MANAGERS and staff at a factory are celebrating after being presented with an employers' award at a ceremony held in the Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield.

Managers at Aycliffe Fabrications Limited, which has premises on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, Newton Aycliffe, were delighted the company was chosen as Employer of the Year at the awards ceremony, which was organised by County Durham Development Company.

The award is presented to the business that in the judges' opinion has done most to set levels of good practice for improving performance and growing its business through its staff.

Christine Bewley, one of the directors of the company, said she was thrilled to receive the award.

She said: "We have always invested in our staff and we try to work as a team.

"We are one of the few companies in our field to provide traditional apprenticeships, because we feel we benefit from maintaining the specialist skills we need, and our employees benefit by developing their skills as tradesmen."

Aycliffe Fabrications provides tailor-made metal products, including fencing, handrails, staircases, ramps, and bollards.

Dave Spensley, the other director of the company, said: "We work in a specialist market and we need to work closely with our employees, as their skills and experience are needed to ensure our customers get exactly what they want."

The emphasis on teamwork is reflected by third year apprentice Dean Smith.

He said: "Most of the lads here have been here for years. It's a great place to work because of the support you get and because the work is so varied."

Since January, the company has been working with a consultant from CPPC Group, a management consultancy based in Middlesbrough.

Ms Bewley said: "We have learned a lot about ourselves this year, and it isn't always easy, but training is not something you do once and then stop.

"The more we grow as a company, the more we want to work on developing ourselves and our staff."