Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) has appointed a business development manager to drive forward its ‘On the Map’ engagement project.
Martin Walker, managing director of Aycliffe-based Mantis Media, has been appointed to the consultancy role on an initial six-month agreement after the ABPC board carried out a full and transparent recruitment and interview process.
ABPC now hopes to engage with more companies on Aycliffe Business Park with Martin’s appointment.
Martin will now be tasked with contacting and visiting businesses on the park, to raise awareness of its online directory, encourage more engagement in local initiatives and gather feedback and views of companies to help inform future activities, and ensure ABPC is meeting the needs of businesses based on the park.
The remit will also be to increase the visibility of businesses, showcase their offer to other companies on the park and ensure they’re aware of the external support available and how it can be accessed.
ABPC board chair Kerina Clark said: “We’re delighted with the appointment of Martin, who is already a well-known and established face on the business park.
“This appointment is a significant development for Aycliffe Business Park Community. The ABPC board is made up of unpaid volunteers, representatives from around the business park who are willing to offer some of their time for free, and that has its limitations in terms of how much time we can spend trying to get out there to meet businesses.
“While our news and networking meetings are always popular and very well attended, we want to engage with more businesses and get to know what they need from us.
“We’re looking forward to what Martin can deliver for us over the next six months.”
Martin, who is also managing editor of the Aycliffe Business magazine, added: “The ‘On The Map’ project is a big piece of work, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it, in finding out more about the companies we have on the park.
“It’s important for ABPC that we can fully understand the needs of all residents of Aycliffe Business Park – large and small businesses – so we can focus future events and initiatives around those thoughts, while also encouraging more engagement and registration to the online directory.”
Aycliffe Business Park is the largest business park in the North-East, with an estimated 500 companies employing more than 10,000 people.
ABPC was originally set up nine years ago as an informal group, but was formalised into a limited company in 2016 with the appointment of several unpaid directors.
ABPC aims to support and aid economic development and economic activity on Aycliffe Business Park, and to promote and supporting the ABP through events and marketing materials, both in print and online.
It aims to do this by signposting ABPC members to support, provision and information for their business needs while communicating and sharing skills, best practice and facilitating knowledge transfer within the ABPC.
The current ABPC board is made up of Kerina Clark (Xcel Centre), Pamela Petty (Entreprenising), Rachel Townsend Green (Thrive Marketing), Sarah Slaven (Business Durham), Martin Walker (Mantis Media), Lee Harris (Mitchell Gordon), Ben Healey (Greystone Legal) and Thomas Prentice (Stiller Warehousing and Distribution).
• Pictured above: Aycliffe Business Park Community chair Kerina Clark with new business development manager Martin Walker. Picture by CHRIS BOOTH.
