A top North-East media company has made two appointments to continue its investment in visual communications.
HPM Group, at Aycliffe Business Park, has evolved significantly in recent years to become one of the region’s highly-rated multi-service marketing agencies.
The company employs 45 staff and currently has an annual turnover of £4.5m, has invested heavily to focus on new media marketing strategies and innovative i-publications as well as PR.
Ken Pearce, 45, from Durham, has joined HPM as business development manager after several years in the print industry for major organisations and paper merchants.
Ryan Bennison, 26, has been promoted from marketing trainee to business development executive, specialising in selling creative design and new media.
Ken said: “It’s my job to generate new, long-term, business and create new relationships, reactivating lapsed accounts and generally improving sales.
Ryan, from Newcastle, joined HPM in summer 2009 after graduating from Northumbria University with a first class honours degree in marketing management and has recently worked on prestigious projects such as Wynyard Hall, Auckland Castle and NetPark-based Reinnervate.
He said: “This is my first role from University and it’s been a joy to work for HPM in developing my career in marketing.
Managing director Richard Mortimer, who helped with the launch of the Aycliffe Business Park website, said: “Ken is experienced in the North-East graphic industry and has led teams of salespeople.
“He’s excellent at working with companies to build brands and is highly-experienced at mentoring the growth of small and medium-sized companies through marketing techniques.”
“Ryan’s progress and contribution to the group has been excellent and we’re delighted to see him climb the ladder, rewarding all his efforts.
“He’s now well-versed in developing web marketing strategies, from simple but effective websites to sophisticated SEO and SEM campaigns.”
HPM boasts firms such as PWS, Wynyard Hall, Durham University, Teesside University and NHS Trusts among its client list, as well as football clubs including Liverpool, Sunderland and Middlesbrough.
The 100-year-old firm was the first company to reside on Park 2000 at Heighington Lane Business Park in Aycliffe when they relocated there from Bishop Auckland in 2000, and their impressive building was opened by Tony Blair.
