Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) has boosted its board of directors with a new recruit.
Stiller Warehousing and Distribution business development manager Thomas Prentice says he has ideas to improve the environment on Aycliffe Business Park after joining the board.
He’s now one of eight unpaid directors representing companies from the business park to help run events and initiatives on the park.
“I’ve been attending events on Aycliffe Business Park for about five years now,” said Thomas.
“Now I’ve joined the board I have lots of ideas, but one of them is around pastoral care and the environment.
“As an employee of Stiller we’re well placed to have seen the business park’s development in recent years and we service a lot of the companies on the estate.
“I’ve been coming here for nearly 30 years in previous roles and it used to be an industrial estate, but it’s very much a business park now, with so many diverse organisations here.”
ABPC chair Kerina Clark said: “We’re delighted with the appointment of Thomas as a new board director and we know he’ll bring some fresh ideas to the table as well as a positive, can-do attitude.
“As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, and with our in-person events soon to return, we have a number of new initiatives that we’ll be rolling out in the coming weeks, culminating with a relaunch event on October 1.
“We’re hoping to see as many Aycliffe Business Park residents at that event as possible so we can kick-start our activities in a big way.”
Aycliffe Business Park currently has 150 of an estimated 400 companies registered on its free online directory and is now working on ideas to promote more firms to log their details.
Thomas said: “It’s intrinsically important for my company to stay involved with Aycliffe Business Park Community, but I think we all have a responsibility as a community to make sure we continue to grow in the way it has done over the last few years.
“When you come along to meetings you get some great ideas, and there are many things I’ve picked up from meetings that we’ve taken on board as a business, and benefited the company directly.
“You also get to learn about all the developments that are going on around the park, such as the Forrest Park development, so we find them invaluable
“I think signing up to the Aycliffe Business Park Community is fundamental to any business if you’re on this park.”
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.
It 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.
The new ABPC board is now 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).
• At the October 1 event, being held at the Xcel Centre, local hospitality providers will be on hand to provide refreshments, with lunch part-subsidised by ABPC.
Tickets, which cost £5pp for Aycliffe Business Park residents and £10pp non-residents, are available online at aycliffebusinesspark.co.uk or email hello@ aycliffebusinesspark.co.uk for more details.
