THE founder of one of the region’s most successful engineering companies has been honoured by his home-town university.

John Wood, who set up Tolent in 1983, has been awarded an honorary doctorate of business administration by Sunderland University, in recognition of his contribution to UK civil engineering.

After starting his working life as a junior civil engineer with George Wimpey in 1961, he set up Tolent with six work colleagues 20 years later, and has built it into a company employing more than 600 staff with a turnover of £200m a year.

Tolent has worked on scores of major projects across the UK, including Sunderland AFC’s Academy of Light, Newcastle’s newly-opened City library, and has carried out work on both the Lord’s and Durham Riverside cricket grounds.

Professor Peter Fidler, vicechancellor of Sunderland University, said: “We are delighted to be able to honour someone who has made such an impact on civil engineering and construction in the North-East and across the UK.”