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Newton Aycliffe’s Finley Structures reports record year for steel division

Newton Aycliffe-based Finley Structures announced a record year for its steel construction division, providing the North East steel industry with some much-needed respiteamidst the Redcar SSI saga.

The company reported a rise in turnover to £16.4m by the end of March this year, up £3.1m on 2014. During that time, the steel fabrication firm has also taken on eight new employees, boosting staff numbers to 68.

Julie Finley, Joint managing director, said: “The construction industry continues to have its challenges but it has been an exceptional year for the Finley group.

“Finley Structures’ financial performance for the year end March 2015 has been largely down to the two large, high-profile contracts in Hitachi for Shepherd Construction and Victoria Gate for Sir Robert McAlpine.”

Finley Structures fabricated and erected 2,000 tonnes of steel which makes up the frame for Hitachi Rail Europe’s new £82m train-assembling factory on Aycliffe Business Park.

The firm has also worked on a 2,300-tonne project at the Victoria Gate shopping centre in Leeds - a deal worth close to £4m.

And during the 2014-15 financial year, the Aycliffe outfit also built Nissan’s new Leaf factory, a 1,400-tonne project, the 500-tonne Sports Village in Middlesbrough and a 300-tonne frame for the £38m National Biologics Centre in Darlington, which opened recently.

In addition, Finley Structures completed a 500-tonne project for Teesside University and a 620-tonne contract for the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing and Research Centre (AMRC) to round-up a busy year.

It comes as its sister company, nearby SCH Site Services which employs 36 people, continues to perform strongly, while Finley’s also launched the ROF 59 activity centre this summer, a new leisure venue built on one of the former Royal Ordnance Factories at Aycliffe Business Park which employs another 15 full-time and 15 part-time staff.

Julie continued: “During the timescale of the Hitachi contract alone we took on eight new staff - four in the office and four on the shop floor - to cope with the amount of extra work, which means we’re up to record employee levels.

“SCH continues to do very well and ROF 59 is an exciting new development for the company which has seen our combined staff numbers reach almost 130.

“We’re especially delighted to be working on projects with new clients as we continue to strengthen the excellent relationships we already have with all the major contractors. It certainly continues to be a hugely positive time for the company.”

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