Wellstream lets its success flow

Jun 12 2007 By The Journal

A manufacturer has been crowned the cream of the North-East's commercial crop. Oil and gas pipeline maker Wellstream International, of Newcastle, scooped the Company of the Year title at the NorthEast Business Awards, which are organised by The Journal and the Evening Gazette.

The company, which floated on the stock exchange with a market capitalisation of more than £300m in April, employs 473 staff.

Frank Buck, senior manager of Wellstream International, said: "This award tops a great year for Wellstream."

Gazette Media Company and ncjMedia regional managing director Steve Brown, speaking at the glittering black-tie event which attracted an audience of nearly 800, said: "This year we've enjoyed record sponsorship support, four sell out award dinners and, most importantly of all, record entry levels - with more companies than ever putting themselves forward to be judged as the best in the North-East.

"Entry levels are in fact 10% up on last year, more than 320 companies have put themselves forward and, significantly, 86% of them have done so for the first time.

"Nothing keeps the awards fresher than getting new companies coming through and, in six years of this regional event, we've now had some 1,600 different companies put their corporate heads above the parapet."

Other winners were: Services Award: RS Industrial Services, Billingham;

Innovation: Citrox, Middlesbrough; Environment: 3M UK, Newton

Aycliffe; Small Business: Raytec, Ashington; Technology: i4u, Newcastle; Internet & ICT: SDLT.co.uk, Hexham; Manufacturing: Responsive Engineering Group, Gateshead; Corporate Social Responsibility: Akzo Nobel, Gateshead; Learning, Training and Skills: Parkdean Holidays, Newcastle; Export: Gate 7, Gateshead; Cultural & Creative Business: TH_NK, Newcastle.