Cash boost puts firm on track for more success
A VILLAGE swimming club has named its best performers for the year.
Scissett Youth Amateur Swim Club has celebrated a successful 2016/17 with its annual awards at Denby Dale Pie Hall.
The club was threatened with closure only a few years ago as A WEED control company is signalling further expansion into Europe following a six-figure funding boost.
Kirkburton-based Weedfree On Track provides equipment to control weeds and vegetation on the tracks for state railways in Europe.
It already operates one “advanced weed control train” which uses environmentally efficient technology to spray thousands of miles of railway tracks on the continent.
Now it has commissioned the development of a second train to support its operations in Europe and Scandinavia, which include long-term contracts in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
It also aims to secure contracts in other European countries as well as moving into the North American market.
To buy the new “spray train”, the company, headed by Huddersfield man Neil Bangham, has secured a £300,000 debt funding package from membership dwindled and costs soared. But it has bounced back and has been backed by grants and sponsorships from organisations including Denby Dale Parish Council, Skelmanthorpe Liberals and a host of local companies.
At the awards, the club Enterprise Ventures SME Loans and a £200,000 business loan from Finance Yorkshire.
Mr Bangham said the firm’s spray train “A” was launched in 2008.
He said: “Spray-Train ‘B’ will leave our partner’s workshops in Hungary in early May, travelling through Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany before taking the ferry from Rostock to Trelleborg in Southern Sweden ready for the first Swedish shift on Tuesday, May 23.”
Alex McWhirter, chief executive of Finance Yorkshire, said: “Weedfree On Track has successfully demonstrated the value of its weed control technology to the rail sector. champions were named as Abbie Ellis, 13, from Skelmanthorpe and Benjamin Aseervathan, 11, from Denby Dale.
The champions are decided by a points system through the season’s long racing schedule. Points are awarded for qualifying and positions in final races.
“We are pleased to support the business in its growth ambitions across Europe and into North America.”
The investment by Finance Yorkshire’s Extension Fund is backed by Leeds City Region and Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnerships.
Ian Atkinson, the investment manager at Enterprise Ventures, said: “Weeds left untreated can create a fire and safety hazard, damage buildings and plant, obscure sight lines and create security problems at site boundaries.
“Weedfree on Track can resolve the problem by clearing sites swiftly and safely and its increasing overseas client base is recognition of its expertise. This funding will help the company to flourish and grow in Europe and beyond.”
The Enterprise Ventures SME Loans Fund was launched in 2015 and provides loan capital to established and growing SMEs, but with a particular focus on the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside.
Since its launch in 2010, Finance Yorkshire has invested in more than 470 companies, enabling those firms to increase their turnover by £470m, attract a further £290m from private sector sources and safeguard more than 14,000 jobs in the region.