People make a difference

Jan 27 2010 By The Journal

Geoff Turnbull, Chairman, GT Group. Location: Tyne & Wear

GT GROUP has factories throughout North East England - in Consett, Sunderland, Peterlee and Aycliffe. It is a world-class product development company in the field of environmental engineering, supplying a wide range of products such as couplings and exhaust gas control valves to the automotive, oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

"It is the quality of the workforce that makes North East England such a good place for business. I have travelled the world extensively on business and I take every opportunity to talk up the North East and the Regional Image campaign. I have no hesitation in recommending any company or person to set up a business in the region, there are simply no downsides.

"The skills of the workforce are superb, their loyalty is beyond question, they have a very strong work ethic and they are extremely willing to learn. The people who work with me are not just employees, they are also friends. That is so important in business, because, no matter how clever you are, you’re only as good as the people around you."