28 | Aycliffe Today Business
Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 29
John Finley won his first award in
business when Finley Structures was
named Company of the Year at the
Make Your Mark awards.
The Aycliffe firm also helped to build the 500-tonne Middlesbrough Sports Village, which opened in 2015.
By Martin Walker
Family steel firm Finley Structures
named Aycliffe Company of the Year
A family steel has been recognised for a hugely-successful year in business.
Finley Structures was named Company
of the Year at Aycliffe Business Park’s Make
Your Mark awards ceremony, held at the Xcel
Centre.
The fabrication firm, which is based in
the former British Steel factory on Aycliffe
Business Park, beat off competition from
Hitachi, Gestamp Tallent, Samwon, Baltic
Training Services and Caring Caretaker to
scoop the top prize at Wednesday night’s bash.
Finley Structures announced a record
turnover year in 2015, with sales growing to
£16.4m – up from £10m four years ago.
High-profile contracts, including Hitachi
Rail Europe’s new facility, also included
a new 1,400-tonne factory for Nissan at
Washington, a 2,300-tonne project at the
Victoria Gate shopping centre in Leeds, the
500-tonne Sports Village in Middlesbrough
and a 300-tonne frame for the £38m National
Biologics Centre in Darlington.
Finley Structures also completed a
500-tonne project for Teesside University
and a 620-tonne contract for the University
of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing and
Research Centre (AMRC) to round-up a busy
year.
The company was launched by John Finley
in 2000 and was originally based at the former
NCB Works in Tursdale near Bowburn with
20 staff.
It was only when, during a chance drive-by
in 2002, the opportunistic John spotted the
87,000 sq ft factory, once home to British
Steel, being emptied by its tenants at the
time, Alexander-le-Skerne, that he stopped by
to have a look.
“We were outgrowing our site at Tursdale
and were looking to relocate,” says John.
“It was just by chance I drove down
Whinbank Road one day and saw it being
emptied, so I just went in for a look around,
and I remember thinking to myself ‘I can see
Finley Structures thriving in here’.
“We eventually did the deal to buy the
building and moved in. We invested £250,000
in the place in 2003 so it was a lot of money
for us back then, and the business started to
grow.
“I initially thought we would rent part of
the building out to help pay the bills but we
quickly started to fill it out and before long
we were looking to expand again. We then
bought other adjoining buildings in 2010
and our sister company, SCH Site Services,
relocated there in order to grow and is now
thriving in its own right.”
Finley Structures is a truly family-run firm.
John’s wife Valerie is a company director and
was a part-time receptionist until retiring in
December, while daughter Julie is jointmanaging director and son Gary is jointmanaging director of SCH Site Services.
Combined, the two companies employ 104
people, while the new family venture, ROF
59 – an activity centre whic