10 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 11
IRON
MAN
Aycliffe Business Park – launched in February
The Workshop Supplies family (left to right): Elaine, Darren, Phil, Mark, Jaki and Tony
“For us, it isn’t just about selling products or supplies, it’s about helping and problem-solving.
If we don’t stock what they’re looking for, we’ll help them find out how to get it.
”
Workshop Supplies partner Phil Harrop tells Martin Walker about his biggest challenge yet…
Trimming overgrown hedges
might seem like an annoying
weekend chore to most people
– but for ‘Iron Man’ hopeful
Phil Harrop, it was a walk
in the Park.
Phil and his twin brother Mark are
currently training for this year’s Iron Man,
a gruelling triathlon endurance race in
August which consists of a 2.4-mile open
water swim, a 112-mile cycling route
followed by a 26.2-mile marathon, and all
to be completed within just 17 hours.
Rather them than me.
But when they’re not juggling a strict
training regime with hectic careers and
busy family lives, they’re both doing their
bit to help spruce up Aycliffe Business
Park.
Around 100 businesspeople attended the
launch of the park’s new website, an event
superbly-organised and executed by Xcel
Centre boss Kerina Clark, in February.
The aim of the group is to increase
communication, collaboration and
networking, while it’s also designed to
improve the appearance of the Park.
And Phil has taken the bull by the horns.
“One thing that infuriates me about our
country generally is that we don’t get
behind ideas or support initiatives like we
should do, said Phil, 37
”
.
“We laugh at the Americans for clapping
and cheering at school basketball games,
but sometimes we should maybe show
some of the enthusiasm they show for
things.
“The Aycliffe Business Park launch
surprised me. We came away excited and
with some new ideas. We try to get to as
many networking events as possible, so
you see a lot of people with those right
ideas in mind and the feedback we’re
getting is really positive.
“I’m not suggesting we start whooping
and hollering at these events, but
everyone was genuinely interested in what
was being said at the launch.
“I’ve recently spoken to John Finley, and
he’s passionate about tidying the estate
up, making it look more presentable. He
said to me, ‘if everyone does a little bit,
then we’ll do a lot together’.
Phil’s “can-do” attitude runs through
Workshop Supplies, a company formed
in 1997 which services Aycliffe and beyond
with engineering consumables and
products.
Phil and Mark joined the company 15
years ago. Prior to that they ran their
own company, Double Impact marketing,
travelling the length and breadth of the
UK, promoting and rejuvenating run-down
health and fitness clubs.
“We were living out of a suitcase most of
our lives, and after five-and-a-half years of
that you get a bit sick of it, says Phil.
”
“So when asked if we fancied coming into
the family business it didn’t take much to
persuade us.
”
Eldest brother Darren was already up
and running with the mobile version
of Workshop Supplies, an arm of the
company which still runs today.
“It just shows personal pride, we all look
after the front of our homes and gardens,
why shouldn’t we do the same where we
work?
Tony Harrop (Dad) managed to convince
his youngest two (Phil and Mark) to return
to their home in School Aycliffe to open
the shop, next to the Post Office in front
of Gestamp Tallents just off St Cuthbert’s
Way.
“Ownership of land on the Park is
complicated, and instead of waiting or
arguing over who should be tidying it up,
we’ll save a lot of time by just getting on
with it ourselves!”
And it remains a family business, managed
by six partners – Elaine, Tony, Darren, Jaki,
Mark and Phil. Jaki came into the business
in 2003 and works with Elaine (her mum)
in the accounts department.
Their sales staff also includes Simon Elliot
and Richard Ross. Simon is sales and
stock manager and Richard looks after
administration and the company website.
“Dad has phenomenal knowledge of just
about everything, says proud son Phil.