Most operational businesses are drowning in monthly software subscriptions, and still can't do exactly what they need. AI agents have quietly changed the game. They now design, build and ship bespoke business tools that replace the expensive
off-the-shelf software you're currently renting.
This session shares practical examples from live deployments inside North East SMEs, including the agent department running inside Durham Lifting today. Attendees will leave with a clear view of what's now possible, what to build first, and what it actually costs in 2026.
Samuel Gardiner is Service Manager at Durham Lifting and Co-founder of Seahorse Integrations, a Teesside-based AI implementation firm. A time-served electrical engineer who taught himself software engineering after an ankle injury took him off the tools, Samuel built the internal AI capability that now runs alongside the Durham Lifting team.
This is the reference implementation Seahorse now delivers to other operational SMEs across the North East. He builds and speaks from real production experience, not slideware.
