DRIVER Hire Darlington, a franchise of the national network based on Aycliffe Business Park, has won the firm's Bronze Achievement Award for for hitting more than £300,000 in turnover.

The UK’s largest specialist supplier, Driver Hire provides temporary and permanent drivers and other logistics staff to local and national organisations in both the public and private sector.

If they’re short of staff – through illness, holidays or seasonal demand – Driver Hire will supply them with a suitable replacement.

Lisa Fleming bought Driver Hire's DL franchise in 2011, started out as a sole business with a small army of drivers and with an annual turnover of £220,000 in year ending December 2011 which rose to £240,000 in 2012 and then more than £300,000 at the end of 2013.

Driver Hire Darlington, based in Carlton House at the HUB Workspace on the park, now has more than 100 drivers on the books and supplies them to around 30 clients in the DL area.

"I'm absolutely delighted to win this award, which is recognition for a lot of hard work and dedication that has gone into the business," said Ms Fleming, who’d previously managed a number of distribution centres before setting up her own business.

"Having worked in the industry for a lot of years and after sharing the frustrations of local firms growing increasingly frustrated with the poor service offered by other organisations, I felt I could do a better job and offer a really top service."