HomeSector ReportsNorth East VisionSpring 2008

PLG Glass director Graeme Hawes

A clear vision of the future

A FAMILY-RUN glass firm that counts Wembley Stadium and The Sage Gateshead among major projects it has worked on, is reaping the benefits of rebranding itself for the 21st Century. Read

New lease of life for computers

AS YOU read this, hundreds of African school kids are tapping away on keyboards that, until recently, were collecting dust at the offices of Newcastle-based energy efficiency giant Eaga plc. Read

Eyes of the world on our skills academy

YOU can’t ignore the facts – the process industry is a major driver of the North East economy. Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, speciality, petrochemical and commodity chemical companies in the region pump £8bn into the national economy and account for a quarter of the North East’s industrial base. Read

David is to champion NWL’s fight to tackle climate change

CLIMATE change has become a key issue for industry. And cleaner, greener and more cost effective ways of doing business has rocketed up the corporate agenda. For Northumbrian Water the topic is now firmly in the hotseat with the appointment of its first climate change champion – David Chapman. Read

Nissan riding a smooth road to continued success

THE UK’s beleaguered motor industry has not had a comfortable ride in recent years. Where once it conjured images of stately Rolls-Royces cruising country lanes, in the last couple of decades one thinks more readily of news flashes announcing redundancies. Read

Grant helps Julie helps others

FORMER community development worker Julie Wright had a fledgling Tees Valley photographic business and dreamed of expanding into young people’s projects. Read

World-class careers with Siemens

SIEMENS VAI MT has recruited more than 90 graduates and modern apprentices over the last six years – 24 of them at its Stockton site. They are jetting out all over the world on challenging, exciting and lucrative careers in the hi-tech global metals industry. Read

New college at green technology forefront

INTUITIVE loos and lights are just two of the features putting the new Redcar and Cleveland College, which is rising rapidly at its site alongside the old building on Corporation Road, at the forefront of green technology. Read

Making a difference to travel

High quality bus routes into business parks extend choice in travel, opportunity and workforce flexibility. Bernard Garner, Director General of Nexus, looks at some of the new initiatives to support economic growth. Read

Law firm launches innovative employment protection scheme

THE ever-changing requirements of employment law can create a burden for many SMEs in the region, but with its new Mi Shield employment package, commercial law firm Muckle LLP has created a solution to lighten the load. Read

Muckle LLP: dedicated to its owner-managed business heartland

With over 75% of its turnover generated by North East owner-managed businesses and recognition by Legal 500 of its “dedicated advice and services to SMEs” Muckle LLP’s managing partner, Stephen McNicol, reviews the firm’s strength in the sector. Read

Time to get the can-do attitude with help from entrepreneurs

AN OVER-RELIANCE on primary industries for employment in the last century has left the North East lagging behind other regions in its business-creation capabilities. Read

Stateside trade still looking up

HE might be teetering on the verge of recession, but Uncle Sam remains North East business’ biggest export customer. Around £1bn in products and services leave the region every year heading for the United States. Read

Vision is to be world leader in chemicals!

THE Saudi Basic Industries Corporation – SABIC for short – came to Teesside in 2006 after its £350m high-profile acquisition of Huntsman's former UK petrochemicals business. Read

Creative industries as big in the North as ICI once was

DIGITAL trend-setters are just part of the many creative firms in the area which are set to generate more than 9,000 jobs in the region as a glamorous new sector emerges. Read

A few simple changes can help you to a better lifestyle

MOST of us know healthy eating and exercise are key ingredients to a better life. But just how far can making a few simple improvements change the health of a community? Get A Better Life is a major health promotion research project launched by Teesside University. Read

Education and business – key to addressing the UK skills gap

TRAINING workers in basic skills will help tackle global warming, terrorism and violent crime. These were the words of Lord Jones, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, who recently visited Newcastle College’s new £8.6m employer training centre to give an inspirational address focusing on the Government Skills Agenda. Read

New chapter in firm’s history

A new state-of-the-art headquarters, new business and new recruits are all signs of Aker Kvaerner Engineering Services’ current success. But here Karen McLauchlan looks back at the firm’s long-standing Stockton roots, which stretch back more than 100 years. Read

Huge demand for designs to realise potential

IN recent years, a series of design-based programmes and business developments have helped evolve attitudes to design in the North East. The Dott 07 (Designs of the Time 2007) project has helped people in the region to explore the possibilities of a more sustainable existence. Read

Healthcare and life science: a flourishing sector in North East England

NORTH East England’s healthcare market is booming, contributing £8bn to the regional economy, with over 172,000 people working within the sector. Read