PD Ports, owner and operator of Teesport, has recently celebrated the first anniversary since the unveiling of its state-of-the-art Teesport Bulks Terminal.
Officially unveiled in the height of the COVID19 pandemic during an innovative live-streamed virtual ceremony, the Teesport Bulks Terminal marked an important milestone not only for PD Ports, but for the Tees Valley as a whole.
The multimillion pound bulks handling facility, which created 44 new permanent jobs, was opened by then Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke MP and signified the revival of bulk cargo handling on Teesside following the collapse of the steelworks in 2015.
Now, as PD Ports marks the first anniversary of the Teesport Bulks Terminal, the port is celebrating a 60 per cent increase in volumes of bulk cargo handled via the new facility with over two million tonnes handled in the first year since opening, including two record breaking months.
CEO Frans Calje said: “It’s been fantastic to see the successful transformation of Teesport’s bulks handling infrastructure through this new facility, which is underpinned by our growing customer base.
“To see a 60 per cent growth in bulk handling volumes during 12 exceptionally challenging months and during which time we have also secured three long-term deals at the facility, is testament to our continued investment and ongoing commitment to delivering on the levelling up agenda for the North.
“The fact that such established and world-leading businesses within the industry are selecting PD Ports as a critical partner in their supply chains further reinforces our proven track record of delivery and demonstrates the confidence that global companies have in our port facilities and in our region.”
After securing a third long-term deal to secure the remaining bay inside the 300,000sq.ft. Teesport Bulks Terminal in May, PD Ports is now accelerating its plans to extend the facility further, signifying its ambitions to seize new trade opportunities and secure further long-term private investment to elevate the River Tees to become the UK’s most successful port region by 2050.
Maritime Minister Robert Courts said: “It’s fantastic to see PD Ports celebrating a 60 per cent increase in cargo volumes in spite of the challenges the sector has faced over the past year.
“The Teesport terminal is a vital hub that brings jobs to the local area, supports the maritime sector as a whole and helps us in our aims to build back better from the pandemic.”
Mary Lanigan, Redcar & Cleveland Council Leader, said: “This huge investment by PD Ports shows they have confidence in our area as we continue to attract industry and business from around the globe.
“It’s wonderful to see that their ambition is paying off with three long term deals with international customers and excellent rates of growth for the port. This is vital for the creation of high-quality jobs as we move towards prosperity in the years and decades to come and I’m delighted there are plans for further expansion. I congratulate everyone involved for their ambition and success and wish them even more success in the future.”
Redcar MP Jacob Young said: “One year on and the continued success of the Teesport Bulks Terminal is a testament to the confidence of PD Ports’ investment in Teesside.
“Despite opening in what was one of the most difficult years in living memory, the port has seen bulks handling supercharged on Teesside.
“Coupled with the UK’s largest Freeport and a plan to create 18,000 jobs over the next five years, we are helping to level up across our area.
“This is fantastic news for Teesside. It means more jobs, more prosperity and growing investment in our region.”
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has today (9 September) visited a long-standing Tees Valley manufacturer who has boosted its workforce by taking on eight new apprentices in two months – following years of successful recruitment.
Middlesbrough’s Lionweld Kennedy Flooring has more than 100 years of experience in the design, fabrication, manufacture, and supply of open steel grating, handrailing and stair treads.
Since 2016, with the launch of the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy, eight previous apprentices have already progressed through the scheme, with the firm taking them on full-time, and supporting some to secure degrees.
Now it is swelling its ranks and going even further in supporting young people, with many more joining the firm in July and August alone and some vacancies still to be filled, in roles including engineering design, engineering operations and welding, as well as in business administration roles.
They will undergo training with the Middlesbrough-based Northern Skills Group – part of Middlesbrough College Group – as part of their personal development with some currently completing their HNC, with the view to progressing onto degree apprenticeships and permanent members of staff.
The Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority can support businesses to take on apprentices through its Apprenticeship Support Grant. This enables small and medium-sized businesses to create opportunities in sectors facing high demand and growth with support of up to £3,000 per apprentice.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “At this time more than ever, as we continue to recover our economy from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, we need to make sure our region’s young people aren’t getting left behind.
“Lionweld Kennedy is going above and beyond in securing these new apprentices and, along with our region’s training providers like the Northern Skills Group, are helping to give them the skills they need to thrive in good-quality careers right here in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool. It was fantastic to meet them and see first-hand how the new recruits are getting on in their apprenticeships.
“I’ve long said university isn’t for everybody, and there are plenty of options for training and study, including apprenticeships. These also benefit businesses too, who can develop hard-working, reliable employees if they take a chance and give them a leg-up.
“To help them do that, we’re still running the Apprenticeship Support Grant scheme to make it even easier to get people trained up and in-post, helping to boost our businesses and economy. I’d urge all SMEs looking to grow to support a young person and see what support is available to you.”
One apprentice who has seen success at Lionweld Kennedy is Jacob Marshall, apprentice draughtsman, aged 19 from Redcar.
Jacob said: “I’m really grateful for this opportunity to not only work and earn but also achieve a qualification that will give me a whole career. Lionweld Kennedy is well set up for apprentices, so we are all supported from day one and I feel like part of the team.
“Many of my friends still don’t know what they’ll do when they leave college, so it feels great to have a clear path to follow.”
Mark Henderson, Business Development Director at Lionweld Kennedy said “We recruit for such a wide range of roles including technical, head office departments and factory based, so to be able to bring young people into the business who become trained in their individual specialism is a huge advantage.
“We’re particularly proud of our retention rate and how many apprentices stay within the business, adding value for many years in some cases.”
Dawn Smith, Skills Development Manager at Northern Skills Group, said: “Northern Skills Group has been working with Lionweld to build apprenticeship programmes that create a sustainable workforce for the future of the business. We’ve helped Lionweld build the skills it needs to grow by creating technical and professional skills programmes and through our apprenticeship recruitment service. It’s fantastic to see the business reap the rewards of investing in skills.”
PD Ports, owner and operator of Teesport and Statutory Harbour Authority for the River Tees, is embarking on a new partnership with heliguy™, a world leader in the commercial drone industry, to further boost efficiencies and resilience across Teesport.
The investment, which is the latest in a long line as PD Ports intensifies efforts to establish the River Tees as the UK’s most successful port region by 2050, includes the procurement of five state-of-the-art drones that are designed to optimise operations and reduce risks, as well as tailored, remote-pilot training for 17 people across the port group.
The equipment will be utilised across a variety of departments including Harbour Police, Engineering to deliver multiple benefits to the business, and the wider river community, including emergency response, surveillance, surveying as well as asset and infrastructure management.
Neil Dalus, PD Ports’ Group Civil Engineering Manager, is leading on the project and explained why PD Ports made the decision to invest in the new technology as it continues its journey towards making Teesport a ‘Smarter Port’.
“There are multiple reasons why we made the decision to partner with heliguy™,” said Neil.
“They offer the best available hardware, complimented by tailored training that can be adapted to suit our people and their individual roles.
“By implementing the new technology and training people across a number of departments, including Harbour Police, Health and Safety, Engineering, Conservancy and Commercial, we can really boost our capabilities in a number of areas.
“By utilising drone technology we can reduce the risks associated with working from height and gather better quality data to make the whole port complex more efficient. It will also enable us to further increase our security across the river, giving the Harbour Police tools to offer faster responses whilst obtaining a better, targeted view of any incidents.”
Eight Harbour Police constables have passed their General Visual Line of Sight (GVC) training with heliguy™ and are now able to fly the drones safely with the rest of the team due to commence their training later this month.
Matthew Cairns, part of the enterprise sales team at heliguy™, said: “Port authorities represent a fantastic example of businesses which are perfectly positioned to benefit from in-house drone technology. This technology will now find its place within various departments and disciplines across the PD Ports Group and we’re excited to be assisting the team in developing that capability from the ground up.
“In approaching CAA compliance training in parallel to UAS familiarisation and subject matter syllabus including aerial surveying and photogrammetry, we have been able to maximise learning outcomes and ensure that PD Ports has the best possible foundation from which to utilise the various data-capture techniques now at their disposal.”
GBB, a new bank focused on delivering property finance to underserved regions of the UK, has secured a further investment from its cornerstone investor, the Teesside Pension Fund (TPF), which has invested £20m to date. The TPF has agreed to invest up to an additional £28m, when GBB obtains its provisional banking licence expected later this year.
The move underlines the Fund’s commitment to supporting GBB’s mission of lending to SME property developers, playing a crucial role in the levelling up agenda and helping to get Britain building again. Currently only c235k of the government’s annual 300k housebuilding target is being met.
Recently, the Prime Minister and Chancellor challenged institutional investors to create an ‘Investment Big Bang’ to drive the UK’s recovery, with a direct call to pension funds to play their part.
GBB, which recently appointed banking veteran Sue Hayes as Chief Executive Officer and whose Chairman is Paul Rippon, co-founder of two digital banks Starling and Monzo, is expecting to launch later this year following approval of its banking licence application.
The significant investment made by the £4.7 billion Teesside Pension Fund is a clear endorsement of the proposition, team and ongoing work as the bank is built. PwC is acting as GBB’s main adviser.
Sue Hayes, Chief Executive Officer, GBB said: “Accessing finance still remains a challenge for many developers and it’s my ambition to make that a much easier, more straightforward process. We’re delighted the Teesside Pension Fund shares our vision and its fantastic ongoing support will help us through the regulatory journey of becoming a bank.”
Councillor David Coupe, chair of the Teesside Pension Fund, said: “We are proud to support GBB in their mission to support SME property developers in the regions and in turn help address the chronic shortage of housing. It’s been a long-term aspiration of the fund to invest in an attractive and well-controlled local opportunity and we’re pleased to have identified a robust, digital start-up such as GBB as a strong way to maximise returns for the Pension Fund’s beneficiaries.”
Andy Preston, Mayor of Middlesbrough, said: “Having a new bank based in the centre of our town is exactly what we need to give Middlesbrough a further boost, attracting and creating jobs of all kinds, while also shining deserved attention on the town. It will be fantastic to have a bank that’s growing and investing across the North-East from its headquarters in Centre Square.”
Upon launch, GBB, intends to get Britain building by providing property development loans of between £1 million and £5 million, with lending supporting regional property developers, small and medium sized businesses, and construction companies. It aims to lend £3 billion over five years building a £1 billion plus balance sheet. It will fund almost 20,000 homes and several million square feet of office space, supporting the creation of over 100,000 jobs. For savers, competitive fixed rates will be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
For more information and to follow our journey please visit the GBB website.
Middlesbrough based SaaS company, Salesfire, has seen an outstanding year of expansion with a 75% increase in turnover throughout 2020.
Recent years have seen accelerated growth and development into new markets for Salesfire, which has allowed the company to invest in job creation, growing from just eight employees to 50 in three years, increasing its staff count by 52% during the lockdown.
The company is also proud to have recently won Company of the Year at the Tees Tech awards and Best Digital Project/Campaign for its eCommerce analytics platform, TrendDesk.
Rich Himsworth, CEO of Salesfire, said: “Throughout the pandemic, we turned our focus to helping online retailers continue to thrive during a particularly difficult time for businesses.
“Despite the setbacks thrown at all companies over the last year, the ambition of Salesfire has not faltered. In unpredictable circumstances, the team has been reactive, forward-thinking and innovative, responding to client needs and industry demands which have culminated in the success we’ve seen in the last year.”
Doubling its office space at Albert North’s Sixteen-26 building last year, the company has 10,000 sq ft of office space across two floors for the continually growing team.
Rich continued: “We’re proud to be part of something exciting in the tech sector in Teesside. We hope to continue to represent a thriving, growing tech industry worldwide, along with our growing neighbouring companies.
“We’re not only focused on growing Salesfire, but also aim to raise awareness of the other outstanding companies around us that, together, can help businesses across the country grow and expand into something outstanding.”
Growing by 332 new clients in 2020, Salesfire now works with over 600 eCommerce stores including Hamleys, TJ Hughes, Godiva and Select Fashion, as well as continuing to grow partnerships with eCommerce giants such as Klarna.
Close to realising its plans for growth into American, European and Australian markets, Salesfire’s recruitment drive continues with the aim to once again double its headcount in the next 12 months. Roles are available across the company from the Design team to Development, Sales and Business Development teams.
Specialising in helping eCommerce retailers utilise their website traffic, amplify their conversions and maximise their revenue, Salesfire provides a suite of tools to intelligently personalise the shopping experience for website users.
For more information on Salesfire, please visit salesfire.co.uk.
Tickets have today (12 August) gone on sale for LNER’s new service between Middlesbrough and London, which is set to begin in a matter of months.
The direct weekday connection, originally announced by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen earlier this year, will begin on Monday, 13 December.
It will see one of LNER’s new Azuma trains leave Middlesbrough at 07:08 each morning arriving at 10:22, with a return service from London’s Kings Cross at 15:25. Advance Single Tickets will start at £20.60, with First Class from £60.
In order to allow for more services and the longer Azuma trains that currently run on the East Coast Main Line to the capital, a £34million overhaul of the station is taking place, supported by a supported by a £22.5million investment from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority.
The first phase, a 75-metre extension to platform 2, was completed in June and works will shortly be signed off to commence on major customer service improvements, including opening up the dilapidated undercroft to provide a new entrance. A further phase will see a new platform 3 built to the north of platform 2 to increase train capacity within the station.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “I’m delighted people from across Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool now have the option to book direct services from Middlesbrough to our capital for business or pleasure.
“I pledged we’d have an LNER service at Middlesbrough by the end of the year and, thanks to taking decisive and critical action to invest £22.5million to upgrade the station and platform, it is now a reality.
“This connection will prove ever more vital as we take advantage of all of the opportunities our Teesside Freeport, the UK’s biggest, will bring. It will help strengthen ties between the Freeport, our towns and our capital to show businesses all the benefits of being based right here, and help our local companies forge new partnerships. This is all the more important as we continue to recover our regional and national economy following the coronavirus pandemic.
“Of course, this is just one scheme across our entire network, including improvements at many of our other railway stations, to give local people the fast, reliable and smooth transport network that they deserve.”
David Horne, Managing Director at LNER, said: “Our new Azuma services will not only help transform the customer experience for those who travel between Middlesbrough and London but open up new economic opportunities for the town and wider area.
“The new direct services from December will see journey times of around three hours between London and Middlesbrough, offering more opportunities for business travel, tourists and international visitors wanting to travel to the Tees Valley.”
Book a free 30-minute virtual appointment with our panel of EU and international trade specialists to put your questions to the experts.
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During your personal appointment you will be able to put your questions to our experts, find out what support is available for your business locally, and discover how to take advantage of international markets and new opportunities.
Our experts each bring specialist insights to the panel, including local knowledge of your area, so you can get tailored advice, guidance, support and signposting for your business.
Panellists will include advisors from the Department for International Trade, Innovate UK edge, Tees Valley Combined Authority, and a representative from your Local Authority.
Appointments will be held virtually via Zoom, on Monday 16 August 2021 (Middlesbrough businesses). Book your free online slot via the Tees Valley Business website.
The XPS Pensions Group says its move to offices in Middlesbrough’s Centre Square will allow it to double its workforce and bid for new contracts.
The company has been busy recruiting since it confirmed in the Autumn that it was transferring its staff from the town’s Vancouver House to the new showpiece office development.
In October it employed 78 people. Next month that figure will rise to 110 and it is currently advertising a further eight posts. By 2023 it expects its head count to reach 160.
XPS is not the only occupier which says Centre Square is providing a catalyst for growth. Earlier this year Firstsource moved its 500 Teesside staff there and revealed plans to take on a further 200 local people.
XPS Operations Manager Graeme Hall said: “We have previously been in a very outdated, old property. There were problems with that because of all the advances in electronic communications and – in particular – how we look after our staff.”
He added: “Moving here means that we’ve got everything we could possibly need: the latest equipment, the best connectivity and the highest standard of working environments for our staff.”
XPS Pensions Group is the largest pure pensions consultancy in the UK, specialising in actuarial, covenant, investment consulting and administration. It manages more than 1500 pension schemes, worth many billions of pounds, on behalf of nearly a million members.
The XPS team in Centre Square will be mainly looking after public sector clients, including most of the police forces in England and Wales. Management of the Ministry of Justice’s pension scheme has also been transferred to Centre Square, where the company says it now has the capacity to pursue more new work.
Commenting on XPS’ move to Centre Square, Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “This is absolutely fantastic. It doesn’t just cement XPS in the centre of Middlesbrough, it allows them to grow and that’s then a magnet for other people to come in.
“The activity and interest in investing in Middlesbrough is growing and growing and growing.”
The Centre Square project was launched more than five years ago by Middlesbrough Council and the developer Ashall Projects.
Their aim was to create Grade A office space in the centre of the town to attract businesses offering high-quality jobs, with their employees also benefiting from good transport links and access to local amenities such as restaurants and bars, gyms and shops.
This would, in turn, help revitalise the town centre and local economy, bringing in an estimated sixty-six million pounds extra per year.
As well as XPS and Firstsource at least two other companies are moving into Centre Square this year. Mark Ashall, director of Ashall Projects, said: “You wouldn’t proceed with a scheme like this unless you were confident that it was going to achieve its objectives. But it’s always satisfying to see it become reality and be able to welcome the companies who are arriving in Centre Square.”
Crucially, he said, the development was also providing a platform for those businesses which already have a firm base in Middlesbrough to expand and create additional jobs.
Ashall Projects has already unveiled its vision for the future development of Centre Square. It has submitted plans to Middlesbrough Council which could see four more buildings with the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 office staff.
One of the buildings would be seven-storeys high and have a floor space of more than 100,000 sq ft.
Part of the proposal has already been given the go-ahead. Ashall Projects has been given planning permission for a four-storey office development – Six Centre Square – on vacant land in Melrose Street and talks are already well advanced to bring a major international company there, creating hundreds of jobs.
PD Ports, Statutory Harbour Authority for the River Tees and the largest private employer in the Tees Valley, has joined forces with the Tees Valley Education Multi-Academy Trust to create an Enterprise Charter for children and young people across Teesside.
This shared commitment to do more for the region’s young people will see PD Ports and Tees Valley Education Trust, along with other key partners and stakeholders, including Teesside University, work together to develop career-led learning opportunities from primary years to post 18.
After recently launching the most ambitious recruitment drive in the UK ports sector in which the port operator set out plans to recruit 50 new apprentices across its operations, PD Ports is now accelerating its commitment to raising aspirations, and inspiring young people from age five upwards about maritime careers and promoting local pride linked to the River Tees.
Kirsten Donkin, Head of PR, Marketing and Communications at PD Ports, explained how the partnership has been part of the port operator’s plans since the successful launch of PD Ports’ innovative Teesport Explorers program in 2019.
“At PD Ports we already do a tremendous amount of work to raise aspirations of young people,” said Kirsten. “We work closely and collaboratively with local education institutions and training providers such as the High Tide Foundation and the Tees Valley Logistics Academy to inform 12-18 year olds of the range of exciting opportunities available across the maritime industry.
“However, we also recognise that by the age of 14, young people have already conditioned themselves to believe there are certain jobs they can do and those which they can’t; many of which are based around gender stereotypes and family influences. We must do more to tackle these misplaced perceptions.
“That was our initial thought process behind launching the Teesport Explorers program – getting young people down to the port to see our operations and meet our people. It’s all about providing consistent engagement throughout childhood and into early adulthood in order to ignite their imagination and show them if they believe it, they can achieve it when choosing a career.
“There is a huge sense of positivity in our region at the moment, the future prospects around investment and jobs are very encouraging and with a projected 32,000 jobs associated with Freeport status over the next 25 years, we need to ensure local people are aware of the opportunities and are equipped with the right skills to benefit.
“We share in those values and thought processes with the Tees Valley Education Trust and now look forward to working together to give young people in our region the futures they deserve; putting ‘levelling up’ into action and bridging any future skills gaps.”
Tees Valley Education is a Multi-Academy Trust and sponsor, which is currently made up of five academies across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, who share a deep commitment to improving outcomes for all children and their communities.
CEO of the Trust, Katrina Morley, explained how she believes the partnership with PD Ports will deliver real value to primary school pupils across the region.
“By working in collaboration with the biggest employer in the region, and Teesside University, we are able to construct a variety of curriculum, skills, experiential and project-based learning for all of our children and young people,” said Katrina.
“The ability to learn about real world employment opportunities, visit a range of sites, experience being at the forefront of the exciting investment in the area, will have long lasting impact on the life chances, aspirations and choices for all.
“The shared commitment we have to investing in our communities is being realised through the project which will support Year One children to adults. Children hold the keys to the future… but we must help them to unlock a range of possibilities with them.”
In April, PD Ports secured a £2,000 donation for the Tees Valley Education Trust after winning the NEPIC Communities and Reputation Award and donating its winnings to kick-start the Enterprise Charter.
PD Ports was commended at the prestigious awards for its outstanding demonstration of community support and social responsibility throughout 2020.
PD Ports is celebrating after achieving Gold status at the internationally-recognised RoSPA Awards for its ongoing commitment to demonstrating the highest health and safety standards across its operations.
The port operator, which is headquartered in the Tees Valley, owns and operates 12 key ports and logistics centres nationwide including Teesport, the fifth largest port in the UK, and Groveport, the UK’s hub for steel imports.
Awarded Gold status for the second time by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) for continuously driving its safety-first culture and ensuring the safety of its people, its operations and anyone who comes into contact with the business, PD Ports’ HR Director, Russ McCallion, said the status is testament to the resilience of both PD Ports and its people following the most challenging of years.
“It is no secret that Safety is our number one core value, instilled into each person and operation across the whole of PD Ports,” said Russ.
“Following a year that presented us with many personal and professional challenges as a result of the COVID crisis, our people, as recognised key workers, have remained vigilant and resilient, allowing health and safety to inform every decision in order to ensure that everyone leaves work in the same condition in which they arrived.
“As we were all forced to come to terms with the ‘new normal’ and alternate ways of working, our people adapted very quickly to increased safeguarding measures meaning that we were able to minimise any potential risk of COVID19 in the workplace. We’ve also placed a renewed focus on mental health over the past 12 months in order to properly protect and safeguard all aspects of our people and their wellbeing.
“This award is testament to the efforts of all our people in caring for each other, respecting the values of our business and providing an unfaltering service throughout 2020.”
Receiving over 2,000 entrants each year, the RoSPA Awards are regarded as the highest possible accolade in the health and safety industry across the globe, with winners regarded as world-leaders in health and safety practices.
Julia Small, RoSPA’s achievements director, said, “The RoSPA Awards scheme is the longest-running of its kind in the UK, but it receives entries from organisations across the globe, making it one of the most sought-after achievement awards for health and safety worldwide.
“RoSPA is very proud of the achievements of its entrants, and with this award we recognise the best of the best, those organisations that have gone the extra mile, raising the bar for the delivery of safety in the workplace. Employees, wherever they may be, should be able to go to work safe in the knowledge that they will return home unharmed and healthy at the end of every day. Our RoSPA Award winners are central to achieving this goal.”
PD Ports will be presented with its prestigious award at a virtual ceremony in September.
