Newcastle furniture company Deadgood , which has created interiors for the likes of Baltic, Tyneside Cinema, Google and KPMG, has sealed investment to aid its mission to become a globally recognised brand.
The firm is the brainchild of university friends Dan Ziglam and Elliot Brook, who came up with their plan in a pub more than 20 years ago, as graduates with no formal business training. Since formally establishing in 2004 with a vision to develop the best British furniture brand, the Ouseburn-based company – which also has a base in London – has become one of the go-to brands in the commercial interiors market, with its team of skilled craftspeople working with blue chip clients to create high quality lighting, furniture and interior products.
The firm works with regional, national and international customers and over the years the client base has included the likes of Starbucks, Marks & Spencer, BBC, Google and Amazon and in the North East the firm has completed projects at Baltic and the Tyneside Cinema.
Deadgood has secured a loan investment through Creative Ƶ’s Culture and Creative Investment Programme (CCIP), which offers investment and support to creative businesses and freelancers across the region. The firm said it will use the undisclosed investment to support targeted marketing, including the launch of new products at trade shows and creating 3D models for customers. It will also scale operations and meet growing demand for the rug and furniture brands.
Founder and director Elliot Brook said: “At Deadgood, our vision is to continue building an internationally recognised design brand, known for championing bold British creativity and rooted in collaboration and purpose. We are delighted that Creative Ƶ is on board for the next stage of our evolution as we continue challenging the perception of what a commercial furniture brand should look like, all the while developing simple products for modern interiors.”
Fintech firm Neptune North has signed a lease to take space on the eighth floor of a Newcastle prime office. The firm has taken 10,000sq ft of space in the prominent Pilgrim Street building Bank House. The company is set to move into its new base in May following completion of a 12-week fitout project. It says more than 100 employees will be working in the office by the end of the year and is actively recruiting software developers and data engineers.
Neptune North was launched last year as a joint venture between investment fund manager Rokos Capital Management and Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting. The business signed up for some space last May and has seen huge growth ever since, prompting the launch of the recruitment drive as well as the new lease for a significant chunk of office space.
The company’s fitout project, which includes an open plan design with breakout areas and a fully fitted kitchen, is being carried out by ADT Workplace, which recently oversaw a similar project at Bank House for law firm Knights.
Neptune North’s CEO James Beard said the firm wants to offer a world-class workplace to help it attract leading software candidates to Newcastle. Mr Beard said: “ “Bank House is the leading office building in Newcastle which is an important component in the overall offer as we bring onboard talented individuals from inside and outside the region.”
County Durham tech manufacturer Filtronic plc has announced a new deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX firm worth £16.8m. The Sedgefield company, which designs and manufactures products for the aerospace, defence, space and telecoms infrastructure markets, said the new contract with the company will be fulfilled over the next two financial years.
In a short update to shareholders announcing the contract, the board said it is now confident the business will exceed current market expectations for revenue and profit in FY2025 and FY2026. Shares rose more than 10% to 102.2p in early trading following the announcement.
Nat Edington, chief executive officer, said: "We are delighted to have secured this substantial order, which underscores Filtronic's reputation for delivering high-performance RF solutions to our market leading customer. This contract, alongside our growing momentum in strategic markets, provides us with increased confidence in our ability to exceed our growth targets for FY2025 and FY2026."
Metrocentre managers have enlisted a popular Spanish fashion brand as its latest tenant. Stradivarius – part of the same group which also owns Zara – has signed up for a huge store at the shopping and leisure destination, marking the brand’s first ever location in the North East.
Stradivarius will be well known to holiday makers who love to bring back fashions from their trips, as it has stores right across Spain and beyond, with more than 900 shops in 62 countries across the globe.
Ben Cox, director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, asset managers of Metrocentre, said: “Stradivarius signing for this regional debut is a huge statement for Metrocentre, confirming its appeal as the premier retail destination in the North East. Inditex’s decision to bring another of its leading brands to Red Mall showcases our ability to deliver the best in fashion experiences to our growing and increasingly loyal customer base.”
A Northumberland manufacturer has tapped into a £3.5m funding package to target business with data centre companies.
Based in Prudhoe, Salem Tube has been supplying tubes for heat-transfer and heat-exchange, which are essential for industrial cooling systems, since 1992. It now exports to clients in over 40 countries, predominantly to those in the energy sector. More recently, Salem has been taking on more contracts with data centre developers working in the AI and cloud storage sectors, on the back of a huge growth in each sector. Data-centres have high energy requirements and cannot function without cooling equipment.
Now, to help it take advantage of the growing markets, Salem has agreed a financing package worth £3.5m, provided by Santander Ƶ and backed by the Government through Ƶ Export Finance (ƵEF). The funding has given the business the capital it needs to take on larger data-centre contracts and to establish itself as a supplier in the emerging sector.
Stockton firm px Group hailed a "landmark moment" in securing a contract at the Tees Renewable Energy Plant in Middlesbrough.
The specialist manager of complex energy and industrial sites has landed an operations and maintenance contract for the biomass power plant on the Tees, for which px Engineering played a part in the commissioning phase. Bosses said the work will help px move further into the biomass market, in addition to its work at Holbrook Biomass Plant in Sheffield and Widmerpool Biomass Plant in Nottingham.
Tees Renewable Energy Plant - which is one of the largest of its kind in the wold and intended to generate enough power for 600,000 homes - started producing power in 2022 under the Government's Contracts for Difference scheme. But the scheme has faced difficulties, with owner MGT Teesside Ltd - itself owned by Australian investors Macquarie Bank and Danish pension fund PKA - having restructured twice since 2023 following delays in the construction.
Dave Thompson, chief operating officer at px Group said: "It is a landmark moment for px Group to take on the operations and maintenance of the largest new-build biomass plant in the world and a transformative moment for the entire regional energy sector. We are looking forward to strengthening our expertise in this area and bringing our partner the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and reliability."
Northumberland construction specialist Merit has secured a deal to design and build a new Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) Unit on site at Bedford Hospital. The Cramlington company has been appointed by the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to bring forward the £3.6m facility, which will see it use advanced offsite construction methods and complete the project in July of this year.
Works to manufacture the offsite components of the build are under way at the firm's factory. The new SDEC Unit will have consultation rooms, clinical management rooms, examination rooms, assessment areas, and other supporting services, to provide a comprehensive range of healthcare services.
Tony Wells, CEO at Merit said: "We are thrilled to bring Merit’s innovative offsite construction approach to this project, which enables us to provide high-quality, efficient solutions faster than traditional methods. Our focus is on delivering a state-of-the-art facility that prioritises the needs of patients and healthcare providers, ensuring they benefit from outstanding care in a modern, expertly designed environment. Through close collaboration with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, we are committed to a seamless and swift delivery that enhances the healthcare experience for all.”
Stockton-based Portland Estates Management has acquired Middlesbrough's 130-year-old commercial property business Dodds Brown.
Portland specialises in property management while Dodds Brown have expertise in selling and letting commercial buildings, managing property and providing landlord and tenant services.
Director Barbara Blenkinsop said: “This is a very exciting step and we’re delighted to have joined forces with such a respected and well-known business as Dodds Brown. Over the years both Portland and Dodds Brown have acquired clients from longer established surveying companies because we provide a hands-on approach with transparent communication and a proactive service. We know clients want and prefer that.
“We’ve each also cherry picked very good individuals to build a group of like-minded people and it’s going to be great to see them work together.”
All employees have been retained and the combined team now numbers 14. Staff from Dodds Brown are moving to Portland’s refurbished offices in Stockton with its meeting spaces, conference suite and car parking. Dodds Brown’s office in Middlesbrough’s Albert Road will be sold.
