Solid growth for Stone leads to investment

Darlington-based restoration, high level and general maintenance experts, Stone Technical Services, have invested thousands of pounds as the company prepares to grow and enter new markets.

Stone started 2013 by investing around £20,000 in its marketing and, in addition to taking on a new member of staff, has now launched a new website - www.stonetechnicalgroup.co.uk - to improve its presence on search engines as it continues to grow around the UK.

The new site has been designed to showcase Stone’s increasing range of services and consolidate the brand as it expands its team and client-base around the UK. It was launched at the recently held EcoBuild event, which sees hundreds of worldwide companies from the building and construction industries gather in London for three days, and has already resulted in a number of new pieces of business and dozens of new enquiries.

The investment comes as Stone recently strengthened its sales and marketing team by recruiting an in-house marketing specialist for the first time in its 15 year history.

Chris Hunter manages aspects such as Stone’s website, new business, events and general marketing activities to enable the company enter new markets and grow.

Twenty-five year old Chris, a Teesside University graduate, previously worked for Tees Valley Unlimited and BT in various marketing roles having graduated with a BA (HONS) in marketing and business management.

Stone Technical Services, a UK leader in high level and general maintenance and historic restoration and renovation, surpassed managers’ growth expectations throughout 2012, opening a new Edinburgh office to add to its sites in Middlesex and Cheshire and its HQ on Kellaw Road in Darlington.

Web design experts, Design 365 in Newton Aycliffe, re-designed and re-developed Stone’s new website to make it more user-friendly and improve its online presence.

Managing director of Stone, Dave Stone, added: “The start of 2013 has seen us make heavy investment in our marketing because this is essential if we want to continue to grow- especially in new markets. The website needed to be more functional and we needed to be easier to locate on the web because our client base is nationwide and we offer so many different services- so many companies in this industry get left behind by not investing in their websites and we don’t want to be one of them.

“Design 365 helped us to do that and it’s great to be able to work with another local company on such an important aspect of our business. The feedback from EcoBuild was so important to us and we’re very encouraged by the results so far.”

Stone hopes to create around five more new jobs this year, adding to its 35-strong workforce based at it HQ on Kellaw Road in Darlington.

Experts at Stone work all over the UK with high profile organisations such as INEOS Plant Utilities at Seal Sands, Teesside Power Station, English Heritage, the National Trust, the NHS, British Waterways and Network Rail to carry out a range of maintenance, safety and conservation projects.

In addition, Stone is the approved contractor managing lightning protection on St Paul’s Cathedral and works with housing associations, historic structures, churches, war memorials, schools, offices, car parks and councils.

For more information visit www.stonetechnicalgroup.co.uk