News: Award-winning designer comes full circle in Rotherham
Award winning product designer Nathan Bestwick, owner of Yormii, is entering an exciting new era, as he has moved to new premises at the Matrix Business Centre in Dinnington.
The centre is run by Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RiDO), the regeneration arm of the council and RiDO's mentors had first met Nathan through Rotherham Youth Enterprise, as he lived in Dinnington and studied at Sheffield Hallam University.
Shortly after graduating, Nathan launched a product and graphic design consultancy called If? Works, which grew from RiDO's Fusion @ Magna Business Centre in Rotherham. He went on to set up a kitchenware firm in partnership with Sheffield-based company Gripple, under its "Incub" programme, which nurtures local inventors with the aim of creating future jobs in South Yorkshire.
Nathan's Millmii is an innovative spice mill that can be used by people who have limited strength or dexterity in their hands and works by being rolled in the hands without any need to grip or twist.
The playful and stylish design received one of the coveted awards at this year's red dot awards for product design, which were given by a 30-member jury after an evaluation process lasting several days. The product got an honourable mention due to its particularly successful detail solution.
After one year Yormii had grown significantly and was ready to expand into their own premises, which will enable Nathan to grow the business further.
The workshop space within the business centre is four times the size of his current unit and he intends to use this for warehousing space for products, to take on new staff and also to set up a photography studio that he can use for taking images of his products.
Nathan has been able to take advantage of an ERDF funded project called Growth and Prosperity in Rotherham (Soft Landing Zone) which is run by RiDO. As an SME based in Rotherham, Yormii is eligible to access a mentor to help explore and develop international opportunities.
Nathan Bestwick, said: "This is such an exciting time for my business and I felt a move to my own dedicated business premises would give me the platform for future growth. This is the perfect base to grow my business and having the workshop space means I will be able to gear up easily to future requirements."
RiDO's support through the Soft Landing Zone programme for Yormii is helping Nathan to identify new international markets. This is seeing him building relationships with retailers and seeking sales agents in Europe.
Nathan adds: "I've had some great support from RiDO already and with my mentor's help I have been able to identify new markets in European countries. Martyn from RiDO has carried out lots of research, which I simply would not have had the time or contacts to do and put me in touch with relevant organisations overseas. This means I'm able to focus on the UK market, whilst also accelerating growth into international markets for my products too."
Martyn Benson, business development co-ordinator for the Soft Landing Zone at RiDO, said: "This is a true South Yorkshire success story. Nathan was brought up in Dinnington and now he is back here showing just what a young entrepreneur can achieve.
"It is fantastic to see him doing so well in his new premises and so exciting to be able to work with him and help him tap into market opportunities not just in the UK but internationally."
Nathan recently revealed that discussions are taking place with Lakeland and John Lewis about stocking his products and that distributors are lined up in the US and Canada. Meetings are taking place with other distributors worldwide.
Nathan's next milestone is launching three exciting new products within the housewares sector, which are planned to be released at Spring Fair International in February. He is also planning to showcase them at the Chicago Home Show in March 2013.
Yormii website
RiDO website
Images: RiDO
The centre is run by Rotherham Investment and Development Office (RiDO), the regeneration arm of the council and RiDO's mentors had first met Nathan through Rotherham Youth Enterprise, as he lived in Dinnington and studied at Sheffield Hallam University.
Shortly after graduating, Nathan launched a product and graphic design consultancy called If? Works, which grew from RiDO's Fusion @ Magna Business Centre in Rotherham. He went on to set up a kitchenware firm in partnership with Sheffield-based company Gripple, under its "Incub" programme, which nurtures local inventors with the aim of creating future jobs in South Yorkshire.
Nathan's Millmii is an innovative spice mill that can be used by people who have limited strength or dexterity in their hands and works by being rolled in the hands without any need to grip or twist.
The playful and stylish design received one of the coveted awards at this year's red dot awards for product design, which were given by a 30-member jury after an evaluation process lasting several days. The product got an honourable mention due to its particularly successful detail solution.
After one year Yormii had grown significantly and was ready to expand into their own premises, which will enable Nathan to grow the business further.
The workshop space within the business centre is four times the size of his current unit and he intends to use this for warehousing space for products, to take on new staff and also to set up a photography studio that he can use for taking images of his products.
Nathan has been able to take advantage of an ERDF funded project called Growth and Prosperity in Rotherham (Soft Landing Zone) which is run by RiDO. As an SME based in Rotherham, Yormii is eligible to access a mentor to help explore and develop international opportunities.
Nathan Bestwick, said: "This is such an exciting time for my business and I felt a move to my own dedicated business premises would give me the platform for future growth. This is the perfect base to grow my business and having the workshop space means I will be able to gear up easily to future requirements."
RiDO's support through the Soft Landing Zone programme for Yormii is helping Nathan to identify new international markets. This is seeing him building relationships with retailers and seeking sales agents in Europe.
Nathan adds: "I've had some great support from RiDO already and with my mentor's help I have been able to identify new markets in European countries. Martyn from RiDO has carried out lots of research, which I simply would not have had the time or contacts to do and put me in touch with relevant organisations overseas. This means I'm able to focus on the UK market, whilst also accelerating growth into international markets for my products too."
Martyn Benson, business development co-ordinator for the Soft Landing Zone at RiDO, said: "This is a true South Yorkshire success story. Nathan was brought up in Dinnington and now he is back here showing just what a young entrepreneur can achieve.
"It is fantastic to see him doing so well in his new premises and so exciting to be able to work with him and help him tap into market opportunities not just in the UK but internationally."
Nathan recently revealed that discussions are taking place with Lakeland and John Lewis about stocking his products and that distributors are lined up in the US and Canada. Meetings are taking place with other distributors worldwide.
Nathan's next milestone is launching three exciting new products within the housewares sector, which are planned to be released at Spring Fair International in February. He is also planning to showcase them at the Chicago Home Show in March 2013.
Yormii website
RiDO website
Images: RiDO
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