The Bulletin issue 13 - May/Jun

www.brchamber.co.uk

Issue 13 May/June 2015

MANUFACTURING IN THE REGION NEW MEMBER SERVICES ANNOUNCED

Also inside this issue: • 2015 Business Awards Latest • Superfast Broadband for the region

Chamber View

Chief Executive, Andrew Denniff brings you right up to date with the Chamber and its plans, hopes and expectations for the next few months.

Company Commercial

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Residential Property

Employment Law

Criminal Defence

Family Law

Dispute Resolution

Wills, Probate & Asset Protection

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If you are reading this piece in the first week of May we will be days away from what is likely to prove one of the most keenly and closely fought General Elections of modern times.

As I write this article the projections are that there will be a close finish between the two main parties and a mixture of around one hundred other MP’s taking their place at Westminster. With inflation currently at zero per cent and the FTSE eventually through the 7000 mark, our economy is certainly in a unique position - it remains to be seen who will be in a position to take advantage. However, it might be that you are reading this after the results are in and whilst we know the outcome of the election - the way forward may be even more intriguing.

Locally as well there remain key issues to deal with, especially across the region where the Local Enterprise Partnership certainly need to begin delivering on its key challenges around growth and sustainable jobs. The HS2 situation around the siting of the South Yorkshire station also needs

to be resolved quickly and in the best interests of the whole city region.

prove both innovative and popular with our guests.

In Barnsley the pace of regenerating the town centre needs to be seen to be delivering on schedule and certainly in Rotherham there still remain major challenges around governance and managing expectations. This Chamber as ever, will continue to contribute towards and influence the ongoing agenda on behalf of our members and indeed be prepared to play our part whenever it is required.

Immediately after the Ball, we will launch our 2015 Business Awards programme (details of which you will see in the magazine) - I do hope that you will take the time to look through the various categories and seriously consider nominating one of your colleagues or even your own business where it is appropriate. Along with all our nominated contenders and a number of local, high profile recipients of our now traditional Salute to Business Awards, we will all be celebrating our region’s successes later in the year.

During May the work of the Chamber carries on, with a major focus on our Presidents Annual Ball. This year for the first time we are holding the event at the Heritage Centre in Elsecar, a venue which I am sure, with a themed evening based on ‘Saturday Night At The Movies’, will

C H A M B E R

Andrew Denniff Chief Executive

PAT R O N S

www.oxcow.co.uk

34/46 Moorgate Street, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK, S60 2HB

Our commitment to quality at all levels is demonstrated by our successful accreditation with key quality marks including Lexcel, Investors in People and ISO9001.

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CONTENTS

Inside This Issue of

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Chamber News All the latest news from inside the Chamber.

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Bite Size News Latest news in brief.

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Photo credit: Northern Lights - Chesterfield & Cutting Technologies - Barnsley

Platinum Members News from our Platinum Members.

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External Affairs Latest Policy and Representation activity.

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Main Feature Manufacturing Focus

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Member News More news from our members.

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New Members A full listing of new members.

20 2 Genesis Business Park Sheffield Road Rotherham S60 1DX

The Core County Way Barnsley S70 2JW

01709 386 200

01226 308 444

Editor Victoria Clarke

Design By

victoria.clarke@brchamber.co.uk

www.glued-up.com

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Events Forthcoming Events

If your company would like to feature a news item in The Bulletin, please contact our marketing team: T 01709 386 200 E thebulletin@brchamber.co.uk For more Chamber news and information please visit

www.brchamber.co.uk

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CHAMBER NEWS

CHAMBER NEWS

Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards 2015 Last year’s Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards were a big hit with the ceremony declared a sell out with three weeks to go.

Chamber Enterprise Scheme As part of the Chamber’s on-going commitment to support for fledging businesses, we have introduced the new Chamber Enterprise Scheme.

The scheme has been designed for new start entrepreneurs and existing businesses that have been operating less than 12 months, to access a range of Chamber services to help develop their business.

The Chamber Enterprise Scheme gives members access to: • F ree workshops and seminars on various business related topics

The event was held for the first time in Barnsley and we are pleased to announce we will return to the Barnsley Metrodome to host the glittering event on Friday, 23rd October and again we are expecting a high number of entries.

Last year we saw over 100 entries in the 10 categories and companies can this year enter the awards from 1st June 2015.

Again, entry will be open for 10 categories with top performers from the night being entered into the Business of the Year category. Entry is open to all members of the Chamber and all businesses in Barnsley and Rotherham.

Chamber Chief Executive, Andrew Denniff said, “This is a once a year opportunity for us to celebrate all that is best in business innovation, enterprise and growth across our region. I would encourage as many businesses and individuals as possible to consider putting their names forward and get yourselves recognised for the

• Money saving services such as business insurance and training • Use of the Chamber’s logo • A ccess to telephone advice lines and support services

tremendous results you have achieved over the past few months”.

Once again the Chamber will award a member charity the status of Charity of the Year and will recognise five longstanding businesses a Salute to Business during the ceremony.

This year’s categories are: • Most Promising New Business • Business Growth Award

• Business Community Impact • Excellence in Manufacturing • Design & Innovation in Business • Business Person of the Year • Skills Development Award • Excellence in International Trade • Digital & Creativity in Business • Apprentice of the Year

Due to the growing popularity of the awards we are launching a dedicated website – www.brawards.co.uk. For more information visit the awards website or contact the awards team on 01709 386200 or email awards@brchamber.co.uk.

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Chamber Chief Executive Andrew Denniff said, “The Chamber movement has for many years supported the enterprise and aspirations of start-up businesses. Here is a splendid addition to the range and level of current guidance and advice that is already in place.”

The Wosskow Brown Foundation is supporting the Chamber’s Enterprise Scheme and eligible members may be entitled to receive support through the Foundations initiative. The Foundation is a charitable fund set up by Wosskow Brown with the aim of providing support to 100 businesses, 100 Charities and Social Enterprises and 100 people into grass-root sports over the next five years.

Jim Lawson from The Wosskow Brown Foundation explained the Foundations hopes and expectations, “The Wosskow Brown Foundation exists to provide practical

help, inspiration and opportunities for people to reach their ambitions. For start-up businesses we can provide vital support in the early stages. We know from experience that typically start-ups value support on Marketing, Sales, Accounting / Cashflow and Social Media for example.

Offering practical support for early stage businesses, those who are eligible will be supported by the Wosskow Brown Foundation and will receive 20 hours of programme support in the form of two hour sessions and informative bite-size workshops and seminars.

“Through this programme we can provide this support along with valued connections to other entrepreneurs, business mentors, funders, banks and other professionals.

We will be assisting people to find a shorter route to success than usual. Helping more businesses and organisations to grow, means we will also be contributing to help rebalance the regional economy.”

Andrew added, “We are very happy to be working with the Foundation and share their aims to meet the ambitions of our fledgling entrepreneurs. The association with The Wosskow Brown Foundation, will enhance the variety of support and provision that is currently on offer and will hopefully provide an easy to access, easy to use package of support from some high-profile and well regarded organisations”.

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CHAMBER NEWS

PATRONS

Integrated Warehouse Management and Picking System for Sage 200

Introducing Chamber Recruitment

Bottlenecks in picking packing and distribution? It may well be worth having a look at the Kinspeed warehouse management and picking system for Sage 200.

For many years the Chamber has been regularly approached to assist members with their recruitment needs and we have now developed Chamber Recruitment to do just that.

The system is well proven with customers such as Boohoo.com, Howies and Prettylittlething who use it to pick, pack and distribute thousands of orders daily.

Purchasing – The system allows goods to be ordered quickly, and allows variants to be created effortlessly, ideal for the garment industry Goods in – Bar coding system allows fast booking using scanners for real time putaways Orders in – Our webshop software brings in orders from your website seamlessly with no manual intervention

Local Jobs for Local People

Chamber Recruitment Local Jobs for Local People

Picking – Our unique snake pick bar code label system allows fast and efficient picking, guiding the picking staff to their next order location in the most efficient way.

The service will allow members to post and advertise their vacant positions online with a trusted source and those with more complex requirements can gain access to discounted candidate search services.

Logistics – The system links with most carriers and carrier software including Metapack, to send out goods via the most cost effective method. It then advises the customer via email their parcel is on its way Returns – Fast bar code system to return stock and refund / resend customer orders.

Chamber Recruitment

Chamber Job Board

For a free consultation and demonstration please call us on 01246 437000.

The internet is awash with job boards and CV libraries such as Indeed or Reed, but mostly these are large national sites with a huge number of agency postings, meaning individual business postings can be lost and searching can be a daunting prospect for perspective job seekers.

• Scheduling and confirming of interviews Mark Hannigan, Operations Manager at the Chamber said, “As the go to business organisation in the region, we believe this will prove a vital and a cost effective service for local businesses of all sizes and sectors within South Yorkshire”

For more information about the Chamber Recruitment Service contact Mark Hannigan, mark.hannigan@brchamber.co.uk

The Chamber Recruitment job board has been specifically designed for the South Yorkshire region, with a strict no agency policy.

Businesses can advertise their vacancies to attract local talent and likewise, the site allows for perspective candidates to upload their CV – creating a pool of local talent for local jobs.

Visit www.chamberrecruitment.co.uk to find out more and to start posting your vacancies.

Search and Select This enhanced service available through Chamber Recruitment is only available to Chamber members.

This service goes beyond the job board and is for companies wanting to maximise their job postings or for those with more complex requirements. The service is tailored to the individual company requirement and businesses will be guided through the entire processes.

This service includes: • Assessing staffing requirements • Developing job specifications • Sourcing, screening and presenting candidates

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CHAMBER NEWS

Exclusive IT offer for members The bigger your company grows the more challenging it can be to keep your systems up to date, but getting the IT support you need at a price you can afford can be a bit of a challenge. documents, work remotely from home, access emails from anywhere, and back up all documents to a server that can grow with your business.

Which is why we are delighted that local company and Chamber patrons IT Desk (UK) is able to offer Chamber members the perfect IT solution with its best-selling HP Microserver, a hybrid of both cloud and on premises technology, featuring offsite backup and cloudmail service from UK based data centres making it the perfect partner for your business.

Andrew Denniff, Chief Executive at the Chamber said, “The guys at IT Desk have been a pleasure to work with, their enthusiasm and the innovative thinking, which has manifested itself in the ‘Microserver’ reflects the kind of forward thinking we would expect from a business like this.”

For a monthly payment of just £149 + VAT members will receive more than its standard microserver package, including: • Fully managed cloud anti-virus for up to five computers • Premium technical support for up to five computers

well and we have a high level of customer loyalty” said Chris Wright, Managing Director of IT Desk.

“This is our best ever package for start-ups and small businesses. We know it works

This special member only Microserver package enables companies to share

To find out more or to speak to an advisor contact IT Desk on 01709 470073 or email chris.wright@itdeskuk.com

Trading with Germany?

Chamber Means Business gets a facelift

Promote your business for FREE in our online directory

The Chamber has recently re-launched its Chamber Means Business website after a redesign by Platinum member Castus.

Fokus Sheffield

Fokus Sheffield – A comprehensive resource for Sheffield City Region and German based businesses to prosper together.

Delivered to you by:

Email info@fokussheffield.co.uk Twitter @FokusSheffield

www.fokussheffield.co.uk

The website is a platform for Chamber Members to exchange information and services, while still feeding into the Chamber’s annual exhibition, this year taking place at Wentworth Woodhouse on Wednesday, 16th September 2015.

What’s New? Events – Members can now post their events onto the Chamber Means Business website. This is a space that is exclusively for members to promote

their events in our region, encouraging members to get together and network in different environments.

Business website because we wanted expand the offering for our members.

Member Offers – A new member’s offers page has been introduced for members to give unique offers and discounts to fellow members, to encourage our members to work together.

“Members could already share their news but we also wanted to highlight the special discounts our members’ offer each other.

We want the site to become a platform to do business for our members and an extension of our own networking and events.”

Victoria Clarke, the Chamber’s Marketing & Communications Executive explains the changes, “We’ve refreshed the look and added new sections to the Chamber Means

Any members wishing to post news, offers or events on the site should email their requests to hello@brchamber.co.uk. Visit the site www.chambermeansbusiness.co.uk

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PATRONS

Workforce wellbeing ‘strategically important’ to business Research by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber patron Westfield Health recently found 88% of decision makers surveyed strongly believe the wellbeing of their workforce is strategically important to their business.

Results from ‘The Employer View’ also showed that employers face a number of health and wellbeing challenges in the workforce, with 37% highlighting back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, and 30% citing stress and mental ill-health.

Both this research and a previous survey by Westfield Health revealed the majority (93% of decision makers; 79% of employees) agreed the responsibility for managing staff health and wellbeing should be shared between employer and employee.

But while some employers may have formal strategies in place, others only respond on an ad hoc basis, leaving employees unsure of the policy.

Content provided by Rotherham Business news editor, Tom Austin. For the latest Rotherham Business News as it happens visit www.rothbiz.co.uk

numerous business benefits, including reduced absenteeism, greater productivity, and improved staff morale and retention.

For more information about Westfield Health’s harder working health cover, visit www.westfieldhealth.com/ chamber or call 0845 602 1629 available 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Evans in talks over £70m Rotherham office development The Evans Property Group is hoping to create 200,000 sq ft of office accommodation on Forge Island in Rotherham town centre.

The project involves the construction of offices for the use by government departments vacating London and also includes car parking, pedestrian bridges, public realm and flood alleviation works.

The work has been given a total investment figure of over £70m with £65m set to come via Leeds-based Evans.

We can help stop manufacturing firms making a mess.

As part of Tesco’s move, the council has an option to buy the Forge Island site for

£1.5m by the end of 2015. Arrangements have been progressed for the strategic acquisition and Rothbiz understands that a legal agreement has been drafted that would see Evans purchase the site from the Council in a back-to-back transaction following the Council’s potential purchase from Tesco.

The development could support 4,400 new jobs of which 2,000 would be new to the city region.

Minister opens Rolls-Royce’s £110m Rotherham facility The most advanced turbine blade casting facility in the world has been officially opened in Rotherham.

Prevention is better than cure, that’s why we believe solving potential problems early is the best strategy for long term commercial success. From help to improve your profitability & cash flow, advice to get your business trading itself out of difficulty, or finding the best options to bring things to a close – we have the experience and knowledge to provide the right solutions for your business.

For details of our range of Business Support & Insolvency Services, visit our website today.

Use your smartphone to scan our QR code for the latest RothBiz News

Kenny outlines role as commissioner at Rotherham Council

Westfield Health’s Chamber Primary Health Plan, which is available to all members of Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, includes a number of benefits designed to tackle sickness absence and help aid recruitment and retention.

Investing in health and wellbeing can bring

GB003 Chamber Ad 125x195mm_Chosen.indd 1

Bite Size News

Rolls-Royce, one of the most famous names in engineering throughout the world, recently welcomed Business Minister Matthew Hancock to the £110m Advanced Blade Casting Facility (ABCF) on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham to perform the ceremony.

Business Solutions & Insolvency

When fully operational in 2017, the 150,000 sq ft facility will employ 150 people and produce a specific portfolio of civil

aerospace parts, such as turbine blades, using advanced manufacturing techniques and an increased level of automation.

Julie Kenny, chair and chief executive of growing Rotherham business, Pyronix Limited, has outlined her role as a supporting commissioner at troubled Rotherham Council and called on the local business community to play its part in the fresh start for the borough.

Speaking at a recent meeting of the Chamber’s Rotherham United Business Club, Julie explained: “We can’t be successful without partners. RMBC wants to start again, with a fresh break, but it has to be in partnership. We are going to do it with businesses, both current businesses and new businesses locating here.”

As one of two supporting commissioners, Julie has been given the lead on efforts to grow the local economy, ensuring the council is working with others to improve jobs and housing opportunities.

She will also be overseeing the council’s relationships with partners, and the voluntary and community sector.

The major shareholder of Pyronix, an award-winning manufacturer with an extensive range of electronic security equipment for intruder alarms, added: “I’m proud to be from Rotherham and proud to employ Rotherham staff some of the best in the world. With a fresh start, we’ve got a chance to rebuild that pride.”

www.gibsonboothinsol.com

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PLATINUM MEMBERS

Chamber makes the perfect match for new members Spin Print & MKB Solicitors LLP New members MKB Solicitors LLP and Spin Print Solutions attended the Chamber’s Speed Networking event in February and are pleased to report a successful match!

Both businesses recently joined the Chamber to build new business relationships and showcase their businesses with the Chamber’s help as local experts in their fields.

Following some quick-fire networking, both businesses are already reaping the rewards of their membership.

After an initial swap of business cards, introductions and light hearted chat, MKB and Spin Print soon found their common ground; Spin Print had the expertise and capabilities needed to fulfil their stationery and rebranding requirements and, in turn, felt that MKB had the right approach to safeguard the growth of their business with the expert commercial legal advice provided by their Business Services Team. Following the introduction arranged by the Chamber, a “second date” was arranged as Spin Print gave MKB an ‘access all areas’ tour of their premises to demonstrate first hand the depth of their printing capabilities.

Ben McFeely an Employment Solicitor at MKB, was instantly impressed, “Spin Print claimed they were Barnsley’s best kept secret, and having witnessed the size and scope of print available from them, they are not wrong. We have been very impressed with the quality of their design and print, and the forward thinking offered by Dan and Glyn and their excellent team at Spin Print. They provide a first rate customer focused approach.

At MKB we are keen to support local business and seek to source suppliers for our business needs from our region. Spin Print have similar principles, so this, combined with their competitive pricing made the decision to use

them a no-brainer. We look forward to working with Spin Print long into the future.”

Dan Brook of Spin Print also said “As a forward thinking company built on customer service and value for money we look to be associated with like-minded businesses. After our first meeting with MKB’s Business Services Team, we quickly realised we shared the same values.

MKB have an excellent reputation for providing trusted business advice and we will certainly be using their services in the future. Their no nonsense, straight talking approach is a breath of fresh air and will be invaluable to the future growth of Spin Print”.

Glyn Staves, Head of Dispute Resolution Department at MKB added “Speed Networking via the Chamber has proved an excellent way to connect with other businesses. It’s a great way for our Business Services Team to chat to other business owners and professionals in an informal way, removing the awkwardness of networking etiquette. To some this comes naturally, however, walking into a room of strangers and introducing who you are and how great your business is might not be for everyone. Speed networking focuses your time and effort and cuts to the chase!”

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Earlsmere Ltd has customers spread all over the world and has a need to produce high quality reports of technical information.

EW DEALE •N

Jim White, Managing Director of Earlsmere, explained why the relationship was so strong and had lasted so long;

“Together we can make a Difference”

F THE YEAR RO

EW DEALE •N

2015 has seen Earlsmere purchase their 8th photocopying system in a partnership that has spanned 25 years between the two local companies.

PLATINUM MEMBERS

F THE YEAR RO

Earlsmere & Copier Systems Cement Relationship “It is perhaps not normal to stay with one supplier for so long. However, Copier Systems has always understood our needs and requirements and ensured that we always had what was needed within our budget to meet our requirements. In terms of service, in all those years, I cannot remember a single day that we had a system that was out of use or awaiting repair. The aftersales service the Copier Systems team is second to none.

Barnsley’s only print solutions company for businesses like yours.

I still remember Andy Bethel (Managing Director of Copier Systems) coming to see me at our then head office in 1991. I was so impressed with his knowledge and skill that I offered him a job. He of course refused by took away the order for our first system which began the journey.

I have no reservation in recommending Copier Systems to any company looking for good quality equipment and a good aftersales back up service.”

Leasing | Servicing | Sales For more information about photocopying and printing solutions from Copier Systems please

visit www.copiersystems.co.uk

01226 321 181 copiersystems.co.uk

The Children and Families Act 2014 is a new piece of legislation that has changed the way Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are met and managed.

Part of this is the need for each Local Authority to have a SEND Local Offer.

The local offer provides information on a number of things, including: • special educational provision; • health provision;

CHAMBER MEMBER OFFER 2 WEEK FREE TRIAL & 10% DISCOUNT

• social care provision; • other educational service provision; • travel arrangements for children and young

98% of website visitors don’t enquire...

As part of the Preparing for Adulthood element, SEND are keen to work with businesses to identify ways for more young people with disabilities of any type can access work. That could be work placement, work shadowing or employment.

The SEND Local Offer provides information on what services children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies, including education, health and social care. Knowing what is out there gives parents and young people more choice and therefore more control over what support is right for them and their children.

people to schools, colleges and early years education; • Preparing for adulthood information, including housing, employment and leisure opportunities.

P L AT I N U M

If you want further information on the Offer then link to www.rotherhamsendlocaloffer.org or for further information or to discuss ways you can help please contact Fiona Featherstone on 01709 - 254849 or Karen Surtees on 01709 - 334167

M E M B E R S

...we tell you who they are We provide you with Business name Phone number Website address Industry Employee numbers Turnover EMAIL: PARTNERLEAD@LEADFORENSICS.COM OR CALL: 0207 206 7293 AND MENTION THE CHAMBER

pro ide

education

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EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Superfast Broadband back on track The Chamber’s Policy & External Affairs Committee has undertaken to investigate various issues in respect of superfast broadband in South Yorkshire.

Broadband is critically important to many industries and businesses who rely more and more on the speed of the network, particularly businesses operating in the digital and telecommunications industries that are reliant on the speed of the broadband to satisfy customers and to ensure their businesses stay at pace with the ever increasing speeds of the fibre broadband network.

A new scheme named Superfast South Yorkshire is promoting the benefits of superfast broadband to businesses across

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the region and helping them take advantage of the network in their areas. The Government has recently announced incentives of up to £3000 as a grant to businesses to encourage them to sign up to superfast broadband.

Businesses can contact Superfast South Yorkshire to find out more about how they can take advantage of the incentives.

Superfast South Yorkshire is a £22 million project operating across the region to deliver 97.9% coverage of fibre broadband to homes and businesses.

Matt Jackson, Chair of the Chamber’s Policy & External Affairs Committee said, “South Yorkshire is in need of a key broadband solution after the collapse of the Digital Region.

Superfast South Yorkshire will hopefully deliver a quality solution so businesses can genuinely benefit from utilising new technologies, which rely on high speed connectivity.”up to £3000 as a grant to businesses to encourage them to sign up to superfast broadband – only applicable for direct fibre optic service to buildings delivering up 330 mbps.

In brief: • A new scheme named Superfast South Yorkshire has been set up by the Government to bring fibre optic cable to more BT cabinets between 2015 – 2017 delivering speeds up to 80 mbps • T he scheme covers most of South Yorkshire apart from Sheffield city centre (this will be improved separately) • Superfast South Yorkshire is a £22 million project operating across the region to deliver 97.9% coverage of fibre broadband to homes and businesses.

• The Government has recently announced incentives of up to £3000 as a grant to businesses to encourage them to sign up to superfast broadband – only applicable for direct fibre optic service to buildings delivering up 330 mbps.

To find out more about superfast broadband in South Yorkshire please visit www.superfastsouthyorkshire.co.uk

Manufacturing Still Key Manufacturing was at the heart of the industrial revolution in the United Kingdom for much of the 18th and 19th century and it is upon those foundations that much of the wealth and prosperity was achieved and progress realised.

In 2015 manufacturing still remains a key industry in our national economy and no more so than in Barnsley and Rotherham and the wider South Yorkshire region. In 2014 manufacturing accounted for 7.5% of the UK workforce and 9% of the UK’s national output which is still significant enough for it to be considered important.

Manufacturing has changed dramatically since those pioneering days of the industrial revolution and that can nowhere else be better evidenced than at the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham.

Who would have thought that Rotherham would be home to internationally recognised businesses such as Rolls Royce and Boeing – but it is true! Advanced manufacturing research and cutting edge engineering is employing thousands of local people and paving the way for a new revolution rooted within advanced manufacturing and research.

The local authorities in Rotherham and Sheffield are working in partnership with the Local Enterprise Partnership and businesses to create what is known as the SheffieldRotherham business corridor.

This corridor running along the lower Don Valley from Rotherham Town Centre towards Attercliffe it is hoped will deliver the growth and jobs for the next generation that it delivered for the last, and be home to some of the country’s and even the world’s most pioneering and innovative businesses.

Eminent American academic Bruce Katz (pictured) visited the region earlier in the year to promote this concept which is known as ‘Innovation Districts’. Creating an environment where housing, commercial space and public realm can coexist together is the central plank of this concept and is something that the Advanced Manufacturing Park is already well on the way to discovering.

For more information on External Affairs visit www.brchamber.co.uk/working-groups

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MANUFACTURING

SPONSORED BY

SPONSORED BY

MANUFACTURING

Laser Investment tops £1.25m for growing Barnsley company WEC & MTL partnership saves 135 engineering jobs WEC Group, one of the UK’s largest engineering and fabrication companies, has funded a partnership deal to acquire the business and certain assets of metal manufacturing specialist MTL Group saving 135 jobs.

The administrators of MTL Group Limited chose the deal offered by WEC Group as the best option to bring the company out of administration.

“MTL Group has certain specialities that WEC hasn’t been involved in which can now be offered to their customers, including our large laser cutting and bending capabilities.

The deal allows the South Yorkshire company to move forward with WEC Group as a new, major force in the UK’s fabrication and engineering sector.

“And WEC Group has operations and areas of expertise that we haven’t been involved in, such as its new powder coating division. The additional capacity is another massive positive that comes out of this deal.”

MTL Group’s sales director Karl Stewart, finance director Howard Kellett and operations director Darren Bradley remain in the senior management team following the creation of the new partnership with WEC Group.

Karl Stewart, sales director of Rotherhambased MTL Group, is excited for the future and the opportunities that now exist.

He said: “The synergy with WEC Group is very strong and this deal makes both businesses much stronger entities. It enhances our capabilities and capacity and that is a major advantage to all our customers.

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The partnership creates one of the largest laser cutting operation in the UK’s fabrication and engineering sector.

MTL Group’s manufacturing facility includes laser cutting and bending, high definition plasma cutting, waterjet cutting, gas profile cutting, robotic plasma tube cutting and robotic bending.

It also carries out CNC machining, fabrication with robotics, and has semi-automated and manual welding stations. Founded in 1995, at its height MTL Group processed and fabricated 30,000 tonnes of steel annually.

Naylor adds Raglan Plastics to group A subsidiary of Barnsley-based building products group Naylor Industries has acquired the business and assets of Raglan Plastics, which is based in Cheshire.

Raglan, a supplier of Naylor’s Amco business, is a processor and supplier of PVC raw materials.

The aim of the acquisition is to allow Naylor to strengthen its supply chain and to develop a business to supply third parties with a range of materials in pelletised and pulverised form.

Initially, the business will trade as Naylor Polymers, a separate division of Naylor Drainage, with Ian Wordsworth overseeing its integration into Naylor.

Laser cutting and engraving company Cutting Technologies is to invest a further £450,000 in new machinery taking its total investment in the past year to £1.25m.

This latest investment has been made possible thanks to a Regional Growth Fund (RGF) grant bid of £135,000 and will allow the Barnsley-based company to create 10 jobs and increase production. The remainder of the funding package has been financed by Cutting Technologies.

In 2012 Cutting Technologies increased capacity by purchasing a 3m x 2m 200w watt Eurolaser but demand has been so great, the company now plans to buy the latest technology 400w machine. A new greener and more efficient nitrogen generator is also on order which generates twice the amount of nitrogen using the same amount of electricity.

The capital investments will create 10 jobs by next spring and will open up new opportunities in the re-emerging construction sectors. Cutting Technologies now employs 30 people and operates 6 lasers across its 18,000 sq ft premises.

Jane Robinson, director at Cutting Technologies, said the

funding package would enable the business to grow.

“We are attracting some extremely high profile work across a range of sectors and simply have more work than we have capacity to do at the moment,” explained Jane.

“We are keen to continue growing and this funding will allow us to purchase an extra laser and nitrogen generator which will have an enormous impact on productivity.”

Cutting Technologies had to undergo due diligence from an external accounting firm because of the size of the bid. Tom Preece from national, leading accountancy and business advisory firm BDO in Sheffield assisted. Tom added: “The RGF grant will assist the company to progress its ambitious capital investment plan providing additional capacity in both the metals and non metals sides of the business. This will enable Cutting Technologies to exploit new opportunities across all sectors.”

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MANUFACTURING

SPONSORED BY

SPONSORED BY

MANUFACTURING CASE STUDY

Two Barnsley based steel manufacturers have joined forces to work in partnership to become part of the supply chain for a large scale project in Doncaster.

Sherling Steel UK and Billington Structures will work together to produce almost 300 structural beams, each weighing up to 11 tonnes and measuring up to 23.5 meters, for a giant distribution centre being constructed in Doncaster. The distribution facility will total 915,848 sq ft with warehousing, office space and mezzanine levels.

Company Background Sherling Steel UK is a large independent steel services and processing centre based in

Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The size capability and capacity of the processing services allow the company to meet the most exacting demands of the construction and engineering industry.

From the state of the art premises in Shafton, Sherling have facilities to provide Oxy gas & HD Plasma profiling, plate drilling, shear punch, section cutting and drilling, and can prepare jobs for site with shotblast and painting if required.

In 2014 Sherling Steel continued to lead industry standards and achieved Execution class 4 in CE Marking to execution class 4. This highly prized endorsement demonstrates the quality of the working processes, and that all material provided is covered by the certification and standards required.

Billington Structures are structural steelwork specialists based in Barnsley and Bristol and have long been engaged in many areas of the structural steel marketplace, adjusting

MANUFACTURING

production and specification to meet the constantly changing demands of a varied and ever changing market.

Billington fabricate and weld steel within their two factories at Wombwell and Yate – this allows the company to deliver steel to a wider geographic and work more efficiently. With a combined weekly capability of up to 1000 tonnes, they are able to meet even the most demanding of programmes.

Partnership Building partnerships with industry leaders is essential for the success of Sherling Steel UK. Working with Billington Structures Ltd, there is an added advantage that both companies are on each other’s doorsteps and both are well positioned to complement their services to the market.

The partnership has been nearly 12 months in the making, with an initial site visit by Billington Structures in 2014. The visit enabled Sherling to demonstrate their capabilities and from then on it was a case of waiting for the right project for both businesses to begin working on.

The Project The project – the construction of a new distribution warehouse – hasn’t come without its own challenges.

There are nearly 300 structural beams in the construction, with a weight of up 11 tonnes once fabricated and lengths up to 25.5m.

Processing has had to conform to exact

tolerances, something Sherling Steel CNC machines are ideal to achieve and although Billington are more than capable of achieving the same level of accuracy, it was logistically more efficient to outsource this process to Sherling Steel’s factory.

Due to the size of the beams, the logistics of not only getting the beams to site, but also handling and processing, has been a significant challenge. Working together, Sherling Steel and Billington Structures have developed a plan to choreograph the movements to reduce lead times.

Billington staff to use at the site in Shafton.

This will all help support the volume of fabricated beams required to meet the tight construction timeframe, designed to reduce costs to a minimum, and erect the finished warehouse in the shortest timeframe possible.

Two local businesses working on a local project is a big positive for the local economy, Sherling Steel UK have taken on more staff to support the project and the company’s own growth aspirations, as well as continuing to invest in equipment and training.

To reduce lead times further, and reduce handling and logistics of fabrication, Sherling Steel have designed a fabrication area for

“With the recent positive news of the growth and success of Billington Stuctures it is a big win for Sherling Steel, and one where we are looking to help support their future growth. We are delighted to be working on this project with Billington Structures and putting in place processes to develop the partnership moving forward, and looking at other areas for collaboration.”

Dave Godden, Sherling Steel

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SPONSORED BY

Employer Ownership Pilot - Bridging the skills gap in the Sheffield City Region

NATIONAL CHAMBER AWARDS

til un ry 15 nt 20 re e fo n n Ju pe th O 26

MANUFACTURING

In its first 12 months the Academy of Manufacturing & Engineering Excellence (AMEE), run by Brinsworth Training, has found apprenticeships for 127 unemployed youngsters and has completed training for more than 80 staff at over 40 companies.

Employers who have signed up to the Academy include KP Snacks, Davy Markham, Beatson Clark and Straaltechniek UK Ltd. These companies can access subsidised training under the scheme which is aimed at delivering skills training that cannot be found elsewhere.

Sarah Ward, Operations Director at Straaltechniek UK Ltd which specialise in the design and manufacture of products within the surface preparation industry have three apprentices undertaking training through the scheme at AMEE. Sarah said: “Straaltechniek have found the training that has been made available to us to be invaluable. It’s great to be able to up-skill my staff in areas that without the funding, I probably wouldn’t have been able to afford”

Jen Bramley, Operations Director of Brinsworth Training said: “AMEE has a strategic employer board that ensure employer ownership is maintained and employers are at the heart of this project.

AMEE responds to this employer voice by developing new products and services designed specifically to meet industry needs to fill the skills gaps that can hold companies back.”

Rewarding excellence in British business

“We would welcome more employers in the Sheffield City Region to get involved both strategically and operationally by engaging with AMEE to address the skills gaps and influence the way that skills funding can support employers within the Engineering & Manufacturing sector”

Chamber Awards 2015 – Open for Entry Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the Chamber Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. Each year, from Aberdeen to Plymouth, organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles and the £10,000 cash prize on offer. Free entry for members of Accredited Chambers of Commerce.

Non-members entry fee £195 +VAT. Visit www.chamberawards.co.uk now to view the 2015 Awards and to start your entry.

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To view the categories and to enter, visit www.chamberawards.co.uk #chamberawards

MEMBER NEWS

PATRONS

The Wosskow Brown Foundation

Rotherham Company set to expand down under

When we founded Wosskow Brown in 1989, we received the support of various people and businesses. Perhaps what surprised us was the altruistic nature of people who were willing to give up their time to talk to us and help us.

Rotherham-based Moto Demon Speed Shop, a company that produces motorbike tankpad graphics that it sells to bike distributors, has set its sights on expansion into Australia, following an international market research project carried out by RiDO’s ERDF-funded Soft Landing Zone.

them. We have no doubt that it will bring out the best of the business community.

Consequently, the culture at Wosskow Brown has always been to look at ways to assist a client holistically, rather than trying to deal with a single issue. This approach continues to this day.

The three main areas of focus for The Wosskow Brown Foundation will be to support the development of:

In the present age, it is increasingly difficult for businesses, charities, social enterprises, sports clubs and people to find that support.

The world is getting smaller, more complex and more competitive.

• Business enterprises • C harities, Social Enterprises, Sports Clubs/ Associations • Sports people from grassroots level

So, how do we continue to help these enterprises?

do alone but with the help of ‘partners’ and the local business community.

We wanted an organisation which was notfor-profit and whose main purpose is to help these enterprises to grow and develop to the next level. It was not something that it would

We are therefore very proud to introduce The Wosskow Brown Foundation. The vision is simple - to help these enterprises in all the ways it knows how; to help grow and support

If you think you may require our help as a beneficiary of the foundation, email jim@wosskowbrown foundation.org.uk

We are very excited about the opportunities to expand our business in Australia and other international markets.”

Motor Demon Speed Shop, which has been manufacturing tankpad graphics since 1997, was looking to expand its market and approached RiDO to help with identifying market opportunities in Australia. They also arranged for Moto Demon Speed Shop to benefit from an Export Communication Review where the company was given a series of recommendations for making its website appeal to key target markets overseas.

All Moto Demon’s graphics are manufactured in Rotherham, with a wide range of standard designs, as well as bespoke designs to suit customer’s needs. The tankpads are manufactured from high quality vinyl, which is thermally printed and coated with a 3D gel layer, which is UV stable and extremely robust.

Mark Jarvis, managing director of Moto Demon Speed Shop, said: “We have supplied a small amount of product to Australia before, but RiDO’s research has shown what a huge market this could be for us. We found RiDO’s support invaluable and they have provided us with an excellent resource to call upon.

All staff at the company are keen bikers, which helps to understand the customers’ needs.

The company has over 30 distributors of its products around the globe and has recently experienced growth in markets such as China.

Keep Your Fork’s BrandBooster DIY Marketing and PR programme wins nine business awards in 18 months The past eighteen months have seen outstanding results for local businesswoman Faye Smith who founded Keep Your Fork marketing and PR training consultancy six years ago.

MATCHDAY & SEASONAL HOSPITALITY, SPONSORSHIP & ADVERTISING VISIT THE COMMERCIAL WEBSITE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR RANGE OF PACKAGES

BARNSLEYFCCOMMERCIAL.CO.UK

She has been a finalist in no less than nine national and regional business awards- many of which are for her unique BrandBooster doit-yourself marketing and PR programme.

Recently, Faye has won the Women in Business Award for best home-based business in Yorkshire and the Guardian Small Business Innovation Award.

Faye created Brand Booster when Business Link and other business support agencies closed and she saw the small businesses and charities she had been able to support struggling. “They simply don’t have the money for consultancy fees and retainers, and need instant” explains Faye.

“As a qualified trainer who ran Europe’s first Retail Academy and Job Club at Meadowhall, my heart is always in enabling and empowering others to achieve for themselves. BrandBooster follows the highly successful action learning set model.

A maximum of 12 businesses experience six weeks of intensive half day training on building their media profile, creating a powerful press release and annual PR and marketing plan.”

It is this course that has won Faye the Sue Ryder Yorkshire Woman of Achievement Awards in the business category.

clinics and networking events for two national awards for best networking support group and best hobby to business support which won in a public vote and her intern was delighted to see her voted a finalist in Student Employer of the Year at Sheffield Hallam University.

Faye has also won the Yorkshire Trainers Association customer testimonial and training innovation award for BrandBooster and was runner up in Red magazine’s Woman of the Year community champion award for her women’s enterprise, charities and education support.

An associate nominated Faye’s NetWalking Sheffield free healthy outdoor marketing

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MEMBER NEWS

MEMBER NEWS

Top Safety Accreditation for Water Compliance Solutions Ltd Chamber member, Water Compliance Solutions Ltd (WCS) has been awarded an accreditation for its commitment to achieving excellence in health and safety.

Safecontractor, which is a leading health and safety assessment accreditation scheme, recognises very high standards in health and safety management amongst UK contractors and the certification is held in high regard within the industry.

WCS specialise in water system assessment and management including Legionella Control, Water Treatment and Water Regulation compliance services. They take health and safety seriously and are delighted to have achieved this status of recognition from Safecontractor. Currently employing four specialists and continuously employing five sub-contractors, WCS are principally involved in the public and private sector.

Some of WCS most recent clients have

included major players such as the University of York and Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Trust.

and safety of our working environment and the protection of our employees and those working alongside us.”

The company’s application for Safecontractor accreditation was motivated by their aim for a uniform standard of health and safety practice across the business.

Under the Safecontractor scheme, businesses undergo a vetting process which examines health and safety procedures and their track record for safe practice. Those companies meeting the high standard that Water Compliance Solutions have met are included on a database, which is accessible to registered users only via a website.

Andy Hunt, Technical Manager at Water Compliance Solutions said, “We are actively committed to ensuring all of our work practices comply with up to date Health and Safety Law. Having already gained accreditation from Construction Line and CHAS, the Safe Contractor Accreditation is the final official seal of approval we wanted to enable us to show our existing and potential clients how seriously we take the health

Safecontractor is applicable to most sectors although it is particularly relevant to food manufacture, property, facilities management, retail and leisure sectors, all of which are big users of contracted services.

Dealmaker takes on Nicholas Associates role An award-winning dealmaker has been recruited to the newly created position of corporate development director by Nicholas Associates.

Victoria Gribben, two-time winner of Insider’s Young Dealmaker of the Year, will have responsibility for value creation and driving growth through mergers and acquisitions.

She will also be assisting in the development of a dedicated corporate social responsibility policy as part of the organic growth strategy for the group.

The Group is also seeking acquisitions that are non-core to the Stafforce brand but complement the specialist niche services that the Nicholas Associates brand has to offer. Opportunities across a number of sectors including specialist financial services, manufacturing and distribution are being investigated.

Gribben joins the board of Nicholas Associates and will support management and the founder, Nick Cragg, in achieving its goals and preparing longer term for succession.

Nick Cragg added: “We are delighted Victoria has decided to join Nicholas Associates, not only does she have a proven track record in mergers and acquisitions, but more importantly she shares the values on which our company is founded.”

As corporate development director, she will be identifying and executing merger

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and acquisition opportunities on behalf of Stafforce, a £66m turnover recruitment business, which hopes to hit sales of £200m within five years.

College celebrates apprenticeship partnership with Keepmoat Dearne Valley College has recently partnered up with Keepmoat to support their recruitment by delivering a number of Apprenticeships, allowing young people in the region to gain a foot in the door with a national company.

Apprentices, Charlotte Scattergood, Savina Lubiki and Bryony Mannion have completed their training and gained industry-specific qualifications through their Level 2 and Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeships at Keepmoat, with the support of Dearne Valley College, and are now looking forward to fantastic opportunities on the horizon.

Mark Knight, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat Homes Yorkshire said: “For young people just starting out in the world of work, Apprenticeships have many important advantages for them and the businesses they work within, such as offering efficient

ways to learn skills, and to undertake training that is planned in advanced, organised and relevant to the business and the individual’s learning needs. Keepmoat know that the Apprentices of today are the workforce and Managers of tomorrow, and we attach a great importance and value to the role they play within our organisation. We cannot ignore the need to grow our skills and talent of the future and our Apprentices are the key to ensuring this happens.”

Business Development Officer at Dearne Valley College, Paul Edwards added: “Dearne Valley College recognises that

Keepmoat plays an integral role within the local community and is delighted to work in partnership with them to recruit and train their Apprentices.

The Apprentices have progressed well throughout the training and each have their own success story. We hope that their Apprenticeship will be the catalyst for further success for all. It is only with the help of local businesses that we can grow and shape the future of the local economy and Apprenticeships will continue to play a pivotal role in this success.”

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SOCIAL MEDIA

MEMBER NEWS

Barnsley Council and NPS partnership boosts local economy Barnsley Council’s working relationship with property consultancy NPS Barnsley is having a positive effect on the local economy, a recent report reveals.

An economic impact assessment has shown that the activity of NPS Barnsley - a joint venture company between NPS Group and the council – contributed £6.7m to the Barnsley economy and supports a total of 166 jobs in the town.

The independent report demonstrated that the company spent £2.3m with businesses operating in Barnsley and also calculated that for every £1 of wages it paid, 72p is spent in the Yorkshire area with 49p staying in Barnsley.

In the past three years NPS Barnsley has also returned £677,000 to Barnsley Council in profit share.

FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY

£1

For every £1 of expenditure on suppliers, £0.80 is spent in the Yorkshire region, including £0.46 with businesses in Barnsley

£1

For every £1 of wages paid, £0.72 is spent in the Yorkshire area and £0.49 in Barnsley

77% of customers are in Barnsley 2% Rest of South Yorkshire 14% Rest of Yorkshire 7% Rest of UK FOR BARNSLEY COUNCIL Over the first three years of operation:

Frances Foster, Director of Finance, Assets and Information Services said: “This highlights some key findings which are extremely positive. The impact is shown in the fact that the majority of NPS Barnsley employees live in Barnsley or South Yorkshire. Also, the findings show that a direct investment is being made back into Barnsley by our joint venture company, providing opportunities for local people and businesses and for our local suppliers, all of which is vital in supporting the council’s priority of a thriving and vibrant economy.”

NPS Barnsley, which formed in January 2011, delivers a wide range of property consultancy

NPS philosophy: "design, specify and maintain buildings to minimise impact on the environment and maximise their benefit to the environment and society"

Employs 110 people in Barnsley

paid in wages

30

£

£1.3m

£2.3m spent with businesses operating in Barnsley

of wages spent by staff in Barnsley

These suppliers support a further 33 jobs in Barnsley

This expenditure supports a further 23 jobs

Over 4% of workforce are apprentices

2% of the businesses in Barnsley

2%

employ over 100 people. NPS Barnsley is among these.

£££

£155,000

Invested in capital expenditure and staff training in the first three years of operation

FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY Adding all this up, in total we support around 166 jobs in Barnsley (and a further 31 jobs in the rest of Yorkshire)

Barnsley

Sheffield

Doncaster

Nearly two thirds of 110 employees live within Barnsley

Don’t ‘Like’ Facebook’s latest update?

You’ve worked hard to build up your business’ Facebook presence. You have a good page with lots of lovely images and you update it regularly.

So how come you’re losing likes?

Facebook’s most recent update will remove inactive accounts from page audience data, so it’s likely that businesses will see a dip in audience figures.

Don’t be disheartened Facebook has made this move in an effort to keep the site up to date. The likes you may lose are from inactive accounts, so relate to people who no longer use Facebook, or from fake accounts which were set up so that more unethical business users could buy likes to boost their numbers. Both instances offer no benefit to any business. As with any audience it’s vital that your Facebook fans are current and engaged, after all, what is the point in wasting your marketing effort on someone who isn’t there or doesn’t exist?

Another benefit of this Facebook clearout is that anyone running advertising campaigns should find that audience targeting becomes more accurate. Those businesses wishing to attract more people like those who already follow them should use the lookalike audience tool. With inactive accounts removed this should generate better results than ever before.

From now on, any accounts that are voluntarily deactivated or memorialised will be removed from a page’s like count. If a deactivated account is reactivated, the account will be re-added to a page’s like count.

Don’t get hung up on ‘Likes’ Our advice is to look at the bigger picture when using any social media. While having hundreds of likes may be a great ego boost, what is important is how

you communicate with your audience, regardless of size. If you can engage with your followers, by providing updates, information and posts which they want to share, your audience will grow organically.

A recommendation from a friend is a hugely powerful marketing tool, so rather than focusing your efforts on reaching a certain number, develop a relationship with your followers, talk to them, build brand loyalty and they will do the rest for you.

Content provided by Cream. Find out how to make the most of your social media with Cream’s training packages, Cream Essentials is a series of low cost, interactive, two hour training sessions, each focusing on a different aspect of marketing communications.

For more information contact Cream on 01226 883 700.

Pick of the web...

65% of staff are resident in Barnsley 31% resident in the rest of the Yorkshire 4% beyond Supply chain supports 33 jobs in Barnsley and 53 jobs in Yorkshire

Rotherham

The Salix Energy Efficiency Recycling fund is managed

by NPS Barnsley on behalf of Barnsley Council Barnsley Council was the first Local Authority in the country to adopt a ‘Biomass Implementation Policy’.

We played a key role in implementing this

FOR A STRONG WORKFORCE

£3.5m

110

of services purchased from Barnsley Council

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Managing Director of NPS Barnsley Karen Temple, said: “Ensuring the community we serve directly benefits from our partnership with Barnsley Council is a key priority for us and I am delighted the findings of this report have underlined this. With two thirds of our 110 employees living in the town, £1.3m of the wages we pay being spent here, our supply chain supporting a further 33 jobs, and five percent of our workforce being apprentices - it is clear NPS Barnsley plays an important part in supporting the local economy.”

IMPACT OF NPS BARNSLEY

£677,000 £1.8m

paid to Barnsley Council in profit share

services to the Council as well as clients in South Yorkshire and across the UK.

Social Media Focus

Yorkshire South Yorshire

Based on figures for 2013/14 unless stated otherwise | nps.co.uk

Chamber social media sponsored by

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ADVERTORIAL

PATRONS

Looking for an IT company which speaks your language?

It’s hard enough keeping your IT systems up to date without having to wade through a mountain of technical language.

“IT Desk staff speak in plain English and are on hand to talk through anything which isn’t clear. They don’t try to sell us systems we don’t need but simply advise us on the best solutions for the job at the time – and give us value for money”

We are a Barnsley company which prides itself on being straight talking and never overselling to its customers.

Because we are based in an area which is rich in engineering, this has very much become our niche market. Our clients like the fact that we offer a bespoke service, take time to understand their business and are always on hand to help out with their IT issues.

We offer a range of IT support packages to suit the needs of our customers and specialise in: • P ro-active support including remote monitoring of systems 24 hours a day.

This allows us to respond to problems promptly and sort out any issues over the phone, via remote assistance or through on-site support.

Debbie Porter, Finance Director, Tiger Hobbies

• Over-night maintenance process which provides essential maintenance when your systems are not in use.

We save our customers time and money by picking up on any problems during the night and providing more efficient and reliable machines for staff to use through the day.

To find out more contact Chris Wright at IT Desk on 01709 470073, email chris.wright@itdeskuk.com or visit www.itdeskuk.com

Your Bookkeeper should be more than a ‘Bean Counter’!

When local bookkeeper Beverley Flanagan tells people what she does, she often hears them say, “Oh, so your one of those ‘bean counters’!”

Bev is MD of Flex Accounting Services Ltd and she’s passionate about helping businesses manage their bookkeeping, their payroll and their financial control. “I know it’s not everyone’s thing” she says “but we do love getting to grips with the ‘numbers’ and making sure that our clients get the best out of them by making them meaningful – we might not be stereotypical accounts people’, but we’re definitely not just ‘bean counters’!”

In her 5 years running the

business and 20 years of being in the accounting industry, she has come across many busy business owners who simply don’t get the best out of their bookkeepers. As a result, they waste a lot of time, resources and money and end up paying higher fees than they should be (for people just to ‘count the beans’!).

Flex believes that well run businesses proactively get the best out of their bookkeepers and as a result, maximise their financial performance.

So, how can they do it? Well, Flex offers local business owners the following 6 tips...

1. Start early!

The earlier the better! Many business people try to sort out their financial information themselves and then have a bumpy ride when deadlines arrive. Get them in early so they can set up and establish systems and processes to help you and your business!

2. Agree who will do what!

Consult with your accountant (if you’ve got one) and then agree what you want your bookkeeper to do and when – remember, bookkeepers and accountants do different things – don’t pay high accounting fees for bookkeeping tasks!

3. Establish parameters and procedures!

Clarify what you want from your bookkeeper, when and in what format. Equally, be sure you know what they need from you to maximise their effectiveness. The key here is allowing them to do things that free you up to do what your good at – running your business!

4. Get Set Up!

About Flex Accounting Services Ltd Flex Accounting Services have a proven track record as an award winning, professional and experienced bookkeeping practice helping a wide range of businesses of all types, sizes and sectors. From just a couple of hours each month to a fully outsourced accounts department, they help and free business leaders up to concentrate on ‘the things that count’, running their business!

Take the advice from your bookkeeper. Your books can (and should) measure the pulse of your business, and provide relevant and timely information to help you manage it. Books that are set up correctly in the beginning are key - make sure you get this from your bookkeeper – it’s much more than basic cash expenses!

5. Encourage (insist on?) liaison!

Most accountants and bookkeepers are happy working with each other and with their client. Make sure they are doing it in a way that helps you maximise your business performance!

6. Ask for help and advice!

Good bookkeepers know their stuff! Don’t be afraid to ask them for this and tap into their knowledge and experience.

Got a problem? They’ve probably seen it before!

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New Members List

Use your smartphone to scan our QR code for further information on Membership

Contact details for our latest members

PLATINUM Barnsley Financial Services Amie Goodyear Westgate Plaza One Barnsley S70 2DR T 01226 773525 E amiegoodyear@barnsley.gov.uk W www.barnsleyfinancialservices.co.uk

Clarico Ltd Tracey Buxton Floor 2 The Mclintocks Building Summer Lane Barnsley S70 2NZ T 01226 399813 E t.buxton@claricoltd.co.uk W www.claricoltd.co.uk

Derek Hattersley & Son Printers Sarah Hattersley Mount Pleasant Farm Cooper Lane Hoylandswaine Sheffield S36 7JE T 01226 791633 E sarah@hattersley-printers.co.uk W www.derekhattersleyandson.co.uk

Manor Barn Real Steakhouse & Function Suite Craig Savage Church Street Kimberworth Rotherham S61 1EP T 01709 551089 E realsteakhouse1@gmail.com

MKB Solicitors LLP Alison Taylor 1 – 11 Huddersfield Road Barnsley S70 2LP T 01226 210000 E alison@mkbsolicitors.co.uk W wwwmkbsolicitors.co.uk

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Mediascope Productions Ltd Lee Pearman 46 Woodbank Crescent Meersbrook Sheffield S8 9EF T 07808 112056 E lee@mediascopeproductions.co.uk W www.mediascopeproductions.co.uk

TLG Accountancy Services Ltd

Heather Chapman Lion House 13 Osgathorpe Crescent Sheffield S4 7AN

T 0759 7255987 E tracey_guest84@hotmail.co.uk W www.tlgaccountancyservicesltd.co.uk

T 07751 861781 E thetwittersitterservice@gmail.com

Steelphalt (Harsco)

BDB Dismantling Ltd

Martin Gray Sheffield Road The Ickles Rotherham S60 1DR

Bev Smith Valley Road Station Road Industrial Estate Wombwell Barnsley S73 0BS

Merlinsoft Ltd Owen Gleadall Barnsley Business & Innovation Centre Innovation Way Barnsley S75 1JL

Helena Dale Digital Media Centre County Way Barnsley S70 2HG

T 01226 273860 E bev.smith@bdb-dismantling.co.uk W www.bdb-dismantling.co.uk

T 01226 294413 E owen@merlinsoft.co.uk W www.merlinsoft.co.uk

T 0845 4656666 E design@transmitcreative.co.uk W www.transmitcreative.co.uk

Embryo Digital Ltd

Paragon Skills

David Toft The Core County Way Barnsley S70 2JW

Nick McHugh 4 Brooklands Place Brooklands Road Sale Manchester M33 3SS

T 01709 300500 E mgray@harsco.com W www.steelphalt.com

GOLD Moneycorp James Robinson 2 Sloane Street Knightsbridge London SW1X 9LA T 07876 884109 E james.robinson@moneycorp.com W www.moneycorp.com

New Horizons Steve Fisher Longfields Court Middlewoods Way Wharncliffe Business Park Barnsley S71 3GN T 0845 5552014 E steve.fisher@notjusttravel.com W www.notjusttravel.com/newhorizons

SILVER Airfire Systems Ltd Brian Seaman 328 Hough Lane Wombwell Barnsley S73 0LP T 07932 870223 E brian.seaman@hotmail.co.uk W www.airfiresystems.co.uk

T 0744 9065335 E dave@embryodigital.co.uk W www.embryodgital.co.uk

FB Fire Technologies Ltd

T 0161 8500916 E nick.mchugh@pgon.co.uk W www.paragonskills.co.uk

Louise Bennett Matrix@Dinnington Business Centre Nobel Way Dinnington Sheffield S25 3QB

Scaitec Security Solutions

T 01909 547070 E louise.bennett@firebuggroup.com W www.firebuggroup.com

T 01709 761007 E ops@scaitec.co.uk W www.scaitecsecuritysolutions.com

Home Farm Bakery Ltd

ServiceMaster Clean Limited

Vicky Brookes Unit B Brookfields Park Manvers Way Rotherham S63 5DJ

Transmit Creative

ZA Property Solutions Ltd Zahoor Ahmad 7 Rockingham Gardens Moorgate Rotherham S60 3BL T 07795 546223 E zahmad@blueyonder.co.uk

RETAIL Online Wine Cellar Simon Richardson 2 Maryhill Close Treeton Barnsley S60 5UT T 07814 766825 E simon.710@btinternet.com W www.onlinewinecellar.co.uk

Julie Clare 230 Pontefract Road Lundwood Barnsley S71 5PN

Natalie Ferguson 1 Kirkfield Way Royston Barnsley S71 4NN

Something Special

T 01226 282502 E homefarmbakery230@hotmail.co.uk

T 01226 384129 E natalie@goteamltd.co.uk W www.servicemasterclean.co.uk/ rotherham-barnsley

T 07940 116908 E patbrewer61@live.co.uk

Locorum Steve Hillitt 12 Hillcote Drive Sheffield S10 3PJ T 07733 537902 E steve@locorum.co.uk W www.locorum.co.uk

Sherling Steel UK Ltd Stuart Royston Engine Lane Shafton Barnsley S72 8SP T 01226 718833 E sroyston@sherlingsteeluk.com W www.sherlingsteeluk.com

No Eggs For Heads

Tracey Guest 69 Buckleigh Road Wath Upon Dearne Rotherham S63 7HZ

Pat Brewer 8 Old Town Hall Rotherham S60 1QX

SOLE TRADERS Leo Wealth Management Amy Goodson Chancellor Court 21 The Calls Leeds LS2 7EH

Ocean Leisure David Hirst Barnsley Digital Media Centre County Way Barnsley S70 2JW T 01226 720732 E daveoceanleisure@aol.com W www.oceanleisureagency.co.uk

Pedley Training & Consultancy Carl Pedley 5 East View Hellaby Rotherham S66 8EU T 07828 319302 E carl@pedley.org.uk W www.pedley.org.uk

StupendaPR Samantha Mawson 11 Brier Lane Havercroft Wakefield WF4 2AT T 01226 722929 E info@stupendapr.co.uk W www.stupendapr.co.uk

The Video Pro David Hendley 9 Springwood View Penistone Sheffield S36 6SX T 01226 496637 E support@samuraivideo.co.uk W www.thevideopro.co.uk

Utility Warehouse Wendy Ward 8 Millburn Court Sothall Sheffield S20 2QW T 0772 9481010 E letssavepounds@utilitywarehouse.org.uk W www.letssavepounds.co.uk

T 07985 408638 E amy.goodson@leowealthmanagement.co.uk W www.leowealth.co.uk

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MEMBERSHIP

How resilient is your business?

With millions of working days (and pounds!) lost every year due to musculoskeletal and mental health issues, it pays to invest in staff wellbeing and to provide the right support and infrastructure to help make your business resilient.

71371 Golf Day 2015 Advert.pdf

1

30/03/2015

11:47

What is resilience?

Being resilient isn’t just about how you deal with the big life events, it’s also about handling the dayto-day events, challenges and conflicts life and work present us. We can’t necessarily remove the challenges but we can minimise their impact.

Ultimately, more resilient people deal with stress more effectively.

As a business, your employees are your most important assets and making sure your people are resilient - being fit and healthy, both mentally and physically, should be at the heart of what you do.

Want to find out more about building resilience in your workplace?

Visit AXA PPP healthcare’s SME resilience hub on their Business health centre, and find out how resilient your business is. There’s also useful articles and helpful tips you can implement to support your team.

AXA PPP healthcare for small businesses. An exclusive support package to Chamber Members to keep your business in tip-top health.

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ROTHERHAM UNITED

GOLF DAY Golf Tournament & Dinner Dance FRIDAY 28th AUGUST at SITWELL GOLF CLUB

2015

Followed by a DINNER DANCE

in the PLATINUM SUITE at the AESSEAL NEW YORK STADIUM

£400 + VAT per team of four

FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO BOOK, Call 01709827771 or Email: commercial@rotherhamunited.net

Events

Use your smartphone to scan our QR code for our latest Chamber Events

For further event details and to book your attendance, please visit our website www.brchamber.co.uk or call 01709 386 200

TUESDAY

7

JULY

Business Connect

Business Connect is a new, bimonthly event for 2015. This event is to be held on the first Tuesday of every other month commencing on Tuesday 7th July and will be at the New York Stadium.

These events are designed for you to maximise the amount of people you can introduce yourself and your company to in the shortest possible time as to not interfere with your working day too much!

Starting at 8am with breakfast, the event will involve a blend of our ever popular speed networking interface with the table shuffle format we run at the City Region Breakfast events.

These are an ideal to open new doors and to build new relationships due to the opportunity to interact with everyone in the room.

Whether you are new to networking or a seasoned networker, this event is ideal for you.

WEDNESDAY

16

SEPTEMBER

Chamber Means Business

The Chamber will be hosting its annual businessto-business exhibition at Wentworth Woodhouse on the 16th September 2015, to celebrate the best of business in Barnsley and Rotherham and giving you the chance to network with other Businesses from the region.

Entry is FREE and by attending businesses can explore ways to develop their operation and make new contacts.

Promote your business at our 2015 event with these exclusive exhibition deals: 3x2 ft. Exhibition Space: • Package one: Exhibition Space (3x2 ft.) - £250 + VAT • P ackage two: Exhibition Space (3x2 ft.) plus full page in the event programme - £310 + VAT • P ackage three: Exhibition Space (3x2 ft.) plus half page in the Bulletin, plus full page in the event programme £450 + VAT 6x2 ft. Exhibition Space: • P ackage one: Exhibition Space (6x3 ft.) – £400 + VAT • P ackage two: Exhibition Space (6x3 ft.) plus full page in the event programme - £460 + VAT • P ackage three: Exhibition Space (6x3 ft.) plus half page in the Bulletin, plus full page in the event programme £600 + VAT

VENUE: TIME: COST:

N ew York Stadium, Rotherham 8.00am £13.95 + VAT Member £19.95 + VAT Non Member

To find out more about the event, to book your attendance or exhibition space visit www.chambermeansbusiness.co.uk or call 01709 386200.

VENUE: Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham

2015

THE HUMAN LEAGUE

In association with Visit Bawtry

SATURDAY 16 MAY

UB40 SATURDAY 6 JUNE

GRANDSLAM

MADNESS SATURDAY 27 JUNE

SPANDAU BALLET

www.spandauballet.com In association with SOLO

SATURDAY 15 AUGUST

Live after racing!

TICKETS FROM

£23

*

www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk 01302 304200 | info@doncaster-racecourse.co.uk

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*Terms & conditions apply. Price per person and includes VAT. For full terms and conditions, race times and details of the the live music concert please visit our website.

Booking restrictions and fees may apply. Doncaster Racecourse encourages responsible gambling. www.gambleaware.co.uk. Please drink responsibly. www.drinkaware.co.uk

#MUSICLIVE2015

HELPING BUILD BUSINESSES PRACTICAL ADVICE, NOT JUST LEGAL Commercial | Corporate | Employment Dispute Resolution & Debt Recovery | Property Wealth Management | Restructuring

call

01226 212345

www www.wosskowbrown.co.uk visit

31 Regent Street, Barnsley, S70 2HJ 620 Attercliffe Road, Sheffield, S9 3QS