In a move that reflects the increasingly globalised nature of business and technology, AEPartners has announced a strategic IT support partnership with CMYK | Business Technology. This collaboration is designed to provide seamless, round-the-clock technical support to AE Partners’ staff across both the United Kingdom and the United States.

AEPartners is a specialist recruitment consultancy serving the energy, infrastructure, engineering, construction, and oil & gas industries. The company provides both temporary and permanent staffing solutions, offering a highly personalised, expert-led service tailored to the unique needs of each client.

Its services are designed to support organisations requiring dependable, high-quality recruitment across a variety of operating models. From flexible workforce solutions to specialist executive search, AEPartners’ experienced teams are well equipped to meet the diverse needs of both clients and candidates.

Since its founding in 2018, AEPartners has expanded significantly, now operating across the UK and US, with an annual group turnover exceeding £80 million.

Ryan Alder, president at AEPartners commented on the partnership; “We’ve worked with CMYK on and off over the years but recently made the decision to hand over all our IT and infrastructure to them and honestly, we haven’t looked back since.”

“From the start, they’ve been brilliant to work with. Their customer service is on another level compared to what we’ve experienced before. Whenever we’ve had an issue, they’ve had someone dialled in immediately, or on-site within a couple of hours, no fuss, no delays — just straight to the point and sorted” added Ryan.

As the company continues to grow globally, maintaining a robust and scalable IT infrastructure has become a strategic priority for AEPartners. To support this expansion, they partnered with trusted and leading managed IT services provider CMYK. This collaboration ensures consistent, high-quality IT support for their teams across both sides of the Atlantic, enabling AEPartners to remain focused on delivering exceptional recruitment services.

CMYK, a market leader in IT services and workplace technology with nearly 30 years of experience delivering tailored solutions to their clients. With deep expertise in all facets of IT services, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and remote workforce enablement, CMYK is recognised for its ability to support modern, agile business environments.

AEPartners selected CMYK based on their proactive service model, 24/7 helpdesk, and round-the-clock security operations centre – all critical in delivering consistent, secure, and scalable IT support. This international partnership ensures AE Partners’ workforce across the UK and US remains fully supported, connected, and protected.

Delighted to share the news is CMYK’s regional director Craig Pratt; “Working with AEPartners is a great opportunity to demonstrate the scalability of our international support model. We’re proud to apart of AEPartners next phase of growth, enabling a seamless support model to facilitate their teams continue to expansion. This partnership reflects our capability to scale IT support across international operations whilst continuing to maintain our personal, responsive service that we’re known for.”

Craig continued; “We’re not just providing BAU support we’re embedding ourselves in AEPartners operations, ensuring that IT is an enabler of productivity and collaboration, not a barrier. This marks another fantastic win for CMYK, our service delivery and integration teams and further highlights our capabilities as a service provider.”

The partnership is expected to play a key role in AEPartners’ continued expansion, underpinning its digital operations and supporting its commitment to exceptional client and candidate services worldwide.

Ryan concluded; “Craig, in particular, has been fantastic. He’s super transparent, easy to talk to, and clearly knows his stuff. It’s made the whole onboarding process smooth and stress free.”

“What we really like about CMYK, though, is that they’re not just our IT partner. They’re really well connected in the business community, and they’ve actually helped us grow our own network too. That kind of support is rare, and it’s made a big difference for us.”

This partnership emerges amid an increasingly complex and dynamic cybersecurity landscape that is reshaping how global businesses operate. CMYK brings enterprise levels of cyber protection and knowledge to the table, ensuring robust cybersecurity posture. AEPartners and CMYK view this collaboration not merely as a support arrangement, but as a strategic alignment and one that ensures AEPartners’ IT infrastructure evolves in tandem with its international growth and operational needs.

Looking ahead, with evolving cyber threats and tightening data protection standards in both the UK and US, the partnership is designed to provide AEPartners with the resilience, adaptability, and oversight needed to thrive in a rapidly changing digital environment.

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This exciting announcement will unveil a new format for the golfing calendar at Close House. Bringing together club members to compete for the newly formed ‘CMYK Champion Golfer of the Year’. This new addition to the existing line up of trophy events will further elevate the significance of Major Tournaments.

Jonathan Lupton, Close House managing director commented; “Close House are delighted to announce a new addition to the Close House member trophy event calendar for 2025, thanks to our continued partnership with CMYK.”

“On the weekend of each Major Championship this year, we will host a members trophy competition, which will be generously supported by CMYK.  Combined scores from each of the major events will then contribute to member’s overall score, with the best overall score across the four events being crowned the coveted ‘CMYK Champion Golfer of the Year’ at Close House.”

Jonathan added; “Since Close House opened in 2011, we have boasted an outstanding list of trophy events for the membership which are supported by our corporate partners and individual members. The addition of this new series of events will further enhance the competitive experience of our membership. I would like to thank Craig Pratt and the team at CMYK for their continued support of the club. CMYK have been associate partners of Close House since 2021 and assist the club with our managed print services across the site. The service and support have always been outstanding, and we look forward to continuing and enhancing the partnership moving forward.”

CMYK is proud to support Close House beyond the fairways by managing their technology needs, so when the opportunity arose to introduce this exciting new format to the golfing calendar, it was an immediate yes. CMYK’s relationship with Close House dates back to the founding of their Newcastle operations, and this collaboration will further deepen that connection, while also benefiting fellow club members.

Craig Pratt, regional director of CMYK remarked; “We are thrilled to announce our exciting collaboration with Close House to help champion their premier events throughout the year. We are immensely honoured to introduce the ‘CMYK Champion Golfer of the Year’ Trophy to the collection. Close House has played a big part in expanding our presence in the region and never fails to be the perfect host venue for our many golfing and charitable events we host throughout the year. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the positive impact this sponsorship will have on the club and the members.”

This expanded partnership will enhance CMYK’s already busy schedule of golfing events, which they organise for their valued clients, partners, and guests, including the prestigious Cyber Cup® and other events that support local charitable causes.

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CMYK’s long-term association with the Red Sky Foundation has raised thousands of pounds to date. Their recent pledge at the Red Sky Ball at Sunderland’s Beacon of Light led to the installation of the new defibrillator, enhancing their commitment for community healthcare and wellbeing.

Craig Pratt, regional director at CMYK, commented, “We are pleased to have installed this piece of life-saving equipment at our offices, which will serve a busy part of the Newcastle quayside area. We hope it never has to be used, but it’s here to save a life if needed.”

This heartwarming story exemplifies true community spirit, with CMYK’s client Owben stepping forward to make a significant contribution. Not only have they volunteered to install the life-saving device, but they’ve also committed to placing a publicly accessible defibrillator at their Sunderland headquarters, demonstrating remarkable charitable leadership.

Sergio Petrucci MBE, founder of Red Sky Foundation, added; “I’m delighted with the support we receive from our partners and the help we’ve had from CMYK and Owben is evident by seeing firsthand the impact and the physical lifesaving device now in place. While we hope this latest defibrillator is never needed it really does give everyone peace of mind that it’s there and that it can save every heartbeat.”

Sergio remarked; “Red Sky Foundation’s commercial partnerships are instrumental to us saving lives and this is just a brilliant example of how we can all work together for the greater good.”

Andrew Corsar, managing director of Owben commented; “Owben are proud to have partnered with CMYK to deliver a lifesaving piece of equipment at their Newcastle HQ.  Owben have partnered with CMYK for several years to provide critical IT solutions to our business.  We partnered with CMYK not only for their IT expertise’s but the core community values they hold and demonstrate as a business across the communities we operate in.  When Craig approached us to install the defibrillator, we were more than happy to assist.”

Andrew added; “2015 marks the 10-year anniversary of Sergio and Emma’s daughter Lunas lifesaving heart surgery. Owben will pledge to support 10 local businesses that buy a defibrillator at the upcoming Red Sky Foundation Ball, by providing labour to install the units at their premises as our way of acknowledging this huge milestone for both Luna and the Red Sky Foundation.”

Craig concluded; ” We urge all organisations and companies to get involved with the Red Sky Foundation, the charity really does make a huge difference in our communities and provides vital support to families during the most difficult and challenging moments.”

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Tyneside Surgical Services (TSS) is an independent provider of NHS care, established in 2007 and located on the Team Valley in Gateshead. They also run a number of out-patient services across the North East.

TSS’s newly refurbished premises opened to patients in January 2022 and provides Consultant led care for patients requiring day case surgery, pain services, endoscopy, MRI and ultrasound scans.

TSS deliver thousands of successful procedures every year both in the NHS and the private sector. Patients see their specialist at a first outpatient appointment and can be sure that their consultant will perform their operation and manage their follow up care. They have a dedicated administration team who ensure that referrals are processed promptly. Patients currently wait an average of only 8 weeks from GP referral to treatment.

Since 2023, TSS have also offered a range of surgical aesthetic procedures for selfpay patients and are currently planning an exciting expansion of this portfolio to include non-surgical services to commence in early 2025.

Steve Atkinson, Commercial Director at TSS commented: ‘A safe, robust and reliable IT infrastructure is key to the smooth running of the business and so in February 2024 we were delighted to place our trust in CMYK to provide our Managed IT services. The level of support and timeliness of response from them is exceptional. Our staff know that any issues which may arise can be resolved quickly and efficiently by local CMYK staff who are professional, friendly and knowledgeable.’

Key services delivered by CMYK include Helpdesk, Business as Usual Support, Microsoft 365 Support, Cloud Back-Up, Anti-virus Software and Managed Print Services. CMYK also supply and support all IT hardware to TSS, helping to streamline the process of equipment being delivered to staff securely, quickly and efficiently.

Sarah Wharrier, Director at CMYK commented ‘We were delighted to welcome TSS onboard earlier this year. We have assisted the business with many service level improvements and have strengthened their IT security posture, giving them a robust, reliable and proactive service so they can get on with their day-to-day business and care for their patients. Our team have developed a strong relationship with their staff over the last 10 months whilst getting to know the business and I feel that we now have a fantastic partnership moving forward. I very much look forward to supporting their team for many years to come’.

www.cmyk-digital.co.uk

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We want to express our gratitude to every member of the CMYK team for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence. Together, we have achieved a milestone that sets us apart in the industry and reinforces our promise to deliver exceptional value to our customers.

Technical director of CMYK, David Crosby said; “ISO 22301 certification is a significant achievement for any organisation. It demonstrates a commitment to ensuring business continuity and resilience in the face of potential disruptions, which is crucial in today’s dynamic business environment!”

Our UKAS backed, ISO 22301 is an internationally recognised standard that validates our dedication to ensuring the continuity of our operations, especially in times of uncertainty. This achievement underscores our relentless focus on safeguarding our customer’s supply chains, providing them with the confidence that comes with a robust and reliable partner.

This certification is a result of the collective efforts of every team member here at CMYK and adds to our existing ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and 45001 certification. It reflects our commitment to upholding the highest standards in business practices, risk management, and disaster recovery planning. By adhering to ISO 22301, we are not only enhancing our own business resilience but also contributing to the overall reliability of the supply chains we are an integral part of.

David added; “This whole process has been a massive eye-opener for the business, hard work but worth the challenge. This has been a great effort by the whole team here at CMYK | Business Technology.”

We understand the critical role we play in our customer’s success, and this certification serves as a symbol of our dedication to providing uninterrupted services. We believe that a resilient business is a trustworthy business, and we are proud to be a partner you can rely on.

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balletLORENT is the North East of England’s leading Dance Theatre company dedicated to creating ambitious, inclusive, high quality work, touring to the UK’s most prestigious theatres. balletLORENT mission is to create world class, distinctive dance, for diverse family and adult audiences and participants of all ages, life experience, culture and backgrounds.

The announcement of tech support from CMYK will help the dance company with delivering its youth academy programmes and providing high quality creative material for its young performers and local communities.

James MacGillivray, education and projects manager at balletLORENT said; “balletLORENT is extremely grateful to CMYK for generously supplying IT equipment which will support our work with and for children, and young people in the west end and across Newcastle. Members of our Youth Academy and other groups will have better access to creative materials. The support by CMYK, has enabled the dance company to create activity books and sheets to complement our new dance theatre show for 0-10yrs, ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’, and provide resources for our Youth Academy and other groups. Having this new IT resource in house allows more efficient and affordable means to printing high quality material.”

Alongside the donation of a professional print device, CMYK have pledged additional tech support to help aid the delivery of their Arts Award, a national programme which ‘takes children and young people on a creative journey, exploring the arts world, discovering their potential as artists, developing leadership skills – and gaining a recognised qualification along the way’. Children and young people will be able to build digital portfolios for their creative work to be shared online.

Craig Pratt, regional sales director at CMYK commented; “we are delighted to be supporting balletLORENT with new tech to enhance the delivery of their youth academy projects. We are extremely passionate about promoting the positive use of technology across our younger generations. This support adds to other tech initiatives we are actively involved with which is having a huge impact across our region”.

Craig added “I was lucky enough to be invited to the dress rehearsal of ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’, which is a truly fantastic performance! I highly recommend this to anyone with young children to go and see this production when it tours early next year.’

To find out more about balletLORENT and book tickets please visit www.balletlorent.com/

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Showcasing engineering and manufacturing companies, capabilities and opportunities in North East England and beyond, EMCON saw 118 exhibitors demonstrate products and services to delegates from the private and public sectors.

And students and apprentices from across North East England were also given the opportunity to meet employers in a special session at the event.

EMCON, which took place at its new home of Rainton Arena, was known as Durham Oktoberfest until 2017 and was previously held at Glow in Newton Aycliffe. It is delivered by Engineering and Manufacturing Network (EMN).

Sectors such as advanced manufacturing, advanced engineering, fabrication, processing, robotics, software, plastics and training were all represented at EMCON.

New initiatives introduced at EMCON 2023 included a Meet The Buyer programme, delivered by UMi, which enabled suppliers to meet face to face with representatives of major national and international organisations including Nissan, Northumbrian Water, Hitachi Rail and SSE.

Delegates were also able to visit a Skills Zone, which focused on linking education with industry, a Digital Zone, which showcased the benefits of digital adoption, an Energy Zone, which focused on energy saving solutions and a Healthcare Zone, which highlighted opportunities and unresolved needs in the healthcare sector that the engineering and manufacturing sector can help with.

In addition, this year EMCON hosted three fringe events, which provide up-to-the-minute industry insights to delegates. These included: Increasing The Size Of Your Talent Pool and Plugging The Leaks, an event hosted with Engineering Together and the Women’s Engineering Society Tyne Tees Cluster: The University of Sunderland’s North East Maintenance Forum; and Shaping Tomorrow’s Supply Chains: Procurement Law Dynamics and ESG Imperatives, which was delivered by Muckle LLP and ICOR Systems.

Ailsa Anderson, Director of Development at EMN, said: “We were absolutely delighted to see such high footfall at EMCON this year in its new home of Rainton Arena.

“It was exciting to see people from all parts of the engineering and manufacturing community swapping experiences and ideas, gaining knowledge and insight and making valuable new connections through the event. This is heart and soul of EMN!

“With many businesses facing challenges over energy costs, recruitment and retention, and supply chain disruption, it’s more important than ever to bring engineering and manufacturing companies together to help each other solve problems, discover new opportunities and grow. EMCON provides an environment where this can happen and in the long term, contributes to creating a better future for our region.”

David Land, Chairman of EMN, added: “We were thrilled to see the diverse range of innovative businesses exhibiting at EMCON 2023, which is testimony to the vibrancy and strength of North East England’s engineering and manufacturing sector.

“Once again, the event was a true showcase of talent and expertise – a place where SMEs could promote their products and capabilities, and where larger businesses could identify new ways of strengthening their UK supply chains.

“We’d like to thank the delegates, exhibitors, sponsors and partners who contributed to the great success of EMCON 2023. We’re already looking forward to next year.”

EMCON was supported by a range of sponsors, including Gold Sponsors Manchester Metrology, B2B Injection Moulding Ltd and Business Durham, Silver Sponsors RTC, SMS Tech, Decerna, Made Smarter, CMYK and Torishima, and Bronze Sponsors Polymer Compounders and Cirrus Environmental Solutions Ltd. The Meet The Buyer programme was sponsored by Westray Recruitment and Salford Professional Development.

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Wardley Primary School has a busy and active robotics programme – and pupils there spend their own time perfecting robot designs, regularly contributing to the school’s robotics YouTube channel, at youtube.com/channel/UCCf9MCOD-tTbubaSpPtKSyQ.

Wardley’s robotics team took part in this year’s International World VEX robotics competition – joining over 900 teams from around the world – and the school is looking to go back to Dallas again in 2024.

The school is working with local and regional businesses to help them with deliver its ambitious ongoing STEM learning programme. One company it enlisted to help was CMYK, an IT services provider that manages the school’s printing services.

CMYK regional sales director Craig Pratt also works with Opencast and he approached the company to see if it would be willing to help. Opencast swiftly agreed to donate 12 laptops to help Wardley pupils to learn code for their robots.

Craig said: “We’ve been Opencast’s outbound IT services provider since last October and when we explained what the school was doing, they were only too happy to help. The laptops are perfect for the ongoing needs of the school, but they didn’t have the budget to buy the computers themselves.”

Craig added: “I’m a huge believer in North East enterprise supporting education, especially in the technology sector, as ultimately these young people could be future team members for our firms – and it’s just a great thing to do.”

Other companies responding to the school’s request for help include Nissan Skills School and the Reece Foundation.

David Sarginson, Opencast’s head of software development and a STEM ambassador, said: “Opencast is delighted to make this donation of MacBooks to Wardley Primary School. We hope the computers will help students there to learn and build an interest and use of technology. We’re committed to doing what we can to boost STEM learning in schools through schools visits and donations like this.

“We need to invest in the next generation of technologists to meet the ever-changing demands and trials of the future.”

Daniel Burfield, a year 3 teacher at Wardley and Vex robotics enthusiast, said: “Our team, 38154A, really enjoyed meeting Lily Martin and Dave Wright from Opencast, as well as Craig Pratt from CMYK. It was lovely to watch the enthusiastic discussion about the team’s robot and their recent experience at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas.

“One of our goals is to make STEM and robotics available for all at Wardley Primary. For us, it is not enough to just have a number of extremely successful robotics teams – we want all the children to enjoy the joy of programming robots.

“The donation of 12 MacBooks from Opencast is amazing and we are incredibly excited about the positive impact it will have.  Like the majority of schools, we are not in a position to purchase the cutting-edge hardware needed to develop our provision.”

The school has also launched a GoFundMe page to attract sponsorship from businesses and donations from the public to help ensure the team can compete at next year’s world championships in Dallas.

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CMYK are delighted to announce it has been selected as Seriös Group’s new IT and business support partner, welcoming onboard the Newcastle Headquartered Data and Test solutions provider.

Seriös Group deliver bespoke data and test solutions across a range of industries such as real estate, facilities management and technology, working with the likes of Jones Lang LaSalle, Sage and De La Rue. The fast-growing tech business formed in 2020, have grown their headcount to 45 and are targeting revenues of £5m this year with headcount expected to increase to 80 in the next twelve months.

The new partnership means CMYK will be responsible for all IT issues faced by Seriös Group people, including team member on-boarding services, licensing and hardware procurement. Seriös Group will also be utilising CMYK’s corporate branded on-boarding services.

Lee Rorison, CEO at Seriös Group, said: “We are delighted to be working with CMYK in what I would describe as a true outsourced IT support partnership. The nature of our business means we need to be able to scale our hardware and cloud resources on demand with a quick turnaround, and CMYK demonstrated their abilities and experience in being able to do so in a manner that works well for Seriös Group both commercially and in practice. Having trust in our IT support partners was a key factor in our decision to select CMYK, and I’m looking forward to working with them over the coming months and years”.

Delighted to share the news, is CMYK’s regional sales director Craig Pratt: “Since the inception of Seriös Group in early 2020, I’ve seen lots of press coverage on the expansion of the business, and to now be working with the Seriös team is a huge privilege. We’ve found a real ‘groove’ when it comes to supporting the regions Tech sector and our new partnership with Serios Group further highlights our service capabilities in this sector. Getting to understand Seriös Group’s service offering and working with their exceptionally talented people will be immensely beneficial to our team here at CMYK, as we widen our own knowledge in the Tech space. The Seriös team support some high-level clients and are doing some pretty impressive work. A firm that’s certainly flying the flag for the North East tech sector”

CMYK has been operating across the North East for two years, and continues to grow from strength to strength. The firm has already attracted new business from several of the North East’s top firms and secured key business opportunities with some of the region’s leading tech, professional services and manufacturing organisations.

Craig added: “We are extremely proud to have been selected as Seriös Group’s trusted IT partner and we are looking forward to building a long and lasting relationship”.

”Special thanks to the CMYK team for delivering yet another incredible win for the business. We are rapidly building a solid reputation across the region and beyond. Forging new partnerships like this showcases our capabilities, knowledge and ability to deliver a fantastic service and client experience.”

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“CMYK work with businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to global manufacturing and engineering firms. With our network of support engineers, we can provide national support to our clients whilst still delivering a local, personal level of service. Our North East operation is based in Newcastle Business Park and since opening in 2020, we have worked closely alongside EMN, supporting the team at the flagship EMCON event as visitor registration sponsor, managing all exhibitors and delegates who attended the event with our visitor management solution.” – Sarah Wharrier

As an engineering network, we strive to bring together the brightest minds in the industry, all working towards a common goal of innovation and progress. Our new affiliate member, with their wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of technology, will undoubtedly be a valuable addition to our network.

CMYK is renowned for their cutting-edge solutions, innovative ideas, and commitment to excellence. Their team possess a deep understanding of the latest trends and developments in the technology sector, making them well-equipped to provide unparalleled service to our network. By joining our network as an affiliate member, our members will have access to their vast pool of resources, expertise knowledge and experience.

EMN is proud to welcome this new affiliate member, and together we will be able to bring more value to the network and all our members. Get in touch with Sarah now to book either a free two-hour IT Security overview or a free Technology Roadmap planning session.

s.wharrier@cmyk-digital.co.uk

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