Durham's leading law firm has just announced a key partnership for our first BUSINESSiQ Awards.
Here Swinburne Maddison Partner and Head of Corporate Martyn Tennant tells us about the importance of the event and why his firm is sponsoring the Innovative Business of the Year category at our big night, hosted by Alfie Joey and starring TV business guru Sara Davies as our guest speaker.
Make a note in your diary for April 28th at Ramside Hall - it's going to be quite a night!
Martyn told us the Innovation category was a perfect fit because they were always pushing forward with plans 'rather than resting on our laurels'.
Read more: Build-up to the first BUSINESSiQ Awards at Ramside Hall
"As Durham City’s leading law firm and one of the leading commercial firms in the region, we always try to support events which recognise and champion the business talent that our region has to offer," he told us.
"As a proud Durham business, we have worked very hard over the years to challenge the misconception held by some people that you need to travel to Newcastle for exceptional professional services, and to demonstrate the excellence on offer much closer to home.
"The North East business scene has changed dramatically over the last ten years with more and more regions getting the attention they deserve and we look forward to celebrating this vibrant and ambitious community at the inaugural BUSINESSiQ Awards.
It is always very exciting and inspiring to hear about the issues which are driving today’s entrepreneurs.
"Innovation is something which myself and my fellow Partners see as an integral part of running a successful and enduring business, so this category was the perfect fit for us! Swinburne Maddison has achieved year-on-year growth for the past 10 years and one of the main reasons for this is that we are a firm which isn’t afraid to regularly implement big changes and push forward with our plans rather than resting on our laurels.
"We also have close links with the Durham City Incubator and have worked closely with a number of exciting new start-ups, often in the green tech and fintech sectors. It is always very exciting and inspiring to hear about the issues which are driving today’s entrepreneurs and the innovative solutions that are at the core of their business plans.
"Through our sponsorship of this award, we are looking forward to meeting more of the region’s brightest innovators and getting a glimpse into what the future might hold."
Martyn said the whole region was in a confident and battling mood - determined to show some North East spirit despite ongoing concerns and uncertainty over the state of the UK’s economy.
"The region is performing well at the moment and confidence among North East businesses seems to be holding out," he said.
"Our Corporate team are busier than ever – servicing work from all over the UK, and beyond – and County Durham is certainly starting to get its name on the map for new and emerging businesses. NetPark continues to be a key factor in this, with the world-class science and technology park now fully occupied and plans in motion for the next phase of works.
"There is also a wide range of funding support on offer – from Business Durham’s Digital Drive to the County Durham Growth Fund – which I am sure plays a big part in helping to attract and retain businesses to the region.
"2022 has been an extremely productive year to date. Whilst we are only half-way through our financial year, our revenue is up 14.6% on the same period last year. We have welcomed 12 new starters to the firm so far this year – with 3 of those being in newly-created roles – and are continuing to experience a high level of demand across our entire service portfolio.
"We are currently underway with another refurbishment of our office space to make sure our growing team continues to have a comfortable, modern and exciting environment to work in, and this should be completed in the next couple of months. As part of this project, we’re also creating an exciting new events space on the ground floor but I’m sworn to secrecy on the finer details of that for now!
"We are also continuing to recruit at pace, with a number of active vacancies being advertised across a range of roles, so it’s a busy time at Swinburne Maddison, with exciting new developments taking shape all the time."
Nominations for all of the categories are already coming in so just CLICK HERE and it will take you right to the nominations form to let us know about the businesses and people who are helping to change our region for the better. We are looking for your nominations in:
Training and Skills Award
Innovation Award
New Business of The Year
Creative Business of The Year
Export Champion Award
Diversity and Inclusion Award
Employee Health and Wellbeing Award
Community Impact Award
Net Zero Award
And the final award of the night - Business of the Year.
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