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Entrepreneur finds perfect business model

A local model maker has got his business off the drawing board with help from a North East enterprise agency. Business starter programme Emerge helped Gary Thwaites to go it alone after 14 years in the model making profession.

Gary has worked in a variety of industries, assembling everything from television and film props to prototypes for mobile phones. But in November last year Gary decided to become his own boss and Emerge, the Be Enterprising business support programme, helped him set up his company NE3D Limited. Gary received a marketing and premises grant from the East Durham Business Service, along with funding from Emerge that enabled him to purchase equipment.

Gary says: “After gaining a wide base of experience working in the South, I returned to the North to settle down and starting my own business seemed like the next logical step.

“My main business at the moment comes from the Museum industry building scale models and this year I have worked on a variety of projects for organisations including the Royal Armouries at Leeds. I am keen to develop my business across the North East and through recent business won from Preston Hall and the Captain Cook museum I have been provided with some great opportunities. I’m looking forward to working on other projects like this in the region.”

Phil Philo, senior curator at the Captain Cook Museum says: “We aim to use and encourage local craftsmen wherever possible, but experts in Gary’s profession are few and far between! So to find someone with the skills to fulfill our brief locally was fantastic. Gary’s work is first rate and he’s contributing to bringing specialised trades back into the area.”

The Be Enterprising programme complements and works with existing business start up services by providing a different level of support and offering practical help for anyone who wants to be their own boss. Anyone thinking of starting up their own business who would like to know more should contact 0800 030 4134.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .