Issue 22, Autumn 2024
This quarterly magazine, though it often feels like a monthly, highlights the vibrant business community in the North East. Each company’s progress—whether through appointments, investments, or innovations—contributes to a broader, evolving vision of the region’s future. Major changes are happening, with longstanding businesses adapting and new startups emerging, attracting global investment. Areas like Teesside, once overlooked, are now key players, with each success benefiting the entire region. The North East is becoming known for its expertise across sectors, providing extraordinary opportunities for young people. No longer just a hub for steel, the region is embracing new technologies and industries. Key figures like Henri Murison and Terry Walsh reflect the region's dynamic potential. Gill Hunter's words resonate with the editor's goal: pursue what you enjoy and take it further than imagined.
By the way, make sure you don’t miss our December magazine... you won’t believe what we’ve done with it.
Make sure you order this one – just go to bit.ly/businessiqsubscription to get your copy delivered FREE.
Issue 21, Summer 2024
This whole idea of BUSINESSiQ is a collaboration, bringing together some of the most remarkable people and businesses in the North East to tell their stories. Their success is amazing, but when they are united they become unstoppable.
Kim McGuinness already understands that, all she has to do now is make it happen across the huge, challenging and diverse North East Combined Authority.
It has been the missing piece in the puzzle for some time – and for all the right reasons. This region is a recognised powerhouse because of the sheer number of high quality businesses in all corners, and the councils that oversee them and help them grow in County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland are rightly proud and protective of that – who wouldn’t be?
Our region is a home for innovators –people who broke the mould and became the first to find a way to do something that no one else thought was possible. The wave of net zero and green energy investment coming here exists only because of such bold breakthroughs.>br>
Kim’s achievement – and we are here to back her and get her message out every step of the way – will sit alongside any of them because it will draw on our greatest strengths to drive us beyond what we were into new territory.
We have needed and deserved this – and Kim McGuinness has finally brought it within reach. Let’s not waste the opportunity.
Issue 20, Spring 2024
Welcome to the 20th edition of BUSINESSiQ Magazine!
From the first issue of this magazine we have talked about change and what the future holds. That’s the nature of the North East – there’s always something to talk about because investors see what is going on here and want to be part of it.
So as part of our 20th anniversary, I’ve had a brief glance over my shoulder at the people and businesses who have made the front page and who helped epitomise the region’s resilience. But it’s not all about looking back...
As well as catching up with our first cover star Andy Preston, I have talked in-depth to more of the people who are making this amazing place tick.
People like Joanna Wake – who’s ADHD diagnosis helped her make sense of her life, either at Baltic Apprenticeships or gig-hopping around Teesside. Or Caroline Theobald, who for many years, has been “a convener and a persuader”, making and growing essential business connections. Or there is the mighty Whessoe Engineering, which once took over a large slice of the town and is about to once again revolutionise its sector with a hydrogen storage system.
At the second BUSINESSiQ Awards on April 25, we will be applauding outstanding business success. It will be an amazing night, but putting success in the spotlight is something we do here all year round. Online, in print in The Northern Echo, in this magazine or at our live events, we will always stand up for our businesses and back them in any way we can.
Issue 19, Winter 2023
Welcome to the 19th edition of BUSINESSiQ Magazine!
Our cover picture this time gets right to the heart of what business in the North East is all about – growth.
The Cummins allotments, where Sarah Parsons does such good work, is the perfect metaphor – plant the right seeds, look after them in the right way and you will have perennial growth.
Others in this magazine – the last of this year before we celebrate the 20th edition at the start of 2024 – show the same endeavour and commitment.
The organisations in the new North East Housing Partnership are showing how powerful collaboration is the way forward as the mayoral elections reshape the region.
The continuous wave of influential reports and analysis coming from law firm Womble Bond Dickinson shows the depth of experience there. This time they are taking a very timely look at energy transition.
Bp are supercharging our regional economy with more details of their H2Teesside project at Teesworks; Microsoft tell us about their focus on the North East; and we welcome Teesside International Airport as the latest member of The Northern Echo’s Level Up campaign with an in-depth chat with MD Phil Forster.
Add to that razorblue’s mission to make our systems more secure, a preview of next year’s BUSINESSiQ Awards, as well as the companies backing this year’s County Durham Together Awards, along with our regular Motoring, Legal and Chamber columns and you can feel the energy in the pages.
What a place! There is nowhere better in the whole of the UK to do business.
Issue 18, Autumn 2023
Welcome to the 18th edition of BUSINESSiQ Magazine!
Directors, cast, set and script – everything is being lined up for the next episode of the North East. As this 18th edition of BUSINESSiQ shows, we certainly have the right people in the right places. They know this region and are passionate about having a role in its future.
In this edition, I talk to Leo Pearlman, David Parfitt and Graeme Miller about the plan for Crown Works Studio, a £450million film studio on 33 hectares of previously developed land on the south bank of the River Wear.
It’s a huge neon sign of the confidence and boldness the region has now.
Nothing is beyond us.
As innovation takes a lead role, I talk to Andy Lane at bp about its hydrogen and carbon capture plans on Teesside and Tim Harwood of Northern Gas Networks about building a pioneering hydrogen village in Redcar.
David Dunn at Sunderland Software City gives me his views about Smart Cities, and Chris McDonald, who leads the Materials Processing Institute in Middlesbrough talks about the future of steelmaking.
Then there is much more, including Cummins, Womble Bond Dickinson, North East England Chamber of Commerce, Latimer Hinks and a passionate view of how the region is being reshaped from architect Simon Crowe.
It’s quite a production, so settle back and enjoy the show…
Issue 17, Summer 2023
Welcome to the 17th edition of BUSINESSiQ Magazine!
Trying to look into the future is challenging at any time, but for the North East – with so much happening here and a global focus on how we do it – it is almost impossible. But it’s also essential.
So in this summer 2023 edition of our quarterly magazine we turn to a team of experts to look ahead in their own sectors and see what might be coming up and how it could influence our businesses and our everyday lives.
Issue 16, Spring 2023
Welcome to the sixteenth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
Giving an insight into success is what BUSINESSiQ is all about.
This 16th edition of BUSINESSiQ is the perfect example of that support – as we profile the shortlisted companies who have made it to the final of the first BUSINESSiQ Awards at Ramside Hall on April 28th.
Across 11 categories and every cornerof the region, these firms and their leaders have blown us away with their strategies for success, and the confidence they have to make long-term plans to be part of the North East economy for many years to come.
Issue 15, Winter 2022
Welcome to the fifteenth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
As we end a year of Government and economic turmoil, but also of hope and investment in our region.
As usual, we have packed as much as we can into the magazine, with more than 100 pages of articles, analysis and features. This magazine is always about people, because I believe the best way to get to know a business and its effect on the region is to talk to the people who run them.
As ever, it’s all about the people this region has on its team.
Issue 14, Autumn 2022
Welcome to the fourteenth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
There’s a good reason why we needed to expand the BUSINESSiQ offering – as this 14th quarterly magazine shows, here are so many outstanding people driving this region’s economy through so many inspiring businesses, that we need all the space to fit them in.
In this 14th edition, I talk to people like Sharon Lane, who runs Tees Components and is a trailblazer for young people and making sure they have every opportunity to stay here and grow their careers.
And David Stockton, who runs the Great North Air Ambulance – a huge responsibility with no set budget. How’s that for a business challenge?
And there’s much more inside. It’s a fascinating region to do business – let me know your story.
Issue 13, Summer 2022
Welcome to the thirteenth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
There’s a good reason why we needed to expand the BUSINESSiQ offering – as this 13th quarterly magazine shows, here are so many outstanding people driving this region’s economy through so many inspiring businesses, that we need all the space to fit them in.
So you now have this flagship magazine for the in-depth articles as well as a weekly 12-page supplement to bring you all the breaking news and background details you need as well as our daily live coverage in print and online. As the region grows, we’ll keep pace, story by story, interview by interview.
This time, we look at a huge range of influential leaders in education, local government, entertainment, technology, retail, diversity, business support, energy, legal…and we take a drive in a stunning Rolls-Royce. As I wrote my way through all those sectors there was a thread that kept appearing to stitch it all together – the way the imbalance between men and women in top roles is changing. There is clearly still a battle underway to finally throw out the last remnants of a shameful generational attitude that certain people have a right to certain roles while others need not apply.
That was a disgrace and an embarrassment. But at least now most of us recognise that and have removed all barriers to progress, careers and leadership.
In this issue I have talked to Ellen Thinnesen of Education Partnership North East, Kate Matthews of bp and Emily Cox of Lloyds Bank – and the North East England Chamber of Commerce have pulled together a fascinating look at the people in its Inspiring Females programme.
Listen to these voices, be informed and inspired and understand why this is a region like no other.
Issue 12, Spring 2022
Welcome to the twelfth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
In this 12th edition of BUSINESSiQ’s quarterly magazine, I talk in-depth to some of the best connectors in the North East.
The expertise is needed in many different forms. With bp, they are a global superpower, but relatively new as part of this regional economy, and they bring with them energy innovations that will change our lives.
At the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henri Murison faces the seemingly endless challenge of uniting a whole region. He has to be a diplomat and a director, persuading rivals to play for the same team.
And I returned to Teesside University for the first time in a couple of years to hear how VC Paul Croney connects with students from around the globe and how the university’s community is growing even stronger.
As I have said about our own Level Up campaign, the businesses that lead our region are experts – in some cases there are none better anywhere in the world – and they have enormous influence.
There’s a lot to say, so let me know what your business is up to.
Issue 11, Winter 2021
Welcome to the eleventh edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
In this latest BUSINESSiQ, we talk to John McCabe, chief executive of the North East England Chamber of Commerce, determined to unite two halves of the region, and to Peter Rolton, who heads Britishvolt as they build a Gigaplant at Blyth to power the country’s Electric Vehicle revolution.
New leaders too at Durham County Council, so let’s see what Amanda Hopgood and John Hewitt have to say about life in their county.
We look to Peter Snaith and Nigel Emmerson at Womble Bond Dickinson for a wide-ranging view of where we are and where we need to be, talk to Jeremy Chelot of YouFibre, who tells us what drives him to take on the big cable companies, and Brenda McLeish of Learning Curve Group talks about skills, kickstarts and Purple People.
Just before you read about them, a reminder that the BUSINESSiQ brand is expanding and now includes a WEEKLY supplement inside The Northern Echo. There’s so much to talk about as BUSINESSiQ speaks to the influencers and speaks up for the North East.
Issue 10, Autumn 2021
Welcome to the tenth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
In our autumn 2021 edition of BUSINESSiQ, we launch our Level Up campaign, with the views of key figures in the north-east - Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, Heidi Mottram of Northumbrian Water, Andy Koss at Sembcorp and Andrew Haig at Newcastle Building Society - highlighting the exciting future ahead.
Issue 9, Summer 2021
Welcome to the ninth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
In our summer 2021 edition of BUSINESSiQ, we take a look at how Darlington's new economic campus is taking shape, plus several other major developments that are on the horizon for the town at a landmark time in its history. Our main focus, however, is on the transport and logistics sectors, sparked by the March announcement that Teesside is to be the country's largest freeport – news that is already attracting investment to the Tees Valley.
Issue 8, Spring 2021
Welcome to the eighth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
The spring 2021 edition of BUSINESSiQ focuses on some huge announcements for the North-East by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, as Treasury workers head to Darlington, and examines how the region’s businesses are adapting ahead of the easing of lockdown restrictions.
Issue 7, Winter 2020
Welcome to the seventh edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
In this edition we look at some of the major business developments under way in the region this year, and what renewed calls for further regional devolution, and the Government’s “green revolution” could mean for us.
We also look back on a wonderful evening when the first County Durham Together Awards took place. The virtual event, organised by BUSINESSiQ’s sister publication The Northern Echo in partnership with Durham County Council, celebrated the volunteers, health workers, organisations and businesses who have gone above and beyond to support their communities through this year. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, and here’s hoping for a much improved 2021.
Issue 6, Autumn 2020
Welcome to the sixth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
The autumn of edition of BUSINESSiQ examines the continuing challenges facing many sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also celebrates the success stories of some of the region’s most resilient firms, who are not only surviving, but managing to thrive as 2020 enters its last quarter.
Issue 5, Summer 2020
Welcome to the fifth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
Welcome to your packed Summer 2020 edition of BusinessiQ, full of North-East business success stories, features and opinions from industry leaders.
Issue 4, Spring 2020
Welcome to the fourth edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
Welcome to your packed Spring 2020 edition of BusinessiQ, full of North-East business success stories, features and opinions from industry leaders.
Issue 3, Winter 2019
Welcome to the third edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
Features from Andrew Craddock and the development of Darlington Building Society. How the BOHO 10 project is set to transform Middlebrough into the leading location for UK digital enterprise, popular North East steakhouse, Tomahawk, talk about their sizzling success and opening five new restaurants. And a spotlight is shone on Teesside and all of it's successes.
Issue 2, Autumn 2019
Welcome to the second edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
Features from Sara Davies from Tv's Dragons Den; Rachel Anderson from the NE Chamber of Commerce; Cummins Celebrate their 100th anniversary; Director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, Henry Murison and many more - click to read our second edition below.
Issue 1, Spring 2019
Welcome to the first edition of BUSINESSiQ magazine!
Featuring interviews with Andy Preston, Mayor of Middlesbrough; caricaturist Dave Wright; founder of SPURR, Jonathan Lamb, and many more - click to read our first edition below.