Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 9
Stewart Watkins was hugely impressed
with HPM’s Auckland Castle work
HPM visit (left to right) – directors Richard Lister and Richard Mortimer with Business Durham
MD Stewart Watkins and Business Development Area Manager (South) John Parnell
Business Durham praise
for “stunning” Auckland Castle work
Business Durham chief Stewart
Watkins has praised “stunning”
new media work that will help to
bring a famous North-East heritage
site back to life.
“Some of the work I’ve seen at HPM is very
cutting edge, very state-of-the-art, he said.
”
Newton Aycliffe-based HPM Group has
been commissioned to work on an extensive
marketing strategy for the Grade I-listed
Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, home
of the world-famous Zurburan paintings.
Business Durham provides support to the
business community in County Durham, and
is the first point of contact for businesses
operating in the county, offering advice
and guidance to support their growth and
development, and providing businesses with
an easy route in to County Council services that
they may need to access.
The Auckland Castle Trust has taken ownership
of the castle, gardens and medieval park
and saved the Zurbaran paintings from being
bought up.
It is also funding the restoration of Auckland
Castle, with plans to develop it into a Christian
heritage centre and a major tourist attraction.
HPM Group is currently working on
delivering a comprehensive marketing strategy
for the Trust.
And Mr Watkins, managing director of Business
Durham, says he’s been hugely impressed by
the work during a visit of the firm’s premises
on Aycliffe Business Park.
“The designs I’ve seen on the relaunch of
Auckland Castle, in particular, are stunning.
They’re easy on the eye, very eloquent, and
I’m sure will do the Castle justice.
”
The organisation also promotes enterprise,
innovation and business start-up within the
County.
Mr Watkins added: “There are some wonderful
businesses in Newton Aycliffe, and I was thrilled
to see some of the technology there is at HPM.
“It’s clearly a very forward-thinking
company that does some very
innovative and exciting design
and print work.
”
Meanwhile, Ryan Bennison, 26, has been
promoted from marketing trainee to business
development executive, specialising in selling
creative design and new media.
HPM Group
invest in visual
communications
HPM Group, the biggest media company
on Aycliffe Business Park and one of the
biggest in the North-East, has made two new
appointments to continue its investment in
visual communications.
Ken Pearce, 45, from Durham, has joined HPM
as business development manager after several
years working in the print industry for other
major organisations and multinational paper
merchants.
Ken said: “It’s my job to generate new, longterm, profitable business and to create new
relationships, reactivating lapsed accounts
and generally improving the sales process.
“I’m looking forward to working with a top
team at HPM and fostering and developing
good business relationships throughout the
North-East.
”
Ryan, from Newcastle, joined HPM in summer
2009 after graduating from Northumbria
University with a first class honours degree in
marketing management and has recently worked
on prestigious projects such as Wynyard Hall,
Auckland Castle and NetPark-based Reinnervate.
He said: “This is my first role from University and
it’s been a joy to work for HPM in developing my
career in marketing.
“The business development team is supported
by one of the region’s most talented and creative
design teams as well as having some of the
HPM has evolved sig