Business

LEP chairman asks business leaders to have their say on devolution

23rd December 2015

Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Chairman James Newman has written to local business leaders to encourage them to support the Sheffield City Region proposed Devolution Deal and take part in the online consultation which opened earlier this month.

James Newman, Chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: “I’m encouraging local businesses from across the City Region to take this opportunity to go online and show their support for the devolution deal. This deal will enable our local political and business leaders to take decision-making to the next level, making bigger and better local decisions over skills, business growth and infrastructure. Anyone interested in future business growth in our City Region should go online and take part before the consultation closes next month.”

The proposed deal, which will mean £900m of additional funding and more power to make important economic decisions locally, has been welcomed by a number of local business leaders from across the Sheffield City Region. In October 2015, local politicians and business leaders secured the in-principle deal with the Chancellor George Osborne to transfer national powers and control over funding from national Government departments to the Sheffield City Region – as well as securing a massive £900 million additional cash boost over the next thirty years to deliver major regeneration, infrastructure and business growth schemes.

Peter Swallow, chair of Destination Chesterfield, the town’s business marketing campaign, said: “I would urge all local businesses to take part in the consultation.

“Chesterfield’s position within the Sheffield City Region means we do a lot of business with neighbouring towns and cities in the region. Devolution will give the town a seat at a more influential ‘local’ table not to mention more control over our own financial affairs.

“It could also help bring potential funding to the area further boosting our ambitious plans for growth and development in the area over the next 10 years.”

Local Leaders will be negotiating details of the deal over the coming months but are now consulting on the proposed deal so that they have the views of the people in the Sheffield City Region before finalising any deal. It is recognised that further work needs to continue to clarify issues in relation to the powers of any elected mayor and any potential statutory amendments needed to achieve our preferred geography for the City Region, which means seeking maximum flexibility for all types of authorities to be part of the Combined Authority.

The deal needs to be formally approved by each of the local Councils within the Sheffield City Region and is also dependent upon the Government delivering on the promises it has made in this and previous deals, and the City Region agreeing to the creation of a directly-elected Mayor.

The consultation will be open until Friday 15 January 2016 and local residents and businesses are being invited to comment on the deal by visiting www.sheffieldcityregiondevolution.org.uk.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development

Peak tourist board backs Accessible Derbyshire

23rd December 2015

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire is expanding its leading role in supporting accessible tourism by announcing its support for a Derbyshire charity.

Accessible Derbyshire – which was set up to make life easier for people with disabilities, their families and carers – is to be the tourist board’s first-ever chosen charity throughout 2016.

The charity, set up by Gillian Scotford and Jane Carver, who between them have six children, three of whom have disabilities, will receive support thanks to a link on Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s website to invite donations, a series of sponsored events organised by the tourist board team and efforts to encourage tourist board members to adopt it as their chosen cause.

“This is the first time we have ever selected a charity to support, and we thought Accessible Derbyshire was a highly appropriate choice,” said Jo Dilley, Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire.

“Not only have we worked with Gillian and Jane on a variety of projects in the past, we were recently only one of just seven destinations to secure a share in national tourist board VisitEngland’s ‘Access for All’ project, aimed at promoting England as a leading destination for accessible tourism.

“Eight of our businesses took part, and are setting a shining example to their peers in making their facilities and services more accessible. We know Gillian and Jane are passionate about their cause, and we share their enthusiasm for improving access across the area for everyone, so we have decided to support their work by raising money for them throughout next year.”

Gillian Scotford and Jane Carver of Accessible Derbyshire added: “We are absolutely thrilled that Visit Peak District & Derbyshire has chosen us as its first-ever charity of the year.

“As we both have children with severe disabilities, we understand at first hand the importance of a friendly and inclusive welcome. If we can all pull together, we can make Derbyshire an even more accessible destination, for the benefit of both visitors and the tourism industry.”

Chatsworth is one of the eight businesses across the Peak District and Derbyshire which took part in ‘Access for All’ earlier this year to maximise the potential of the so-called ‘Purple Pound’, now worth more than £12 billion to the national economy.

VisitEngland research reveals that the overnight accessible tourism market is now worth £3 billion per annum to the English economy, with day visits boosting the figure to £12.1 billion. Over the past few years, overnight trips by disabled tourists and their companions have increased by 19 per cent, and their spending is up by a third.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Leisure, Visiting

Positive job figures cap year of success for Chesterfield businesses

16th December 2015

The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) in Chesterfield fell again in November, according to figures released today by the Office for National Statistics. In November, there were 876 JSA claimants , 46 fewer than in October (922) and 570 fewer than in November 2014 (1446). The current percentage of people claiming the benefit remains below the national average for a third month (1.4% for Chesterfield compared with 1.6% for the UK and 1.4% for the East Midlands).

The number of unemployed people in the East Midlands fell by 2,000 to 101,000 over the three months to the end of October, meaning that the region’s unemployment rate now stands at 4.3%.

The regional employment rate now stands at 74.2%, with the total number of people in employment over the three months rising by 65,000, to 2.23m

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “It’s good to see the year being rounded off with another set of positive employment figures, which once again show that the region is at the front of the pack when it comes to creating jobs.

“Private sector businesses in the East Midlands have created jobs at a faster rate than anywhere else in the UK over the past 18 months and although we’d expect this trend to continue into 2016, there are issues out there that could impact on job creation next year.

“Overall, the strength of the labour market remains an important driver of economic growth and the economy is continuing to expand at a decent pace. But that growth remains far too unbalanced.

“Firms that do business solely in the UK have so far been relatively well insulated from the international slowdown, but the longer that key overseas markets suffer malaise the greater the likelihood that we may start to see it impacting on the UK economic environment.

“We also have uncertainties around things like the EU referendum and the introduction of a new National Living Wage and we can’t yet fully appreciate what impact these might have on business.

“The substantial widening in the trade deficit is a warning sign that more needs to be done to fix the fundamentals that hinder productivity, exports and enterprise if we are to achieve growth that is both balanced and sustainable over the next year and beyond.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield

Pupils cook up donations for Macmillan Cancer Centre

15th December 2015

Year six pupils at St Peter and St Paul’s School in Chesterfield have created a unique cookery book featuring a wonderful collection of recipes from celebrities and influential people – including dishes from the Prime Minister, David Cameron and Gino D’Acampo, amongst other well-known names, as well as local business people, and staff and pupils from the school.

Published locally, The Big Cookbook is an idea cooked up by a group of children who were challenged to raise as much money as possible for the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal, starting with only £203 (the cost of funding a Macmillan nurse for a day).

The Macmillan Cancer Support’s Biz Kids initiative is an opportunity for pupils to learn entrepreneurial skills and includes support from local businesses. John Nettleship, a solicitor at Chesterfield law firm, BRM Solicitors, worked with the school on the project, providing support and advice in the weekly sessions in which the book was produced.

John said: “The pupils and staff of St Peter and St Paul School should be very proud. The book is a fantastic achievement, and is sure to raise a lot of money for the Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal. It is already selling extremely well, and there is work ongoing to get the book into local and national retailers.”

Michele Farrand, tutor of the Year 6 class who produced the book added:

“We are grateful to all the contributors who have taken the time to submit their recipes for inclusion in the recipe book. The children have worked hard to make this a success and have valued the business advice given by John Nettleship from BRM Solicitors and Tim Ward from the Digital Print Company. We, at St Peter & St Paul School, are thrilled that we have been able to make this contribution to the Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal.”

The Big Cookbook is now available to buy for £12 from the St Peter and St Paul School, and BRM Solicitors on Saltergate, Chesterfield. A small amount of proceeds will go towards printing costs, with the rest to be donated to the Chesterfield Royal Macmillan Cancer Centre Appeal. Copies are also available by mail, with an additional £2 payable to cover postage and packaging. Please telephone 01246 555111 or email macmillan@brmlaw.co.uk to place your order.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Christmas, Made in Chesterfield

Derbyshire County Cricket Club goes solar

15th December 2015

Derbyshire County Cricket Club has reinforced its commitment for The 3aaa County Ground in Derby to become a more environmentally sustainable venue by agreeing a ground-breaking partnership with fellow Chesterfield Champion, Custom Solar.

The Chesterfield-based renewable energy company will be installing 550 solar panels on the roofs of the Elite Performance Centre and the 3aaa Pavilion as part the Club’s overall ground development project.

The panels, which will be installed this month, will help significantly reduce the Club’s energy costs by up to 30% per year and help drive long-term sustainability.

Chief Executive, Simon Storey said: “The Club are always looking to find ways we can operate more efficiently in order to increase our investment in cricket.

“Not only will the addition of solar panels help drastically reduce our energy bill costs, it will also modernise the ground and, as a Club in the heart of the community, reduce our carbon footprint as we drive to become an environmentally sustainable venue.

“We’re delighted to announce this ground-breaking partnership with Custom Solar. They are a local Derbyshire-based company who are specialists in solar technology and during the rigorous selection process, they demonstrated their expertise and experience in this area.”

Custom Solar Director, Matthew Brailsford said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working alongside Derbyshire County Cricket Club. It provides an amazing opportunity to deploy solar into an environment that will be enjoyed and utilised by people of all ages for decades to come.

“The partnership, however, is not just about the installation of a solar system it shows the intentions of Custom Solar and Derbyshire to focus on the future and to provide a sustainable platform for future generations.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business

Hat trick of awards for Handelsbanken

11th December 2015

Handelsbanken, the local relationship bank with a branch in Chesterfield is crediting its recent success to constant customer focus after scooping a total of three independent awards in only a few weeks.

The fast-growing banking, wealth and investment management provider has been recognised by Financial Times and sister publication Investors Chronicle magazine (“Best Private Bank”), financial magazine International Banker (“Best Customer Service Provider of the Year – Western Europe”), and Citywire Wealth Manager magazine (“Best Overall Medium Firm” for Handelsbanken’s wealth and investment management business, Heartwood).

Handelsbanken has received an award from the Financial Times and Investors Chronicle for three out of the last four years; the initial shortlist being based on a survey of readers’ banking experiences. It is also the second year in a row that Heartwood has received this accolade from Citywire Wealth Manager.

All three awards follow the announcement this October that Handelsbanken has been rated top for customer satisfaction for the seventh year running, in an independent survey of British banks’ personal and business customers**. The bank puts customer satisfaction first, believing local branch teams like Phil Walker’s in Chesterfield are best-placed to serve and make the majority of decisions relating to their customers.

Phil Walker, branch manager at Chesterfield commented:-

“As a bank built on strong and lasting relationships, we focus first and foremost on satisfying our customers by providing the best local advice and service we can. We make all the everyday decisions that matter to our customers here in the branch, free from head office targets or bonus incentives.

“As we conduct no national marketing, we are only able to develop our business by building a strong reputation within the communities we serve. It is good to see that our reputation for customer service, across our banking and wealth management services, has attracted wider positive attention.”

Chesterfield branch staff have full power to advise customers on their banking needs, and agree individual product terms and pricing, free from targets or bonus incentives. The team of 5 bankers draws on over 100 years of combined banking experience to meet their customers’ individual needs locally.

Overall, Handelsbanken operates over 850 branches in 25 countries worldwide, with the UK representing its fastest-growing market. As well as the branch in Chesterfield, teams of experienced local bankers now serve individual and corporate customers in more than 200 other communities throughout Great Britain.

Posted in Business

Chesterfield Residents and Businesses Asked for Views on Devolution Deal

2nd December 2015

The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority and LEP are asking residents and businesses to have their say and get involved in the debate on the in-principle Sheffield City Region Devolution Deal with Government.

From Monday 30 November, local residents are being invited to comment on the deal by visiting www.sheffieldcityregiondevolution.org.uk.

The proposed deal, which will mean £900m of additional funding and more power to make important economic decisions locally, has been welcomed by local business and political leaders from across the Sheffield City

What are the benefits to Chesterfield?

The major benefit to Chesterfield of the Devolution Deal is a share of £900 million over the next 30 years to support the delivery of key regeneration projects, improve the skills of local people and help local businesses become more competitive.

Current and future schemes supported via Sheffield City Region include:

Work starting in the near future on the construction of Basin Square, the commercial heart of the Chesterfield Waterside scheme.

Funding allocated for the development of a scheme at the town centre’s Northern Gateway, increasing the attractiveness of the town for shoppers and visitors.

Funding ring-fenced to enable the Peak Resort development to start on site, supporting the creation of a large number of new jobs.

The development of a new Housing Investment Fund that could unlock opportunities for housing growth in places such as the Staveley and Rother Corridor.

The establishment of the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub, providing a one-stop-shop of support for local businesses and start-ups.

Local business access to an Sheffield City Region funding pot of £52 million, to support capital investment that creates new employment.

The establishment of a Skills Bank providing a flexible pot of funding for businesses to provide 42,000 qualifications over the next six years. Many Chesterfield based companies have already engaged with the current ‘Skills Made Easy’ programme to take on apprentices and train their workforce.

Councillor John Burrows, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We are fully engaged in this devolution process. We believe from our first-hand experience the deal is good for our town and the whole Sheffield City Region.

“Our involvement with the Sheffield City Region has already brought real benefits to Chesterfield and we look forward to working collectively on improving the living standards and opportunities for people in the Sheffield City Region.

“I would encourage Chesterfield residents to read the information on the public consultation website and then give their comments during the consultation process.”

Peter Swallow, chair of Destination Chesterfield, the town’s business marketing campaign, said: “I would urge all local businesses to take part in the consultation.

“It could also help bring potential funding to the area further boosting our ambitious plans for growth and development in the area over the next 10 years.”

Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, said: “We’re asking residents and businesses to have their say on our proposed deal with Government. We know that business growth and better job opportunities are issues that people really care about and that’s why we’re encouraging as many people as possible to take part.”

This deal is ultimately based on our belief that decisions that impact on local people will be better made by local leaders, who live and work locally, rather than by civil servants and Ministers in London.”

James Newman, Chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, said: “The LEP’s success means that local business leaders now have an increasingly important part to play in creating stronger local economic growth in Sheffield City Region. This deal enables our local political and business leaders to take decision-making to the next level, making bigger and better local decisions over skills, business growth and infrastructure. I encourage anyone with an interest in expanding their businesses and creating job opportunities for local people to show their support for the deal by visiting our consultation website.”

In October 2015, local politicians and business leaders secured the in-principle deal with the Chancellor George Osborne to transfer national powers and control over funding from national Government departments to the Sheffield City Region – as well as securing a massive £900 million additional cash boost over the next thirty years to deliver major regeneration, infrastructure and business growth schemes.

The deal needs to be formally approved by each of the local Councils within the Sheffield City Region and is subject to a programme of consultation and engagement with residents and businesses over the coming months. It is also dependent upon the Government delivering on the promises it has made in this and previous deals, and the City Region agreeing to the creation of a directly-elected Mayor.

It is a deal that marks another step in the journey that the Sheffield City Region has taken over the last five years in securing greater control over its own economic affairs. It enables the City Region to build on some of its world class assets, including the Sheffield and Rotherham based Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District, aligning the new Doncaster-based National College for High Speed Rail with the new Institutes of Technology to help meet the wider set of national infrastructure challenges, major town centre improvement plans in Barnsley and the Enterprise Zones across the whole City Region.

The deal covers a range of themes including transport, skills, creating new jobs, inward investment and support to help local businesses export as well as committing to working with Government on new ways to incentivise local growth.

For more information and to take part in the consultation visit www.sheffieldcityregiondevolution.org.uk

Growth Sculpture Horns Bridge Roundabout Chesterfield

Growth Sculpture on Horns Bridge Roundabout in Chesterfield at Night

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield

Cathelco supplies equipment for Keppel projects in Singapore

1st December 2015

Chesterfield based Cathelco have won orders to supply equipment for two projects which are being undertaken by Keppel yards in Singapore.

The first is to provide marine growth protection systems (MGPS) for a KFELS semi-submersible drilling tender (Project B374).

The Cathelco MGPS system will eliminate blockages in sea water pipework caused by the growth of barnacles and mussels. A total of four seachests will be protected, each with flow rates of 1,160 m³/hr. This involves fitting two copper anodes and one aluminium anode in each of the seachests which are wired to a control panel.

In operation, the copper anodes produce ions which create an environment where barnacles and mussel larvae do not settle or breed, but are carried through the system to discharge. At the same time, the aluminium anode produces ions which create an anti-corrosive coating on the internal surfaces of pipes.

The Cathelco MGPS system operates effectively with very small concentrations of copper, between 2- 24 parts per billion depending on the individual application. This discourages the organisms from settling in pipes but does not kill them which is better for the wider marine environment, resulting in a system that is environmentally benign.

Cathelco is one of the few manufacturers of MGPS systems conforming to Article 95 of the EU biocides Regulation (528/2012). They are listed as an Authorised Supplier of copper based anti-fouling systems for the marine and offshore market.

The second project in Singapore is to supply MGPS and hull corrosion protection equipment for an FPSO conversion which is being undertaken for Armada Madura EPC. Keppel Shipyard has already commenced work on the conversion which is scheduled for completion in the 3^rd quarter of 2016. The FPSO will be deployed in the Madura Strait Block BD which is located 65km east of Surbaya and about 16km south of Madura Island, Indonesia.

The MGPS systems on the Armada Madura will protect pipework connected to the main seachests, fire water seachest and sea water lift seachest, the largest having flow rates of up to 1,300 m³/hr.

The Cathelco impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system for the vessel will protect the hull against corrosion throughout its design life of 20 years. This is particularly important on FPSOs which remain on station for prolonged periods of time without drydocking.

As the Armada Madura has an overall length of 246.8 metres it will be installed with forward and aft ICCP systems. The 300 amp forward system consists of a two C-Max disc anodes mounted port and starboard and two reference electrodes connected to a thyristor control panel. C-Max disc anodes maintain a smooth hull profile and have the advantage of being diver changeable, enabling anode replacement to be carried out at sea, if necessary. The aft system, also 300 amps, utilises two linear loop anodes and two reference electrodes.

In operation, the reference electrodes measure the electrical potential at the hull/seawater interface and send a signal to the control panel which raises or lowers the output to the anodes. In this way, the hull receives the optimum level of corrosion protection at all times.

The Quantum control panels store data about the performance of the system which can be monitored through a series of displays. All of the data can be relayed to a control room or bridge computer system via an RS485 link.

Posted in Business

Made in Chesterfield inspires tomorrow’s manufacturers and engineers

27th November 2015

More than 700 young people from schools throughout north east Derbyshire got involved with Chesterfield’s month-long festival celebrating the town’s manufacturing and engineering sector during November.

Made in Chesterfield was designed to introduce youngsters to training, careers and jobs in engineering and manufacturing through a series of visits to companies in the sector, business events and exhibitions.

The festival was coordinated by Destination Chesterfield in partnership with MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar, NatWest, Derbyshire Education Business Partnership, Chesterfield College, Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Placing Futures, NLT Training Services, UKTI, East Midlands Chamber, Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Positive 4 Young People.

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, vice chair of Destination Chesterfield and cabinet member for town centre and visitor economy at Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Engineering has always played a major part in Chesterfield’s economy and the events showed that this heritage is continuing today.

“Engineering companies are also at the forefront of work in the town to create apprentices to give young people high quality job opportunities.

“This festival was an opportunity to showcase all they do and raise awareness of the many different types of products being manufactured in the town.”

Chesterfield Champions MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar and Weightron Bilanciai all hosted student visits to their premises with a number of students keen to follow apprenticeships in the sector following the visits. Catherine Swain of Whittington Green School said: “They were fantastic events which all our students loved getting involved in experiments and talking to the apprentices they had on site. MSE Hiller was one of the best places we have been to.”

Flynn Dodsworth a sixth form student at Shirebrook Academy who visited MSE Hiller said: ““I am interested in engineering and looking at doing mechanical engineering or computational fluid dynamics at University.” Fellow student Matt is considering an engineering apprenticeship when he leaves school. Of the visit to MSE Hiller, he said: “I wanted to experience engineering and what it’s about. It’s also good to add to my personal statement for when I’m applying to engineering companies for jobs.”

MSE Hiller also sponsored and hosted MANTRA (The Manufacturing Technology Transporter), a specially customised 14m HGV trailer, packed with the latest machinery and simulators, designed to give aspiring young engineers a hands-on experience with real cutting-edge technologies.

Designed to give students a taste of modern manufacturing, advanced modelling and assembly line technology to help inspire young people to take up careers in engineering, MANTRA worked its magic on 10 students from Parkside School who visited it.

Year 11 student Ashley Macefield (15) from Parkside School said: “I want to do engineering when I leave school and going to MANTRA helped me see all the different kinds of jobs and roles there are. It showed me that we can build anything if we put our mind to it.”

During the visit the boys were introduced to technology currently in use and that which is being developed, including 3D glasses similar to state-of-the-art ‘Occulus Rift’ equipment which is worn by gamers playing virtual reality games, which they are all fans of.

Parkside School Deputy Headteacher Rachel Hammond, who accompanied the students on their visit said: “It was a very successful visit. I could see that the youngsters really enjoyed it. In fact they were blown away by it. What was made evident is that these are very people the industry needs to employ because they are already familiar with and using modern technologies in video gaming.

“What was amazing to learn during the visit was how much of a major player Chesterfield is in engineering and manufacturing and it showed the boys the job and career opportunities that exist locally, which is hugely important to young people who do not want to move away from home.”

A highlight of the week, for both young people and the business community, was the arrival of Bloodhound, the vehicle which is Britain’s latest attempt to break the world land speed record, travelling at a speed of 1,000mph.

A replica of the vehicle was displayed at Chesterfield College. With only 6% of engineers in the UK being women, a wider aim of the £70million privately funded project is to raise awareness of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) careers.

One such woman is Casey Allen (17), an engineering apprentice at Foxwood Diesel in Old Whittington, who recently narrowly missed out on being named the overall winner of the prestigious Group Training Association (GTA) England Apprentice of the Year Award.

Casey, who is about to complete level 2 of her apprenticeship and start level 3, was put forward for the award by NLT Training Services, a specialist training and provider of apprentices in welding, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering based in Brimington, which also supported Made in Chesterfield hosting a number of school visits.

Principal of Chesterfield College, Stuart Cutforth, said “One hundred and fifty students from schools throughout Derbyshire visited Bloodhound while it was here. The presence of Bloodhound at the College has put the STEM agenda on the radar for Chesterfield.”

The arrival of Bloodhound in Chesterfield also had special significance for both the town and a local manufacturing company, industrial weighing specialists Weightron Bilanciai Ltd, who have supplied the weighing systems that have been use throughout the build of the project. The company is also supplying a system to measure the weight distribution through the wheels of the car, to allow the balancing of the vehicle.

The record attempt will take place in South Africa in October 2016 on 12 mile strip of land where Bloodhound travel faster than bullet and the speed of sound, covering a mile in 3.6 seconds.

As well as school events and Bloodhound’s arrival, there was also a special exhibition running at Chesterfield Museum showcasing the town’s manufacturing and engineering heritage.

And it was the museum and exhibition which hosted the Made in Chesterfield launch event to the business community. As well as the launch event, there was also a packed programme of business events held during Made in Chesterfield, including a manufacturing conference, business masterclasses and networking events.

During Made, UKTI hosted one of 11 business events – ‘UKTI Export Week: Made in Chesterfield……sold to the World,’ which was aimed at encouraging businesses to take up the overseas selling challenge and highlighting the wealth of support and knowledge available to help them grow.

Speakers at the event included representatives from Chesterfield drinks manufacturer Global Brands which currently exports to over 30 countries worldwide, and also Paul Wade, Managing Director of Northern Lights, based in Holmewood, exports to five continents.

The UKT event was also timed to coincide with the launch of the Government’s new Exporting is GREAT Campaign (www.exportingisgreat.gov.uk), which seeks to inspire 100,000 new exporters.

Ian Harrison, UKTI Regional Director in the East Midlands, said he was delighted to be involved in Made in Chesterfield.

He said: “Our breakfast event included an in-depth look at the exciting opportunities for local companies to trade internationally, showing businesses that whatever their size, we can help them take their goods and services worldwide.”

Dominic Stevens, Destination Chesterfield Manager said:-

“Made in Chesterfield was a complete success thanks to the support of businesses and organisations which enabled us to engage more young people in the sector than ever before showing them the number of jobs and careers and within it and right on their doorstep. Manufacturing engineering is the lifeblood of the economy and it’s important we engage its future workers now to ensure its continued success.

“Thank you to all of the local businesses, training providers and organisations that got behind the week by hosting their own events and attending others. We can’t wait to bring it back again next year to more young people.”

If you’re interested in getting involved in next year’s Made in Chesterfield Week, please contact dom.stevens@chesterfield.co.uk

For details of all events which took place in 2015 visit www.chesterfield.co.uk/made

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield

Chamber reacts to Spending Review and Autumn Statement

25th November 2015

Reacting to the Chancellor’s Spending Review and Autumn Statement today, the Chamber’s Director of Policy, Chris Hobson, said: “This was largely a positive Autumn Statement which included a number of sensible measures that many local businesses will welcome.

“Upgraded growth predictions gave the Chancellor more room to manoeuvre than he’d had previously, which enabled him to deliver a Spending Review that will provide reassurance to businesses and consumers alike.

“Businesses will welcome the long-term focus on infrastructure, particularly when it comes to building the houses and upgrading the road networks which are so badly in need of repair, but it was frustrating that we still have no further clarity on the route or delivery timeframe for the Eastern Leg of HS2. However it is encouraging to see that funding has been allocated to develop a strategy for the proposed hub station at Toton.

“Significant enhancements to the science, capital investment and low carbon budgets will help the many hi-tech businesses, for which the East Midlands is renowned, continue to innovate and drive advancements in technology.

“The one big disappointment was the lack of acknowledgement for the Midlands Engine for Growth and the role it will play in complementing the Northern Powerhouse to rebalance the economy away from London and the south.

“The challenge for Government now is to ensure it can translate this rhetoric into reality, to deliver the improvements to housing, energy, infrastructure, skills and productivity and provide the certainty required by business to enable it to deliver the balanced and sustainable growth the country needs to remain globally competitive.”

Posted in Business

Work Begins on Latest Markham Vale Development

24th November 2015

Work to build the largest premises to date at a Chesterfield regeneration site has now started, paving the way to create 400 new jobs.

Chester-based firm Great Bear Distribution is set to move into its new office and distribution centre at Markham Vale which is located off junction 29A of the M1 motorway in July next year.

Established in 1994, the firm operates in 30 locations nationwide providing warehousing and distribution for clients such as PZ Cussons, BMW, and Unilever.

Glenn Lindfield, Chief Executive of Great Bear Distribution said:

“Markham Vale was a firm choice for our company in terms of location and the potential we saw in the site.

“We’ll be bringing many jobs to Markham and we look forward to working with the local community.

“Location was a big factor when we decided to expand. We operate in 30 locations nationwide so with the site being just off the M1 motorway, it was the perfect location for us and this is a great step forward for our company.”

The premises will be built by Derbyshire County Council’s private sector property partner, Henry Boot Developments.

Derbyshire County Council’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Policy, Economic Development and Budget, Councillor Anne Western said:

“Great Bear is the site’s biggest deal to date bringing the largest number of jobs in a single development. Creating more jobs at Markham is one of the council’s key priorities.

“It’s been a good year for the site so far − we’ve welcomed inspirepac, AW Repair Group, Meter Provida, Gould Alloys and we’ve got more deals in the pipeline.”

Existing occupiers at Markham Vale include, inspirepac, Gould Alloys, AW Repair Group, MSE Hiller, Squadron Medical, Industrial Ancillaries, Andrew Page, Holdsworth Foods and Ready Egg Products.

Ben Ward, Director at Henry Boot Developments, said:

“We are pleased that work has now kicked off for this 480,000 sq.ft unit at the Markham Vale East site, and we are expecting the completion of the unit for summer 2016. Following the deal with Great Bear, we have had 686,250 sq.ft of space agreed in the past 12 months, which is excellent and represents massive confidence in the development.

“We now have development plots on the Markham Vale North site available, alongside the last few remaining plots on the East and West sites.”

The regeneration site is one of the UK’s biggest Enterprise Zone Developments. The final phase of which is a further 100 acres currently being prepared for development using a £14.2m Government grant awarded through the Sheffield City Region’s Enterprise Zone.

Posted in Business, Development