SUBSEA specialist firm Tekmar Energy was named company of the year at Aycliffe Business Park’s inaugural Make Your Mark awards.

The event attracted more than 200 people to the Xcel Centre, including Sedgefield MP Phil Wilson and Business Durham managing director Dr Simon Goon, who gave the opening speech.

Tekmar, cable protection specialists, beat steelwork firm Finley Structures, manufacturer Ebac and Merchant Place Developments to take the award.

Beanies, the flavoured coffee company, was small business of the year and Ebac won the engineering and manufacturing award.

James Ritchie, Tekmar chief executive, said: “The company is expanding in multiple areas, we are kitting out our new production facility, we are opening offices around the globe with sales now coming in from the USA and UAE, and we continue to recruit and grow our exceptional team.”

Tekmar recently won a multi-million pound project with Statoil and Statkraft on the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, for the supply of its patented technology TekLink.

It was its 30th offshore wind project and followed major deals with Cape Wind, in the USA, and Luchterduinen, in the Netherlands. It will move into the 75,000 sq ft former Tetley’s Tea factory on Aycliffe Business Park by December.

John Evans, Beanies managing director, said: “Being nominated for this award gives all of us a great boost for the hard work we have put in over a relatively short period of time so we are grateful to receive it - and remember small businesses can become big businesses.”