It continues to be a strange and challenging time for businesses, so it gives us great pleasure to bring you the first Aycliffe Business of 2021, which is packed full of positive news and features from around Aycliffe Business Park and beyond.
There has never been a more uncertain time for business, with Brexit and now Covid stifling progress and, in some sad cases, causing collapse.
So that’s why it’s even more important now, more than ever, that we shout about the positive news and champion the progress that is being made.
There are lots of examples in our latest issue of some businesses doing some amazing things, to not just survive, but thrive.
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, and many companies and entrepreneurial business leaders have adapted, and found new ways to keep their head above water – or, in many cases, continue to flourish.
Sara Davies is a name that has appeared in the pages of Aycliffe Business many times before, but the way her Crafter’s Companion team have evolved, by creating Crafter’s TV, is a prime example of this innovation. They’re now beaming craft classes to millions of people around the world, right here from their new purpose-built TV studio in Aycliffe.
ALM Engineering Solutions, from their Heighington Lane premises, have branched out to launch Cobots Online, offering an extensive range of collaborative robots, which you can also read about in the latest issue.
Stiller Warehousing and Distribution have tapped into the now rapidly-expanding home delivery market, with Amazon keeping them busy – so much so, in fact, that they’ve had to take on two separate premises for extra warehousing. As a result, their sales are up and they’re recruiting 25 new staff.
Hitachi Rail will soon be revealing full details of a multi-million pound investment at their Aycliffe factory, and Gestamp Tallent are launching three new products this year.
We’ve seen the launch of INEOS’ hand sanitiser plant in Aycliffe, Tekmar continue to win major offshore contracts and Finley Structures are currently working on their largest ever contract, the 3,200-tonne Milburngate development in Durham city. 3M have done all right during the pandemic, too.
So it isn’t all bad news!
Let’s hope all our neighbours on Aycliffe Business Park can continue their great work – and, for those finding life hard right now, hopefully they’ll soon see better days ahead.
I hope you enjoy this issue – which can be read online by clicking here.
We’ll be back in April with the landmark 50th issue of Aycliffe Business.
Martin Walker
Editor, Aycliffe Business
