Quartet of growing businesses commit their futures to Barnsley

A quartet of innovative and growing businesses are set to create up to 50 new jobs, after committing their futures to Barnsley.

The four companies, Lightmain, Spoon Cereals, BAW Creative and Akhter Clogworks Technologies, operating in the food production, leisure, creative and aerospace sectors respectively, have all benefited from tailored support and assistance from Enterprising Barnsley to help with their future growth plans.

Sports, play equipment and street furniture manufacturer Lightmain has seen future orders increase by an impressive 47% since relocating to Barnsley. With its existing premises no longer meeting its needs, the company reached out to Enterprising Barnsley for help.

Working with a key account manager, the company was able to identify alternative premises, resulting in them successfully relocating to Barnsley within just six weeks of the lease being signed.  Since moving to new premises on Thurnscoe Business Park, Lightmain has continued to work with Enterprising Barnsley, successfully securing two grants to upgrade equipment used by the business, whilst also reducing its carbon footprint. Enterprising Barnsley also introduced the company to the South Yorkshire Made Smarter programme, designed to help businesses working in the manufacturing sector overcome barriers to growth.

Will Moroney, Managing Director, Lightmain, said:

“Our move to Barnsley has marked the beginning of an exciting new phase of growth for the business. The Enterprising Barnsley team are committed and passionate about helping businesses based in the borough to succeed, and it was clear from the outset that they could see the bigger picture of what we wanted to achieve. Our key account manager has introduced us to many different business support schemes that we were unaware of, which have made a big impact.

For example, securing help through the business productivity grant meant we were able to upgrade and replace outdated equipment, whilst the help we received through the Made Smarter programme, has contributed towards improving some of the processes that we’d been using in the business for more than 40 years."

Spoon Cereals, an award-winning producer of premium granola and porridges, recently opened a bespoke manufacturing facility on Shortwood Industrial Estate. Through support provided by Enterprising Barnsley, business founders Jonny Shimmin and Annie Morris were able to secure an 11,000 sq ft manufacturing facility, which will be used to produce over 25,000 units every week.

Since featuring in the hit BBC TV Show Dragons Den and securing investment from Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones in 2014, Spoon Cereals has attracted a loyal customer base, with its products stocked on the shelves of major supermarket chains including Morrisons, Tesco, Waitrose and Ocado.

Having previously outsourced production, Jonny and Annie decided to relocate their business from London to Barnsley, and contacted Enterprising Barnsley for help. Working with a key account manager, new premises were identified, and the company also secured a match-funded grant to help them invest in new production and IT equipment. Since relocating to Barnsley, Spoon Cereals is planning to diversify its current product range, with plans to introduce new lines in cereal pots and bars. As a direct result of the support received from Enterprising Barnsley, Spoon Cereals is planning to create an additional 15 new jobs in the business during the next 12 months.

Jonny Shimmin, Co-founder, Spoon Cereals, said:

“From day one, we’ve built the business by outsourcing our production, but it has been a long-term goal to manufacture our cereals ourselves. We began scouring possible sites across the UK; that search brought us to Barnsley. I was aware that South Yorkshire has a long association with food production, and we felt relocating to Barnsley would help us to recruit the skilled workforce we needed to grow the business.

Just six weeks after signing the lease, we’d recruited our first members of staff, and our first products were rolling down our brand-new production line. Relocating any business is a big decision, but the help and support we’ve received from Enterprising Barnsley made the process very straightforward – from helping us to secure the premises we needed to driving our growth plans, assisting us with our recruitment strategy and helping us to partner with other local businesses, nothing has been too much trouble.”

Over the past 14 months, BAW Creative, which specialises in branding, web development and digital marketing solutions, including SEO management and email marketing, has seen its workforce grow from two members of staff to a talented team of eight.

Following a recommendation from an existing client, company founder Lewis Totty contacted Enterprising Barnsley and successfully secured grant funding to purchase the vital equipment needed to strengthen its content creation services. Through a 50% match funded grant, the company has invested in the tripods, cameras, green screens, editing equipment and powerful computer hardware needed to process photography and video content.

Lewis Totty, Managing Director, BAW Creative, said:

“We knew that if we could produce more interactive forms of content in-house, it would not only strengthen our agency offer but also help our clients to adapt to the changing SEO marketplace. Of course, this required quite a significant outlay. One of our clients had previously worked with Enterprising Barnsley and when we told them about our planned expansion, they suggested reaching out to see if they could help.

The grant we received, as a result of support from Enterprising Barnsley, has been invaluable to our business. Content creation has never been more important in delivering a marketing strategy, and their help has given us the flexibility to be able to film content on location and undertake product shoots, as well as helping us to respond to the changing SEO landscape.”

The final member of the quartet is specialist drone manufacturer Akhter Clogworks Technologies, which has been working at the cutting edge of drone technology since 2014. With plans to invest in future research and development, as well as bring innovative new products to market, the company identified a suitable site in Barnsley that met its unique needs and has proved to be a catalyst for further growth.

Since relocating to Barnsley, the company has worked closely with Enterprising Barnsley, securing a match-funded grant to improve its production processes, helping the company to not only operate more efficiently but save significant amounts of time.

Dr Laurence Opdam, Director and Co-Founder, Akhter Clogworks Technologies, said:

"Demand for drone technology is growing, and as a result of our move to Barnsley, we've been able to increase our investment in research and development. We supply our products to organisations based across the world and can tailor our offering.

The support we've received from Enterprising Barnsley has helped us to keep updated about new opportunities as they arise, as well as offering practical support and advice when needed, and we are currently working with the team to explore ways of investing in new machinery that will further increase our production capabilities, leading to new jobs being created in the business."

Hazel Sykes, Key Account Manager, Enterprising Barnsley, said:

“All four businesses have enjoyed significant growth and success since taking the decision to invest in Barnsley, with 50 jobs set to be created in the local economy. Our mission at Enterprising Barnsley is to help every business realise its full potential. Whether you are a new entrepreneur taking the first steps on your business journey, or a growing company looking to grow and scale, our team of expert business advisors are here to help and support you every step of the way.”

Ben Hawley, Group Leader, Enterprising Barnsley, said:

“Barnsley’s local economy is enjoying a significant period of growth, driven by the innovative work being delivered by businesses across the borough. Since relocating to Barnsley, all four businesses have enjoyed significant growth – the result of the specialist support and advice delivered by the Enterprising Barnsley team, as well as the opportunity to tap into the borough’s skilled and knowledgeable workforce.

Our support is tailored to meet an organisation’s needs throughout their business journey, helping companies that choose to invest in Barnsley. Our role doesn’t end once a business has relocated; we recognise that relocation is the beginning of a journey not the end, and through the help and support we provide, we help businesses access new opportunities, break down barriers to growth and realise their growth ambitions.”

Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said:

“The success of each of these four businesses since moving to Barnsley not only highlights the strength and diversity of our local economy, it also demonstrates our commitment to helping businesses to unlock their full potential and shows that we have a variety of sites available to meet a variety of needs.

"It's fantastic to hear how well-supported all four businesses feel by our award-winning Enterprising Barnsley team, and the whole of our local economy will now feel the benefits of their hard work. "The creation of 50 new jobs across four different sectors shows that long-term success that can be achieved here and will help all our communities to thrive, one of the missions from our Inclusive Economic Growth Strategy.

"We wish all four businesses the very best of luck in the future.”

Enterprising Barnsley is the business support arm of Barnsley Council. It provides support and advice to help businesses of all sizes – from new entrepreneurs taking the first steps on their business journey to growing businesses that have chosen to invest in the local economy.

Support delivered by Enterprising Barnsley is tailored to meet the specific needs of businesses and its services include assistance with recruitment, identifying suitable properties, breaking down barriers to the export market, financial support, as well as ongoing support and assistance delivered through its team of dedicated key account managers.

More information about the comprehensive range of free-to-access business support services can be found at: https://enterprisingbarnsley.co.uk/invest