rotherham business news: March 2010

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

News: YES! Project developer returns to profitability

The developers of the YES! Project in Rotherham have announced their preliminary financial results for the year ended October 31 2009.

Oak Holdings' revenue increased to £761,784 compared to £25,073 in 2008 and the company returned to profitability, recording pre-tax profit of £326,536, compared to a loss of £782,929 in 2008.

After taking over operations in May last year, Rother Valley Country Park has helped the company generate revenues and an approach will be made to the stock market to reclassify Oak into the leisure sector instead of the current property classification.

As reported last month, Oak successfully completed a placing of approximately £1.5m through the issue of new ordinary shares at 5p per share enabling the repositioning of the business.

They also agreed heads of terms have been with Sheffield Steelers, the UK ice hockey team, to build a new multi-purpose sports facility to become the first letting. This will enable the company to embark on the first phase of the YES! Project.

A revised planning application was submitted in January for the renewal of the previous outline plans approved by Rotherham Council in 2007. The application provides for the project to be constructed in phases as pre-letting demand materialises, facilitating a more flexible approach to delivering the largest undercover leisure destination and convention resort in Europe.

Malcolm Savage, Chairman of Oak, said: "The outlook for Oak is a great deal brighter than it was 12 months ago. The repositioning of the company as a revenue generating leisure business, creating value through trading and property investment activities, augurs well for shareholders. The directors are confident that this will enable Oak to take advantage of current market opportunities as they arise, whilst continuing to retain the longer term value of its property development potential.

"Although protracted difficulties in the property market have, in certain sectors, subdued demand, I am pleased to report a recent increased level of tenant interest in the YES! Project.

"The commercial viability of the YES! Project and the group's leisure based projects remain sound and the directors believe that the repositioned group is well placed to take advantage of increasing market opportunities."

Oak Holdings website

Rotherham

Images: Oak Holdings

News: CCTV partnership for Rotherham firm

Rotherham-based, Connect-IP is opening up the use of high-end security equipment to small and medium sized enterprises by becoming a certified partner of global developer Milestone Systems.

The next generation system called IP (Internet Protocol) Surveillance, enables companies to keep an eye on their premises from anywhere in the world through a secure online portal or via the internet.

Mark Richardson, director at Connect-IP, said: "This new surveillance technology creates digitised video streams that, when transferred via a computer network, enable remote monitoring to anywhere accessible by the internet.

"This development effectively brings CCTV, an aging security format, into the 21st century.

"These systems are now becoming the standard with large public facilities, like airports, with hundreds of cameras feeding back live streams. However, by working with Milestone Systems, we can now bring this high end solution and this level of security to businesses of all sizes."

Milestone Systems is the leading global developer of open platform software for managing IP network-based video surveillance. It has more than 50,000 customer installations worldwide, from all industry sectors, including retail, hospitality, finance, manufacturing, education, healthcare, transport, government and the military.

Recommended reading: Boosting Local Businesses with Affordable Remote Access Options

Mark added: "The partnership with Milestone is a significant step forward for us as it enables Connect-IP to provide the most sophisticated technology to the local market."

Based at the Vector 31 Networkcentre in Wales Bar, Connect-IP has appointed Chris Louca as business development executive to work with solutions manager John Clegg in raising awareness of the product to local businesses.

Connect-IP website

Rotherham

Images: Connect-IP

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

News: Rotherham's regeneration highlighted in Parliament

The regeneration of former coalfield areas in Rotherham has been highlighted in Parliament.

Rother Valley MP took the opportunity to update the House of Commons on transformed areas of the borough during a high-profile debate on the Budget last week.

Mr Barron highlighted the success of the investment at the site of the former Dinnington colliery and described how the public and private sectors had worked to attract companies such as Johnston Press who invested £62 million in a state-of-the-art print facility.

He also highlighted the site's diverse economy and the hundreds of jobs created, some very high-tech. He also mentioned that Dinnington is home to a Formula One team, Virgin Racing, created when Rotherham's Manor Grand Prix teamed up with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin brand.

Mr Barron went on to discuss the Advanced Manufacturing Park, built on the Orgreave colliery site in Rotherham that "has been changed dramatically into something that really shows the way forward." He outlined the park as the UK's recognised centre of excellence for advanced manufacturing and highlighted some of the world-leading research and development taking place at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing.

Mr Barron also took the opportunity to put forward the proposed government campus at the Waverley site as an ideal site to meet the intentions set out in the Budget to relocate 15,000 civil servants outside London.

Housing Minister and Wentworth MP John Healey recently launched a wide-ranging Coalfield Regeneration Review into the regeneration of former coal mining areas.

Kevin Barron website

Rotherham

Images: kevinbarronmp.com

News: MGB Plastics invests in Rotherham facility

MGB Plastics has invested in new machinery that will make them the largest manufacturer of wheeled bins in the UK.

MGB has acquired a 2350T Husky injection moulding machine which gives them one of the largest selection of large tonnage injection moulding machines in the UK. This will increase the manufacturing capacity of the modern facility on Barbot Hall Industrial Estate to 1.5 million wheeled bins per annum.

The site also has a dedicated "in-house" distribution team that have been responsible for the delivery of in excess of 4 million wheeled bins to households throughout the UK.

Conor Sugrue, general manager at MGB Plastics said: "The addition of a further large tonnage injection moulding machine demonstrates MGB's commitment to being the UK's largest manufacturer of wheeled bins. Not only does it increase our manufacturing capacity but it also allows us to respond quicker to our customers requirements as well as providing the most competitive wheeled bin prices in the UK market."

Formerly Titan Plastech, MGB Plastics Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of One51plc after they acquired the wheelie bin business of Titan from Kingspan plc in 2008.

MGB Plastics website

Rotherham

Images: mgbplastics.com

Monday, March 29, 2010

News: Inditherm secures largest ever NHS order

Following a difficult year's trading, Rotherham firm, Inditherm have announced that they have secured their largest ever single order from an NHS hospital.

The project covers all of the hospital's operating theatres and Inditherm will supply over 30 complete patient warming systems that use their energy efficient polymer technology.

Implementation will begin in April and will allow all patients undergoing surgery in the hospital to be warmed automatically as soon as they lie on the operating table. It is estimated that the forward-thinking NHS Trust will also realise annual cost savings of around £200,000 and reduce environmental impact at the same time.

The Inditherm system helps hospitals to meet the UK's NICE guidelines on hypothermia during surgery, where traditional patient warming systems such as disposable blankets and forced warm air blowers are putting a significant extra burden on budgets. In comparison, the Inditherm system ensures that every surgical patient can be warmed, at the same running cost as a light-bulb.

In this deal, the very low power usage is set to lower the hospital's annual electricity consumption by over 25,000 kWh and the hospital should also see an immediate and substantial reduction in the amount of clinical waste created, estimated at well over a tonne per year.

Inditherm Chief Executive, Nick Bettles, said: "This order comes at the end of an exhaustive evaluation and procurement exercise. Inditherm is the only manufacturer of specialist patient warming systems in the UK, and whilst the clinical considerations are always the driving factor behind any decision to change, it is good to find a British technology that delivers financial and environmental savings at the same time.

"Sometimes customers think the benefits our product can offer are too good to be true, but we have over 50 NHS hospitals using the system now who can confirm that there isn't a catch. At a time of severe budget constraints we hope that many other NHS Trusts will also take up the opportunity to substantially reduce costs and at the same time measurably improve patient care."

At the recent Community Partnerships Awards, the award for Suppliers Delivering Sustainability, recognised the contribution of Inditherm systems to improving patient care, affordability and reducing environmental impact.

Inditherm website

Images: inditherm.com

News: Irwin Mitchell head sees Rotherham's renaissance

The head of one of Britain's leading law firms has praised Rotherham's economic resurgence after a fact-finding meeting held at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

John Pickering, national managing partner of Sheffield-based Irwin Mitchell had special reason to be impressed - he is a native of the borough.

"The transformation from the desolation days of coal and steel job-losses has been staggering," he said. "I grew up in Rotherham, worked here, and saw the changes the borough went through. But to see today how wasteland sites are packed with thriving businesses, and how the town centre is being brought back to life, has been an eye-opener.

"Irwin Mitchell provides support to a variety of companies in Rotherham, so we do know something about it, but what I've seen today is the scale of the progress and the opportunities for companies that want to locate or grow here. People should realise this is a very positive message - historic perceptions of how Rotherham used to be need to be changed. We'd be glad to help in that."

Mr Pickering was given a presentation by the Metropolitan Borough Council's director of planning and regeneration, Paul Woodcock, with Tim O'Connell, the business development manager in its regeneration arm, Rotherham Investment & Development Office, and Joe Anwyl, of Creative Sheffield, who heads the South Yorkshire Advanced Manufacturing and Materials team.

Mr Pickering saw how the economy had been diversified, how thousands of new jobs had been created, replacing those lost and buffering the borough against more recent cuts, and how hundreds of millions of pounds had been, and are being, invested in the borough. But he also saw the challenges being tackled, from skills levels to the town centre.

Paul Woodcock said: "John was genuinely interested and asked some very sharp questions, including how we work together to promote not just Rotherham but South Yorkshire. He also asked what Irwin Mitchell could do to help and, coming from a company with offices and specialists nationwide, that's very important for us."

Rotherham Investment & Development Office
Irwin Mitchell website

Friday, March 26, 2010

News: Rotherham students take engineering challenge

Students from Rotherham will join 22 schools and colleges across Yorkshire and the Humber as they battle it out to create the ultimate 21st century train carriage in the "The Northern Rail Engineering Challenge."

Northern and the Young People's Enterprise Forum (YPEF) have challenged the youngsters, aged between 14 and 19, to develop their engineering skills by designing and building detailed scale models of train carriages, meeting the most up-to-date customer service and engineering standards.

Stuart Draper, Engineering Director at Northern, said: "Engineering offers a career where people not only use their creativity, but can also shape the future, making a difference to the way that we live our lives.

"We're proud to be launching the "Engineering Challenge" in Yorkshire and the Humber, which will give the youngsters involved a real opportunity to get first-hand business experience and help them understand how exciting and rewarding a career in engineering can be."

Following the submission of designs, a shortlist of schools and colleges will be invited to present their ideas to a panel of judges at an awards ceremony in July, where the winning team will scoop a three month unlimited rail pass with Northern and gain the priceless experience of helping the engineering team at Northern shape the next programme of train improvements.

Rotherham student visited Northern's Neville Hill train maintenance depot in Leeds to learn about train maintenance and improvements, experience the sights and sounds of a working rail depot and talk to staff about their work.

Suzy Alderson, Executive Director of YPEF Services Ltd said: "Taking young people out of the classroom and into the world of work is an excellent way to inspire them by giving learning a real world context. The Northern Rail Engineering Challenge does just this, putting young people's creativity and skills to the test to solve a real business task.

"Engineering is an important sector for the region’s economy and this project, funded by Yorkshire Forward, is an excellent way to encourage young people to consider a career in engineering."

The initiative is funded by Yorkshire Forward, supported by YPEF as part of the £2.64m Embedding Enterprise in Education programme and delivered by Rotherham MBC.

Rotherham

Images: Northern Rail

News: Garnett Dickinson secures print deal

Cumbrian Newspapers has renewed their contract with Garnett Dickinson Print to print three of its monthly magazine titles in a contract worth over £500,000 over a two year period. Cumbria Life, Carlisle Living and Dumfries & Galloway Life will be printed at Garnett Dickinson's state of the art factory in Rotherham.

Terry Hall, CN Group Publishing Division's Managing Director said: "The decision to award the contract was made easier as we have a long standing relationship with Garnett Dickinson. Naturally print quality is very important to us, but this needs to go together with high service levels and Garnett's has a proven track record with us on both fronts."

The win comes on the back of similar agreements with Newspaper groups Newsquest and Johnston Press who are taking advantage of facilities at both Rotherham and Garnett Dickinson's recent acquisition Acorn Web Offset, based at Normanton, near Wakefield.

Ian Cooke, Sales Director commented: "Our strategy of presenting a combined offering to the market with the printing divisions supporting one another is working as this is one of several contracts won over the past three months. We are most grateful for Cumbrian Newspapers show of faith in us."

Garnett Dickinson moved into its £20m state-of-the-art facility on Brookfield's Park in Manvers in 2006.

Garnett Dickinson website

Rotherham

Images: gdprint.co.uk

News: Rotherham flood alleviation scheme wins national award

A Rotherham project to reduce the impact of flooding along the River Don has won the first national award of its kind.

The £15m Phase 1 section of the flood alleviation scheme between Templeborough and the town centre, won the Flood Risk Management Award at this year's Waterways Renaissance Awards, run by The Waterways Trust and BURA (British Urban Regeneration Association).

It is the first time a Flood Risk Management Award – sponsored by engineering consultancy Halcrow – has been presented.

The scheme and its Centenary Wetland Park were also commended in the Natural Environment category, sponsored by the Government's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The awards ceremony took place at the Lowry Gallery in Manchester this month.

Cllr Gerald Smith, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation said: "This is a significant piece of work within the £2bn Rotherham Renaissance programme for our town centre… an acknowledgement of the sound approach that the team have taken to resolving the need to live with the river."

"We're creating the right conditions for new investment in areas yet to be boosted by the massive regeneration that’s taking place alongside the river."

It was a partnership scheme with the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Forward, the EU's Objective 1, contractors Volker Stevin and engineering company Jacobs, and the Wildlife Trust for Sheffield and Rotherham.

Rotherham Renaissance website

Rotherham

Images: Rotherham Renaissance

News: Poundland opens in Rotherham town centre

Poundland, Europe's biggest single price discount retailer has opened a new store in Rotherham town centre.

The retailer has taken the combined former Roseby's and Evans units on Howard Street as part of ambitious expansion plans to open 50 new stores in the UK in the next financial year 2010/2011, creating more than 2,000 jobs.

Poundland has seen a huge demand for its extensive range of general merchandise together with around 1,000 branded products including Walkers, Cadbury, Tetley, Colgate, Kodak, Vanish and Johnson & Johnson. The business achieved excellent results for the year ending March 2009 and reported strong Christmas trading results thanks to the ever-growing selection of amazing value general merchandise, branded product, exciting seasonal ranges and special deals, all at the £1 price point that consumers love.

Chief Executive Jim McCarthy said: "Poundland had an impressive year in 2009, opening even more stores than planned, and we are looking forward to further substantial growth this year. Our rapid expansion is a reflection of the irresistible Poundland shopping experience and the great support our valued customers give us. We look forward to creating over 2,000 jobs and welcoming many more savvy customers in new locations in 2010."

To celebrate, a family fun day will take place in Rotherham on Saturday March 27 including vouchers, giveaways and the official opening by Emmerdale star Jeff Hordley who plays Kane Dingle.

Poundland website

News: Difficult year for Inditherm but encouraging signs of improvement

Preliminary financial results from Rotherham-based Inditherm highlight a difficult year in challenging economic conditions.

Based in Manvers, Inditherm's energy efficient polymer technology is used in heating mattresses, pipework, sports pitches, storage vessels and medical treatments.

In their preliminary results for the 12 months ended December 31 2009, post-tax loss was £1m. Revenue was down to £1.152m from £1.983m while the group ended the year with a cash balance of £2.09m.

However, the company's medical orders in 2009 grew by 10%, a lower rate than in recent years, mainly from overseas as spending pressures within the NHS in the UK temporarily halted what has previously been a steady growth trend.

The redirection and focus in the industrial sector also continued to deliver improved contribution margins, albeit on reduced sales. Inditherm is targeting key manufacturers in the confectionery, chemicals and pre-cast concrete sectors and secured a significant industrial order at the end of 2009.

The company also explained how it had combined the manufacturing and technical management roles as part of restructuring and Mark Abrahams, Chairman of Inditherm, thanked staff for their continued support.

On the outlook, Mr Abrahams said: "As was the case for many businesses, 2009 was undoubtedly a difficult year for Inditherm, however the progress we have made in recent months is more encouraging.

"While broadly our customers have been impacted by the economic situation, we were pleased to see growth in some areas of the business, notably in Medical orders through our overseas distributors and in the margins for the Industrial business. We have focused our resources on these areas and are optimistic that the positive trends we are seeing in enquires and orders will continue into 2010."

Inditherm website

Rotherham

Images: inditherm.co.uk

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

News: MP meets new employees helping Metalysis scale up for global commercial opportunities

John Healey MP, whose constituency is home to Metalysis, met several of the firm's new employees who are contributing to the "scale-up" of its pioneering technology, the FFC Process.

From their base in Manvers in Rotherham, Metalysis holds the worldwide exploitation rights to the process which sees specialist powder metals created in a simple, cost effective process with significant environmental benefits.

Using the process, the company has developed an important new technology for producing tantalum, titanium and other metals.

Metalysis CEO Mark Bertolini walked Mr Healey through the company's expanding facility demonstrating how the FFC Process produces titanium.

Mr Healey was introduced to employees that have joined Metalysis thanks in part to funding from Yorkshire Forward to learn first-hand about the commercial opportunities being developed by the firm. These included Debbie Kersey, Chris Stokes and Kartik Rao.

The grant is enabling Metalysis to invest in a range of skills, from research scientists and process development engineers to production operatives and sales staff, that are essential to developing global commercial opportunities.

Mark Bertolini, CEO of Metalysis said: "Titanium has been refined in the same, highly inefficient, slow and chemically hazardous way for 70 years. Metalysis has pioneered the FFC Process, an innovative technology that is capable of transforming titanium powder production, making it a more viable, cost effective alternative in more applications."

John Healey MP added: "It's inspiring to see a business grow from a handful of people a couple of years ago to one that employs more than fifty now, and which is continuing to expand and recruit locally.

"The FFC process is nothing short of revolutionary. It's shaking up the speciality metals industry with its lower cost green technology and benefitting substantially from the talent in our region and the strength of the partnerships with Yorkshire Forward and its investors. It's a real success story for Wath and south Yorkshire."

Metalysis website

Images: Metalysis

News: Free parking continues in Rotherham town centre

Parking initiatives in Rotherham town centre are set to continue after Rotherham Councillors heard that both initiatives launched last year have been well received by local businesses.

Launched in May, the 'Free After 3' scheme recognised how important the cost of parking is to shoppers and aims to provide a welcome boost for both town centre retailers and shoppers alike.

The main purpose of the experiment was to encourage more shoppers into Rotherham at a time when the town is traditionally not as busy. Free parking on Saturday was also trialled last November to boost sales leading up to Christmas.

Councillors heard that 74 per cent of those traders consulted by the Rotherham Town Centre Management Team felt the "Free After 3" initiative had the potential to improve trade and footfall and just under half of those indicated that trade had already improved as a result.

Sixty four per cent of those traders surveyed also suggested trade and footfall had also increased with the free Saturday parking scheme.

The initiatives are set to continue for a further year and he funding for the scheme will hopefully be met from the Local Area Agreement.

Cllr Gerald Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development Services, said: "We are strongly recommending the continuation of our free parking initiatives as part of our contribution to supporting town-centre businesses."

Brian Chapple, Chair of the Rotherham Partnership, said extending the scheme would help the people of Rotherham to access the Town Centre. He added: "The Partnership supports it, because alongside all the new developments and the new train station, it is part of an over-arching plan to make the town centre much more attractive to the public."

Rotherham town centre website

News: New home for Specsavers in Catcliffe

A Rotherham branch of Specsavers is set to re-open next month, providing customers with a 19-strong specialist team offering a range of eyecare advice and services.

The opticians had been based inside the Woolworths store at Catcliffe for eight years but had to close its doors in January 2009 when Woolworths went out of business.

In order to reduce the impact to employees, all 15 staff members were transferred to Specsavers' Rotherham store where they have continued to be employed by the company for the last 15 months. The opticians is set to re-launch in April at its new base at Morrisons Superstore, Catcliffe with all 15 original team members returning to their roles.

The new 180 sq m state-of-the-art modular building will be located in the supermarket car park and will house four testing rooms and the full range of frames.

The new look store also requires an additional four new recruits.

Specsavers Catcliffe store director, Phil Garbe said: "We're absolutely thrilled to be coming home and can't wait to open our new doors to customers.

"It's been a challenging time following our original store closure, but the team spirit has remained strong. Our loyal customers have stuck by us and travelled across to Rotherham in the interim.

"We'd especially like to thank the Morrisons team for their help in getting our new premises up and running. The new base, with ample free parking, puts us in an ideal position to provide the best eyecare to local residents once again. It's great to be back."

Last year, owners Stadium Ltd submitted plans to subdivide the former Big W store into six retail units and build a further eight "kiosk" units for either retail, restaurants, cafes or hot food takeaways.

Specsavers website

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

News: Xpress Ordering acquired by Fretwell-Downing

Xpress Ordering, the Rotherham enterprise specialising in queue-busting touch-screen ordering systems has been acquired by Sheffield catering software developer, Fretwell-Downing Hospitality (FDH).

Xpress Ordering use the latest touch-screen technology and their flagship system, Deli Xpress, offers an interactive customer self ordering interface, through the use of touch, sound, text and rich graphical content. Once an order is made, the system prints a receipt and details are sent to the preparation area via a local wireless network connection. It can also be integrated with a payment method such as a staff payment card or debit card.

From RiDO's Century Business Centre in Manvers, the company has supplied systems to BP, BOC, Tesco and The Compass Group.

FDH's managing director Nick Prime explains: "The deal made complete sense. Xpress Ordering's technology is already proven and there is significant synergy between the two companies – our target markets are very similar and the respective products can be readily integrated to help caterers achieve greater operational efficiencies."

"We see great potential for Xpress Ordering's stable of products across the whole of the hospitality industry as it looks for solutions that can save time and cost, while enhancing the customer experience.

"We are also looking at new developments, including the potential of making nutritional analysis data available as orders are placed, or adapting the technology for use as an iPhone app."

The Century Business Centre business was acquired from Kevin Briggs and the Viking Fund for an undisclosed sum.

FDH was advised by Hardy Transaction Management Ltd, the Sheffield-based corporate finance firm. Legal advice was provided by Ironmonger Curtis LLP.

Xpress ordering website

Rotherham

Images: xpress-ordering.com

News: Horbury director takes on FPDC president role

Gavin Colclough, director of Rotherham based Horbury Building Systems, has taken on the presidency role at the Federation of Plastering and Drywall Contractors (FPDC).

The FPDC offers specialist business support designed for companies of all sizes and represents contractor members' interests collectively to help them to achieve a competitive industry advantages.

Gavin's role will include promoting best practice, excellence and professionalism in plastering, drylining and associated trades, ensuring that member companies are recognised as more than a commodity in the construction field.

Gavin, who has 20 years experience in the industry, said: "I am very much looking forward to taking on the challenges that this position will offer and it is an honour for both me and the company.

"The purpose of the federation is to act as the collective voice of the industry, representing the interests of the sector through a wide range of topics including training, which is vital to ensure we establish a highly skilled workforce."

Horbury Building Systems, part of the Horbury Group, is one of the UK's largest drywall contractors. The company is based at the £5.5 million Grade A office building, South Grove House, in the Moorgate area of Rotherham.

Horbury Building Systems recently won the PDC Plaisterers Trophy in the Drylining Contract Over £1 million category, their third award in as many years.

Horbury website

Rotherham

Images: Horbury

Monday, March 22, 2010

News: Rotherham Enterprise Board launch website

A new website is being launched to help Rotherham entrepreneurs get support and advice from organisations and others – including businesses with experience to share.

The new site – http://www.rotherham-enterprise.org/ – is the brainchild of the borough’s Enterprise Board, part of the Local Strategic Partnership, a broad-based grouping of public and private-sector organisations.

The easy-to-use site contains detailed information of free and subsidised business support across the borough.

The Knowledge Exchange facility provides a forum for discussion, where you can ask recognised entrepreneurs and business support agencies (such as Business Link Yorkshire, amongst others) those all-important questions, whose answers could help you make sure your business idea or venture is a success.

The website will also have details of all the local enterprise events that are taking place in Rotherham, including the Board’s own Tablecloth Enterprise and Dragon's Den-style events.

And the site's creators know what kind of help people behind new enterprises need – they are entrepreneurs themselves. It has been developed in partnership with Breed Creative, based at RiDO's Fusion @ Magna business centre.

The Enterprise Board and the website are funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The Board provides the strategic direction to enterprise support in the borough, with the aim of driving up local enterprise levels. Made up of Rotherham entrepreneurs who want to give something back to the community, the Board’s focus is to make the borough a centre of sustainable, diverse and growing businesses and a place where anyone wishing to start a business can get all the support and help needed.

Board chairman John Wainwright, of Executek, said: "The website will provide a one-stop-shop for anyone thinking of starting or growing their own business. The advice and expertise individuals will be able to access is extensive and I would encourage people to use this valuable resource."

Rotherham Enterprise Board website

News: Capgemini secures Virgin Trains deal

Virgin Trains has renewed its mainframe-to-desktop IT outsourcing contract with Capgemini UK plc in a multi-million pound contract for the three-year period to 2013.

Capgemini will manage the entire IT infrastructure that supports core business-critical systems at Virgin Trains, including financial and key operational systems such as train and crew scheduling and rostering, and the catering management system. The systems are based on over 100 Virgin Trains network servers that are now located in two Capgemini secure data centres in Rotherham.

The contract also includes desktop and laptop management and support services for approximately 1,000 Virgin Trains staff at 42 locations across the UK, based on a dedicated team at a Capgemini service centre in Inverness.

Francis Jellings, Head of IT at Virgin Trains, said: "We continue to be impressed by the quality of the Capgemini people working with us and by their ability to work in full collaboration with our own teams. They have an excellent appreciation of our business and IT needs and I am pleased that we are to work with them for a further three years."

David Corr, Account Director for Virgin Trains at Capgemini UK, said: "We have constantly applied a policy of continuous improvement to all aspects of our work for Virgin Trains, with advances in technology and service levels, and we are naturally delighted that our efforts have been rewarded with a further contract period."

Capgemini website

Friday, March 19, 2010

News: AESSEAL establishes charitable fund for Rotherham

Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL has demonstrated its commitment to the local community by establishing a charitable fund to help secure the future of some local groups and projects.

Through the South Yorkshire Community Foundation, the firm has taken advantage of a government match funding offer to create a permanent capital fund of £192,000, from which the interest will support community groups in Rotherham forever.

Chris Rea, managing director of AESSEAL, said: "South Yorkshire has been a great place to establish and grow a business. Since 1981 we have consistently grown and felt it was appropriate to put something back into the area that had been so helpful in our business development.

"Directing the company's charitable giving through SYCF will enable us to provide grant funding to grassroots groups that do valuable work to create a better future for people in our local communities."

With their global headquarters at Templeborough, AESSEAL is the world's fourth largest mechanical seal business. They specialise in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals, bearing protectors and environmental control systems for process equipment, maximising reliability and protecting the environment from leakage.

AESSEAL has also made a donation of £25,000 available to provide immediate support to groups and projects in the area.

Pauline Grice, chief executive of SYCF said: "Rotherham is full of businesses, organisations and individuals that do fantastic work to support local communities. The pound for pound match funding made available by the government has created a massive incentive for giving through its effect of doubling the community impact of any donations made.

"We are absolutely delighted to be working with AESSEAL in providing vital funding to the communities of Rotherham, and helping them to meet their charitable objectives."

Generous folk throughout the area have already taken advantage of the match funding through the "I Love Rotherham" initiative that involved local people raising funds for local causes.

AESSEAL website
SYCF website

Images: aesseal.co.uk

News: Only two plots remain at Brookfields Park

Brookfields Park, the last remaining development site on the Manvers enterprise zone in Rotherham, South Yorkshire is almost full with only two plots remaining.

The 85 acre former colliery site was designated EZ status in 1995, along with five others across the Dearne Valley. Although its status expired in 2005, the site's owners, South Yorkshire-based developer St Paul's Developments and its funding partner Tritax Assets, protected the EZ financial advantages until April 2011.

The development, which is being marketed by the Yorkshire offices of LSH and joint agent Knight Frank, has already been hailed as a huge success for the region, securing over 1,800 jobs with the potential for a further 300.

Around 1.6 million sq ft of space has been built on the 85-acre park with high profile occupiers including Next Plc, Maplin Electronics, Garnett Dickinson and, most recently, Pegler Yorkshire Group.

The remaining two sites, set over nine acres, provide the opportunity for a further 180,000 sq ft of bespoke office, industrial or warehouse accommodation.

David Newton of St Paul's Developments said: "The site has witnessed an amazing transformation since we acquired it back in 2005. Its extended EZ status has encouraged inward investment to the area and enabled development projects to proceed, which otherwise may not have proved commercially viable in the current economic climate.

"In addition to the unrivalled financial incentives on offer, the development also benefits from excellent transport connections, and a comparatively cheap and skilled labour supply, making Brookfields Park one of the most desirable and cost effective locations in the UK."

Ed Norris of LSH's Sheffield office added: "2009 was a year of significant progress for Brookfields Park, with Pegler Yorkshire Group’s decision to build its new £7m warehouse facility representing one of only three pre-lets across the entire region.

"The development has provided a considerable boost to the local and regional economy, and we would encourage any business considering relocating to take advantage of the substantial benefits of the extended EZ status before it is too late. In these tough times, every little helps."

St Paul's Developments website

Rotherham

Images: St Paul's Developments

News: Solaglas Windowcare secures new contracts

Rotherham-based window repair and replacement expert Solaglas Windowcare has secured a number of new contracts for its Commercial division.

Contracts secured with major names including Costcutter, CBES Facilities Management (part of CBES Construction Solutions) Little Chef and Barnardos are worth around £600,000.

Solaglas Windowcare's Commercial division will provide the clients with a highly experienced team offering a 24-7 emergency service for incidents involving break in, vandalism, ram-raid or accidental damage.

Managing director, Ian Davy commented: "We are delighted to have had such a successful start to 2010. By responding to our clients' needs and increasing our presence within the commercial glazing sectors, we have been able to increase our customer portfolio significantly.

"For us, the key to sustainable growth is in taking a long-term view. We will do this by continuing to focus on providing excellent service, understanding the demands on clients, making it easy to do business with us and of course, keeping a watchful eye on costs and profitability."

Darren Pallett, Head of Property for Little Chef added: "We were very impressed by Solaglas Windowcare's dedicated team, levels of service and UK-wide coverage.

"Business continuity is crucial for Little Chef and 24/7 emergency glass repair and installation is an important factor to ensure we deliver the highest level of maintenance and service to our restaurants and customers. I am confident that our new partnership with Solaglas Windowcare will be a long and successful one."

Based at Hellaby, Solaglas Windowcare is the UK leader in the repair and replacement of windows and doors on behalf of major organisations including those from the insurance, commercial and public sectors. Currently, the business has 325 employees and last year reported turnover of over £23.5m.

Solaglas Windowcare website

Rotherham

Images: solaglaswindowcare.co.uk

Thursday, March 18, 2010

News: Investment confirms South Yorkshire as heart of civil nuclear industry

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced an offer of a £80 million loan to Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd (SFIL), confirming that South Yorkshire will be at the heart of the civil nuclear industry.

The loan, together with participation in the project from Westinghouse, the nuclear power company, will enable SFIL to build a major new manufacturing facility for ultra heavy forgings for civil nuclear power and other markets. This will make the company the second only in the world with necessary nuclear accreditation able to make the very largest forgings required to make the critical components required for the global civil nuclear industry.

Graham Honeyman, chief executive at SFIL, said: "The Government loan forms the final piece of a two-year project to finance the installation of a 15,000 tonne forging press which will place the UK at the peak of a global supply chain for civil nuclear manufacturing.

"This is a massive coup for UK manufacturing and firmly underpins the country's place at the leading edge of engineering technology.

"There are other companies in the world looking to enter the market for these large-scale components, but none will be able to achieve production in the same timescales as SFIL, partly due to the lengthy time it takes to gain international accreditation to manufacture for the nuclear industry."

Lord Mandelson said: "This is not just help for one company. Today we're announcing a willingness to invest that will make the UK a leading provider in the nuclear and the low carbon supply chain.

"Our high value manufacturing, knowledge base and highly skilled workforce mean with the right investment, like today's, the UK can win a huge amount of business in this growth sector. This is Government and industry working together to build the success of British manufacturing. This will help to realise the potential of our industrial base to be world leading, export led, and creating jobs and value here at home."

The loan follows last year's announcement of a Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, which will help UK civil nuclear manufactures develop world class manufacturing techniques and cost competitiveness.

SFIL are a founding member of the £25m Nuclear AMRC along with Rolls-Royce, Areva and Westinghouse. Rolls-Royce's planned civil nuclear facility will also be developed in South Yorkshire.

Professor Keith Ridgway, Programme Director at the Nuclear AMRC, said: "This is a very important step in the rejuvenation and development of the UK manufacturing supply chain. It will also be a major stimulus for nuclear new build activity in the region."

SFIL website

Images: sheffieldforgemasters.com

News: High Street transformation continues in Rotherham town centre

Improvements to the High Street in Rotherham town centre continue, with work about to start on three further buildings.

Hamby's, the Little Coffee Shop and Zax hairdressers will all receive facelifts, including new shop fronts and other restoration works in the coming few months. The work will take place as part of the £3.5m Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) scheme which is supported by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Rotherham Borough Council and Yorkshire Forward.

The former Supercigs unit has recently been refurbished back to its former attractive state, with two one-bedroom apartments added, thanks to a THI grant.

A planning application has also been submitted this month for three flats on the first and second floors above the RSCPCA, which will also see architectural features refurbished or replaced.

The work complements the private sector investment being made in this area by Primark for example in the complete refurbishment to its High Street shop.

Fiona Spiers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Yorkshire and the Humber region said: "Historic buildings tell the story of a town, they make it special and unique, and the best way to save and sustain these wonderful sites is to get them back into use.

"Rotherham town centre is an important place and deserves to be brought back to life. The THI scheme is a great way of using heritage as a springboard for regeneration and investment."

The Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation, Cllr Gerald Smith, said: "The scheme gives eligible property owners a cash boost to dramatically restore their properties, so that they can be more easily re-let. It's great to see property owners acting on this opportunity and seeing the THI scheme really making progress to put more life back into our High Street."

The THI scheme is also investing £700,000 into a landscaping improvement scheme for Minster Yard.

The project, which started on March 1 2010, will see extensive landscaping improvements to create a pleasant open green space with high-quality seating, planting and York stone paving.

The scheme will also extend the entrance steps and modify the boundary wall on Church Street to open out an approachable piazza creating a welcoming entrance to Minster Yard.

Rotherham Renaissance website

Images: Rotherham Renaissance

News: AMP has international appeal

The Director-General of UKTI in Germany, Malcolm Scott, visited Rotherham's Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) to see first hand why the location has a global reputation for engineering, innovation, research and manufacturing excellence, and why it is attracting interest from around the world.

Mr Scott visited the AMP Technology Centre, home to 17 high-tech companies including Fripp Design and Research, a product design, research and business consultancy; HBM UK, a global market leader in test and measurement, and weighing technologies; cleantech company ITI Energy; the UK branch of Belgium's Materialise Group, best known for its activities in the field of rapid industrial and medical prototyping; and Bromley Technologies, an elite winter sports equipment manufacturer behind some of the best bob skeleton athletes in the world, Shelley Rudman, Kristan Bromley and Nicola Minichiello.

He also toured the University of Sheffield AMRC with Boeing, a £100m partnership that builds on the shared scientific excellence, expertise and technological innovation of the world's leading aerospace company and the world-class research within the university's faculty of engineering.

Last year, the Government announced that Rolls-Royce had chosen the AMP as the location for its new £25m Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

Jim Farmery, assistant director of busines at Yorkshire Forward said: "The AMP is an important driver for the regeneration of the engineering sector, in South Yorkshire, the wider Yorkshire region, and throughout the UK.

"Visits by international business intermediaries such as Mr Scott, who is leading a team promoting UK investment opportunities for German companies, help to raise the profile of the world-class manufacturing support available at the AMP, and promote the site to potential investors."

Rotherham is one of only 16 places in the world, and the first in England, to be recognised as a world leader in welcoming inward investment. It holds the Soft Landing Zone accolade, awarded by the USA's National Business Incubation Association, for its support for businesses to arrive, survive and succeed in the town.

Also this month, representatives of the park are taking part in a UKTI trade mission to India to promote the expertise within UK's advanced engineering and metals sector.

In collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and The Welding Institute, UKTI are hosting seminars and providing opportunities for one-to-one meetings in Pune, Chennai and Bangalore.

Advanced Manufacturing Park website

Rotherham

Images: AMP

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

News: Rotherham manufacturers to drive the skills agenda

Manufacturers and engineers in Rotherham will hear former Master Cutler and Director of AESSEAL Gordon Bridge urge them to promote themselves as offering high-quality career opportunities to attract the best young people.

Gordon Bridge will be speaking at a special breakfast briefing where delegates will hear from the town's leading companies on how they are solving industrial skills shortages.

Mr Bridge said: "In my opinion manufacturing and engineering are too often seen as offering less glamorous career opportunities than other sectors; we need to change that view.

"In South Yorkshire we have some of the most advanced manufacturing in the UK if not the world. Manufacturers in South Yorkshire offer young people the chance to work on exciting projects that can literally change the world. The rewards can be amazing and have the potential to take dedicated young engineers anywhere in the world.

"We need to prove to young people that engineering and manufacturing is a first-rate career because we only want first-rate applicants as apprentices. We have to stand toe-to-toe with other industry sectors and insist that we get the very best young people in order to keep pace with the demand for manufactured goods in the growing economy."

Other speakers at the event include Vince Middleton from Newburgh Engineering Ltd in Rotherham who will be speaking about how his company is solving the skills shortage by investing in apprentices.

He said: "We are totally committed to growing our workforce through apprenticeships. Our experience has shown that there is real talent in South Yorkshire among our young people. With the proper training and support they become enthusiastic, committed and valuable employees – it's the way forward for our sector and we'd encourage others to do the same."

The breakfast briefing is being managed by Business & Education South Yorkshire on behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service, Rotherham Work & Skills Board, Made in Sheffield and the Rotherham Enterprise Board.

The event takes place at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) on March 19.

To book a place for the breakfast briefing contact Nicki Burrow on 01709
336700 or email nicki.burrow@be-sy.co.uk

AESSEAL website
Newburgh website
Rotherham

News: Croft Electrical lands major north London contract

A subsidiary of Rotherham construction specialist, The Horbury Group has secured a contract to supply specialist electrical, fire and security systems in a major expansion of one of its data storage facilities in London.

Croft Electrical Engineering will install an advanced fire detection system to protect the millions of files, tapes and discs which will be stored in Crown Records Management's Enfield facility.

The advanced system actively draws air from the protected area, filtering it for smoke particles and is quoted to be 200 times more sensitive than standard smoke detectors, providing the earliest possible warning of a fire.

In addition to the fire detection systems, Croft is installing automated surface mounted lighting which forms part of a remote building management system, allowing operators to constantly supervise the building's operations.

Croft will also provide a Biometric Access Security System, which requires a scan of the user's fingerprint for entry to the building.

David Cocker, director of Croft Electrical Engineering said: "We have a wealth of experience in these kinds of installations, and specialise in providing a unique service in a niche market."

"There are a total of five phases to this project and Croft are currently undertaking phase two, but with the option to service other properties within the company's portfolio as required."

The partnership for Croft Electrical Engineering extends beyond Enfield, with Croft carrying out more work on the company's facilities around the country.

Horbury Group website

Rotherham

Images: Horbury

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

News: DavyMarkham joins Nuclear AMRC

Sheffield engineering group, DavyMarkham has signed up to become the first Tier Two member of the new Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

The Nuclear AMRC provides advanced research and development in manufacturing and engineering, based on the same collaborative model as the established University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, to help manufacturing companies prepare to help build the new generation of nuclear power stations in the UK. The Nuclear AMRC will also help provide member companies with training and other business support.

The Nuclear AMRC has a two-tier membership structure, based on companies' position in the supply chain. DavyMarkham now gains access to a wealth of resources to help build its presence in this civil nuclear supply chain.

Kevin Parkin, Managing Director of DavyMarkham, said: "This is a unique opportunity for all suppliers to the UK's new nuclear build program to align their businesses and operations to the high standards which are demanded by the industry. By developing new manufacturing, process and control techniques, the research facility will be able to provide companies with a competitive position with which to become world-class players in the new nuclear build.

"We are delighted to be working with Keith and his team, and are sure that the successes he has made at the AMRC will be replicated very quickly in the Nuclear AMRC. We are pleased to be a part of this exciting opportunity."

Professor Keith Ridgway, Research Director of the Nuclear AMRC, said: "We look forward to working closely with DavyMarkham to help them build their capabilities to supply the nuclear industry. In the UK alone, around £40 billion is going to be spent on new-build nuclear reactors in the near future. UK-based firms need to understand the opportunities and requirements of supplying goods and services to the nuclear market, and we can help give them the support that they need."

Nuclear AMRC website
DavyMarkham website

Rotherham

Images: davymarkham.com

News: New finance venture to boost South Yorkshire business

A new £90 million venture capital and loan fund to boost business growth in Yorkshire and the Humber has been launced.

Finance Yorkshire is supported by Yorkshire Forward and will invest in ambitious entrepreneurs and businesses who can demonstrate their ability to successfully grow their companies and support regional economic recovery.

Rosie Winterton, Minister for Regional Economic Development and Coordination, joined local businesses, including corporate financiers, advisers, accountants and solicitors, at the launch of Finance Yorkshire at the Aspire in Leeds.

Rosie Winterton said: "This is the biggest venture capital fund the region has ever seen. The recession has presented significant challenges for many people and businesses in Yorkshire, so I am delighted to formally launch this £90 million new investment fund at such a crucial time in the region's recovery."

The Fund builds on the success of the now fully invested South Yorkshire Investment Fund (SYIF) which invested £60 million in South Yorkshire, and is the first cross-regional finance support scheme to provide investment access on equal terms for all qualifying businesses.

James Newman, Master Cutler and chairman of Finance Yorkshire, said: "The launch of Finance Yorkshire is great news for South Yorkshire. It will breathe new life into businesses across the region by offering them the means to expand, increase turnover and take on new staff.

"Finance Yorkshire has a great amount of capital to invest helping to develop organic economic growth for the region. Having a regional investment fund will pool together the skills needed to make businesses successful and we look forward to beginning our task in early spring."

Simon Hill, executive director of business for Yorkshire Forward, added: "Through this fund we will be providing the kick-start that many businesses need, especially in the current climate, ensuring that they have access to finance for sustainable growth and the creation of jobs."

Finance Yorkshire website

Rotherham

Images: finance-yorkshire.com

Friday, March 12, 2010

News: Nuclear AMRC to help supply nuclear's next generation

Details of the £25m Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC) have been presented to the leading players in the nuclear industry at the Nuclear New Build 2010 conference.

Professor Keith Ridgway, the programme's director discussed how the Nuclear AMRC will provide a focal point for the bulk of the UK civil nuclear manufacturing industry supply chain, ensuring that manufacturers in the UK have the capability and capacity required to compete for nuclear new build in the UK and globally, from skills training to research and development.

It is a joint initiative between industry, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Manchester. It will be based in a new purpose-built facility with state of the art equipment at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.

The centre will employ around 75 researchers who will focus on the machining, fabrication and the assembly of components for new nuclear power stations. Development programmes will also focus on virtual manufacturing and assembly and large scale demonstrators up to pre-production.

The Nuclear AMRC builds on the model developed by the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing. The centre will develop a consortium of industrial members from across the supply chain.

Already signed up are leading nuclear reactor providers Areva and Westinghouse, power systems provider Rolls-Royce and steel engineering group Sheffield Forgemasters International. The centre is also supported by EDF Energy, the Nuclear Industry Association and NAMTEC.

At the conference, Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, EDF Energy's manging director of Nuclear New Build said: "EDF Energy wholeheartedly supports the aims and objectives of NAMRC in its work to prepare and develop the UK Supply Chain for the Nuclear New Build Programme.

"We see NAMRC's role as a pivotal one in helping the UK supply chain to benchmark their capabilities and in so doing better understand what actions and upskilling they may need to put in place to meet the rigorous standards required for these projects so that they can actively participate in their delivery."

Current work is focused on building the industrial consortium, identifying industry needs, and developing the centre's capabilities and resources. Planning is well under way and the 8,000 sq m iconic building is being designed by Bond Bryan Architects, who also designed the Factory of the Future. The facility is scheduled to be completed by late 2011.

Nuclear AMRC website

Rotherham

Images: Nuclear AMRC / Bond Bryan

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