One of the region’s most reputable estate agents is feeling fabulous after reaching its milestone 40-year anniversary.
Thirlwells, which employs 20 staff across its Middlesbrough and Billingham branches, opened in June 1977 and is now the longest serving, independent estate agents in the area.
Over the last four decades, despite a tumultuous market of late, the Company has continued to go from strength to strength and is looking forward to an exciting future, with expansion plans in the pipeline.
“Our old but experienced way of doing things when the market crashed was invaluable,” said Partner, Wendy Clarke.
“We’ve moved with the times but always listen to our customers and deliver the service they expect, and I truly believe that’s why we’re still here today and even growing.”
Having started her career as an office junior at Thirlwells in 1979, Wendy and fellow partner, Nicola Munro, are delighted to be able to celebrate such a significant accomplishment with each other, their colleagues, friends and family.
“Given the circumstances the whole industry has endured, we are so proud to still be here,” said Nicola.
“It really is down to the grit and determination of the team around us, as well as the fact myself and Wendy are very much on the front line, leading by example.
“We are passionate about what we do and still get a buzz when a sale goes through. The team sees this enthusiasm and they are constantly learning from us.”
With a reputation for extensive training programmes which produce knowledgeable and experienced employees who often dedicate their careers to Thirlwells, the company enjoys low staff turnover, enabling it to form trusted relationships with clients.
“Our motto is ‘The name you can trust’ and every single staff member adheres to this. Integrity has played a huge part in our success and it’s an ethos we embed into everyone, from the juniors, right up to the partners,” said Nicola.
To celebrate the momentous occasion, as well as hosting a customer appreciation event to honour those who have helped the Company get to where it is today, over the next four months, Thirlwells will be running a campaign of special offers for customers old and new.
“We wouldn’t be here without the support of our customers, many who have helped us enjoy repeat business or recommended us to their friends and families over the years, so this is our way of saying thank you to them,” said Wendy.
To find out more about Thirlwells, visit http://www.thirlwell-estates.co.uk.
A leading estate agents is set to create new jobs and expand its offer.
Michael Poole Estate and Letting Agents is now offering an exclusive out of hours service that allows clients to get in touch with enquiries outside of standard nine to five office hours.
Due to demand, clients will now be able to ask general enquiries Monday to Friday up until 9pm, instead of the original closing time of 5pm.
Partner, Michael Poole, said: “Our new out of office hours service is crucial to becoming more accessible and meeting customer demands.
“By offering this new service, we have not only expanded our accessibility, we have also increased our team and created new positions instead of relying on an external call centre.
“We look forward to continuing to develop our offer in the future to exceed customer demand.”
The firm which exchanged contracts on £15.5m worth or property in June has recruited more staff and as a result seen its team grow to 54 members of staff.
Established in 1994 in Middlesbrough, the family owned property consultant now have the region of Teesside covered with nine prominently located branches offering hundreds of homes for sale and to let.
The service is available Teesside-wide at each branch including Stockton, Middlesbrough, Billingham, Redcar, Coulby Newham, Eston, Yarm, Ingleby Barwick and Nunthorpe.
Logic Architecture is flying high after welcoming a trio of new recruits to the rapidly expanding team.
Over the past couple of months, the Middlesbrough-based firm has appointed Michael Cowley, a senior architectural technologist, Kevin Potts, a graduate architect and Hannah Williams, a graduate interior design stylist.
The recruitment drive comes off the back of a series of contract wins and supports the firm’s ambitious growth plans.
With over 24 years’ experience, Michael Cowley is specifically skilled in leading design teams in the development and construction of large commercial, retail and residential projects, he joins the team from Newcastle-based Space Group. In his new position, Michael will be taking a senior role in providing technical support and will be working predominantly in the commercial and retail sector using Building Information Modelling.
“I was really impressed with the quality and variety of projects Logic are working on across the North East and beyond and this was the key reason I chose to work here,” said Michael.
Kevin Potts joins as an associate from the internationally acclaimed London practice Squire & Partners where he worked on some of the capital’s largest building projects. Originally from the North East, he moved to London after graduating from Northumbria University in order to complete his studies as an architect while working on very high profile projects.
“I jumped at the chance to join Logic as I felt the role would further help my career, this is an up and coming company and it feels like an exciting place to be,” said Kevin.
First class graduate Hannah Williams made the move to Teesside from Liverpool and will compliment the team as an interior design stylist. “I was instantly impressed with the positive regeneration happening in the area, it really does feel like the town is moving forward and that’s why I wanted to make the move back home to take up the role.”
Mark Barlow, senior architect of Logic Architecture, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Michael, Kevin and Hannah to the team, all three of them are exceptionally talented, bringing new skills which will really help us in this exciting period as we continue to grow and take on larger projects.
“I’m especially proud that we have been able to entice talent of this level back to the area. To be able to pull people from the capital and large metropolitan cities is a testament to the quality of our work and demonstrates the high profile nature of the projects we are working on.”
Locally the firm has secured the masterplan and design of one of the North East’s largest commercial sites, the design and development of various housing and retail regeneration projects, several school refurbishments, a gym and various one off ‘grand design’ bespoke houses.
Nationally, the firm has just secured the EFA’s Priority Schools 3 framework to design and deliver nine modular schools working in conjunction with DLA Design Group and modular contractor Elliott Group. This is in addition to work already secured at Queen Mary University of London and a new Michelin-starred restaurant in Devon.
Mark added: “We are delighted that our unique pragmatic design approach is taking off and proving that intelligent design can really add value, both financially and aesthetically. This proves good design doesn’t just enhance our lives aesthetically it can also be used to generate a return on investment.”
“Logic is firmly on track to meet its growth targets and as a result is looking to recruit again in the near future.”
Teesside Law Clinic has won the Northern Law Awards’ Pro Bono/Community Initiative accolade after being shortlisted for a third consecutive year.
The award came as a result of the Law Clinic students’ dedication and commitment to the community, with the judges noting the Law Clinic’s work in offering advice to former steelworkers who were not in a union following the closure of the SSI site in Redcar and the Law Clinic’s tireless work on behalf of victims of historic abuse.
Early in 2016, a special meeting was called in Redcar by the Law Clinic for former SSI steelworkers in order to offer free legal advice, guidance and assistance from law students supervised by academics and lawyers. It came about after the Law Clinic was contacted by a number of former SSI workers with concerns about the consultation process involved when the Redcar site closed.
The Law Clinic offered advice to workers who weren’t part of a union while they worked at the company to see if they were eligible for a protective award.
Andrew Perriman, Senior Lecturer in Law, Teesside Law Clinic, said: “The Law Clinic was approached by a number of ex-employees from the former steelworks formerly owned by SSI, following a case heard in the employment tribunal.
“Teesside Law Clinic students looked at the issues raised to see if assistance could be offered to those ex-employees who were not members of a recognised trade union. We met with a number of those steelworkers affected by the closure to discuss their options and clarify some points of law.”
The Law Clinic, based in the University’s School of Social Sciences, Business & Law, has a dual purpose in providing law students with real practical experience of handling legal cases, while offering a service to the community in cases where people may otherwise find it difficult to afford legal advice and representation.
Andrew added: “No other organisation, educational institute or law firm can boast the accolade of being shortlisted as a finalist for three consecutive years in the Northern Law awards.”
Earlier this year the Law Clinic recently received national recognition in the LawWorks & Attorney General’s Student Pro Bono Awards 2017, achieving the award for best contribution by a team of students at the annual awards which were celebrated in the House of Commons in London.
Hosted by the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright MP, the awards celebrate the best pro bono activities undertaken by law students and law schools and the positive impact those activities have had on those who have been assisted.
The Law Clinic was also commended by the Attorney General in 2015 for its continued work on a legal challenge on behalf of a client to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in a bid to secure fair payouts for historic abuse victims.
Since its launch in 2012, Teesside Law Clinic has dealt with over 1,000 enquires including referrals from solicitors, the courts, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and MPs. The team has also recovered or saved in excess of one and a half million pounds for clients.
PD Ports has been honoured by Navis, part of Cargotec Corporation and a global provider of operational technologies and services, for its commitment to excellence and innovation across Teesport’s terminal operations.
PD Ports took the title of ‘Excellence’ at this year’s Navis Inspire Awards ceremony, part of the Navis World Annual conference in San Francisco. This the highest ranking given at the awards and PD Ports beat off tough global competition to take the top title in this category.
This is the second time in which PD Ports has been recognised by Navis, first for its successful implementation of the system across various unitised platforms and this year for its use of Navis’ business intelligence dashboards at Teesport.
As one of the UK’s major port groups, PD Ports is committed to driving continuous innovation that delivers greater efficiencies and further enhances visibility across its operational platform; leading to improved vessel productivity and reduced truck turnaround times.
In summary comments following the awards ceremony, Navis’ judging panel commented that the accolade of ‘excellence’ was given based on ‘best-in-class operations’ and clear demonstration of ‘industry leadership’.
Frans Calje, PD Ports CEO, commented: “It’s vitally important for our business to perform as efficiently as possible providing the best service to our customers. We introduced Navis to the container terminals in 2013, and since then we’ve continued to utilise the terminal operating system further, allowing us to be more flexible and streamlined.”
Teesside Law Clinic has been shortlisted for the Pro Bono/Community Initiative in the Northern Law Awards for the third consecutive year.
The Law Clinic, based in the University’s School of Social Sciences, Business & Law, has a dual purpose in providing law students with real practical experience of handling legal cases, while offering a service to the community in cases where people may otherwise find it difficult to afford legal advice and representation.
Andrew Perriman, Senior Lecturer in Law, Teesside Law Clinic, said: “To be shortlisted is an incredible achievement and means that the Law Clinic has been a finalist for three consecutive years. No other organisation, educational institute or law firm can boast this accolade.”
The nomination was as a result of the Law Clinic’s work in offering advice to former steelworkers who were not in a union following the closure of the SSI site in Redcar.
A special meeting was called in Redcar by the Law Clinic for former SSI steelworkers who were not in a union in order to offer free legal advice, guidance and representation from law students supervised by academics and lawyers.
It came about after the Law Clinic was contacted by a number of former SSI workers with concerns about the consultation process involved when the Redcar site closed. The Law Clinic offered advice to workers who weren’t part of a union while they worked at the company to see if they were eligible for a protective award.
Andrew added: “The Law Clinic was approached by a number of ex-employees from the former steelworks formerly owned by SSI, following a case heard in the employment tribunal.
“Teesside Law Clinic students looked at the issues raised to see if assistance could be offered to those ex-employees who were not members of a recognised trade union. We met with a number of those steelworkers affected by the closure to discuss their options and clarify some points of law.”
The Law Clinic was commended by the Attorney General in 2015 for its work on a legal challenge on behalf of a client to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme in a bid to secure fair payouts for historic abuse victims.
Since its launch in 2012, Teesside Law Clinic has dealt with over 1,000 enquires including referrals from solicitors, the courts, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau and MPs. The team have also recovered or saved in excess of one and a half million pounds for clients.
The Northern Law Awards 2017 will be held in Newcastle on Thursday 1 June.
More than 60 jobs have been safeguarded on Teesside following the acquisition of industrial services company CIS Northern Ltd., based on Skippers Lane Industrial Estate in Middlesbrough.
The deal was spearheaded by current Regional Director, Mike Lee, who partnered with WSG UK Ltd and colleague Mike Winchester after seeking the help of accountancy firm, Anderson Barrowcliff.
Following the instability suffered as a result of the closure of SSI in Redcar, Mike was determined to secure the company’s future, so approached Anderson Barrowcliff to help facilitate a deal that would support his vision of building a full service business for the region’s oil and gas, utilities, power, steel and manufacturing sectors.
Operating as a larger unit using the skill set and industry knowledge from the WSG group, the newly formed team is looking forward to the challenge of growing the business and bringing investment growth into Teesside’s business economy, by offering a greater range of technical services to a larger client pool – something only previously offered by larger, international suppliers.
About the acquisition, Mike Lee said: “I approached Anderson Barrowcliff with a management buyout proposal which Partner, James Dale, helped develop. He understood how important it was for any potential partners to be the right fit and was very helpful in structuring a realistic proposal.
Mike Winchester, who recently joined WSG UK Ltd as director following the acquisition, is keen to develop the opportunities now afforded to the current employees.
He said: “The great thing is we can now create an internal learning environment, with the team able to learn new skills and services from their colleagues.
“Using a ‘mature apprenticeship’ style of training, as well as accredited courses, we’re hoping to strengthen and progress the team in even more technical services over the years. This will not only help us to win new clients, but also offer a greater range of services to existing clients.”
The Company which will ultimately be re-branded as WSG Industrial Services has an aggressive plan to increase turnover from the current group combined £17million to £25million in just three years and is now able to complete a full life-cycle of an overhaul, thanks to the multi-disciplinary skills on offer by the total workforce.
Anderson Barrowcliff is a firm of chartered accountants and business advisors which has origins dating back over 100 years. For more information on its services and specialisms, visit www.anderson-barrowcliff.co.uk.
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/
Chris Davis – Portfolio Manager & Branch Principal – has opened a new Raymond James branch in the historic Acklam Hall in Middlesbrough.
Chris has over 20 years’ experience in asset management with a breadth of experience in managing and advising across the asset spectrum, developing bespoke investment strategies and investing in public and private markets, and through fund managers from around the world.
After starting his career as an analyst within institutional fund management, he has worked with entrepreneurs, families and charities in London and the North, providing investment and portfolio management services in boutique and private investment offices since 2004.
Raymond James’ North Shore office will provide a bespoke investment management service for individuals, families, businesses and charities. They will look to actively engage with Financial Advisers, Solicitors and Accountants to provide a complete offering, truly utilising a best of breed approach, as well as offering private investment services to individuals and families, forming part of their own ‘Family Office’.
Chris says: “Growing up, I was always interested in the stock market and the City, but it was when I got a summer job in ICI’s oil trading room on Teesside, that I was sure I wanted to be in the investment industry. Working alongside the oil traders, I taught myself the basics of technical analysis with the help of a Japanese candlestick book. I got an insight, the bug had bitten and I wanted to learn more.”
On choosing Raymond James as his partner, Chris states that “Raymond James has the same client focused, service ethos that I have. They are able to provide everything I need to be able to offer the bespoke service I want to deliver, but can’t do on my own. Combined, we have a service offering of institutional level quality research, reporting, systems and compliance, intertwined with a bespoke service only a private investment office can deliver.”
He added: “My vision is crystal clear. To deliver an investment service that provides my clients with honest, impartial advice and transparent management. To manage unbiased, multi asset portfolios designed with the aim of protecting and growing capital.”
Speaking about Chris’s new appointment, Cynthia Poole, Director of Relationship Management and Business Support at Raymond James, commented: “We are so pleased that Chris has joined us, bringing with him his passion for a truly bespoke Investment Management service. This is another great step in our expansion across the UK.”
Durham Tees Valley Airport has today announced the creation of a new one-stop ground handling service as part of the plans to develop its Business and General Aviation activities.
Launched under the ‘Consort Aviation’ brand, the in-house operation will deliver enhanced services for all aspects of ground handling activities, including fuelling, to general, business and military aircraft.
Says David Grant, Business Development Director at Durham Tees Valley Airport, “A key element in the Masterplan for the airport is to increase activity in the business and general aviation sectors and Consort Aviation will enable us to provide a co-ordinated delivery of the full range of VIP and specialist ground handling services.
“It is a significant step forward in our strategy of direct delivery of business services which began last year when the provision of aviation fuel was taken in house.
“In taking this step we wish to recognise the work of Weston Aviation which has been providing handling services at Durham Tees Valley. A consultation process will be undertaken with affected staff regarding the opportunity to transfer to the new company and subject to appropriate due diligence Consort Aviation will come into operation in the spring of 2017 and in the meantime Weston Aviation will continue to provide their services at DTVA.”
