Hartlepool, United Kingdom
Celebrating dedication
Earlier this year, we celebrated our colleague Debbie English reaching a remarkable milestone of 40 years of service with the company. Reaching four decades in one place is a truly special achievement and reflects Debbie’s loyalty and dedication to the site over many years.
Congratulations to Debbie on behalf of everyone at Cicor Hartlepool and thank you for everything you have contributed over the past 40 years.
Katie Barlow
HR Assistant
Showcasing the Site
In February, we welcomed the Hartlepool Mail to the site for a feature on our role as one of Hartlepool’s largest employers and our ambitions for growth in new sectors. This gave us the opportunity to showcase our work, our people, and the impact we’re making locally. The article was published both in print and online, highlighting the site’s achievements and future plans.
In March, we welcomed the new owner of Hartlepool United Football Club, Landon Smith to the site. It was a real pleasure to host Landon and showcase our facility. He took the time to speak with colleagues across the business, showing genuine interest in the work we do. Beyond our impressive capabilities, what truly resonated with Landon was our culture, that puts people at the heart of everything we do.
In April, Managing Director Matthew Pemrick was invited onto Radio Hartlepool to talk about the company’s strong local presence, the dedicated workforce, and the charitable and community work we are involved in. It was a great opportunity to share more about the people behind the business and the positive impact the site continues to make within the local community.
Katie Barlow
HR Assistant
Supporting Our Community
Each year, our site supports two charities, one permanent charity, and one chosen by colleagues. In 2025, our permanent charity was Alice House, the region’s only adult hospice, and our chosen charity was Danny’s Legacy, which promotes mental‑health awareness. Together, we raised almost £4,000 for both charities and welcomed them to site in March to present them with their cheques. They shared how our fundraising will support their vital work. We look forward to continuing our support for both organisations in 2026.
We are delighted to continue supporting and sponsoring local clubs within the community. This includes Seaton Carew Cricket Club, Hartlepool District Under 14s football team, and West Hartlepool Strollers Walking football team. These partnerships are something we are proud of, helping to support grassroots sport and are a great way for us to stay connected to the local area.
Katie Barlow
HR Assistant
Celebrating Site Success
On 26th March, colleagues from Cicor Hartlepool attended the Insider Media Made in the North East Awards, an event celebrating the very best of the region’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, along with the talented people behind them.
We were shortlisted in three highly competitive categories: Apprentice of the Year (Matthew Black), Engineer of the Year (Matthew Richardson), and Manufacturer of the Year (under £25m). Being recognised across multiple categories is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work, and dedication of our workforce, and the continued progress across the site.
Competition was strong in all categories, but we are proud to say our very own Matthew Black took home the Apprentice of the Year award! This is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to Matthew’s commitment and contribution. He was supported on the night by nine colleagues from across the site, who were there to celebrate the success with him.
Congratulations to Matthew on a very well-deserved win!
Katie Barlow
HR Assistant
Mental Health Awareness Week
For Mental Health Awareness Week in May, Hartlepool came together to encourage open and honest conversations around wellbeing. Leaders spent time speaking with individuals about the steps they take to protect their mental health, which led to several insightful and meaningful discussions.
During the town hall, the team learned more about recommended ways to support and maintain positive mental health, while also reflecting on the different approaches our colleagues use in their everyday lives. Following the session, we held a “Chill and Chat” gathering, providing everyone with an opportunity to continue the conversation, share experiences, and discuss the activities and habits that help them look after their mental wellbeing.
North East Young Enterprise Awards
In March, Head of Quality & Supply Chain Lizzy Brown attended the North East Young Enterprise Awards, where six teams from local schools competed for the top prize. Each team had successfully set up and run their own business, developing and selling products or services before presenting their journey to the judging panel through interviews and presentations.
It was inspiring to see students aged 15–18 presenting with such confidence, professionalism, and passion. The event highlighted that success was not solely measured by profit, but by the skills, experience, and lessons the students gained throughout the process.
The winning team will now progress to the regional finals, with their sights set on the international awards.
Cicor Hartlepool were also proud to continue sponsoring the awards, with Lizzy also representing the site as one of the head judges.
Katie Barlow
HR Assistant
Supporting our managers by giving them the tools to succeed.
In 2025 we identified the need to strengthen our "Shadow Leadership Team" to bridge the gap between operational tasks and strategic leadership, ensuring the business has a robust pipeline of capable leaders ready to drive future growth.
We engaged with an external partner and developed a Leadership and Management Programme. The delivery focused on three core pillars:
- Management of Self: Developing personal productivity and emotional intelligence.
- Foundations of Leadership: Establishing the fundamental principles of leadership and managing people.
- Effective Leadership: Advanced thinking and principles for leading people and processes, to evolve business and enable change.
A significant element of the programme was the participants running business improvement projects, requiring them to apply their new skills to real-world operational challenges within the business.
The programme successfully transitioned the team from theoretical learners to active change agents.
Key results included:
- Practical Application: Successful completion of two cross-functional projects that improved site efficiency.
- Practical Application: Successful completion of two cross-functional projects that improved site efficiency.
- Leadership Readiness: Participants demonstrated improved competency in managing self and leading others.
- Cultural Shift: A more unified middle-management tier capable of independent problem-solving and proactive business improvement.
We have seen a definite increase in the engagement and confidence of the team. The projects they worked on have achieved fantastic results and everyone that participated has both developed their skills and enjoyed themselves in the process.
Katie Barlow
HR Assistant