North East Business Awards: eQuality Solutions named…

North East Business Awards: eQuality Solutions named as Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside Company of the Year

Training company eQuality Solutions has been named as Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside Company of the Year as the second heat of the North East Business Awards took place.

The Hebburn firm has been growing rapidly in recent years after a finance package allowed it to complete a number of acquisitions of companies in its sector. It took the Company of the Year Prize ahead of fellow nominees Cell Pack Solutions and Premier Roof Systems.

The event returned to Ramside Hall after a two-year gap for the pandemic. Other winners on the night included Unipres UK, Artech Lighting, Coote O’Grady and Evidence Based Education.

The awards were introduced by Journal editor Graeme Whitfield, who urged the area to commit to a devolution deal thought to be close.

He said: “When we are in charge of our own destiny, the North East does well and that is why it is heartening that a devolution deal involving the whole of the North East now seems to be close.

“The Journal has always been clear that it is better to run our affairs from the North East rather than Whitehall and it was shame that this part of the North East could not commit to devolution in 2016, leaving the North of Tyne to go it alone. We can’t repeat that mistake again and I would urge local leaders to grasp the opportunity and the Government to make sure that devolution is meaningful for our area.”

The event was hosted by TV presenter Kirsten O’Brien and heard from guest speaker Alison Clark, head of culture, sport and tourism at Durham County Council who has been director of County Durham’s bid for City of Culture status.

The winners of last night’s awards will compete against the counterparts from the Tyneside and Northumberland heat, held last month, and the Teesside awards happening in two weeks’ time, in the overall finals of the Business Awards in September.