Partner Article

North East business park rebranded following £8 million investment

The CreateCity Group, owners of a North East business park, have announced plans to heighten their investment of the site to £8 million, a £3 million increase on the £5 invested to date.

The group have partnered with Sunnydale Community College for Maths and Computing, along with Business Durham to run a competition to rename the industrial estate.

The site has been rebranded The Future Business Park, to reflect its current status as a thriving business park, after the competition was won by 13-year-olds Brydon Kenney and Ryan Ord.

The Group, which includes Frank’s the Flooring Store, has also invested in major landscaping of the site to create an increasingly attractive place of work for those employed there.

Moreover, the investment also improves the aesthetics of the Southern gateway to Shildon.

Brydon and Ryan were among guests including representatives of the North East Chamber of Commerce and Business Durham at a special ceremony to not only formally unveil the signage for the Future Business Park, but also to mark the completion of the landscaping of the site.

CreateCity has worked with two local companies Cre8ive Graphics and Wilkinsons Landscapes on the signage and refurbishment of the site.

The group has also appointed Randall Orchard Construction Ltd to project manage the additional warehousing development, which is currently the subject of a planning application to Durham County Council.

David Stubbs, said: “We are really proud of the new identity Brydon and Ryan have created for the business park.

“It reflects real positivity in the area, which the students clearly feel, and also both the town’s history as the Cradle of the Railways and the excitement surrounding the return of train building at Hitachi, only a few miles away.

“Since buying the site, we have invested £5 million into the park and this landscaping makes the place look better than ever and helps to create a welcoming environment for visitors and all who work here, as well as improving the aesthetics of the gateway to this important side of Shildon.”

Mayor of Shildon, Councillor Henry Nicholson, said: “The investment, which CreateCity has put into Shildon, is magnificent news for the town.

“To see the owners of the Future Business Park working with local businesses and young people from Sunnydale Community College shows that this important site is in good hands.

“I am also delighted to see the name of the site reflecting the bright future and huge potential for this site, which offers so much to Shildon.”

North East Chamber of Commerce Head of Partners, Joanne Fryett, said: “This is a wonderful example of a North East business engaging with the world of education.

“Establishing mutually beneficial links between these two sectors is key if we are to help students leave schools with the important skills that our businesses require.

“We have worked closely with CreateCity over a number of years to support skills needs and promote apprenticeships within the group, so it is great to see this important project coming to fruition.”

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