Local but expanding – that’s how Digital Edge MD Graham Marsh summarised the state of his business after its Service Business of the Year triumph at the Make Your Mark Awards.
Begun by Graham and Ian Proctor in Graham’s conservatory seven years ago, Digital Edge now has a seven-strong team developing and expanding its web design and digital solution services.
And whereas all its business used to be on Aycliffe Business Park, Graham says its horizons have expanded in recent times.
He said: “We started in Aycliffe and still have a lot of local business – probably around 70 per cent within a five-mile radius – but the rest is around the world. We’re local but expanding.
“I’m buzzing tonight – to be a local business and employ local people, it’s great to win this.
“The plan when we started the business was to have fun, enjoy ourselves and not build a typical business. We wanted to build a business that other people would want to join and enjoy, and a place where we wanted to go to work – and that’s what we’ve done.”
Clients, said Graham, get “value, collaboration and creativity – and a sense that ‘you’ve done a good job for us and we’re going to come back to you’.”
Graham, who received the award from Daniel Wilkinson, manufacturing manager at category sponsor Husqvarna, added: “We’re trusted – and we’ve got an open door policy.
“We don’t hide anywhere – if there’s a problem, someone can walk in any time of the day. We’re transparent and we love what we do.
“The plan now is to grow more around the world while still staying local.
“The digital world changes every day with AI, Chat GPT, all those things. You’ve got to be on the ball and when clients aren’t, you have to service them and help them move into the future.
“Web and marketing is a very difficult industry – we’ve survived when a lot of others have dropped out but we’ve been resilient and we’ve been on the ball.
“It’s not been easy but we love what we do and we have a giggle doing it.”
Aycliffe Dairy and Aycliffe Physiotherapy were the other finalists in the Service Business of the Year category.
It was one of 11 awards handed out at the Hardwick Hall event which, for the first time, was organised by Resolution Media and Publishing on behalf of Aycliffe Business Park Community.
Hosted by BBC Radio Tees presenter Gary Philipson, the memorable event also included a three-course dinner, a collection for defibrillator charity Missed A Beat and a keynote speech from former 3M Aycliffe plant manager Paul Hind.
