Nala Engineers targets growth after tough 2020

A family run electrical contractor is targeting growth after a challenging 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Seaham-based Nala Engineers was forced to furlough staff during the first lockdown last March as many contracts the company was working on were put on hold.

Nala’s main markets are in the retail and construction sectors, each of which were impacted severely by the first lockdown.

However, the company was soon brought back to full strength as orders picked up and is now looking ahead to a positive year with client and headcount growth.

Company director Nicola Duke said: “There’s no doubt 2020 was a tough year for us, like it was for many businesses, and we did have to furlough staff.

“Thankfully we were able to access support from our bank and have also been able to secure grant funding, which has given us confidence in our financial position moving forward.

“Although the instability of the economic climate meant we had to change our business forecasts, we ended the year on a high and now, although we remain in a third national lockdown, we have been able to continue working and are looking forward to a bright future.

“We’re now looking ahead and are confident that the forecasts we put in place at the start of 2020 are once again achievable.

“That includes continuing to invest in our apprenticeship programme, which has already seen four apprentices join the business with one now fully qualified and growing our client portfolio.”

Nala Engineers was founded by Pat and David Pollard in 1979 and now counts the likes of Aldi, Caterpillar, Wickes, Gateshead Housing and Matalan among its clients.

The company is based at Tempest Road in Seaham and employs a team of more than 20 people.