The Business Awards 2007 finalists - Company of the year

Apr 22 2008 By The Journal

Regional sponsor One NorthEast

TYNESIDE AND NORTHUMBERLAND

Winner: Newcastle International Airport

The Business Award given to the region’s biggest airport capped a big year for the group which saw passenger numbers rise to a record 5.7m in a volatile travel market.

The airport saw a 24% rise in passenger traffic on German airline Lufthansa which introduced a new twice daily service to Dusseldorf.

Last year also saw the airport open its new air traffic control tower which is regarded as one of the most advanced facilities of its kind in the world.

The company also added Middle Eastern tourist hotspot Dubai to its list of destinations as Emirates Airline took up residence at the airport.

This year the airport looks set to continue its development with Eastern Airways announcing a new daily direct service to Norway.

Runners-up: Merit Process Engineering, Northumbria University

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TEES VALLEY

Winner: Garlands Call Centres

ORMESBY-BORN Chey Garland left Middlesbrough High School with no qualifications aged 16.

The seeds of her business empire were sown when the mum-of-two launched a debt collection business with £600 in 1980, starting off with a second-hand desk in a tiny attic room.

She then spotted a new market was emerging and steered the company into the contact centre sector.

She established C J Garland and Co in 1987 and is now chief executive of the company that trades as Garlands Call Centres.

The business operates call centres dealing with blue chip clients in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Eaglescliffe employing more than 3,000 people.

And work is currently under way on Garlands’ new call centre site in South Shields, as well as a new back office processing centre in Cape Town, South Africa – which together will create a further 1,500 jobs.

Runners-up: PD Ports, Onyx Group

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DURHAM AND WEARSIDE

Winner: Darchem Engineering

DARCHEM Engineering, which has been established in the North East for 50 years, makes insulation systems for use in the aerospace, energy and marine markets.

It uses computer aided design techniques and software and has on site fire testing facilities to check products in high temperatures.

The business has won contracts worth £100m in the last year, supplying blue chip companies including Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and the Ministry of Defence.

Darchem Engineering employs 630 workers at its headquarters at Stillington, near Durham Tees Valley Airport, and a further 100 at its other site in Gloucester. It is aiming to create 40 jobs with three factory expansions this year.

The business has gone from strength to strength after being taken over by the Esterline Corporation of the US in a £68m deal in 2006.

Runners-up: Komatsu UK Ltd, Walker Filtration.