LOCAL NEWS
LOCAL BUSINESS
LEISURE & LIFESTYLE
Business news from in and around East Durham
The Health and Safety Manager at TMD Friction has received a top national football coaching award. Shaun Wilson was named Adults Grassroots Coach of the Year at the National Grassroots Football Awards. The award was presented by Sir Geoff Hurst in Leicester during the...
Footwear giant Skechers has become the latest addition to Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination. Stocking its hugely popular footwear, clothing and accessories for men, women and children, the new outlet store, which opened on Friday 5th August, has created 14 new...
In this issue’s My Working Day feature, we chat to Tony Norton, Operations Manager at Peterlee-based rainscreen manufacturing company Sotech. Tony, who has worked for the company for 10 years, tells us more about his role within the business, what turning 60 meant for...
A trio of experienced businesswomen have launched a new venture to help established entrepreneurs and growing SMEs take their success the next level. Denise Fielding, Alison Machin, and Leanne Fawcett have joined forces to launch Novus Business Collective. The new...
Two successful sport-mad friends are the brains behind a new price comparison site for golf equipment aiming to help local golf club professionals. Gary Hunter and Steven Presho, both low handicappers from East Durham, have secured significant investment to drive...
Encore Packaging Solutions has invested in a fourth BOBST machine as the business continues to deliver on its ambitious plans to cement a leading position in the packaging market. Part of the Encore Group, Encore Packaging Solutions took delivery of a new EXPERTFOLD...
A funeral services company which has given hundreds of people the send-off they want is urging people to think about how they’d like to say goodbye. Since John Delanoy and Julie Stout joined forces and re launched almost two years ago at Peterlee, Delanoy Funeral...
FI Real Estate Management (FIREM) is ramping up its investment at Bracken Hill Business Park in Peterlee with the development of a 2.58-acre site, which will become home to 51,975sq ft of new industrial space. Gemini Point, for which planning approval was granted in...
A talented musician is hoping to hit the right notes after the coronavirus pandemic forced him to put the launch of his music studios on hold. Dave Brown, who worked in London before returning to his native North East, originally opened Big Foot Studios in Horden,...
Ron Pawley, Rob Hutchison and Tim Beasley are from The Technical Academy, East Durham College’s education and training facility. The academy, which is based on Peterlee’s South West Industrial Estate, runs qualifications and training programmes in a range of areas,...
Clear Climate are just five years into their business journey yet are already targeting turnover in excess of £10m. Not only that, but in a relatively short space of time they have already established themselves as the region’s leading provider of renewable energy...
A family business which successfully diversified during the coronavirus pandemic is creating 10 new jobs as it continues to grow. AAA Caring Caretaker, which is known as Caring Caretaker, was founded by CEO Richard H Tucker MBE in 2015 to support an existing property...
The latest issue of East Durham Business magazine is out now. Issue 8 is packed with features and news updates from businesses and organisations around the region including: Clear Climate Sotech Seaham Hall Hotel The North East BIC East Durham College’s Technical...
Plans for a new £78 million zero carbon energy generation facility in County Durham have been submitted for approval by Hedley Planning Services for Landmark Power Holdings. Considered to be one of the first of its type in the world, Landmark’s proposed development of...
TMD Friction’s global senior management team – including global CEO David Baines – have visited the UK’s only manufacturing facility in Hartlepool. The party, which also included Executive Vice President Liam Booth and managers from France and Germany, spent the day...
A manufacturing company is aiming to become a £100m turnover business by 2026 after investing almost £2m in new machinery and equipment. Peterlee-based Alexander Battery Technologies, which manufactures customisable battery packs and chargers, has converted two 20,000...
Join East Durham Business Network for a B2B networking event taking place later this month. The event will give attendees the chance to tell the network and its members about their environmental challenges and find out about the opportunities available to overcome...
A company which provides quality and recruitment services to automotive, aerospace and rail manufacturers has secured a contract with one of the world’s leading sports car brands. Smart Manufacturing Solutions, SMS Ltd, will provided highly skilled engineers to...
A County Durham company which has built a reputation as one of leading businesses within the renewables sector has announced ambitious growth plans. Clear Climate, based in Peterlee, has signalled its intention to double turnover, from £2.5m to £5m by the end of 2022...
Nicki Clark, chief executive of UMi, has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours list, for her services to Business and Social Enterprise in North East England. Nicki is a founding director of the...
A County Durham company which has built a reputation as one of leading businesses within the renewables sector has announced ambitious growth plans. Clear Climate, based in Peterlee, has signalled its intention to double turnover, from £2.5m to £5m by the end of 2022...
Growth Index, a new ranking of the 100 fastest-growing British companies in the UK, has been published today, and it includes two companies from the North East. The inaugural ranking reveals the sectors that have flourished throughout the pandemic with arts &...
Two military service leavers who set up their own business in the North East have been named Start-Up Business of the Year. Entrepreneurs Lee Simpson and Stuart Allan joined forces following their Army careers to launch a business together during the pandemic, and...
Automotive manufacturer TMD Friction has further strengthened its engineering capabilities with the expansion of a new department. The Hartlepool-based global manufacturer of brake pads created a new flagship engineering team last year, bringing together four existing...
Climate Action North, an award-winning social enterprise, has secured a contract to drive forward decarbonisation plans at the North East BIC in Sunderland and set them firmly on the road to achieving Net Zero. Work is currently underway to provide options and plans...
A successful independent North East restaurant group has revealed plans to more than double the number of restaurants it runs across the UK and create more than 200 jobs by the end of next year. The Fat Hippo Group is aiming to open up to nine new burger restaurants...
North East eCommerce Consultancy Rogers & Rogers have expanded their business by relocating from Peterlee to a newly opened office in Seaham. The move comes after the company, which delivers expert eCommerce and marketing advice, felt that Seaham would be a more...
Swinburne Maddison LLP (Swinburne Maddison), Durham City’s leading law firm, has concluded work in record time for sustainable materials company, Sphera, enabling its occupation of new premises at Jade Business Park in Murton near Seaham. From instruction, Swinburne...
Hundreds of businesses from across the North East have backed County Durham’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2025. Almost £500,000 in sponsorship has also been pledged towards the Durham 2025 campaign, while other businesses have volunteered their skills and time to...
Peterlee based accident management operation, Auxillis, has announced it is holding a recruitment open day on Thursday, April 28, at its Bracken Hill Business Park contact centre. Following a significant new business win and further growth with new partners set for...
A manufacturing company of bi-fold doors is targeting continued expansion after taking on additional space and investing in new machinery with the support of the County Durham Growth Fund. North East Bi-Folds, based at Cold Hesledon Industrial Estate, was set up in...
Over the past few years our nation has become much more aware of where we source our food, drink, and other goods from. If we can buy from local producers, we do and that can only be a good thing for organisations like Discovering Durham, which has been set up to...
In our latest Ask the Expert feature, we caught up with County Durham Community Foundation CEO Dr Michelle Cooper, who answers the question: How can business leaders rethink charitable giving for maximum impact in 2022? Michelle, who heads up the Meadowfield-based...
Dozens of businesses attended our most recent networking event, held at the picturesque Seaham Hall Hotel. The event also saw Glenn Martin from Durham County Council give a presentation about the County Durham Economic Strategy, asking people to get involved in the...
A pioneering North East company which creates cutting-edge green technology is urging businesses across County Durham to have their say on consultation that will shape the area’s economic future. Solar power firm Power Roll has created an ultra-thin solar film which...
County Durham’s illustrious rail heritage, thriving train building industry and pioneering cultural and economic ambitions make it the ideal home for the Great British Railways (GBR) headquarters. That is the message from Durham County Council, which has submitted a...
Seaham company IPS Flow Systems has given its support to a campaign to clean up the tributaries that feed into Castle Eden Dene. Rhys Donald and Mark Atkinson from IPS joined the team from the Wear Rivers Trust to help improve the water quality of Wapping Burn, which...
Over 60 people from businesses and organisations around the region have signed up to attend next week's East Durham Business Network event. The event, at Seaham Hall Hotel, will also include updates about the progression of the County Durham Economic Strategy, which...
A North East artist is helping raise money for the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine through the magic of art. Kelsey Wilson, 29, is selling prints of a painting of Ukraine’s national flower ahead of Mother’s Day, with all proceeds being donated to the...
In this issue’s My Working Day feature, we chat to former teacher Nicola Jayne Little, who launched MINT Business Club in 2019 after years of building up a network of small business owners who were crying out for more than just business support. EDB: You launched MINT...
A new training academy has opened its doors in Peterlee. The Go Green Training Academy will deliver qualifications in the installation, servicing and maintenance of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), helping trades people in the area take advantage of growing demand for...
A North East housebuilder is encouraging businesses of all sizes across County Durham to have their say on a wide range of issues from jobs to wages, to help shape Durham County Council’s new Inclusive Economic Strategy. Innovative modular housebuilder CoreHaus opened...
The commercial property landscape has changed dramatically in the past 24 months, as the global coronavirus pandemic forced employers to rethink how they work. In our latest What’s Trending Now feature, property developer Paul Wellstead, the man behind Spectrum...
It’s 20 months since East Durham entrepreneurs John Delanoy and Julie Stout launched their partnership Delanoy Funeral Services. Since then, they’ve delivered dozens of bespoke funerals and rounded their first full year in business off with a nomination for a...
Support organisation East Durham Business Service (EDBS) is launching a new programme to help 30 entrepreneurs to bounce back after the Covid pandemic. Business Action Planning is being funded by the East Durham Area Action Partnership (AAP) and will help...
A Peterlee entrepreneur has won Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday award. Kieran Chapman, owner of Bumble Print and InfaCloud, picked up his award at the end of February. Both brands are owned and operated by Kieran and he was delighted to win not one but two...
An electrical test and measurement company has been named one of North East England’s best providers of adult apprenticeship training. Seaward, based in Peterlee, has been crowned ‘Employer of the Year’ by MTC Training, which is a commercial unit of Sunderland...
Lickety Split Creamery in Seaham has won a Gold Medal and Trophy at the National Ice Cream Championships 2022 run by the Ice Cream Alliance (ICA), the sector’s UK trade association. The company’s delicious Amarena Cherry ice cream beat all comers in this, the most...
Power Roll has opened its solar film manufacturing facility in County Durham. It is the first facility in the world to produce low-cost, lightweight, flexible solar film using Power Roll’s patented micro-groove technology. Located on a former colliery site, the pilot...
North East electrical test and measurement company Seaward Electronic has announced several senior appointments as it continues to develop and grow its national and international operations. Andrew Davis has been promoted to the position of UK business development and...
An organisation which helps disadvantaged people back into secure, sustainable employment has marked its 10th year in business by announcing further plans to grow. Northern Rights was launched in 2012 by Katherine Murray and Dawn Brown, who had for many years worked...
A group of young engineers have been given a fantastic opportunity to start their careers thanks to a partnership between East Durham College and local employer Alexander Battery Technologies, based in Peterlee. Alexander Battery Technologies have been working...
Gliderol, one of the UK’s longest established garage door manufacturers, has completed a deal to transfer the ownership of the business to an EOT (Employee Ownership Trust) providing it with a stable ownership base on which to continue to thrive across the UK and...
Bristol Street Motors Peterlee Hyundai has been named the best performing dealership out of 150 Hyundai retail sites in the UK. It was crowned top of the 2021 Hyundai Balanced Score Card league, following a rigorous assessment of the whole business. This involved...
To mark National Apprenticeship Week, global automotive manufacturer TMD Friction has announced plans to recruit even more apprentices. Currently the Hartlepool-based company employs 18 apprentices in a range of disciplines across the business, while a further 12 full...
The pandemic is, hopefully, finally subsiding and employers are no doubt keen to get the early months off positively. For others though, and perhaps a few employees, January and February can be a slow start. There is Dry January providing a reminder that the festive...
Automotive manufacturer TMD Friction has been recognised for its investment into staff health and wellbeing. The Hartlepool-based company has been awarded the Better Health at Work Bronze status. TMD Friction, which makes brake pads for 95 per cent of the range for...
Statement from the Entrepreneurs’ Forum via LinkedIn: We are devastated to learn that our former CEO Jonathan Lamb has passed away following a short battle with cancer. Jonathan was a thoughtful, passionate and loyal man whose love for the North East, and its...
Businesses across East Durham are being asked to back County Durham’s City of Culture bid. County Durham is one of eight locations around the country that are on the shortlist for the 2025 status. With announcements due in the coming days, businesses and organisations...
Over 50 people attended yesterday's East Durham Business Network event at East Durham College in Peterlee. Representatives from businesses and organisations including Clear Climate, SMS, Digital Drive County Durham, County Durham Community Foundation, Orca, Harbro...
Issue seven of the area's flagship magazine, East Durham Business, is due out next month. The magazine, which launched in 2019, includes features with businesses and organisations from around the region, with the cover star of this issue being Discovering Durham, the...
Next week's East Durham Business Network event at East Durham College is almost sold out. Eighty people have registered with only five tickets remaining. The event will see representatives from across the East Durham and North East area descend on the Peterlee...
Global automotive technology leader ZF has announced the recruitment or promotion of eleven apprentices as it starts the new year in the driving seat for growth. The Peterlee-based company, which produces camera safety equipment found in vehicles across the world,...
East Durham Business Network's first networking event of 2022 is almost fully booked. Network with your Neighbour is taking place on Wednesday, January 26, at East Durham College. Businesses from around the area are invited to attend, and so far nearly 70 people have...
Vegan chocolate bar makers LoveRaw and Peterlee-based plant-based ice cream experts Beau’s Gelato have announced an exciting collaboration ahead of Veganuary 2022, with a Limited Edition ‘Love Raw Gelato Box’ featuring two exclusive Beau’s ice cream flavours made...
Quaysar Rafique became a regular face at the East Durham Business Networks’ Zoom networking sessions during lockdown. He dropped by Novus Business Centre in Peterlee to chat to editor Leanne Fawcett about his company, The Will Guys. In this issue’s What’s Trending Now...
The County Durham Growth Fund has awarded £1.98 million in grants to 17 companies from across the county this year, which will create 278 new jobs. 2021 has proved a successful year in terms of demand for the £8.9 million capital grant scheme, which provides financial...
Following COP26 the focus of the world has turned to how we can generate energy in a more sustainable way to help combat the challenges of climate change. But, for one County Durham business, their company is already providing solutions that can help developers of...
Automotive manufacturer TMD Friction is ending 2021 with the confirmation of a further £1m of investment in a new paint line. The commitment from the Hartlepool-based company’s global group takes the total money secured this year to over £3m and has supported the...
Peterlee company Delanoy Funeral Services has capped off a successful year in business by being shortlisted for a prestigious award. The firm, which was launched by John Delanoy and Julie Stout in July 2020, was nominated by the public for the Northern Echo's County...
Finding the right nursery for your child can be one of the most difficult decisions to make as a parent. Seaham House Nursery, located on North Terrace, just a three-minute drive from Spectrum Business Park, offers unrivalled views of the beach and docks, creating a...
East Durham Business Network is delighted to announce the date of its first networking event of 2022. Network with your Neighbour will take place on Wednesday, January 26, at East Durham College. Businesses from around the area are invited to attend. Updates will be...
Businesses across Peterlee's industrial estates are being asked to support the clean up of the Wapping Burn. Regional organisation Wear Rivers Trust (WRT) is now working with businesses, volunteers and partners to improve the stretch of water, which flows from the...
In 2020, John Delanoy and Julie Stout launched Delanoy Funeral Services, which pledged to change the way funerals are conducted, giving people the send over they want and deserve. In that time they have managed dozens of funerals and have recently invested in a new...
Nearly two years after my last visit to the wonderful Seaham Hall Hotel – a real gem in the North East’s crown – because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was with open arms and ready-to-be-pampered muscles that I returned for a much needed spa day. Anyone who knows me...
An experienced fitness instructor has won a prestigious national award for the contribution she has made to Seaham’s community. Andrea Tweedy-Dixon has been in the fitness industry for over 10 years and was working as an instructor at Seaham Leisure Centre. However,...
Essential skills training courses in County Durham are proving their worth in helping job seekers secure employment. A recent report from the Learning and Work Institute shows a steep drop in basic skills education in the North East. However, housing association,...
A former apprentice is moving up the career ladder at TMD Friction in Hartlepool thanks to investment from the company to strengthen its IT department. Stuart Gallagher joined the global automotive manufacturer four and a half years ago and in that time has completed...
A tech start-up that eases the administrative burden left with bereaved families has set its sights on rapid expansion, after receiving support from a team of North East innovation experts. Settld has secured over £800,000 for its end-of-life admin platform, which...
In this feature from Issue 6 of East Durham Business magazine, businessman and Phileas Fogg snack brand founder Keith Gill shares with what he likes to do in his spare time, away from running the Old Post Office bed and breakfast in Lanchester. EDB. How do you like to...
Global automotive technology leader ZF has rewarded 21 temporary workers with permanent contracts, starting as of November 1. The staff, who were initially brought in to meet a demand in orders, were appointed through the Peterlee company’s recruitment partner,...
Thanks to the collaborative culture that runs throughout the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA), member company, ElringKlinger, has achieved £65,000 of savings on its energy costs. Through a long established relationship, Seaham-based, Great Annual Savings Group...
A Durham-based family-run funeral service are this month celebrating 50 successful years in business. East Durham Funeral Service, headed up by owner Philip Maddison intend to mark the occasion by giving their clients some special deals on pre-payment funeral plans in...
Power Roll, the developer of ultra-low-cost and lightweight flexible film for energy generation and storage, has raised a further £2.5m from existing investors. The investment will support continuing growth and the establishment of a pilot solar film production plant...
Every issue of East Durham Business magazine is available to read online, by visiting eastdurhambusiness.co.uk. The website is packed with news from businesses around the region, and you can also find out more about the advertising packages which are available both...
Automotive manufacturer TMD Friction is bringing together employees from facilities around the world, including its Hartlepool plant, after launching a global learning and development academy. The International Training Network has been created to support the...
Latus Health is targeting several business acquisitions as part of its three-year strategy to become the UK’s first fully remote occupational health services provider. The first acquisition made by the Hull-based business is the Reward Me Now employee health and...
An experienced barber who followed his dream of opening his own business is proving he’s a cut above as his salon continues to grow. Shane Brown has worked in the industry for six years and after spells with a number of salons across the region, he decided to go it...
Physiotherapist Andy Atkinson is targeting growth within East Durham’s business community as he looks to make the transition from part to full time self-employment. With over 15 years’ experience within the health and wellbeing sector, Andy launched Atkinson...
In the latest issue of East Durham Business magazine, East Durham Business Service adviser Hina Joshi, who has been with the Peterlee-based organisation for almost 10 years, answers questions for the My Working Day feature. Hina tells the magazine more about her role,...
Three new appointments have been made to form a new dedicated Environment, Health and Safety team at TMD Friction in Hartlepool. The team is spearheaded by manager Shaun Wilson, who joins the global automotive manufacturer from Caterpillar in Peterlee. He was brought...
A funeral services company which launched during the coronavirus pandemic has marked the end of its first year in business with significant investment in a new Jaguar fleet of hearses. John Delanoy and Julie Stout have also achieved their pledge to reinvest all money...
Turtle Bay is opening the doors to its new Durham restaurant on Friday, October 15. Durham’s first Caribbean restaurant and bar opens on The Riverwalk Durham with a brand new cocktail menu, Caribbean soul food classics and island beach shack party vibes, every day -...
HR Blog supplied by Alison Schreiber of the HR Dept, Durham Bringing employees back to the workplace and getting back to normal has been a key focus for many employers ever since COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed earlier this year. However as recent events have...
East Durham Business magazine feature - Central Doorset Manufacturing. Earlier this year Central Doorset Manufacturing relocated its fast-growing business into the former Dewhirst building on the North West Industrial Estate in Peterlee. Just seven months on, the...
Durham-based outsourcing firm, Hudson Outsourcing, is preparing to open a US head office in Florida, after expansion to over 20 countries around the world. To meet this global demand, they have rebranded with a fresh look, a new website and a revised motto – ‘A global...
The latest issue of the area's flagship business magazine, East Durham Business, is out now. Issue six features news and updates from companies across the region, including Peterlee firm Central Doorset Manufacturing, Delanoy Funeral Services, East Durham Business...
Following Beau’s £400,000 investment round in early 2021, the ethical vegan gelato manufacturer has appointed three senior figures to help it grow the business further and help bring the brand closer to its customers. As well as confirming former Onist Food founder...
Rollable solar film promises affordable, power-generating photovoltaic blackout window blinds for millions of people living in apartments Power Roll and Filia Solar have signed an Application Development Partner Agreement to explore the use of Power Roll’s solar film...
North East modular housebuilder CoreHaus has teamed up with a County Durham-based college to recruit, train and develop the region’s next generation of skilled construction professionals. Working closely with Derwentside College, CoreHaus has developed a bespoke...
Support organisation East Durham Business Service has welcomed four new tenants to Novus Business Centre. Team Evolve, Claire McPhail Counselling, Galaxy Letts and East Durham Counselling have all moved into the Peterlee facility, which provides office space to new...
The North East’s premier science and technology park looks set to expand, with councillors being asked to support a near £50m investment in its growth. NETPark at Sedgefield will be extended with a new third phase, should Durham County Council’s Cabinet agree to...
