THE

YOUR GUIDE TO BARNSLEY BUSINESS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

BUSINESS

ISSUE 9

JULY 2010supporting local business

in Barnsley

2 – THE BUSINESS Friday, July 9, 2010

A MAPPLEWELLinformation technologysupport company oftenknows when itscustomers have problemsbefore they do.

Praxsoft on BlackerRoad uses an automatedsystem to monitor theequipment of its clients.

The system savescustomers money andsometimesembarrassment.

Staff at Praxsoftreceived an alarm tellingthem that a client’s useof computer disks hasdramatically increased.

An investigationrevealed that a new staffworker at the companywas copying CDs andDVDs containing imagesof members of his family.

If this had not beenspotted, the client’scomputer system wouldhave gone down

resulting in wasted timeand money.

Director AndrewChesterton said:“Companies subscribe tothe monitoring systemand we have beenknown to turn up to fixsomething before a clienteven knows there is aproblem.”

Since the end of lastyear, Praxsoft has had a30 per cent rise inbusiness.

Mr Chesterton said:“No one spent anythingover most of 2009.

“But since Decemberpeople have started toput their hands in theirpockets again.

“Things are lookinggood.

“We are accumulatingcustomers at a rate ofabout two a month.”

Clients include theMinistry of Defence,Sheffield Museums and aroad repair company inManchester.

The company has alsosupplied high-techteaching aids, known aswhite boards, tonurseries.

The firm employs sixand was establishedabout 15 years ago.

It was based in an oldschool building inChurch Street, Gawberfor about eight years.

Praxsoft’s savvysystem protectsand supports

‘Things are looking good. We areaccumulating customers at a rate ofabout two a month’

Doing well: Praxsoft’s Director Andrew Chesterton.

MOBILE barista Steve Dysonplans to secure a world coffeeaward after securing thenational equivalent.

Steve, 44, is to enter theworld barista championshipsin London later this year.

Last autumn, he won atrophy and other prizes in theBevex award organised by theBeverage Service Association.

He has been bolstered in hisworld challenge by a Londonerwho won the title in theUnited States.

Steve, of Huddersfield Road,Redbrook runs Cafe2U and

sells drinks from his speciallyadapted Mercedes Vito van atabout 27 office blocks andfactories.

Regular customers includeBusiness Link Yorkshire atCapitol Park, Dodworth.

Steve is taking Australians ashis inspiration.

He got into blending coffeeduring a visit to Sydney.

“The Australians take theircoffee seriously.

“You do not accept secondbest after having their coffee.”

Steve grew up in Dodworthand went to Broadway School.

He spent 22 years in theRoyal Air Force as aphotographer working closelywith journalists.

He was stationed in southwest England, Germany, Iraq,Kosovo and Bosnia.

Steve ran a photographicbusiness for a while but optedfor selling coffee because hewas sick of bills being paidlate.

He has kept up to date aboutcoffee by attending courses,reading books and using theinternet.

Coffee connoisseur aims for top

WOMBWELL-BASEDAcorn Brewery plans tospend between £30,000and £40,000 as part ofan expansion.

The company is poisedto introduce a computersystem using barcodes totrack casks of ale fromleaving the premises tobeing delivered to pubs.

The system will reducethe risk of over-pricing,calculate beer duty andprovide informationabout profitability.

There are also plans tocreate a bar on amezzanine floor for realale tours, Campaign forReal Ale festivals andproduct launches.

Extra space for fermen-tation and conditioningwill also be created.

The firm recently set onits first apprentice who isstudying for NVQs infood and drink.

The brewery wasestablished about sevenyears ago and is knownfor award-winning ales.

Breweryplans toexpand

ELECTRICAL engineer SteveBarker is involved in a £6mNorth Sea oil project.

Steve, who runs LogicalControl Systems from his homein Cudworth, is helping Shipley-based company TSC Offshore tobuild a crane on an oil rig.

He has been doing things suchas buying materials, specialistcomponents, writingspecifications and working withsub-contractors. The job isexpected to run until August.

He set up his business in 2002

and has been involved with anumber of big name companies.

They include Unilever forwhom he upgraded machineryat a deodorant factory in Leedsand Yorkshire Water for whomhe helped with therefurbishment of electricalcontrol systems at a watertreatment plant at Armthorpe,near Doncaster.

Steve was born in Grimethorpeand attended CudworthSecondary School.

After a spell in the drawing

office at the Yorkshire ElectricityBoard, he spent eight years withBritish Coal.

He was involved in therestructuring of the Barnsleycoalfield in the early 1980swhich led to coal preparationplants at Grimethorpe andWoolley.

Since 1986, he career hasinvolved putting in productionlines and fitting computersoftware at a number of factoriesincluding one making pet treats.

Engineer helping to construct oil rig

Have you got a business story to tell? We’d be delighted to hear it.Please call our business editor Ian Thompson on 734210

Friday, July 9, 2010 THE BUSINESS – 3

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pair of businessmen havetapped into the emotionattached to some of theworld’s most famous footballtrophies.

Neil Balmforth and Andrew Markwell,who run a firm called Touch the Dream,have replicas of the FIFA World Cup, theEUFA Champions League trophy, the FACup and the FA Premiership trophy.

They hire out the trophies to peopleorganising functions and give footballfans the chance to have theirphotographs taken with them.

Each cup is insured for thousands ofpounds and kept at a secure, secretlocation.

Neil, a retired doorman who lives inMonk Bretton, is a private collector offootball memorabilia.

Andrew, who is originally fromGawber, runs a photographic portraitstudio.

The pair, who met when they workedat The Lucorum bar in the town centre,

set up the business about four monthsago.

Andrew, 47, said: “We got talkingabout what I did and Neil’s collection oftrophies and saw a niche in the market.

“We wanted the business to be a slowburner but we have had more enquiriesthan we expected. There is never a dullmoment.”

Neil, 29, said: “The first replica cup Igot was the Champions League trophy.Until you look into it in detail, you donot think you can buy something likethat.

“It is worth it just to look at the facesof children when you carry one of thetrophies into a room.

“We have had pensioners scramblingto get out their mobile phones so theycan get a photo.

“There is a lot of emotion associatedwith these trophies.”

The firm is in talks with Virgin Mediaabout displaying some of the trophiesin shops.

One of the more unusual requests hascome from a couple who are gettingmarried. The pair are die-hardManchester United fans but thewedding is in Liverpool – the OldTrafford and Anfield clubs are bitterrivals.

The couple have asked for the FA Cupreplica to be placed next to thewedding cake on the top table.

Andrew, whose late father TrevorMarkwell played football for Scottishside Kilmarnock, Barnsley and had atrial at Liverpool, said: “We are relyingon word of mouth.

“I gave someone a flier and threemonths later he called me back andsaid we had a brilliant idea.”

Some 12 replicas were made of theEUFA Champions League trophy, FACup and World Cup.

Only six replicas of the Premier Leaguetrophy have been made.

Versions of the trophies are often seenon television football shows.

A WOMAN has swapped worries about being maderedundant for running her own business.

Lisa Jennings, 38, set up Ash Green WorkingSaddlery in a garage at her home in Shafton afterspending two years wondering if she would lose herjob with the council.

Lisa, who worked for the council for about eightyears, said: “You could not plan anything. I did notknow what I would be doing in the future.”

Her business involves repairing saddles, bridles andother equipment for horse owners and others. Shealso repairs belts, shooting bags and other thingsmade of leather.

Later this year, she aims to start making saddlesand hopes to get a workshop and possibly set on anapprentice. She has gained a Society of MasterSaddlers qualification.

She said: “Business is always quiet in the winter.But it has picked up. A couple of years ago whenthe recession bit, people were cutting back. Peopleare starting to feel confident again.”

She started repairing saddles as a hobby.Lisa grew up in Royston and went to Royston

Comprehensive. She has lived in Shafton for about15 years.

She spent about six years working for the Empiremail order catalogue and five years at what wasthen Lyons Bakery. Lisa has owned a horse calledMini for about six years.

A FORMER professional boxerhas established a gym whichis open virtually all day.

Shaun Marsh, 38, who spentthree years as a professionallight middleweight, openedBox to Fitness at The WillowCentre, Oaks Business Park,between Stairfoot and Hoyle

Mill after noticing other gymshad more limited hours.

Customers are taughtboxercise and kick boxing atthe gym which Shaun runswith Kevin Hunt. Shaun, wholives in Dodworth wasYorkshire Amateur and NorthEast Counties champion as a

teenager. He boxed forYorkshire and captained theteam when he was 14. Healso trained with the GreatBritain team. Shaun had toretire from boxing afterdamaging ligaments in afinger and is a black belt inkick boxing.

Firm sells football fan-tasyA

Cup a load of this: Andrew Markwell and Neil Balmforth with the four replica trophies

Lisa saddles upfor new venture

Former boxer ’cizes’ up gym business

On the box: Shaun Marsh

Leather work: Lisa Jennings

6 – THE BUSINESS Friday, July 9, 2010

South Yorkshire ChambersNetworking Breakfast

Chamber Raceday –St. Leger Festival

Friday 10 September –Doncaster Racecourse (10am start)

Enjoy the day’s racing inthe Winning Post Marquee

with a wonderful meal,fine wines and champagne.

Price: £170 plus VAT per person

Chamber DigestA Guide to Forthcoming Chamber Events

For further details, contact your local Chamberoffice at the address below

Business Innovation CentreWilthorpe Barnsley S75 1JL

e-mail: info@brchamber.co.ukwww.brchamber.co.uk

Chamber phone number:0844 414 5100

Chamber Golf DayThursday 29 July –

Hickleton Golf Club (11 a.m.)

Once again the Chamber’sannual golf day will see teamsof four battle it out in a four-ballStableford Betterball Competition– individual places may also be

booked if you wish tomake up a team.

� Teams of four (entries of1, 2 and 3 welcome)

� Tea and coffee with baconsandwiches on arrival

� Variable tee-off timesfrom 11 a.m. onwards

� 18 holes at the superb Hickleton Golf Club

� Halfway house refreshments� Hot carvery meal� Prize giving ceremony with a

multitude of great prizes to be won

Price: £55 plus VAT per person or£220 plus VAT for a team of four

An excellent opportunity for Chambermembers to explore potential business

opportunities with members fromSheffield and Doncaster Chamber

over full English breakfast.Price: £19.99 plus VAT to Chamber

members, £40 plus VATto non-members

Tuesday 7 September –Sheffield Wednesday FC (7.30a.m.)

BARNSLEY and RotherhamChamber of Commerce and SRRecycling teamed up to hold awaste collection day forbusinesses and organisations.

Telephones, LCD monitors,fax machines, photocopiers,printers, scanners, computersand laptops were collected atfirms within a five-mile radiusof Barnsley Business and

Innovation Centre, Wilthorpe.The chamber’s Andrew

Denniff said: “The chamberhas long been an advocate ofenvironmental issues and it isgreat to see one of ourmembers helping otherbusinesses to recycle.

“We have been working withSR Recycling for some timewith a dedicated collection

point in our Rotherham offices.“To see the collections going

across Barnsley is reallywelcome.”

A similar event in Doncasterwas so successful that thecompany had twice thedemand it anticipated.

Free collection days areexpected to be held inSheffield soon.

he journeys to workand back are some ofthe least favouriteparts of the day.

While there areencouraging stories to tellabout transport, perhaps it istime to take a fresh look athow to solve congestionproblems.

On the brighter side ofthings, the WestGreen/Cudworth Bypass wascompleted six months aheadof schedule, with chambermembers VHE Constructionresponsible for the work.

The northern relief road, abypass that will link theDodworth junction of the M1to Claycliffe roundabout, isback on the agenda. It willprovide a superb link from theM1 to north of the boroughand is being considered as aresult of lobbying by thechamber.

But what about a Claycliffe toBrierley link too? This wouldjoin the M1 and A1 halfwaybetween the M18 and M62,opening up further options fornorth east Barnsley.

Much more needs to be doneto ease traffic jams.

We all know the congestionhotspots: Stairfootroundabout, the junction ofCemetery Road, the A61,Dodworth Road, BarnsleyHospital.

Improving the flow of trafficis not just about new roadsand rebuilding junctions. Weshould also look at how ourroads are used.

I see blockages at junctionsbecause people still drive cars

with gear sticks. I personallycannot see why the UKmotorists’ love affair with thegear stick still endures. Gettinginto gear takes time and theflow of traffic could beenhanced and accidentsreduced if more cars wereautomatic.

With automatics, you don’thave to worry about the car,just your driving decision.Simply put your foot on thebrake to stop and on theaccelerator to go. That, withgreater speed controls onroundabouts and junctions,would be a small butsignificant help in cuttingdelays and jams.

Public transport is a bit of acurate’s egg.

I welcomed the introductionof new buses in Barnsley at theend of May by Stagecoach

Yorkshire.The railways are a different

matter. A new high speed raillink from London toBirmingham and Manchester isone idea on the table, but Iwould sooner seeimprovements betweenYorkshire and Manchester.

More imaginative use couldbe made of tunnels to preservethe countryside.

Woodhead already has threetunnels: the National Gridplans to lay more cables in oneof them.

The other tunnels could beenlarged, one of them forroad, the other for rail. Thiswould forge better linksbetween the great northerncities of Manchester, Leeds andSheffield.

There would be spin-offs forBarnsley too.

Another tunnel could be builtto connect a new junction ofthe M1, let’s call it 36A, whichwould lead to The Flouch. Ibelieve the journey time wouldbe about ten minutes betweenThe Flouch and Woodheadtunnels.

At the end of the tunnel, Iwould like to see a visitors’centre for the Pennines builttoo.

The chamber, a voice ofbusiness looking at long-termimplications for transportacross the region, has otherissues too.

They include better links withRobin Hood Airport nearDoncaster, improvedconnections to the Humberports and cutting congestionon motorways.

Some of this might take timeto achieve. But at least let usgo for it.

I want transport to be full ofdelight again and not full ofdespair.

Helping the environment, collectively

■ Tony Hickton is a member of the chamber transport group and managing director ofElsecar-based Hickton Consultants

T

Transport network: a working problemGetting from A to B has become one ofthe banes of modern life. It is time for a rethink, says Tony Hickton

❞

❝More imaginative use

could be made oftunnels to preserve the

countryside

Friday, July 9, 2010 THE BUSINESS – 7

A TANKERSLEY propertydeveloper has been praised bythe Royal Institute ofChartered Surveyors for itsrole in the transformation of ashopping centre inNorthumberland.

Dransfield Properties washighly commended andshortlisted in the Institute’sNorth East RenaissanceAwards for Sanderson Arcade,Morpeth which has beentransformed at a cost of£32m.

An Edwardian-style arcade,modelled on BurlingtonArcade, off London’s Piccadilly,and a piazza has been built.

Some 27 shops are includedin the centre which wasopened by the actress JoannaLumley.

Mark Dransfield, managingdirector of the company atWentworth House, WentworthBusiness Park, said: “This hasbeen an extremely rewardingproject to work on and seeingthe transformation of thecentre is fantastic.

“Sanderson Arcade is fully letwhich is quite incredible

during an economicdownturn.

“The centre is in an affluentpart of the country which is agateway to Northumberland.”

Shops include Marks andSpencer, New Look, LauraAshley and Fat Face.

Local companies include TheJewellers’ Guild andchocolatiere, Oxley’s ofMorpeth. There is also afitness centre and offices.

The company, whichemploys 36, has alsocompleted an 80,000 sq ft

Morrisons supermarket as partof a £40m scheme atOpenshaw, near Manchester.

More than 700 jobs areexpected to be created whenoffices and shops arecompleted at Lime Squarewhich was named by localschoolchildren.

In the last couple of years,the company has become alandlord as well as adeveloper.

It manages and owns the£39m Marshall’s Yard inGainsborough, Lincolnshire.

The company is also involvedin other schemes at Penistone,Stoke-on-Trent and Willenhallin the west Midlands,

Away from commercialproperty, the firm helped raise£65,000 to buy a cardiacultrasound machine when itsponsored the (Sheffield)Children’s Hospital Ball.

The machine shows moredetail and allows staff to makea more accurate diagnosis.

The company was formed in1992 and specialises in retail-led regeneration schemes.

It originally concentrated onfood stores and worked onnon-food retail parks andmajor town centre extensions.

In 2007, the firm won theBCSC Gold award forMarshall’s Yard.

The company is working inpartnership with Gallagher’s todevelop a scheme atStocksbridge due to start inJanuary.

Waste at the firm’s shoppingcentres is reclaimed.

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Praise for Tankersley firmafter transformation success

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

Smile of success: Managing director Mark Dransfield

Modern: The company’s Tankersley headquarters

8 – THE BUSINESS Friday, July 9, 2010