The boss of an embroidery firm on Aycliffe Business Park says she has plans to carry on expanding after picking up one of the accolades at the 2022 Make Your Mark Awards, in association with Husqvarna.
C&A Embroidery and Print won the Small Business category, sponsored by Jacksons Law Firm, at the glitzy awards ceremony held at Redworth Hall Hotel.
The firm is owned and run by 28-year-old Laura Flood and offers an in-house embroidery and printing service.
C&A supplies a range of clothing such as workwear, corporate and hospitality, sports and leisure wear, and works with a range of customers on Aycliffe Business Park, including Collins Seafood, Beaumont Landscapes, Cobots Online, Durham Precision Engineering and Finley Structures.
They also provides a range of leisurewear for Darlington Football Club and the entire range of clothing for Sedgefield Rugby Club.
C&A moved into its first unit on Aycliffe Business Park in November 2018, took on its first employee in October 2019, moved into larger premises last August and now employs a team of four.
They beat off fierce competition from Bespoke Electrical and Logico to win the Small Business award.
Laura – pictured (left) with employee Jess Doyle and Peter Robinson from category sponsors Jacksons Law Firm – said: “I didn’t expect to win the award so it’s amazing to get this. We were very shocked.
“The last two years during Covid, we’ve expanded massively. We had to deal with a lot of companies that were still working during Covid – things like healthcare and construction companies, who were also going through the pandemic – so we were still busy.
“We had to work all the way through – we didn’t get the chance to have a break.
“The plan now is to carry on expanding. We’re trying to get into more schools, construction companies – the plan is to expand and see where we go from there.”
The Make Your Mark Awards returned after four years with a glamorous event at Redworth Hall.
Laura added: “The business park is amazing. Everyone seems to work as a community.
“We’ve only just started to work with a few more businesses around the park and the idea is to be the number one workwear supplier on the business park.”
Jacksons Law Firm were sponsors of the Small Business of the Year category at the Make Your Mark Awards.
Peter Robinson, the firm’s partner and head of corporate and commercial, said: “It was a genuine pleasure to support the Make Your Mark Awards and to present the Small Business award to C&A Embroidery & Print.
“The finalists in the Small Business category are all different from each other, they are smashing businesses, and are winners in their own right.
“Having run my own business in a previous life, I fully understand the challenges that can arise.
“These days, I thoroughly enjoy rolling up my sleeves and working closely with small businesses, watching them grow and develop and being part of the journey with them.
“It is really important to celebrate the success of local businesses and broadcast the positive messages, particularly after the two years of misery we have all suffered.”
