BUCKING THE TREND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LAUNCHING, expanding or celebrating success – our weekly focus on local firms that are bucking the national trend and defying credit crunch gloom.
n LANDSCAPING firm Green-Tech has hit 6.1m annual turnover and is celebrating growth of 18 per cent in the past year.
Established 14 years ago by Richard and Rachel Kay as a provider of landscaping and forestry materials, in the last year the firm has added a new arm to the business with the acquisition of Tricor Services Ltd.
The growth of the company, which is based between Harrogate and York at Nun Monkton, has led to five extra staff being taken on in the past 12 months bringing the total number of employees to 29.
The firm, which won a National Gold Green Apple Award 2008 for its manufactured topsoil, works in conjunction with Yorkshire Water to process green waste mixing the waste with collected council waste such as grass cuttings to create sustainable manufactured topsoil.
n MOBILE communication equipment distributor Co-Star has been named distributor of the year at the annual Mobile Electronics News awards in St Albans.
The firm, which is based on Jubilee Mills Business Park in Copgrove, distributes its products worldwide.
Tim Cosgrove Director of Co-Star commented "Everyone at Co-Star puts a huge amount of effort into our customer servive and we are proud to receive this award which was voted for by our customers."
n TWO local business women will launch their new internet greetings card business next month.
Web designer Rachel Melvin, of Harrogate, and web developer Kelly Teagle, of Thirsk, have created Much Loved People which offers unlimited free iCards for Christmas and birthdays and an unusual way of sending an invitation to a party, lunch or dinner.
The iCards give you space to write your own personal greeting or words and allow you to upload a photograph.
Rachel Melvin said: “We wanted to provide something free that would cheer people up so we came up with an easy and unusual way for people to communicate.”
n HARROGATE HR consultancy Cloud Eleven, which has been awarded five star supplier status by Yorkshire Forward and Business Link, has successfully supported Yorkshire social enterprise Camberwell as it has developed from four founders to a staff of twenty-four.
Cloud Eleven has been on-board from the engagement of Camberwell’s first employee, providing a full HR project management service with the addition of cascade training in consultancy skills for sector managers and directors.
Director Martin Brockett said recruiting the right people was more important than ever in today’s climate.
“Around 22 per cent of new starters leave organisations within the first six months. It’s vital to engage the right person with appropriate skills for advancement of the company.”
n NORTHERN Lights PR took the silver award in the corporate communications category at this month’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations PRide Awards which recognises the achievements of the region’s public relations professionals during 2008.
Northern Lights won the award for Bradford Jewel in the Crown - a campaign reflecting the reputation of Bradford University School of Management as a top business school.
n HARROGATE business networking group The Buzz is spreading its wings and holding its first ever meeting in Leeds next week.
The Buzz has been running successfully in Harrogate since April, and has now been invited to host a networking event at the Primo Caf Bar and Ristorante in Leeds.
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Weather for Harrogate
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
