4 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 5
/NEWS
Aycliffe has it all!
With Russ Sawdon
Keep it local –
succeed global
With Gregg Little
As a business we were so excited to see
the launch of the Aycliffe Business Park
at the Xcel Centre.
We have been trading on the business park
for nearly 28 years, but we have struggled
to create or find a business forum to share
and debate key issues such as training, best
practice and the environment around us, and
I feel like this is the start of something big –
if we all get involved.
Having been a member of the Newton
Aycliffe Rotary Club and involved in local
charity groups for many years, this kind of
forum really inspires me.
The idea of keeping it local has always been
something I am really passionate about,
and we’re looking at all our suppliers, from
the simplest stationery item to our service
contractors, to see if we can switch as many
as we can to local businesses.
It was also amazing to see the strength of
skills and resources we have here on the
Business Park.
The variety of styles and size of companies
were what really surprised me, the amount
of large national and international companies,
along with our home grown talent, too.
I see the whole thing as a circle of life each business on the park providing great
services and support to each other, in
turn improving all of our bottom lines and
strengthening our teams.
As a successful independent family-run
garage, we want to help you be the best,
by looking after you and your employees –
ensuring your business works at its optimum
performance.
I feel it’s vital to provide your businesses and
the 8,500 employees here on the park with
efficient, convenient and good value services
without you even having to leave work.
I look forward to sharing, listening and
supporting all of you at the next Aycliffe
Busines Park meeting.
As Henry Ford once said “Coming together
is a beginning; keeping together is progress;
working together is success.
”
Gregg Little
Managing Director
Gregg Little Testing Centre
HPM & MANTIS A
‘FORMIDABLE PARTNERSHIP’
The producers of Aycliffe Today
Business have joined forces with one
of the region’s biggest media outfits.
Newton Aycliffe-based HPM Group has evolved
in recent years to become a multi-service
agency specialising in visual communications
and marketing.
Martin Walker set up Mantis Media four years
ago and launched www.aycliffetoday.co.uk
in January 2012 followed by Aycliffe Today
Business last November.
The two companies are now working closely
together to create a formidable multi-service
partnership.
HPM Group is now printing and distributing
this magazine, and have also appointed Mantis
boss Martin as a new copy writing and PR
consultant.
HPM managing director Richard Mortimer
(pictured above, left) said: “We live in a forever
changing world, and a multi-service agency like
HPM needs good, creative writers like Martin.
“He not only has the ability and passion to turn
his hand to any subject and write about it well,
he also has a track record of delivering.
“Our clients can now benefit from the skills
Martin has to offer, meaning we can now
complement our imaginative designs with
excellent in-house copy.
“It also means our clients can benefit from the
PR skills Martin brings to the table, which we
think will be another valuable tool for us.
”
Martin first started working with HPM Group
in 2000, when he joined Middlesbrough FC’s
publications team and HPM was designing
and printing Boro’s match programmes.
“I’m delighted to be working so closely
with one of the region’s biggest media
companies, said Martin, also based on
”
Aycliffe Business Park.
“HPM’s new media work and interactive
projects are innovative and very exciting,
and I’m looking forward to bringing
something new to the table.
”
WINNING 4G
BIDDERS REVEALED
Everything Everywhere, Hutchison 3G,
Niche Spectrum Ventures Ltd, Teleónica
UK and Vodafone are among the winners
of the 4G mobile spectrum auction.
Announced by Ofcom the sale raised £2.34bn,
short of the £3.5bn estimated by the Office for
Budget Responsibility.
Ed Richards, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “This
is a positive outcome for competition in the UK,
which will lead to faster and more widespread
mobile broadband, and substantial benefits for
consumers and businesses across the country.
“We are confident that the UK will be among
the most competitive markets in the world for
4G services.
“4G coverage will extend far beyond that of
existing 3G services, covering 98% of the UK
population indoors – and even more when
outdoors – which is good news for parts of
the country currently underserved by mobile
broadband.
”
The next stage in the process will determine
where each winning bidder’s new spectrum
will be located.
Operators will then be able to start rolling
out their networks with consumer services
expected in spring or early summer 2013.
The Forum of Private Business said it was
unsurprised at the auction had not raised as
much as first thought.
Head of policy, Alex Jackman, said: “Our
own research with our members shows
most businesses have little appetite for the
technology at present, many unable to see how
it can help their business for the costs involved.
“4G is still in its infancy though, and we
think most firms will be taking the ‘wait and
see’ approach. That is waiting for the price to
come down and for coverage to be extended,
and seeing if it can help their businesses
in any way.
”
WATER’S THE WORD!
Research has found keeping your staff
hydrated can increase productivity by
10% - but this lot have taken it to the
extreme!
Staff at Water Cooler World and Driver Hire,
based in the same offices at Carlton House, the
HUB, have agreed to run this year’s Hamsterley
10k to raise money for the Butterwick Hospice.
Boss Lisa Fleming has also agreed to sponsor
the event, and says she’s delighted to see her
employees taking part.
Water Cooler World can supply busi