News: Rebranding for Rotherham print group

Rotherham print group, Horner Brothers, which was bought by the Paragon Group in 2013, has rebranded as Paragon Group UK.

Horner Brothers was established in 1982 by local brothers Trevor and Dennis Horner who started the business in a converted chapel in Harley. Since that time the business has evolved through a management buy-out in 2006 and acquisition by the Paragon Group in 2013 in a pre-pack administration deal.

Operating from two units at Templeborough with around 85 staff on site, the business counts Prudential, HSBC, BT, Yorkshire Water and BOC amongst its blue chip customer base.

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Horners has now changed its trading name to Paragon as part of the unification of Paragon Group activities in the UK. The legal entity, head office and registered number will all remain the same. The move comes as part of a wider strategy to align the Paragon businesses in the UK that includes 24 Service Point branches, a London presence, a site in Sunderland and Horner Brothers under the Paragon brand.

Paragon Group UK Ltd is a subsidiary of Paragon Group Ltd, a global operation turning over more than €400m, with manufacturing presence in 12 countries and trading relationships in more than 40.

Judith Fox, formally MD of Horner Brothers now becomes UK Business Services Director for Paragon UK. She said: "The first step will be for the UK to operate under a unified brand - Paragon Group UK, in order to simplify our message and to provide all of our customers with access to the full suite of products and services that better fit the needs of our customers in today’s ever changing business environment.

"The people that our customers deal with will remain the same and the high levels of service that our customers are used to will continue to be delivered, just under a different name. We are very proud of our legacy here in Rotherham and the South Yorkshire area this will be strengthened now by the potential to recruit more local talent to our Rotherham premises as we continue to grow."

Paragon UK announced last year an investment of over £3m in new equipment with the purchase of several new wide format printers and 41 Xerox small format printers throughout the UK.

Paragon UK website

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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

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News: Apprentices impress at Horner Brothers

Rotherham print group, Horner Brothers, has taken on more staff with LifeSkills.

The Templeborough company took on two new Apprentices from LifeSkills as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2013. It follows on from the success of the first two candidates; Laura Lindley and James Gray, who have continued to work for Horner Brothers as full-time employees after completing their apprenticeships. They both work as office support staff, Laura is a purchasing assistant and James is a batching operative.

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.

Rotherham born managing director, Spencer Fearn, developed Lifeskills in London and the South East and opened a Rotherham training centre in the town centre in 2010. The national company specialises in providing opportunities for young people to break into the world of training and employment.

Continuing to support apprentices, Horner offered positions for production support staff. Courtney Averton and Connor Robinson began a trial week at Horner Brother in March. After completing the week and impressing bosses with their work they were both offered apprenticeship positions.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Horner Brothers is proud to promote our Investors in People award through supporting young workers and the continuous development of all our staff. We will continue to provide ongoing support to our apprentices to develop them to their maximum potential!"

Horner Brothers website
Lifeskills website

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News: Rotherham businesses welcome Olympic Torch

The Magna Science Adventure Centre played a spectacular part in the Olympic Torch relay that passed through Rotherham this week.

The symbolic flame was carried through the former massive Templeborough steel works by children's poet Debjani Chatterjee as part of the torch's 70-day relay around the UK.

He was greeted by local schoolchildren and businesspeople and photographed with the torch alongside the "Big Melt", a huge original electric arc furnace which dramatically roars back to life with pyrotechnics and sound to recreate the steel-making process.

Karen Staniforth, marketing manager at Magna, said: "Magna aims to not only inspire interest in science for the future but to preserve the history of steel making.

"Often taken for granted, steel is the backbone of Great Britain and most activities we do every day involve steel. The cars we drive, the roads we drive them, world travel, space travel – all involve steel. Even products that don't contain steel are made using steel machinery.

"The Rotherham and Sheffield region as a whole is inextricably linked with the history of steel and it is still important to our economy today. We hope the Olympic torch will help shine a light on this heritage."

More than 30,000 people lined the streets as the torch made its way through the borough. Templeborough print company, Horner Brothers celebrated with a "GB day" and Brinsworth-based manufacturers, the MTL Group, celebrated their own employee, Anita Adams and her role as a torchbearer.

Henry Shirman, Managing Director at MTL Group, said: "One of the key themes of the Olympic Torch Relay is about generating pride in communities across the nation. MTL Group is proud of its role in the community and we are delighted that Anita has been selected for the role.

"Since her appointment as HR Manager in 2010, she has been involved in the recruitment over 150 people here at MTL Group."

Thousands cheered on the torchbearers through All Saints Square and Clifton Park, with thousands more on the streets through the town centre, East Dene, Dalton and Thrybergh.

Councillor Roger Stone, Leader of Rotherham MBC, said: "People from across Rotherham have again shown what a fantastic community spirit there is here by turning out in their thousands for our moment to shine.

"I was lucky enough to be able to join the people in Clifton Park and there was a fantastic atmosphere and the numbers there were similar to the crowds we see for the Rotherham Show every September.

"Even the weather held for us and the event has been a major success in showing Rotherham's best qualities to a worldwide audience. We wish every other community well when they have their time with the Olympic Torch."

Magna website

Images: london2012.com / Magna

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News: Horner Brothers secures HomeForm contract

Rotherham print group, Horner Brothers, has begun work on a £200,000 a year contract with HomeForm, the UK's market-leading specialist retailer of fully fitted home improvement products.

The Homeform Group is probably better known by its brand names of Sharps Bedrooms, Moben Kitchens, Dolphin Bathrooms and Kitchens Direct.

In May Horner Brothers were invited to tender for the supply of printed stationery and operational documents supplied as part of a fully managed solution. Having previously used a number of printers, Homeform had decided that a better solution was required for the provision of print as part of a process to drive out cost.

In June the Templeborough company were awarded the contract, reputedly worth £200,000 per annum, which commenced at the beginning of August. The service includes printing, warehouse and distribution and the provision of a front end online ordering system to manage the whole process.

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The Horner Brothers solution will help HomeForm manage their print stock levels closely, eradicate the unnecessary cost of destroying out of date stock, provide information to ensure department managers are able to closely monitor print budgets, consolidate deliveries to three main sites to reduce carriage costs, maintain brand accuracy as well as provide a reduction in cost through very competitive pricing.

The contract is the latest in a number of high profile customers that includes Centrica, BT and SSL International Plc.

Horner Brothers website

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News: Reading Matters for Horner Brothers

Rotherham print group, Horner Brothers has seen their work with charity group, Reading Matters rewarded at the third annual Yorkshire Forward Creating Better Futures awards.

The awards, which were handed out at the Leeds City Museum last week, recognise partnerships that benefit communities throughout the region.

Horner Brothers took home a Creating Better Futures Award, and Reading Matters won a prize of £10,000 to invest in the continued running of their project.

Horner Brothers wanted to build a relationship with a local high school and approached Reading Matters to broker that relationship. In return Reading Matters get all their printing done for free and have access to a wider pool of business supporters and volunteers.

Reading Matters, which provides one-on-one reading tuition in schools, have continued to provide support such as undertaking CRB checks on volunteers, training volunteers and organising review visits.

Catherine McGrath, Chief Executive of Reading Matters, said: "At Reading Matters, we want society in general to have a better understanding of why some young people struggle with reading and the wider negative impact that this can have on their lives, their families lives and on society as a whole.

"We will now be able to continue and develop our incredibly positive and effective work with Horner Brothers Print Group and Brinsworth Comprehensive School, a really exciting and innovative partnership.

"This award will help to raise the profile of our work still further and will enable us to continue to invest in forging relationships with other forward-thinking organisations and schools across The Yorkshire and Humber Region."

Horner Brothers website
Reading Matters website
Yorkshire Forward website

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News: Horner Brothers recognised for creating better futures

Rotherham print group, Horner Brothers, has been named as a finalist in the Yorkshire Forward Creating Better Futures Awards.

The awards recognise partnerships between private and public sector organisations and voluntary, community and faith organisations that benefit communities throughout Yorkshire and Humber.

Horner Brothers have been recognised for their involvement with the Reading Matters charity which began in 2008.

Reading Matters trained employees at the Templeborough company as volunteer reading mentors to enable them to help local school children who struggle with reading.

The scheme provides great team building benefits and volunteers gain satisfaction from the knowledge that they are helping to support and inspire young people by improving their reading skills and self confidence.

In return for the training investment and ongoing support from Reading Matters, Horner Brothers donated £500 to Reading Matters and printed all the marketing and stationary materials for the charity free of charge.

The awards take place in Leeds on July 1 where seven awards will be presented in all. In each case both partners will receive an award and the VCF organisation will receive a £10,000 grant.

Horner Brothers website
Reading Matters website

Yorkshire Forward website

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News: Apprentices adding value to Rotherham businesses

50 local businesses attended a recent event at Horner Brothers Print Group in Rotherham and were given an insight into how to maximise people performance and enhance and add value to their business through apprentices.

Judith Fox, managing director of Horner Brothers Print Group in Rotherham, described how the company hosts work experience students and regularly takes on new apprentices, one of which was Karl Markham. Karl was offered an Apprenticeship eight years ago and now enjoys a full time role with the company as a skilled envelope printer. Karl is an invaluable member of the team at Horners and his recent successes have included being recognised in the Apprentice of the Year awards run by the British Print Industry Federation.

John Barber from Business & Education South Yorkshire, said: "Employers in this area recognise the benefits of investing in Apprenticeships and this event went a long way to reinforce this.

"There were some fantastic stories of local businesses that are flourishing by recruiting and training their own young people. The event showed how Apprentices can make a positive contribution to a business and how funding and support is available for local companies."

Wayne Miller from the National Apprenticeship Services added: "There was a lot of interest from South Yorkshire employers at the event. In many businesses, over 40 per cent of the skilled workforce is close to retirement.

"Although times are still tough for many businesses, many companies recognise the need to act now and address the skills gap by recruiting and training young people, to ensure the future competitiveness and productivity of their businesses."

The event was delivered by Andy Hanselman Consulting, in partnership with Business & Education South Yorkshire and supported by the National Apprenticeship Service, Rotherham Work & Skills and Enterprise Boards.

A breakfast meeting is taking place on March 19 at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham to hear more from local manufacturing companies on how they have benefited from investing in Apprentices. To book a place, contact nicki.burrow@be-sy.co.uk.

Horner Brothers website
B&ESY website
Rotherham

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News: Rotherham printers inspire students to read

Staff from the Rotherham firm Horner Brothers Print Group (HBPG) have been volunteering as Reading Mentors at a local school, Brinsworth Comprehensive School, a Science College. Students at the school have benefited from one-to-one reading support in a pioneering relationship established by the Reading Matters charity. Children who struggle with reading will have difficulties with much of their school work. Reading Matters has shown that the simple programme of support, advice and 'top up' training provided by HBPG staff can have dramatic results, making a real difference to the young people's lives by developing their reading skills and self-confidence. The employees were interviewed, checked with the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and trained by Reading Matters before starting at the school in September 2008. Each employee works with one student per term. They spend a hour together each week in two half-hour sessions. HBPG staff have built strong relationships with the students and staff at the school, as well as with each other, which has helped build a strong team spirit. Christine Mullan, HR Director at HBPG, said: "Staff have loved helping the children at Brinsworth School. They get enormous satisfaction from the knowledge they are really helping to support and inspire young people in our community." Richard Hanks, Project Manger for Reading Matters in Sheffield and Rotherham, said: "Reading Matters' slogan is 'improve reading skills and change lives' and that is certainly what the staff from Horner Brothers have done by donating their time and energy to helping Brinsworth students." In return for the training investment and ongoing support from Reading Matters, HBPG have donated £500 to Reading Matters and are printing all the marketing and stationary materials for the charity free of charge, a mutually beneficial arrangement, as the charity is aiming to raise its profile over the coming months with a campaign promoting its good work.

Horner Brothers website
Reading Matters website

Rotherham

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News: Rotherham printer earns top scholarship

Rotherham printers, Horner Brothers Print Group were celebrating this month as one of their employees was awarded a prestigious Educational Scholarship Award by the British Printing Industries Federation. Robert Wood, on the pressroom staff of Horner Brothers was awarded the scholarship, which comprises a bursary of £2500, with intent to attain a BPIF Professional Certificate in Print Management. The BPIF Educational Scholarships are designed to assist young people in funding their training and education in pursuit of a career in the UK printing and graphic arts industries. The scholarships are now in their fifth year and are sponsored jointly by the BPIF, Unite the Union and the Printers’ Charitable Corporation. The presentation ceremony was hosted by Canon UK at their London showroom. Michael Johnson, Chief Executive of the BPIF said: "We have a passion for young people, training and skills. "The young people here today are enthusiastic, committed and see a future in our industry."
Horner Brothers website
BPIF website
Rotherham

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