WORKERS who have helped take a Darlington manufacturing company from the threat of closure to a roaring success in just over a year will be rewarded today.

Cleveland Bridge has bucked the downward trend for manufacturing companies in the North and has gone from strength to strength since the management buyout from Kvaerner in May last year.

On the day of the buyout, there were 140 shop floor staff working a four-day week and producing less than 200 tonnes of fabricated steel a week.

The firm now employs 320 staff working two shifts, seven days a week, producing in excess of 800 tonnes.

This week, for the first time ever, the company will roll out 1,000 tonnes of fabricated steel, and the order books are already full for the whole of next year.

Since the management buyout, Cleveland Bridge has won numerous prestige contracts, including the Carquinez bridge in San Francisco, the Vivekananda flyover in India and others in China, Greece and Bahrain.

In recognition of the dedication and effort put in by all of its workers, the company is today launching an employee-wide, free share option scheme.

Darlington MP and Health Secretary, Mr Alan Milburn, had been due to present share certificates to employee representatives this morning, but following the terrorist attacks in America he has been forced to cancel the engagement.

The chief executive of the Cleveland group, Mr Tony Rae, will instead hand over the share options. He said: "We promised these share options right from the beginning. It's our way of saying thank you to the staff for all their hard work.

"We put a lot of faith in the staff and they returned our confidence. They appreciated the fact that the buyout saved the company and have supported us all the way. I'd like to thank and give the credit to the staff. They have really put in a great effort."

Australian-born Mr Rae praised North-East workers in general. He said: "I don't understand it when people don't respect the quality of the workforce up here. Sadly, sometimes firms just see it as easier to close the doors."

As part of the celebrations, Cleveland Bridge is also giving a specially constructed classroom to Gurney Pease school in Darlington.

The frame for the classroom, believed to be the first of its kind, was due to be completed and handed over to the school today.

Gurney Pease head teacher Mrs Sandra Battensby said: "We are delighted to be receiving this new classroom thanks to the partnership between Cleveland Bridge and the LEA."

l Mr Milburn had also been due to open a new fabrication workshop at another Darlington firm today. The extension at North View Engineering's premises, on Cleveland industrial estate, is the company's second expansion in three years