As part of the KTP, Nausheen Basha, an MSc (Hons) Aerospace Engineering graduate, was placed within the company. She used the CFD software to construct a Virtual Vacuum Model (VVM) which visualised how different types of separators, used to filter oil from air, affect the flow of gases within a pump.
As a result, PSI Global is now able to respond more effectively to clients’ needs and bring new products to market much quicker.
KTPs typically last for two years and are a collaboration between a university and a company. They are part-funded by Innovate UK to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills.
Lloyd Cochrane, technical manager at PSI Global, said: “The KTP has had an enormous impact on our company.
“Prior to undertaking the KTP we had to rely on physical prototyping and testing on a bespoke testing rig, which was extremely labour, time and cost intensive.
“We now have a system whereby early stage design of new vacuum pump systems can be trialled, improved and validated much earlier than previously possible by modelling the system virtually, prior to prototyping.
“Ultimately this could reduce the development time for new products by as much as 70%.”
Throughout the KTP, Nausheen was supervised by Dr Faik Hamad from the University’s School of Science & Engineering.
The grade of Outstanding for the KTP, given by an external, independent assessor for Innovate UK, builds upon the University’s excellent reputation in this field.
Over recent years, of the KTPs undertaken by the University, 75% have been awarded the top two grades, with 62% graded ‘Outstanding’. This compares with national averages of 58% achieving the top two grades and 17% graded Outstanding.
Dr Hamad said: “We are delighted to have received this rating of Outstanding and it is a testament to the hard work of everybody involved.
“This was an extremely interesting project which I am sure will have huge benefits for PSI Global.
“The findings from the research are already being utilised in teaching our students here at the University.”
For more information on how Teesside University can help your business visit
www.tees.ac.uk/theforge
