News: Stafforce sets sights on £100m mark after seeing success in Leeds

Rotherham's fast growing national specialist recruiter, Stafforce, is benefiting from a business buzz as Yorkshire employers bounce back and take on more staff.

Since the start of July Stafforce's Leeds city centre branch has experienced a significant increase in the number of temporary workers it is supplying to local employers across the Leeds and York area. The Stafforce management team puts the recent wave of growth down to the new appointment of Christian Rudd as business manager for the Leeds and York area, a strong team of recruiters, the growth and development of the wider Stafforce business and a recovering local economy.

Christian Rudd, business manager at Stafforce (pictured above, second left, with the Leeds team), said: "This summer we're witnessing some great business growth across the Leeds and York area. Clients are recruiting more staff and more employers are deciding to work with Stafforce. Our business pipeline is strong and we're looking forward to further growth as 2013 unfolds.

The recruitment experts work across a wide range of sectors, from construction, to retail, to manufacturing and the food industry.

Tony Boorman, director of Stafforce Recruitment, added: "From our perspective the local economy definitely appears to be picking up; there's a buzz in the air and employers are recruiting more workers. Christian is without doubt a great asset for our local team and his industry expertise and direction with clients will most certainly be having a positive impact on the recent uplift.

"The Stafforce business has seen growth across the UK over the past three years; partly through acquisition and partly through organic growth. We are now able to offer clients more added value services and our clients can also 100% rely on us to comply with all legislation and protect their business from risk. We're a safe pair of hands and expert in what we do; this attracts confidence and new clients."

With a head office on Percy Street in Rotherham town centre and over 150 staff and has a UK-wide network of 27 sites, Stafforce offers an extended range of added-value services to clients through its Stafforce Recruitment and Nicholas Associates brands.

It recently expanded its range of added-value services it offers to clients, including offering temporary and permanent recruitment, executive search and selection, business improvement and organisational development, learning and talent development, robotics and automation, software development and access to Apprenticeships.

Established in 1977 by local entrepreneur, now chairman, Nick Cragg, Stafforce is a £60m business and on track to becoming a £100m operation.

Stafforce website

Images: Steafforce

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News: Prime pub acquired for new steakhouse

Enterprising Jason Mace, managing director of Manvers marquee and gazebo company Gala Tent, has acquired the former Double Barrel public house in Thurcroft, Rotherham, with exciting plans to turn it into a steakhouse.

The property recently went to auction with a guide price of £150,000 and was sold shortly after. Mace plans to invest around £80,000 in carrying out the refurbishment of the 3,500 sq ft pub, with new furnishings, a brand new kitchen, new electrics, new windows, flooring, toilet facilities, re-plastering and decorating, with the steakhouse due to open towards the end of October.

The new home for the Cross Keys Steakhouse and Grill in Hoyland, expects to create 12 new jobs.

Jason Mace, owner of the Double Barrel steakhouse, said: "It's a real shame to see a pub in a great location like this standing empty. We've carried out a lot of research locally and there's lots of demand for a function suite and steakhouse in this area as it's within ten minutes of Hellaby, Dinnington and Wickersley and really close to the M18 and M1 motorways. We'll be creating a number of new jobs and investing a significant sum to make this the best steakhouse in the region."

The new project follows on from the successful turnaround of the Park View Sports Bar & Restaurant in Swinton, which Jason helped to transform into a dining and function venue, and a hub for local sports teams, after it closed down. Jason recently finalised a five year lease with a new proprietor, Michelle Barber-Carr to take over the management of the Swinton venue.

Jason added: "We've a tried and tested plan that has worked so well for the Park View pub and we'll be using this winning formula for the new steakhouse. This includes a complete refurb, an exciting menu and its own website, social media and marketing support. I'm hoping this will be the first of many steakhouses we'll be opening in South Yorkshire."

Jason's first business, Gala Tent is one of the UK's leading designers and manufacturers of marquees and gazebos. It has grown from a table top operation in Grimethorpe to a company with a turnover of around £7m in just over a decade.

Real Stakehouse website
Gala tent website

Images: Real Steakhouse

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News: Martek director to stand up for charity

Steve Coulson, sales director at Martek Marine in Rotherham, is swapping his suit for the stage as he prepares to perform a stand-up comedy routine at a unique fundraising event.

Steve is one of ten personalities from well-known organisations in the Sheffield city region taking in part in the Funny Business event that is being organised in association with the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) to raise money for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity.

The participants will soon begin training with top Sheffield comic, Alfie Moore and the training will culminate with the comedy hopefuls performing live on stage at Sheffield City Hall on November 7.

One of the co-founders of Manvers-based Martek Marine, Coulson is more at home supplying safety and environmental monitoring systems to the global shipping industry. He said: "I wanted to do something that was well outside of my comfort zone - and this definitely is!"

Funds raised will contribute to the Cancer Charity's "Do Your Bit" campaign, which is raising funds for a new, state-of-the-art Cancer Research and Treatment Suite at Weston Park Hospital.

This new facility will give more patients access to a wider range of cutting-edge cancer treatments, as well as enabling significant development of the hospital's ground-breaking programme of clinical trials.

Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity needs to raise £1.5m this year in order to fund pioneering cancer research and to help improve the treatments and care for people living with cancer.

Weston Park Hospital provides care for cancer patients from across the region, which means that patients from Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Worksop, Chesterfield, and beyond benefit from donations made to the charity.

Tina Harrison, acting deputy director at Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity, said: "It's just brilliant to see incredibly busy people who are at the very top of their game make time to get involved in this unique fundraising event. They are all used to high pressure roles, but Funny Business will see them completely outside of their comfort zones so it should be an interesting and enjoyable night for all!"

Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity website
Steve's Just Giving page
Martek Marine website

Images: Weston Park Cancer Charity

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News: Staverton's desk job at Shoosmiths

Staverton, a manufacturer of contemporary office furniture, has delivered 250 desks for a high profile office project in Birmingham.

Previously known as Logic Office Group, the firm's manufacturing base is at a 35,000 sq ft factory in Hellaby in Rotherham. and more than 250 Staverton LT desks have been installed at legal firm, Shoosmiths' new offices.

Shoosmiths provides lawyers to leading corporate names, property developers and some of the UK's largest banks. The firm recently moved into a new 40,000 sq ft open plan office at 2 Colmore Square, Birmingham's largest floor plate, to better accommodate its business and prepare for future growth.

Providing accommodation for more than 180 legal advisors and support staff, the firm chose to use interior design and office furniture to tell the story of its brand.

Staverton workstations were chosen following a vigorous piloting procedure against a global manufacturer, which saw furniture installed in Shoosmiths former Birmingham office for evaluation by the team. Staverton desks were found to offer greater flexibility, detail and personalisation.

Beckie Fenner-Evans who recently joined the new graduate programme at Staverton, said: "As a UK manufacturer of office furniture, we have always designed to meet clients' specific needs. If our clients want desktops in a particular colour, legs with a certain finish, a new degree of functionality such as integrated data and power or a new shape to maximise space – that's what we will do.

"We changed the finish of the desk leg to white so that the 250 desks would complement the clean design aesthetic of the open plan office and let other aspects of the interior, such as the meeting room manifestations, tell the Shoosmiths brand story.

"Above and beyond our supply of desks, the innovative office furniture used throughout this project gives them an additional point of difference in a competitive market.

"Shoosmiths' Birmingham office is perhaps not what you'd expect of a law firm. There is no doubt that office furniture has helped to tell their story."

The project follows on from a £1.2m contract with The Co-operative involving the manufacture of 2,800 workstations for the group's new 400,000 sq ft head office in Manchester.

Staverton website

Images: Staverton

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News: Expansion for Neilson Hydraulics

Rotherham-based Neilson Hydraulics & Engineering is expanding its business with the acquisition of a new unit and the appointment of two new apprentices.

Neilson is a sales partner of Sauer-Danfoss; one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of mobile hydraulics and electrohydraulics and Bosch Rexroth Industrial Hydraulics; one of the world's leading specialists in the field of drive and control technologies.

Established in 1977, it supplies the construction, engineering, farming, materials handling, marine, plastics, recycling and steel industry. The firm also designs and manufactures hydraulic systems and cylinders at its factory in Catcliffe.

The company has recently expanded its premises by acquiring an additional 3,000 sq ft unit, which features a new hydraulics and electronics assembly area, test rig, clean area, hydraulic and electrical service department.

Following the expansion, the company has recruited two new apprentices, Josh Rhodes and Josh Doe, aged eighteen and nineteen respectively, who will be trained in mechanical and electrical hydraulics. The apprentices undertake practical training in the workshop under the supervision of the Works Manager and the company has enrolled the Apprentices on a Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering course at Rotherham College of Arts & Technology (RCAT).

Norman Opie, director at Neilson Hydraulics, said: "As we expand the business, it is important that we have young apprentices coming through who are eager to learn and develop their careers in the hydraulics and engineering industry. Youth unemployment is very high at present, as a local business we wanted to provide employment for two new apprentices who really want to learn the trade."

RCAT has recently launched a new HNC General Engineering course at its town centre campus which is currently undergoing a major facelift and will be transformed in to a brand new Engineering Centre of Excellence.

Neilson Hydraulics website
RCAT website

Images: Neilson Hydraulics

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News: Xercise4Less expansion backed by BGF investment

Fast-growing chain, Xercise4Less, has secured £5m investment from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) to support its expansion plans that include a planned new gym in Rotherham.

The Leeds based company has an ambitious five-year plan, which includes the rollout of approximately 100 new gyms nationwide. This will in turn create up to 4,000 new jobs.

Xercise4Less currently operates ten gyms and has agreements signed on 14 sites, which sees the brand take on more market share in Yorkshire, the North East and the South West.

"The People's Gym" is hoping to secure planning permission to convert the former B&Q outlet on Tenter Street in Rotherham into a 31,000 sq ft gym complete with 400 pieces of gym equipment, changing facilities, studio space, a female only section plus a salon and beauty treatment rooms on a mezzanine floor. 199 car parking spaces are also included in the plans.

If approved, it is anticipated that the proposed health and fitness club will provide a total of 40 new jobs both part and full time. In the plans, Xercise4Less said it will enter into measures to secure local training and employment opportunities.

Xercise4Less has been expanding its portfolio by taking on former retail and warehouse space in prominent locations offering advantages to customers over traditional city centre budget gyms such as additional space, more gym equipment and a wider variety of choice and more parking. Recent openings include a £1m gym in Doncaster (pictured) and the company recently signed a deal with Tesco to open state of the art gyms in stores at a number of sites throughout the UK.

Jon Wright, founder and CEO of Xercise4Less, said: "BGF's funding will give us the financial and operational facilities to continue our expansion at a key time for the market.

"The Xercise4Less concept is growing because we believe that a budget gym shouldn't offer a budget experience. Cost remains a major issue for many consumers today but we work hard to ensure our members benefit from many added value services. The facilities we offer and the price at which we offer them, continue to attract a large tranche of new consumers into the market."

The BGF is an independent fund of up to £2.5 billion, backed by five of the UK's main banking groups - Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS, and Standard Chartered - and working in collaboration with the British Bankers' Association.

Richard Taylor, senior investment manager at BGF, said: "We are delighted to be working with Xercise4Less; it is an exciting brand with a very simple but attractive consumer offering. The company has established a unique model in a high growth sector and the management team, under Jon's guidance, has demonstrated its expertise in rolling out new gyms over the past 18 months and consistently delivering a fantastic customer experience at the same time.

"We have no doubt that they will be capable of growing and managing the business on a much larger scale."

Xercise4Less website

Images: Xercise4Less

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News: Johnston Press increase operating profit

Johnston Press, one of the largest local newspaper publishers in the UK, has reported that like for like operating profit has increased for the first time in seven years, but a number of write-downs has resulted in losses.

In its latest financial report for the six months to June 29 2013, the printer of titles such as The Yorkshire Post and The Star, stated that like for like operating profit for the six months increased by 4.3% from £27.4m to £28.6m.

However the group made a pre-tax loss of £248.7m compared to a pre-tax profit of £13.6m in the same period last year. This was largely due to reducing the carrying value of publishing titles by £194.5m and print assets by £57.9m.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Johnston Press operates a £60m printing facility on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery in Rotherham. It was affected earlier this year after News International paid Johnston Press £10m to terminate a lucrative contract.

Now trading as News UK, News International is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and is home to some of the biggest and most popular British newspapers including The Times and The Sun. The termination followed a similar £30m negotiation in 2012, following the closure of the News of the World.

The results include a £10m receipt associated with the termination of the News International contract but this impacted on revenues by £7.1m and contributed £3m to the reduction in operating profit. The receipt was used to reduce the group's debt and has meant that the group is operating closer to its financial covenants than was originally intended by both the group and its lenders.

In a statement at the time, Johnston Press reassured staff in Rotherham by saying that: "there is no planned headcount reduction as a result of this agreement and Johnston will explore new contract printing opportunities with immediate effect in order to maximise returns from the premium quality capacity at Dinnington."

Contract print revenues in the first half of the year were £6.5m lower than in 2012 driven mainly by the News International contract cancellation.

Today's latest results stated: "We have already secured some new contract work (£0.6m ) which has partially offset this revenue loss, but at lower margins, and we continue to discuss the sale of further freed up capacity with other interested parties. The operating profit impact of the lost News International revenue has also been partially offset by bringing some external printing of our own titles in-house."

Looking forward it also stated: "The anticipated future cash flows from the print assets have reduced following the buy-out of the Group's contract printing arrangements with News International."

A 15 year deal between News International and Johnston Press was announced in 2004, extending previous contractual agreements, and was integral to an additional investment of around £20m in the Dinnington facilities that opened in 2007.

The state-of-the-art facilities include one of the most modern and fastest presses in the world. It has the capacity to print 192 pages in full colour, 120,000 newspapers an hour in full colour and 75 titles per week.

The results also showed that during the first half of 2013 total advertising revenues declined 13.6% but digital revenue increased by 13.3%. Also during the period, Johnston Press relaunched a number of titles as part of a new strategy which are showing early signs of improvement regarding circulation figures.

Ashley Highfield, chief executive of Johnston Press, said: "Johnston Press has continued to make good progress during the first half in the implementation of its strategy for growth, completing the re-launch of its print titles and investing further in technology to build its digital platform whilst maintaining a tight control on costs.

"It is encouraging to see the benefits of our actions starting to come through, with the Group achieving its first like for like operating profit increase in seven years."

Johnston Press website

Images: Johnston Press

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News: New McDonald's planned for Parkgate

Plans have been served up for a new 24-hour McDonald's restaurant and drive thru on the edge of Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham, with the potential for 65 new jobs on the menu.



The proposed freestanding 5,100 sq ft, two-storey fast-food outlet, which has been designed for customers to eat within or outside of the building, or to take away from the premises, would sit on a site between Rotherham Road and Stonerow Way that is currently home to industrial buildings.

The current buildings, which have also previously used for furniture sales, would be demolished and replaced by a building matching McDonald's new corporate style with a seating area for 115 covers. By using khaki green, timber and stone colours the aim is to achieve a subtle natural feel to the building. Glazing would be extensively used to "create a bright, lively, modern and contemporary feel for visitors to the restaurant."

The site would also include 29 parking spaces, a patio area and landscpaing.

The plans, drawn up by planning consultants, Planware Ltd, state that the "proposed McDonald's restaurant is expected to employ over 65 full and part time staff. With the exception of the management team, almost all of these will be recruited from the local community."

It adds that the out of town site lies within an allocated retail area in the council's latest Policies Map under the Local Plan and that "the site represents an appropriate location for a drive thru restaurant, which will be well placed to offer refreshments to passing customers on Rotherham Road and those in the wider retail area."

McDonald's operates almost 1,200 restaurants in the UK and has plans to open 400 more new drive thrus over the next ten years. Over 60% of restaurants are operated as local businesses by franchisees. Due to the growing success of the company, the intention is to increase the pace of acquisitions with a target of 40 new restaurant openings per year from 2014, which will create up to 2,400 new job opportunities annually.

Images: McDonald's

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News: Retail sales increase

The latest estimates of retail sales from the Office for National Statistics showed continued growth in the quantity bought in the retail industry.

Retail sales volumes for July 2013 were up 1.1% on the month and up 3% on the year. In the July 2013 four week reporting period (non-seasonally adjusted), the amount spent in the retail industry was £27.9 billion. This compared to £26.6 billion in the July 2012 four week reporting period.

All the main sectors: food stores; non-food stores; non-store retailing and petrol stations, contributed to the increase in quantity bought but there has been considerable growth in supermarket sales which was boosted by the sunny weather.

George Elliott, business account manager at The Source Skills Academy Rotherham, commented on the figures: "The Retail sector has shown a consistent increase in sales during the past four months, and nationally comparing July 2013 with July 2012, the increase is a healthy +3%. A sizeable portion of this percentage increase is supermarket activity however many other areas of retail especially in the food and independent sectors have shown impressive growth.

George is also Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce Area Councillor and Chair of the Rotherham Voice town centre business forum.

He added: "Here in Barnsley and Rotherham we are blessed with an excellent retail offer mix, and dynamic town centres of excellent independents run by passionate hard working owners, proving daily that small can be profitable even in these challenging times. These figures are good news although it is still early days and of course all retailers still need to keep abreast of new technologies and continue to invest in their employees development to ensure that when the projected sustained upturn occurs, they are in a strong position to take advantage of it.

"There are clear signs that we can be cautiously optimistic about our, and the nations hugely important retail sector which employs a staggering one in nine of our working population."

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber website
The Source website

Images: Sterecycle

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News: X-Cel excels with supplier status

X-Cel Superturn, a global manufacturer of machined components, has been awarded "Globally Qualified Supplier" status by FMC Technologies.

The rapidly expanding exporter was the first major company to confirm an expansion into the Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone when it announced that it was to expand its Atlas operations to a new facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

Opened in 2012, the custom-designed 14,000 sq ft facility is home to X-Cel's gasket and seal division and the decision was confirmed when a £6m contract was secured to supply precision gaskets and sealing rings to a global manufacturer of subsea trees, the equipment used to top underwater wellheads and control the flow of oil or gas.

Now the firm has been officially certified by FMC Technologies, an important customer and leading global provider of technology solutions for the energy industry.

With 18,400 employees and 30 production facilities in 16 countries, FMC Technologies designs, manufactures and services technologically sophisticated systems and products such as subsea production and processing systems, surface wellhead systems, high pressure fluid control equipment, measurement solutions, and marine loading systems for the oil and gas industry.

A spokesperson at X-Cel Superturn said: "This further cements our relationship and we look forward to working into the future with them and continue to supply them with a high quality service that supports their innovative and sophisticated systems and technologies."

Earlier this year, X-Cel was awarded certified supplier status with another of their major customers, NOV Downhole Eurasia Ltd, a specialist in mechanical components for land and offshore drilling rigs.

The certifications are expected to boost X-Cel's oderbook even further. The firm recently reported that the current order intake for the financial year was in excess of £20m, beating the previous year by £2.8m already.

X-Cel Superturn website

Images: X-Cel Supertern

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News: Transport schemes move forward

Important transport schemes in the Sheffield city region that could deliver thousands of new jobs and homes are moving forward.

The £56m Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS) has completed its final statutory procedure with the Secretary of State for Transport granting Doncaster Council the powers to purchase the land needed to build the scheme and to carry out the necessary work to public and private rights of way.

The start of construction works is on the horizon that will create the new connection from Junction 3 of the M18 to the south of Doncaster. It is hoped that the road will become operational in 2015.

This regionally significant project, with backing from the Government's Regional Growth Fund, will help to regenerate the village of Rossington, cut journey times, ease congestion, support further growth at Robin Hood Airport and provide the necessary road infrastructure for major private sector investments including the Inland Port development and the re-development of the former colliery site at Rossington. It has also been supported by private sector developer contributions, the Growing Places Fund and Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Progress is also being made on the Northern route of the South Yorkshire Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme aims to improve the links between Rotherham and Sheffield passing Meadowhall, the Lower Don Valley and Templeborough.

The £36m project aims help to foster economic growth along the corridor by helping people access jobs and opportunities.

An update to Rotherham Council's Cabinet showed that the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) are now submitting the Full Approval application to the Department for Transport (DFT) for the £19.406m that was announced in 2011 and project partners are signing up to a Collaboration and Funding Agreement.

Funding for the scheme is expected to come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), but this has not yet been approved. The SYPTE are in on-going discussions with Department of Communities and Local Government regarding this. A decision is expected before the Full Approval application would be made, and would be conditional on DfT full approval being received.

The remaining funding is to come from the region's Local Transport Plan and local developers through section 106 contributions underwitten by the Growing Places Fund.

Bidders state that it will help to unlock 4,000 jobs in the Lower Don Valley linked to schemes such as the River Don District, the Outokumpu site and areas of Templeborough. It includes areas benefiting from the Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone.

The development is expected to generate an estimated £200m for the local economy each year, increase public transport patronage by 7,500 passengers per day, and reduce carbon emissions by 6,320 tonnes over 60 years.

The scheme involves a high-frequency, limited stop service with new state-of-the-art vehicles. The main feature is a £20m alternative all transport route which bypasses the congested M1 junction 34 South by providing a new section of highway beneath the Tinsley Viaduct. The link road already has planning permission and the Compulsory Purchase Order process has been completed to obtain the land needed in Sheffield.

In addition to the interchange in Rotherham, stops are proposed for Westgate in the town centre and Bradmarsh Way and Grange Lane at Templeborough. New bus lanes and improvements such as those proposed at Ickles Roundabout and the junction of Westgate and Main Street will give buses priority and help reduce total journey times to 20 minutes.

SYPTE website

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News: Andrew makes the right Connexion with Benchmark

Connexion2, the Rotherham company that uses innovative technology solutions and associated services to improve the safety and productivity of lone workers, has appointed Andrew Smith as a configuration and test operator.

Andrew, who lives in Rotherham and comes to his new post with support of recruitment and retention specialist Benchmark, graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a 2:1 degree in Information Management before working in customer services and then pursuing a career in IT.

He worked for First Line technical support before making the move to Connexion2.

Connexion2 helps organisations to protect lone workers in the UK and internationally through device based solutions, effective policy creation or bespoke training, reducing physical risks to staff and financial risks and associated costs to the business.

Its Identicom system is designed to look like a normal ID badge but allows lone workers to raise an alarm, make an emergency phone call or send a text message. It has a portfolio of Blue Chip companies and organisations in a wide range of market sectors including public and private healthcare, social housing, utilities, facilities management, retail and transport and logistics.

Connexion2 was launched in 2003 and is based at Carrera Court in Dinnington. The new appointment is the first since the company was acquired by emergency communications expert Kings III of America.

Connexion2 website

Images: Connexion2

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News: Chantry Brewery taps into market with new pub venture

Directors of Rotherham's Chantry Brewery have acquired a pub on the edge of Rotherham town centre and are giving it a new lease of life as The New York Tavern.

The idea had been brewing for a while and so steelworker brothers Mick and Kevin Warburton, both co-directors of Chantry Brewery, along with close friend and one of the founder members of Rotherham's CAMRA branch Paul Vernon, took the opportunity when the Prince of Wales Feathers on Westgate came up for auction.


The pub sold for £60,000 and the trio have overseen an extensive internal refurbishment of the premises, refurbishing many of the pub's original features, as well as installing a new extended "New York" style bar, that will be used to accommodate ten real ales.

The pub will serve as the official "brewery tap" for the Parkgate-based brewery as well as a range of five changing guest beers. The New York Tavern's real ale offering will be complemented by a range of approximately forty varieties of bottled beers which have been sourced from Belgium, Germany, the US and even Australia, many of which are not currently available in the borough.

Mick Warburton, co-owner of the New York Tavern (pictured top, right) said: "We wanted to create a pub that offered something truly unique, bringing together locally sourced real ales and even pub snacks produced in the borough which can be enjoyed in the environment of a traditional Rotherham pub.

"During the renovations we spent time looking into the history of the local area, and felt that changing the name of the pub reflected our own aspirations of putting Rotherham well and truly on the real ale map.

"We're all Rotherham people and keen to preserve the town's heritage, but wanted a fresh start. When we started looking into the local area, there were many parallels between the original New York Tavern and the Feathers, and also felt that there was good link with the beers that we produce at the brewery."

Across town, the original New York Tavern was built in 1856, the same year as the Prince of Wales Feathers and poured its last pint in 1970 when the building was purchased and demolished by the Rotherham Corporation to make way for Centenary Way.

Chantry Brewery opened in 2012 after significant investment in the latest brewing technology with all equipment built by Sheffield based Moeschle UK. The first beers were officially launched at the New York Beer Festival at Rotherham United's New York Stadium and award-winning ales include New York Pale, Iron & Steel Bitter, Diamond Black Stout and Mighty Millers, brewed to celebrate the football team's promotion last season.

Mick added: "The brewery is going from strength to strength and Kevin and I recognised that the pub offered a great chance to further develop the business, offering a chance to showcase all the beers that we produce, as well as bringing together a changing selection of some of the best beers available in the local area.

"There's no doubt in my mind, that if we hadn't stepped in, then the pub would have closed. It had been shut for over twelve months before we bought the premises and we didn't want it to have the same fate as so many of the other Westgate pubs."

The "new" New York Tavern is expected to open in a couple of weeks.

Chantry Brewery website

Images: Chantry Brewery

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News: Gala Tent's summer of success

Rotherham-based Gala Tent, one the UK's largest importer and exporter of tents, marquees and pop up awnings, has seen its products popping up at events up and down the country this summer.

The Manvers company spotted its tents in the midst of the action at the world's largest music festival, Glastonbury, where two custom printed Gala Tents were acting as the official Fire and Ambulance Station.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) used the gazebos to provide protection from the elements for fire and ambulance staff and members of the public under their care.

Andy Newland, executive officer at DSFRS said: "We have been taking our two Gala Tents to Glastonbury for the past four years, as well using them regularly at all sorts of community safety events in the area.

"Our Gala Tent gazebos provide shelter for emergency crews at Glastonbury from the weather. They also act as a focal point to the crews as part of our 24/7 presence alongside the ambulance service."

Elsewhere, Gala Tents were used in the Greenpeace Field at Glastonbury 2013, where a 6m x 8m marquee supplied to the charity was used for their Arctic themed field. The marquee was used to host a variety of activities, from face painting and dress up to Arctic inspired performances, to promote the charity’s latest campaign "Save the Arctic."

Custom printed gazebos also proved popular with food traders on the festival circuit, helping Tio's Barbecue stand out and draw the crowds.

Closer to home, the "Picnic in the Park" event held at the Dearne Playhouse in Goldthorpe attracted a few less than the 135,000 at Glastonbury, with 500 people learning how they can work together and to get involved in their local community. It was organised by Dearne South Board and supported by Big Local, Goldthorpe Development Group and Gala Tent.

Alister Shaw, Big Local representative said: "Despite the adverse weather, which meant we ended up having to use the Playhouse as a base rather than the field outside, this was a really well attended event. It was a great chance to bring the local community together to share ideas and find out how people would like to see their area improved. We would like to thank Gala Tent for the loan of their gazebos, which helped to attract people to the venue and provided a great base for ourselves and Goldthorpe Development Group."

Gala Tent is one of the UK's leading designers and manufacturers of marquees and gazebos and has grown from a table top operation in Grimethorpe to a company with a turnover of around £7m in just over a decade. It moved into new 53,000 sq ft headquarters at Fairfield Park in Manvers in 2011.

Gala Tent website

Images: Gala Tent

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News: Charity fundraising plans laid bare

Junior Chamber International (JCI) members in Rotherham and Sheffield are calling on people to donate their unwanted undergarments in a massive show of support for a female charity campaign.

Leading by example, members will shedding their outgrown or unused bras and these will be distributed to women in developing countries. As well as being gifted to ladies who don't own their own bra, they'll also be used as stock, helping ladies start up their own market-stall businesses. Sub-standard bras will be recycled raising cash for Flamingo Foundation projects. 

Fiona Silvester, membership director at JCI and owner of Alexandra's Café in Rotherham (pictured, far right), said: "We hope local ladies will get involved and show their support for their female counterparts around the world. There are thousands of unwanted bras that women have outgrown or got bored of, and we want to put them to good use.

"By donating old bras, people can help communities across the world in many practical ways and know that after the important support the bra has given them, it can go on to help someone else."

The "Bra Bank" scheme is run by the Flamingo Foundation and each year around 20,000 bras are distributed. This includes to a community of ladies in Kisumu, Kenya – many of who are widowed having lost their husbands to HIV. Most work the land and care for their families without any physical support, so owning their own bra, or having the opportunity to set up a market stall using the bras as stock, is extremely welcome.

A spokesperson for the Flamingo Foundation, said: "Be they sexy lacy numbers or plain over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders, we can give any old bra a new lease of life."

To drop off your bra, please ask for Fiona at Alexandra's Café, Rail Mill Way, Parkgate.

Flamingo Foundation website

Images: JCI Sheffield / Flamingo Foundation

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News: Hydro-X expands with Southern HQ

Hydro-X Water Treatment, a Rotherham-based specialist in water and air testing and Legionella risk assessments and control, is expecting to increase turnover by almost £1m over the next 18 months.

With a mobile team of technicians, the Dinnington firm delivers its core products and services to more than 10,000 locations across the UK. It specialises in inspecting and maintaining equipment that uses water such as industrial cooling towers and steam boilers and customers include Sainsbury's, The Disabilities Trust, The Midcounties Co-operative and the Lotus F1 Team.

Having doubled in size over the last four years to generate a turnover of around £5m, Hydro-X Water Treatment is already on course to reach £6m this year. Part of the growth is due to a new Southern HQ at Abbotts Business Park in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.

Paul Wilson, marketing manager for Hydro-X Water Treatment, said: "We've had a satellite office servicing the southern region for many years, but due to the dramatic growth we've had in the south it made sense to establish a permanent presence here and one with space for our technicians and engineers to operate out of over a wider area."

To help finance the new site, Hydro-X secured funding from Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking under the Government-backed Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) loan, having been supported in previous expansions.

Ben Kimball, relationship manager for Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking, said: "The FLS is ideal for businesses like Hydro-X Water Treatment, as under the scheme we are able to offer small business customers across all sectors a one per cent interest rate discount on all new loans and hire purchase facilities."

The Bank of England and HM Treasury launched the Funding for Lending scheme in July 2012 to further encourage business growth through discounted lending.

Wilson added: "The support form Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking has been an immense help in securing the new site, and we look forward to building upon this growth in the coming year, and possibly opening other regional bases in the near future."

Hydro-X Water Treatment website

Images: Hydro-X

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News: Young entreprenuers are part of the furniture at Parkgate

Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham was furnished with a range of products from local enterprises at a recent showcase event organised by the park's owners and Rotherham Youth Enterprise (RYE).

Space is provided at the popular retail park for creative young people to showcase their business. Previous events featured Rotherham town centre businesses and local fashion entrepreneurs.


Furniture was the theme this time with Simon Pow and Jenny Wilson from Dreamcraft Furniture showcasing their highly original range of children's furniture.

Simon was finding life as a self-employed joiner increasingly difficult as the down turn in construction hit Gainsborough The dinosaur bed he had designed and built for his 11-year-old son had been much admired, so the couple decided to investigate the possibility of setting up their own children's bedroom furniture company.

Jenny explained: "Support however was lacking in Gainsborough, and as we had lived in Rotherham and liked the area, we decided to move. Within a short space of time we were receiving incredible support and advice from RYE, and our business has grown. We always knew that there was a demand for our designs, but being able to put our ideas into practice, and the experience of showing them in places like Parkgate Shopping has made all the difference."

The company's hand-made and bespoke designs include a pirate ship, castles, caves and even camper vans.

18 year-old Joshua Taylor also took the opportunity to showcase his business at Parkgate having joined the RYE programme several months ago. Inspired by his parents, Carolyn and David, he set up Forever Chic, and believes that there will be a healthy demand for "distressed style" French Furniture.

Darren McDool, business coach at Rotherham Youth Enterprise, said: "There is so much talent in Rotherham, and our job is to treat each aspiring business on its individual merit and encourage them to develop their talents and ideas.

"The partnership with Parkgate Shopping, who have been so supportive, is proving a particularly useful vehicle for testing their ideas and enterprise in front of the general public."

Rotherham Youth Enterprise provides self-employment support and advice for young adults in the area. Office and workshop provision is also available across the borough.

Parkgate Shopping website
Dreamcraft furniture website
Rotherham Youth Enterprise website

Images: Parkgate Shopping

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News: New Rotherham apprentices at Willmott Dixon

Five new apprentices from Rotherham have been taken on by repairs and maintenance company, Willmott Dixon.

They are part of a team of sixteen trainees from across the UK who are the first Willmott Dixon apprentices to use the £1m 4Life Academy in Aston, Birmingham.

Willmott Dixon works with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to deliver a repairs and maintenance service to 10,500 homes in the areas of Wentworth South, Wentworth Valley, Rother Valley West and Rother Valley South.

The new recruits will be studying a variety of construction trades ranging from bricklaying, plumbing, and carpentry to electrical compliance, as they work towards a recognised NVQ qualification that will pave the way for a career in the construction industry.

During their induction the apprentices, aged between 18 and 38, took part in health and safety workshops, scaffolding building exercises and team competitions. They also received a talk from volunteers at Dekamile, one of Willmott Dixon's sponsored charities that helps provide clean water, sanitation and improved infrastructure in Togo, Africa.

James Middleton, aged 19, from Bramley has just completed a two year plastering course at Rotherham College of Art and Technology, in Dinnington, and was eager to pursue the trade further by taking up an apprenticeship. He hopes that his experience doing a plastering apprenticeship with Willmott Dixon will provide him with the practical experience and trade skills to ensure a lifelong career.

James said: "I heard about Willmott Dixon's apprenticeship scheme through my older brother Daniel, who is now a fully qualified plasterer working at the Rotherham branch. I completed a short term work experience placement with Willmott Dixon last summer, shadowing my brother, and I really liked the way the company looked after their staff. It seemed like a fantastic working environment and I'm happy to be starting my trade journey with them now."

Huw Evans, head of customer service and training at Willmott Dixon, said: "We're very excited to welcome our first ever class of apprentices to the 4Life Academy. By using the centre as a hub for our apprenticeship training we want to bring all our trainees together under the new Skills 4 Life model, to make the most of the excellent facilities available here in Birmingham.

"We want to create a sense of pride and camaraderie among all our apprentices. The new Skills 4 Life scheme focuses on personal development alongside professional development, through community engagement activities and charitable fundraising. It is an innovative approach to apprenticeship training and embodies Willmott Dixon's ethos of giving something back to the local community."

The Willmott Dixon 4Life Academy is a £1m investment to provide training and lifelong skills to 2,000 people a year.

Mick Williamson, managing director at Willmott Dixon Partnerships, said: "Our company is committed to leaving a lasting legacy in the communities where we work – and this includes helping to improve employability skills amongst individuals. Our apprenticeship programme allows people to gain access to training so that they can learn the skills required to gain experience and employment in the building industry."

Willmott Dixon website

Images: Willmott Dixon

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News: English Heritage objects to Guest & Chrimes demolition

English Heritage "strongly objects" to plans to demolish the former Guest & Chrimes foundry close to Rotherham town centre.

Last month, Rotherham United amended a planning application for the full demolition of the remaining foundry buildings, citing a lack of interest in developing the previous scheme of partial demolition and rising costs of remedial work.

The Grade II listed buildings sit between the club's £20m New York Stadium and the council's new offices on Main Street and have been empty since 1999.

English Heritage works to protect and promote England's historic environment and ensure that its past is researched and understood. In response to previous plans, that would have seen the rear of the foundry demolished in a bid to protect the building's historic frontage, they asked that they be withdrawn and a new development be designed that would include the retention of all, or a substantial part of the Guest & Chrimes complex.

Now the club has amended the plans and is hoping to demolish all of the current buildings because of the disappointing results of a marketing exercise and of the rising costs of remedial work to the residual parts of the listed structure following partial demolition. The applicants are hoping to show that there is no "appreciable commercial interest in its retention or that there is no evidence of a viable scheme for its reuse."

In a letter to the planning authority, English Heritage states that it strongly objects to the application for full demolition and recommends that it is refused "because of the substantial harm to the significance of the Grade II listed Guest & Chrimes complex."

It also said that it would raise the issue with the Secretary of State if the planning authority recommends that the plans be granted.

Based on national planning guidelines, English Heritage believes that the plans do not demonstrate any public benefit which outweighs the substantial harm caused by the demolition of the whole complex. The letter states: "English Heritage considers that the proposal to demolish the entire Guest & Chrimes complex constitutes substantial harm: as there are no formal proposals for the redevelopment of the site, no public benefit can be demonstrated to support the total demolition of the complex, and no other supporting justifications apply."

It adds that, after further research, the significance of the complex is greater than previously thought, given the importance of brass manufacturing to Rotherham. Guest & Chrimes established a manufacturing operation near to Rotherham's Market Place in 1843 with the Chrimes brothers, Peter and Edward, setting up a brass foundry where they invented and produced the high-pressure loose valve screw-down tap.

The firm rapidly expanded into sluice valves, fire hydrants and water meters and John Guest joined the firm in 1847. Following a very large order from Spain, the company moved to the present site in 1857.

English Heritage believes that "the historic, communal, commemorative, symbolic and social value of the Guest & Chrimes complex is high. As one of the last surviving building complexes associated with the brass industry in Rotherham, [it] represents the sole physical reminder of the industry, and the products which were developed by the company, and is effectively the reason why the area, and Rotherham United's New York Stadium bear that name."

The letter also shows that English Heritage believes that there is "nothing intrinsic, in the form, fabric or condition of the building which prevents its re-use, in total or in part." The applicants argue that consultants, Gleeds, estimate that it would take an investment of £8.8m just to bring the current property up to a marketable condition and there has been little interest from developers in doing so.

Rothbiz revealed last week that feasibility work was being carried out on a potential 100-bed riverside hotel surrounded by restaurants, bars and shops, to replace the buildings.

Images: Signet Planning / RU Estates Ltd

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News: Man of Steel on the AMP

The scale model of the iconic Man of Steel has gone on display at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, surrounded by a number of companies that are working to make the final version a reality.

Last year, planning permission was granted conditionally for the 27.3m high art installation based on work by local sculptor Steve Mehdi, on a former land fill site in Rotherham.

The iconic piece of art has been designed to be a landmark gateway sculpture close to the M1 that "will recognise the history of steel and coal in the region, and preside over a new age of technology and specialised steel production."

The Man of Steel is also set to play an important role in promoting education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The project has been assisted by expertise from AMP-based organisations, Performance Engineered Solutions (PES) Ltd and the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

The two metre model is made from polyurethane resin board, a material normally used for creating prototypes and models of automotive and aerospace structures. This was sculpted at the AMRC Composite Centre on its CMS five-axis machining centre (pictured).

Experts at PES are developing rapid prototyping to examine the potential of creating the monumental version of Man of Steel.

Steve Mehdi, creator of the Man of Steel (pictured, centre), said: "The Man of Steel project honours the past and embraces the future, bringing together the heritage of the old industries and signposting the new technologies of the region.

"These world-leading developments in advanced manufacturing and materials are led by the organisations on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) and I am delighted that both the AMRC and PES are supporting the project, and have used their expertise to create this version of the Man of Steel."

Simon Spode, marketing manager at the AMP, added: "We are pleased to have this model back at the AMP, both to support the Man of Steel project and to showcase the fantastic technical knowledge and capability that we have here at the park.

"There are similarities between the AMP and the Man of Steel project in that both will have reach and benefit outside their immediate geographical areas. The AMP is an asset locally, regionally and nationally, and similarly the sculpture is set to become an icon for the whole Yorkshire region; providing a gateway to the county in the same way that the Angel of the North is seen as the gateway to the North-East."

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has shown their support to the Man of Steel project, and Councillor Gerald Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Development was on hand to welcome the sculpture back to Rotherham.

Cllr Smith (pictured, second from the right), said: "We believe that project will provide a striking piece of contemporary public art and a real landmark sat at the heart of the area's great traditional industries of coal and steel. It is also important that the sculpture will be made using local materials and locally developed manufacturing processes, showcasing the region's current and future industrial capabilities.

"It is also good to see so many private sector partners coming forward to support the project and it's looking positive that the cost of the project will be met by private contributions and funding from bodies such as good causes distributor the Big Lottery Fund and the Arts Council."

The model of the Man of Steel will be on display in the reception of the AMP Technology Centre until August 30.

The full scale man would sit on the FCC Environment Group's site on Meadowhall Road in Rotherham, overlooking the M1 and Meadowhall Shopping Centre, close to where the Tinsley Towers used to stand. It almost five years to the day since the old towers were demolished.

Man of Steel website
AMP website

Images: AMP

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News: Eldon joins list of Shell suppliers

Eldon, a leading manufacturer of enclosure systems, will be hoping for more export orders in the pipeline from the oil & gas sector after becoming a successfully validated enclosure supplier to Shell, the global group of energy and petrochemicals companies.

With its UK headquarters at Hellaby in Rotherham, Eldon specialise in enclosure systems and control cabinet, server cabinet and electrical cabinet systems and has an extensive range of stainless steel enclosures.

Shell's Supplier Qualification System forms part of the internal process used to shortlist suppliers for its purchasing activities. It serves as a register of suppliers worldwide and ensures that suppliers complete required pre-qualification assessments.

Eldon's success in the system followed a qualitative validation process managed by Achilles, the global supply management company. Achilles identifies, qualifies, evaluates and monitors suppliers on behalf of some of the world's largest corporations.

Nick Cowley, oil & gas business manager at Eldon, said: "Eldon's dedication to developing innovative, cost effective enclosure solutions for customers demonstrated we were a good choice for any corporation looking for a long-term relationship with a reliable, qualified supplier.

"Eldon is a global player in the enclosures industry because of our commitment to always go the extra mile for our customers with enclosure and accessory solutions engineered to boost their business success.

"We believe we share many core attributes with Shell when it comes to delivering seamlessly integrated solutions for customers, a cohesive vision of business trends in the market and the appeal to a broader set of business stakeholders."

At the Rotherham plant, small teams work in dedicated cells making production both flexible and reactive. All Eldon's mild steel and stainless steel enclosures are manufactured to the highest ISO 9001:2008 standard and are certified and meet international standards.

Eldon website

Images: Eldon

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News: Horner Brothers acquired by Paragon

Rotherham print group, Horner Brothers, has been bought by the Paragon Group, a print provider and document management specialist.

With a head office at Templeborough and a warehouse at Aldwarke, Horner Brothers celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. It has a state of the art printing facility and backs this up with managed print solutions, artwork database management and advanced online ordering solutions. It works with a number of high profile customers that includes Centrica, BT and Tesco.

Paragon UK is a member of the Paragon Group, a diverse, European-wide, privately held business that is a leading print provider throughout the UK and Europe. It also has 16 manufacturing sites across Europe and a turnover in excess of €160m, and is a global supplier of multi-channel communications, data handling, smart ticketing, identification and fulfilment services.

The Paragon Group has purchased the trade and assets of Horner Brothers Print Group and the Rotherham company will now trade as Horner Brothers (a trading division of Paragon Group UK Ltd).

Ann Harrington, general manager of Paragon Group UK Limited, said: "The acquisition of Horner Brothers further supports Paragon's strategy, which is to increase the range of products and services we provide to an ever increasing network of customers."

Judith Fox, managing director of Horner Brothers, added: "We are delighted to be joining the Paragon Group. Not only will this mean that we are now a part of a strong and diverse business but also our customers can access a much broader range of services, securing the future of the business in the months and years to come."

In 2006, Judith Fox led a management buy-out team on their successfully completed acquisition of Horner Brothers.

Paragon already has a base in Rotherham after it acquired the trade and assets of Hellaby-based Wright Printing Services in 2010.

Horner Brothers website
Paragon Group UK website

Images: Horner Brothers

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News: Inditherm expands range with Japanese deal

Innovative Rotherham company, Inditherm, has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of the ATOM product range in the UK & Ireland.

ATOM, with head office and manufacturing base in Japan, has a wide range of neonatal products including incubators, transport incubators, infant warmers, resuscitation units, and phototherapy lamps. The products have top level performance and are widely regarded as a prestigious brand and ATOM holds a global top three position in the incubator market.

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

Nick Bettles, chief executive at Inditherm, said: "I believe ATOM selected Inditherm as their new partner based on the strong market image we have in the UK neonatal sector. It is good to know that our customers gave us glowing references and this reflects Inditherm's business ethos, professional approach and the strength of our team and the support they provide.

"We are very pleased to have secured the ATOM distributorship as it broadens our product offering to neonatal departments with a respected, high quality brand and is a real endorsement of how well Inditherm is perceived in the market. We have been pursuing a strategy to expand our neonatal business and the addition of the ATOM range further strengthens our position in this sector within the UK."

Inditherm has shifted its focus to the medical market and recently launched a novel resuscitation unit, designed to help boost the health of newborn babies.

The new "LifeStart" system, launched at the 2013 Arab Health exhibition, facilitates the delaying of the clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord following childbirth by providing resuscitation at a newborn baby's bedside.

Recommended reading: Japanese Gaming Culture Meets Casino Innovation

Exporting across the world, the Manvers firm reported an increase in post-tax losses for the last financial year to £164,000 from £108,000 in 2011 due to investment to support future growth.

The board was confident that the investment will pay off as the manufacturing organisation was put in place in order to meet future orders, which have now been received.

Inditherm website

Images: Inditherm

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News: Bike & Go in Rotherham

Bike & Go, a new nationwide bike hire scheme, is set to be made available at the redeveloped Rotherham Central Station, giving train users the opportunity to complete their journey on two wheels.

The UK's first major station cycle hire programme, providing low cost, rapid and convenient cycle rental, has been launched by the three rail franchises, Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Greater Anglia.

Costing £1.15m and backed by funding from the Government, Northern Rail is introducing the new bike hire concept, based on a Dutch system, at 25 stations on its network, including Rotherham from August.

Bikes are high quality and real time information is available on a mobile website. The annual subscription fee is £10 and cycle hire costs £3.80 for 24 hours, equivalent to an average bus fare.

Re-opened last year after an £8.5m redevelopment, the station has seen a significant increase in use, with passenger numbers up by 1,000 journeys a week, on average.

Launching the scheme last week, transport minister Norman Baker, said: "Encouraging people to travel sustainably is all about making it easier and more convenient for people to make greener travel choices. That is why DfT have provided £1.65m for this scheme, which does just that, by offering rail users affordable bike hire for their onward journey from the station. I want to see more schemes like this that support sustainable travel and give people a viable door-to-door option."

Kaj Mook, director and customer service director at Bike & Go, added: "This is the first national bike scheme in the UK and thanks to the geographical spread of the three networks, its impact is potentially very high. We are confident that rail passengers will be delighted to have another way of finishing their journey, quickly, conveniently and in a cost effective way."

Rotherham Borough Council has recently carried out consultations with the public and local businesses on plans to provide a continuous, direct and safe route for bikes across the town centre. Allowing cyclists to use pedestrian streets in the town centre is part of the council's long-term investment in promoting cycling as a positive, healthy and cheaper mode of travel compared to private vehicles and public transport.

Bike & Go website

Images: Bike & Go

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News: RediGroup rack up sales in strong first half

RediGroup, the Rotherham-based pallet racking and mezzanine floor manufacturer, has experienced strong growth over the first two quarters of the current financial year with order intake up 26 per cent on the same period last year.

The Kilnhurst group includes RediRack, the creators and market leaders in adjustable, bolt free pallet racking, and RediFloor who specialise in the manufacture, supply and installation of mezzanines and structural floors. It also includes RediBuild, RediFit and RediTechniX.

Direct sales of the group's RediRack pallet racking and RediFloor mezzanine floor structures leapt by a massive 214 per cent, while sales through the company's UK-wide distributor network are also up on last year with growth of 75 per cent recorded.

Ray Phelan, sales director at RediGroup, said: "What is particularly pleasing is the strong growth that we are experiencing has been consistent since January and is coming from the core business of pallet racking and mezzanine floors.

"We have invested heavily in our factory and infrastructure over this period and our growth reflects our increased competitiveness and a growing awareness in the market of the strength and unique advantages that RediRack pallet racking and RediFloor mezzanines offer."

The intralogistics experts have an 100,000 sq ft manufacturing plant and over 70 employees. Established in 1973, they underwent a management buy out from its former owners, the Norwegian based multinational Dexion Group Limited, in 2004.

The group is investing £4m over the next five years including an "Automated Warehouse Innovation Centre" after finalising £1m from the government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

2014 will see RediRack celebrate 40 years of continuous UK manufacturing in Mexborough.

RediGroup website

Images: RediGroup

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News: New owner of Events Solutions sees few barriers to growth

Rotherham crowd control specialist, Events Solutions, has been acquired by entrepreneur Richard Herberts in a management buyout.

Based at Kiveton Park, Events Solutions provides crowd control and barrier systems for public gatherings of all sizes, from village fetes to film premieres, concerts, festivals and major sporting events.

Having been involved in the business since its inception more than ten years ago, it will now form part of Herberts' portfolio of businesses, which includes Worksop-based RDS Transport, provider of refrigerated delivery services to the food industry.

Richard Herberts, said: "Events Solutions has developed a fantastic network of contacts and undertakes interesting, high profile work across the UK. I believe through investment in new systems and the brand itself, we can increase our capacity and reputation to produce tangible benefits in a relatively short space of time.

"Events Solutions has great potential for growth and is quickly becoming a key player in the entertainment and sports industries. Whilst the work is competitive and demanding, it is also exciting and has proved relatively recession proof to date. I have every confidence in our operations manager, James Wood and his capable team have the skills and experience to take the business forward and prove my investment is a good move."

Sheffield solicitors, Taylor & Emmet and accountancy firm Landin Wilcock and Co represented Herberts and finance was provided by Handelsbanken in Rotherham.

The image shows crowds meeting film star Jake Gyllenhaal from behind barriers supplied by Event Solutions at the UK premiere of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time in 2010.

Event Solutions website

Images: Event Solutions

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News: RCAT apprenticeship combines energy and Skill

Rotherham College of Arts and Technology (RCAT) has awarded Liam Skill the latest Apprentice of the Month accolade for his hard work on his Intermediate Mechanical Engineering Apprenticeship at Energy Alloys in Rotherham.

Energy Alloys is an American oil field metals business with its UK headquarters in Rotherham. it has offices at Catcliffe and a manufacturing and warehouse facility at Canklow. The site processes and holds long products for the energy, stainless and engineering markets.


During his apprenticeship, Liam worked in the manual turning department and the deep hole boring department, learning specialised skills. He also produced a production plan for a selection of piece that will be manufactured in the coming year. The plan included a great deal of detail, taking into account the health and safety involved in production.

Richard Rhodes, operations manager for Energy Alloys, said: "During his time in the turning cell he has proven that he has listened and learned by producing a piece of work which, in my opinion is first class for someone so new to engineering.

"I believe that by awarding him the apprentice of the month it will give a young man the encouragement to be a very successful player in this difficult industry."

Liam has been an apprentice at the global provider since December 2012 and has excelled in his training thanks to the team.

Liam said: "My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to push myself and conquer new challenges. The support available through the College and from the team is great and I really enjoy coming to work each day."

The college was recently given a rating of "Good" by Ofsted inspectors with two of its departments, Construction and Visual and Performing Arts, earned the top rating of "Outstanding."

Energy Alloys website
RCAT website

Images: RCAT

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News: Hotel could replace Guest & Chrimes

Feasibility work is being carried out on a potential 100-bed riverside hotel surrounded by restaurants, bars and shops, to replace the former Guest & Chrimes foundry close to Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz was first with the news that Rotherham United was drawing up a planning application for the full demolition of the former Guest & Chrimes foundry, citing a lack of interest in developing the previous scheme of partial demolition and rising costs of remedial work.

Now a design and access statement submitted with the latest application by agents, Signet Planning, includes illustrative sketches of what could replace the Grade II listed buildings if the application for demolition is successful.

Drawn up by award-winning architects, Maber, the sketches show a three storey hotel overlooking the River Don with a 2,260 sq ft hotel bar and restaurant. Another bar / restaurant unit of the same size is shown, as is a 2,750 sq ft fast food outlet and a 1,146 sq ft coffee shop. Completing the plans are two retail units, one of 3,391 sq ft and one of 1,884 sq ft.

Last year, planners recommended that plans for a 80-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant at Templeborough be refused, and consider a number of sites, including a site currently used for car parking at New York Stadium, are preferable sites for a hotel in planning terms.

The football club's application states that the "illustrative sketch proposals have been submitted to demonstrate how the site could be developed for a mixed-use scheme comprising retail/leisure/hotel following the building's demolition, with these principally showing broad parameters of layout and scale rather than appearance."

The former iron and brass foundry sits on the edge of the town centre, between the club's £20m New York Stadium and the council's new offices on Main Street, and have been empty since 1999.

The important industrial firm established a manufacturing operation near to Rotherham's Market Place in 1843 with the Chrimes brothers, Peter and Edward, setting up a brass foundry where they invented and produced the high-pressure loose valve screw-down tap.

The firm rapidly expanded into sluice valves, fire hydrants and water meters and John Guest joined the firm in 1847. Following a very large order from Spain, the company moved to the present site in 1857.

The applicants admit that there is some architectural and historic interest in the buildings so in order to secure planning permission they have submitted documents in a bid to show that there is no "appreciable commercial interest in its retention or that there is no evidence of a viable scheme for its reuse."

After backing football club chairman, Tony Stewart, and the previous plans for partial demolition that would have seen the historic frontage retained, the Rotherham Civic Society is opposed to the scheme of full demolition. Peter Hawkridge, secretary of Rotherham Civic Society, said: "Whilst the Society fully support Tony Stewart's ambition to find an economically viable use for the site the Society must register its opposition to the present application as currently drafted, and encourage the Local Planning Authority to negotiate a compromise solution that reflects the heritage of the site and indeed assist RU Estates Ltd in identifying potential developers that specialise in this niche market."

As part of any replacement development some display material is recommended for the site to enable the public to be aware of the tradition.

As the club waits on a decision over the Guest & Chrimes, other plans are being prepared that would generate income from the stadium site on non-matchdays. Planning applications have been submitted that would enable car park areas to host a retail market and car boot sales for up to 35 days a year and a fair for up to seven days a year.

Images: Signet Planning / Maber

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News: Closure of Digital Region announced

Shareholders in South Yorkshire's pioneering Digital Region project have agreed to halt their search for a private sector partner and begin a managed closure of the fibre optic network.

The superfast broadband network was built for the region by Digital Region Ltd in partnership with technology company Thales UK. The aim of Digital Region was to bring continuous 25mb+ broadband to over 97% of South Yorkshire, including 550,000 homes and 1.3 million people. Work on installing the network started in 2009, and by 2012, completion of phase one of the project saw 80 percent of homes and businesses within South Yorkshire able to be linked to the network.

In a statement, the shareholders said: "Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield councils - along with major shareholder, the Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) - have agreed that a managed closedown of the network and migration of existing Digital Region Limited customers to alternative networks now offers the most cost-effective deal for the public.

"The estimated cost of continuing with the project would be an estimated £95.8m. Closure of the network would save the taxpayer an estimated £12.5m, and potentially more, subject to negotiations with existing contractors and customers.

"Shareholders have been firmly focussed on using Digital Region Limited (DRL) to achieve a significant increase in superfast broadband coverage across South Yorkshire to ensure economic competitiveness did not fall below other parts of the country. This has now largely been achieved by investment by other providers and shareholders had embarked on a re-procurement exercise in March 2012 to facilitate the commercial transfer of the network to another provider.

"Until this point, the costs of closure and the costs of continuing with the project and realising additional benefits for residents and businesses of South Yorkshire were finely balanced.

"Digital Region was established as a pioneering project to deliver major transformational change in the way superfast broadband was delivered across South Yorkshire. When the project was conceived, next generation broadband was not yet available in South Yorkshire, compounding the area's existing economic disadvantages. A visionary solution was needed to a complex and pressing need.

"However, there have been significant developments in the broadband market and it is no longer financially viable to keep the project up and running. The focus will now be on obtaining the best possible deal for taxpayers and ensuring a smooth transition for existing DRL customers to another provider so that services are not disrupted.

"Existing Digital Region customers are being informed, and will be supported over the coming months to switch to alternative service providers to avoid any disruption to services."

Digital Region website

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News: Aldi interest confirmed

After being revealed first on Rothbiz last month, discount food store Aldi has now committed to open a new store in Rotherham if plans are approved for a new development at Parkgate.

The land owner, Rotherham recycling experts, Ron Hull, has teamed up with Leeds-based developers, Gregory Projects to bring forward a potential retail development on the site of a former car showroom at Great Eastern Way.

An outline planning application has been submitted for a 16,000 sq ft discount food store together with 30,000 sq ft of additional retail and leisure facilities along with 194 car parking spaces.

With budget operators like Aldi, Gregory Projects is hoping to fill the gap in the current provision created when the nearby Netto store was taken over by ASDA. Gregory believes that the plan will also complement and significantly enhance the existing food and non-food provision for the local community. The site could also be home to a gym in the future.

The 3.87 acre site was remediated twelve months ago and has been vacant since.

Richard Tovey, director at Gregory Projects said; "Our plans propose to bring a redundant "key" site back into use after such a long while. It has been earmarked for mixed-use and our plans are in response to market demand.

"The occupiers that have expressed an interest will benefit Parkgate by enhancing the comparison shopping on offer. The scheme has good pedestrian links to the town centre and to an existing bus stop at Broad Street, which makes the site accessible to local residents and commuters alike."

The Leeds office of Colliers International is handling the planning process and Yorkshire based civil and structural engineers JPG is also appointed to the project. GVA in Leeds is advising Gregory Projects on the lettings and the Sheffield office of Knight Frank is acting for Ron Hull Jnr Limited.

A decision on the outline planning application is expected later this year.

Gregory Projects website

Images: Gregory Projects / The Harris Partnership

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