Businessplus Winter 2015 | Page 4

Councillor Gibbons with George Walsh-Waring Export expansion for Acorn Acorn Stairlifts is increasing its export sales team by almost 50 per cent in order to continue its success and growth abroad. Five new sales positions at the Steeton office takes the export team to 16 to support the company’s expansion into the markets of Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Curator Helen Farrar, the inspiration behind the exhibition, explained: “The aim is to promote the Bradford College Textile Archive as valuable, current, relevant design inspiration resource across all arts disciplines, thus reaching a new, wider audience.” Acorn has won two export awards in the last two years and just last month triumphed with a third, taking Exporter of the Year at the Insider Media ‘Made in Yorkshire’ awards. Since 2012, export revenues have doubled from £35.5 million to £71 million. The company exports over half of its stairlifts to more than 100 countries worldwide. Acorn’s group HR manager, Kate Gledhill, said: “Acorn employs over 500 staff in the UK, most of them here in West Yorkshire, and we are regularly looking for new staff for the business. "The fact that we are looking to increase our multilingual export sales team so dramatically demonstrates both our recent successes and also our determination to export even more Acorn Stairlifts to Europe.” Top of the Shops Bradford’s Lord Mayor was on hand to help celebrate the city’s new shopping centre reach its highest point during construction recently. Councillor Mike Gibbons placed the final bolt into a frame around a lift-shaft, which will serve the top level of the car park. Around 100 dignitaries, journalists and construction staff gathered at the formal topping out ceremony to celebrate. The scheme is on course for completion in the autumn. Broadway shopping centre in December last year. Development director Duncan Bower said that the scheme was the biggest retail development on site in the UK. Developer Westfield started work on its 35 is casino’s lucky number CIT-sys Napoleons Casino & Restaurant in Bradford celebrated 35 years of business in October last year. Complete IT Systems announced at the end of last year that, at the point of filing its year seven accounts, the company showed a rise from just under £9 million turnover to £12 million and a record profit of £600,000. Jane Dodd, general manager, said: “A lot has changed in the last 35 years both on the gaming and dining side, and we’re proud to still be going strong and maintaining a firm place in Bradford’s leisure offering.” Anniversary rebrand Bradford based Envirocare Technical Consultancy Ltd, officially celebrated a new brand image with clients and contacts in October. The lunch reception was held in conjunction with the company’s 20th anniversary celebrations at Bradford University’s recently opened Re:Centre. That’s rally rather good! The rebranding exercise came after a period of expansion for the business, and will see the company, now known as just Envirocare, implement a new visual identity, tagline of ‘Your Industry Experts’, and refreshed online presence to support its future plans, evolution and growth. The Peregrine Print Rally took place as a support event of the 11th annual Roger Albert Clark Rally. The event started in Sunderland taking in seven stages before reaching the finish near Carlisle. Peregrine Print once again sponsored the Roger Albert Clark Rally in November 2014. A not so risky business Online training provider, Virtual College has worked closely with NHS England’s Safe Medication Practice Team to develop its latest patient safety online course, ‘Omitted and Delayed Medicines in Hospitals’. This new addition will take the total number of its courses in The National Patient Safety Suite to eight.  A further five safety courses are due for release throughout the course of the year. 4 BRADFORD MEMBERS Pick and Mix Bradford College Textile Archive has received an Arts Council Grant for the Arts. The grant will enable a group of 20 contemporary artists to take inspiration from the Bradford College Textile Archive collections and create new art works in eclectic media. This will be for an exhibition to be held in the Bradford College’s Dye House Gallery in 2015. Bradford Chamber of Commerce The new works will be exhibited in the Dye House Gallery alongside the original inspiration pieces. Jane Vanroe Royal link for Balbir Stage Management gets top billing The Chairman of PEC Building Services, Balbir Panesar, has been made a Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire. Audio and lighting firm, The Stage Management Company, worked w ]H