News: Dragon-slayer set to inspire Rotherham entrepreneurs

Successful mumtrepreneur Kirsty Henshaw will be in Rotherham later this year to tell the tale about when she entered the Dragon's Den and came out with significant financial backing for her business.

Kirsty has confirmed she will be speaking to local entrepreneurs at Rotherham Enterprise Board's Dragons' Den style event on the December 6.

Last year, on series eight of the hit BBC2 show, Kirsty demonstrated passion, commitment and a gritty determination to succeed by delivering one of the best pitches ever seen on the BBC Dragon's Den programme. She impressed all of the panel and secured £65,000 worth of angel investment from Dragons Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne in return for a 30% stake in her company, Worthenshaws Freedom.

With the backing of the Dragons, Kirsty's company now supplies every major supermarket in the UK with dairy-free, nut-free and sugar-free frozen puddings, which were originally inspired by her four year old son who has a serious nut allergy and is dairy and gluten intolerant.

She began experimenting with a little ice cream maker from Argos in her tiny kitchen at home and formulated a recipe for success combining brown rice milk, coconut oil and natural fruit extracts - all renowned for their health giving properties.

At 24, the former care assistant, bar maid and massage therapist from Preston, became one of the youngest entrepreneurs to receive investment on the show.

Now an inspirational, confident and "can-do" young woman, Kirsty will talk about her experience of entering the real Dragons' Den and about her entrepreneurial journey so far to Rotherham businesses and entrepreneurs. Kirsty will not only be passing on her knowledge and tips to the businesses who are selected to enter the Den, but she will also be putting them through their paces by taking on the role as one of the dragons.

This is the third event of its kind and proudly sponsored by UK Steel Enterprise and funded through the European Regional Development Fund.

The last event took place in July this year and was won by Kara and Tony Chapman of The Whistle Stop Sweet Shop. Kara said: "Since the event, business has definitely increased. It's been great for us, it's made us stand back and look differently at things and it's totally increased our confidence."

Tony will be passing on his own valuable knowledge and experience this time around by taking on the role of a dragon.

The event is free to attend and open to businesses based within Rotherham, that have been trading for three years or less and have excellent growth potential. The best pitch on the night will receive a prize of £1,500 to support their businesses growth potential and they may also receive capital investment opportunities and guaranteed exclusive editorial coverage in the South Yorkshire Business Magazine.

To apply for this event or find out more details contact The Regeneration and Development team at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council on 01709 823848 or email; eds-economic-strategy@rotherham.gov.uk or visit; www.rotherham-enterprise.org for more information.

Rotherham Enterprise Board website
Kirsty Henshaw website

Images: kirsty-henshaw.com

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News: AMRC composite centre takes shape

Construction is well underway on the new expanded home for the Composite Centre at The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Rotherham.



The complete steel framework is now in place for the 1,800 sq m extension to the AMRC Factory of the Future on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, with completion due in April 2012. The work is being carried out by ISG.

The new facility will allow the AMRC Composite Centre to provide a full range of design, manufacturing, assembly and structural testing services for advanced composite materials. The centre will also work with complex hybrid components and systems, which require manufacturing expertise in both composite and metallic structures.

The new Composite Centre includes a general workshop and a controlled environment with high-spec clean rooms. It will house a range of state-of-the-art design, development and processing equipment, including a filament winding machine, automated tape/tow placement robot, 5-axis machining centres, and selection of autoclaves and ovens.

On the same site, staff at the Nuclear AMRC are now preparing to move into their new building alongside the Factory of the Future. The new Knowledge Transfer Centre is also developing rapidly, with the final layers of cladding being applied.

AMRC website

Images: amrc.co.uk

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News: Secret millionaire in Rotherham

Marketing expert, social entrepreneur and secret millionaire, Carl Hopkins, will be back in Rotherham next week in his capacity as founding patron of the enterprise education programme, Are You Ready?

Are You Ready? aims to prepare young people for the challenges and opportunities of life in the 21st Century by inspiring teachers to integrate enterprise skills and culture into the life and curriculum of schools and colleges.

The programme is based on the internationally acclaimed enterprise education programme, Rotherham Ready. The innovative programme saw Rotherham win a national competition and was named the most enterprising place in Britain.

The training event at Rockingham Professional Development Centre on October 4 will see the Are You Ready? team sharing how to use enterprise as a vehicle to drive school improvement and where our founding patron, Carl Hopkins will be exploring the most effective ways to engage with employers in order to raise aspirations.

Carl was "blown away" by the comprehensive strategy the team had developed to transform school culture and put enterprise at the heart of teaching and learning.

Carl said: "I'm really proud to be associated with this new phase of enterprise in education which the Are You Ready? team are creating. They're not just thinking about one-off opportunities for schools to work with businesses but they have a passion to change the way schools operate - creating an enterprising culture from the inside."

Are You Ready? website

Images: areyouready.org.uk

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News: Iconic "Man of Steel" for Rotherham

A 40-metre high sculpture including a stainless steel figure is being proposed as an iconic landmark in Rotherham.

Sheffield City Council has invited ideas for a statue in the Lower Don Valley and the "Man of Steel" project is one being put forward for consideration.

The proposed design created by local sculptor Steve Mehdi has already received support from Rotherham Council and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.

Those backing the impressive sculpture hope that it will identify the region's industrial past and become a catalyst to entrepreneurs setting up new business in an area of regeneration.

Standing on a former landfill site on Meadowhall Road in Rotherham, overlooking the M1 and Meadowhall Shopping Centre, close to where the Tinsley Towers used to stand, this unique sculpture will be twice the height of the Angel of the North in Gateshead.

A 20-metre high stainless steel figure will sit on a 20-metre black column which together will represent the metals and coal mining history of the area. Leading up to the base will be a "timeline" pathway depicting the rich history of entrepreneurs that defined this region but leave space for future ones.

Sculptor Steve Mehdi, said: "The design embodies the generations of workers who have passed through numerous factory gates and left their mark and their memories on the landscape.

"Enshrined in a mantle of steel and coal it is an icon of a former age, and a catalyst for a new one. It looks inward, contemplating the past, but looks out on an ever changing landscape of technology and invention.

"This project falls in to a long tradition of monumental sculptures in society. It is about scale. People have always been affected and inspired by the awesome nature of the colossal. The statue delivers a message saying "we are big, we are modern and we can take on the world.""

Richard Wright, executive director of Sheffield Chamber and CEO of Rotherham company, Inertius, added: "The statue not only recognises this city region's heritage, but will symbolise how this area is at the forefront of the latest innovations in manufacturing and engineering technologies and making a name in exciting new sectors."

It is expected that the cost of the project will be privately funded.

Steve Mehdi website

Images: Steve Mehdi

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News: Inditherm post increased revenue and reduced losses

Innovative Rotherham company, Inditherm has announced their latest financial results showing an increase in revenue and a reduction in losses for the six months ended 30 June 2011.

The interim results from the AIM-listed Manvers firm showed that revenue increased by 10% to £817k compared to £740,000 in 2010 and the pre-tax loss for continuing operations had been reduced by over 40% to £74,000 compared to a loss of £124,000 in 2010.

The board stated that they had been encouraged by growth in orders in quarters two and three after a disappointing first quarter.

The company has focused on the medical sector and the highlight of the quarter was when The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) gave their final approval for Inditherm's innovative medical products. They issued guidance that supports the use of Inditherm patient warming systems for patients undergoing operations which carry risk of inadvertent hypothermia.

Inditherm products use low voltage carbon polymer technology to provide heat and unlike other forms of heating, there are no hot spots. In addition, the system ensures that every surgical patient can be warmed at the same running cost as a light-bulb.

Mark Abrahams, chairman of Inditherm, said: "After a slow start to the year, order intake in quarters two and three increased strongly compared with the same periods in 2010. This is encouraging and supports our belief that we can continue our growth.

"We believe that the recent NICE guidance in relation to our patient warming mattresses should stimulate faster growth in the UK medical market, linked with NHS budget cycles. Export orders continue to grow, as we benefit from our wider Medical distributor base and increasing market penetration.

"Divestment of the resource-intensive industrial activities has allowed us to reduce overheads and we believe that our focus on the medical segment is the best route to achieve profitability.

"Whilst we are expecting continued tough trading conditions, we are confident in our core medical business and the Board is continually evaluating ways of improving the business and maximising shareholder value."

The board did add that there remains uncertainty and associated delays in decision-making in the NHS but they predicted renewed optimism on the recent NICE guidance which should stimulate faster growth in the UK medical market.

Inditherm website

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News: Garnett Dickinson invests in Rotherham facility

Rotherham-based Garnett Dickinson Digital has invested in new machinery to increase their production capacity.

The digital arm of the £45m turnover Garnett Dickinson group, has installed a unique Horizon StitchLiner from Intelligent Finishing Systems at their state of the art Manvers facility.

The Horizon StitchLiner is the only automated saddlestitching line on the market that operates from flat 4-page sections, so eliminating the section-folding stage to reduce time, waste and cost. It enables Garnett Dickinson to be more responsive, improve turnaround times and increase production capacity.

John Bradley, manufacturing manager at Garnett Dickinson, said: "We were sending much of our work out which was costing us valuable time and cutting into our margins. Now we can take on the shorter runs and the jobs that need to be turned round within a tight schedule with the cast-iron certainty that we will meet our customers' high expectations.

"Everybody here is very impressed with the Horizon. Choosing it was one of the best things we have ever done. We expect it to achieve a return on investment 50% faster than we initially anticipated.

"We have increased productivity because we are now able to do more work inhouse. We have also expanded the amount of work we can take on because we know we can accept it and turn it around to meet our clients' deadlines. Even though our trade finishers are only a few miles away, the relinquishing of control was more significant than the cost factor – we always deliver."

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

The company has recently been shortlisted for "Consumer Magazine Printer of the Year" at the respected Print Week 2011 Awards.

Garnett Dickinson website

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News: Morrison open construction academy in Rotherham

Leading repairs and maintenance service provider, Morrison has opened a new training academy for Yorkshire in Rotherham.

The group began a £60.5m contract to maintain council properties last year. The five and a half year deal, with four possible one-year extensions, is to repair and maintain 13,000 properties in Rotherham North, Rotherham South and Wentworth North.

The Academy is located on Thames Street and has been set up in partnership with Rotherham-based Full Circle Learning Ltd, who will deliver the various training courses on behalf of Morrison.

Each year 100 members of the local community will receive training and support through the Morrison Yorkshire Academy to help guide them into employment or in developing new trade based skills. In addition, Morrison's own staff, who work in Leeds and Rotherham, will also receive training to enable them to provide the best level of services to their customers.

Guy Wakeley, Chief Executive of Morrison said: "We are very proud to have officially opened our Yorkshire Academy today, which we hope will make a real difference to local people in Yorkshire. We have been working hard on the development of the Academy with our partner Full Circle Learning Ltd for the past year and it is fantastic to see it now in operation and already achieving results.

"The Academy will serve a dual purpose of targeting the developmental needs of the most vulnerable within the local communities in which we work, whilst offering a multi-skilling service to all Morrison employees in the local area."

Courses being run by the Academy include an Employment Matters programme, which will help local residents develop new skills with the aim of getting them ready for work, as well as a Trade Taster programme which has been designed to help residents gain the confidence and ability to carry out some basic DIY tasks themselves.

The Academy will also train all of Morrison's Yorkshire based apprentices, with this year's intake alone involving the training of 27 young people from Leeds and Rotherham.

The facility, was opened on behalf of Morrison earlier this month by Hayley Taylor, Channel 4's Fairy Jobmother.

Morrison website
Full Circle Learning website

Images: morrisonplc.com

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News: Recognition for Rotherham's Shop Local scheme

Rotherham's Shop Local Scheme has won the Best Public/Private Partnership Working award at the recent Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) awards.

The Shop Local loyalty card, which currently has over 11,000 subscribers, making it one of the most popular of its kind in the country, has helped to spearhead a retail renaissance in Rotherham town centre.

With over 100 town centre shops signed up to provide discounts and offers to cardholders, since its inception last year, the Shop Local Scheme is a significant success.

Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity, Cllr. Gerald Smith, said: "It's great news that Shop Local has been recognised nationally as a fantastic scheme, but, Rotherham shoppers knew that anyway.

"As well as scooping the "Best Public/Private Partnership Working" award, Rotherham Borough Council won the prestigious "Council of the Year" award for service delivery."

The award comes on the back of a successful visit to the town from Mary Portas, when she praised the council's initiatives to get more people into the town centre.

Leader of Rotherham Council, Cllr Roger Stone, added: "There's a very good reason that Shop Local has attracted so many people to it, it offers great discounts for the wide range of shops in Rotherham town centre, which continue to grow each week.

"When she visited recently, Mary Portas gave the Shop Local scheme the thumbs up, describing it as one of the fantastic and innovative ways the Rotherham Council were showing people what a great place Rotherham town centre is to shop.

"Getting the APSE award is a massive boost to Rotherham town centre. We're bucking the national trend and introducing an interesting, wide range of shops which are growing each month.

"As well as developing the unique shopping experience that is Imperial Buildings, which has everything from a traditional sweet shop to alternative fashions, we have shops such as the Bitter Sweet Boutique opening in October, making Rotherham town centre a great place to visit."

APSE is a not for profit local government body working with over 300 councils throughout the UK, promoting excellence in public services.

Rotherham town centre website

Images: rotherhamtowncentre.co.uk

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News: Stafforce starts new term at the University of Sheffield

Rotherham-based Stafforce Recruitment, has been selected as one of only three recruitment agencies to supply temporary workers to the University of Sheffield in a three-year deal.

The university has rationalised the use of agencies to source temporary staff in a bid to save money and to ensure confidence in reputable suppliers that offer best protection from new employment legislation.

Lucy Watts, sales and contracts business manager at Stafforce said: "Stafforce has exciting and ambitious plans for the future and I am delighted that we have been appointed as one of only three consultancies to work with the University of Sheffield.

"Traditionally, we have been associated with technical and industrial markets, but this success further strengthens our foothold in the commercial recruitment sector and is the latest in a number of recent wins. It's great news and demonstrates that we are holding our own against some well-known national players."

With headquarters on Percy Street in Rotherham town centre, the business continues to grow and today has over 25 sites across the UK.

It supplies more than 3300 temporary staff a week and works with over 500 employers, including local businesses, Sheffield Forgemasters, Stelrad Ideal and Braiform.

Following the acquisition of Barnsley-based Action 4 Business last year and Relay Recruitment in February, Stafforce continues to develop and innovate at a pace, with the recent launch of Workpays TE Ltd, a private limited company that offers transitional employment opportunities to the long-term unemployed.

Stafforce website

Images: stafforce.co.uk

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News: Powerstar working to help farmers save

Rotherham-based EMSc UK Ltd, the market leading manufacturer of the world's most efficient voltage optimisation system, Powerstar, is working together with farmers across the Yorkshire and Humber region to help them benefit from grants of up to £25,000.

Farmers within the Yorkshire and Humber region can apply for the grants to invest in energy efficient equipment - including energy saving voltage optimisation units - which will assist in the reduction of electricity costs and their carbon footprint.

Based at Templeborough, the Powerstar system is the only voltage optimisation system wholly designed and manufactured in the UK and works by reducing the the voltage supplied by the National Grid.

The second round of funding, which was launched in August, comes from the Rural Development Programme for England, and is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union. Farmers can apply through CO2Sense, the not-for-profit environmental consultancy that helps businesses, including farms, cut their carbon emissions and grow.

Dr Alex Mardapittas, managing director at EMSc UK Ltd, said: "The funding provides a great investment opportunity for farmers. Voltage optimisation is a cost effective solution that allows users to quickly make tangible savings on energy consumption. With payback from Powerstar typically between 0.8 and 3 years it is also a commercially sound investment."

Thirteen farms received funding in the first round, and are now saving around £80,500 and over 300 tonnes of CO2 from the new equipment.

EMSc Ltd website
CO2Sense website

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News: Public hangings in Rotherham town centre

An open air art gallery is being created to help regenerate Rotherham town centre and increase the number of visitors.

Over 60 pieces of artwork by local, national and world renowned artists will be reproduced in large format – the largest 4m x 8m - and hung on the side of buildings in over 35 public places throughout the town centre.

Local company Rainforest Graphics, which has reproduced the pieces, started the installation last week, which is due to be completed by the end of September.

The idea came about due to a group of local business people working alongside the local strategic partnership and town centre team looking at ways to regenerate and encourage more shoppers and visitors into Rotherham, in order to drive the local economy.

Nick Cragg, local entrepreneur and chair of the Rotherham Economy Board, who is spearheading the project, said: "Rotherham will be one of the first towns in the UK to have its own open air art gallery, which is fantastic news and will help to play an important part in its regeneration and further economic growth.

"The pieces have been carefully selected so that we could exhibit works of world renowned masters, whilst providing a platform for Rotherham's own artists, as well as local young people to display their work."

Local artists represented include: Chris Bird, Zahir Rafiq, Leslie R Black, Sara Platts, Nigel Senior, Bernadine Stocks and Daniel Barnett whose work will be featured alongside pieces by Picasso, Da Vinci, Cezanne, Henry Moore, Van Gogh and Rousseau.

Artwork has also been selected from seven local schools that took part in an art-based project earlier this year, with some of the best pieces selected, including a huge image of a fish and a cross-eyed tiger.

Schools involved include St Bernard's Catholic High School, Thornhill Primary, Kiveton Park Infant School, Monkwood Primary, Abbey Special School and Swinton Queen Primary School, as well as a number of pieces supplied by students at Rotherham College of Arts & Technology (RCAT).

Art can be seen on Corporation Street with further works to be installed at locations such as RCAT's campus, the walkway to Tesco and along College Lane.

High profile partners are backing the project including Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Welcome to Yorkshire, the Hepworth Gallery and the National Gallery.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "It is fantastic that this exciting open air art gallery will be based right here in South Yorkshire.

"Rotherham has some excellent artistic talent and it is great that work by students, local commercial artists and world renowned artists is going to be displayed alongside each other for everyone to enjoy.

"This is just the start of what will be a hugely exciting project for Rotherham, for the benefit of local people, as well as helping to attract more visitors to the town from across the region and indeed the whole of the UK."

Rotherham Open Air Gallery website
Rainforest Graphics website

Images: Rainforest

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News: Offer received for remainder of Optare's Rotherham site

Bus manufacturer Optare has received an indicative offer on the remainder of their Rotherham site.

Leeds-based Optare was sold to Blackburn coachbuilder Darwen Holdings in a £16m deal in 2008. An in-depth restructuring programme led to the decision to close the firm's plant at Hellaby.

The Rotherham manufacturing facility closed in July 2009 and the Cumbernauld service centre closed in November 2009. A service centre at Hellaby remained in operation.

The sale of the first part of the site at was completed for just under £1m in June.

In their half yearly report, the company's board stated that: "Optare has received an indicative offer on the remainder of the site for a similar amount and anticipate completion of the sale during Q4 2011, the proceeds of which are expected to be applied to further reduce term debt."

The total site is around 3,500 sq m and comprises a modern manufacturing facility, including two storey offices and a showroom area, with additional mezzanine areas.

The group posted financial results for the six months to the end of June showing pre-tax losses increasing from £4.4m from £2.7m a year ago. A fall in turnover from £27m to £22.7m was also reported.

Optare is planning to move to a new high-tech facility in Sherburn, Yorkshire next month.

Optare website

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News: Lucion acquires AOH Limited

Asbestos surveying & management specialists, Lucion Environmental has acquired former industry rival AOH Limited, who were in administration.

The take over of AOH offices means the Lucion brand now includes new offices in Rotherham and Leicester, as well as the merge of AOH's former Newcastle office to be incorporated into Lucion’s Gateshead offices.

The acquisition has resulted in 30 jobs being saved.

A spokesperson for Lucion said: "We already provide industry leading services in asbestos management and are deeply committed to providing the highest quality of client service.

"Expansion into the east midlands significantly increases our national coverage. We also now benefit from the addition of AOH's training and health & safety department to the Lucion service offering, providing additional opportunities to increase revenue by bringing services in-house that had previously been contracted out and offering new training services to existing clients.

"AOH is a long-established, solid and well-regarded name within our industry, and our ambition is to enhance the services offered by their offices by adding our own brand of dynamism and forward thinking attitudes and we are delighted at being able to save so many jobs for highly trained staff.

"Bringing AOH's training resource into our group also adds significant weight to the services we can offer, and we're very confident that this deal will lead to a real step change in our operations through the acquisition of new customers and expansion of the work we do with existing clients."

Lucion's new Rotherham office is at Manvers House in the Dearne Valley.

Lucion Environmental website

Images: lucion.co.uk

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News: New starters join Tata Steel in South Yorkshire

21 new graduates and apprentices have started work at Tata Steel in South Yorkshire as part of the company's investment in the future of the business.

Five graduates and 16 craft apprentices started work with the company in engineering positions at Rotherham and Stocksbridge where Tata Steel Speciality has been a leading manufacturer of aerospace steels for more than 60 years and supplies special steels to aerospace component manufacturers around the world.

Mick Hood, HR manager for Tata Steel Speciality, said: "Tata Steel is committed to investing in the long-term sustainability of the business and for that we need to train future generations of employees in specialised skills.

"Every business will lose workers with expert knowledge and tailored skills naturally due to age and it is essential that there are employees ready to replace them.

"It is hard to recruit into these areas from outside the business due to the skill level required. That is why we are continuing to take on apprentices and graduates that we can train to meet the business' needs."

Ten craft apprentices were recruited into the areas of electrical and mechanical engineering. A further five will specialise in chemistry and metallurgy and one will work in logistics. At the end of three years of training and placements at the various sites they will receive BTEC level three and NVQ level three qualifications.

The five graduates were recruited into the areas of engineering and technical. They will undertake a series of 12 week placements around the site over a two year period.

Tata Steel Europe website

Images: Tata Steel

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News: AESSEAL's charity fund

The £1m charitable endowment fund from Rotherham manufacturing firm, AESSEAL, has begun providing the first grants to vital community initiatives in South Yorkshire.

The Templeborough firm made several donations throughout the South Yorkshire Community Foundation's (SYCF) three year Grassroots Grants Endowment Challenge and became the largest corporate donor.

One of the first grants was made to Barkers Park Bowling Club in Rotherham that has been successful in encouraging young people to pick up the game.

Roy Cooke, treasurer at the Kimberworth Park Club, said: "Over the past three weeks we have had the company of the youth group. They received bowling tuition from myself and other club members, whose help has been invaluable.

"Everyone at the club would like to thank South Yorkshire Community Foundation for providing the funding. It has enabled us to purchase enough equipment for our ever increasing membership which is now 40-strong."

Chris Rea, managing director of AESSEAL, said: "When we committed to supporting the Grassroots Grants endowment challenge we knew that it was truly an investment in the future of our local communities.

"This grant to Barkers Park Bowling Club is just the first of many that will be made from the fund and we look forward to seeing the exciting projects that we are linked to in the future.

Thanks to the pound for pound match funding and tax advantages on charitable giving, AESSEAL's endowment fund is worth almost £1m, from which the interest will be distributed to local projects year on year.

Chris Rea, added: "We are absolutely delighted to have been part of this groundbreaking endowment challenge to help the long term development of community projects throughout South Yorkshire.

"Since 1981 the Company has consistently grown and felt it was appropriate to put something back into the area that has been so helpful in our business development."

SYCF website
AESSEAL website

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News: Export Essentials in Rotherham

Rotherham-based businesses looking to expand into new international markets can learn the export essentials at an event hosted by the Rotherham Enterprise board next month.

The free 2 hour workshop will be facilitated by an export expert and aims to help begin your thinking about whether the export market place is worth exploring as part of your sales strategy.

It will help local businesses establish and assess whether they are ready to export products and services abroad. Following that the event will cover practical first steps needed for selling overseas and establish where to begin.

The event will also help to identify risks, rewards and benefits in order to protect exporting businesses.

The free Export Essentials workshop takes place on Thursday October 20, 9.30 – 12.30pm at RiDO's Moorgate Crofts Business Centre in Rotherham.

In Rotherham, companies looking to export are also getting help through the "Soft Landings Zone" (SLZ) project managed by Rotherham Investment & Development Office (RiDO) and funded from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

In addition to helping overseas companies that are looking to establish operations in the UK, the SLZ project works with local companies through accelerated support programmes to develop ideas that have true potential to create export focused businesses.

Rotherham Enterprise Board website

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News: Eldon's commitment to Rotherham is a positive sign for the local economy

Eldon, a leading manufacturer of enclosure systems, has taken a new ten year lease on their premises at Hellaby in Rotherham.

The 90,500 sq ft property at Rother Way is leased from Chancerygate Asset Management at an initial rent of £270,000per annum with fixed annual uplifts.

Eldon were represented by Colliers International and Chancerygate Asset Management were represented by GVA.

Rob Oliver at GVA said: "Eldon Electric's existing lease was due to expire in April 2012. Both parties wanted longer term certainty of occupancy, and the deal agreed works well for them both.

"Eldon manufacture electrical and telecommunications cabinets, and can now invest in the site for the medium term. We are seeing improving levels of interest from manufacturers for premises in this area, which is a positive sign for the local economy."

Eddie Cook, managing director of Chancerygate Asset Management, added: "We are delighted to have completed a new long term letting of this unit. We work closely with our tenants, and try to understand their specific business needs and circumstances.

"We are delighted to conclude this new lease with Eldon in a challenging occupational market."

Opened by the Swedish firm in 1985, the Rotherham plant is devoted to the extensive range of stainless steel enclosures were small teams working in dedicated cells make production both flexible and reactive. They specialise in enclosure systems and control cabinet, server cabinet and electrical cabinet systems. The facility uses the latest 3D CADCAM technology to produce one of the largest range of standard sized enclosures in the market.

Eldon website

Images: Chancerygate Asset Managemen

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News: Identicom safeguarding frontline staff

Rotherham-based Connexion2 has secured further contracts to protect staff working alone with their Identicom device.

The Dinnington company is providing Rochdale Borough Council's frontline lone-working staff with a more secure working environment and the technology to gather evidence against tenants who verbally abuse its staff. Such workers are typically facing a range of social risks from verbal abuse, intimidation and attack or assault.

The SoloProtect package is based on the award-winning Identicom system which is designed to look like a normal ID badge and allows lone workers to raise an alarm, make an emergency phone call or send a text message.

SoloProtect added another layer of defence to the council's existing lone worker procedures. This proved so successful that the Homeless Service, Building Controls and Revenue & Benefits departments also incorporated the solution. Now the Council has a total of 60 Identicom devices being used by frontline staff.

Javed Rehman, senior support worker at Rochdale Council, said: "Identicom is extremely practical and easy to use and it looks like a normal ID badge and can be worn round the neck which leaves your hands free. This means there is no need to fumble in our pockets for a mobile phone and everyone feels much safer knowing that they can open up a connection to the monitoring centre and can escalate the response which can involve the police if necessary."

York Housing Association has also chosen Coonnexion2 to deliver a bespoke policy and training package following a review of its lone worker policy.

The lone worker security management training and consultancy services focus on working with both the employer and employee to enhance the protection of lone workers, providing education and comprehensive support on all aspects of lone worker protection for the employer, the lone worker manager and the individual lone worker.

The association provides a range of housing and support services to over 600 households in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and has also chosen the Identicom system to provide frontline staff with additional confidence knowing they could discreetly raise an alarm whilst carrying out their work and travelling between locations.

Connexion2 website

Images: connexion2.com

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News: AJR Computing has got IT covered

A switched-on Rotherham man has set up his own business with the help and support of the Rotherham Enterprise Project.

Andrew Marriott, from East Dene, set up AJR Computing to help others keep their computers on the go. His company provides PC and laptop repairs, maintenance and support.

He said: "Setting up your own business can be a pretty daunting experience. We are very lucky in Rotherham to have things like the Rotherham Enterprise Project who have business coaches to advise and support you along the way."

Andrew built his knowledge and expertise in the IT world by studying at Rotherham College, Dearne Valley College and then at Sheffield Hallam University where he gained NVQ qualifications before becoming a recognised A+ Certified IT Technician.

He then went on to spend four years as an IT Technician covering a cluster of eight schools in the Maltby area, dealing with a mixture of very routine and extremely complex issues to keep whole networks and individual computers operational.

Andrew got support with his business plan which helped to secure a grant from the UK Steel Enterprise Kickstart fund. He has recently set up a second business, Rotherham Laptop Repair, and is providing ICT support for a number of Rotherham Primary schools for Rotherham Council.

Andrew added: "Work for yourself if a fantastic motivator and I would say to anyone who is thinking about it - don't hold back and just go for it."

The Rotherham Enterprise Project is supported financially by the European Union. It has attracted £1m investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe's support for the region's economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme 2007-13.

Jackie Frost, from the Rotherham Enterprise Project said: "Andrew is a fantastic example of someone who has grown up in Rotherham, developed his skills locally and thanks to that entrepreneurial spark set up his own business.

"We wish him every success and look forward to hearing about how his business develops and grows over the coming years."

AJR Computing website
Rotherham Youth Enterprise website

Images: Rotherham Youth Enterprise

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News: Rotherham’s retail revival continues with the restoration of historic High Street properties

A heritage-led regeneration scheme is continuing to breathe new life into Rotherham's High Street.

Work is underway or about to start on four more key properties as part of the £3m Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) which is supported by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Rotherham Borough Council.

The project sees property owners and long term lease holders secure grants enabling them to restore, renovate and repair their historic buildings which are all within a conservation area. The aim is to encourage new shops, apartments and businesses to locate in the town centre.

Scaffolding currently surrounds No's 22 – 30 High Street (pictured top) where work is underway to restore the missing corner turret, repair the roof and windows and restore the special ornate features unique to the façade of the building. Remembered by many as the former Muntus department store, interior work on the current SNAFU bar is also taking place.

Further along the High Street, plans are being progressed to restore features at 14a and convert the upper floors into apartments. A planning application has also recently been submitted for the restoration of No's 10 – 12 where clothing store Caprice moved in over the summer. This building was custom designed for Boots The Chemist in the 1950's and the "modern" coloured glass panels will be reinstated.

At the top of the High Street and across from the recently refurbished Imperial Buildings, work is set to begin this month on the art-deco Essoldo Chambers (pictured above). The former Empire Cinema is now home to nightclub and Italian restaurant and the faded façade will be restored to bring back the building's true colour. The upper floors will be converted to apartments after the restoration work has been completed.

Councillor Gerald Smith, Rotherham Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity said: "We are pleased to be able to support businesses, retailers and property owners with their redevelopment plans and help to create an attractive High Street that is economically strong and that people can be proud of.

"Rotherham is blessed with historic buildings that have medieval history as well as examples of Georgian, Victorian, art-deco and fifties architecture. These are character buildings that deserve to be restored and which cannot be found in shopping malls and retail parks."

One key building that has already been faithfully restored is Hamby's shoe shop and neighbouring properties at No's 32 -36 High Street. The restoration of the former Mason's Jewellers was completed last year after the building was cleaned, the roof and windows repaired and the missing corner turret and Mason's signage were reinstated.

The store's owner, Chris Hamby, recently unveiled plans to purchase and restore further buildings on the High Street. The plans will result in a complex of mixed-used retail outlets including an antiques and gift shop and a micro-brewery, as well as returning the medieval Three Cranes to its original use – as a real ale pub.

Cllr Smith added: "Previous high-standard Townscape Heritage Initiative refurbishments and the renovated Imperial Buildings show that heritage-led projects are an effective way of regenerating Rotherham town centre.

"Along with other initiatives such as the Vitality grants that are helping to attract independent retailers into the area, we are now seeing a lot more life back in Rotherham town centre."

Rotherham town centre website
Rotherham THI website

Images: Big Box Photography / Rotherham Archives

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News: Nikken on the world stage

Expert young engineers have been at Nikken Kosakusho Europe Ltd in Rotherham in preparation for the WorldSkills 2011 competition next month.

WorldSkills London 2011 on October 5 will be the world's largest international skills competition, with young people from across the globe competing to be the best of the best in their chosen skill.

Nikken has been selected as an official supplier for this prestigious global event and David Nicholl from Schlumberger and Sam Andrews from BAe Systems spent a week practising at the Barbot Hall facility. Nikken offered the use of their Doosan Machining Centre for the two young apprentices to further hone their skills in preparation for the CNC Milling Competition and the Manufacturing Team Challenge respectively.

Tony Bowkett, group managing director at Nikken Kosakusho Europe, said: "Nikken has for more than 50 years understood the importance of workplace training and skills. The opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring future generations have the outstanding engineering skills required for the UK to compete globally, is one we could not pass over."

Ian Thompson, WorldSkills Training Manager for the UK from Coleg Llandrillo Cymru, added: "It is fantastic to have such prestigious companies supporting the young UK engineers giving them the best possible chance to compete on a World Stage. For them to have equipment supplied and supported by Nikken gives them a boost of confidence knowing that they have the highest quality, industry leading tools at their disposal."

Nikken Kosakusho Europe Ltd is a subsidiary of Japan's Nikken Kosakusho Works Ltd. The Rotherham facility supplies CNC rotary tables and tooling products to European offices in France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain & Turkey.

Nikken Kosakusho Europe Ltd website

Images: nikken-world.com

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News: Former Rotherham council worker sees benefit of starting own business

An enterprising Rotherham man has started his own business after 16 years of working in the public sector.

Brian Moran worked with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) and the 2010 Rotherham project, in a number of positions, including electrician, and quality assurance officer for electrical projects, until spring last year when he decided to take early retirement.

He was initially offered an opportunity with a private sector electrical contractor, however after several months and much consideration he decided to establish his own company.

Based in RiDO's Fusion @ Magna business centre, Moran Electrical Solutions was created in December 2010, primarily to serve the educational sector. Business is going well and the company works with schools in the Rotherham, Sheffield and Chesterfield areas. The company has also won increasing amounts of commercial work with clients ranging from a hotel chain in the North West & London area to distribution centres across the North of the UK.

The companies' success has meant that it has already taken on four additional electricians (three of which are also former RMBC staff) and Brian is also considering employing an apprentice electrician.

Brian said: "Its still early days but the business is building slowly but surely. We don't want to run before we can walk, but so far we have had excellent feedback on our prices and quality of work, and are getting repeat business. If we can continue to make a living and enjoy it, whilst also helping out our customers, we'll be very happy.

"It was daunting to start with, organising the business plus the insurance, business registration, book keeping etc. The list was endless! In addition there was the worry of whether the business would succeed. Add to this the disruption caused by the snow in December, Christmas and New Year breaks ... it was tough.

"However we're past all that now and if the business continues to expand at the present rate I feel very confident for our prospects."

Moran Electrical Solutions website
RiDO business centres website

Images: RiDO

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News: In-tend supports new concept in procurement

Rotherham e-procurement specialists, In-tend has provided a full software package to Salesbridge, a new service helping buyers and suppliers in procurement outsourcing.

The idea of outsourcing within procurement is not new but with In-tend's Tendering, Contract Management and Auctions Software, the Salesbridge concept certainly is.

The Salesbridge approach takes the brief from the purchaser and sources the best supplier at no cost to the buying company. They take a percentage of the successful supplying company based on the value of the contract on a "pay as you win basis" and it is free for buyers and suppliers to register.

Sourcing suppliers is often a drain on resources, the purchasing company may decide to go with an existing supplier and not get the best price or shop around for quotes, which takes some time. By using In-tend's software within the Salesbridge approach, buyers and suppliers are able to manage their tendering and contracts electronically in a centralised system. This enables easy access and saves time, resulting in costs being reduced.

Steve Spruce, managing director of Salesbridge said: "Outsourcing procurement of products and services presents huge opportunities for time and cost savings, and provides a cost-effective route to the best most competitive prices."

Based in RiDO's Moorgate Crofts business centre, In-tend's procurement software is accessed and utilised by over 300 organizations including universities, colleges and local authorities. 5,000 registered users manage in excess of £10 billion in contracts and there are currently over 100,000 suppliers signed up to In-Tend services, ready to respond electronically to tenders, contract and auction exercises.

In-tend's Community Conference is taking place at the Carlton Park Hotel in Rotherham on November 10.

In-tend website
Salesbridge website

Images: in-tend.co.uk

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News: Cassis puts forward Parseq bid

Rami Cassis, CEO of Parseq, has submitted a bid to his own company regarding a possible management buyout.

Parseq, which specialises in mobile and online banking software and technology-led outsourcing services, was created last year following a successful reverse takeover by Rami Cassis and Rotherham-based BPO provider, Documetric.

In an announcement to the stock exchange, the Parseq board stated that an approach has been received from Rami Cassis together with Nova Capital and funds managed by HarbourVest Partners, LLC through a newly incorporated entity called Bidco.

They added that the bid is likely to be solely in cash and the indicative offer price is 7.5 pence per ordinary share. This values the company at £32m.

Following a rise in its share price, the company issued a statement to the stock exchange in August, confirming that it had received an approach from a potential offeror led by Rami Cassis.

The share price has been trading at around 4.5p per share but reached 9p on the back of large contract wins for the mobile banking arm of the group.

The statement added that discussions are still at a relatively early stage and the making of any offer is subject to the satisfactory completion of the due diligence exercise currently being undertaken by Bidco.

Cassis founded Documetric in 2007 through a management buy-out of the data services division of Atos Origin, a leading European IT outsourcer. The Rotherham facility at Hellaby processes up to 30,000 envelopes every day and utilises a range of cheque processing and scanning machines to process payments. They are one of the ten largest BACS Bureaux in the UK and process 47 million transactions a year.

For the year ended December 2010, Paresq's revenue was £16.45m, an increase of 62% on 2009 (£10.17m) and a world away from a modest £1.8m in annual revenues in 2007.

Parseq website

Images: parseq.com

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News: Domino's delivers new jobs to the Dearne Valley

Domino's, the local pizza delivery expert, is set to create around 25-30 full and part-time jobs, when it opens its second outlet in Rotherham this month.

The 1,000 sq ft store will be located at the Onyx development on Manvers Way and the company is recruiting within the community for trainee managers, trainee pizza makers, customer service representatives and delivery experts.

Eddie El-Lamaa, franchisee for the new store, said: "We are looking forward to opening a new store in Rotherham and to employing people who live in the community that we'll be serving.

"First and foremost, we'll be looking for people who can deliver great customer service and demonstrate strong teamwork skills, as well as boundless enthusiasm. It's also vital to be able to maintain a sense of fun while working under pressure."

Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza is one of the world's leading pizza delivery brands. Through its primarily franchised system, the operate a global network of more than 9,350 stores in 70 international markets. There are 688 stores in the UK.

The 2.5 acre Onyx scheme resides within the larger 285 acre Waterfront regeneration scheme and is being built by JF Finnegan Construction for Onward Holdings. Subway has also signed up and another of the 1,000 sq ft units is also about to go under offer for a hot food offering.

Domino's website

Images: dominos.co.uk

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News: Bramall shortlisted for two sustainability awards

Rotherham social housing contractor, Bramall Construction, has been shortlisted for two prestigious national sustainability awards.

The Manvers company has been named as a finalist in the Sustainable Social Housing Contractor of the Year category of The Sustainable Housing Awards 2011.

The awards focus on the best "green" social housing projects constructed in the UK and the organisations responsible for them. Bramall's work on one of the first rural Passivhaus accredited homes in the UK at Wimbish, Essex has also been recognised. Bramall were finalists at the same awards last year.

Bramall has also been shortlisted in the Housebuilder Awards, now in their seventh year, in the Sustainable Housebuilder of the Year category. The awards celebrate the very best of the industry and recognise the achievements of those leading the way in innovation.

The winners of both awards will be announced later in the year at ceremonies in London.

Mark Whitley, technical manager at Bramall Construction, said: "Being shortlisted for these two prestigious awards is testament to our commitment to the environment and best practice in green construction.

"Sustainability is at the core of our company's agenda and we are leading the way in utilising state-of-the-art eco technology to deliver high level Code for Sustainable Homes developments across the UK."

Bramall is already building zero carbon homes to Level 6 of the Code for less than £130,000. They also completed one of the UK's largest zero carbon developments in Slough, Berkshire.

Bramall Construction website

Images: bramall.com

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News: Frankie & Benny's plans back on the table

Plans for a 377 sq m Frankie & Benny's restaurant at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham have been resubmitted after initial plans were refused earlier this year.

British Land, the owners of the retail park, submitted plans that would replace the existing management and toilet block in the centre of the park, creating a restaurant and 30 FTE jobs. The estimated investment is almost £2m and would also result in 30-40 construction jobs.

The reasons for refusal given in the officer's report was that the development would be a destination in its own right and would divert trade, investment and expenditure away from Rotherham town centre. It also concluded that there were preferable sites for a restaurant in the town centre. Both are contrary to national planning policies designed to promote sustainable economic growth and used to protect town centres.

The new application still states that potential sites in the town centre are unsuitable for a Frankie & Benny's restaurant and that "no significant adverse impact will arise on either the A3 [restaurant] sector, or importantly Rotherham Town Centre as a whole."

However, to address the council's concerns regarding the development diverting trade, investment and expenditure away from Rotherham town centre, British Land are looking to enter into a section 106 agreement with the council to mitigate the affects of the development.

Heads of terms have been prepared for a £130,000 contribution to be used by the council on a range of initiatives to improve the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre.

Such initiatives are to include; town centre parking initiatives (including the provision of subsidised free parking), improvement of indoor market entrances, supporting the vitality grants scheme, Freebee bus support, town centre business support and joint marketing and promotional initiatives. Any unspent funds would be reimbursed after five years.

The applicants believe that the agreement would make the development acceptable in planning terms.

The plans also state that opening at Parkgate would not preclude the operators of Frankie & Benny's, The Restaurant Group, from opening another outlet within the town centre. For example, operating a Chiquitos outlet alongside a cinema or leisure development.

A spokesperson from The Restaurant Group said: "We would be happy to consider any subsequent identified locations as part of a broadening of the leisure function within the town centre, as any such location would be complementary, rather than mutually exclusive, with our commitment to Parkgate."

Images: Ingenium Archial Ltd / British Land

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News: Rotherham nightclub up for sale

The 22,000 sq ft, 2,000 capacity, Liquid & Envy nightclub in Rotherham town centre has been put up for sale.

Chartered surveyors & property consultants, Gerald Eve, has been instructed to sell the Main Street venue by operators Luminar Leisure.

The 1.965 acre site also includes 150 car-park spaces and is being advertised as an investment and a development opportunity. The site is located in the heart of the £2bn Rotherham Renaissance regeneration initiative, close to the council's Riverside House and the new community stadium for Rotherham United.

The agents state that "subject to the necessary consents the site has potential for redevelopment for small scale retail, restaurant, hotel, office and lesiure uses. The site could also hold potential for an element of residential development."

Luminar may also consider taking back a short term lease of the nightclub on terms to be agreed.

Chris Ford, leisure partner at Gerald Eve, said: "We expect interest both from operators who want to continue running the venue as a club and also from developers looking to participate in Rotherham's ambitious rejuvenation plans. The vendor has said it may consider taking back a short term lease of the nightclub if that would be of interest to developers."

Luminar has a branded estate of over 70 nightclubs and bars and the largest square footage of nightclub capacity in the country. They posted a loss before tax for the year ended 26 February 2011 of £1.1m compared to a profit of £5.5m in 2010. They are in discussion with its banks on the restructuring of the group's debt arrangement and has disposed of four properties in recent months which have generated a net cash inflow of £3.7m.

Luminar website
Gerald Eve website

Images: liquidclubs.com

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News: IMechE president in Rotherham

The president of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), Professor Roderick A Smith FREng FIMechE, will visit Rotherham next week to give an address emphasising that engineering has a dominant role to play in shaping our future.


The event is taking place at the global headquarters of AESSEAL, the fourth largest mechanical seal manufacturer in the world, in Templeborough.

Professor Smith, the former Head of Department for Mechanical Engineering at Sheffield University will be visiting Rotherham in his capacity as the 126th President of the Institution.

During his time in office, he is focusing on promoting engineering to children, educating the wider public on what mechanical engineering is, providing strong stories about how mechanical engineering enriches all aspects of society, and engaging with the public on the biggest challenges faced by society - energy, population and resources.

Professor Smith said: "The average person in the street doesn't know how engineering is contributing to making life richer, healthier and more comfortable for them. I have to ask why that is, and the answer is that it's down to us as engineers to tell them. We have to communicate how we as engineers shape and influence society."

The presidential visit is followed by a number of IMechE events, visits, forums and speeches in the region.

The institute has invited Dan Fleetcroft and Mike Maddock, from Rotherham-based Performance Engineered Solutions (PES) Ltd, to talk at an event at Leeds University next week.

The PES team will present a journey through their engineering histories and share some of the projects a lessons learned in the pursuit of performance.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, the new breed of engineering design company has grown out Bromley Technologies Ltd and specialises in enhancing the performance of components, products and systems by delivering integrated engineering thinking alongside innovative design, materials, manufacturing and testing technologies.

They are currently working on a number of projects including; aerospace components, the aerodynamic and composite design for a new Moto2 racing bike, composite parts for a super lightweight, high performance road car, R&D projects in the automotive tyre sector, and the management of a major international engineering project.

IMechE website
AESSEAL website
PES Ltd website

Images: imeche.org

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News: National retailers in administration

Two struggling national retailers with outlets in Rotherham have entered administration.

Floors2Go, the Birmingham based operator of 90 retail flooring stores in England went into administration last month.

Administrators at Senate Recovery Limited, the Warwick based insolvency practice, has been able to secure a sale to Nixon and Hope for the continued trading of 35 stores and the jobs of 162 employees.

Jeremy Bowden, joint administrator, confirmed that the outlet at Taylors Lane, Parkgate, was one of the stores sold as part of the sale and the intention is for this store to continue trading.

Jeremy said: "We have worked hard with the company, its directors, other parts of the Senate Group and an external funder to achieve this deal despite hostile economic and trading conditions. Everyone involved has worked hard to get the deal through".

Furniture chain Walmsley entered administration last month with 25 stores immediately sold to a new owner, private equity firm SKG, by administrators from Leonard Curtis.

Walmsey's Suite Superstore on Bridgegate in Rotherham town centre was one of 38 stores that have been closed, mainly in the north of England and the Midlands.

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News: Materialise technologies showcased at the V&A

Radical advances in digital, laser and new additive manufacturing technologies initiated by Rotherham-based Materialise are to be part of an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum in London this month.

"Industrial Revolution 2.0: How the Material World Will Newly Materialise" is taking place as part of the London Design Festival and it will be the first exhibition to solely feature 3D printed pieces.

Renowned New York-based design gallerist and curator Murray Moss has collaborated with industry leader Materialise to bring together a series of unique printed works, using cutting edge laser and digital technologies to build three-dimensional objects.

Moss has commissioned eight designs from the worlds of fashion and furnishings, all sponsored and produced by Materialise. They will be placed throughout the Museum's most important galleries, wittily referencing eight of the Museum's key pieces and spaces.

Murray Moss said: "My aim was to initiate little narratives, some of which I hope will amuse - between certain of the Museum's historical holdings and these futuristic contemporary objects, not only shedding new light on the Museum's collection, but, in the process, demonstrating the wide reach of these new technologies."

Additive Manufacturing allows for the three-dimensional printing of objects; a sophisticated fabrication process once reserved for prototyping but which is quickly becoming ubiquitous and is permeating all areas of the contemporary material world, including fashion and domestic furnishings, as well as transportation, medicine, and architecture.

The Belgian company has their UK operation on the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham which has the largest capacity of rapid prototyping equipment in Europe. Experts have created an articulated light shade that can be opened or closed like a blooming lotus flower (pictured), a couture fashion dress in 3-D printed nylon and intricately designed tables and chairs, using 3-D printed epoxy resin.

Materialise website

Images: vam.ac.uk

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News: AESSEAL win international trade award

Leading Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL, has been named amongst the UK's best exporters by becoming a regional winner in the 2010/11 International Trade Awards, sponsored by Santander Corporate Banking and Eversheds.

With their global headquarters at Templeborough, AESSEAL specialise in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals, bearing protectors and environmental control systems.

The latest accolade is for the North East England, Yorkshire and Humber region of the awards that exclusively recognise the UK's leading importers and exporters who have, in the face of adversity given the challenges posed by the current global economic climate, excelled over the past year.

Phil Orford of the Forum of Private Business, assisted by Martin Hodges, head of trade with Santander Corporate Banking, Howard Barrie, partner at Eversheds, and David Solomons, senior partner at Creative Learning Consultants, selected AESSEAL from an exceptional list of applications.

Richard Cook, production and personnel director at AESSEAL, said: "Having witnessed the strength of the competition we are understandably delighted to have been named as regional winners.

"During the last decade our business has almost quadrupled in size, primarily due to our pursuit of excellence and an increasingly international presence. More fundamentally, it is the quality of our people that makes the difference and we are fortunate to have a highly capable and committed team, 75% of whom are based overseas."

Along with eight other regional finalists, AESSEAL will be invited to attend the UK final held at a prestigious London venue in Autumn 2011.

AESSEAL won the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2011 for international trade, recognising that over six years the company's overseas earnings have more than doubled and three-quarters of its output are now exported to its markets in more than 100 countries.

The company was also recently named in The Telegraph's list of "Britain's Brightest Businesses" - a celebration of the 1,000 mid-sized companies which have weathered the economic storm and are set to be the foundation of the UK's recovery.

AESSEAL website

Images: aesseal.co.uk

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News: Scholarships awarded to Rotherham students

Thomas Rotherham College has awarded scholarships to two of its outstanding students.

Jackey Chong, who is going to read Mathematics at Churchill College Cambridge, is the winner of the Harold Bridges Memorial Scholarship for Physical Sciences and Mathematics, donated by Mrs Shirley Bridges in memory of her husband.

Harold Bridges was one of the most distinguished old boys of Rotherham Grammar School, the predecessor of Thomas Rotherham College in the current college buildings and site on Moorgate.

In 1934 he won a scholarship to Armstrong College, which was at that time a constituent part of the University of Durham. He studied Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, winning the Stroud Laboratory Prize for Physics.

Harold then worked for Shell and rose to be president of the multi-national company. His widow, Mrs Shirley Bridges is a generous benefactor of the College, and this annual scholarship of £1,000 is awarded to a former TRC student in the first year of his or her course at university in science or maths-based subjects.

Katherine Henderson, who is going to read Spanish and English Literature at Edinburgh, has won the inaugural Feoffees' Scholarship for English and Languages, which marks the College's connection with the Feoffees of the Common Lands of Rotherham, the oldest charity in the town.

Dr Richard Williams, principal at Thomas Rotherham College, said: "The Scholarships are awarded on academic excellence, effort, commitment to the chosen university course and demonstrating how the Scholarship will help in pursuing that course. As expected there were some excellent applications, and Katherine and Jackey won their awards in the face of strong competition."

Thomas Rotherham College website

Images: thomroth.ac.uk

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News: National expansion Assured thanks to UKSE loan

Rotherham-based Assured Fire and Security has been given the green light to go for a national expansion plan thanks in part to a £50,000 loan from business finance company UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE).

The Dinnington company this week received the finance that will enable continued growth and expansion in line with its five-year business plan.

The loan will assist the company to increase turn over in the next five years to £15m; five times that which it reported last year. Equally importantly, it will help the company to quadruple its workforce to almost 200 once the nationwide expansion is complete.

Simon Stokes, managing director of Assured said: "The loan from UKSE is vital to our growth plans and we are delighted to have that level of confidence shown in us by our new investors. We are an ambitious company and aim to become one of the largest independent fire and security companies in the country in the next five years.

"Our growth plan calls for the acquisition of companies in major industry growth areas such as London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle. We even have plans to further develop our overseas works and develop Assured as an international brand, so this financial boost could see what was once a sole trading company become a global brand."

UKSE is the wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel. It provides business finance to a wide variety of companies to encourage business growth and job creation in areas affected by changes in the steel industry. The business investor works in various steel industry areas across the UK providing finance to small and medium sized businesses. It also runs a number of innovation centres that provide office and operating spaces for small businesses.

Keith Williams, regional manager for Yorkshire, Humberside and the Midlands, at UKSE says Assured Fire and Security is a perfect fit for its own business plan which supports growth and enterprise in its target areas.

Keith said: "Assured Fire and Security represent the perfect client for us, when it comes to making an investment. Simon has a solid management team and we like the company's approach to new enterprise, its ambition and growth prospects.

"The company has a clear vision for the future and importantly for us it is one that will play a role in the regeneration of not only South Yorkshire but other regions as well. We are delighted to be a partner in the growth of Assured Fire and Security."

Rotherham-based Specialist Cooling has recently benefited from a UKSE development loan and over 250 small businesses have benefited from UKSE's local Kickstart Funds.

Assured Fire and Security website
UKSE website

Images: UKSE

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News: Hargreaves report rise in profits

Hargreaves Services plc, the UK's leading energy support services provider and owner and operator of Maltby Colliery in Rotherham, has announced their latest financial results showing that underlying profit before tax for the year increased 18.1% from £34.3m to £40.5m.

The preliminary results for the year ended 31 May 2011 also showed that revenues increased by £92.5m, from £459.8m to £552.3m and that the growth European operations was a major contributor to the growth in profitability.

At Maltby, total saleable production at Maltby increased by 460k tonnes from 1,057k tonnes to 1,517k tonnes. This increase was largely accounted for by an increase of 414k tonnes in the amount of tiny coal particles (coal fines) recovered.

Hargreaves introduced new working practices during the year and production consistency improved. Total production increased from 827k tonnes to 873k tonnes. A fifth shift was also introduced in February employing 80 extra staff.

About 60% of Maltby's total output is supplied under a long-term secure contract with Drax Power Station, Europe's largest coal-fired power plant. Much of the remaining production is supplied exclusively to Hargreaves' Monckton Coke Works near Barnsley. External coal sales from Maltby generated £53.1m of revenue compared to £38.9m in the previous year.

The colliery produces more than one million tonnes of coal per year and employs more than 500 people. Production at the colliery is currently estimated to continue to 2017.

The report gave an outlook on the future for coal that indicated that although it is likely that the coal consumption by UK power stations will decline, Hargreaves will maintain current level of activity well into the next decade, if not beyond. For the sale of speciality coals, Hargreaves reports a mixed outlook across the market.

Hargreaves Services website

Images: hargreavesservices.co.uk

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News: Developers have their say on Rotherham's LDF

Developers, land owners and businesses are putting forward their views on the long-term development plan for Rotherham.

Consultation is ongoing on Rotherham's Local Development Framework (LDF) including the Draft Core Strategy comprising the overall plan, and the Sites and Policies Issues and Options - which suggests sites for housing, employment, retail provision and other uses.

The operators of Sheffield Business Park are putting their view forward on land at the park which comes under the Rotherham boundary and are suggesting that an area identified as green belt be re-classified as employment land. The small parcel was classified as greenbelt as it fell within a protected flight path for Sheffield City Airport which has now closed.

Hargreaves, the owners and operators of Maltby Colliery are considering the use of the site when mining comes to an end. When Hargreaves acquired the site, they intended to keep the colliery open to 2015 and this end date was subsequently extended to 2017. Consideration could be given to utilise the site as a major development in the green belt with possible scope for industrial and business uses, taking advantage of rail infrastructure.

In the town centre, Satnam Urban Regeneration Limited are continuing to push for the land that they own on Westgate should be ear-marked for retail developemnt (food and non-food).

The deadline for this round of consultation is on Friday September 16.

Karl Battersby, strategic director for Environment and Development Services for Rotherham Borough Council, said: "I am keen to see that our plans for the Borough are clearly debated so that we ensure the best results for Rotherham as a whole.

"We all need to work together to create a Local Development Framework that matches the needs of people and businesses in the future. And this is not the end of the process. We will be going back out next year to the public to discuss the individual sites in more detail."

The employment land target from now until 2027 has been reduced by 30 per cent with around 230 hectares being proposed for new economic development and a further five hectares for new office floorspace.

The amount of green belt proposed to be released has been reduced by 60 per cent and a policy to protect greenbelt land and promote brownfield development is included.

RMBC LDF consultation website

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News: Ambitious plan for Rotherham's historic High Street

Plans to regenerate key historic properties on Rotherham's High Street have been unveiled by local businessman, Chris Hamby.

If successful, the ambitious plan will result in a complex of mixed-used retail outlets including an antiques and gift shop and a micro-brewery, as well as returning the medieval Three Cranes to its original use – as a real ale pub.

Mr Hamby (pictured), who owns Hamby's shoe and gift shop in the former Mason's jewellers on the High Street, says he intends to buy and redevelop five empty properties on Rotherham High Street, along with the George Wright building that stands between the High Street and Snail Hill.

He announced his plans after hearing that Rotherham Borough Council has agreed in principal to a capital investment loan of £750,000 towards the purchase and redevelopment of the High Street site.

The loan will also secure £677,000 of Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) for additional, much needed works to the listed buildings.

If successful, the heritage grant will be used to refurbish 25-29, High Street - the Three Cranes; 29a, High Street - a Georgian town house that was latterly an Italian restaurant; and the George Wright Building.

The adjacent properties, numbers 17, 19 and 21, High Street, are relatively new buildings and are not part of the THI scheme but Mr Hamby wants to buy and refurbish them because together they make a larger development opportunity.

Plans were passed in 2005 for a redevelopment as a plaza with shops, bars and restaurants, but they were never implemented as the owners encountered financial difficulties.

Chris Hamby said: "These block of shops have long stood empty, vandalised and unloved, so I feel sure that everyone who loves Rotherham will welcome the plans.

"It has the backing of the Rotherham District Civic society and the full support of Rotherham Borough Council. The authority has been very encouraging and my sincere thanks go to the Town Centre Development Team, the Townscape Heritage Initiative Officer and the authority's Financial Services department for their help."

Although the plans are not yet finalised the George Wright building may become a micro brewery as part of this section of the scheme.

Chris added: "There has been a lot of interest shown in the remaining vacant sites. And talks are in progress with both local retailers and national chains.

"One of the empty units is already let as a top quality cake shop, and another shop will become Hamby's Gift shop, a dedicated stand-alone quality shop incorporating what is currently, only a department in the shoe store. We will then aim to extend the range of footwear and leather goods on offer at number 36 High Street."

The council's legal and financial teams will now finalise the terms and conditions of the loan agreement in respect of both interest rates and security.

The council has facilitated similar loans for larger regeneration projects in the town centre - the redevelopment recently completed by RCAT, and the community stadium for Rotherham United.

Work is expected to start on some of the retail units by late October. The grade 2 listed properties will take longer to renovate, and archaeological studies will need to be performed first.

Chris Hamby's Rotherham store has recently undergone a £250,000 renovation works as part of the £3m Townscape Heritage Initiative to restore the important building back to its former glory.

Hamby's website

Images: hambys.org.uk / Edward Symmons

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