Supply chain boost lands aerospace contracts for Produmax
16 May 2013
Precision engineering specialist Produmax has seen turnover grow to a record £4.75 million, after a 12-month period in which it has secured major new aerospace and defence contracts. A supplier to the aerospace, medical, military and telecoms industries, the company has invested £1 million in new technologies to win the contracts, one of which
Craftsman Tools celebrates 60th anniversary by investing in future of engineering
30 April 2013
Otley-based Craftsman Tools, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, has opened a dedicated apprentice training area as part of its commitment to continued growth and to bringing new blood into engineering, The family-led firm, which specialises in toolholding, workholding and sub-contract machining, now has a workforce of 63, including four full-time apprentices, and
Matthew wins through to become Siemens apprentice
20 April 2013
Apprentice Matthew Jackson had to overcome fierce competition to win his place as the newest recruit to join Siemens Mechanical Drives at the company’s Stourton-based operation in Leeds. He is one of 160 apprentices that Siemens has recruited UK-wide in the last six months but 18 year-old Matthew found himself up against 180 applicants for
Ace wins major contract for Thames Gateway
19 March 2013
Ace Engineers, based in Morley, has won a major contract to supply a 255 metre covered walkway for the London Gateway project, the UK’s most significant port development for 20 years. Providing deep water access for some of the world’s biggest container ships, the London Gateway is being built by DP World, one of the
Smart investment by uniform company
14 March 2013
School uniform manufacturer and online retailer Perry Uniform has expanded its Leeds operation with the help of a £10,000 grant from Leeds City Council’s business growth fund. Based in West Leeds, the company has grown rapidly since it was bought out of administration by current ownerBernard Bunting, achieving 31% average growth per annum in each
£20 million fund to support business expansion
1 March 2013
Grants of between £10,000 and £1 million are available to companies in the Leeds City Region to support business investment and expansion. The £20 million Business Growth Programme is supported by the government’s regional growth fund and offers grants to cover up to 20 per cent of the cost of capital investment projects and support employment creation.
Growth on the agenda for Yorkshire and Humber manufacturers in 2013
27 February 2013
Latest figures from the Manufacturing Advisory Service show manufacturing SMEs in Yorkshire & Humber are optimistic for growth in 2013, reinforcing recent forecasts of an upturn in the sector. The MAS quarterly barometer reveals that 40% of companies questioned have seen an increase in their order books over the past six months, with a massive
Engineering graduates get hands on experience in Leeds
14 February 2013
Siemens Mechanical Drives in Leeds is benefiting from the fresh ideas of young graduate engineers, who will play a major role in the way future engineering and manufacturing is carried out in the UK. Engineering graduates studying with the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at Cambridge University recently spent a fortnight at the Leeds factory of
Otley campervan firm converts to Yorkshire supplier
17 July 2012
Entrepreneur Robert McCandless, a partner in Otley-based Kiravans, has developed a new Yorkshire supply chain and is now on target to increase its turnover from £300k to in excess of £600k over the next 12 months. Kiravans, a mail order supplier to the campervan conversion trade, was set up by brothers Mike and Robert McCandless with
Watershed moment for Aire Valley Leeds enterprise zone
6 July 2012
Watershed Packaging has announced plans to build a brand new manufacturing facility at Thornes Farm, becoming the first company to take advantage of incentives on offer to businesses locating in the new Aire Valley Leeds enterprise zone. The enterprise zone, which went live at the beginning of April 2012, covers 142 hectares of prime development
Siemens’ Leeds plant seizes £0.5million China deal
23 June 2012
An export deal worth £0.5million has been landed by Siemens‘ mechanical drives division in Leeds to supply high end manufacturing components for conveyor and feeder drives to be used in a new open cast mine in China. The deal with international mineral sizing firm MMD marks a significant increase in demand for high end manufactured goods
MAS survey shows manufacturers increasing sales, creating jobs and investing more
22 May 2012
Manufacturing companies in Yorkshire and Humber are bucking sluggish growth forecasts with encouraging reports of increased sales and new jobs. More than half of respondents (53%) to the first ever Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) national barometer had seen turnover rise in the last six months, with 61% expecting further growth between now and the end
Move to Leeds spells £1M sweet success
18 May 2012
A sweet manufacturing company which moved to Leeds in February this year with help from Leeds City Council is on course to achieve 800 per cent growth in turnover. Candy Makers Ltd has already won large contracts to supply wholesale and retail customers with its sugar-free sweets and plans to recruit up to six new
Craftsman invests £300,000 in pursuit of £6M sales
16 May 2012
Precision engineering company Craftsman Tools has invested £300,000 in extending its Otley manufacturing base and storage facilities in pursuit of a £6M annual turnover target. Craftsman grew 2011 sales by 39% to £4.8M and is on course for similar growth in the current year, with around 40% of sales going abroad. The investment has so
Enterprise zone to bring growth and jobs boost
23 April 2012
Developers and landowners are predicting a massive boost to growth, investment and jobs across the Leeds City Region when the Aire Valley Leeds enterprise zone goes live at the beginning of April. The enterprise zone is expected to deliver up to 7,000 jobs and £550m of additional economic activity by 2025. The Aire Valley Leeds
£5M target as cosmetics firm doubles space and sales
30 March 2012
Leeds-based Inline Health and Beauty has invested £350,000 in a relocation that has doubled manufacturing space and created four new jobs in pursuit of a £5M annual sales target by 2015. Founder and managing director Christian Cain plans a further nine new recruits as sales, boosted by new products and re-branded lines, accelerate from last
3D laser speeds Formula1
Leeds-based academic and entrepreneur Andrew Marsden is finding new applications for an innovative modeling process, known as ‘additive manufacturing’, offering low volume component manufacture for the motorsports, aircraft and other specialised industries. His Keyworth Rapid Manufacturing, launched 18 months ago, uses a process known as ‘Selective Laser Sintering’ to fabricate three-dimensional objects. This takes complex
US go-ahead for Surgical Innovations
15 March 2012
Medical equipment manufacturer Surgical Innovations continues to makes inroads into the lucrative US health market with news that it has secured approval from US Food and Drug Administration for the launch of its reusable PretzelFlex device. Pretzelflex is designed to be used in laproscopic surgery, allowing surgeons to manipulate organs and tissues through tiny incisions in the
£2M Leeds business steps up for Olympians
3 March 2012
A Leeds company specialising in the design and manufacture of orthopaedic devices for customers including Premier League soccer clubs and Olympic athletes has relocated to new premises in Morley.
Growing Leeds pancake firm create new jobs with council support
14 December 2011
Businesses in Leeds are being urged to take advantage of grants available under Leeds City Council’s business growth fund to support capital investment and job creation.
Siemens’ flagship Leeds facility gears up for growth
10 December 2011
A new mechanical drives ‘centre of excellence’, opened by Siemens in Leeds earlier this year and involving a £1.2 million relocation, is now fully operational and poised for further growth.
Innovation, skills and investment key to future of UK manufacturing
28 November 2011
At a debate on the future of UK manufacturing held in Leeds, Graham Bowland, chief executive officer of Leeds‐based Surgical Innovations, said that innovation in technology is key to the success of Leeds manufacturing sectors including healthcare.
Agfa Graphics plant wins top business award for sustainability
25 November 2011
Agfa Graphics’ Leeds plant has been rewarded for its efforts to eliminate waste and encourage biodiversity with a top business award at the 2011 Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Manufacturing Excellence Awards.
Top business leaders to debate future of UK manufacturing
17 November 2011
A national debate on the future of manufacturing in the UK takes place in Leeds next week (Thursday 24th Nov). ‘The Business of Manufacturing’ is a Question Time‐style debate, featuring a panel of high profile manufacturing leaders and industry experts, and takes place at Leeds Valley Park. Juergen Maier, managing director of Siemens UK Industry
Quality not quantity: investment, collaboration and skills will drive UK manufacturing growth
Recent investment in a new Leeds plant by Siemens has seen the transfer of mechancial gear assembly and servicing to a purpose‐built 50,000 sq ft factory in Stourton, close to the city centre of Leeds. Part of a strategic move into offshore power generation, the investment will allow the mechanical drives division to handle additional
Barkston in fire engineering deal with John Dennis
Engineering specialists at a Leeds company are pioneering fabrication in a material new to the UK for the manufacture of fire engine bodies that are safer, lighter, stronger and more durable. Barkston Plastics engineers were chosen by Guildford‐based coach builders John Dennis to co‐operate on the production of the bodies in the co‐polymer Polybilt, in
£500K Investment for Growing Leeds Pancake Firm
17 October 2011
A pancake business launched by two university colleagues has secured £500,000 of investment that has enabled a move to a new manufacturing and distribution headquarters in Leeds. Neil Tipping (31) and Jon White (30) met 11 years ago while on the same degree course at Leeds Metropolitan University and opened enjays in 2005 from a
Microdat Pulls £5M Orders
31 August 2011
The continued growth of independent brewers has created a raft of new orders totalling £5 million and new jobs at Leeds‐based specialist brewing engineer Microdat. Five new jobs have been created with more potentially in the pipeline as orders pour in from around the UK. The St Austell Brewery has placed two major orders for
Mitsubishi Power Systems to double workforce following £2.5m investment
27 July 2011
Growing demand from power generation customers and strong year on year performance could lead to a doubling of the 50‐strong workforce at the new Leeds base of Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd (MPSE).
Investments Power Communisis Growth
The Leeds-based division of marketing services provider Communisis PLC is the UK’s largest print and direct mail production site, employing 420 staff on round the clock shifts and is a key part of the £193m turnover group. Recent investment of £3m in a second HP T300 digital output device, the only two of their kind
Exquisite Taste of £1.7M Success
11 July 2011
Chartered accountant Viv Parry had a dream of quitting the service sector and getting into manufacturing, coupled with a lifelong passion for quality home baking. The dream came true when she paid £20,000 for the assets of a small Leeds bakery and seven years on Viv and her 30 colleagues at Exquisite Hand Made Cakes
Airedale opens high tech training school
7 July 2011
Global air conditioning manufacturer Airedale International is tackling the skills shortage within manufacturing by investing in its own high tech training school, based at the company’s 25,000 sqm research and manufacturing facility in Rawdon, Leeds.
New grant scheme will help Leeds businesses grow
15 June 2011
A new business growth fund has been launched by Leeds City Council to help small and medium sized businesses in Leeds expand and recruit new staff. Grants are available to companies operating in a range of sectors including manufacturing, manufacturing‐related services, wholesale, distribution, construction, media production or business to business services. The business growth fund
Stickability builds £60M Leading Brand
4 April 2011
A Leeds manufacturing company that has built a £60 million operation through a combination of innovative product development and aggressive marketing is poised for continued growth with £1 million invested in improved production lines and an additional seven‐figure sum earmarked for expanded manufacturing capacity.
World Class Leeds Print Shop Trials New Kodak Process
4 March 2011
A Leeds print company’s reputation as an industry leader in direct mail ideas has led to it becoming a Beta site for trialling a revolutionary technique for a new, four colour ink-jet process developed by Kodak. The Lettershop Group (TLG) has been selected to run the trials on the process that allows personalisation of printed
Cool Half Million Investment in Manufacturing Training Centre
25 February 2011
Leeds-based Airedale International Air Conditioning is making a major investment in a £500,000 state of the art training centre designed to equip a new generation of engineers with the skills and expertise to install and service increasingly high tech air conditioning and control systems. The Leeds-based manufacturer’s brand new training centre will help up-skill engineers
Siemens Gears Up With £1.2M Leeds Plant
16 February 2011
One of the world’s leading engineering and manufacturing companies, Siemens, has invested an initial £1.2m in transferring its Mechanical Drives business from Bradford to brand new premises on Navigation Park in Stourton, Leeds. The move is designed to enable the £15m operation handle additional and bigger contracts, including work to support the group’s planned major
Bagel Nash continue retail expansion as sales near £5 million
21 January 2011
A two‐year consolidation period has paid handsome dividends for the UK’s leading independent bagel baker and retailer, Leeds‐based Bagel Nash, which is now producing over a million bagels a month. In 2008 the company launched five new retail outlets in six months, then, in the face of the recession called a halt on expansion in
£300,000 investment creates new jobs and smarter schools
A £300,000 investment in traditional tailoring allied to smart internet retailing and relocation to larger premises has created over 30 new posts and saved ten existing jobs at a historic Leeds tailoring firm. Perry Uniform was rescued from administration by serial entrepreneurs Bernard and Caroline Bunting in 2007. School uniforms are the core business of
Boom time for firm with £600,000 cutting edge
7 January 2011
Business is booming for a Leeds company launched under a year ago with a £600,000 investment in the latest laser metal cutting plant. Launched last Spring by Yorkshireman Mike Briggs, Accurate Laser Cutting continues to grow at an extraordinary rate with monthly turnover now exceeding £50,000 and a total of six new jobs created as
“Talking windows” and classic juke boxes push festive sales
30 December 2010
“Talking windows” for top retail stores and classic juke boxes have ended 2010 on a high note for Leeds‐based electronics specialist Sound Leisure. The firm’s retail arm saw increased sales, thanks to orders from leading stores such as Harvey Nicholls and Hamley’s for point of sale attractions, including “talking windows” technology allows surfaces such as
£500,000 Move Grows Bespoke Kitchen Production
1 November 2010
Supplying the continued growing demand from independent kitchen retailers against the mass sales of the DIY sheds has led to a major relocation for Yorkshire’s Designer Factory Kitchens (DFK). Having outgrown its Leeds Road base in Bradford, the company has invested £500,000 in moving to Drighlington, Leeds and equipping its new home with state of
Skilled Engineering Keeps Bowmen On Target
27 October 2010
Precision engineering in Leeds is helping archers score more golds as compound bows become increasingly technical. The compound bow incorporates a cam system that reduces the strain on a target archer’s arm from 60lbs to a more comfortable 18lbs and in order to have a steady aim, the bow needs careful balancing with rods and
£130,000 Investment Launches Aerospace Export Trail
5 October 2010
An investment of £130,000 in a new sliding head CNC machine is paying handsome dividends for a Leeds engineering business with an initial order for US aerospace parts worth a third of the machine’s price. Kingfisher (Lubrication) Limited, a £2m turnover company, is machining thousands of hexagonal grease fittings from an exotic nickel-copper alloy for
Leeds Medical Firm Delivers National Surgical Training Centres
1 October 2010
A Leeds medical manufacturing company has developed and installed ground breaking surgical training systems for two University Hospitals to train the next generation of Britain’s surgeons. University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire in the Midlands and Freeman Hospital in Newcastle have created centres of excellence for tomorrow’s surgeons by installing state of the art
Seal of approval for environmental savings
1 August 2010
The UK and Ireland’s largest independent manufacturer of sealants, adhesives, fillers and building chemicals, Leeds-based Everbuild Building Products Ltd is set to benefit from reduced CO2 emissions and make massive energy savings following a review of the company’s environmental performance carried out by the Manufacturing Advisory Service. “We want to cut our energy costs and
Rapid Growth On Cards For Craft Firm
26 July 2010
An exclusive watershed deal with TV shopping channel QVC promises to deliver up to 40% of new sales for Leeds-based Craftwork Cards. Twelve years of steady growth have seen Sue Taylor’s bespoke greeting card company approaching a forecast £1.2m turnover this year and a 15-strong workforce recently located to new 7000 sq ft headquarters in
Power Surge Follows MBO & Move North
14 July 2010
An MBO and relocation from South Yorkshire to Leeds have powered a surge in profitable business for a leading niche player in the electrical engineering industry. Founder Mark Wray and his wife Elaine led the MBO from Barnsley-based Power Engineering Services and moved the business to larger premises in Horsforth earlier this year. The change
Next Generation Agfa Product Helps Industry & Environment
9 July 2010
Agfa UK’s Leeds plant at Seacroft is working round the clock to satisfy the rapidly growing worldwide demand for its latest innovation in printing plate technology, the Thermo-Fuse chemistry free computer to plate (CTP) product range. Following the success of its market-leading Lithostar printing plate, Agfa has now developed the “next generation” Thermo-Fuse – a
New Home For War-time Skills
Equipment used to develop prototypes for the Dambusters’ famous “bouncing bomb” has found a new home at Leeds-based jukebox manufacturer Sound Leisure. Dawson’s Pattern Works business has been acquired by Sound Leisure for an undisclosed sum and transferred to its Crossgates factory. And skilled pattern-maker David Whitehead, who joined Dawson’s as an apprentice 46 years