Three of the region’s most exciting new firms will compete to be named Small Company of the Year at tonight’s North East Business Awards .

Atomhawk in Gateshead, Thornaby’s M.I. Supplies and Seaham-based Redu are vying for the regional award having won the titles in the heats held in Northumberland and Tyneside; Teesside; and Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside.

The award looks for companies that have set themselves apart from their competition, have competition for growth and show commitment and imagination in their products.

The winner will be announced at the grand final of the Business Awards taking place at Hardwick Hall in Sedgefield tonight.

Atomhawk

Since its inception in 2009, Atomhawk has set the standard for providing art and design services to the entertainment industry.

Based at the Northern Design Centre in Gateshead , the business works with games developers and publishers, film production companies and advertising agencies to deliver market leading, premium quality art and design. Clients include Marvel, Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Sony, Lego and Amazon. Export sales account for 80% of Atomhawk’s business, with 79% to North America.

Over the past year Atomhawk has grown export sales by 68% and worked with clients in India, Serbia, France, Finland, China, and Lego in Denmark. This has contributed significantly to the 34% rise in overall company turnover, forecast at £1,450,000 for 2017.

Atomhawk founder Ron Ashtiani said: “This represents the work we have put in over the past three years. We are always doing great work but we have had a big push last year, restructured and brought in a new management team and tried to be a market leader in our space – we want to be the best.”

M.I. Supplies Ltd

Alex Ingham from MI Supplies
Alex Ingham from MI Supplies

Based in Thornaby, the company is a supplier of safety clothing, workwear and industrial products, with a customer base which includes Barbour, Mercedes, Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury’s.

It has supplied more than 94,000 orders to almost every country in the world, with 98% being repeat customers.

The business has been significantly self-funded for 11 years, with profits going back in the business and a profit share scheme for all staff. In 2015, it purchased 8,000 sq ft premises which will enable growth for the next five to 10 years.

Incoming call statistics are down to three seconds, with an aim to make that one second this year, and every customer receives a quotation within 24 hours.

MD Alex Ingham said he was “gobsmacked” by their win and was “chuffed to bits” for his team.

Redu

L-R Angela Sterling (Lingotot), Warrick Lambert (Redu), Paul McEldon (sponsor) and Gareth Allen (Energy Professionals Group)
L-R Angela Sterling (Lingotot), Warrick Lambert (Redu), Paul McEldon (sponsor) and Gareth Allen (Energy Professionals Group)

Since its inception in 2014, Redu has grown to be in the top 10 affiliate publishers in the UK, achieving millions of pounds of sales for retailers including Very.co.uk, John Lewis, Wowcher and Boots.

It is an award-winning business that generates revenue via social media, email and website marketing, analysing its female customers aged between 22 and 45 and their buying activity to deliver targeted daily bargains.

The business has grown from a standing start to generating nearly £1m in net profit in its third year and has hundreds of thousands of followers and fans for its brand-specific and tailored Facebook pages .

Warrick Lambert, sales and marketing director, said: “We have built technology that allows us to understand what our audience wants. We don’t try to sell to them, we find products and services that apply to them. We are also growing our audience on Facebook by 20,000 a month.”