Tag Archives: ERDF

‘Made in Britain’ commitment leaves clothing manufacturer fighting fit

Enabling brands to bring the of their garments home to the UK has proven the perfect fit for a fast-growing clothing manufacturer.

Studio 54 Jesmond has unveiled plans to double its output and create three new jobs, following a period of significant growth.

Founded by fashion entrepreneur Amy Fettis, the Jesmond-based firm samples and manufactures athleisure clothing and accessories for brands across the UK and international clients.

Fusing activewear and loungewear, the athleisure market grew 84% during the first year of the pandemic, however mass supply chain disruption brought about by travel restrictions led to a dearth of produce for brands across the UK.

This led the forward-thinking entrepreneur, who had previously run her own athleisure clothing brand, to launch her own dedicated manufacturing business in 2020, bringing the production of goods onshore to the UK.

“Traditionally, the vast majority of athleisure products have been produced overseas and the pandemic really highlighted the dangers of this,” she said.

“As supply chains the world-over had their fragilities exposed by travel restrictions, companies who had safeguarded their supply by embracing sustainability and locally sourcing their products saw their efforts really bear fruit.

“It also led to more businesses embracing the idea of onshoring, which is where we have really benefited. Since restrictions were lifted, we’ve continued to see our business grow significantly and the rising demand for our products is showing no signs of slowing down.”

Based in a converted townhouse in the centre of Jesmond, Studio 54 offers bespoke sampling, development and small batch clothing production, which has made it a supplier of choice for independent and start-up fashion houses across the UK.

And having recently been backed by a venture capital fund and the £10.9 million Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland, the company has unveiled ambitious plans for the future.

“Entering into a joint venture with our VC partner, as well as the grant funding and support from SAM, has really allowed us to focus on growing the business,” she added.

“Over the coming months, the grant from SAM will see us invest in a suite of new industrial sewing machines and the VC support will see us create three new jobs as we continue to scale the business.

“We also plan to establish an off-site production facility next year too. Some clients are coming back with repeat orders and we don’t see this slowing down, so this will allow us to create bigger runs, which in turn will enable us to work with bigger brands.”

As well as helping Studio 54 Jesmond purchase new machinery, the support from SAM has also helped the company improve the quality of its products and identify other areas of the business that could be improved.

Amy said: “The SAM Project has helped us identify areas of our business that could be improved from the outset and improve our detailing. They have also introduced us to people in the industry and have kept us in mind when opportunities have arisen that could benefit us.

“They’re one of the only organisations that I know that are manufacturing focused and I think there’s a huge gap in the UK for organisations like this. So much offshoring has happened in the last 20 years and to have that dedicated support for manufacturers like us – who want to really champion UK manufacturing – is so valuable.”

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting SME manufacturers in the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area to improve their products or processes and introduce new technology.

Roger O’Brien, Project & Technical Lead at the SAM Project, “It’s been great working with Amy and the team at Studio 54 Jesmond to improve their means of production and make the business more sustainable.

“With a recession on the horizon and a seemingly ever-worsening climate crisis, it’s never been so important for businesses to ‘buy British’ and Studio 54 Jesmond is a fantastic example of how onshoring can help create jobs and bolster the economy.

“It’s been a pleasure working with them and we look forward to continue supporting them as they plan for the future.”

Manufacturers urged to apply for funding before it’s too late

The SAM Project is urging the region’s manufacturers to apply for grant funding before it’s too late.

Hundreds of businesses have received grants of up to £50,000 from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland since its launch in 2018.

Totalling over £1million, the grants have helped businesses – ranging from sole traders to those with over 100 employees – embrace the latest technology and improve processes, leading to the creation of hundreds of jobs and boosting the regional economy by tens of millions of pounds.

And with the second round of the grant fund closing this month, the programme is urging businesses to apply for funding before the February 1 deadline.

Roger O’Brien, Project & Technical Lead at the SAM Project, said: “Over the past four years we’ve seen hundreds of manufacturers benefit from our grant funding and technical support, from companies investing in robotics to cutting-edge machinery and VR equipment.

“The embracing of such new technologies hasn’t just led to increased profits, either. An impact report following the first phase of the SAM Project revealed that it had helped create over 290 jobs and add in excess of £47.1million in gross value to the region’s economy, so it has had a profound impact.

“However, all good things must come to an end, which is why we are urging the region’s manufacturers who have not yet applied for funding from phase two of the project to apply before it’s too late.”

The matched grant funding can be used to support capital/ product validation, tooling and overcoming other financial inhibitors, unblocking strategic development of both product and processes within a manufacturing business.

One business that has benefited from funding from the SAM Project is soft drink manufacturer Clearly Drinks, based on Southwick Industrial Estate in Sunderland.

After receiving a grant from the SAM Project, the company was able to purchase a new pasteurisation unit and nitrogen dosing system which led to the creation of 10 new jobs and helped the company land its largest contract to date with a national wholesaler.

Chief executive Mick Howard, who joined the company in 2018, said: “The support from SAM was fantastic. The process was super-simple and allowed us to not only tap into funding to help de-risk our investment, but also receive the technical expertise required to ensure we maximise the potential of the new equipment and technology.

“For a business like us, in the current landscape, it can be quite hard tapping into funding and support when you’re looking to scale and the team at the SAM Project really went above and beyond to help us.”

As well as providing grant funding, the SAM Project has also brought together a team of manufacturing experts with over 250 years of industry experience to provide free, expert support to the region’s businesses.

It has also invested millions of pounds into establishing a series of state-of-the-art test factories at the University of Sunderland’s Industry Centre, boasting 3D printers, I4 rigs and VR/AR equipment and software to encourage SME engagement with advanced technology.

Roger added: “Whether you’re overcoming challenges or identifying new opportunities to grow, the likelihood is that our team have been there and done it, and if they haven’t, you can guarantee that they won’t stop until they’ve helped you engineer a solution to it, so I’d recommend any business wanting to tap into their knowledge to get in touch while they can.”

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m project to support the implementation of product and process development and the introduction of technology within the SME manufacturing base in the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area.

The programme is a collaboration between ERDF, which provided £5.77m in funding (£2.6million from 2014-2020 and £3.1million from 2020-2023) and the University of Sunderland, which manages and, alongside industry, has invested £5.15m into the delivery of this project.

For more information on the SAM Project’s grant funding and technical support, contact Dionne Clark at Dionne.Clark@sunderland.ac.uk

Costume maker waxes lyrical over new venture

A costume maker who has created outfits for Aquaman and James Bond has returned to the North East to launch her own sustainable homeware business.

Rosie Bath, who has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, has swapped the film studio for her own design studio, with the launch of Cera Cotton, an award-winning homeware brand.

Based in Newcastle, Cera Cotton produces a wide range of plastic-free, vegan wax cotton homeware products and accessories, from bunting to travel kits, plant pouches and gift boxes.

Rosie set up the business after a camping trip with friends opened her eyes to the number of polluting plastics used in the manufacture of every-day travel essentials and accessories.

Using her skills as a costume maker, she began experimenting with plastic-free fabric alternatives and many prototypes and late nights later, she stumbled upon the perfect solution.

“I was going camping and wanted to make some bunting to go around the tent,” she recalls. “I noticed that there was a lot of plastic and I just thought, ‘surely there’s a better way?’

“I searched for hours online and couldn’t find anything, so I had to make do, however that was what really kickstarted everything.

“Working as a costume maker, I’d made outfits for the likes of Bridgerton, the Little Mermaid, James Bond, you name it.

“At times, this meant producing items using traditional forms of manufacture with materials which aren’t widely used today, such as wax cotton.

“I still remember the first time I used it. I was producing a wax cotton jacket and just loved working with it. Historically, British sailors used it to produce the sails on ships due to its water resistance and incredible durability. It’s a tried and tested 500-year-old fabric.

“I have a real passion for looking back at how we lived before and how we can use old materials and means of production to live better lives, without sacrificing the convenience and quality that we have today, so it was a perfect fit.”

Despite a wealth of experience in costume manufacture, Rosie had no experience of running a business and manufacturing at scale, so she sought advice from the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project at the University of Sunderland.

After attending a series of workshops to understand manufacturing best practice and how to set up a production space, she decided the time had come to up sticks and return home to the North East to finally chase her dream of becoming her own boss.

“The workshops were great,” she added. “I’d worked in London for over five years but had always wanted to set up my own business and the support from SAM really gave me the confidence that I knew this was something I could really make a success of.

“Having been born and raised in the North East and having studied fashion design at Northumbria University, I know how hard it can be to find work in the creative industries outside of London.

“I studied fashion design and marketing at Northumbria University but most of the graduates moved away to London and Manchester. If I had the chance to stay in Newcastle, I would have, but the opportunities just weren’t there, however this is something I’d love to change.”

Since the launch of its online store in August 2022, Cera Cotton has launched eight core products with more set to follow over the coming months.

The company is also exploring the idea of supplying the retail sector, with Rosie recently hosting successful pop-up stores at Boots and Harvey Nicholls.

She said: “The ultimate aim is to become the home of wax cotton. I want to be selling a wide range of products and to employ local people. I’d love to work with local universities too, to provide opportunities to other creative graduates, but we’ll take it one step at a time.

“For now, it’s about continuing to grow the business by spreading the word of what we’re doing and educating people about the benefits of buying sustainable products, and I’m confident that the pop-up stores will provide us with the perfect platform to do that.”

Neil Taylor, Automation and Robotics Specialist at the SAM Project, said: “The SAM Project was set up to help SMEs better understand the manufacturing process and Rosie is a great example of the impact the programme has had.

“As well as helping established manufacturers innovate and grow by investing in new technology and creating jobs, we’re also helping aspiring manufacturers break into the industry by ensuring companies such as Cera Cotton have access to the tools and knowledge required to get off to the best possible start. It’s been great working with them and we’d like to wish them all the best for the future.”

Breakfast with SAM: Manufacturing Networking

SAM would like to invite MANUFACTURERS from all sectors and company size within the NE of England to the manufacturing breakfast networking.

This is a chance to build relationships with potential local suppliers and strengthen your business against the ongoing supply chain issues and economic uncertainty.

The event is for discussing business issues, sharing best practice and problem solving over a coffee and breakfast bap.

Reasons to attend: –

Build on your manufacturing network
Meet potential new suppliers
FREE breakfast bap & Coffee

If you a MANUFACTURER and wish to secure a place, please book a ticket as spaces are limited!

Free car parking on site at The Industry Centre, 1 Colima Avenue, Sunderland, SR5 3XB.

Dates and times

3rd March 2023 08:00-10:00 register your place here
Tickets for the May 5th event are available from Aril 7th

**Please note this event is not currently open to intermediaries and is ONLY for Manufacturing Companies**

SAM Project Innovation and Growth Open House for manufacturing SMEs

The SAM project is opening it’s doors to any manufacturing SME (or those who intend to manufacture) to give an overview of the SAM Project and the fully funded support offer.

Join SAM to find out about the fully funded project offering, tour the facilities and see demonstrations of exciting, new technologies that could be adopted in your business.

Refreshments will be provided and there is free parking at the venue: The Industry Centre, 1 Colima Avenue, Sunderland, SR5 3XB.

Follow the links to register your chosen open house date:

Dates and times

16th November 2022 09:00-11:30 register here
13th December 2022 09:00-11:30 added extra with talks to learn about intellectual property rights and tax credits for your business register here
15th February 2023 09:00 -11:30 register here

Key appointments to help drive growth among North East manufacturers

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project has made two key appointments as it looks to step up its support for North East manufacturers.

The programme has appointed Keith Peddieson and Paul Taylor as its new business development executives.

Keith joins SAM as business development executive for Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham, having spent over 15 years working with the region’s manufacturing base, from helping improve the provision of apprenticeships to driving change management.

Paul has joined SAM to cover the North of Tyne area after almost 30 years working in a variety of senior roles across the region, the UK and internationally in both the public and private sector. These include organisations such as One North East, the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), University of Northampton and as advisor to a number of SMEs.

The experience of building these relationships will now be key to helping Keith and Paul hit the ground running in their newly created roles, as they help the region’s SME manufacturers address their challenges and maximise opportunities securing the support required – be it funding or technical advice – to drive business growth.

Speaking about his new role, Keith said: “I met SAM’s project lead, Roger O’Brien, at a networking event and decided to take him up on his offer of a site visit and I was blown away by the support they provided.

“Having worked with the region’s manufacturers for the best part of two decades, I’ve seen with my own eyes just how much the industry has evolved during that period and the importance of embracing new technologies and processes in order to remain competitive.

“While the North East has never been short of ingenuity among its world-leading manufacturers, one thing the sector has been starved of in recent times is the technical and financial support to continue competing on the global stage and the SAM Project has been key to plugging that gap.

“I have always loved engaging with manufacturers and this new role will allow me to continue doing just that. I can’t wait to get started.”

The SAM Project is a collaboration between ERDF, which has provided £5.77m in funding (£2.6m from 2014-2020 and £3.1m from 2020-2023) and the University of Sunderland, which manages and, alongside industry, has invested £5.15m into the delivery of the project.

The support includes matched grant funding for eligible businesses of up to £50,000 as well as fully funded technical support to help participants explore and invest in the latest industry 4.0 technologies to become more sustainable and drive business growth.

Since its launch in 2018, hundreds of companies have engaged with the project, from mid-sized manufacturers such as AGMA Ltd and Clearly Drinks to start-ups such as Rediviva and Kocktail, with over £2million in grant funding being distributed to support the purchase of new technology and improved processes.

However, the huge success of phase one of the project has resulted in only limited funds being available for companies seeking to benefit from phase two of the programme, with both tasked with helping those interested in growing their business throughout 2022-2023 to tap into the support.

Paul added: “Joining the SAM Project really is an opportunity to go back to basics advising and supporting SMEs to maximise their opportunities for growth. It’s a unique regional project to work on, as it blends the hands on the experience of the SAM team with access to the academic expertise of the University of Sunderland.

“The team of manufacturing experts it has assembled are incredibly knowledgeable and approachable. They are all from industry and have a genuine desire to support businesses which is what I’ve always done, it’s good to be working with likeminded people with the same goal of helping the region’s manufacturers to innovate and grow.”

Roger O’Brien, Project & Technical Lead at the SAM Project, added: “We are delighted to welcome the pair to the team.

“Their wealth of experience working among the region’s manufacturers will be key to helping ensure we are able to engage with more businesses as we progress with phase two and continue increasing our level of support.

“To echo Paul, we have a team of really talented experts here at the SAM Project who love nothing more than working with manufacturers to overcome the barriers facing their businesses, therefore we’d recommend any business seeking support to get in touch while the support is still available.”

Innovation specialist praises manufacturing support programme

The expertise offered by a business support programme is allowing a North East innovator to rapidly bring a new air sterilisation product to market.

Founded in 2016, TRL9 is an industrial research, development and deployment company, with a particular expertise in surface engineering and specialist materials. But the need for innovation sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic led them to develop an air sterilisation system which eliminates the majority of airborne viruses.

With the help of Ian Barrett, CAD specialist at the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project – which offers a range of support to the region’s SME manufacturing businesses – they have been able to fast-track the development process.

Dr Bryan Allcock, founder and CEO of TRL9, said: “When you’re in my line of business, money isn’t always the most appropriate form of support, sometimes you need expertise.

“We have nine people in TRL9 and there are areas where we don’t have expertise, we have no one who can use computer-aided design (CAD) or computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, but this is an area of expertise SAM can provide.

“The outputs for us were initially a set of drawings and a bill of materials, but then they were able to help with the design as I didn’t know what the final product was going to look like and Ian from SAM came up with the design we’re now using, they also did most of the build of the first unit.

“Without the support of SAM, it would have taken us a lot longer to be able to get to where we are now, so we’ve had a much more rapid route to market. That has included introducing skill sets that we just didn’t have and couldn’t afford.”

Dr Allcock, who is originally from Birmingham, moved to the North East from Dorset, where he had been working in the aerospace industry, before setting up TRL9. He has a PhD in corrosion engineering, focussing on coatings, with TRL9’s most developed technology being responsible for coating the decks of the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales aircraft carriers so that F-35 fighter jets can land on them.

The company has a portfolio of research projects, with clients including the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems and Halliburton, usually looking at things that are materials or surface engineering related.

“We have projects at various TRL stages,” said Dr Allcock. “We currently have a PHD student from Durham who is looking at thermoelectric coating, where you use the heat from your body to charge the little watch on your arm, so you never need to plug it into the mains. We’ve also got an oil and water separation system, a project looking at high entropy alloys and another involving solar fluidics, which SAM is actually helping us with at the moment.”

The SAM project has allowed TRL9 to develop a working prototype of their air sterilisation system that they can take to industry.

SAM is a £10.9m project to help SMEs in the North East develop new products and processes.

The programme is a collaboration between ERDF who is providing £5.77m funding (£2.6million from 2014-2020 and £3.1million from 2020-2023) and the University of Sunderland who are managing and, alongside industry, are investing £5.15m in delivery of this project.

Ian Barrett, Computer Aided Design and Engineering Specialist at SAM, said: “TRL9 is a great example of how the variety of help available through SAM, with our broad range of skills and expertise, combined with the access to funding, can be transformational for SMEs.

“For a lot of companies looking to innovate and bring new products to market, there are so many barriers – especially when it comes to product design – which can prevent them from bringing new products and services to market, however the support from the SAM Project can really help eliminate those challenges.”

The project has over £1m of industry leading capital including 3D printers, I4 rigs and VR/AR equipment and software to encourage SME engagement with advanced technology. The project also has grants of up to £50,000 available to support capital/product validation/tooling and other financial inhibitors to driving strategic development of both product and process.

Dr Allcock added: “I only have positive things to say about SAM, the guys there are fabulous and they’re very knowledgeable. There’s no hidden agenda for them, they’re not trying to sell something. I have already recommended SAM to two organisations that they are now supporting, that’s two further projects on the back of the work I’ve done with them, so I think that’s a pretty good accolade.”

SAM Project – Funded Support for Manufacturing beyond 2023

SAM Project has offered fully funded technical & financial support for manufacturing SME’s since 2018 through ERDF & University of Sunderland.

We are currently involved in future bids for continued funding beyond June 2023 for the regions manufacturing businesses and would like to understand the future needs and requirements from you as a valued client and future beneficiary.

To access the survey click here.

The survey should only take five minutes.

We look forward to your responses.

Clearly Drinks caps off record year with ambitious growth plans

A North East soft drinks manufacturer has seen sales fizz after investing £6million into a new canning line and entering into its best year to date.

Clearly Drinks, which manufactures its own branded products as well as providing a contract bottling service to some of the industry’s biggest names, is expecting revenue to double this year after tripling its capacity to 160 million litres over the last three years.

The continued investment by the company into its award-winning Sunderland plant is part of a wider investment programme which has seen the company expand into new markets, differentiate from its competitors, increase sustainability and launch new product lines.

Led by chief executive Mick Howard, who joined the company in 2018 having spent over 30 years in senior technical roles overseeing the operations of major brands across Africa and Europe including SAB Miller, the investment is the largest in the company’s 135-year history, helping futureproof the firm and bring it in-line with industry standards.

Mick said: “To make such an investment during a pandemic was a brave and courageous decision however it is one that has really paid off for the business.

“Not only has it helped us bring new products to market but it has also seen our headcount exceed 100 employees and made the business much more agile. It’s a really exciting time for everyone involved with Clearly Drinks.”

Founded in 1885, Clearly Drinks originally started life as Fenwick & Sons before rebranding to Villa Drinks, a name synonymous with the North East which is still remembered fondly by people across the region and who’s iconic ghost sign adverts can still be seen on the gable ends of red-brick buildings across Tyne & Wear.

Today, the company employs over 100 people and remains deep-rooted in the local community by creating apprenticeships for local people through its annual recruitment programme and supporting local charities such as the Salvation Army, as well as maintaining a strong working relationship with Sunderland College.

Mick added: “Having been born and raised in the North East, I know the story behind Villa and was delighted when I was approached to take on the mantle of helping steer this historic business into the 21^st century.

“I knew how much the company meant to the local community and its employees, therefore we made it our mission to ensure everyone was on board with our growth plans while continuing to invest in the community and give back to those that have given so much to this business over the past century.”

As well as investing in a state-of-the-art canning line, the company has also purchased a new pasteurisation unit and nitrogen dosing system which have led to the creation of 10 new jobs and helped the company land its largest contract to date with a national wholesaler.

The total investment, which is over £6.5million, was supported by the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project, which provided technical support to help the company integrate the new technology into its business, as well as a £50,000 grant towards the purchase of the new pasteurisation unit.

“The support from SAM was fantastic,” Mick said. “The process was super-simple and allowed us to not only tap into funding to help de-risk our investment somewhat, but also receive the technical expertise required to ensure we maximise the potential of the new equipment and technology.

The Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) Project is a £10.9m collaboration between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the University of Sunderland and the Northern Powerhouse Initiative and Industry, supporting the implementation of product and process development and the introduction of technology within the SME manufacturing base in the North-East Local Enterprise Partnership (NE LEP) area.

Roger O’Brien, project and technical lead at the SAM Project, said: “Clearly Drinks is a real North East success story and we’re delighted to have been able to support the company on its incredible growth journey.

“The investment in the new canning line and pasteurisation unit will not only help make the business more sustainable but it will also allow it to realise its potential and continue growing its presence across the globe. We’d like to wish them all the best for the future.”

Desktop Metal – Metal 3D Printing from Desktop to Production

Join Desktop Metal and the SAM Project to discover how metal 3D printing can help you take designs from your desktop and put into production.

Paul Gately (Strategic Accounts Director, Desktop Metal) will explore the exciting range of metal additive solutions which they offer. Paul will look at their systems that are suitable for desktop fabrication for small numbers of items as well as their Shop and Studio systems that can produce quantities suitable for a production run of parts.

Date and time

Tue, 7 June 2022 09:00 – 12:00 BST

Location

The Industry Center, Sunderland SR5 3XB

Book your place here.