A TRAINING company which has helped to upskill hundreds of employees has celebrated its 10th birthday.
TACS Ltd (Training, Assessment and Consultancy Services) was one of the first firms to take up tenancy in Novus Business Centre, which is managed by East Durham Business Service (EDBS).
Former engineer Rick Nicholson saw a gap in the East Durham engineering and manufacturing market back in 2006, in terms of upskilling workers and, ultimately, improving output quality.
So, Rick, who hails from Peterlee, alongside his wife Lynn Nicholson and brother Keith Nicholson launched TACS and has never looked back.
Over a period of two to three years, the TACS team grew to eight staff and went on to help more than 60 companies upskill hundreds of workers.
Rick, originally from Easington, said: “I saw a gap here in East Durham for engineering and manufacturing qualifications to the local employers. That has a knock-on effect within companies because there are always areas where workers can improve or need more training.
“We initially speak with employers to identify areas where they could improve, select the right staff to upskill, and then get them on a training course.”
He added: “Over the years the business has become a lifestyle and I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved.
“We could have grown five or six years ago but we didn’t, we kept it narrow and deep because we are good at what we do and it’s paid dividends for us.
“We were the first tenants in Novus and have always had great support from East Durham Business service. It’s also a two-way thing as I act as a mentor for EDBS’s start-up clients. It works for us and for the business centre.”
Denise Fielding, operations director at EDBS, congratulated TACS on its milestone anniversary.
She said: “It’s great to see TACS celebrating its 10th birthday, which is testament to the hard work of the team.
“They were our first tenants and it has been great to support them when needed, and watch them grow to the successful organisation they are today.”
To celebrate 10 years in business, Rick held a birthday party for the TACS team and its associates.