News: Alicante airport terminal opens with support from Macalloy

The new terminal at Alicante Airport opened in Murcia, Spain earlier this month with its centerpiece roof supported by products manufactured by Macalloy in Rotherham.

The development is part of a €674m investment at the airport supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the terminal is six times bigger than the previous two terminals. Its six floors house the check-in lobby, shopping areas and catering, the boarding area, the baggage reclaim hall, the arrivals lobby, the VIP lounge, offices, and other terminal services.

The structure was designed by American architect Bruce Fairbanks and GOP Architects in Spain.

The roof is composed of several pyramids that are supported by heavy concrete columns and Macalloy 460 and 520 tendons support the 40 domes that form the canopy roof of the terminal. These massive domes stretch up 22 meters above the departure area floor at their highest point. They are also topped by skylights through which sunlight pours into the building, at the same time doubling as vents, with an automatic aperture system allowing them to evacuate smoke in the event of a fire.

It is one of Spain's top six airports and is an important hub for Ryanair. With this new infrastructure, the operating capacity of the airport goes from 3,611 to 5,825 passengers per hour and from 9m to 20m passengers a year.

Based in Dinnington, Macalloy won the prestigious Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2010 for international trade. Their threaded bar and cable systems can be found in engineering and construction projects across the globe.

Macalloy website

Images: AENA

Read more...

News: Inditherm increase profit and reduce losses

Innovative Rotherham company, Inditherm has published its latest financial results showing that gross profit has increased and operating loss has reduced thanks to good performance from their medical business.

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

For the 12 months ended 31 December 2010, gross profit increased 58% to £805k and operating loss was £417k compared to £750k in 2009.

Overall medical orders in 2010 grew by 50%. This comprised 38% growth in orders from non-US distributors and 90% growth in the UK. Inditherm's technology is used to warm patients during surgery and in neonatal wards.

Last year the company secured a deal to supply 30 complete patient warming systems to a UK hospital, their largest ever NHS order.

In a further boost, draft guidance from the new NICE medical technologies programme, published in January, provisionally supports the use of the Inditherm patient warming mattress to prevent inadvertent hypothermia during surgery. Final guidance is expected next month and should lead to accelerated uptake of Inditherm medical products in the NHS.

In order to concentrate on the medical business, Inditherm signed an agreement in December that assigns exclusive distribution for the process solutions part of their industrial business to a subsidiary of the ADI group.

Mark Abrahams, Chairman of Inditherm, said: "The encouraging signs we started to see at the beginning of 2010 continued throughout the year. I am pleased to report significant revenue growth, particularly from the medical business. I am also delighted with the draft guidance from NICE on our patient warming system, which should increase NHS uptake of our products if finalised in its current form.

"Inditherm has appointed a distributor to take over part of the industrial business that has not met expectations, allowing us to focus on areas of the business with stronger growth potential. Although it is too early to predict whether the market has fully recovered, our increasing global footprint should allow the company to maintain sales momentum in 2011."

Inditherm website

Images: inditherm.com

Read more...

News: Xeros cleans up at the Climate Week Awards

Xeros Limited, an innovative cleantech company based in Rotherham, has won an award at the first Climate Week Awards.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the Leeds University spin-out was named as a "Best Technological Breakthrough" for the world's first "virtually waterless" washing machines.

The unique method uses special polymer beads rather than the usual large amounts of fresh water to clean clothes. Instead a small amount of water is added to loosen clothing stains and activate the beads. Used within a special washing machine also invented by Xeros, the garments are tumbled gently in the beads. They suck dirt off the clothes by absorbing it into their molecular structure. The Xeros beads work for hundreds of washes and at the end of their cleaning life, they will be re-used for other applications, for example, by the automotive industry.

Independent analysis confirms that Xeros cleans as well as normal aqueous washers, and environmental consultancy URS found its carbon footprint to be 20% lower. Xeros has raised funds at every stage of its development, most recently £64 million in October 2010. The company will achieve full commercialisation later this year with a system designed specifically for the commercial laundry industry.

Bill Westwater, CEO of Xeros, said: "Xeros is delighted to win this award for Best Technological Breakthrough. It is a testament to Dr Steve Jenkins, our Chief Technology Officer at Xeros and his team, who have developed a unique cleaning technology that significantly reduces the environmental impact of cleaning clothes.

"The global laundry industry is worth over £60 billion per annum, and this award gives Xeros a tremendous boost as we continue down this exciting path towards commercialisation this year."

Kevin Steele, CEO at Climate Week, added: "The Climate Week Awards celebrate the very best that Britain has to offer in combating climate change. They offer a powerful illustration of what can be achieved to help create a more sustainable, low-carbon society. It's through shining examples like these that we can help inspire others to raise their game."

In November, Time Magazine listed Xeros in The 50 Best Inventions of 2010.

Xeros website

Images: Xeros

Read more...

News: SYITC see rise in exports in the region

South Yorkshire International Trade Centre (SYITC) has seen a rise in export documentation by 20 per cent during the last six months.

The rise comes on the back of a renewed focus on an export driven economy buoyed by favorable exchange rates for UK exporters and resulted in a successful year for SYITC.

The centre is a partnership of all the South Yorkshire Chambers and offers broad support for businesses locally to grow their global market – a key area outlined in the proposals by the newly launched Local Enterprise Partnership.

Stuart Steel, head of international trade at SYITC, said: "The rise in export documentation is pleasing to see and follows the work we have done around developing a new strategy for a more coordinated approach to international support.

"We've developed new services which are non-competitive with other local providers and are looking to form partnerships with relevant key organisations that support international trade.

"SYITC continue to support companies that export through documentation, training, language services, events and consultancy services."

Richard Wright, executive director of Sheffield Chamber, added: "The Chambers in South Yorkshire will continue to promote international trade as a key area for business growth and will directly support importers and exporters with relevant services like export documentation and letters of credit so necessary to their everyday business.

"Great businesses need customers and these are increasingly global. It is no longer enough to focus on the home market or even Europe. To really exploit products commercially you have to sell them world-wide. SYITC makes that process easy to understand and helps you avoid the many pitfalls."

SYITC website

Read more...

News: Wentworth Woodhouse Regeneration Project

Plans are being drawn up to convert Wentworth Woodhouse, a Grade I listed country house in Rotherham, into a hotel and conference centre together with high quality business and office space.

Lead consultants, Purcell Miller Tritton has submitted an outline business plan to Yorkshire Forward in a bid to secure £7m from the European Regional Development Fund in order to create 96,778 sq ft of office space within the grounds of the house.

The £26m project would see the restoration of the stables, riding school and mews court buildings and their conversion into high quality business space. A second phase would involve the construction of two new sustainable business premises.

£19m of private sector match funding is expected to come from the landowner, Clifford Newbold, a London-based architect who purchased the property in 1999.

The business premises alone would create over 500 net additional jobs and be home to 60 - 80 enterprises and 770 jobs.

The aim is to create a "science park" environment accommodating innovative and high growth businesses, specifically, environmental technologies, healthcare industries, creative and digital new media and professional and business services companies.

In addition to creating the business space, the plan states that the project aims to "provide a sustainable economic use for one of the region's most important heritage and environmental assets.

"The provision of new high quality office space within Wentworth, together with the new conferencing and hotel facilities, will generate much needed local employment."

An experienced technical team is in place including architects, cost consultants and property specialists to bring the project forward and it is hoped that it would begin next year and be completed in 2015.

Images: Johnson Cameraface on flickr, used under Creative Commons license

Read more...

News: Plans submitted to raise stadium development site

Rotherham United has submitted the next set of plans for their 12,000 seater stadium, detailing the earthworks and the raising of the land levels on the Don Street site.

The site of stadium development on the former Guest and Chrimes foundry, close to the town centre, needs to be raised by over two metres as it is in a flood zone with a medium to high probability of flooding.

The proposals involve importing around 54,000 cubic metres of material, enough to fill 21 Olympic-size swimming pools, and two sources have been identified - nearby Maltby Colliery or from the Tata Steel site at Aldwarke.

The proposed works would take place in two phases with 500 trucks per week delivering material from May 2011 for seven weeks and precise levels being created for two weeks in February 2012.

The plans have been put together by consultants, Signet Planning on behalf of RU Estates Ltd. The detailed planning application covers the beneficial aspects of the development in respect of reducing flood risk, improving drainage and improving the setting of the listed building on the site. The impacts of the transportation, construction and noise are also covered.

Outline plans for the £20m community stadium were approved in November 2010 and detailed designs were unveiled in February. Detailed plans and a reserved matters application will be submitted, and with construction estimated to take 12 - 14 months, the club hopes that the new stadium will be built for the start of the 2012/13 season.

Rotherham United website

Images: Gleeds / S+P Architects / Rotherham United

Read more...

News: EMSc UK announces best ever month

EMS (UK) Ltd, the award-winning Rotherham based energy consultancy, has cemented its position as market leader with confirmation that it has won all the contracts it tendered for in February 2011, as demand for Powerstar, the company's system, continues to grow.

The tenders and proposals secured were for more than 110 units and for customers across a wide selection of sectors including, local authority, government, public services, retail, education and manufacturing. Each Powerstar system, which is entirely manufactured in the UK, will be engineered to the customer's specific requirements.

Powerstar provides an instant solution for businesses and organisations that are not only interested in saving money on their energy consumption, but also reducing their carbon emissions.

A proven, secure, reliable solution to energy management, voltage optimisation systems are being deployed by a growing number of companies as a cost efficient way to control a building's incoming voltage, at the same time maximising energy savings.

Dr. Alex Mardapittas, managing director at EMSc said: "February 2011 has been one of our best months to date. Not only have we been successful in securing all the work we tendered for, but Powerstar has become the market leading solution in the UK and worldwide."

EMS website

Images: ems-uk.org

Read more...

News: Success for Rotherham at Made In Sheffield Awards

Rotherham-based AESSEAL and The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, both picked up awards at the Made in Sheffield Awards, held recently as part of the Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield.

A gala dinner at Cutlers' Hall in Sheffield drew together a gathering of more than 300 business leaders, alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield MP Nick Clegg.

The awards recognise the achievements of businesses and individuals that have done the most to embody South Yorkshire's tradition for craftsmanship and bolster the city region's international reputation.

Clegg told the audience that he was "convinced with every fibre in my being" that manufacturing would be at the forefront of a new model of sustainable growth.

He went on to stress the undoubted importance that the work taking place within the city's manufacturing and engineering companies is currently playing in the UK's economic recovery.

Clegg continued: "The hopes of the whole country are genuinely on what you (manufacturers and engineers) can achieve. Most of the hard work needs to be done by you. You are the innovators, you are the creators and you are the designers."

Chris Rea, group managing director of AESSEAL, picked up the Innovation Award at the event, which was sponsored by Sheffield Hallam University. The Templeborough company received the award for being a business where "innovation ran throughout the company and was being exported across the world."

AESSEAL is the world's fourth largest mechanical seal business and has an active research and development programme, reinvesting literally millions per year in further improving the designs. The company has 54 patents granted, with a further 46 pending, and operates 158 trademarks.

Chris Rea said: "I absolutely adore my involvement with the innovation process. Useful inventions are good for our morale, good for our customers and an essential ingredient for a sustainable business."

Fellow Rotherham firm, EMSc UK were also shortlisted. Alex Mardapittas, managing director, at EMSc (UK) Ltd, said: "We are proud to have been shortlisted for another innovation award. It is not too disappointing to have been beaten to second place by AESSEAL, the world's fourth largest seal manufacturer. Like us AESSEAL has innovation at the heart of its business. Well done AESSEAL."

Continuing the Rotherham-theme, Fripp Design and Research, based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, designed the innovation trophy.

The Manufacturer Support Award was issued to The AMRC for its pivotal role in the city's manufacturing revival.

Earlier this month, The AMRC was named as part of the country's first Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC). The High Value Manufacturing TIC will be a national focus for advanced manufacturing research and development, with the scale and readiness to make an early and significant contribution to UK economic growth.

Rotherham companies that demonstrate their commitment to producing high-quality products can apply for the world famous "Made In Sheffield" mark as they have Sheffield "S" postcode.

AESSEAL website
AMRC website
Made In Sheffield website

Images: Fripp Design

Read more...

News: Business leaders to play a key role in Rotherham's economic growth

Local business leaders that have helped Rotherham's economy to grow are now being sought to ensure that this growth continues.

Even through difficult economic conditions, Rotherham businesses continue to make things and export them, inward investment has continued to come in, innovative smaller companies continue to expand, an enterprising culture is being fostered, and the borough is at the heart of high growth, hi-tech sectors.

The Rotherham Economy Board is being created to build on the success of these world-leading assets. It will lead the strategic direction of Rotherham's economy, working closely with the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Rotherham Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

The private-sector led board will become a driver for growth, innovation and enterprise in the Rotherham economy and will provide direction and drive forward actions to support enterprise, increase business opportunities, secure investment and create additional jobs.

Brian Chapple, Chair of the Rotherham Local Strategic Partnership said: "The environment within which Local Strategic Partnerships operate continues to experience a period of change. What has not changed is the fact that the economy and economic development in Rotherham is high on our agenda.

"The Rotherham Economy Board is an exciting opportunity for a new business-led approach and I look forward to passionate representatives of industry and enterprise working together to play a key role in shaping our future economic success.

"We are looking for board members that want to make a difference, help our economy to grow and ensure local people are able to benefit from and contribute to that growth."

Recruitment is now underway for a private sector chair and business representatives to sit on the board. If you are interested in becoming part of this exciting new venture, please send an email to rachel.blake@rotherham.gov.uk

Read more...

News: Ventura staff answer the call for Red Nose Day

Ventura in Rotherham did its bit for Red Nose Day and Comic Relief, handing part of its contact centre over to the annual charity night.

80 telephone lines were manned by over 130 volunteers from Ventura, who gave up their own time to take donations from the public between 6pm and midnight at the company's Dearne Valley site.

Over 2,400 calls were taken by Ventura staff, from advisor to general manager level.

Ian Cherry, Managing Director of Ventura said: "Our team of exceptional volunteers donated their spare time to Comic Relief and the vulnerable people it helps here in the UK and in Africa. Spurred on by the nation's generosity we had a record-breaking and fun-fuelled night!"

In total £80,995.50 was pledged through Ventura's contact centre. The largest single pledge taken was for £1,000 from a personal caller.

The team also let their hair down and fundraised themselves during the day by doing their very own bush tucker trials, fancy dress and prize drawer raffles, all in the name of charity.

As the evening drew to a close £74,360,207 had been raised which is the highest total reached on the night in Red Nose Day's 23 year history.

On the support from call centres, Helen Puddefoot, Comic Relief's Head of Campaign Management, said: "Ventura is one of a team of UK call centres taking donations and we'd like to say a massive Thank You to all the staff who will be giving up their precious Friday night. We also want to thank BT which is again providing the infrastructure behind the record-breaking telephony system."

Ventura website

Images: comicrelief.com

Read more...

News: MGB Plastics secures council contract

Rotherham-based MGB Plastics has won a contract to supply 25,000 of its new-shaped 240L bins to Cheltenham Borough Council as part of a new waste collection scheme.

With a modern facility on Barbot Hall Industrial Estate that has the capacity to manufacture 1.5 million wheeled bins per annum, MGB is the UK's leading manufacturer of wheeled bins.

It is the first time MGB Plastics has worked with Cheltenham Council to provide its wheeled bins and services. The first of the bins have already started to arrive at homes in Gloucestershire and will be used to collect garden waste such as grass cuttings, hedge, shrub clippings and small branches.

The new product, which will be manufactured in brown, is the central tool in the new kerbside wheeled bin scheme introduced by Cheltenham Council to replace its green bag garden waste service. It hopes the new collection scheme will help it to meet recycling targets of 50% by 2015 and 60% by 2020.

The contract is the latest to have been won by MGB Plastics recently with local authorities across the UK. A few months earlier it provided over 50,000 new wheelie bins to homeowners across Kent and Hertfordshire. This followed 250,000 240L wheeled bins delivered to households across the North East in what was believed to be the largest wheeled bin contract in the UK in 2010.

Conor Sugrue, general manager at MGB Plastics, said: "We are delighted to be working with Cheltenham Borough Council to provide a product which will help them towards meeting their recycling targets.

"As a business, our aim is to work with local councils across the UK to provide effective waste management solutions and this is a good example of this philosophy in practice.

"We will the council gradually and expect to complete the contract over the next month. In addition, all the 25,000 bins we are supplying have been made at our factory in Rotherham as part of our commitment to sustainability and in reducing the carbon footprint."

MGB Plastics website

Images: MGB Plastics

Read more...

News: Insolvency advice from Moorhead Savage saves jobs

Advice from leading Rotherham insolvency practitioner Paul Moorhead has helped to save around 50 jobs in the region in the first quarter of the year.

Three companies working in hospitality, construction and manufacturing, approached insolvency experts Moorhead Savage at the start of the New Year convinced that they were facing closure and liquidation.

Based in RiDO's Moorgate Crofts Business Centre, Paul is the only insolvency practitioner in the UK with a PhD in insolvency law.

He said: "Last year Government figures suggested there were fewer smaller businesses going into liquidation but we knew that many were hanging on and hoping for good things at the start of 2011.

"When the better times failed to materialise, these companies approached us, fearing they were on the brink of closure, with debts that they could not afford to pay.

"But in all three cases, the business owners didn't have any awareness of the options that were available to help turn their businesses around."

The answer in all three cases was a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), an insolvency procedure that allows a financially troubled company to reach a binding agreement with its creditors about payment of all, or part of, its debts over an agreed period of time.

Paul added: "By encouraging these companies to take out CVAs, we were able to help safeguard around 50 jobs which, in a climate like this, has to be the best news of all."

Moorhead Savage website

Read more...

News: Recognition for Rotherham engineering apprentices

Samantha King, an apprentice engineer at Newburgh Engineering, has won the Award of Excellence at the recent Annual Learner Awards held at Brinsworth Training in Rotherham recently.

The evening, delivered in conjunction with The Institution of Mechanical Engineers saw over 120 guests enjoy an evening of celebration and recognition for some of the region's finest young engineering talent.

The night saw the launch of the Award of Excellence, sponsored by ROCOL Lubricants. Other sponsors for the awards also included Firth Rixson, Oxley and Coward Solicitors and Rotherham United FC.

The award was presented by Paul King, technical manager at ROCOL who explained why Samantha from Maltby, Rotherham was a worthy winner: "The first apprentice to win the ROCOL Award for Excellence has proven to be enthusiastic with an exceptional understanding of engineering. She has shown a methodical approach, which is demonstrated through both her written and practical work pieces. She has maintained a consistent effort and enthusiasm throughout the course and has proven to be a positive example to new apprentices."

Paul Reeves, development director at Brinsworth Training Business said: "We are delighted to see such a showcase of young talent coming through the system, it is a great credit to the learners, our own training team and of course the employers that are supporting them through this critical part of their careers."

Another Newburgh Engineering trainee, Chloe Jones, has been named winner of the Rotherham Young Apprentice Programme.

Chloe, from Thorpe Hesley, is one of a number of apprentices who has since progressed onto the New ERA apprentice training programme, set up by Rotherham-based Newburgh Engineering, Brinsworth Training and Air Accessories.

The New ERA programme was set up in response to employers' concerns about a lack of the comprehensive, hi-tech training needed to give young people the skills their companies need and is designed to create a highly skilled breed of young engineers delivered over a duration of 42 weeks.

Brinsworth Training website
Newburgh Engineering website

Images: tatasteeleurope.com

Read more...

News: Sheffield City Region to benefit from Enterprise Zone

The Sheffield City Region will benefit from an Enterprise Zone, with the business-led Local Enterprise Partnership, set to decide on the specific site.

The Budget announced that the coalition government would create 21 new Enterprise Zones across England, with simplified planning rules, super-fast broadband and tax breaks for businesses. One of the main benefits that the zones will offer is a business rate discount worth up to £275,000 per eligible business over a five year period.

The areas are expected to have real potential to create new businesses and jobs with wider economic benefits. The focus is on cities and those areas that have missed out in the last ten years and the government has asked Local Enterprise Partnerships to nominate the site of Enterprise Zones based on the economic rationale and potential for growth.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "Enterprise Zones will create the environment for businesses to thrive and stimulate growth in the places that have the most potential.

"The 21 areas we are creating across England will give businesses simpler planning rules, access to super-fast broadband and more generous treatment in respect to business rates and capital allowances.

"On top of that, the benefits of growth within Enterprise Zones will be kept within their communities, helping to drive the creation of more new jobs and successful enterprises.

"We will work closely with local enterprise partnerships to identify new ways we can support them on developing the Zones, especially on issues like enhanced capital allowances and securing inward investment."

James Newman, chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP board added: "The LEP Board welcomes the opportunity to decide on behalf of the City Region, the best location and structure for the new Enterprise Zone.

"The Board will move quickly to determine how the City Region's growth agenda will take best advantage of this opportunity as well as how it may be used to contribute to the national growth agenda.

"We shall be working closely with Government over the next few months to ensure that an Enterprise Zone within the City Region is up-and-running as soon as possible and is structured to maximise its value for business and the community."

In thier proposals for the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, the board highlighted key development sites that the LEP will work to unlock their regeneration and economic potential. In Rotherham, the key sites of Waverley, the Don Valley and the Dearne Valley were highlighted.

The government also announced that all business rates growth within the zone for a period of at least 25 years will be retained by the local area, to support the Partnership's economic priorities and ensure that Enterprise Zone growth is reinvested locally.

Through partnership work and securing significant funding, the former coalfields in the Dearne Valley were reclaimed as part of the UK's largest Enterprise Zone. Since the Dearne Valley was designated as an Enterprise Zone in 1995 it is estimated that around 10,000 jobs had been created in the area by 2002.

Sheffield City Region LEP website

Read more...

News: Rotherham entrepreneur partners with Gripple to launch Millme

A Rotherham graduate is on the brink of launching his unique range of kitchen implements on the world market.

Nathan Bestwick, 25, who grew up in Rotherham and studied at Sheffield Hallam University, is setting up his new kitchenware brand in partnership with Sheffield-based company Gripple, under its "Incub" programme which nurtures local inventors with the aim of creating future jobs in South Yorkshire.


With several enterprise awards already under his belt for his "Millme" spice mill, Nathan is on track to put his first products into manufacture within a year and take on the big brands of kitchenware. The spice mill has been designed so that it can be used by people who have limited strength or dexterity in their hands and works by being rolled in the hands without any need to grip or twist.

Shortly after graduating Nathan launched a product and graphic design consultancy called If? Works, which grew from RiDO's Fusion @ Magna Business Centre in Rotherham. He has since set up an employee-owned kitchenware company for which a name has yet to be chosen.

He says that the invaluable support he has received both from the Entrepreneur Exchange at Business and Education South Yorkshire (b&e) in Rotherham and Incub has helped him along the difficult journey of protecting and promoting his unique design.

Nathan said: "The most exciting aspect of it all is that the company will be testament to South Yorkshire's prowess in manufacturing and design, and because it will be employee owned, it will serve our region for many years to come, and hopefully become a company that Sheffield can be proud to say is theirs. But first I have got to get my premier product to market and hope that it sells like hot cakes!

"I have started developing my products for manufacture and will be setting up meetings with retailers like John Lewis in the next few months, with the aim of getting the products into the shops by the end of this year."

Nathan's business dream began while he was a student on the industrial design course at Sheffield Hallam University and came up with the idea for his spice mill which works by being rolled in the hands without any need to grip or twist – making it ideal for people who suffer from arthritis and other conditions which restrict the movement of the hands.

He went on to work on a range of kitchen items which can be used by people with limited dexterity, but which are so attractive and practical they will be sought after by all types of consumer.

Nathan was listed in the Shell Livewire Hot 40 2010 and was voted Most Enterprising Student in Central England in 2007.

Jim Lawson of the Entrepreneur Exchange added: "This new company is a great achievement for Nathan and also demonstrates the importance of the Entrepreneur Exchange's contribution to boosting the economy of the Sheffield city region."

If?Works website

Images: B&ESY

Read more...

News: Tram-train trial on track for 2014

Passengers in Rotherham have moved a step closer to getting a continental-style tram-train thanks to a £150,000 government grant to further develop the project.

Passengers could see tram-trains running between Sheffield and Rotherham on the current freight route from Rotherham and then joining the Sheffield Supertram network at Meadowhall South. Three trams an hour would run all day from Sheffield city centre through Rotherham Central to Parkgate retail park.

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Northern Rail and Network Rail will use the funding to carry out further work on the business and project case for the pilot project, first announced in 2009.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "Tram-trains offer passengers travelling from rural and suburban areas into city centres a viable, environmentally sound alternative to short and medium car commuting that can cut congestion and reduce overcrowding at railway stations.

"These sorts of rail fleets are already in use on the continent, but this is a first for the UK. The funding we are providing for this exciting project represents a real chance for us to test whether they can be adapted successfully for South Yorkshire and the rest of the UK."

The business and project case that the Government is funding will look at a range of issues such as the economic and environmental benefits and could lead to tram-trains being introduced in South Yorkshire in 2014.

The city of Karlsruhe in Germany (pictured) was the first to link its street tramway and the main-line railway by running urban trams on both networks, creating the Stadtbahn Karlsruhe.

Images: avg.info

Read more...

News: MBL consider U-Explore stake

MBL Group plc, one of the UK's leading multi-channel distributor of home entertainment products, is considering its options for their investment in innovative Rotherham company, U-Explore.

The announcement was made as part of measures taken in response to Morrisons terminating a contract with MBL for the supply of CDs and DVDs.

In the financial year ended March 2010, approximately 78% of MBL's turnover related to sales to Morrisons and the board is preparing a payment plan for the stock and for immediate downsizing with a significant number of job losses.

The MBL board also announced that it is considering its options for MBL's investment in U-Explore and has entered into early stage discussions with the other shareholders of U-Explore in respect of them acquiring MBL's 15% stake.

The deal was done in June 2010 for a total consideration of £2m and MBL's chief executive, Trevor Allan joined the board of U-Explore.

Based in Templeborough, U-Explore specialises in enabling schools to deliver reality based careers information, advice and guidance. Their U-Explore national school product is an innovative software solution which engages with young people through cutting edge media.

U-Explore website

Read more...

News: Specialist Cooling secure UKSE loan

Rotherham-based Specialist Cooling has recently benefited from a UK Steel Enterprise development loan.

Dean Fairbourn turned to the Tata Steel subsidiary to help his new business expand stock and give him better purchasing power enabling him to buy in bulk.

With 12 years in industrial cooling market sector behind him, he saw a need for a specialist sourcing, wholesaler and stockist that focussed on rapid response and thorough and accurate service. Having identified a gap in the market, he used his own savings to set up the company at its Manvers base just a year ago. With the business now established and doing well he is now looking to take on another sales person to bring the wholesale business to even more industrial customers and contractors serving the North Midlands areas.

The company provide services to businesses involved in the refrigeration, air-conditioning, process and enclosure cooling markets including major bakeries, national supermarkets and OEMs sourcing and supplying parts for their critical systems.

Keith Williams, regional manager at UK Steel Enterprise said: "We were happy to provide the finance to help Dean achieve his growth plans. We have been helping finance company expansion for more than 30 years.

"Despite the economic climate we have funds available and are keen to invest. Specialist Cooling is one of many companies that we have funded in the last 12 months and we are continue to seek expanding businesses, buy-out or acquisition opportunities that require funding in South Yorkshire."

Specialist Cooling website
UKSE website

Images: UKSE

Read more...

News: TEKS partners in major research project

TEKS are one of the industrial partners in a major pan-European collaborative research project callled COMET, which aims to develop industrial robots into cost effective, accurate and reliable machining solutions.

TEKS, based at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, and their partners are developing innovative robot-based machining systems that are flexible, reliable and predictable and which could provide an average of 30% cost efficiency savings in comparison to machine tools. A second equally important objective of the project is to increase the accuracy of a robotic machining system well beyond current standard and make them comparable to current CNC milling machine tools.

The project, which also includes The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing as a partner, is testing the view that industrial robot technology could provide an excellent base for machining being both flexible (due to their layout) and cost efficient (robots typically cost five times less than machine tools). The proposed approach is however not without challenges to be overcome. Currently whilst robots are very agile, this agility results in a reduced stiffness compared to conventional machine tools.

Roland Krain, R&D manager, from TEKS explains the potential benefits of this approach: "Traditionally robots are used as handling solutions for assembly. If machining is required in a robotic line or cell, the robot typically would place the part in a conventional machine tool. Such tools range from the high tens of thousands pounds to several hundred thousand pounds.

"A robotic machining cell could provide a cost effective machining solution. A second hand robot can typically be purchased for £15k, along with a good quality high speed spindle for £20k, giving the end user multi axis machining capability for a fraction of the cost of a comparable conventional machine tool. Obviously the second hand robot has to be in "as new" condition, be well maintained and have a compatible controller otherwise the accuracy required might not be achieved.

"The challenge is to overcome the current issues with robots around reduced stiffness and dynamic accuracy, but TEKS and its consortium partners are well on the way to achieve this."

TEKS is a privately owned French SME actively involved in process design and optimisation, project management, training and technology exploitation. The company was established to respond to a need identified in the aerospace supply chain to introduce greater levels of process optimisation formally seen in the automotive sector.

TEKS website
COMET project website

Images: tatasteeleurope.com

Read more...

News: First announce new transport link to the Dearne Valley

First is investing £2.5m in new buses and creating dozens of new jobs as it launches new bus routes in the Dearne Valley and Doncaster areas.

From May, the new Service 22 will connect Rotherham to Barnsley taking in the important economic area at Manvers. The service will run every 10 minutes providing new links Monday to Saturday approximately 7am to 7pm.

Bob Hamilton, Managing Director for First in South Yorkshire, said: "Our aim is to stimulate market growth and is part of a number of our plans and initiatives over the coming months to grow the number of bus passengers within the South Yorkshire region, a trend we have seen growing positively in recent months.

"This builds on our announcement last year to hold the price of our bus fares. Our multi-million pound investment in buses and jobs is a very positive step for both First and the local communities that we serve and will help deliver further success across South Yorkshire.

"The Dearne Valley has many businesses, colleges and schools that need better transport links and we are keen to provide a high frequency service that introduces these new and improved transport links."

With an office and depot on Midland Road, Rotherham, First in South Yorkshire operates 500 buses, employing a team of 1,600 people as part of the international bus and rail company, Firstgroup.

First South Yorkshire website

Images: firstgroup.com

Read more...

News: Dormer invest in Rotherham facility

Dormer Tools has made a significant investment at their productivity facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham with the installation of the state-of-the-art Heller machining centre.

The FT 4000 is one of the most powerful machines of its type and will ensure Dormer has the leading technology to offer first-class demonstrations for a wide range of engineering and manufacturing sectors.

This not only provides Dormer with the opportunity to demonstrate their significant product development but also allows Heller to showcase the power and flexibility of the machine.

Heller's impressive five-axis high-torque machining technology is already being used at Dormer by international organisations such as Bosch and Goodrich, where a number of projects are being undertaken and Heller continue to field a number of enquiries following a very successful Farnborough Airshow.

John O'Donoghue, general manager at Dormer Tools, said: "This is a considerable development for Dormer as it will further enhance our reputation of providing innovative solutions in milling, threading and drilling applications. It allows us to provide expert consultancy and the ability to validate cost savings and process efficiency in a state-of-the-art facility using Heller's excellent five-axis machining technology.

"Bringing a world-leader such as Heller on board will provide Dormer with the machining capabilities to demonstrate how successful our cuttings tools can be. The F Series' qualities render it ideal for use across a wide spectrum of industries, including automotive and aerospace.

"It is a perfect partnership at the perfect time, allowing us to penetrate the market with our latest milling technology by performing product demonstrations on one of the most powerful machines of its type."

Geoff Lloyd, managing director of Heller, added: "We have a number of demonstration machines across Europe, but we have chosen the Dormer facility at the Advanced Manufacturing Park as the key location to house our UK machine."

Dormer website

Images: Dormer Tools

Read more...

News: Purex launch FumeCube

Rotherham company, Purex International Ltd, has launched an enhanced fume extractor called the FumeCube.

The Manvers firm manufacture systems that capture fumes at the source, preventing fumes escaping into the workplace, before filtering and recycling them meaning that fumes are not pumped into the outside environment.


To protect workers from hazardous fumes and to help ensure the employer complies with health & safety regulations, Purex has released the enhanced FumeCube Fume Extraction System. It is a compact, quiet and portable fume extraction system that can be connected to workbench for applications such as soldering, gluing and chemical handling.

Purex supply fume extraction systems and services to some of the world's biggest and best known companies including Rolls-Royce, Nokia and Sony. The company currently employs over 40 people in two countries, with forecast annual sales in excess of £6m.

Purex website

Images: Purex

Read more...

News: Former footballer expands into the Keepmoat Stadium

A former professional footballer is defying economic trends in the health sector by expanding his Rotherham physiotherapy business.

Kristian Hackett, director of Anston Physiotherapy, has moved into the Keepmoat Stadium at Doncaster.

Kristian, who played for Leeds United and Bury FC, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to be located in such a prominent location. It's an exciting time for the company to be growing in the current climate when other health related programmes, companies and even the NHS are seeing major cuts."

Kristian qualified as a sports therapist in 2000 before completing an honours degree in physiotherapy. He has worked privately for Sheffield United Football Club and within the NHS for Bradford Teaching Hospitals, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Rotherham Primary Care Trust, progressing to a senior level within the NHS.

Based in Anston, Rotherham, the business was launched in 2008 and has won a reputation for providing immediate access to musculoskeletal and paediatric physiotherapy, sports massage, acupuncture and hypnotherapy.

Kristian added: "The facilities in the Keepmoat Stadium are second to none and it's great to have a high quality fitness suite just down the corridor for patients to take advantage of - if needed during rehabilitation."

Shane Chalmers, chief executive of the Stadium Management Company said: "We are very pleased to be able to offer this service and I believe it compliments both businesses and customers of the stadium to have Anston Physiotherapy onboard."

Anston Physiotherapy website

Images: On Track

Read more...

News: Rotherham company vows to help with Japanese earthquake relief

Vitalife Matcha, a Rotherham-based tea company that specialises in a Japanese green tea called Matcha, has announced that it will be donating 25% of its profits over the next four months to help with the Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief efforts.

Local entrepreneur, Gavin Edley, the managing director of Vitalife, said: "Although our farms haven't been directly affected by the earthquake or tsunami, we're doing everything we can to help the relief efforts. We may only be a small, independent company but every contribution helps and we're encouraging visitors to our website to donate to the cause too."

Global Giving, the organisation that Vitalife is using to donate their profits, have already helped to raise over £125,000 to the cause.

Gavin, a big fan of exercise and fitness, saw the benefits of the tea with increased mental stimulation and a sense of relaxation and calm that became immediately apparent in his workouts and in everyday life. When he drank Matcha, he felt more "complete" and focused in general.

Realising the massive physiological benefits of drinking Matcha, and knowing how popular the drink already is in Japan and North America, he set out to introduce the "Matcha experience" to the UK and the rest of Europe.

Vitalife Matcha website

Images: brchamber.co.uk

Read more...

News: EV acquires Finance South Yorkshire

EV, the venture and growth capital fund manager, has acquired Yorkshire-based F4Y Limited and its trading company, Finance South Yorkshire (FSY) in a transaction which increases EV's funds under management to c.£130m.

FSY is the fund manager of the £27m Finance Yorkshire Small Loans Fund which was launched in 2010 to offer loans to early stage and established SMEs in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. FSY's team of ten investment and support staff will bring the total EV group employees to 32.

EV does not intend to change the way the business is run. Tony Goulbourn will continue in the role of Chief Executive, leading an unchanged team. Similarly, there are no plans to alter FSY's strategic direction and marketing approach working within the brand of Finance Yorkshire.

Jonathan Diggines, Chief Executive of EV, said: "Following the acquisition of F4Y, EV now has in excess of £30m of SME loan funds available for companies located throughout the North of England, from the Mersey to the Humber, providing EV with a platform for growth in the vital area of supplying capital to growing SMEs throughout the UK.

"In the current economic climate, SMEs are facing real problems in gaining access to the funding they require to support growth. The EV team has a long track record supporting SMEs with equity and debt, and the acquisition of FSY strengthens its position in the market."

Tony Goulbourn of Finance South Yorkshire added: "Working with EV will strengthen our service offering, but it is very much business as usual, based on our strng working relationships with Finance Yorkshire, financial intermediaries and small businesses."

Finance South Yorkshire (partnering with Finance Yorkshire) are looking to create the Early Stage Growth Fund by bidding for £1m from the European Regional Development Fund. The fund would fill a clear market failure gap outside the current Finance Yorkshire portfolio of funds identified from early investment experience. The gap exists because the Finance Yorkshire Business Loans Fund can only support a limited number of early stage businesses.

If approved, the fund would help create 70 new businesses with 200 SMEs assisted, 150 jobs created and 100 jobs safeguarded up to 2016.

EV website
Finance Yorkshire website

Read more...

News: Beatson Clark strengthens directorial team

Rotherham glass manufacturer, Beatson Clark has appointed Gary Brough to the position of operations director.

The company has developed a long-term strategy focusing on all elements of the business including investment into facilities and employees at their Greasborough Road facility.

As operations director, Gary will be responsible for the successful management of each element outside of product production, from planning, engineering and logistics to the recycling plant.

Gary said: "I am looking forward to a new managerial challenge, Beatson Clark has a strong reputation in the area and I look forward to being part of a team dedicated to driving the business forward.

"In recent years "Lean Manufacturing" has been a strong driver in the businesses that I have worked in. This has had a big influence on how I manage and how I look at my role, the concept of understanding the needs of your customer is the first step on the "Lean Journey" and one that I am keen to continue as operations director at Beatson Clark.

"The market that we operate in is competitive and we need to look at what we can do differently to better support our existing customers, whether this be through considered investment, improving our factory or ensuring that our operations move towards world-class over the next few years."

Last month, Beatson Clark announced plans to invest £16m over the next two years in plant and machinery as well as further developing a community based glass collection scheme.

Beatson Clark website

Images: beatsonclark.co.uk

Read more...

News: Rotherham research centres at the heart of high value manufacturing

Rotherham's reputation as a location for world leaders in advanced manufacturing was boosted this week as The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing and the Nuclear AMRC were named as part of the country's first Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC).

Business Secretary Vince Cable MP and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg MP announced details of the new centre as they visited the Rotherham facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park.

This is the first of an elite network of centres that will be established by the Technology Strategy Board with over £200m of Government investment overall.

The High Value Manufacturing TIC will be formed from a group of research and technology facilities from across the country, with Rotherham one of the seven centres of excellence.

Vince Cable MP said: "Manufacturing is vital to the country's economic stability and our potential to achieve growth. It generates £140 billion a year, accounting for 55 per cent of total UK exports - but it has considerably greater potential. That's why I am throwing my weight behind this package - to help Britain reach its potential.

"The Technology Innovation Centre will help to equip UK industry with the ability to capitalise on the future global market opportunities by drawing on leading edge research and will form a key part of the Government's work to rebalance the UK economy and create new high-value private sector jobs.

"The investment in the new centre will further bridge the gap between universities and businesses, helping to commercialise the outputs of Britain's world-class research base."

Professor Keith Ridgway OBE, Research Director at the AMRC with Boeing and Programme Director at the Nuclear AMRC, added: "We are delighted that the government is backing high value manufacturing.

"The government recognises that we are a manufacturing nation, and supporting the kind of collaborative research pioneered at the AMRC is a proven way of making sure that our manufacturers are at the cutting edge of innovation."

AMRC website
Nuclear AMRC website

Images: amrc.co.uk

Read more...

News: Technology and Innovation Centre to benefit Rotherham

Launched in Rotherham today, The High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) will be a national focus for advanced manufacturing research and development, with the scale and readiness to make an early and significant contribution to UK economic growth.

It will provide an integrated capability and embrace all forms of manufacture using metals and composites, in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing. It will draw on excellent university research to accelerate the commercialisation of new and emerging manufacturing technologies.

As part of the consortium running the TIC, The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing and the Nuclear AMRC will be able to access funding to invest in new facilities, to expand current operations in response to industry needs and create research programmes in new technology areas.

The centre is expected to lead to some £2bn of additional manufacturing R&D in the UK, and the creation of 3000 new research engineer jobs across the seven centres.

The seven consortium members are already world leaders in a wide range of manufacturing processes, including: machining; forging; composites; high-integrity joining; intelligent automation; assembly; and chemicals processing. These processes are used in a variety of high-value industries, including: aerospace; automotive; low-carbon energy; oil and gas; biotechnology; and electronics.

The TIC will be particularly well placed to serve the needs of the sectors forecast to grow significantly over the next decade. These include:
• High-performance batteries for electric vehicles
• Off-shore wind turbines
• New nuclear power plant
• New generation of fuel-efficient passenger aircraft

The consortium's bid for the High Value Manufacturing TIC was endorsed by over 50 major industrial manufacturers and 54 SMEs.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg MP said: "The announcement of the first Technology and Innovation Centre is a major early milestone in our ambition to rebalance the economy. It will bring significant benefits to Rotherham and to the country as a whole. I believe that the UK should be at the forefront of science, engineering and manufacturing, and the £200m we have committed to centres like this over the next four years is a symbol of the Government's commitment to supporting this.

"I am confident that the High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre will blaze a trail for British industry, showing how our country’s hard work, invention and expertise can be exploited to lead us through the economic recovery into a prosperous future."

The centres are based on the model proposed by Hermann Hauser and James Dyson. Hauser's report, published last April, looked at the Fraunhofer institutes in Germany and highlighted The AMRC's sustainable business model which secures both private sector and public sector funding. It already employs around 160 researchers, engineers and support staff.

Professor Keith Ridgeway, research director at The AMRC, based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, gave evidence on the government proposals to Parliament's Science and Technology Committee in December.

Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted the success of The AMRC last October as he set out the Government's plans to back British business and create "a new economic dynamism" that will build confidence and lead to growth and jobs.

AMRC website
Nuclear AMRC website

Images: AMRC

Read more...

News: Boeing praises AMRC in Rotherham

Speaking at the Global Manufacturing Festival : Sheffield, Tim Wheeler from Boeing Defence UK Ltd has praised the The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing.

He stated that the centre, based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, has "created a fantastic global reputation."

Mr Wheeler also commended the UK's manufacturing and engineering sector for its technology, innovation, skills and reliability, stressing this as the country's real competitive advantage.

"Manufacturing in the UK continues to transform itself to stay ahead in a highly competitive market and is an innovator of advanced products.

"We are committed to growth in the UK. We're here because of the skills, high technology and reliability that exists here and this is what makes the UK attractive to overseas markets."

Also at The Manufacturing Convention, Richard Wright, Chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Manufacturing Task Group and CEO of Rotherham-based Intertius Ltd, was the Master of Ceremonies. He said: "Manufacturing is one of the sectors which can generate wealth from abroad but it can also reduce imports. Both of these are necessary to balance the UK budget.

"The Global Manufacturing Festival will be an opportunity to showcase the knowledge, technology and expertise which is so rich in Sheffield City Region. I am delighted to chair the convention and bring business leaders together to discuss best practice for the future development of the industry."

The Manufacturing Convention, the headline event at the Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield, in association with the Financial Times, The Manufacturer and EEF, also heard from other industry figureheads from some of the most influential companies in the world including: the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Proskills and Tata Steel.

GMF Sheffield website
AMRC website

Read more...

News: Event shows that Rotherham Means Business

Almost 500 delegates from businesses across Rotherham and South Yorkshire made their way to the main hall at Magna last week, for the borough's first enterprise event - Rotherham Means Business 2011.

Delegates were queuing out the door eager to visit the numerous exhibitors who were on hand to share their business expertise and offer help, advice and support to those who were already in business, looking to start up in business or looking to expand their business opportunities.

The packed seminar programme also proved very popular with delegates offering stimulating and thought provoking speeches on a range of business related subjects.

The keynote speaker BJ Cunningham (pictured above), a successful entrepreneur and thought leader in the field of branding provided a fantastic start to the day when he spoke with passion and humour about his varied career path and shared ideas and philosophies that have helped him along the way. Claire Young, an enterprise ambassador and finalist in the BBC's Apprentice in 2008, who has herself established a number of enterprises, shared her life lessons with the audience and provided a valuable insight into surviving business in troubled times. Delegates also went away with Claire's "Top Tips" for business.

The programme also offered a useful seminar from Liesel Whitfield, an associate solicitor at Irwin Mitchell - patrons of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber who spoke about recent changes in employment legislation and George Elliott, a retail expert from The Source who gave a great seminar on just how vital good customer service is in business today.

Later in the day Gordon Bridge, director of leading Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL, lead a stimulating seminar on innovation and Peter Hoy, managing director of Dinnington-based Macalloy gave great advice on exporting into international markets.

The programme was then followed by the National Apprenticeship service who along with Claire Young spoke of the huge benefits apprentices can provide and how businesses can get involved. One of the exhibitors from the National Apprenticeship service said: "This is one of the best events we've ever been to!"

One delegate who attended the event said: "The event helped me to refocus and confirmed tasks that I need to complete. It was just what I needed to give me a boost and get my business mojo back, thank you!"

The event was developed and organised by Rotherham Enterprise Board and was sponsored by AESSEAL Ltd, UK Steel Enterprise Ltd, The Source, Rotherham Work & Skills Board, Business Link Yorkshire, and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

John Wainwright, Chair of Rotherham's Enterprise Board, said: "The event really did show that Rotherham means business. To get 500 delegates is a testament to the enterprise culture that we are helping to develop in the borough and the feedback that we have received has been really positive."

The event was held in conjunction with the enormously popular annual Meet the Buyer conference, which gave attendees the opportunity to meet with a whole range of buyers from key public sector organisations that were on hand to give large and small businesses information on how to become a supplier and discuss potential opportunities.

The Meet the Buyer also ran a series of presentations and workshops to help local businesses to be in a better position to bid for public sector work. One delegate said that the difference attending the Meet the Buyer would make to their business was to "open up opportunities to tender and hopefully improve the company as a whole."

Rotherham Means Business website
Rotherham Enterprise Board website

Images: Rotherham Enterprise Board

Read more...

News: Rix Shipping installs Martek system

Innovative Rotherham company, Martek Marine has secured an order from Rix Shipping, leaders in owning, managing and operating bunker tankers and general cargo vessels for their first BNWAS.

Navguard, a bridge navigation watch and alarm system (BNWAS) is designed to monitor bridge activity and detect any operator disability that could lead to shipping accidents. The system monitors the awareness of the Officer of the Watch (OOW) and automatically alerts other staff if for any reason, the OOW becomes incapable of performing duties through an accident, sickness or even a security breach such as piracy or hijacking.

James Doyle, Managing Director at Rix said: "We spent a lot of time investigating which BNWAS system we should install and we finally decided on Navgard.

"It covered everything we were looking for in a system. First of all it had all the type approvals in place that we needed in order to ensure all our fleet could install the same system and we weren't going to incur any additional costs from flag authorities.

"But by far the most important requirement for us was the ease of installation. The Martek sales representative explained to us how the installation process would be much simpler than other brands as the system is modular and cuts out the requirement for interfaces so the alarms go directly to the control panel."

Based in Hull, The Rix Shipping business, a JR Rix & Sons Limited company, includes a fleet of dry cargo ships, a fleet of estuarial and coastal tankers, shipping agents, a freight forwarding operation, haulage contractor, stevedoring services and terminal operators.

Martek Marine website

Images: martek-marine.com

Read more...

News: B&ESY celebrate 300th member of Entrepreneur Exchange scheme

Rotherham-based Business & Education South Yorkshire (B&ESY) organised a special event to mark Sheffield's Entrepreneur Exchange 300th member at Sheffield Institute of Arts in the Furnival Building at Sheffield Hallam University recently.

The Entrepreneur Exchange, which operates as part of Sheffield City Council's Enterprise Programme, works by linking existing entrepreneurs with those who are just starting out on the route to entrepreneurship, in a bid to successfully establish and grow their businesses.

Another aspect of the Exchange's work is to inspire young people in Sheffield schools to consider setting up their own ventures in the future.

Liz Yoxall, Relationship Manager from the Entrepreneur Exchange, which is run by Business & Education South Yorkshire, said: "We held this event to thank the entrepreneurs who have supported us over the past three years and to celebrate reaching our 300th member milestone!

"It is thanks to the commitment of our entrepreneurs that we can continue to support young people and those who are at that crucial stage in setting up a business when practical or professional support is absolutely vital for future success."

At the event, Jo Panasiuk from Sorted Sheffield, explained how the support he had had from the Entrepreneur Exchange, through the National Enterprise Academy has been a huge help in setting up his new business venture. Jo, who is 17, has been linked with Vinny Rihal from Kaimera Creative in Rotherham and the two are now working together to launch a new media channel to reach Sheffield students later in the Spring.

Jo Panasiuk from Sorted Sheffield, said: "I have had lots of help and support from the Entrepreneur Exchange, which has given me the confidence to take my business idea forward. After being introduced to Vinny, I recognised that his design and website experience and my knowledge of how to reach the student market, meant we were able to come up with an exciting business model, with a launch planned for May this year."

B&ESY website

Images: B&ESY

Read more...

News: AESSEAL become SYCF's biggest corporate donor

Rotherham manufacturing firm, AESSEAL, has become the South Yorkshire Community Foundation's (SYCF) biggest corporate donor to date through the Grassroots Grants Endowment Challenge.

The Templeborough firm made several donations throughout the three year programme that, after match funding, created a charitable endowment fund in their name worth almost £1m.

The company's final donations made in recent months have been crucial in allowing SYCF to meet its match funding targets ahead of schedule and also take advantage of extra match funding not used in other areas.

Through the national Grassroots Grants Endowment Challenge, SYCF worked in partnership with a range of generous donors to make sure South Yorkshire took full advantage of the match funding.

AESSEAL helped the foundation meet a target to raise £1.7m that, after pound for pound match funding, created a pot of £3.4m for South Yorkshire.

But in just the last few weeks AESSEAL also matched £85,000 of allocation that hadn't been taken up elsewhere in the UK to take the total raised for South Yorkshire to £3.57m.

Gordon Bridge, Director at AESSEAL, said: "We are now looking forward to seeing the great benefit that AESSEAL's charitable fund will have for worthy causes throughout South Yorkshire."

The pot will sit in an endowed fund, with the income going out in grants to vital community projects for years to come from April 2011.

Pauline Grice, chief executive of SYCF, said: "By meeting this challenge, the people of South Yorkshire have shown a real commitment and appreciation of how important it is to support the area for the long term.

"AESSEAL is a shining example of a community focussed organisation that has a real commitment to improving the area in which it operates.

"We are delighted that through Grassroots Grants they have become our biggest corporate donor."

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.

SYCF website
AESSEAL website

Images: aesseal.co.uk

Read more...

News: Stafforce purchases Relay Recruitment

Rotherham's fast growing national specialist recruiter, Stafforce Recruitment, has continued its strategic development programme with the acquisition of Relay Recruitment, an award winning Bradford agency.

The acquisition follows Stafforce Recruitment's recent announcement that owner and local entrepreneur Nick Cragg had sold a 15% stake in the business to its management team.

Stafforce Recruitment has been operating in the recruitment industry for 33 years and the business now has over 20 sites across the UK. Currently widening its reach, capabilities, client base and candidate pool, one route is the addition of responsible, strongly performing companies which share its philosophy. Last month Stafforce announced the acquisition of Action 4 Business, a Barnsley-based company that delivers training and specialist business consultancy services.

Relay Recruitment is a highly distinctive, award winning agency, of Bradford, Leeds and York and their clients will benefit greatly from access to a wider range of complementary services to labour supply and a nationwide reach.

Steven Street, managing director of Relay reports quick uptake of the improved offer. "Already, we have brought Business Improvement Technique training to a major client and taken an order for installation teams throughout the UK. Previously, this business would have fallen to competitors."

Between them, Stafforce and Relay service an impressive stable of clients, including Golden Wonder, Aunt Bessie's, Princes, The Co-op, BorgWarner and NG Bailey.

Ian Anderson said: "Stafforce has exciting and ambitious plans for the future and I am delighted to announce that we have taken the next important step forward and Relay Recruitment is now officially part of the family. I am confident that our combined assets, capabilities, people and potential will form a business that will achieve great things."

Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate Finance advised and funded the deal. Relationship director, John Shaw, said: "I am really pleased that the RBS Group has been able to put in place the funding to allow Stafforce to continue its ongoing expansion plans. It is a growing business with ambitious long term plans and I wish it all the best following this recent acquisition and look forward to helping the company develop further in the future."

Stafforce website

Images: Stafforce

Read more...

News: Parseq secure contract with Lloyds Banking Group

Parseq, a leading provider of technology led turnkey outsourcing solutions and mobile and online banking software, has signed a new multi-million pound outsourcing contract with the Lloyds Banking Group, the largest retail bank in the UK.

Parseq was created last year following a successful reverse takeover by Rami Cassis and Rotherham-based BPO provider, Documetric.

The agreement covers a three year period and extends Parseq's relationship with Lloyds significantly and brings HBOS as a new customer.

The AIM-listed company will now provide its outsourcing solution to HBOS and Lloyds TSB, including BACS payment debit and credit processing services and call centre support to corporate, commercial and retail customers. These services will be provided from a newly developed, highly secure processing platform which maximises the use of advanced Optical Character Recognition software.

Rami Cassis, Chief Executive of Parseq, said: "We are delighted that we have been able to extend our relationship with Lloyds and secure HBOS as a customer.

"We believe that our outsourcing services together with our technology create a compelling proposition and this contract, which will see Parseq handle transactions worth billions of pounds per annum over the next three years, reflects the strength of our offering."

From their Hellaby facility, the company provides a wide range of value-add services, from payments and applications processing, through inbound and outbound voice services, to business intelligence and data analytics. It services a blue chip client base which includes Barclays, British Gas, British Energy, BP, Deutsche Bank, FedEx, Johnson & Johnson, Lloyds Banking Group, National Australia Group, HSBC, Orange, RBS Group, Santander, Shell, and Vodafone.

Parseq processes up to 30,000 envelopes every day and utilising a range of cheque processing and scanning machines to process the payments, they process 47 million transactions a year.

Parseq website

Images: parseq.com

Read more...

News: Marussia Virgin Racing make the news with CNBC

Marussia Virgin Racing, the Formula One team with their headquarters in Rotherham, has announced an exclusive global partnership that sees CNBC becoming the team's official "Business Media Partner" for the 2011 season, which gets underway on March 27 in Melbourne, Australia.

The partnership gives CNBC branding on various Marussia Virgin Racing assets including its new Formula One car and driver's racesuits, and in the paddock, as well as hospitality. Alongside this, the partnership provides business-to-business opportunities for existing and new commercial partners of the Marussia Virgin Racing Team through the reach of CNBC's worldwide TV network and CNBC.com.

Andy Webb, CEO, Marussia Virgin Racing said: "It goes without saying that we are delighted to welcome CNBC to Marussia Virgin Racing as our Business Media Partner. This is a very exciting partnership which underlines the strategic, targeted and intricate nature of our offering and its appeal to our rapidly expanding portfolio of commercial partners.

"CNBC needs no introduction as an oracle of international business and financial news and this multi-faceted relationship provides the team and its partners with an enviable business development opportunity.

"Following a period of investment and restructure, the team now has all the right resources and people to step up the pursuit of its racing ambitions. This is a fascinating partnership for both parties and it will be exciting to see it develop as the year progresses. We now look forward to getting the season underway in Melbourne in a little under two weeks time."

Mick Buckley, President and CEO, EMEA, CNBC added: "CNBC is extremely excited to be joining forces with Marussia Virgin Racing at this significant stage in the team's development. Our audiences are complementary and this is an exceptional way to put CNBC in front of a massive global audience."

Marussia Virgin Racing website

Images: CNBC

Read more...

News: UKTI in Rotherham to support exporters

Experts from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) will be in Rotherham this month to raise awareness of new products from the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD).

ECGD, the UK export credit agency, is launching several initiatives announced in a recent Government white paper focusing on trade and investment, all of which will help exporters, and SMEs in particular, to access the finance they need to make the most of international opportunities.

The initiatives include:
- a Bond Support Scheme to help exporters tender and contract bonds.
- an extension of ECGD short term credit insurance to cover a broader range of exports.
- an Export Working Capital Scheme to facilitate access to working capital finance for specific export contracts.
- the development of a Foreign Exchange Credit Support Scheme to help manage exposure to foreign exchange rate movements where exporters have taken out another ECGD product.

The two-hour session will include a 40 minute presentation on how ECGD can help exporters, a 10 minute presentation from the Department for Business (BIS) on a new Export Finance Guarantee, an open Q&A session and a networking opportunity with ECDG and UKTI advisers.

Mark Robson, UKTI's International Trade Director for Yorkshire and the Humber, commented: "ECGD is striving to do a lot more to advise and support SMEs in recognition they are the lifeblood of the regional economy, and very much the future in terms of securing lucrative international contracts and linked inward investment.

"There is a real appetite to find out more about the new products announced in the Trade and Investment for Growth white paper, and the aim of this roadshow is to cover that in detail as well as to give businesses a general overview of the Government's total export support offer."

The ECGD event takes place at the Advanced Manufacturing Park on March 24 as part of the Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield.

Also as part of festival, UKTI are sponsoring an event on March 17 called "Gearing Engineering Companies to grow internationally" providing an opportunity to hear from export trade specialists; and to learn from the first-hand experience of South Yorkshire engineering firms, how exporting can be instrumental in transforming business.

For many engineering companies export is the key to their future survival. The seminar provides a unique insight into where the future opportunities are to be found and how best to access these overseas markets. The case studies are from local high growth manufacturers who place export as their key business driver.

At the Cutler's Hall event, two Rotherham companies will be used as case studies - AESSEAL and MTL Group Ltd.

UKTI website
GMF Sheffield website

Images: ukti.gov.uk

Read more...

News: Rotherham companies open their doors as part of the Global Manufacturing Festival

Manufacturing companies in Rotherham are opening their doors to young people this week in an effort to inspire and nurture the UK's next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent.

The initiative is part of The Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield, and a link up with National Science and Engineering Week.

25 companies, including Rollem, DavyMarkham, Sheffield Forgemasters, Ancon, Firth Rixson, MTL Group, Tata, Newburgh Engineering, Siemens VAI and Joint Replacement Instrumentation, are inviting groups of young people to experience the opportunities which are available within the industry first hand and learn about the exciting prospects that a career in manufacturing and engineering can bring. This activity is sponsored by The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

National Science and Engineering Week is organised by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with local schools, museums, industry and commerce and is a national celebration of the very best in British research and innovation. The Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield is organised by Square 5 in partnership with Creativesheffield and Business and Education South Yorkshire, and is sponsored by Firth Rixson and Nabarro LLP.

Stuart Murphy, Managing Director at Rollem, added: "It's great to see such a diverse selection of organisations joining forces to take part in this and I urge schools to take advantage of the opportunity. This is a fantastic chance for young people to get a real taste of the industry and I hope that the open days are an inspiration."

Industry visits are also an integral part of work-wise – a unique, highly successful, employer led and locally developed programme aimed at preparing young people with the essential skills for employment in manufacturing and engineering.

GMF Sheffield website

Images: RiDO / SY AMM Team

Read more...