News: Superfast switch on in South Yorkshire

Areas of Rotherham are being turned on to high speed fibre broadband as BT finally install new cabinets across most of the borough.

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

Due to its involvement in the failed Digital Region project, South Yorkshire is the last in this current round of BDUK, the government project with the goal of delivering a fibre point in every community in the UK by the end of 2015.

BT won the tender for the project and this week engineers were five months ahead of schedule as they installed new cabinets in Dinnington, Canklow, Parkgate and Fitzwilliam Road, bringing the new technology in reach of a further 450 homes and businesses during the first phase of the programme which will complete by the end of this year. In total more than 22,000 homes and businesses in the Rotherham area are set to benefit by the end of the 2017.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council (pictured, right), said: "Superfast broadband is essential if we are to compete in today's world and without this kind of investment, Rotherham will fall behind other parts of the country who are already developing this infrastructure. Both businesses and individuals need fast communications and a high speed internet to have a chance of success and this investment will play a huge role in that by delivering real economic benefits."

Local councils agreed to fund the project up front in order for the contracts to be signed to meet BDUK deadlines. Rotherham Council's contribution so far includes £1.596m in order to allow a contract to be signed and a contribution to a contingency budget of £124,000 and £112,500 towards the costs of employing staff to manage the provision of superfast broadband to the rest of the region.

The business case for the project is recommended for approval at the next Sheffield City Region Combined Authority meeting where £10.6m from the Sheffield city region investment fund for strategic infrastructure investment (SCRIF) is set to provide the local match funding. The initial bid was for £8m from SCRIF with £8m from BDUK and £7.56m coming from BT. Now the total project budget is set to be increased from £22m to £28m.

The authority had asked for details of the full extent of the market coverage, clarification over the BDUK funding and details of the market's plans for broadband in the region.

Other issues were addressed, including the economic impact of the project, analysis of the demand for broadband, BT's winning bid and whether it offers value for money, and a detailed business plan to provide confidence on delivery of the roll-out programme.

£10.4m has been made available from BDUK and the project delivery team have been actively exploring the opportunities to extend the broadband speeds offered on key business parks and Enterprise Zones to guarantee the best speeds possible. It is proposed that the remaining £2.4m, which is not currently proposed to be used in the core programme, could be used to support a proposal specifically for the South Yorkshire Enterprise Zones and key strategic business parks.

BT has been presented with prioritised lists of business locations for consideration of how the sites can achieve maximum coverage and/or be brought forward in the programme to meet BDUK requirements. BDUK have always necessitated that EZs must be a priority and be early in deployment plans.

Fibre to the cabinet will be the main technology used which can deliver speeds of up to 80Mbps to households. Fibre to the premises technology − delivering ultra fast speeds of up to 330Mbps - will also be used in some areas.

Revised estimates of economic outputs includes low end estimates of 315 net additional jobs and £130m in net additional GVA. Value for money analysis establishes that the total public sector cost per net additional job is £66,722, considerably outside the benchmark range and not value for money. Based on a mid-range figure of 648 net additional jobs, cost per job reduces to £32,434.

The report adds: "The variation in this analysis highlights the difficulty in fully understanding the potential economic benefits of investment in superfast broadband. Whilst the project could represent reasonable value for public investment, the Regional Economic Intelligence Unit observations and this analysis highlight the risk that once completed, the project may not support sufficient economic benefits for Sheffield City Region to demonstrate the value of its investment, and this may point to additional work being needed to promote the benefits of up-take to potential business users beyond simply roll-out of the infrastructure."

Superfast Broadband website

Images: RMBC / Superfast SY

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News: Entrepreneurial interns develop new medical device

A team of five students on a one year internship programme with the University of Sheffield's Medical Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Medical AMRC) have developed a device to help those suffering with joint pain and stiffness in their hands.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. The university secured funding in 2013 to develop the model into new areas – healthcare technologies and the creative and digital sectors.

Based in the Design, Prototyping & Testing Centre on the AMP, the Medical AMRC ensures the results of internationally significant research are developed into products and brought to market quickly and cost effectively.

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The ContraWear Hand & Wrist is the first of its kind; a portable, wearable medical device which uses contrast therapy in order to help alleviate pain, stiffness and inflammation in the joints and muscles.

Useful for people who live with conditions such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, sports injuries and older people with more general aches and pains; contrast therapy consists of alternating applications of heat and cold to treat pain associated with these conditions.

The team consists of three engineering students, Adam Wilson, Callum Mulligan and Syed Hammad, forensic accountancy student Aqsa Ahmed and Philip Mulvey, a business studies student. They were tasked with running medical products organisation, Next Generation Medical for one year and creating ideas for innovative products where there was an area of need in the healthcare market.

Callum Mulligan, who took on the role as project manager for the group (pictured, centre), said: "Without the full operation of your hands, your quality of life can be severely affected, just doing things like brushing your teeth can become very difficult.

"During our research we discovered you can use contrast therapy and potentially massage therapy to treat joint pain and stiffness. We applied our technical knowledge to look at how a device would implement those methods.

"What we came up with was a portable device that can be used at home or at work, that alleviates joint pain and stiffness by heating and cooling the hands in a way which is easy and convenient for the user."

Medical AMRC staff will be assessing ContraWear Hand & Wrist to take it forward into production, and soon next year's new interns will be developing two new products.

Adam Wilson, electronics engineering student at the Medical AMRC (pictured, second left), said: "Being the electronics designer for the device, I've been able to use a lot of different software and expand my skills further than I would with learning at university.

"I have been able to collaborate with AMRC experts from all different groups and that has allowed me to experience many different areas of engineering; it opens your eyes to what you can do."

Callum Mulligan added: "You get experience you just wouldn't get studying an academic qualification alone. We've had the opportunity to use the machinery in the workshop and just working with the other interns is a real eye opener.

"Phil is our marketing intern and Aqsa is our financial intern, so I've been able to sit down with them and see how we would operate as a business.

"I've gained a real insight into the entrepreneurial aspects of applying my engineering experience to a real-life situation, creating a saleable product and viable business plan."

Medical AMRC website

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News: MTL Advanced heading offshore

MTL Advanced, the Rotherham-based project manufacturing specialist is targeting the offshore and oil and gas sector as part of the enlarged WEC Group.

The Lancashire-based WEC Group, which comprises 14 companies specialising in welding and fabrication, brought the Brinsworth company out of administration, saving 135 jobs, earlier this year.

WEC Group funded a £1.97m partnership deal to acquire the business and certain assets of MTL which made the group the largest laser cutting operation in the UK's fabrication and engineering sector.

Trusted with multi-million pound contracts for leading industry experts, MTL has previously produced over 300 Boat Landing Systems for both UK and European offshore wind farms, including Nordsee Ost, Borkum West, Ormonde, and most recently Humber Gateway.

WEC Group is already heavily involved in the fabrication of products for the offshore and oil & gas industry as well as the manufacture of large precision machined components and assemblies, such as casing and tubing hHeads, christmas trees (blow out preventers) and flanges.

Now part of WEC Group, MTL has the capability and expertise to manufacture a range of associated products for the Offshore industry including plate beams, cable and pipe handling floatation devices, floatation buoys, tower platforms, reel drums and J tubes.

The group has combined its expertise with MTL to deliver reliable products to customers, meeting even the most complex and demanding offshore project requirements.

Wayne Wild, commercial director of WEC Group, said: "We're looking for and securing new work through our existing customer base and with new customers, and we have potentially got some very large contracts in the pipeline.

"We're looking forward to showcasing our joint capabilities at Offshore Europe in September."

Held in Aberdeen, the SPE Offshore Europe Conference and Exhibition attracts a global audience.

MTL traded profitably in each of the three months following that deal, compared to month on month losses in the previous 12 months. The company has also won back a £3m defence contract which it lost when it went into administration in February.

WEC has also announced that a major £1m programme of investment in new equipment for MTL's Rotherham facility is about to get underway and that a new apprenticeship scheme is being launched which will mirror its award-winning training academy, which was last year ranked in the top three large UK apprenticeship providers.

MTL Advanced website

Images: WEC Group

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News: Investment in Rotherham sets Rolls-Royce up for long term

Investments made by Rolls-Royce, such as the new £110m facility in Rotherham, are expected to improve production and create a strong platform to drive customer service, improved margins and strong cash flows.

The world-renowned engineers have released the latest financial results for the six months to June 30 which saw underlying revenue down 3% to £6.3bn from the £6.5bn in the first half of the year. Profit before tax was down 32% to £439m from £646m in the first half.

Despite having a growing order book that tops £76.5bn, Rolls-Royce has been forced to issue a number of profit warnings due to a weaker marine business and lower than expected demand for some products, including the Trent 700 engine. Having begun a restructuring programme in its aerospace business, the company said that the product transition in civil aerospace will drive long-term growth and that its "industrial transformation" will deliver that growth.

During the period, Rolls-Royce officially opened its Advanced Blade Casting Facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham. The most advanced turbine blade casting facility in the world will employ 150 people and have the capacity to manufacture more than 100,000 single crystal turbine blades a year. These blades will feature in a wide-range of Trent aero engines.

The financial report said: "In order to maximise the benefit of our growing order book, we are investing in our global industrial base and establishing a more competitive supply chain. The new facilities are leaner, more cost efficient and more flexible. For example, during the last six months we opened our Advanced Blade Casting Facility in Rotherham, UK, which will halve the time it takes to manufacture turbine blades."

As the Trent 700 approaches the later stage of its delivery lifecycle, Rolls-Royce is making a transition to newer engines such as the Trent XWB (the world's most efficient large civil engine) and the Trent 7000. The statement added: "While the impact of the transition to the Trent 7000 has reduced Trent 700 deliveries, and will hold back civil aerospace profit in the near term, we are confident that the important investments we are making to transition our production will create a strong platform to drive customer service, improved margins and strong cash flows."

The 150,000 sq ft Rotherham foundry is used for Rolls-Royce's pioneering work in the manufacture of single crystal (SX) turbine blades. The advanced turbine blade castings are produced for the company's most modern, high-thrust engines. There are over 65 in every iconic Trent engine and 182 turbine blades in each Trent XWB engine.

There are two types of turbine blade manufactured at the Rotherham facility: high pressure (HP) and intermediate pressure (IP) single crystal blades. The capacity is set to increase to 200,000 blades a year when the pioneering manufacturing process has been proven.

Warren East, chief executive at Rolls-Royce, said: "In the near term, we are managing a significant transition from mature engines to newer, more fuel efficient ones, such as the Trent XWB, Trent 7000 and Trent 1000. At the same time, we are taking appropriate actions to mitigate the effects of weakness in our offshore marine markets.

"While these create a profit headwind in the near term, it is critical we successfully deliver our product launches, complete our supply chain transformation and sustain investment in our businesses to strengthen their competitive positions. The initial phase of my ongoing operational review has and will continue to concentrate on how we drive improvements and sharpen our focus to make us a more resilient and sustainable business."

Rolls-Royce website

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News: JUMP INC. plans Rotherham facility

A former parcel depot in Rotherham could be converted into an "urban playground" with wall to wall connected trampolines, if plans are approved to change the use class of an empty building.

A planning application has been submitted which would enable a 22,000 sq ft unit at Parkgate Business Park to be used for leisure uses. Applicants, Future Leisure Ltd is hoping to open its flagship "JUMP INC." trampoline park in Rotherham and another facility at Meadowhall is also being planned - offering 170 interconnected trampolines, trampolines up the walls, air bags, basketball, dodgeball and fitness facilities.

Royal Mail Group's express parcels business, Parcelforce Worldwide, opened its new depot in Rotherham at the end of 2013. The UK and International parcel delivery service took over the 152,421 sq ft distribution unit at the Magna 34 development at Templeborough. Increasing job numbers, it is about seven times the floor space of the previous site on Parkgate Business Park.

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The vacated unit has been empty since the relocation and the plan is to reconfigure the unit back to its original two subdivided units. In addition to the trampoline areas, the plans, drawn up by Coda Planning, also show function rooms, a café, offices and a mezzanine viewing gallery. A new pedestrian link to Rotherham Road is also proposed.

Opening 8am till 10pm every day, it is estimated that the peak number of visitors will be around 8,000 per month.

A total of 22 staff is proposed as part of the facility. Around 16 part time staff and six full time staff.

The first indoor trampoline park opened in 2004 in Las Vegas and they have been gaining in popularity ever since. The International Association of Trampoline Parks estimates that by the end of this year there will be more than 550 indoor trampoline parks open worldwide.

As the site is not located within a designated town, district or local centre, officers at Rotherham Council have asked that a sequential test assessment be undertaken in line with national and local planning policies. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.

After assessing the potential for sites across the borough that are designated for mixed used and leisure uses, the applicant concludes that none in preferable locations fit the criteria for indoor trampoline parks that need large buildings with interrupted indoor space with high eaves.

The plans also conclude that "the likely impact on the surrounding road network in terms of highways, access or parking will not present any reason for refusal."

The proposals are the latest in leisure uses being sought for industrial buildings in Rotherham. Local social enterprise, Team Katalyst recently converted Unit 1, The Summit on Barbot Hall Industrial Estate into its Performance Centre which includes the country's largest indoor freerunning and Parkour park.

JUMP INC. website

Images: Commercial Property Partners

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News: Housebuilding progress for Harworth

Rotherham-based Harworth Group, one of the largest property and regeneration companies across the North of England and the Midlands, is continuing to press on with housebuilding on former brownfield land.

The company, which is based on its own flagship Waverley development, manages around 31,370 acres across some 200 projects, with consent for 8,000 new homes. It was created through the complex restructure of what was UK Coal.

Outline planning consent has recently been received for a development of up to 375 houses in the village of Edlington, south west of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

Doncaster Council has given its approval for the construction of 375 houses, a pub and associated landscaping and public open space on part of the former Yorkshire Main colliery site in Edlington. The development will be known as Warmsworth Gate.

The outline planning consent at Edlington was achieved by Harworth's Strategic Land division. Over the last six years Harworth has obtained consents for more than 11,000 housing plots with more than 1,500 plots in Doncaster.

Tim Love, director of Strategic Land at Harworth Estates, said: "This development forms part of Doncaster's wider regeneration programme and supports the continuing housing shortfall in the local area. New housing remains in short supply in the UK and this consent is testament to our commitment to providing quality homes to areas where there is a severe lack of housing stock."

Construction of 1,200 new homes planned at Harworth's Torne Park, the former Rossington Colliery site, has also begun this year. Harron Homes began constructing 70 homes as part of the first phase of the development after obtaining detailed planning consent from Doncaster Council. Taylor Wimpey also received detailed planning consent for up to 96 new homes.

At Waverley, where Harworth secured outline permission for a new 3,890 home community across 741 acres on the site of the former Orgreave Colliery, Barratt Homes has seen almost 50% of its new homes purchased despite only launching its Renaissance development eight months ago.

The developer has now submitted detailed plans for the next phase on the Waverley site. Phase 1e is part of Waverley Central area where house-building is coming forward earlier than anticipated. Plans for 66 further dwellings were submitted earlier this year by Harron Homes.

The latest Barratt plans are for 126 dwellings providing a mix of accommodation in a variety of styles. It is the first time that four storey apartment blocks have been included in plans for the Waverley development which has raised concerns from current and prospective residents.

Harworth Group website

Images: Barratt Homes / JRP Architecture

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News: Pyronix launch new Rotherham facility

Rotherham success story, Pyronix has announced the launch of its new facility which has given it the capacity to triple manufacturing operations.

Based in Hellaby, Pyronix is an award-winning manufacturer with an extensive range of electronic security equipment for intruder alarms. Over the past two decades the company has moved from being a single detector manufacturer to one of the world's leading providers of security equipment.

Having secured the backing of Barclays bank and the Sheffield City Region's Regional Growth Fund (RGF) programme to expand, the firm acquired Interchange Industrial Estate, close to its headquarters, from St Modwen for an undisclosed sum. The property comprises two detached industrial units totalling more than 38,500 sq ft and Pyronix will expand its existing operation in Hellaby in to one of the units.

Julie Kenny CBE DL, chair and chief executive at Pyronix, said: "We purchased the new site last year and have now completed the development of our second site at Lowton Way, Rotherham which has provided an additional 19,000 sq ft factory space. We now have the capacity to triple our manufacturing operations and have commenced production in Rotherham of products which we previously contracted out to the Far East.

"The new facility also provides the business with flexibility for further expansion in the future to support the very positive sales growth we've seen in recent times. We've managed to buck the trend and have been growing organically in the UK as well as exporting globally.

"With low interest rates we decided the time was right for this planned expansion. Barclays funding, together with a Regional Growth Fund grant have enabled us to us to increase our manufacturing facilities and capability. It's great working with a bank that understands our business and can provide a holistic solution for both our operations and future ambitions."

Matthew Chenery, relationship director at Barclays, added: "We've been supporting Julie and her business for many years, and through our funding support, and the tireless work of Julie and her team, it is great to see such a fantastic new manufacturing facility open in Rotherham. Pyronix is a superb business that is crafting innovative products for the worldwide market and the management's ambitious growth plans are testament to their success."

Pyronix employs 155 staff across South Yorkshire with an additional 40 at the new site. Turnover this year is expected to be over £23m. The firm sells around £11m worth of products to the UK market and new export markets such as Italy, Russia and Poland have been identified, where the aim is to replicate the sales success. The firm already exports to over 70 countries worldwide.

The company also continues to invest in research and development and the PyronixCloud is the latest technological innovation. Utilising the latest advances in IP technology, the system and HomeControl+ App enables the remote control of the home security system from anywhere in the world.

Pyronix website
Barclays website

Images: Barclays

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News: University to build UK’s largest dynamic test facility

The University of Sheffield has announced another multimillion pound project for the AMRC 2 campus on the Sheffield Business Park.

Located on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and a partner in the HVM Catapult (the government's strategic initiative that aims to revitalise the manufacturing industry), the University's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

In 2014 the institution signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the AMP, where it already operates from 300,000 sq ft of accommodation within seven separate buildings.

Today, the Business Secretary Sajid Javid announced a new £4m investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that will enable the university to build one of the largest dynamic test facilities in the UK.

The £11m Structural Dynamics Laboratory for Verification and Validation will be unique in its research and development offer to businesses across the UK. It will drive forward collaborative research with industry and cement the Sheffield city regions's position as a world leader in structural dynamics.

A modular environmental chamber in the laboratory will be able to control temperature, humidity and wind speed as well as simulate rain and snow. The ability to test in realistic conditions at full scale will pave the way for engineers to create lighter, greener, safer structures.

The development has been widely endorsed by industry. Many leading companies, including Airbus and Rolls-Royce, have written letters of support for the new facility which will transform the opportunities to research in structural dynamics in the UK.

Professor Richard Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: "Computer simulation of models of the way large structures behave in use are increasingly powerful, but for industry to realise the full benefits of these techniques we need to test these models against large scale experimental data, so they can be confident of their results.

"This facility will allow us to do this testing, giving industry confidence in the models and allowing faster and therefore more cost effective product developments in a number of different industry sectors.

"Better modelling also means we will be able to move from structures that have a safe-life design philosophy to a damage-tolerant one which offers cost savings through extending the lifetime of existing structures."

Professor Keith Worden, head of the Dynamics Research Group (DRG) in the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, added: "This new facility is extremely important for the University of Sheffield and will give the UK a world-lead in verification and validation research while accelerating new methods and test protocols.

"Advances in structural dynamics hold the key to major cost reductions across many of the UK's priority industrial engineering sectors.

"This facility will have the ability to test structures like helicopters and airframes at full-scale and will present the UK with a unique opportunity to take a world lead in verification and validation."

With space at a premium on the AMP, construction is already well underway on the first project on the new site - the £43m Factory 2050 that will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research.

The masterplan for the AMRC 2 Campus includes new research buildings such as the proposed £30m National Material Institute, part of the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Material Science, announced in December. Anticipated projects also include a £20m Fast Make Centre of Excellence were prototypes move to manufacture within months, and a £30m Energy 2050 development - a world-leading hub of excellence set up to address the "trilemma" of making energy more affordable, secure and sustainable.

Sheffield University website
AMRC website

Images: AMRC / Bond Bryan

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News: Mitsubishi on top at Mushroom Garage

A famous Rotherham landmark has got a new car - a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

The rally car has been chosen to continue a long-running tradition at Mushroom Garage where a vehicle sits proudly on the roof of the showroom.

The car, minus its two-litre turbocharged engine, was lifted into place by a crane in a delicate operation, and the vehicle – resplendent in rally colours – will remain in situ for the foreseeable future, having replaced a Honda that had been there since 2006.


At the start of the year, operators, Gilder Group, expanded the garage by adding a Mitsubishi dealership. The family-run group was first formed in Sheffield by William Gilder in 1938.

Employing more than 70 people across the company, there are two other dealerships in Chesterfield and Sheffield and 18 people employed at the site in Rotherham.

Bradford-based JCT600 acquired Gilder Group, including its Volkswagen dealership in Wickersley, Rotherham, in 2013, but outgoing CEO Garry Scotting retained the Gilder Honda sites, including the dealership at Mushroom Garage in Rotherham.

Peter Williams, director of the Gilder Group, said: "The Mushroom Garage is a landmark building in the area and it's always been synonymous with having a car on the roof. We are exceptionally enthusiastic about bringing Mitsubishi back to the Mushroom Garage. The Evo is a striking car and having it on our roof will help raise awareness of Mitsubishi's return to Rotherham."

John Mason, dealer development manager for Mitsubishi Motors UK, added: "We are delighted to be coming back to the Mushroom Garage with the Gilder Group after a few years away, and we are looking forward to a long and mutually successful partnership. The Mushroom Garage is an iconic building and the Lancer Evo has been an iconic vehicle for Mitsubishi, so the two together really are the perfect match.

"This is a truly exciting time for the Mitsubishi brand, with latest figures showing passenger car sales for the calendar year to June 2015 up by 117% compared with the same period last year, against an overall market increase of seven per cent."

Gilder Group website

Images: Mistubishi Motors

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News: Finance Yorkshire looking for the next Xeros

Early stage investment from Finance Yorkshire is helping to develop and nurture some of the region's most innovative and successful companies - including Rotherham-based Xeros.

Finance Yorkshire was the first European JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro to medium Enterprise) initiative to become fully invested in England. The £90m fund had three investment teams, Seedcorn Finance, Business Loans and Equity Linked Investments. It secured £45m from the European Investment Bank, together with £30m investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £15m from the Government via Yorkshire Forward.

The Seedcorn Fund provides investment of up to £780,000 in businesses which are developing new technology-based solutions which have the potential to disrupt their chosen markets.

Two companies that received Seedcorn funding from Finance Yorkshire hit the headlines after listing on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and growing their market values considerably.

Xeros Technology Group plc is based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and is behind a new bead-based cleaning technology which results in significant savings on water, energy and detergent while at the same time delivering improved cleaning results.

Finance Yorkshire made three investments in Xeros totalling £1.45m. The company, led by CEO Bill Westwater, floated with a market capitalisation of £80m and has more than doubled its share price to 260p.

Xeros had just three employees in 2009, but now has more than 70 staff across the UK, US and China. It recently announced a deal with German speciality chemicals business LANXESS, which will see its technology applied to the leather processing industry.

Finance Yorkshire invested £520,000 in York-based OptiBiotix Health plc which listed on AIM when its market value was £6m, and in just 12 months that has risen to over £27m.

Julian Viggars, investment director of the Seedcorn Fund (pictured), said: "Our portfolio includes some of the most exciting science and technology based businesses in the UK. Investing in these businesses requires specialist knowledge and a long term approach as value is not created overnight.

"We have nurtured Xeros and OptiBiotix from the very start and continue to support them. A listing was once seen as providing an exit for venture capitalists but we are successfully using the public markets to provide businesses with additional investment capital to continue their long term growth.

"As Xeros and OptiBiotix have experienced, a listing is also very effective in raising a company's profile to both a national and global audience and to attract the very best management talent.

"Xeros is the perfect example of the type of company that we seek to back – innovative, early stage businesses that will become high-growth companies of the future. The region has a strong tradition in engineering and manufacturing, with a strong skills base, and we expect more opportunities to emerge."

Finance Yorkshire's investments to date have created and safeguarded 10,196 jobs across Yorkshire and the Humber, increased turnover by £309m and generated private sector leverage of £179m.

In February the fund announced that it had secure funding from Round Six of the government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF) to invest in businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber. In April it announced that it had secured further support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Xeros website
Finance Yorkshire website

Images: Finance Yorkshire

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News: IMechE to create a new specialist training centre

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is investing £2m in a new specialist training centre on Sheffield Business Park.

IMechE is an independent engineering society working to raise the profile of mechanical engineering. The building will become the principle training and examination centre for Argyle-Ruane Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Institution which is a global leading provider of non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection training and consultancy services.

Acquired by IMechE in 2012, Argyle-Ruane Ltd currently has operations in the Meadowbank area of Rotherham.

NDT is the application of non-intrusive measurement techniques that identify damage and irregularities in materials such as pressure vessels, storage tanks and other safety-critical components.

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The building will house unique teaching facilities for a range of disciplines, as well as meeting and conference facilities and Level 3 consultancy support. Alongside the training and certification operations, there will also be a business centre for the Institution's members as well a large lecture theatre for various seminars and events.

Replacing existing offices in Sheffield and Rotherham, the expansion increases the teaching and learning space by nearly three times to 16,900 sq ft. The centre is set to open in September 2015.

Peter Croft, Argyll-Ruane marketing executive with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers said: "The move represents a substantial investment in improving the organisation's teaching facilities with new equipment throughout and new interactive LED screens in each classroom to optimise the learning experience of delegates.

"The move will also see an increase in parking facilities and improvements to the catering provision."

Property consultancy Bruton Knowles helped broker the deal. Sam Spencer, agent at Bruton Knowles, said: "We were delighted to work with such a respected organisation and help IMechE to acquire suitable premises.

"With the current increasing investment in the area, the new site will become a centre of excellence for mechanical engineers.

"We wish the Institution of Mechanical Engineers all the best in their new facility."

IMechE website

Images: IMechE

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News: Martek at the Rugby World Cup

Rotherham-based Martek Lifecare has been awarded a contract to supply defibrillators to every Rugby Union World Cup 2015 venue.

Based at Manvers, Martek Marine is one of the world leaders in the supply of safety and environmental monitoring systems for the shipping industry. Martek Lifecare (previously known as Martek Medical) specialises in lifesaving products including semi automatic external defibrillators that guide the user through the stressful experience of treating someone suffering from a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

Thirteen match venues from eleven cities across England, and Cardiff in Wales, have been selected to host matches at Rugby World Cup 2015. Iconic venues include Twickenham, the Millennium Stadium, Wembley and the Olympic Stadium. Kicking off on September 18, the tournament is the biggest sporting event to take place in the UK since the London Olympics and the Tour de France.

SCA is the biggest killer in the world, accounting for around 140,000 deaths in the UK alone each year. Speed of treatment is vital, as the chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of around 10% with each minute that passes.

Martek is the UK supplier for the Lifeline range of defibrillators. The VIEW automated external defibrillator is the first of its kind, delivering step-by-step instructions with voice and video instructions at every stage of the rescue – including a metronome for performing CPR. In an independent study, it was found to be the simplest AED to use, a crucial element in delivering a timely rescue.

Steve Coulson, founder and director of Martek, said of the partnership with the Rugby Union: "We are proud to be partners of such a large sporting event, providing essential safety equipment with lifesaving potential to multiple venues. With recent high profile cases of sudden cardiac arrest such as rugby league player Danny Jones, it's testament to the Rugby Union's dedication to protecting both players and fans from cardiac emergencies with the installation of Lifeline VIEW."

Martek Medical is targeting the sport, health and fitness sector as well as schools and workplaces. It has also recently secured deals to supply airlines, easyJet and Etihad Airways that will see them use Lifeline defribrillators on their aircraft.

Martek Lifecare website

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News: Transport bosses write to DfT over electrification pause

Transport leaders in the Sheffield city region are writing to the Government to express concerns over the decision to "pause" an electrification project that would bring newer, faster and more reliable trains on the key route between London and the Sheffield.

Network Rail, the owners and operators of Britain's rail infrastructure, finalised its five year investment programme to 2019 (known as control period 5, or CP5) last year. It contained finalised £1.5 billion plans to electrify the Midland Mainline (MML) north of Bedford, working north. It was set to reach Corby at the end of 2017; Nottingham and Derby at the end of 2019 and Sheffield at the end of 2020.

The scheme, which was set to deliver more seats, improved performance and more space for freight on one of Britain's oldest railways, is on hold. In a speech last month that highlighted where Network Rail's performance has not been good enough, Patrick McLoughlin said that he was resetting Network Rail's investment programme to get it back on track.

A letter, jointly signed by the Chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, Local Enterprise Partnership and Transport Committee, would be sent to the Secretary of State for Transport expressing the region's concerns at this announcement.

The Sheffield city region is also actively lobbying for a reinstatement of the electrification programme with colleagues in the East Midlands.

Members of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee had previously been given assurances from Network Rail that the intended programme would be delivered.

David Young, interim director general at SYPTE, said at a meeting of the committee last week: "We were pressing to have it delivered by 2019 and had promises that it would be delivered by 2020. It is very disappointing and it is something that we should be making our views and concerns known to Government.

"Everybody shares the frustration at the pace of delivery of Network Rail and their ability to control costs, and that is a view shared by the Government itself which why they are taking the steps they are to intervene with the management of Network Rail. While they do that though, we can't afford to let the economy in the city region suffer as a result in under-investment and under-ambition in our local rail programme."

The region has previously been forced to write to the Department for Transport (DfT) to express some concerns about Network Rail and the delays to the £60m tram-train project and to seek a way to resolve them.

Images: Network Rail

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News: Beatson Clark bottle just the job for Vocation

Leading glass manufacturer Beatson Clark is helping to create the distinctive branding of a newly-launched brewery by supplying eye-catching Rotherham-made bottles.

The Greasborough Road firm, which has been making glass bottles and jars in Rotherham since 1751, specialises in providing glass packaging solutions for niche brands in the food, drink and pharmaceutical markets worldwide.

Vocation Brewery in Hebden Bridge launched in April and is already causing a stir. The brewery's Leeds-based branding agency Robot Food chose Beatson Clark's standard 500ml amber Vichy bottle as its aesthetic appeal complemented the brewery's colourful labels.

John Hickling, director and head brewer at Vocation Brewery, said: "We brew punchy and distinctive beers, and in a crowded market you've got to find any way you can to stand out. There are lots of pieces to that jigsaw, and an important component is the shape of the bottle.

"So many breweries use the same shape of bottle for practical reasons, especially if they're contract bottling which makes it difficult for them to be creative with the bottle design.

"As we bottle our own beer on site there's an opportunity for us to be a little bit different. I gave Robot Food a selection of bottles which suited our technical requirements and they chose the bottle which best fitted the brand's aesthetic.

"The look of our bottled beer is very important and I'm trying to tread a fine line by creating a brand that appeals to a younger market without alienating older drinkers."

Vocation Brewery are bottling two beers at present – Heart & Soul and Pride & Joy - with more to follow.

Simon Forster, creative director at Robot Food, said he recommended Beatson Clark's Vichy bottle as it is seldom seen in the craft beer market.

"It suits our designs as it gives us maximum label area, but more importantly it has a unique silhouette," he said. "There's really no-one else in the craft beer sector using this type of bottle shape with straight shoulders – it has a traditional colour but at the same time it feels quite unique and contemporary."

Chris Palmer, business development manager at Beatson Clark, added: "The craft brewing sector is a really strong growth area for us at the moment, and now that our new amber furnace is in full production we have additional capacity to meet the extra demand.

"It can be hard for smaller producers to stand out on the shelf, and the key to that is defining your brand through eye-catching packaging. With our extensive standard range and our in-house creative design team we can supply distinctive bottles that really help beers to get noticed."

Vocation Brewery website
Beatson Clark website

Images: Beatson Clark

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News: Singaporean students visit

A visiting party of South East Asian students has been taking a look at a South Yorkshire wind farm as part of an overseas summer school project.

The students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore took a tour of the six-turbine Penny Hill wind farm, which is located to the south east of Rotherham and west of the junction of the M1 and M18, alongside representatives of the Barlborough-based business behind the scheme, Banks Renewables.

Organised through the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sheffield and University of Sheffield Enterprise (USE), the engineering students' visit to the site forms part of their studies towards an Overseas Merit Award that will eventually be counted towards their final degrees.

The students who visited the Penny Hill site have been set the challenge of developing their own wind farm, and by the end of their visit to the UK, they will need to produce a technical report on what they would do, make a promotional video about their plans and give an oral presentation to fellow students and others involved with the project on their ideas.

The summer school aims to engage the students in an engineering challenge that will also develop their enterprise skills, and to enable them to get the support of a relevant industry partner, so they can see engineering in action in an area relating to their project, get some input from the partner into their project and ask their approach to their challenge.

Gary Wood, enterprise education developer at USE, said: "Programmes like these are so valuable for students, giving them a real insight into how engineering solutions work in real world environments, and as well as counting towards their degrees, it’s great for their own personal development too."

Lewis Stokes, development relations coordinator at Banks Renewables, added: "We're very pleased to have been able to welcome the Ngee Ann students to our Penny Hill wind farm, and hope everything they saw and heard was useful to them for this project – we were certainly asked lots of questions on the day and we'll be interested to hear how the information they gathered will be used in the students’ final presentation.

"We explained that the approach that we take to onshore wind farm development is very much focused on the local communities around our sites, and also on the economic, employment, social and supply chain benefits that we can bring to them through the projects that we develop.

"The Penny Hill wind farm has worked extremely well in this respect, with local groups and good causes having already received over £40,000 in grants from the scheme's community benefits fund, and with many times that amount still to come in the future."

Banks Renewables website

Images: Banks Renewables

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News: Grimm makeover in Rotherham

A former pub in Rotherham town centre is set to be brought back to life - as if by magic.

Grimm & Co, a new Yorkshire literacy charity based in Rotherham, has submitted a planning application which would enable the Town Gate pub on Doncaster Gate to be converted into a "fantastical, high quality, unforgettable retail experience."

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

The freehold of the building went up for auction with James A Baker in 2014 and the charity identified it as the ideal location for an apothecary "supplying sorcery services and unnatural products to magical beings."

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

In each case, the shop is a façade, and although they sell products, like any other, it is all part of creating a fantastical destination. The story behind Grimm & Co (Graham Grimm was a Yorkshire businessman, born 1148, just before lunchtime, who spotted a gap in the market), and the ideas for products to sell (everything from magic wands to dealing with heartburn for dragons), have been developed by leading literary figures including Jeremy Dyson, a non-acting member of the League of Gentleman and co-writer of the West End play, Ghost Stories.

As well as providing the engaging environment, the proceeds from the shop help to fund the work going on upstairs in the former Disraeli's pub where interactive whiteboards will replace dartboards and writing desks will replace pool tables.

Deobarah Bullivant, who is leading the project and secured the "licence" to open the concept in Yorkshire, was keen to bring it to Rotherham having worked successfully on Inspire Rotherham, the first time that the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, had agreed to major funding for a project which supported business and regeneration in the future by helping raise basic skills and aspirations.

Deborah said: "When I went down to London I was asked if I'd considered locating in Leeds or Sheffield. I knew Sheffield would be great but it has lots of stuff already. If you go into the city, you know you can access the arts, and people know about it. Rotherham needs this. We have lots of great things going on in town but not many people know about it. Having Grimm & Co at the bottom of the High Street is something really positive for the town."

The project could also provide a regeneration boost for the town centre as Deborah explained: "Certainly all the other centres across the world have added to their area and are now surrounded by things like arts spaces and book shops. When I show people from those centres what we are planning here in Rotherham, they are jealous of the building and space we have got."

A recent "Write for a Bright Future" conference put Rotherham together with similar projects from Syndney, Belfast and Stockholm along with Dave Eggers, the founder of 826 National. The offers of future visits, collaboration and working together flowed, much like back in Rotherham.

As work on the building got underway this week, it was staff and apprentices at Wilmott Dixon who gave up their time to begin the transformation of the former pub (pictured). Sheffield legal firm, Wosskow Brown has been working on the lease; local design firm Side by Side has been working on the design concepts and branding whilst Metal & Dust create the look with bespoke furniture. Over 50 staff from Interserve Learning & Employment have been working on various aspects of the project through the company's "Give a Day of Your Time" initiative. Templeborough manufacturing firm, AESSEAL has put forward a pot of money and Airmaster's resources director Lisa Pogson joined the board of the charity.

"We still need more" says Deborah. "I'm learning how to fill in planning forms, apply for building regs, deal with leases and ask people to do something for nothing. I used to be a headteacher and sometimes wonder what I've got myself into."

With a band of volunteers ("we need more of those too") the project is ensuring that activities for children are kept free. Income from selling products (online and in Rotherham) and creative ways for people and businesses to donate, helps to pay for materials and workshops. For example, supporters are able to hand over cash for titles - "Lord of Never Ending Stories" and "Protector of Appropriately Placed Apostrophes" are available.

Bullivent added: "We are able to secure some funding from the council's vitality grants scheme for the shop fit out, and being a charity helps with rates, but it's a drop in the ocean really. We desperately need support from local businesses to get behind this exciting project for Rotherham. We need something that our children and young people can be proud of and we need the business community to make sure this is."

As momentum gathers towards a potential opening later this year, the project has been made the chosen charity for the upcoming local conventions, WOSCON and Yorkshire Cosplay, where staff and volunteers will be at the events raising their profile and possibly leaking secrets about the new building.

Did I mention that Wilmott Dixon are having a secret door made and that Aldwarke-based Tech Spray Ltd are working on a slide in the shape of a beanstalk?

Grimm & Co website

Images: James A Baker / Grimm & Co

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News: United Carpets on firm footing

Rotherham-based United Carpets, the second largest chain of specialist retail carpet and floor covering stores in the UK, says that it has created a new base for delivering sustainable growth following positive trading.


In August 2012, the Bramley-based, AIM-listed company had its shares temporarily suspended after admitting it would not be able to publish its full-year results on time. In October 2012, a pre-pack administration deal saw United Carpets Group acquire the business and assets of its trading subsidiary United Carpets (Northern) Limited.

The restructuring, which saw a number of under-performing stores and franchises close, helped to improve profit margins and reduce distribution costs and administrative expenses including rent, rates and staff costs.

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In its preliminary results for the year ended March 31 2015, the group reported a 29% increase in profit before tax to £1.21m, with like for like sales up 2.7% for the year.

Like for like sales increased by 2.7% with revenue for the year at £19.1m, down from £21.1m in the previous year.

The statement added that trading in the period had been positive, benefitting from an improving consumer environment and the restructuring undertaken in 2012.

At the end of the financial period, the network of stores totalled 63, down from more than 80 stores just over two years ago, of which 47 are franchised and 14 are run as corporate stores. Since then more stores of opened so that the total now stands at 63.

The statement said: "While the majority of stores are showing encouraging signs for the future, there remains a handful of stores which are underperforming. We are evaluating ways to address this, which may include a small number of further store closures. At the same time we are employing a small and highly selective store opening policy including the opening of our smaller format store concept which, while still in its infancy, is showing some promising signs."

The Rotherham store recently relocated to the Foundry Retail Park at Pargkate.

Gross margin was 66.8% compared to 61.7% and distribution costs and administrative expenses, which include rent, rates and staff costs at the corporate stores, reduced by £0.5m due to savings in the ongoing cost of supporting the franchise network as a result of improving performance.

A special dividend of 1p per share was paid in June and the board is recommending a final dividend of 0.25p per share in October.

Paul Eyre, chief executive at United Carpets, said: "It is very pleasing to report improving results demonstrating the success of the changes we have made and showing that we have created a new base for delivering sustainable growth and returns over the longer-term.

"Our like for like sales performance showed a creditable increase, up 2.7%, contributing to an increase in profit before tax of 29%. This, together with a strengthened balance sheet and no material borrowings means the Group is well placed for the future. This is reflected in our decision to re-introduce a final dividend for the year as part of our intention to pay a progressive dividend in line with the future growth of the business."

Looking ahead, Peter Cowgill, Chairman of United Carpets said: "United Carpets is well positioned for the future. Demand for the group's products has been consistent and the store network is becoming increasingly well balanced. The balance sheet is strengthened, there are no borrowings other than a small number of immaterial finance leases and the marketplace is improving.

"Just as importantly, the management team are also now able to focus on developing the business and implement changes such as the new sales process for beds, introduction of the smaller store format and interest free credit all of which are contributing to an improving performance. While there are still ongoing challenges which will no doubt impact the business, the board is confident that the Group is once again well positioned and looks forward to delivering sustainable growth and returns for shareholders."

United Carpets website

Images: United Carpets

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News: Greencore recognised for workplace wellbeing

Greencore Prepared Meals in Kiveton is the first business in Rotherham to achieve the "Workplace Wellbeing Charter", a national standard that demonstrates employers' commitment to workplace health and wellbeing.

The Irish group has 28 sites in the UK and employs around 3,000 people in Yorkshire. Greencore Prepared Meals at in Rotherham is one of five sites in the Prepared Meals division and prepares quiches, ready meals and soups.

Following an independent audit and a series of interviews with members of staff at the site, Greencore achieved the "Excellence Award", which recognises the fully engaged leadership and the range of programmes and support mechanisms it has in place to support the health and wellbeing of its employees.

The Workplace Wellbeing Charter is a national award that provides employers with an easy and clear guide on how to make workplaces a supportive and productive environment in which employees can flourish.

Rotherham Council's Public Health team is delivering the Charter in Rotherham and providing advice and support for local companies to improve health and wellbeing in their organisation.

The Workplace Wellbeing Charter is suitable for all businesses regardless of size. It is a simple process which involves assessing progress against a set of standards in the workplace.

Julia Matthews, senior human resources business partner at Greencore, said: "I am absolutely thrilled that Greencore has been recognised for its ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of its people.

"We are an organisation that puts its people at the core of what we do and it's important that we keep our workforce healthy and safe. The feedback from the auditing process is very pleasing and it strengthens our commitment to do even better in the future."

The Rotherham facility bakes over a hundred thousand quiche a day and uses over 35 million eggs a year.

Tim O'Connell, Head of Business, Retail and Investment at Rotherham Council presented the award at a launch event for the Workplace Wellbeing Charter at the AMP Technology Centre earlier this month.

Greencore website
Workplace Wellbeing Charterwebsite

Images: RMBC

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News: LEP chair recruitment begins

Recruitment is underway for a new chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) board, somebody who "understands the region and its potential, and will be a great champion for the LEP and our many sectors and companies."

LEPs are the Government's model to promote economic development and provide the strategic leadership required to set out local economic priorities, and better reflect the natural economic geography of the areas they serve.

The new chair will replace James Newman, the former Master Cutler and current chairman of Finance Yorkshire, who helped to bring the bid for the partnership together with businesses and local authority representatives across the city region and was named as chair in 2010. Newman accepted a request from the LEP board to remain as the chairman for another year, until September 2015.

Speaking at the LEP's business conference in January, Newman (pictured) said:: "2015 is a year of opportunity for the Sheffield City Region. My legacy is for the private sector to be engrained in every aspect of economic development."

A collaboration between businesses and the local authorities that are placed at the heart of growth in the regions, the Government charged LEPs with putting together local growth plans that will be the basis on which the Government negotiates deals with each LEP for new levers, resources, funding and flexibility over them.

The city region's growth plan has the ambitious aim to create 70,000 new private sector jobs and 6,000 new businesses. Acknowledged as one of the country's leading LEPs, SCR secured a £320m million Growth Deal from Government and in December 2014, achieved a Devolution Deal to give the city region even more influence and control over its affairs on skills, infrastructure and business support.

In 2013, the nine local authorities that comprise the SCR agreed to create a new legal body, the Combined Authority, that would have responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration. The LEP and the SCR Combined Authority have assumed a joint role in developing and delivering the economic strategy for the SCR and a joint SCR Executive Team has been created, with Ben Still as executive director.

Refinement of the governance structure has led to the creation of executive boards that will cover: skills, business growth, infrastructure, transport and housing. They are tasked with making key decisions on strategy and budget allocation. The boards are made up of key players in the public and private sector and have delegated authority from the combined authority and LEP.

Advising consultants at GatenbySanderson are helping with recruitment for the job and a final recruitment panel is set to meet on September 14. Currently unpaid, the issue of remuneration was discussed at a recent LEP board meeting with the advert stating that the salary is an "attractive package."

In addition to cementing Sheffield city region's place in the Northern Powerhouse idea, one key issue for the new chair, and LEP as a whole, is the offer from Government regarding further devolution. Discussions are underway and city regions that want to agree a devolution deal in return for a mayor by the Spending Review will need to submit formal, fiscally-neutral proposals and an agreed geography to the Treasury by September 4.

Sheffield City Region LEP website

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News: Sale on at Rotherham Boundary Mills

The property housing the successful Boundary Mill Stores in Rotherham has gone up for sale, with a guide price of £14.5m.

The largest quality mill store of its kind in the UK, the expanding Lancashire-based retailer became the new occupier of the former Big W store at Catcliffe in 2012. The 130,000 sq ft store had been empty since Woolworths went into administration in 2008.

Agents, Knight Frank have been instructed to advertise the freehold of the prominent 11 acre site as a prime open A1 retail warehouse investment. A corporate acquisition of the property is also possible.

Boundary Mill Stores are owned by Libra Textiles Ltd who trade from five locations with sales in excess of £150m. The stores offer branded goods at discount prices. Departments include ladieswear, menswear, homewares, gifts, books, dvds, arts and crafts and perfume and cosmetics.

The company operates a concession partnership where brands reatin ownership of the stock and Boundary Mill Stores allocates space on the basis of prospectives or actual sales and receives commission for the provision of the space in the retail environment and sales support services.

Investing around £5m in fitting out the Catcliffe store, the tenant terms are shown with rent at £925,000, uplifting every five years, with 25 years remaining.

The price of £14.5m represents a net initial yield of 6%.

Including over 1,000 free car spaces, the adjacent Morrisons store has been earmarked as in the path of the proposed HS2 route through to the South Yorkshire station location at Meadowhall.

Boundary Mills website
Knight Frank website

Images: Knight Frank

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News: Make it in the music business

Rotherham College of Arts and Technology (RCAT) is working in partnership with a team of UK music industry experts at Sheffield's Steelworks recording studios to launch a new course designed to help talented young musicians and songwriters set up their own business.

"My Music: My Business" launches in September and ambitious school and college leavers keen to kick start their careers in the music industry are now invited to apply – and audition – for fifteen places.

The course, which has been created by music industry specialists Music Business Training (MBT), aims to give artists in all music genres the artistic development and business acumen they need to work for themselves and take their music to market.

John Hart, of MBT (pictured, front - right), said: "The music industry has undergone seismic change in recent years and access to market is now easier than ever for aspiring artists through a wide range of internet provision.

"However, it is difficult to grasp the opportunities out there if you are a young person lacking core business skills and key music industry knowledge.

"Our intensive one-year course is run by the industry for the industry and tailor-made to give young people the essential e-commerce and business skills they need to promote and sell their product - their music, their performance, their creativity."

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Working in partnership with Rotherham College and funded through them via the Government's Skills Funding Agency, participants will achieve a creative practitioner extended diploma at level 4. This is equal to the first year of a degree.

Sheffield entrepreneur and business start-up guru Ruth Amos, will be course tutor, and Sheffield singer-songwriter Sarah-Jay Hawley who has performed and written with Massive Attack, The Longpigs and Finlay Quaye.

The course also aims to attract big names and experienced music industry practitioners from Sheffield and beyond as guest speakers.

Every participant will also have the opportunity to work one-to-one with Steelworks producers to help them develop and release their music via digital platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, YouTube and Amazon.

My Music: My Business is a national first for Sheffield. MBT is piloting the course here and then plans to take it to other UK cities with strong creative and digital sectors such as Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham.

John added: "Sheffield has such a strong music industry heritage and we are delighted to work in partnership with the Steelworks and RCAT to launch our new course to help nurture new talent in the city.

"There is a strong music industry infrastructure already in place in Sheffield and many local success stories such as Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, Richard Hawley, Heaven 17, Human League and Joe Cocker, have come out of the city.

"We aim to build on this heritage, and help consolidate Sheffield as music industry hub for the future too by developing a new generation of collaborative artists who can succeed here and don't feel the need to leave for London, as has happened so often in the past.

"The course aims to find and develop talent and boost the local music economy too."

Subjects covered in the course will include brand and repertoire development, market analysis, handling intellectual property rights, attracting online sales and developing performance, gigs, CDs and merchandise revenue streams.

My Music, My Business website
Rotherham College website

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News: Plans in for new Rotherham Starbucks

American coffee company and coffeehouse chain, Starbucks is hoping to open a new outlet in Rotherham.

With 21,000 retail stores in 66 countries and around 800 in the UK, Starbucks had plans to open hundreds of stores in the UK over the next three to five years. In addition to traditional high street, retail park, kiosk and other concessionary activity, 200 were expected to be drive thru operations.

For Rotherham, a planning application has been submitted on behalf of Rotherham Foundry Pradera Ltd, the owners of the Foundry Retail Park at Parkgate for a 1,959 sq ft drive thru coffee shop which could create 15 new employment opportunities (full time and part time).

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Situated on the existing car parking on the north western side of the established retail park, the unit would be situated to the east of Sofaworks and directly north of The Range and Bensons for Beds.

The plans, drawn up by consultants at Montagu Evans, state: "The development is proposed to complement, and be ancillary to, the existing retail and other facilities available at the retail park to improve the shopping environment for customers. The scale of the development and the type of occupier is commonly found on retail parks across the UK. Coffee shops enhance the shopping experience for customers in town centres, retail parks and elsewhere. The proposed unit will be sited centrally within the scheme, as well as close to the pedestrian access to the site from Great Eastern Way."

As the site is not located within a designated town, district or local centre, officers at Rotherham Council have asked that a sequential test assessment be undertaken in line with national and local planning policies. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.

After assessing the potential for sites located within nearby Parkgate district centre, the applicants conclude that only one unit is of suitable size but is "not an appropriate location for the development of coffee shop, with a drive thru format."

The plans add: "Parkgate district centre, which is formed of many small, independent commercial ventures, is not realistically attractive to a national multiple trader such as Starbucks who seeks locations well related to other national operators. Were this application to be refused in terms of the sequential test, there is no realistic prospect of Starbucks deciding to invest in opening a coffee shop at 122 Broad Street instead of Foundry Retail Park. Accordingly, the objectives of the sequential test – to direct investment to the most suitable locations – would not be met by such a decision."

The first Starbucks in Rotherham is located within Woodall Serices on the M1. Here, plans are also being progressed to convert the former Police building into a standalone Starbucks outlet.

Starbucks partners with franchisees and developers such as EuroGarages and 23.5 Degrees Ltd and the Seattle firm made a pre-tax profit of £1.05m in the year to September 2014 in the UK, compared with a £20.5m loss the previous year. Gross profit for the year to 28 September 2014 rose 24% to £98.8m.

Starbucks website

Images: Eurograges

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News: Rotherham to host global advanced manufacturing conference

The Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham is to host the global metalworking industry's premier aerospace conference, TRAM 2015.

Presented by University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, the Association for Manufacturing Technology, Gardner Business Media and the Royal Aeronautical Society, the conference programme is collaboration between industry, academia and the media, spotlighting the latest trends in aerospace manufacturing.

The AMRC started TRAM in 2009 as a means of transferring advanced manufacturing technologies to business leaders and engineers in the aerospace supply chain. Since then, TRAM, which stands for Trends in Advanced Machining, Manufacturing and Materials, has taken place alongside the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. It is back in the UK this November offering the most relevant insight from top executives, professors and engineers on the cutting edge of research and development.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world-class centre for innovative research and focuses on advanced machining and materials research. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

Adrian Allen, commercial director at The AMRC, said: "We are delighted to be able to bring this prestigious event back to the Sheffield region.

"TRAM will not only give companies in the aerospace supply chain a vital insight into developing technologies, it also gives this region a chance to showcase the skills and capabilities that make it a world leader for advanced manufacturing."

John Silker, chief executive at Magna, added: "We are very excited that the organisers have chosen Magna to hold this major international conference. It's a fantastic opportunity to prove that Magna can attract international business to South Yorkshire, and it shows that we have a venue here that can cater for business events of this scale. It shows that this area is at the forefront of modern manufacturing and what better place to hold such an event but at Magna which is a cathedral to industry."

Set in the former Templeborough steelworks, Magna is a family attraction with more than 100 hands-on exhibits. It also hosts regular school trips and has unique event space that can cater for anything from five to 5,000 people.

Taking place on November 10 and 11, TRAM 2015 has already secured speakers from the likes of Rolls-Royce, Boeing, Siemens and BAE Systems.

TRAM 2015 website

Images: Magna

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News: Horbury land air force base contract

Rotherham construction specialist, The Horbury Group has secured a £3.9m contract as part of the large redevelopment project on land which had previously been the east camp of RAF Hendon.

From its headquarters in the Moorgate area, the group combines a number of subsidiaries that specialise in areas including joinery, ceilings, dry lining and health and safety training.

Horbury Building Systems secured the contract from Carillion to build structural framing, internal partitions, suspended ceilings and external render for Blocks F3-F7 of the Beaufort Park development at Collindale, North London.

Horbury Building Systems is the largest company in the group and usually acts as the principal contractor in any multi-trade fit out package, co-ordinating other group companies and providing the client with a single point of contact.

Carillion reportedly secured its first £25m contract on the project from Berkeley Group's London housing arm, St George, in 2014. It recently announced details of a £33m contract to build 177 new apartments at the Beaufort Park development. Phase 10 of the project is being built for the Notting Hill Housing Association to provide affordable homes. Work on the site has started and completion is scheduled for Autumn 2016.

The ambitious development involves the creation of 680 high quality apartments in 14 blocks, up to 14 storeys high, within sensitively landscaped parkland. The development reclaims 25 acres of the historically important RAF Hendon aerodrome site, an air force base used throughout the 1st and 2nd world wars.

The blocks Horbury are working on are predominantly six storeys and range from studios up to three bedroom accommodation and are the latest apartments made available on the scheme. Horbury are currently on site constructing the light weight structural framing SFS, material supplied by Kingspan profiles and will commence internal partitions and ceilings later this month using materials supplied by Knauf. It is anticipated the contract will run for a total of 48 weeks.

Last year, the Horbury Group secured a £6m funding package from HSBC to support growth and help the company bid for larger contracts.

Formed in Sheffield in 1993 as Horbury Building Systems, the group has gone from strength-to-strength over recent years, increasing its turnover from £1.4m in its first year to over £50m today.

Subsidiaries have worked on a range of high profile projects including the Manchester Civil Justice Centre and The Co-operative's headquarters in Manchester, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and the City Lofts development in St Paul's Place in Sheffield.

Horbury Group website

Images: Ardmore Group

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News: Crawshaw beefs up expansion plans

Crawshaw Group PLC, the Rotherham-based fresh meat and food to go retailer, has announced details of its growth plans that will see it invest £200m, opening 200 stores and creating 2,500 jobs.

The AIM-listed firm currently has 24 retail outlets throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Humberside and Lancashire and recently moved onto Sandbeck Industrial Estate at Hellaby, occupying a 12,000 sq ft unit for the manufacture and distribution of specialist foods.

Crawshaw has set itself an ambitious target of 200 shops within eight years. Last year it announced details of the placing of new shares in a bid to raise nearly £9m to support the acceleration of its store opening programme. Delivering on the plan rests a lot on Noel Collett, formerly Lidl's chief operating officer for the UK business, now chief executive officer at Crawshaw.

Moving from three separate head office and factory locations into one newly refurbished facility in Rotherham involved investing £1m. This single location can now support up to 60 shops and also contains a new factory shop which is performing well above expectations. Over the next 18 months the Crawshaw Group said it will invest £25m, creating 375 Yorkshire jobs.

Crawshaw recently opened its first store in Leeds, at the Merrion Centre, and a Bolton store opened this month. A further four stores are planned to open before Christmas taking the portfolio to 39 stores. The company has also been growing through acquisitions and the expansion plans are to be supported by further distribution centres.

Noel Collett, CEO of the Crawshaw Group, said: "I am thrilled to be involved in what I believe is the most exciting and scalable project on the current retail landscape. Our target of 200 stores is just the tip of the iceberg, with our unique fresh meat and food-to-go proposition, there's nothing to say that this scalable model can't reach 500 or 1,000 nationwide. We have recently opened new stores in Leeds Merrion Centre and in Bolton town centre, and the response from our new customers gives us great confidence for our future openings, so clearly we're eager to continue to build the momentum and deliver our expansion plans.

"We have some fantastic people in our business and we are now looking to grow our team considerably, so recruitment is clearly a key focus for us at the moment. We are searching for 450 management positions, 400 butchers, 900 general assistants and we're investing heavily in helping young people gain employment by taking on 350 apprentices.

"Our new stores show how our approach is working, we've already filled 30 new positions and are developing an intensive training programme, ensuring all new recruits receive outstanding training with transparent career opportunities. We're looking to recruit local people, from those who are just stepping onto the career ladder, to those with decades of experience, we're keen to hear from anyone who has a real passion for retail and wants to be part of a dynamic,fast growing company."

Established in 1954, Crawshaw Group plc has been trading on the stock market since 2004. It was acquired by Felix Group plc in 2008.

Specialising in larger value packs and multi buy offers, earlier expansion plans had to be scaled back following the economic downturn and the VAT changes on the hot cooked product offer.

In its latest financial results for the year ended January 31 2015, Crawshaws saw sales increase by 17% to £24.6m which saw EBITDA (earning before taxes) increase 15% to £1.6m (2014: £1.4m). Excluding infrastructure costs the adjusted EBITDA was 30% higher than last year at £1.8m.

Crawshaw Group website

Images: Crawshaw Group / Facebook

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