It may have been named Company of the Year at the Make Your Mark Awards, but there’s one question Senstronics MD Andy Reed always has to answer – what does your firm actually DO?
Having picked up two awards – he picked up the Businessperson of the Year title too – an “astonished” Andy said he was thrilled that the firm’s contribution to the business park had been recognised.
And he was also happy enough to answer THAT question.
“We make pressure sensors – daft little sensors in a clean room environment that go all over the world in every industry across the world,” smiled Andy, pictured receiving the award from Pamela Petty of category sponsor Aycliffe Business Park Community.
“The world would pretty much stop – all cars would stop, for example – without them.
“We’re just an unassuming little factory in the North-East of England in a corner of the business park.
“Nobody knows what we do – we keep getting asked that question all the time – so one of the reasons we’re here tonight is to say ‘we’re here, we’ve been here for a while, we want to be part of the community, and we want to help, support and make the place better’.
“And it’s not just about looking internally, it’s about looking externally at what we can help and support.”
Recalling when he arrived at Senstronics two years ago, Andy said: “People weren’t always put first – it was all about profits to an extent.
“Of course, you have to make profits, but it felt like making profits despite people, not with people. But if you invest in your people and your processes, you get that back tenfold.
“I still love going to work every day . We’ve got a pretty big investment plan, £8m worth of capital investment, so we need to get four big machines in the next 12 months and a 30 per cent growth in the next three years, so that keeps us pretty busy.
“My team are fantastic – everyone at Senstronics is fantastic.
“We want it to be a great place to work – it’s one of our values, that we make sure we drive through every decision we make. The business isn’t anything without people.”
To win the blue riband Company of the Year category, Senstronics held off challenges from BTS Facades and Distributions, Primex Plastics and Husqvarna.
It was just one highlight from a night of highlights – where the achievements of Aycliffe’s brilliant business deservedly got a public airing.
Hosted by BBC Radio Tees presenter Gary Philipson, the night saw around 240 people gather in Hardwick Hall’s Coleman Suite for an event organised by Resolution Media and Publishing on behalf of Aycliffe Business Park Community.