Maritime matters: Bridge Issue 01

As the lifeblood of our region, the River Tees provides businesses throughout the north and further afield with a gateway to global markets and international trade. But its impact stretches beyond cargo ships and containers. Managed by PD Ports, the river – together with Teesport – contributes £1.4 billion to the UK economy every year. The Brookfield owned group operates across 12 locations nationwide, supporting over 22,000 jobs in the regional supply chain and playing a crucial role in building a more prosperous future for the Tees Valley.

Bridge celebrates the work of not just PD Ports, but also its customers, partners and stakeholders who are collectively creating a better place to live, learn and work.

Kirsten Donkin, Head of PR, Marketing and Communications, said: “Published twice a year, Bridge draws together insights from business leaders, local personalities, and regional partners, as we strive to deliver the promise of levelling up, and build on our region’s position as one of the UK’s most exciting industrial and cultural areas.

“The publication also aims to offer perspectives on how we can continue to address challenges and seize new opportunities to make certain we achieve our shared ambition, benefiting both the region and the nation.”

Cementing a brand partnership now in its tenth year, Bridge follows close to a decade’s worth of work which has stretched across strategy, identity, design and digital. By building on our recent development of the Teesport identity, the new publication gave us licence to explore and unleash the creative shackles.

With a brief to deliver a publication that would sit shoulder to shoulder with some of the best design-led publications, we created an elevated style through refined cues and a high quality paper stock. In contrast to block colours and functionality, Bridge features a neutral but more mature colour palette, alongside clean and sophisticated type choices. Structured yet versatile layouts complement a compelling image and illustration style that feels inherently human, positive and insightful. As well as in-house landscape photography, we partnered with Michael Sreenan, whose portraits set the tone for much of the publication’s heightened aesthetic.

Our Creative Director, John Taylor, said: “Bridge is a new leap for PD Ports. The brief presented an opportunity to push the boundaries, allowing us to showcase their impact while also expressing the people behind the stories. This distinct visual direction was about informing and entertaining at the same time, all with a fresh, refined and elevated feel.

“As an agency, it’s always exciting when you have a client that gives you the creative freedom to be bold and surprising in a typically risk-averse sector. More than nine years after the partnership began, our close relationship with PD Ports continues to flourish.”

The maiden edition features contributions from ex-Governor of the Bank of England and Vice Chair of Brookfield Asset Management and Head of Transition Investing, Mark Carney; Elected Independent Mayor of Middlesbrough, Andy Preston; CEO of North East England Chamber of Commerce, John McCabe; and Maritime UK’s Ben Murray.

There’s also an interview with one of Middlesbrough’s favourite sons, Chris Kamara, as well as views and opinions from PD Ports experts such as Chief Commercial Officer, Geoff Lippitt and CEO, Frans Calje OBE.