“For Nissan, our plant in Sunderland, North East England, is absolutely fundamental. Nissan has an objective to be the number one Asian brand in Europe and the plant in Sunderland is the kingpin of that. The plant’s efficient work practices, helped in no small measure by excellent industrial relations, also contribute.”

“There is a wealth of technology talent here in the North East, and we’re pleased to offer the opportunity to develop careers with Accenture. The fact that we have trebled our headcount in the North East in just five years demonstrates our commitment to job creation in the region and the UK in general.”

“The North East of England was selected by Balfour Beatty as it provided a skilled and flexible workforce and the best supply of buildings in the UK, suitable for the new facility. We are thrilled with the team we have been able to build here. Their efforts have delivered significant benefits for Balfour Beatty.”

“Our expansion into North East of England is in response to the industry-wide skills shortage. (The move) into Newcastle will make us well placed to attract talent from the strong engineering tradition in the region.”

“The North East workforce are proud, committed and passionate. They are willing to take on any challenge and the skills and knowledge they bring to bear every day are key to the success of Caterpillar across the globe. We find all the trust and support we need in North East England to help us succeed.”

“It will be our 30th anniversary next year and we are proud of that. Over those 30 years we have really established ourselves in the North-East and we are most proud of the fact we have got lots of experts in their fields here.”