North firms leaving their mark

In the second of our pieces rounding up the year in North East business, we mark the annual tradition of naming the standout companies of 2025

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A second year running on the ‘best companies’ list for County Durham technology firm Filtronic, which has had a remarkable run over the last 18 months.

The County Durham telecoms company has secured a number of major orders over that time from Elon Musk’s SpaceX firm, including a £47m order announced in August.

Other major contracts have also been announced through the year as the firm moved to larger premises on the NETPark development.

In September, Filtronic was named Business of the Year at the North East Business Awards and it later released accounts that showed a 121% leap in revenue to more than £56m. Operating profits more than tripled to £13.4m.

In October, Stockton energy efficiency firm Elite Energy was named the North East's fastest growing company at the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 awards.

Over the past decade, the company has grown from a regional heating installer to a full low-carbon retrofit specialist, leveraging funding schemes to help households reduce both their carbon footprint and energy bills. Its services include solar PV installations, air-source heat pumps, boiler upgrades, insulation and smart heating systems, often supported through Government grants.

The company has shown 144.21% average revenue growth over the last three years.