A national publication promoting the Tees region to the UK and beyond was launched with a high-profile event at Wynyard Hall on Thursday.
Resolution Media and Publishing – co-owned by Aycliffe Business editor Martin Walker – have published the fourth annual issue of This Is Tees Valley.
The magazine is produced on Teesside but distributed nationwide to spread the message about why our region is such a great place to live, work and invest.
The high-quality publication for 2024-25 has been produced by Resolution – organisers of this year’s Make Your Mark Awards – with backing from the Tees Valley Combined Authority, local councils and businesses.
Nearly 200 people attended the launch event at Wynyard Hall, which included a keynote speech from Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and a panel Q&A discussing the challenges and opportunities facing the Tees Valley.
The panel, pictured above with Mr Houchen, comprised North East England Chamber of Commerce chief executive John McCabe, the Power of Women campaign’s head of operations Claire Preston, Alt Labs founder and CEO Imran Anwar and Bill Scott OBE of Wilton Engineering.
And all felt that despite the switch to a new Labour government, the region is still well placed to power forward.
Martin, who co-hosted the event with his business partner Dave Allan, said: “We’re proud to bang the drum for our region, whether that’s Aycliffe, the Tees Valley, or just the North-East as a whole.
“This Is Tees Valley has gradually gained momentum over the last four years and we feel now it’s gaining even more traction after getting all 10,000 copies successfully distributed around the UK in 2023.
“It’s a marketing tool for the Tees region but it’s also an excellent platform for our clients to spread the word about their fantastic work beyond our boundaries and right across the country.”
During the panel Q&A, Mr Anwar focused on the region’s resilience, asking: “How many areas in the UK have had taken as many hits as we’ve done but keep going? Not many.
“We’re on an upward curve – that’s my key message to anyone looking to us. The momentum is behind our economy and we need to make sure we capitalise on that.”
Citing the Darlington Economic Campus as one example of government putting faith in our region, Mr McCabe told the meeting: “We have some of the most unique propositions, assets and opportunities here in the Tees Valley, as well as the sense of getting things done.”
Claire Preston, who was the first Tees Businesswoman of the Year six years ago, said the area’s “innovative and resilient people” were key.
She said: “We have the passion and spirit to be the best, although we’re not there yet – we still have a long way to go, but we’re on the up.”
Mr Scott paid tribute to the area’s spirit of collaboration.
He said: “We need to tell people that the Tees Valley is the place to come and do business – the skills we have here, how we work and the collaboration is unbelievable.”
And all four panelists felt the fact a Labour government would now be liaising with a Tory Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen could still benefit the area.
Mr McCabe, a big fan of political devolution for the North-East, said it was “essential” the government and Mr Houchen worked together.
And encouraged by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s early meeting with Mr Houchen, Bill Scott said: “We should get behind the government because we need it to be successful. It doesn’t matter about what colour it is – the government is in there and it has to do the best for us as a nation.
“If you look at the slogan Labour were using before the election – it’s time for change and they were going to do it on the back of growth – well this is where the growth is, in Teesside, and we need to continue that growth.”
Packed with positive features highlighting some of the area’s key projects and businesses, 10,000 copies of This Is Tees Valley 2024-25 will be circulated to the UK’s most influential businesses and business leaders, investors, politicians, business influencers and decision-makers.
The 2024-25 publication, which will also be circulated at national exhibitions and conferences and available to pick up at Teesside Airport, has been supported by the local authorities of Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington.
Ad digital version of the magazine can be read online HERE.
To enquire about taking space in the 2025-26 edition This Is Tees Valley, or any future issues of Tees Business, call 01642 450255 or email [email protected].
• The launch event was sponsored by Stockton-based Moonrise 24hr Recruitment, with MD Jessica Gwaringa telling the audience about how a business that started in the living room of her home 10 years ago has been built into a powerhouse growth business with 300 staff providing care across Teesside and beyond, with offices now also in Birmingham and Scotland.