Tyneside fashion firm Barbour has teamed up with TV presenter and model Alexa Chung to launch a second clothing collection.
The South Shields firm, which can trace its history back to 1894, has previously collaborated with Ms Chung, as well as with famous names including ceramics designer Emma Bridgewater, House of Hackney, William Morris and film director Sir Ridley Scott, as it looks to widen the appeal of its clothing.
Now the firm – which has seen its star rise with young people after its jackets were worn by pop star Dua Lipa, Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen,and Rufus Wainwright – has teamed up with TV star Ms Chung for a second time, launching a new capsule collection and a campaign starring the presenter herself.
Paul Wilkinson, group commercial director at Barbour, said: “Alexa’s long-standing relationship with Barbour makes for an exciting and authentic collaboration every time. Whether it’s Alexa wearing us throughout her childhood or of course, her iconic Glastonbury style Barbour has always been a trusted companion. This new collection is a marriage of all of that personal experience, rooted in Barbour’s classic heritage, with Alexa’s unique and eclectic timeless lens. We’re excited to be sharing this with our customers around the world.”
Lifting and inspection specialist JK Lifting is creating a number of jobs having invested £150,000 into its Killingworth base.
The 42 year-old firm has acquired a new overhead crane capable of lifting 10 tonnes at its premises amid an increase in demand for its services from the manufacturing, renewables and offshore sectors. Now, the 19-strong business plans to recruit five people over the next year, including jobs in its engineering and operations divisions.
JK Lifting recently moved into the former Metnor Construction headquarters at Camperdown Industrial Estate and spent £180,000 remodelling it to provide 1,439sqm of space and room for its lifting, testing, inspecting and manufacturing capabilities. The base is in addition to the firm’s 240sqm unit at the Port of Blyth’s South Harbour, which was launched in 2022.
James Bright, managing director at JK Lifting, said: “Moving into Lift Point House has been a major turning point for our business, empowering us to expand operations in inspections and compliance for our clients across a number of sectors. The investment we have made in our facilities, particularly our new 10 tonne overhead crane, reflects our continued commitment to strengthening our capabilities, increasing our headcount and growing our roster of clients."
Bicycle brand Vielo Sports has hinted at growth following a major award win and new funding. Vielo Sports was set up eight years ago by Ian Hughes and his son Trevor using their experience in the bike trade, including having run a distribution company on Tyneside.
The pair have invested more than £750,000 in the brand, which offers a range of road, race and gravel models, and it has since secured additional six-figure funding to expand its operations and export its high-performance bikes internationally. The Gateshead-based firm scooped Gravel Bike of the Year 2024/25 at the cycling news outlet Road CC's annual awards. Judges praised the firm's Vielo V+1 Race Edition model as being "incredibly capable".
Ian Hughes said: "The future for Vielo is incredibly exciting. We’ve navigated the highs and lows, investing in developing this bike and the business. We’re looking forward to a long-term sustainable future for the brand, allowing us to expand globally and push forward with an ambitious programme of design and development for new products in the years ahead."
A leading certification body for the construction and decarbonisation industry has joined Normec, a specialist in the testing, inspection, certification and compliancy industry. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Jarrow, South Tyneside, Simply Certification provides certification for the construction industry across a range of standards, including ISO 9001. Alexandra Stobbs, managing director, said the deal marks a significant milestone for the company and sets the stage for strengthening its market position, whilst enabling Normec to expand its built environment certification and compliance arm.
Ms Stobbs said: “We are delighted to have secured this deal with Normec. They have a great reputation across the globe, and this will allow us to further consolidate our market position as a leading certification body in the Ƶ, whilst giving them the opportunity to enter the market and grow the team and business here.
Simply Certification has enjoyed rapid growth, due in part to the burgeoning need for retrofit installations ahead of carbon net zero. But it’s our commitment to customer service that we believe has given us the advantage in a traditional marketplace. This deal will allow us to continue to expand at an accelerated rate and provide huge growth potential for Normec.”
Mariska van Schaik, managing director of Normec’s sustainability division, added: “Simply Certification has very quickly secured an enviable position in the Ƶ market by focusing on customers, technology and ways to improve the certification process. It has an experienced team, robust trading and a strong market presence. Under the umbrella of Normec, we look forward to growing operations in the Ƶ.”
AIM listed security, communication and surveillance systems developer Petards announced that its subsidiary, QRO Solutions (QRO), received an order worth over £400,000 for in-vehicle ANPR systems. The Gateshead firm announced to shareholders that the order was placed by an existing Ƶ police force customer and is for the supply of QRO's QBox in-vehicle ANPR and ANPR/DVR systems. It is one of the largest in-vehicle ANPR systems orders ever secured by the company.
Initial deliveries of the systems will start during the first quarter of this year and all deliveries are expected to be completed during 2025.
Raschid Abdullah, Chairman of Petards Group plc said: "These are exciting times for QRO and it is pleasing to see another of its customers placing a significant order for its ANPR systems, demonstrating the confidence customers have both in QRO's technologies and in the high levels of customer support it provides."
