A TEESSIDE business has retained its place as one of the top 100 companies in the UK to work for.

Utility Alliance, based in Hartlepool, was again recognised in the listings, at a lavish awards ceremony in London last night.

The honour comes after a long-running campaign which saw staff randomly surveyed by the Best Companies organisation, with all levels of the business coming under the spotlight.

All responses were analysed, with businesses all given a total score at the end of the process which led to a three-star rating and being named amongst the cream of British businesses in an honour which is backed by The Sunday Times.

Utility Alliance sit in 40th position, moving up 15 places from their 55th placed ranking 12 months ago.

Managing director Bob Moore said: “Once again we were delighted to be able to rub shoulders with some of the biggest businesses in the UK at last night’s event, and it is something which gives us a great deal of satisfaction.

“Last year we were over the moon to be ranked in 55th place, so it goes without saying there is a sense of pride at having bettered that.

“We have made rapid progress considering we have only been operating for five years. We are delighted to be shortlisted in any awards ceremony either regionally or nationally, but when you consider the hundreds of thousands of businesses throughout the UK to be named in the Top 100 is something that every single person who works for us should be extremely proud of.

“Achievements like this would not be possible without the hard work and dedication shown by staff at all levels throughout the business.”

Jonathan Austin, Founder and CEO of Best Companies, said: “I would like to congratulate Utility Alliance on their achievement of a Three-Star Accreditation status and being named as one of the best UK companies to work for.

“Best Companies have been producing the Accreditation standard since 2006 to acknowledge excellence in the workplace.

“We are proud that organisations like Utility Alliance focus on their employees and have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us they are the best company to work for.”

Utility Alliance founders Bob Moore, Darren Sutherland and Phill Moore were joined at the awards ceremony at Battersea Evolution, in London, by finance director Steve Padgett, UA Yorkshire MD Dan Potter, field sales manager Paul Stone, PR & marketing manager Ian Willis, head of IT Colin Moore, operations manager Jonny Wood and Mark Robinson from UA Yorkshire.