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Top story
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DavyMarkham strikes gold with $20m contract
DavyMarkham, the Sheffield-based heavy engineering business, has won a $20m order from a new Canadian customer to deliver the largest double drum hoist supplied to North America in recent times. Mid-tier gold producer IAMGOLD Corporation has ordered hoists with a diameter of 21 ft, a drum width of 8 ft and a payload capacity of 44,000 lbs to serve as the main production hoist for its Westwood exploration programme.
IAMGOLD has eight mining operations in North America, South America and Africa, and owns four mineral development projects that provide a strong platform for continued growth. This provides opportunities for DavyMarkham, which has been developing mine winder technology and has made inroads into the Canadian minerals market, supplying more than a dozen hoists for gold and nickel mining projects.
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Deals
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Ringland bought by MBI candidate Green
Ringland Construction, a Sheffield-based company that specialises in refurbishing hotels and bars for customers including Marriott and Hilton, has been bought in a management buy-in by Linda Green. Green was the preferred bidder with the necessary skills and experience to continue the growth and profitability of the company. Ringland was established in 1991 by Harry Bell and Geoff Oakland. Oakland, who has reinvested in the new company, will stay on as sales director while Bell leaves to pursue property interests elsewhere. Strategic Corporate Finance and Irwin Mitchell advised on the deal.
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Business
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Sheffield businesses positive after big freeze
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce says the big freeze has not had the same impact on Sheffield businesses as those in the South East. The chamber’s finance director Stephen Mitchell said: “Clearly this big freeze could not have come at a worse time for businesses, not just in Sheffield but across the UK. As the country battles the economic downturn, adverse weather is the last thing any business needs. At this stage, however, the chamber is pleased to report that the response from its membership base is positive and the city does not appear to have felt the impact anywhere nearly as harshly as parts of the South East.”
St Leger defies recession
Doncaster Racecourse has reported higher sales for the Ladbrokes St Leger festival than last year after the first day on sale, despite a technical hitch with its website. The most sought-after areas of the racecourse – the Lincoln and County restaurants – are already close to capacity, despite the downturn. Managing director Adam Waterworth said: “We are all acutely aware that our clients will be more discerning when it comes to spending on leisure time, and as a team our strategy for improvement is to ensure we achieve a higher standard every year.”
More grant funding for medical science
A Northern Way initiative to accelerate the development of regenerative therapies, regeNer8, has launched its second round of funding for research and development in regenerative medicine. Funding will be allocated to early stage applied research and development projects that attract 50 per cent regeNer8 funding, with the remaining 50 per cent to be supplied by industry and other partners. RegeNer8 was granted a further £2m to provide a virtual centre, directed by Professor John Fisher at the University of Leeds, for scientists and provides funds to members for collaborative projects with industry.
Dormer moves into AMP
Dormer Tools has moved into its new facilities, which provide a training room, research and development facility and an international export service to support emerging and developing markets. The facility, at the Advanced Manufacturing Park between Sheffield and Rotherham, will be Dormer’s key site for sales with more than £20m of orders processed from the South Yorkshire base. Nick Garner, managing director, said: “The facility will further our goal of launching products and offering productivity savings for end users and the industry in general.”
4iP and Insider reward region’s digital talent
Channel 4’s innovation fund 4iP is holding a pitching competition for businesses to be the first digital company to win one of 4iP’s £5,000 development grants. Tom Loosemore, head of 4iP, will judge the four shortlisted companies at Sheffield Digital Campus tonight to launch the fund, which aims to reinvent public service media for the digital age by encouraging innovation on digital platforms. 4iP is also supporting the region’s digital talent at Insider’s Yorkshire Digital Awards at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on 7 May 2009. The deadline for nominations has been extended. Click here before 13 February 2009 to enter.
Ask the Expert – international banking
Ask the Expert, Insider’s new online feature, aims to answer all your questions about international trade with a question and answer session run with the help of an expert. This month we turn our attention to Islamic banking. Sharon Needle of The Needle Partnership is standing by to answer your questions on compliance with Islamic banking rules when trading abroad, and how it differs from conventional banking. Please email your queries to asktheexpert@newsco.com – all questions will be treated in the strictest confidence. In mid-February we will post her answers on the international trade section of our website, which you can visit here. You can still view Giles Searby’s answers to last month’s questions on trading with China here.
Have we considered you yet?
Keep an eye out for the February issue of Yorkshire Business Insider to see the first batch of entrepreneurs in our 42 under 42 feature where Insider rounds up another class of 42 entrepreneurs under the age of 42. For the next three months Insider will reveal 14 people from the list each month, ahead of the 42 Under 42 dinner in May. If you know someone we may not have already contacted please nominate them by emailing rupert.cornford@newsco.com with a brief summary of their achievements.
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Property
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Chesterfield company moves into Markham Vale
Industrial Ancillaries, an engineer’s merchant, is the first occupier to move into Henry Boot’s 200-acre Markham Vale business park. The Chesterfield company has moved into a purpose-built 33,600 sq ft unit to accommodate its expansion, supported by funding from Yorkshire Bank. Jamie Dennis, managing director of Industrial Ancillaries, said: “This relocation coincides with our 40th anniversary and marks a new era of growth.”
Sheffield attracts medical centre
One Medicare, a Leeds-based medical centre operator, has taken 18,000 sq ft in Sheffield city centre’s Rockingham House development in a deal advised by Campbell and Co. The ground and first floors of Watkin Jones’ mixed-use scheme, designed by Sheffield architects Studio One, will become a GP walk-in surgery and minor injuries unit for the business, which has secured a contract from the Sheffield PCT. Lindum Construction is fitting out the facility before it opens in April 2009.
Atisreal to become BNP Paribas Real Estate
Property advisory company Atisreal is rebranding all its services under the name of BNP Paribas Real Estate from June 2009. Atisreal, which was acquired by BNP Paribas Real Estate in 2004, hopes to leverage off the BNP Paribas brand while the parent aims to mark the company out as a single global real estate multi-specialist provider. Roger Woolhouse, head of Atisreal’s Leeds office, said: “BNP Paribas is a strong brand worldwide and this will help us grow our business with clients and strengthen our international coverage.”
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And finally...
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Insider needs your recommendations
We realise our readers are a hard-working bunch who often have to travel up and down the country on business trips. So we’re putting together a Business Travel Guide that will take a look at the main UK business destinations and outline in a nutshell the best places to eat, sleep, entertain clients and do business. Our readers’ recommendations will form the backbone of this guide, so if you know a good hotel, restaurant, business facility provider, bar or cafe, we would like you to tell us about it. Click here to give your recommendations, which may be included in the final guide.
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