North East small employer of the year: DW Bathrooms, Spennymoor

SPENNYMOOR-BASED bathroom fitter DW Bathrooms, which employs three people, beat hundreds of entrants to be crowned the North East Small Employer of the Year.

Thanks to the employer’s exceptional support and commitment to learning and development, DW Bathrooms’ first apprentice John Paul Longthorne has become a hugely important and valued asset to the business.

The firm, which recruited its apprentice plumber two years ago, enjoys extremely high customer satisfaction levels and has attracted new customers, which it directly attributes to its apprenticeship commitment. DW Bathrooms, whose apprentice’s training is delivered by New College Durham, has also utilised the apprenticeship programme to embrace and harness new developments and technologies, increasing its range of services and customer base.

The company owner Dean Watson said: "Apprenticeships have provided us with the ideal staffing solution to support our growing business.

"We have been able to recruit someone who is committed and keen to work in our line of business, and mould their skills to deliver high-quality standards and exceptional customer service.

"In my opinion, apprenticeships are an ideal way to boost your business, a young person’s career and give something back to the local community."