I LOVE a good handshake picture but this one, above, takes things to a whole new level.

After landing a deal with Manchester Airport Group, the Serco International Fire Training Centre (IFTC) at Durham Tees Valley Airport sent us this unforgettable image of the two parties celebrating. The sight of the grinning deal makers contrasts sharply with the drama unfolding in the background.

IFTC is hosting firefighter training courses at the airport from this week and in future it will send staff to deliver refresher sessions in Manchester.

It sounds like a good deal for both parties but it’s the picture that will linger long in the memory.

LET’S hope John Dodds, boss of Severfield-Rowen, is correct and the North Yorkshire steel firm is set to recover from the toughest year in its history.

The company has helped to reshape the modern London skyline but this week’s results outlined the damage incurred during a turbulent spell that saw boss Tom Haughey step down as a string of loss-making contracts came to light.

At the heart of Severfield’s woes has been a failure to accurately cost some of its major projects, or put more bluntly it secured work by undercutting rival firms and counted the true cost later.

It is another sign of the fierce competition in the building trade which has forced some contractors to pare their prices to the bone.

A strong-looking order book and backing from its shareholders gives the Dalton-based group cause for optimism.

TIME is running out for businesses to enter this year’s If We Can You Can challenge, run by The Northern Echo, alongside the Entrepreneurs’ Forum. 

Now in its sixth year, the competition for start-ups offers prizes worth more than £17,000, including First Deal investment, mentoring and professional advice from Yorkshire Bank, Onyx, Ward Hadaway, PwC and Rivers Capital.

The deadline for entries is Friday, June 21. For more information, visit ifwecanyou can.co.uk

I RECEIVED an advert/press release (it’s hard to tell the difference sometimes) about a Morrisons supermarket in Darlington which has had a makeover. It sounds very impressive. Among the attractions is a highly trained “meat manger”. I’m guessing that’s a bed of straw where they display the pork chops.