News: Shortlist announced for Chamber awards

The finalists have been announced for the Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards, this year hosted by Rotherham's World Cup referee, Howard Webb MBE.

The Awards, hosted by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, will recognise the achievements of the region's top businesses at Barnsley Metrodome on October 17 and is supported this year by local business, Solar Europa.

Over 100 entries were once again submitted for the prestigious awards, which will see companies and individuals recognised in ten categories as well as the overall Business of the Year.

Andrew Denniff, chief executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: "Our return to Barnsley for one of the leading events on our calendar has met with a tremendous response. Not only have the numbers of entries exceeded our expectations, but the quality has meant short-listing for our judges has made for some difficult decision making, even before the winners are selected."

The ceremony will also include the Salute to Business presentations that celebrates the achievements of long-standing businesses up to 100 years old. Also for the first time will be the Charity of the Year presentation which will award a member Charity £3000 in prize money.

The nominated finalists:

The Solar Europa Most Promising New Business Award

- Coldwell Fearn Sport
- Fresh n Chic Boutique
- Remember the Date
- Themesparx Ltd
- Vertex Rope Access Ltd

The Wosskow Brown Solicitors Business Growth Award

- Bigfoot Digital
- Conerstones Education
- Palmer Construction
- Pollywiggles Day Nursery
- Roy Hatfield Ltd

The NPS Barnsley Business Community Impact Award

- Greenworks Barnsley
- LASER Credit Union
- Lifeskills Solutions
- One Barnsley Apprenticeship Pledge
- Wosskow Brown Solicitors

The Brook Corporate Developments Excellence in Manufacturing Award

- Building Product Solutions
- MGB Plastics
- SP Containers
- Specialised Laser Products
- Wintwire Ltd

The Sheffield Hallam University Design & Innovation Award

- DEB Chartered Accounts
- Merlin Software
- Osborne Technologies Ltd
- S3 ID
- Vertex Rope Access Ltd

The Gala Tent Business Person of the Year Award

- Darren Padgett – Team Activ
- David Edwards-Brown – DEB Chartered Accountants
- Katie Buckle – Provide Education
- Lynne Darwin – Building Product Solutions
- Nigel Short – VOOT

The ASD Lighting/Rotherham United Excellence in International Trade Award

- Castus
- D A Cooper & Sons
- Merlin Software
- S3 ID
- SP Containers

The Source Skills Academy Outstanding Retailer of the Year

- Fresh n Chic Boutique
- Let's Go Potty
- Patchwork Pig
- Sara's Flowers and Teas
- The Fone Home

The Rotherham College Digital & Creativity in Business Award

- Academics
- Berneslai Homes
- Bigfoot Digital
- DEB Chartered Accountants
- TSL Recruitment

The Barnsley College Apprentice of the Year Award

- Elliott Mann – ITS Group
- Elspeth Jones - Harris+Co
- Joel Price – Gala Tent
- Kiefer Booth – Berneslai Homes
- Tom Matthews – Tata Steel Speciality Steels

Places at the black tie event are £65 + VAT or £600 + VAT for tables of 10.

Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber website

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News: Profitable Crawshaw bringing home the bacon

Crawshaws, the Rotherham-based meat focused retailer whose share price has increased by 750% since November 2013, has reported increases in like for like sales and total sales, helping to increase profits by 21%.

The AIM-listed company has established its recovery in difficult High Street trading conditions and has recently signed a ten year lease on a new manufacturing and distribution facility at Hellaby. In July it announced details of the placing of new shares in a bid to raise nearly £9m to support the acceleration of its store opening programme.

In its financial results for the six months to July 31 2014, Crawshaw reported that trading remains strong with like for like sales up 12% in the half year as compared to a 5% increase in the same period the previous year. In addition, total sales for the first half have increased to £11.8m, up from £9.8m in 2013.

Despite further spending on new stores, margins improved. Gross profit increased by 21% to £5.2m (2013: £4.3m) and EBITDA (earning before taxes) increased to £0.9m (2013: £0.5m). Profit before tax more than doubled to £0.7m.

Established in 1954, the AIM-listed firm has been trading on the stock market since 2004. It was acquired by Felix Group plc in 2008. Previously based at Templeborough, it has 21 retail outlets throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Humberside and two distribution centres, in Rotherham and Grimsby.

Crawshaw is moving onto Sandbeck Industrial Estate at Hellaby, occupying a 12,000 sq ft unit for the manufacture and distribution of specialist foods, utilising the existing facilities that were previously occupied by Buxton Foods.

The new factory and distribution centre in Rotherham will consolidate the two existing sites in Grimsby and Rotherham into the new facility. Crawshaw believe that the space at the new site will give it additional capacity and is better located, leading to a more productive and efficient operation. It will also include a factory shop that is set to open at the beginning of November.

The new site will provide Crawshaw with capacity to cater for 60 retail locations with the ambitious firm targeting 200 shops within eight years.

Richard Rose, chairman of Grawshaw Group, said: "Looking towards the second half of the year our core business is performing in line with expectations with like for like sales for the first eight weeks of the second half are up 5% and gross margin higher than our first half performance.

"The Board are very excited about our accelerated store opening programme and we are starting to build our resource and capability so that we are in a position to deliver opportunities through 2015."

The profitable company is now operating debt free and announced that the share placing generated net cash of £8.6m. A dividend of 10p per share is being proposed.

Crawhsaw website

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News: Rotherham jobs go as waste firms enter admin

Over 100 staff have been made redundant at a trouble waste site in Rotherham after two firms, Leeds Recycling and Waste Recycling and Diversion Limited, called in the administrators.

Leeds Recycling provided waste collection services to businesses and households in the region whilst Diversion provided waste recycling processing services to local authorities and businesses. They both operated from the same site at Templeborough which was previously operated by Sterecycle, the firm pioneering the use of autoclaving to "pressure cook" household and commercial black-bag waste, which itself called in the administrators in 2012.

Howard Smith and Jonny Marston of KPMG were appointed Joint Administrators of Leeds Recycling and Waste Recycling and Diversion Limited on September 22 and Leeds Recycling sold its customer list to Biffa Waste Services Limited who is responsible for waste collections going forwards.

Upon appointment of the administrators, the majority of the 112 staff (Leeds Recycling: 48 Diversion: 64) have been made redundant. A small number of staff from both companies have been retained temporarily to assist the Joint Administrators with the managed wind down of the businesses.

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Howard Smith, associate restructuring partner at KPMG, said: "The companies experienced significant cash flow difficulties in recent months and were unable to meet their financial commitments. We have staff on site to assist employees with submitting their claims to the Redundancy Payments Office and to help with any queries."

Sterecycle, once valued at £56m, operated the Sheffield Road site since August 2008. The world's first commercial scale autoclave plant grew in terms of capacity and job numbers. It had impressed royals, government ministers and investors.

After Sterecycle's demise, the site was returned to landlords - Euro Dismantling Services. Silverdell acquired Sheffield-based EDS in 2012 for £18m. Its founder, Andrew McGee went on to found the WRD Group, which took over the waste processing site at Templeborough in 2013.

Silverdell entered administration in January after selling Euro Dismantling Services and other subsidiaries.

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News: Promotion hits profits at ASD

ASD Lighting Holdings Limited, the holding company for Rotherham lighting manufacturers, ASD Lighting, and Rotherham United Football Club has released its financial results for 2013, with the club reporting a loss of £477k despite success on the pitch.

ASD is owned by Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart (pictured) who saved the club in 2008. 2013 was another momentous year for the Millers which saw them promoted to League One in their first season in their new £20m New York Stadium, and embark on a second successive promotion season which culminated in a dramatic playoff win at Wembley in May 2014.

The latest financial results for the Barbot Hall manufacturer showed that pre-tax profits were £2.8m in the year ending 31 December 2013, down from £3.7m in the previous year.

ASD has had unrivalled success in the LED market and continues to develop new outdoor lighting systems. Turnover for the lighting business was £20.2m, down from £21.4m in 2012.

In the same period, the football club posted a pre-tax loss of £477k, compared to a small profit of £29k in 2012.

With the new financial fair play rules introduced in the Football League, which limits spending on total player wages to a proportion of each club's turnover, Rotherham United's turnover increased from £4.3m in 2012 to £5m in 2013.

In the Championship, the Millers' current division, clubs have agreed to introduce a breakeven approach that requires clubs to stay within pre-defined limits on losses and shareholder equity investment that will reduce significantly over the next few seasons.

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The latest accounts show that ASD's sponsorship deal with Rotherham United is now worth £2m, up from £1.5m the previous year. ASD Holdings also loaned £7m to RU Estates Ltd, the company created to bring forward the development of the stadium.

For the financial years when Rotherham United are in the Championship they can expect turnover to be double that of League One, largely due to multi million pound TV deals and solidarity payments from the Premier League, but also due to increased crowds, matchday revenue and commercial deals.

With Tony Stewart as chairman and his son, Richard Stewart, as vice chairman, the football club's board contains experienced directors who also have senior roles at ASD Lighting.

Stewart saved The Millers in 2008 when he brought them out of administration via a Creditors Voluntary Agreement. His chairmanship has provided stability and investment, and his appointment of Steve Evans as manager has added to the "adventure" which sees them playing former Premier League champions and European Cup winners in the second tier of English football.

The chairman was recently admitted as an Honorary Freeman of the Borough in recognition "of his eminent service to the sport of football and his long and friendly association with the Rotherham Borough."

ASD Lighting website
Rotherham United website

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News: Forge Island deal moves forward

The cabinet at Rotherham Council has agreed to progress a deal to buy Forge Island from Tesco, an important site for the continued regeneration of the town centre.

The council has an option to buy the site for £1.5m when Tesco vacate and move across town to the site of former council buildings on Drummond Street. The new £40m Tesco Extra store has been given an opening date of November 13. The council received £7m from developers TCN for the site of the former civic buildings and library when investors signed up Tesco to a long lease.

In 2012, the council's cabinet confirmed Forge Island as the preferred site for a town centre cinema and theatre development and developers and operators where sought, but in the short term, the council is set to operate the prominent site as a car park.

Notice has already been given of the council's intent to amend traffic orders and introduce an off street car park on Forge Island, regulated by themselves, to serve as a "Free" and "Pay and Display" car park.

The plan includes a maximum of 70 spaces which will be free for up to an hour with the rest of the spaces available for two hours costing £1, four hours costing £2 and ten hours at £3.

Operating between 8am and 6pm, the planned car park will eventually result in free short stay car parking for shoppers at both ends of the town centre. The current Tesco store has around 300 parking spaces which are free to use for two hours and planners ensured that the new Tesco Extra, which is set to have 540 spaces, will provide free parking for two hours on the site for customers and non-customers.

Cabinet members discussed the options for the strategic acquisition of the site, the short term use as a car park to support nearby retailers and approval was sought to progress options for development.

The cabinet report, which has not been made public, also discussed negotiations towards redevelopment of Forge Island which may include third party involvement in the acquisition.

The recently approved strategy of the borough's local plan states that: "Forge Island is identified as part of the town centre which does not live up to its potential and is not at the heart of the town centre." It was always one of the goals of the Rotherham Renaissance initiative to see a redeveloped Forge Island act as a focal point for new cultural, entertainment and arts facilities, improved public spaces and a brighter environment.

The recent scrutiny review by borough councillors into how the council can support the local economy said that "The Council's option for purchase of Forge Island for leisure development such as a cinema/theatre should be a considered as a priority as it would enliven the night time economy and help draw in other private sector investment."

Remediation work is likely to be needed on the site which suffered significant flooding in 2007. The Development agreement which set the price at £1.5m also allows for overage to be paid to Tesco in the event of any "superprofits" being generated if the site was sold on as an investment. However this is likely to be limited given the state of the site and likely remediation costs.

At the nearby Westgate Chambers, the council has decided to sell off the asset it bought in 2006 as a strategic acquisition. Offers were due in earlier this month with the 0.33 hectare site advertised as a regeneration/development opportunity on a "predominately residential basis with an active commercial ground floor."

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News: Recruitment underway at new Rotherham Tesco

Recruitment has begun for some of the 450 staff at the new £40m Tesco Extra store in Rotherham town centre which is set to open on November 13.

South Yorkshire's largest property investment deal for the past two years has seen developers TCN UK Ltd, bring forward the 110,000 sq ft superstore, which also includes 540 parking spaces and a petrol filling station, on a five-acre site that was previously home to a number of council buildings.

ISG, the international construction services company, secured the £19m contract to build the new store and the project also includes £4m worth of public realm improvements and massive revisions to road and utilities infrastructure.

TCN UK Ltd bought the site from Rotherham Council for £7.3m and private property investor fund Osprey Income and Growth 2 LP purchased the development with the backing of £16.9m of equity from private investors and £23.75m of debt from HSBC Bank.

The development is set to create 450 jobs (200 full time and 250 part time). 200 of these are additional to the current store on Forge Island and all staff at the current store would be guaranteed a job at the new site. A proportion of vacancies will be filled through Tesco's "Regeneration Partnership" which, in partnership with the local Job Centre Plus, ensures a proportion of vacancies are reserved for long term unemployed people.

Rotherham jobs listed on the Tesco Careers website include customer assistants for the shop floor including the clothing section and the meat counter.

Moving from the current Tesco store on Forge Island, the new store will create an additional 3,362 sq m of floorspace which is split into 1,301 sq m of convenience and 2,061 sq m of comparison goods. The development will be restricted in terms of the concessions that can be included alongside the Tesco store. It is set to include a pharmacy, photo processing lab and mobile phone shop, but not an opticians, doctors, dry cleaning facility or post office.

It has been a difficult week for Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, as it issued its fourth profits warning of the year on Monday following the discovery of an accounting error which overstated its first-half profit by £250m.

In Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, it has been reported that Tesco has "mothballed" a £22m, 47,000 sq ft store just weeks before it was due to open as it slows down its store opening programme.

Tesco Careers website

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News: Inditherm looks abroad as NHS slowdown hits profits

Innovative Rotherham company, Inditherm, has reported a loss in the first half of the financial year with a significant fall in orders in the UK medical market.

Manvers-based Inditherm has developed products using low voltage carbon polymer technology to provide heat. Its systems are used for patients undergoing operations which carry risk of inadvertent hypothermia and in neonatal wards.

In the six months ended June 30 2014, the AIM-listed firm reported that revenue was similar to the same period in 2013 - £998k compared to £1m - but ultimately Inditherm posted a loss of £173k, compared to a profit of £4k in the same period last year.

Trading levels in the Medical business in the first half of 2014 were down 20% on the same period in 2013, without the previous year's benefit of large NHS orders and projects carried over from 2012.

Many forward thinking NHS Trusts in England have adopted the technology but financial pressures and uncertainties in the sector has slowed Inditherm's penetration.

Case studies show that Inditherm products can help prevent perioperative hypothermia and in turn reduce infection rates, use of blood products, recovery times and mortality. They also show that Trusts can make substantial cost savings whilst maintaining, or in some cases improving, patient care. The NHS in England alone could save an estimated £15m per annum if forced air warming was replaced by Inditherm's mattress for eligible procedures in most of the 3,030 operating theatres.

In a report to the stock exhnage, Inditherm said: "We have not enjoyed the benefit of the more substantial projects seen in 2013, including some delayed from 2012, and as a consequence our UK Medical orders fell significantly. UK Medical sales, excluding ATOM [Japanese incubator products sold by Inditherm], represented 41% of our Medical business (2013: 64%). This reflects continuing uncertainty in the NHS, particularly characterised by severe constraints on capital budgets, but with interest in our products sustained and prospects at a similar level to last year."

Last year, the firm decided to support the development of the export markets, with extra focus and direction applied towards territories with the greatest potential. With extra resources, encouraging sales growth has been seen in the Medical export business in the first half of 2014, up 30% on the same period last year. "This has been underpinned by stronger performance in the Asia-Pacific region, including start-up stocks for a partner in Japan who will promote our operating room products under their own brand. Our increased resources in this area are adding focus to our export activities; we have taken steps to start identifying partners for the Latin America markets and to look for ways to strengthen our presence where we have underperforming distribution channels."

Mark Abrahams, chairman of Inditherm, said: "Whilst the performance of the first half has been disappointing, albeit expected, we can now see a slowly improving trend in customer enquiries. Given the increased conversion times and the change in business mix towards export, it is likely that gross margins will remain at a healthy but lower level than last year. This will inevitably defer our ability to deliver profitable growth.

"Accordingly, we are stepping up our efforts to identify strategic options capable of accelerating our prospects of delivering shareholder value."

Inditherm website

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News: Parkway works set to begin

Another transport project is set to begin next week as part of the long-term major roadworks around Junction 33 of the M1 in Rotherham.

The Highway Agency recently completed a pinch point scheme, reducing congestion and improving journeys for drivers around the junction at Catcliffe. The government-funded, £2m improvement at J33 involved widening the southbound exit slip road and roundabout, and builds on the previous year's widening of the northbound exit slip road, helping to ease congestion, reduce delays and prevent motorists queuing back on to the M1 southbound carriageway. The scheme will make journey times more reliable and improve access to Rotherham, Sheffield, and the surrounding areas.

The northern side of the roundabout has been widened from two lanes to four lanes and the A630 Rotherway leading to the M1 southbound entry slip road has been widened from three lanes to four.

Now work is set to begin next week to refurbish and repair the Old Flatts Bridge, which carries the A630 Rotherham Gateway to the Sheffield Parkway over rail lines.

From mid-October through to early February 2015, off-peak night time lane closures will be used to carry out the preparatory works for the main phase of the traffic management scheme, which is due to start in February next year. From then until when the work is completed in November 2015, traffic will run on two narrow lanes in both directions at all times using contra-flow lanes.

It will also be necessary to have four road closures of the Parkway during the works.

Cllr Maggie Godfrey, Cabinet Member for Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods for the Council, said: "The work will ensure the integrity of the bridge for many years to come on what is the main link between Rotherham and Sheffield as well as the motorway network. If the works are not completed it would have serious implications on vehicles using the Parkway."

The Old Flatts bridge is the first bridge that drivers on the Parkway cross when heading towards Waverley, the site of the Enterprise Zone and Advanced Manufacturing Park (pictured), and towards the centre of Sheffield from the M1 Motorway. Inspections indicated that a scheme of strengthening was required and Rotherham Council secured £3m from the Government's "pinch point" fund and will add around £1m of its own funding to enable the work to be carried out.

Without the Government funding, the full costs of maintaining the bridge would fall to the Council. Alternatively a weight restriction or potential closure of the bridge would be required. In the worst case that would have resulted in the A630 Parkway effectively being shut to all traffic or a weight restriction imposed to heavy vehicles. The ensuing diversions, congestion and cost to the economy would have been significant.

RMBC website

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News: Maltby planning to take in tonnes of Hatfield material

Underground workings may have ended at Rotherham's Maltby Colliery last year but the spoil heap may continue to be added to under plans to deposit 2.25 million tonnes of material from nearby Hatfield Colliery.

The 500 acre colliery at Maltby was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013. Owners, Hargreaves Services continued to provide management services and support from Maltby to Hatfield Colliery in Doncaster.

In December 2013, the business and assets of Hatfield Colliery Limited were acquired by a new employee's trust and Hargreaves' mine management contract was terminated. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) subsequently agreed to invest £4m in the Hatfield business by providing a commercial loan to extend the life of the mine, which is the last deep coal mine in the country not to have announced closure.

Now a planning application has been submitted to Rotherham Council by Maltby Colliery Ltd (Hargreaves) to allow for 450,000 tonnes of mine runoff fines, known as MRF, to be transported each year from Hatfield and deposited in the current lagoon at Maltby.

The temporary permission would be five years and MRF is already being brought to Maltby from Hatfield. The lagoon was due to be filled anyway as part of the colliery's restoration plan.

MRF is a fine slurry-like material which is formed during the washing and reclamation of coal fines (tiny coal particles). It made up much of the 1.4m tonne landslip at Hatfield in February 2013.

Nearby residents have already raised concerns over the height of the tip, the possibility of landslips and the impact on the highways of the estimated 60 HGV movements per day.

The mine shafts have been filled and capped and the immediate future of the site is as Maltby Energy Park, with operator Alkane Energy generating energy from the coal mine methane assets for an estimated period of up to 15 years.

Alkane has recently been awarded a demand side contract with the National Grid to supply 56Mw capacity to cover the winter peak period from 4pm to 8pm each weekday between November and February, with Alkane to receive a two hour warning if it will be needed.

Hargreaves Services website

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News: Young Rotherham entrepreneur builds on good foundation

Less than a year into running her own business, Katie Daley-Ahern, from Swinton, Rotherham is made up, seeing her work on the front cover of leading celebrity magazine, Hello!

Having several years of experience behind her working in professional beauty salons, Katie launched her Professional Make-Up Artist business aiming to provide full make-up services for brides and bridal parties in her local area but was quickly called upon by a raft of pop music celebrities.

Backed by funding from UK Steel Enterprise's Kickstart Fund, which she used to pay for essential equipment and stock; Katie has also received support from Rotherham Youth Enterprise with her business planning.

Katie (pictured, left) said: "It's been amazing to go from starting the business to doing the make-up for former Miss England Georgia Horsley at her marriage to McBusted front man Danny Jones. I did the whole bridal party including singer Ellie Goulding and when Hello! magazine featured the wedding it felt out of this world to see my work on the front page. Next month I give tips on make-up in another Hello! title.

"I'm now having to think about taking on additional service support to cope with the calls I'm getting but I will never forget the help I got when starting out. Without the grant from UK Steel Enterprise I could never have set up the studio which got me going.

"Most of my bookings, including Georgia Horsley's wedding, come from referrals, which is the best way to grow a new business like mine. I'm just loving being so busy at the moment."

Hayley Middlebrook of UK Steel Enterprise (pictured, right), added: "It's great to see Katie being so successful in such a short time. She clearly has the skills she needs to keep customers satisfied. With the start she's had she really could reach for the stars; we wish her all the best for the future and look forward to seeing her business expand further."

Jackie Frost, manager of Rotherham Youth Enterprise, added: "Katie is a great example of what can be achieved with self-belief and determination. We are happy to have helped her with the grant application process and are already talking to her about how we can provide further support so she can grow the business."

UK Steel Enterprise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel. Its Kickstart Fund provides grants of up to £500 to start-up businesses to purchase essential equipment and or services that can get them trading. Its main investment fund provides business finance in amounts from £25,000 up to £750,000 to companies in South Yorkshire and other areas affected by changes in the steel industry.

Operated by the council, Rotherham Youth Enterprise provides self-employment support and advice for young adults in the area. They encourage young people (up to the age of 30) to explore business ideas and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be their own boss. In addition to business support, office and workshop space is made available in RiDO's business centres for free.

Katie Daley-Ahern Facebook page
UKSE website
Rotherham Youth Enterprise

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News: UKTI and EEF sign partnership deal

The Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF), the UK trade organisation dedicated to the future of manufacturing, has signed a partnership agreement with the Government’s trade body, UKTI, to help boost exports and attract more businesses to invest in the UK.

The deal demonstrates a commitment from EEF, which represents manufacturers ranging from global corporations to small and medium sized businesses, to support UKTI in achieving the Government's £1 trillion export target by 2020.

The agreement, signed by UKTI CEO Dominic Jermey and EEF CEO Terry Scuoler, will see both organisations working closely together to build stronger partnerships with manufacturers, boost overseas trade missions and raise greater awareness of the support available from UKTI.

Terry Scuoler, CEO of EEF, said: "Improving our export performance is key to helping Britain achieve the better-balanced economy needed to deliver long-term stability and growth. UKTI has a vital role to play in helping companies to increase their global footprint. We will now work together to ensure that manufacturers are aware of the support it provides in finding new markets overseas, as well as smoothing the way for new exporters."

Dominic Jermey, CEO of UKTI, added: "As part of our strategy to build stronger relationships with our partners, I am delighted to be working closer with British manufacturers through EEF to drive towards sustainable economic growth through exports. The scale of ambition to achieve our £1 trillion export target by 2020 will require a full team effort with Government and business working together. This partnership will be a very positive step forward towards this goal."

A recent economic survey from the EEF showed an area of caution in exports where demand weakness in key markets and the appreciation of sterling is adding to uncertainty, resulting in a small decline in the number of Yorkshire manufacturers confident of achieving export growth in the third quarter of the year. With the Eurozone economy flagging significantly, political risks increasing and a stronger Sterling exchange rate, export orders UK-wide are turning negative for the first time since the start of 2013.

The EEF recently acquired a new headquarters in Rotherham, taking nearly 7,000 sq ft of office space at Advantage House, Catcliffe.

EEF website
UKTI website

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News: Growth on the menu for Rotherham software enterprise

Innoemenu Ltd, a new software development business in Rotherham, is set to take the restaurant and takeaway market by storm with its revolutionary new technology designed to make the process of ordering and paying for food in restaurants and takeaways quicker and more efficient.

Established by Vijay Earamala, a former student and graduate entrepreneur from Sheffield Hallam University, the firm has secured a unit at RiDO's Moorgate Crofts Business Centre as part of the Soft Landing Zone project which has given him a professional base for his growing enterprise.

Managed by RiDO (Rotherham Investment Development Office), the project secured funding from Europe to assist Rotherham companies to explore potential international trade opportunities in addition to helping overseas companies establish a base here in the borough.

The company's e-menu solutions enables staff in restaurants, bars and cafes to take an order through a tablet, mobile phone or ipad, which is automatically transferred to the kitchen and cashier. The software can also be used on a tablet or touch screen devices by customers in a restaurant to select from a clearly detailed menu images, and to place their order themselves. Thirdly, the software can be used on mobile devices, enabling customers to pre-order before arriving or taking their table at the restaurant.

RiDO's business development co-ordinator Julia Millea has helped Vijay by carrying out research into the South Yorkshire market to identify opportunities with restaurant and takeaway businesses within Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. Innoemenu has also benefited from start-up advice on the incorporation of the business from RiDO and with links to local business networks and suppliers that the company could potentially work with.

Vijay Earamal, owner of Innoemenu Ltd (pictured, left), said: "This is an exciting time for my business as I am about to launch my new software programme both in the South Yorkshire area and nationally. The support I've had from RiDO has been fantastic and has really set me off on the right track. As a result of the research, I will be able to directly target food outlets in the South Yorkshire area, which gives me a great start to growing my customer base and creating new employment opportunities."

Nathan Woodcock, business co-ordinator for RiDO's Soft Landing Zone (pictured, right), added: "Vijay was a perfect candidate for support through our Soft Landing Zone. He has been working on developing the software for several months and it is exciting now he is at a stage to go live with his innovative products."

Innoemenu website
RiDO website

Images: RiDO

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News: Fast track funding call for offshore wind sector

Manufacturing companies working on innovative projects in the booming offshore wind sector are being asked to get involved with the latest £4.5m funding round from the GROW:OffshoreWind service.

The £50m programme secured £20m from the Regional Growth Fund to improve the UK wind industry's supply chain.

The UK offshore wind market, estimated to be worth more than £100bn over the next 20 years, offers manufacturers a significant, sustained growth opportunity and by working in close collaboration with industry leaders and government, GROW:OffshoreWind offers direct access to market experts, technological know-how and funding support to English companies looking to move into the offshore wind market.

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Rotherham is leading on Process Technology Innovation support, providing a new route for companies to access its collaborative R&D capabilities and the large-scale manufacturing and process demonstration facilities at the Nuclear AMRC.

Through partnership with the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, a fast-track fund totalling £2m has been made available by GROW:OffshoreWind to help SMEs and large enterprises accelerate their investment in innovation projects.

Up to £500k of grant funding is available for successful applicants, which can be used to support a wide variety of project costs and the service is looking for applications from English companies who can utilise this funding over the next six months.

Dominic Brown, head of GROW:OffshoreWind, said: "By streamlining the approvals process, the call will enable companies to commence their investment plans by early November."

One example of collaboration has seen Tata Steel, TUV Rheinland Sonovation and the Nuclear AMRC come together to find a solution for the problem of inspecting 25km of welding on a 100+ metre wind turbine tower.

Real-time inspection to ensure the welds can stand up to the harsh conditions offshore not only boosts safety but considerably cuts the time and costs of reworking. The non-destructive testing (NDT) process is also used for nuclear components where safety is critical.

The consortium's solution was to integrate defect testing equipment - based on sound wave technology using ultrasonic transmitters and receivers - into an existing welding rig. The system was designed with heat-resistant probes and a cooling system to enable it to work at high temperatures (up to 450°C) and adaptive controls to adjust the speed and feed of welding.

As well as detecting imperfections in welds in real time at high temperatures, the system's adaptive controls enable welds to be filled uniformly and at greater speed despite variations in size.

The result of the study is an innovative, proven NDT process, which tests for flaws during the welding process, reducing time and money spent on repairs and improving not just aesthetics but build integrity and safety.

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AMRC website

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News: Tata's university link up signals end for Rotherham R&D site

The future of Tata Steel's Research & Development (R&D) site in Rotherham is even more uncertain today as the Indian multinational company announces that it is relocating research to Warwick University.

The Swinden Technology Centre (STC) in Rotherham mainly focuses on product research and applications research for the transport, building and construction sectors. Process research is undertaken for the mills operations primarily concentrating on environmental research. With 155 staff, projects include ultra high strength steels, improved stainless steel, improved operating technology to reduce emissions and life cycle analysis.

Tata announced in February that it had secured £8m Regional Growth Fund investment from the UK Government for research into next-generation steels for cars, aircraft, rail networks, skyscrapers, mining equipment and power stations. It stated that the research would initially take place at the R&D facility in Rotherham, but added that "the company is currently considering where the research will continue over the longer term with a possible relocation to a different UK site in the future."

Today, Tata Steel announced it will be creating a new R&D centre at the University of Warwick to better serve the needs of its current and future customers.

Debashish Bhattacharjee, R&D group director at Tata Steel, said: "We are strengthening our Research & Development in the UK to further develop technology and knowledge partnerships with customers, suppliers, and universities.

"We want to meet the future demands of our customers who are asking for lighter, stronger and more versatile steels."

A spokesperson for Tata Steel confirmed that today's announcement means that the research will move away from Rotherham. He added: "The Swinden Technology Centre was created to best serve the needs of the steel industry several decades ago. Today the industry is much more customer focused and it is only right that Tata Steel reacts to that change to ensure it continues and strengthens its research capabilities by aligning them to market needs.

"While the RGF-funded research has initially taken place at our R&D facility in Rotherham, we are now announcing it will be relocated to a facility at the University of Warwick.

"This is not an overnight process. Any relocation would take years, not months."

United Steels acquired the site in 1946 and in addition to state of the art laboratories, it also includes Swinden House, the former home of Rotherham solicitor Thomas Badger, plus playing fields, tennis courts and orchards.

Just over 2,000 people are employed at Tata Steel in South Yorkshire and sites including Stocksbridge in Sheffield and Aldwarke in Rotherham specialise in the production of high grade and special steels for the world's leading companies in markets ranging from automotive to aerospace, civil engineering to component manufacturing, energy industries to consumer goods.

Tata Steel is already facing industrial action on Teeside where R&D staff are unhappy at the prospect of being employed by an arms-length organisation set up by Tata, the Materials Processing Institute, instead of Tata itself.

Regarding the Rotherham staff, the Tata spokesperson added: "The change of location is not about job numbers but about the future strength of R&D in the UK. As such there are no intended reductions. We have positions for all of the current people in the organisation and in the longer term a modest increase is possible.

"For those who are unable to move then alternative options will be considered according to circumstances and subject to a fair and open process. We are currently, with the trade unions, seeking clarification from individuals on their preferences based on information today."

If the Moorgate Road site was to close, Tata Steel would still have some research capability in the borough. It is the key partner in establishing The Proving Factory – an innovative partnership with high-tech companies in the automotive supply chain to help develop the technologies of tomorrow. As part of the programme, which is also backed by Government funding, a component manufacturing facility is being created at Tata Steel's site at Brinsworth and is set to open in 2015.

Tata Steel Europe website

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News: Retail vacancies rise in Rotherham

The retail vacancy rate in Rotherham town centre has risen for the first time since 2010, according to research by retail experts at commercial real estate advisers, Colliers International.

The National Retail Barometer provides a unique perspective on the outlook for the country's retail property market as it tracks vacancy rates/voids in 15 key locations, including Rotherham.

Before the recession, Colliers recorded the vacancy rate (the percentage of empty ground floor units in the retail centre) in Rotherham as low as 6.1% in 2006, rising to 28.2% in 2010, the highest of the 15 research locations. The economic downturn saw a number of high profile national retailers, such as Woolworths and Ethel Austin, close their Rotherham stores and developments stall.

The evolution of the retail sector and the rise of discount retailers has helped to fill many of those voids. In addition, the council's focus on creating a different retail offer in the face of stiff nearby competition by supporting new, independent shops with financial support has also proved successful. Over 80 businesses have opened up in the town centre since 2010.

Rotherham is a "Portas Pilot" using government and private sector funding to support retail which has helped to reduce vacancy rates, boost footfall and increase shopper satisfaction.

Colliers tracked the trend, which saw vacancy rates go from 28% down to 18.1% in October 2013. Now though, the research has the rate at 19.7% for April 2014. Since then, the innovative Maker's Emporium has opened on the High Street with work underway next door at La Bella Lingerie. Heritage regeneration over the road is set to complete in December, bringing dilapidated listed buildings back into use.

Another trend has seen short team leases on large premises on College Street and Bridgegate but national retailers continue to close. Phose4U is the latest casualty as it entered administration with NatWest closing its Corporation Street branch this week. The large former Co-Op Travel store remains empty but growing retailers like CeX have opened in the town and FEXCO's No 1 Currency is set to open on Effingham Street.

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The report said: "With high street retail having seemingly weathered the worst of the economic downturn, rafts of retailer administrations and rapid technological and consumer change, we are seeing evidence of its new role in the retail hierarchy.

"With many modern retail high streets perfectly positioned for top-up shopping, achieving the right mix of multiple and independent retailers and leisure offers such as cafes and bars, can position a centre alongside online shopping, not against it.

"Despite the steady improvement to our vacancy rate over the last 12 months, it remains to be seen as to whether our sample centres will return to an occupancy level witnessed in October 2006."

The report also highlights the issue of "prime" retail space, recognising that, as the position of town centres has changed, UK high streets still have an oversupply of floor space.

In Rotherham, researchers reviewed what constitutes the prime retail space in light of new developments, key tenants and changing footfall trends. It concluded that many units were not fit for purpose and that prime retail space was reduced by 60%.

The massive new Tesco is due to open in November and the council's cabinet meets tomorrow to discuss the next steps for the development of Forge Island as a potential cinema-led development site or site for car parking. Both could have a big impact on the continued evolution of Rotherham town centre.

Mark Phillipson, head of retail at Colliers International, said: "For retail landlords, the challenge is to provide a key point of difference which will attract shoppers. In this respect, an attractive leisure element and free or cheap parking is essential.

"All shopping environments need to continue to develop initiatives which will drive footfall and inevitably lead to greater retailer demand for shops."

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News: Forging Futures at The AMRC

The activities of the University of Sheffield's AMRC Training Centre have been praised in a new report, showing how UK universities and employers are working together to create a new generation of highly skilled workers.

Part of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, the AMRC Training Centre is a £20.5m centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham where the focus is on 250 students aged from 16 upwards, taken on paid apprenticeships each year with opportunities to progress on to postgraduate courses.

The centre delivers high-level training, concentrating on sectors such as aerospace, energy and Formula One. It also hosts part time CPD courses with the training schedule guided by industrial partners and participating companies.

The centre has been used as a case study by Universities UK, a membership organisation for the country's higher education establishments, and UKCES, a publicly funded, industry led organisation providing strategic leadership on skills and employment issues in the four home nations of the UK.

The report, called Forging Futures, shows how employers are working with universities to build partnerships, tailoring courses to produce individuals with skills needed by their sector.

The report notes that both employers and universities benefit from improved collaboration, with businesses getting access to new talent, better productivity and improved competitiveness – both in the UK and globally.

At the AMRC Training Centre, apprentices are sponsored by employers ranging from smaller manufacturing companies to major companies such as Rolls-Royce. The training is employer-led which ensures that the apprentices gain a tailored set of skills and hands on experience that employers require. Rotherham firms supporting apprentices include AESSEAL, Macalloy, Bennett Saws and Darron SBO.

The report states: "A focus on highly specialised business needs and ensuring there is a legacy from any collaboration is vital for success. The AMRC Training Centre has experienced great success because it has focused on creating innovative solutions to what can be complex customer requirements, particularly in the advanced manufacturing sector. This means that the Training Centre creates an ideal collaborative environment for nurturing tomorrow's world-class engineers to thrive and to create complex, customer-oriented value solutions for the industry and for the economy of the UK in the future."

Professor Keith Ridgeway, co-founder of the AMRC, said: "Responding to the business needs of our partner companies at the AMRC we have designed with them a new approach to advanced technical education. What we have here at the AMRC Training Centre is true access – a programme different to what was already available in either further or higher education.

"Our apprentices are already employed whilst having the ability to train to the highest standard in an internationally-leading research centre, fully embedded in an advanced manufacturing culture. They also have access to progression into higher education, with opportunity to graduate with an excellent degree, industrial experience and no debt."

"The need for such high-quality vocational education and skills is fundamental to the ability of the UK to be internationally competitive in manufacturing and to help rebalance our economy."

AMRC Training website

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News: Symphony's Rotherham warehouse sold

Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust Limited (SLIPIT) has acquired a Rotherham distribution warehouse, currently home to the Symphony Group, in a £14.6m deal.

Symphony is one of the UK's largest suppliers of fitted kitchen, fitted bedroom and fitted bathroom furniture with a turnover exceeding £125m and over 800 employees nationwide. Supplying private developers, social housing providers, hoteliers and independent retailers throughout the UK and abroad, it has its head office in Barnsley.

The distribution site at Ickles, Templeborough includes three buildings totalling 365,911 sq ft on a self-contained 18.43 acre site. They are let to The Symphony Group Plc for a term of 20 years, with a tenant only break option at year 15 and five yearly reviews. The initial rent is £1.08mp.a. and the purchase price of £14.6m reflects a net initial yield of 7%.

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Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust Limited, a company registered in Guernsey, invests mainly in UK office, retail (including leisure) and industrial commercial property to provide an attractive level of income along with the prospect of income and capital growth.

The investor used most of the proceeds from the recent capital raise to purchase the Rotherham property.

Jason Baggaley, fund manager for SLIPIT commented "We are delighted to have exchanged on this purchase, which is due to complete on the 24th September. Following the recent purchase of a portfolio of three logistics units for £28m the company is close to being fully invested.

"We have found attractive assets that provide good quality income for the company, supporting our objective of offering an attractive dividend yield that is fully covered, and without experiencing prolonged cash drag. We are actively looking at a number of other opportunities as well."

Knight Frank marketed the Ickles site as an investment opportunity with a guide price of £13.6m.

Symphony Group website

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News: Morthyng in bid for Rotherham free school

Morthyng Group Limited, a leading Rotherham-based training provider, has put its name to a new free school hoping to open in Rotherham.

A registered charity, Morthyng is a "not for profit" organisation that supports the training of young people and adults. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2013, the enterprise now operates from six locations in South Yorkshire and further sites in the Midlands and North and specialises in vocational and non-vocational training.

Encouraged by the coalition government, free schools are new independent state schools. Charities, groups of teachers, existing schools and parents can set up these new schools if they can prove that they are needed and wanted by a local community. They are funded by the taxpayer but not controlled by a local authority.

The Morthyng South Grove Academy (MSG Academy) has made onto the government's list of proposed free schools hoping to open in 2015 and beyond under wave 7 of the scheme. The list was made public under the Freedom of Information Act. It is classified as an "alternative provision" school for secondary years which means that it will provide education for children of statutory school age who cannot attend mainstream school for various reasons - illness, behaviour, exclusion, teenage parenthood.

Council documents show that a previous application from an unnamed group to set up an Alternative Provision / Pupil Referral Unit in Rotherham was rejected by the Department for Education and that further information from the sponsor was requested.

The client groups that Morthyng currently supports are those who are most disadvantaged in the communities that the company serves. Those who are not in regular attendance in full time statutory learning, those who left school with no qualifications, those who are long term unemployed or faced with mass redundancy.

Morthyng works with those groups that other education and learning organisations can't or don't help. One of the current operations is Morthyng Vocational College, which has sites at Moorgate and on Ship Hill in Rotherham town centre, where young people learn real practical skills and obtain qualifications that will either help them compete in today's jobs market, gain an apprenticeship or, possibly set up in business themselves.

Morthyng's head office is based at Horbury's development at Moorgate, which used to house South Grove School.

Previous plans for free schools in Rotherham include Rotherham Central Free School and Three Valleys Academy. The Three Valleys academy planned to be based in Manvers but was knocked back by the government. The Rotherham Central Free School was abandoned despite being approved by the government. Rotherham Council objected to the applications due to the impact on nearby schools and their budgets. Organisations hoping to open a free school in wave 8 of the programme will have submitted applications last week.

Morthyng website

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News: Councils sign up for BT broadband

Local authorities have signed a contract with BT to deliver superfast broadband to 97.9% of South Yorkshire by the end of 2017.

Developed by a partnership with the leadership of the four partners' authorities in South Yorkshire, alongside the support of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the £22m plan is part of the government's BDUK project which is based on a gap funded subsidy approach, where the private sector invests alongside a public subsidy to provide broadband to areas where there is not otherwise a viable commercial market.

Rothbiz revealed first that BT's tender for the project was accepted. £7.56m is expected to be provided by BT and £7.425m each by South Yorkshire partners and BDUK. Public sector payments will only be made when certain milestones are met.

The councils had to agree to the funding in order for the contracts to be signed but it is hoped that their share can be met by the LEP's Sheffield city region investment fund for strategic infrastructure investment (SCRIF).

Rotherham council's contribution so far includes £1.596m in order to allow a contract to be signed and a contribution to a contingency budget of £124,000 and £112,500 towards the costs of employing staff to manage the provision of superfast broadband to the rest of the region.

Bill Murphy, managing director at BT Group, said: "Superfast broadband is a key part of the present and future success of the whole of South Yorkshire. The technology is vital to modern life whether you are a high-tech start-up or an established family firm in a traditional industry such as manufacturing. It will become even more essential in the increasingly "connected world" of the future.

"Fibre broadband is now becoming essential for consumers too. Existing broadband is struggling to support the growing number of web based devices in the home. All these devices will be competing for the same limited bandwidth, and basic broadband services with slow speeds will increasingly become a major bottleneck."

James Newman, chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, added: "I am delighted that the four South Yorkshire authorities have taken this important step towards reinforcing the Sheffield City Region’s reputation as one of the best places in the country to live, work and invest.

"We have heard time and again from businesses that superfast broadband is no longer a "nice to have", but essential to their competitiveness and long term sustainability.

"I would like to extend my thanks to the four authorities for really taking on board the needs of the private sector, and congratulate them on reaching this important deal with BT."

BT were the only bidders for the contract and will be contractually committed to the 97.9% figure, although specific areas and properties are not yet known. The roll-out plans will be announced in the coming months, following a period of surveying and planning. The first communities across South Yorkshire can look forward to improved access to online services and better connectivity for businesses from summer 2015 onwards.

In a bid to boost business, BT's proposed solution is also set to cover approximately 79% of the South Yorkshire business parks and Enterprise Zones put forward as part of the tender exercise. It is estimated that the project could boost the economy by £271.6m. Rotherham Council believes the Rotherham Borough area "will do very well in respect of its Enterprise Zones and business parks, indeed better than the three other South Yorkshire local authority areas."

Due to its involvement in the failed Digital Region project, South Yorkshire is the last in this current round of BDUK. A combination of delays in appointing a contractor to build and run the Digital Region network, failing to adjust as necessary in a fast-moving business sector and zero income risk being allocated to the network operator made the business hopelessly uncompetitive.

With only 3,000 of the 100,000 customers it needed, the remaining shareholders agreed to halt their search for a private sector partner and begin a managed closure of the fibre optic network. The network was switched off on August 14 and assets are being sold to Geo Networks, part of the American Zayo Group.

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News: Xeros selected by the best

Rotherham high-tech firm, Xeros, now counts four out of the world's top five hotel groups as customers for its innovative polymer bead laundry cleaning system.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), Xeros is a Leeds University spin-out that has developed a patented system using a unique method of special polymer beads rather than the usual large amounts of fresh water to clean clothes.

Recently admitted to AIM, Xeros is commercialising the system which uses at least 70% less water, up to 50% less energy and approximately 50% less detergent.

According to the 2014 World Hotel Ranking, IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Wyndham and Choice are the top five hotel groups measured by rooms globally.

As a result, Xeros cleaning systems are now installed, or contracted to be installed, at sites with each of these four hotel groups in the USA, a priority market for Xeros given the increasing scarcity and cost of water in many states. Single or multiple cleaning systems will be in operation with these customers and handling daily demand in busy hotel laundries.

It is estimated that hotels in the United States consume over 400 million gallons of fresh water daily just to launder sheets and towels.

Bill Westwater, CEO at Xeros, said: "Four of the world's top five hotel groups have now agreed to use Xeros cleaning systems in the USA and we are actively contributing to their achievement of their CSR goals in relation to sustainability. We've demonstrated how Xeros technology can bring lasting and meaningful benefits by way of superior cleaning, water and energy reductions and enhanced service through the commercial use of our technology for laundry.

"We are highly encouraged by the early adoption of our cleaning systems by these important customers and we look forward to working with them going forwards."

Raising millions by launching on the stock exchange, Xeros is powering ahead with the development and commercialisation of the first real revolution in laundry in 60 years. Xeros hopes to tap into the global laundry industry that is worth $100 billion, including both hospitality and commercial cleaners.

30 systems have been installed or are committed to be installed in the US, UK and EU and Xeros estimates that approximately 120 further machine installations are expected for 2014. A US domestic laundry prototype has also been developed.

Xeros website

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News: Parkgate 100% let

Parkgate Shopping, the popular Rotherham retail destination, is 100% let but the closure of the large Kiddicare store has left a large whole in the portfolio of leading stores.

Owned by Hercules Unit Trust(HUT), which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders, Parkgate Shopping is one of the largest retail parks in the UK, home to over 40 shops and attracting around seven million visitors a year. It is valued at over £100m to the trust via a subsidiary, the Rotherham Unit Trust.

As Rothbiz reported first, discount retailer, Poundland, has opened a 9,900 sq ft unit and Wilkinson, the value general merchandise retailer, recently took over the 20,000 sq ft, former Comet store.

British Land has now revealed that both retailers have taken ten year leases. Smith Young and Cushman & Wakefield acted for HUT.

Matthew Reed, senior asset manager for British Land, said: "We are delighted that Parkgate Shopping is now fully let, demonstrating the scheme's appeal to a broad range of occupiers. The addition of Wilko and Poundland enhances the attraction of the park, delivers more brands to our shoppers, and helps drive footfall."

The recent lettings follow on from Nike Factory Store and fashion retailers, USC & Blue Inc opening new stores.

In contrast, one of the largest units on the park, the 45,000 sq ft store occupied by Kiddicare, the retailer of baby products, recently closed. The award-winning online retailer was acquired by Morrisons in 2011 for £70m and was the first step in developing the Morrisons online business. However, the business was sold earlier this year for £2m to Endless LLP, a leading investor in non-core acquisitions, who promptly closed all but the original store.

Morrisons retains the leases in the former Best Buy stores and recently said that it is currently working to dispose of ten store leases.

The small Phones4u store also closed as the retailer entered administration this month.

Future plans at Parkgate, which is coming under threat from new out of town developments at nearby Great Eastern Way and at Cortonwood, include a new 4,000 sq ft Nando's restaurant to replace the current Pizza Hut.

Parkgate Shopping website

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News: Rotherham manufacturers save with Powerstar

Rotherham firms, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions and Newburgh Precision, have joined other established Yorkshire manufacturing companies such as Swann Morton and AESSEAL, in installing locally engineered voltage optimisation solution, Powerstar to cut their energy consumption.

The Powerstar system is the only voltage optimisation system wholly designed and manufactured in the UK and works by reducing the the voltage supplied by the National Grid. It can actively reduce electrical energy consumption by an average of 12-15% of consumed electricity.

It was developed by Dr Alex Mardapittas at EMSc (UK) Ltd, which employs over 100 people and has manufactured more than 4,000 systems installed in 15 countries. Having grown up in Rotherham, the teenage company recently expanded from its premises at Templeborough and relocated to St Paul's Developments' Smithy Wood Business Park in Sheffield, increasing manufacturing capacity by 500%.

Dave Burrows, plant provision manager at Newburgh Precision, where they have seen a 10% reduction in energy consumption and annual financial savings of £14,079 at their Templeborough facility, said: "Powerstar gave us an effective, guaranteed option to reduce our electricity consumption and carbon emissions. We have seen a reduction in motor drive failures, giving us greater efficiency and providing further savings on top of those promised."

Newburgh Precision is a contract manufacturing specialist whose components and assemblies are benchmarked against the best in the world and are distributed globally to customers in all major industrial sectors.

Speaking of the installation at Trelleborg, which saw savings of 11.2%, production engineer Daniel Durrant commented: "Powerstar presented their findings and showed us we could make further, significant reductions as well as reducing harmonics and correcting the incoming voltage for our equipment on site. The guaranteed savings presented were exceeded and the installation was quick with minimal disruption. I'd fully recommend voltage optimisation through Powerstar."

Also based at Templeborough, Trelleborg's Rotherham facility is part of the Swedish industrial group that is a world leader in engineered polymer solutions that seal, damp and protect critical applications in demanding environments.

Dr. Alex Mardapittas, managing director of Powerstar, said: "We offer a full supportive approach to all our clients to ensure we only install the best engineered solution for their site. As a Yorkshire based manufacturing company we know that our clients, especially those in Yorkshire, appreciate this tailored personal approach."

Powerstar website

Images: Newburgh Precision

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News: Airmaster backs Grimm Rotherham literacy project

Airmaster, a leading energy efficient heating and cooling company, is supporting Grimm & Co, a new Yorkshire literacy charity based in Rotherham.

Based at Swallownest, Airmaster design, install and maintain bespoke, energy efficient heating and air conditioning systems for a range of market sectors.

Grimm & Co, based in Rotherham town centre and working around the region, aims to unlock imaginations, engage, enthuse and inspire children and young people in the literary arts. Rothbiz featured the innovate project and its aims to create a fantastical retail destination in Rotherham to inspire children to work without knowing they are working, and increase participation in literacy projects through a creative writing and mentoring centre.

Airmaster's resources director Lisa Pogson has joined the board of the charity. She said: "I met Deborah Bullivant, who is director at Grimm & Co, on the women in business group I help lead at Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber, when she had just started raising funds for the charity and forming local links. It all connected to the community, helping with literacy, reading and learning which has been so important on my own journey, so I immediately felt compelled to help in some way. Deborah is an amazing lady and before I knew it I was on the charity board, volunteering!"

The idea for Grimm & Co. was inspired by the Dave Eggers' 2008 TED Talk on people engaging with local schools, the work of 826 Valencia that he established in San Francisco (a Pirate Supply Store), and the Ministry of Stories in London (Hoxton St. Monster Supplies).

In its first 18 months, Ministry of Stories engaged over 1,000 volunteers, worked with over 5,000 local children and young people to produce writing of all forms, and attracted donations from more than 1,000 individuals.

Backed by innovation charity, Nesta, the organisation is working with a handful of associate projects with the aim of identifying strong candidates to open new pilot chapters of the initiative. Ultimately, the team wants to see a Ministry of Stories in every community that can support one.

Lisa added: "Every study into literacy shows it has a massive effect on people's life chances. It cannot be right that last year, English 16 to 24 year olds came 22nd out of 24 countries measured for literacy levels by the OECD. It is vital that children enjoy reading – reading for pleasure is more important than either wealth or social class as an indicator of success at school. Yet I hear from the Reading Agency only 40% of England's ten year olds have a positive attitude to reading - a tide this project aims to turn.

"Airmaster is also collecting items for the Apothecary, the shop that will help to sustain the Grimm & Co writing centre, for which we have exciting plans afoot this year."

Grimm & Co. is currently recruiting for volunteers and commissioning artists on a freelance basis to undertake a range of projects. 

Airmaster website
Grimm & Co. website

Images: Grimm & Co.

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News: Interserve land Factory 2050 contract

Interserve Construction has been appointed to build Factory 2050, the state of the art, £43m development that is set to keep the Sheffield city region at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing.

Work is already underway on the site of the former Sheffield City Airport where the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing recently signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), just over the border in Rotherham.

The first development at the new location, sited directly opposite the existing developments on the other side of the Parkway, Factory 2050 will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching production between different high-value components and one-off parts.

Designed by Bond Bryan, the circular building, behind the Sheffield Business Centre and on the airport runway, will combine a range of technologies, including advanced robotics, flexible automation, unmanned workspace, off-line printing in virtual environments linked to plug-and-play robotics, 3D printing from flexible automated systems, man-machine interfaces, and new programming and training tools.

John Gittins, Yorkshire divisional director of Interserve, said: "This isn't just another project for Interserve, it is the opportunity to work on a truly world class project that will help to ensure the region remains at the forefront of the advanced manufacturing sector. The building design is unique and the completed project will provide a superb environment for both researchers and engineers."

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean of the AMRC, said: "The start on site for Factory 2050 represented an important milestone in the continuing development of cutting edge technology in the region.

"Our ambition is for Factory 2050 to be the most advanced factory in the world.

"Over the last ten years, our initial vision of creating a centre where engineering research is translated into real practical applications for world-leading industries has been hugely successful. Factory 2050 is a vital next step in ensuring we can maximise the opportunities and benefits to the Sheffield City Region and secure our place as an international centre for excellence in advanced manufacturing, and it will be very exciting to see the development take shape over the coming months."

The government confirmed £10m funding from Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) last year with the remainder of the cost coming from industry. Manufacturers including Boeing, Airbus, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Spirit AeroSystems are committed to supporting the project.

An independent survey of the economic benefits has shown that, during construction, the building will directly contribute £6.4m to the local economy and create 162 jobs – and once operational, it will directly contribute £2m annually and employ 75 people. Expected to be completed in 2015 it is anticipated that the site will then be developed out for other AMRC research centre activities, fostering further economic growth and attracted more manufacturing firms and inward investment.

Professor Ridgway was called upon by the Government Office for Science to lead on a study into what the factory of the future will look like as part of the Foresight report into the Future of Manufacturing. Next March, the AMRC's Knowledge Transfer Centre on the AMP will host a conference focusing on the technologies and systems which will feature in the Factory 2050.

AMRC website
Interserve website

Images: Bond Bryan / AMRC

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News: Hamby sources new apprentice

Specialist retailer Hambys has taken on a new apprentice at its Rotherham High Street stores.

A family run firm, Hambys has two stores on the High Street, one selling shoes and accessories and the other just up the road which has three floors of antiques.

Alicia Caster from Rotherham, aged 17, had been looking for work when she applied for a traineeship at the Source Skills Academy.

Based at Meadowhall, The Source Skills Academy is a flagship centre providing state of the art training and development facilities with a focus on the retail and service sector.

It also has a centre on Rotherham's High Street offering advice, guidance and training services to Rotherham businesses to increase skills levels and to support trade in the town centre, attracting new investment.

During her traineeship, Alicia had the opportunity to do a work placement at Sheffield Showcase, a council funded initiative where empty shop fronts are used to display the work of local artists and promote local retailers whilst also giving young apprentices the opportunity to practice their visual merchandising skills.

The Showcase team coached Alicia on a range of retail activities whilst working at Showcase and at the scheme’s charity shop First in Best Dressed.

Andrea Cavanagh, tutor at The Source, said: "When Alicia first came to us she was quite shy but after working with our team of apprentices, her confidence began to grow and so did her communication and team working skills."

It was then that Alicia was identified as a candidate to progress onto an Apprenticeship that was available at Hambys in Rotherham.

Alicia attended the interview and impressed owners Chris and Tracy Hamby who offered her a work placement trial to see how she got on. She took to her new role instantly and has since commenced a full Retail Apprenticeship where she is studying towards her Level 2 in Retail.

Alicia (pictured with George Elliott, account manager at The Source), said: "I'm really enjoying my role at Hambys - I like working in both the Hambys stores as they’re quite different so it keeps things interesting."

Tracy Hamby, added: "Alicia has definitely settled in to her new role now and it feels like she's always been here. She’s very helpful and pleasant with the customers; it was a real bonus that she had retail experience through her traineeship as she already knew how to use a till and how to talk to the customers. She is fast becoming a key member of the team."

Hambys website
The Source website

Images: The Source

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News: Council income to drive economic development

Staff working in economic development at Rotherham Council have been given a new objective in addition to creating jobs for local people and the regeneration of deprived communities - generating income via an increase in business rates and Council Tax.

Local authorities are under intense pressure to make savings. Rotherham Council's latest budget included a £23m savings package put together in response to further massive reductions in Government funding. £70m has been cut from its budget since 2010 with £20m plus savings needed next year too.

Local councils collect Non Domestic Rates (business rates) from the owners and occupiers of commercial properties on behalf of central Government. Rotherham Council reported a collection rate of 98.2 per cent for 2013/14 which resulted in £73.5m being collected compared with £71.5m the previous year.

The Government introduced a business rates retention scheme from April 2013 aimed at providing a direct link between business rates growth and the amount of money councils have to spend on local people and local services. Under the new scheme, Rotherham Council will be able to keep a proportion of the business rates revenue as well as a proportion of the £2m of revenue growth.

A recent scrutiny review by borough councillors into how the council can support the local economy outlines its first recommendation as ensuring that the emerging Growth Plan is focused around two key objectives – income generation and employment creation.

A multi-disciplinary "Task Force" is proposed to bring together council teams working in economic development, regeneration, business support, housing, transport and education with the key purpose of providing a "coordinated holistic approach to generating investment and economic growth in Rotherham, for the benefit of its local businesses, communities and residents. The focus should be on working both internally, and in partnership with the private sector in Rotherham, to include a range of projects in terms of size and value."

A key piece of work for the Improving Places Select Commission, Cllrs Wallis, Beck, Atkin and Jepson met with council teams, partners and the private sector to discuss the issues.

The scrutiny review adds: "During the last ten years many Government quangos and agencies involved in economic regeneration and skills development have come and gone, as have many different funding regimes. The review group noted that the only constant during this period of rapid change has been local government. They therefore, potentially have the best area of influence over social and economic problems.

"Currently the conditions for growth are right – the Council needs to be ready for this and to consider ways in which more of their available resources can be targeted towards the growth agenda. If most of the resources are spent on welfare and supporting the vulnerable this will not be sustainable in the longer term and Rotherham will have missed an opportunity to invest in the future of the town's economy."

The review points to areas that the Council can influence effectively, including the strategic management of land supply (including its own assets), high profile leadership from the Council and work with the private sector and partners, fostering more enterprising and aspirational attitudes and adopting a more business friendly approach.

Images: RMBC

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