THE boss of a regeneration agency has praised companies in the Tees Valley for fighting through the hard times together.
Stephen Catchpole, the managing director of Tees Valley Unlimited, said the whole ethos of teamwork wasn’t just empty words in the area.
“It’s something that people do,” said Mr Catchpole as he told how the key to moving forward was a joint spirit of enterprise.
He said teamwork was “a way of life in this part of the world and that means that Tees Valley Unlimited as the Local Enterprise Partnership can hit the ground running when it comes to building and developing partnerships between businesses and the community.
“So often, companies are accused of looking out for themselves and their shareholders, but here in Tees Valley, we have forged a strong reputation for working together and for having a ‘can do, will do’ attitude that not only supports home-grown businesses, but just as important helps attract new inward investment too.”
He highlighted examples including the Teesside Engineering Network (TEN), which is supported by Tees Valley Unlimited.
He described it as “just one example of the kind of networks that smooth the way for the business community and which help to safeguard jobs in Tees Valley.”
TEN was formed by Francis Brown and Axion Engineering of Stockton and Industrial & Marine Hydraulics in Middlesbrough and seeks to pool local engineering knowledge.
Mr Catchpole said: “TEN is looking at the bigger picture. They call it a trade of knowledge. They want engineering companies to stay aware of what’s happening as the industry changes and diversifies – they want the money and the skills to stay in the region because that is good for the supply chain and in turn for the larger companies.”
He said TEN’s first event included talks from representatives of Seal Sands-based Air Products which is building the world’s largest energy from waste gasification plant on the Tees Valley Enterprise Zone.
Firm representatives said they were attracted to Tees Valley because of its engineering skill and prowess and commended the event for its forward thinking and proactive approach.
Mr Catchpole added: “It’s this support, networking and enabling across the supply chain that we aim to instil throughout the Tees Valley.”
For details of forthcoming business events, visit the Tees Valley Unlimited website at www.teesvalleyunlimited.gov.uk/
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