Business News
Manufacturer looks back on a rich history
Metalliform Holdings Limited, a local employer located in Hoyland, is proudly celebrating its 75th year in business. The company was
incorporated in 1944 and at that time it manufactured products for the War Effort, including steel beds and dog kennels for the military. The company continued to
manufacture for the MOD but also diversified into the production of educational furniture. In 1990 it further developed into the stadia seating sector and, more recently, Metalliform acquired Fisher Plastics. Specialising in plastic injection moulding, Fisher supplies mouldings to Metalliform as part of its supply chain process. As a former part of Robert
Maxwell Empire, Metalliform fell into receivership but was bought in the mid-90s by Bill Hall, who took the helm of the company until 1998, when he appointed Peter Brier as CEO. Metalliform went through a CVA in 2004 and as a consequence Peter acquired the majority shareholding, which still stands as of today. Like all long-established
companies, Metalliform has experienced its own fair share of turbulence over the years; however, it has managed to overcome every challenge along the way and survived the testing times. Metalliform has been a
major employer in the Hoyland area for 75 years, but has not always enjoyed a good local reputation. There was a time when it was rumoured that parents would tell their children to try harder at school and pass their exams otherwise they would end up working at Metalliform - but the firm must have made its mark on the region as it currently employs five members of staff that have been with the firm for over 40 years - and 50% of staff have worked at Metalliform for over ten years. Today Metalliform is proud
to be part of the Made In Britain Campaign. It is also one of the UK’s largest educational furniture manufacturers supplying furniture to schools, colleges and local authorities.
22 CHAMBERconnect Autumn 2019
Helping SMEs get better access to legal advice
The Solicitors Regulatory Authority, the regulatory body for Solicitors in England and Wales, recently published the result of a survey they had carried out by Nesta Challenges. It was part of a launch of their Legal Access Challenge. The results of the survey were
very revealing. It found two fifths of SMEs in England and Wales believe that legal advice is reserved for big businesses or those that can afford it.
Nearly half (43%) of small
businesses owners and self- employed people questioned agreed the legal advice sector was not set up for them. With 5.6 million small businesses in the UK, that could mean as many as 2.4 million risk falling into the ‘legal gap’.
One legal area that affects most
businesses is employment law. When employing people, it is vital to get it right in two aspects. The first is making sure the business is compliant with up to date employment law. That means having up to date and compliant
contracts of employment and having the necessary policies and procedures. Without these, it leaves the business open to operational problems and potential issues if there is a problem with an employee. The second part is managing
employees. If it goes wrong, it could lead to an employment tribunal claim. Employees no longer have to pay fees to issue a claim at an Employment Tribunal and claim numbers have risen significantly. Having expertise available to deal with difficult HR matters is therefore crucial. Rob Tice,
Director at BMcPrecept, said: “The way advice and support is given is crucial – not using jargon and focusing on getting the issue resolved. “To help SMEs access high
Rob Tice
‘A business can be
compliant at a fraction of the cost’
services so a business can be compliant at a fraction of the cost. “We’ve also designed
quality HR compliance documents we have created easy to use web
affordable packages to access high quality HR and employment law advice from a dedicated expert adviser.”
Technology academy to open
A new technology academy backed by a top employer to train the next generation of cyber security engineers has opened at The Sheffield College. The Millgate Cyber Security
Academy launched at the college’s City campus, on Granville Road, in September. Students will develop the
knowledge and skills to succeed in the technology sector and will complete the Foundation Diploma in Information Technology Level 3 – Networks and Cyber Security. The qualification covers IT
systems, cyber security and incident management, programming, mobile app development, the Internet of Things, project management, technical support and management, cloud storage and website development. Millgate Ltd, based in Tinsley, Sheffield, supplies technology products, services and solutions to public and private sector organisations including retail, distribution, healthcare, education, utilities and transport, and has more than 7,500 customers. Anita Straffon, Deputy Chief
Executive, The Sheffield College, said: “We are delighted to be
launching this exciting initiative with such a successful local employer to support job creation for our students and economic growth. “Working in partnership with
employers ensures we equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to go further in their careers.” Alasdair Jeffrey, Managing
Director, Millgate, said: “We first approached The Sheffield College to explore ways in which we could work together to help the students two years ago. We believe that the
Millgate Cyber Security Academy will make a tremendous positive difference to the experiences and career prospects of all those involved, whether with Millgate or any other future employer.” All students who successfully
complete their qualification will be able to progress on to an apprenticeship, employment or a university level course. Future potential careers include
becoming a cyber security specialist, software engineer, games developer, data analyst, network manager and web developer.
Anita Straffon and Alasdair Jeffrey
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