Finley Structures has recently completed work at DRAX power station to help construct a complex new bio conveyor.

Finley’s had to fabricate and erect the 70-metre tall conveyor facility which will feed the state-of-the-art Biomass power station at Drax near Selby in North Yorkshire, which is already the UK’s biggest source of electricity.

Drax Power had to scrap plans to construct a brand new Biomass plant at its Selby base, and instead upgrade its current facility to enable it to produce Bio Fuel.

And after completing the contract to erect NAREC’s new wind turbine testing facility in Blyth, Northumberland, for main contractors Shepherd Construction, the York based firm awarded Finley the fabrication and installation of gantry steelwork at Drax – the company’s most challenging contract to date.

“This was a great contract win, it demonstrates the size and complexity of work we’re not only willing to take on, but can deliver,” said MD John Finley.

“We had to use a 1,100-tonne crawler, which has a jib that can work to 160 metres, and we were working at heights of up to 70 metres to construct the conveyor which actually goes above the power station’s existingbuilding, to feed materials into it.

“Our recent NAREC contract was 30 metres high, so that demonstrates the scale of this project, but it’s a contract we all took head-on.

“It’s another Shepherd Construction-awarded contract, who were obviously pleased with the job we did for them at NAREC and gave us this one, so we’re delighted to be working with them on such a major project.”

A welder has showed how Apprenticeships can help forge a high-flying career in the construction industry.

Andrew Workman, nicknamed Wil by friends, has worked for us for the past 10 years and has recently been promoted to senior estimator.

The 38-year-old – pictured with the firm’s new senior estimator Chris Hodgson – completed an Apprenticeship in fabrication and welding with the Army after leaving Woodham Academy, Newton Aycliffe, in 1991.

After leaving the forces, Andrew found work with Aycliffe-based Ross Wright Engineering and also worked for a number of other firms as a welder or fabricator before joining Finley’s a decade ago, working his way up from awelder to a supervisor’s position and then workshop foreman before he moved into the office as an estimator.

Andrew said: “The opportunity to progress again came about when the role of senior estimator was advertised, which I applied for and was lucky enough to be offered.

“It’s a great example of how Apprenticeships can reap rewards. There are some people in my position who went down the University route and this shows both avenues can be equally rewarding.

“I’ve been with Finley Structures for 10 years now, seeing the business grow into what we are today, one of the biggest fabricators in the country.

“I am now looking forward to the next ten years, and welcome new estimator Chris Hodgson to the team, who brings with him a wealth of experience.”

Chris, who has recently joined Finley Structures as a senior estimator, started his first job with Indescon Steel Division, Darlington, in 1987, working in various departments including estimating up until 1991.

He worked briefly for Permoid in Newton Aycliffe during 1991 then started at Tarmac Roadstone at Coxhoe quarry, pricing road construction projects.

He then joined South Durham Structures where he worked for over 14 years, pricing a vast range of projects until accepting a job offer at Hambleton Steel in April 2005, pricing larger and a more diverse range of projects.

A three-year stint with steel structural firm Hares of Snape, based in Bedale, North Yorkshire, followed for Chris, up until joining Finley Structures in May.

A fully-qualified health and safety expert has already got into full swing at Finley Structures!

Sports lover Mark Stones has been appointed as our new Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality (SHEQ) Manager.

The 43-year-old, a long-time member of Bishop Auckland Golf Club who also played Under-19s county level cricket for Durham in his pomp, has joined the highly-skilled workforce at our Aycliffe Business Park premises.

Mark, married to wife Melanie since 1997, was previously SHEQ Manager with Seaham-based aluminium fabricators Fortress Facades for two years and before that he spent just over a year as Health and Safety Director for construction firm Indbuild in Richmond.

A Chartered Member of Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), Mark is also a FULL Member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM), with association of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) in-line with the requirements of the environmental management.

He said: “I am already enjoying my time with Finley Structures. I believe I can contribute much to the internal and external direction of the company with employees and clients alike.

“I have been charged with maintaining and upgrading the Achilles certification as well as working towards and achieving ISO9001 Quality and ISO14001 Environmental management systems.

“I have already located all relevant risk assessments to the machinery and work procedures as well as daily inspection sheets across the spectrum of activities with task-specific RA’s being rolled out to all staff – from the office, to fabrication on the shop floor as well as on-site.

“I like a laugh and a joke as much as anyone but when it comes to work I am serious when the situation demands and to the point – I do not suffer fools or improper behaviour.”

Finley’s managing director Julie Finley added: “We’re delighted to bring someone like Mark on board, he brings with him not just a raft of qualifications, but also a wealth of knowledge and invaluable health and safety experience.

“Zero Harm is absolutely paramount in the construction industry and hopefully Mark will enable us to build on the good reputation we already have for creating a safe environment within the workplace.”

As well as his love for sport, Mark enjoys holidays walking pet dog ‘Oliver’, and over the years he has been involved with a number of fundraising events for charitable organisations, such as walks, fancy dress parties, sportsman evenings and golf days.

A manufacturing leader has praised the work of a North-East steel firm after visiting the region.

Terry Scuoler, chief executive of EEF, the manufacturer’s organisation, says Finley Structures’ tradition of bringing Apprentices through their company can only help to bridge a “gaping” skills shortfall.

Mr Scuoler travelled from London to attend an apprentice reunion event at SW Durham Training (SWDT) in Newton Aycliffe, when he handed the Black and Decker award for Effort in Engineering to Finley Structures’ 18-year-old plater and welder Jake Millen.

He also praised a local initiative involving a number of Aycliffe firms, including Finley Structres, which has seen them deliver an Apprenticeship Awareness Programme to year 9 students in the town.

“We don’t have enough Apprentices coming through, so Finley Structures are helping us to head in the right direction,” said Mr Scuoler.

“We face a huge problem over the next five years, with an already gaping skills shortfall in our industry expected to increase to around 180,000 by 2017, which is alarming.

“That’s why the work of South West Durham and Finley Structures, in continuing the great tradition of Apprenticeships in the North-East, is absolutely fundamental.

“Outreach programmes are also massively important. I believe education at 15 or 16 is too late, and we need to start engaging youngsters much, much earlier.

“More and more businesses are starting to recognise that, which is why we’re seeing projects such as the Apprenticeship Awareness Programme being delivered in Aycliffe, and I hope we see more of it.”

Jake Millen joined Finley Structures in February 2012 as an apprentice Plater/Welder from South West Durham Training.

The firm’s HR manager Pauline Hadwin said: “Jake has applied himself in all aspects of his training and development resulting in him receiving this award – we’re very proud of his achievement to date and hope that he maintains his high standards.”

It was SWDT’s 45th annual awards ceremony, which was also attended by former student Gareth Berry, now vice-president of Electrolux Major Appliances.

A head teacher has added the final bolt to the skeleton structure of his new school.

Paul Gillis, head of Whitworth Park School in Spennymoor, was taken up a height in a cherry-picker before screwing the last bolt into the £11m extension.

The development, which is expected to be ready in September, will see Tudhoe Grange School merge with Spennymoor School to create Whitworth Park School and Sixth Form College, in County Durham.

The plan will see part of the existing 1950s-built school demolished and a three-storey sixth form block and reception area built, with the combined number of pupils rising to 1,246.

Finley Structures have completed the 150-tonne steel structure on behalf of main contractor Carillion.

Mr Gillis said: “I’m thrilled to be adding the final bolt to this hugely exciting development.

“The extension will mean an enormous amount to the school and the community of Spennymoor. It’ll bring facilities that will be second-to-none which will enable us to raise aspirations and ambitions throughout the school.”

Thirty pupils from Whitworth School were given a behind-the-scenes tour of Finley Structures to see how their new school is being made. They also signed a plate of steel, which has been welded into the new structure.

Gary Finley, director of the family-run firm whose daughter attends the school, said: “This development meant a little bit more than most of our contracts, but it’s always a pleasure to work with schools and to show children around so they can see how we go about building their new facility.

“It’s always nice to involve the young people wherever we can and it’s rewarding to see them come in and learn about our operations.”

Carillion’s community liaison manager Jane Braybrook added: “It’s important for the school and the pupils to have ownership of the new school so we’ve been working hard to involve them as much as we possibly can.

“I’m sure the children and youngsters will be delighted with the extension when it’s fully completed next year.”

Carillion plc is one of the UK’s leading support services and construction companies and has constructed dozens of schools throughout the North-East in recent years through the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

A senior school teacher has praised an exciting programme aimed at increasing the awareness of Apprenticeships among students.

More than 20 pupils from Woodham Academy in Newton Aycliffe visited Finley Structures in the second ‘phase’ of a pioneering project which is designed to arm youngsters with a better knowledge of the options available to them on leaving school.

Finley Structures has joined leading Aycliffe firms such as Tallents Engineering, Aycliffe Fabrications, Palram, Ebac, Stiller Transport and 3M to launch the Apprenticeship Awareness Programme, which has been funded through the Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP).

More than 150 year 9 students took part in a carousel of workshops, dubbed “speednetworking”, when the companies involved gave the youngsters a short insight into what they do.

The tutor groups were then allocated one firm which they visited this week, when they got to learn more about their chosen industry, from manufacturing to IT and HR.

Finley Structures staff downed tools for a morning as eight members of the firm’s management team hosted 22 students from Woodham, when they were given a guided tour of the shop floor at their Aycliffe Business Park site.

Key staff, including directors Gary and Julie Finley – the son and daughter of owner John – also talked to them about production, structural engineering, estimating, accounts and HR.

Woodham’s head of year 9, Neil Spoor, said: “This really is a marvellous initiative, it has given the students a real insight into the world of work and also about the opportunities that are available to them on their doorstep here in Aycliffe.

“There are lot of wonderful companies operating on Ayclife Business Park, such as Finley Structures, who offer fantastic careers in all walks of industries.

“It will certainly help them when it comes to their choices, and give them a clear insight into what’s required if they want to pursue an Apprenticeship in, say, structural engineering.

“The Finley staff demonstrated how you can get to where you want to be by either going to college and university, or going down the Apprenticeship route, and for that reason this is an excellent programme.

“We’re also very grateful to all the firms involved. They have all taken them extremely seriously, dedicating a number of hours from management and key staff to spend on this, and it’s fantastic that they see the value of it.”

Finley Structures regularly welcome students through their doors at Aycliffe, and have held numerous open days to show pupils how their new schools are being built.

Director Julie said: “We see this as not only an important part of what we’re all about, but it’s also about giving young people more educated options, so they know exactly what’s involved in an Apprenticeship programme.

“Even if it isn’t for them, this programme gives them a practical insight, so it helps them to make more informed decisions when it comes to leaving school and choosing their career path.”

The project is being led by Woodham Academy with input from EDT, the largest provider of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics enrichment activities for young people in the UK, and supported by both Woodham and Greenfield schools.

Finley Structures, formed by Mr Finley in 2000, now has a turnover approaching £12m and regularly wins contracts from 50-tonne to 2000-tonne nationwide.

Finley Structures have finished a £1.9m contract to fabricate and erect a 1,000-tonne steel frame which will form a wind turbine testing facility in Blyth.

We won the contract from Shepherd Construction after they secured a deal with the National Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC), based in Northumberland, to build three new facilities to house test rigs for full-scale wind and marine prototype devices.

While working on the NAREC contract, Finley Structures also delivered a new 800-tonne shed for Sunderland-based Unipres, working for main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine, as well as other major contracts in the North-East and Humberside.

John Finley (pictured outside the NAREC building in Blyth) said: “Working on two big contracts like this at the same time has been challenging, but we’ve handled that challenge head-on and without any problems, which is further testament to our superb workforce.

“We continue to go from strength-to-strength, winning major contracts and taking on staff, and huge jobs like this are becoming run-of-the-mill to us.”

Finley Structures, formed by Mr Finley in 2000, now has a turnover approaching £12m and regularly wins contracts from 50-tonne to 2000-tonne nationwide.

Shepherd project manager Neil Matthias said: “Finley’s delivered the NAREC project on time and within the set budget, while the management and staff adopted a can-do approach, providing a well-managed, safe working environment together with efficient technical support.”

Finley Structures has been recognised for its work in the community after showing hundreds of schoolchildren the process of steel fabrication.

Newton Aycliffe-based Finley’s has been awarded a Values Award by building corporation Carillion Plc for its community engagement.

Finley is one of Carillion’s major sub-contractors and fabricates their steel as well as erecting the frames for a lot of the 30-plus new-build schools Carillion have built in the North-East in the last few years.

Hundreds of youngsters have passed through Finley’s factory on Aycliffe Business Park to see how raw steel would form the core of their new building, before signing a steel plate which was welded in permanently and incorporated into the construction.

Carillion operations director David Kennedy, pictured handing a Values award to Finley Structures managing director John Finley and the company’s HR manager Pauline Hadwin, praised the family-run firm, saying: “More than 130 children have visited Finley Structures to see their schools being built and they make sure it’s a fantastic experience for the youngsters.

“We take the young people to see the steel being made and we’re also taking them to see the bricks being produced, so they get a real insight into how it all comes together, so when it’s completed they’ll feel they’ve been involved in it every step of the way.”

John Finley, managing director of the steel firm, added: “It’s a pleasure to see youngsters come to our factory to get an insight into the world of work as well as seeing their own new school being built almost from scratch.

“It’s always nice to involve young people wherever we can and it’s rewarding to see them come in and learn so much about our operations. Our door is always open.”

Carillion plc is one of the UK’s leading support services and construction companies and have recently worked on 22 schools in the North-East and six in Durham.

Local MP Phil Wilson has thrown his weight behind an exciting new apprenticeship enrichment programme involving all the major companies in Newton Aycliffe, including Finley Structures.

Firms including Finley’s, Tallents Engineering, Flymo Husqvarna, Aycliffe Fabrications, Palram, EBAC and Stiller Transport are joining forces to launch an Apprenticeship Awareness Programme, working with Aycliffe’s two secondary schools.

It will involve companies giving a brief demonstration to Year 9 students at both Woodham Academy and Greenfield Community College during a series of workshop carousels, dubbed “speed networking”, to give young people a flavour of the work they do.

The youngsters will then be split into groups during site visits to six different companies, when they’ll get to learn more about their chosen industry, from manufacturing to IT and HR.

The programme, funded through the Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP) and in partnership with the town’s two secondary schools, is designed to get school-leavers interested in apprenticeships.

The project is being led by Woodham Academy with input from EDT, the largest provider of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics enrichment activities for young people in the UK, and supported by both Woodham and Greenfield schools.

Mr Wilson, the Labour MP for Sedgefield who successfully led the campaign to bring Hitachi Rail Europe’s Intercity Express Programme to Aycliffe, said: “I think it’s a fantastic idea and one I wholeheartedly support.

“Apprenticeships used to be the natural step for most people when leaving school, but there seems to be a stigma attached to apprenticeships in the construction and engineering industry – it’s normally associated with oil and grease – and there’s so much more to them than that.

“It’s important for some students to realise their full potential at college and university, but apprenticeships are an excellent career path for a lot of school leavers and can be the platform to a hugely-successful career.”

Sarah McGinnety, Assistant Headteacher at Woodham Academy, added: “We want to educate our students and their families in what following an apprenticeship route might bring to their future.

“For a lot of young people, college may be their chosen path, but this does at least give them a taster of industry – even if it isn’t for them, this programme will enlighten them and help them make an informed decision about their future.

“We’ll also involve parents and guardians in the programme, as it’s important that they also see what apprenticeships in these industries are all about.”

The Aycliffe Apprenticeship Awareness Programme will launch at Woodham on September 19, with around 150 students split into six tutor groups, and then young people will visit company sites week beginning September 24.

● Pictured in the Finley Structures boardroom above (left to right): Tallents operations director Dave Land, Finley Structures managing director John Finley, Phil Wilson MP, Xcel Centre manager Kerina Clark and Aycliffe Fabrications managing director Dave Spensley.

Finley Structures hope to regenerate a once thriving factory which has been left dilapidated for years.

The old Presswork Metals building on Aycliffe Business Park has fallen into a state of disrepair after being left to rot since the company closed four years ago.

Now neighbouring firm Finley’s is branching out to the letting business after purchasing the 70,000 sq ft factory.

Company boss John Finley saw the three-acre site as a prime location to refurbish the building, which has stood derelict for four years, and plans to sub-let a number of units back out to either the manufacturing or leisure industries.

The purchase comes as Mr Finley also plans to develop another three-acre piece of land on the same Business Park, which he plans to turn into 10 new-build units of varying sizes.

It’s a major development for Finley’s, formed in 2000 which now has a workforce of 50 and a sister company, SCH Site Services, with 35 staff.

Mr Finley said: “It’s been a long-held vision of mine to develop the group of companies into other industries, and both these sites offer prime locations for new leisure or manufacturing units.

“With the purchase of the SCH Site Services site and these new developments, it would take our main five-acre plot at Finley Structures to well over 10 acres all together, which is a significant investment, but one we’re confident will pay dividends in the long-run.”

Finley’s will consider all offers of development for the factory, including separating it into a number of smaller units for small businesses.

Any firms interested in letting the units can contact Finley Structures on 01325 328120.