Company History
Established in 1986, TBR is now operating in its 25th year. We think this is something to shout about, and we'll be celebrating properly on the company's birthday in September!

Below we present a brief history of our company:
1979
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David Birch published ground breaking report in the USA ‘The Job Generation Process’.
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Colin Gallagher joined Newcastle University, became aware of Birch’s work, and decided to replicate it for the UK
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Introduction to Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), arranged a supply of the necessary data
1980
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Awarded funding from the Social Science Research Council to mirror Birch’s work in the UK
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Recruited Henry Stewart to work with Colin Gallagher on the SSRC project
1981
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Colin’s project continues utilising 1981 and 1971 data
1986
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ESRC research complete, leading to numerous academic and policy papers
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Job Generation work provoked considerable interest, in particular from the DTI, with a desire for more detailed statistical analysis of contribution of different sizes and types of firms to the job creation process
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Colin and a fellow colleague, Paul Miller, recognised an opportunity for commercial consultancy work
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Trends Business Research Ltd (TBR) registered as a limited company
1987-1989
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Database, research and analysis techniques used to improve the accuracy of new work produced for DTI
1989-1992
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Research continued and repeated, building an economic profile for the DTI and work is published
1993
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Colin Gallagher retires from academia but continues work through TBR
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First commercial contract commissioned by the DTI – The components of private sector employment change, 1987-1993
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Further contracts were commissioned by the public sector and regional bodies, in particular Scottish Enterprise, in the job generation analysis area
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Andrew Graves recruited to work on Training and Enterprise Council research contracts
1994-1996
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Work continued to expand investigating issues such as employment change, growth companies and business birth rate
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Contract completed for Scottish Enterprise to support the Scottish Business Birth Rate Strategy
1996-97
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Recruited Anna Morgan to support on data development and to strengthen analytical capability
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TBR develops its first product, a software based tool that provided the user with analytical tools to interrogate a UK business database
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TBR moved to new premises at Jesmond Road West, Newcastle upon Tyne
1999-2000
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Work continued and TBR began what became long-term relationships withy many of the regional development agencies
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TBR also developed work about the significance of industrial clusters
2000
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TBR commissioned to lead a consortium to carry out a major cluster study on behalf of the Government
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Published as Business Clusters in the UK: a first assessment under the direction of Lord Sainsbury and the DTI (now BIS)
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TBR commissioned by BIS to provide an update of the Job Generation in the UK study
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Terry Bevan, who had worked with TBR on a consultancy basis in the past, joined as the Marketing Director
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Deliver a detailed review of the patterns and causes of business closure across the North East
2002
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TBR leads the team to deliver the UK’s most extensive cluster mapping and development study, for emda. Published as East Midlands Clothing Cluster Mapping and Development
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This project marked the first in a range of projects with an international element, with case study visits to Italy, Germany and Los Angeles
2003-5
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TBR delivers a series of training workshops entitled The Use and Abuse of economic data during the course of which we meet Martin Houghton, now a TBR senior associate
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Andrew Graves promoted to Head of Consultancy and Anna Morgan to Head of Data and Statistics. Both appointed to the Board of Directors
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TBR begins to build its capability in the creative and cultural industries, delivering a mapping study for GLA Economics
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TBR delivers The role of businesses and cluster in local regeneration for ODPM (now CLG)
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TBR delivers a new methodology for assessing the economic impact of Tourism for DCMS and ONE North East, delivered in partnership with CogentSI
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Fiona Dodd, now Head of Research, joins TBR as Research Consultant
2006
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Andrew Graves promoted to Managing Director
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Terry Bevan’s role updated to Strategic Development Director
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TBR produces firs Creative & Cultural Skills footprint statistics, marking a new approach to assessing the impact of the creative industries
2007
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TBR completes the first ever project to map participation in voluntary arts, published as Our Creative Talent
2008
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TBR, in partnership with James Rebanks, delivers the ‘paradigm changing’ (UNESCO) research for the Lake District World Heritage Site team, published as World Heritage Status – is there opportunity for economic gain?
2009
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TBR moves to present offices at Burgess House
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We deliver a study to Somerset County Council to map the renewable energy sector and to assess its business development challenges
2010
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Fiona Dodd promoted to Head of Research
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TBR engages Martin Houghton on an associated contract
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Terry Bevan relocates to Sussex and establishes TBR’s South East team with Martin
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Future Space product launched
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TBR delivers three important studies for the CASE programme, including atoolkit to map local cultural and heritage assets
2011
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TBR celebrating its 25th year in business
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Commissioned by BIS to undertake a pilot study to assess the market for environmental goods and services
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New website and corporate identity launched
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TBR split into two business units – the TBR Observatory and the Research & Consultancy team
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TBR Observatory
TBR is proud of its evidence-based research. We dissect complex problems through our skills in the manipulation and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data. See how our data and data skills support our specialist expertise by clicking on know more below.