Serving the Teesside Business Community | 25
“I’m a big
believer in investing
in people and we’re
always looking for
ways to improve
ourselves.”
Managing director Amanda Gardiner says
Durham Lifting now has ambitions of
expanding and creating more new jobs.
Durham Lifting specialises in the manufacture of offshore
handling equipment, lifting and modular spreader beams
up to 1,000 tonnes.
supported by anciliiary equipment such as
wires, shackles and dyneema ropes.
The business was founded in 1996 by
Frank Pickersgill and his daughter Amanda,
starting out in a workshop in Shildon, County
Durham.
Its expansion continued in 1998 with the
acquisition of the iconic Britannia Testhouse
on Riverside Park Industrial Estate, famous
for the manufacture and component testing
of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Durham Lifting, which opened its second
branch on Aycliffe Business Park more than
ten years ago, is now headed by husband-
and-wife team Amanda and Paul – both proud
Teessiders and Boro fans who live with their
two children at Ingleby Barwick.
“We try not to talk shop at home!” insists
Amanda. “We try to have a rule that when
we’re home we don’t talk about work, but it
is very difficult.
“The working day starts from the minute
Technical director Paul Gardiner works
closely with his wife Amanda.
you get up, so we do talk about work on
a morning, but we try hard not to on an
evening and at weekends. It’s not always
possible, and it’s not always possible to keep
our cool with each other!”
Durham Lifting offers a 24-hour electrical
and mechanical repair service on overhead
crane systems and also offers a design,
manufacture, install and test package,
bespoke to clients’ requirements, while it’s
crane-engineering team boasts more than 60
years’ experience in the industry.
Amanda adds: “We can do anything from
a jib crane installation, which feeds standard
CNC machines, to a full factory, overhead
gantry crane. It’s a requirement under
PUWER and LOLER, which is health and
safety legislation, to have cranes serviced at
regular intervals and an annual examination.
“So it’s important our guys are highly-
qualified, because the amount of knowledge
that is now needed about crane systems
“Our team have been
exceptional and we’re very
proud of them. They’ve come
along the journey with us
and they’re fantastic to work
with. It’s a real pleasure to be
involved in their development.
means they have to be well experienced.”
Durham Lifting’s new heavy offshore
lifting equipment has breaking loads of up to
3,000 tonnes – capable of lifting some of the
largest monopiles for wind turbines.
And Amanda says it’s that sector which
has literally kept Durham Lifting sailing in the
right direction as the firm charted its way
through choppy waters.
To find out more about Durham Lifting
go to durhamlifting.co.uk