Global win for town's cablemanufacturer

JDR, which has a Hartlepool base in Greenland Road, won the Global Exports and Young Emerging Talent categories at the Subsea UK Awards.

Chief executive David Currie hailed the win as “fantastic recognition for the whole JDR team”.

The awards ceremony – hailed as the most prestigious in the subsea sector – was held the AECC in Aberdeen and more than 600 industry professionals watched as the firm collected the trophy.

The highly-coveted awards highlight the achievements of individuals and companies throughout the subsea industry.

JDR took home the Global Exports Award for its successful export strategy and its adaptability to foreign markets.

And it won the Young Emerging Talent Award, which recognises an individual under the age of 35 who has significantly contributed to the development of the subsea sector.

That honour went to Robert Weeks who is a lead engineer at JDR. Robert got the honour for his contribution to the development of subsea umbilical design calculation tools.

He said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be recognised by my peers in the industry.”

Robert was quick to praise others at JDR and said he was working alongside a number of very talented individuals who had helped him develop his skills and expertise by sharing their experiences.

Mr Currie added: “Over the past year, we have continued to secure and deliver a large number of overseas projects, which we can only achieve with the hard work and dedication of our employees.

“Special thanks also go to Robert and all our young engineers, who continue to help JDR position for future growth.”

The company is on the crest of a wave.

It was recently awarded a contract by Marathon Oil to make about seven miles of power and static cables for the West Brae field, which is 140 miles north east of Aberdeen.

The latest win comes just a month after the Mail told how JDR had a five-year strategy, which included expanding its capacity in Hartlepool.