THE OTHER SIDE. SO LET’S TAKE A BREATH AND LOOK AT THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE STILL HAPPENING FOR KIRKLEES BUSINESSES. KBN EDITOR REPORTS

HIGH-VOLTAGE power contractor Smith Brothers know all about beating seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Battling some of the wettest weather at the back end of last year the company successfully completed electrical engineering works at the Next Energy Capital Ltd solar farm in Little Staughton, Cambridgeshire.

Working as the Independent Connection Provider (ICP) on the generation project, a 21-strong

Smith Brothers team designed, constructed, installed and tested the UK Power Network’s (UKPN) 132kV substation and Private 132/33kV customer substation, right on schedule.

With work having commenced on the Little Staughton airfield development in May 2019, the 50MW connection was finished in early December.

Construction at the green power site wasn’t without its challenges – as 6.5km of underground cabling was needed to traverse tricky obstacles.

Battling unpredictable weather conditions, the 4.7km of fibre-optic cabling – linking the new 132kV substation and that at Eaton Socon – needed to pass through agricultural land, while a further 1.8km electrical system required coordination of directional drilling across drainage ditches and roads.

John Benson, project manager at Smith Brothers, said: “We were faced with some unexpected weather, but pulled together to complete another successful clean energy scheme.”

Elland-based Smith Brothers is a high-voltage power engineering contractor working across various sectors including renewable energy, utilities, industrial and commercial.

MARSHALLS PLC have selected Huddersfield-based content creation agency, Pikcells, to spearhead their latest investment in new online resources to improve the buying experience for their customers.

The 130-year-old brand has decided to use cutting edge web-based 3D interactive tools and visualisation software as part of an ongoing strategy to cater for consumers as well as architects, urban planners and contractors.

Marshalls – the UK’s leading hard landscaping manufacturer – contacted companies nationally and internationally but said Pikcells distinguished themselves with an impressive combination of software development and 3D imaging skills.

Pikcells co-founder Richard Benson said: “Marshalls are ahead of the pack in understanding the needs of their customers and this investment shows they are seriously committed to improving the online experience.

“Creating exact digital replicas of their products in 3D is a future proofed way of capturing product data that can be used as a point of reference and also assigned to future technologies, whatever they may be.”

Founded in 2003 and with offices in the UK and USA, Pikcells is a content creation agency comprised of digital artists, interior designers, stylists and software developers.

The company offers services in CGI, design, animation, product configurators, VR, AR, and mobile app development. With UK clients including Swoon, Kronospan, Wren Kitchens and Hafele.

Cexcellent customer service. The company, based on Leeds Road, Huddersfield, received the

Excellent Customer Service Award for 2019 from the Motor Trade Partnership.

Beginning in 2001, the scheme was set up by West Yorkshire

Trading Standards Service to increase consumer confidence in the motor industry and ensure that retailers are committed to fair and honest practices.

Retailer principal Clive Brook said: “We are delighted to receive the Excellent Customer Service Award from the Motor Trade Partnership.

“Our entire team work tirelessly to deliver exceptional experiences to all of our customers, and it’s wonderful to receive this award in recognition of the service we provide.

“We will continue to deliver fantastic customer service, and hope to receive the award again next year.”

EDEN’S Forest CIC won the ‘Start Up’ category at the Social Enterprise Yorkshire and the Humber (SEYH) Annual Awards in early March.

A spokesman said: “We are very proud to receive this award as a reflection of our hard work, enterprise endeavour and social impact.

“With beneficiaries ranging from children to older adults we have big aspirations to support our community.

“We’re especially proud of our work with schools throughout Kirklees and our partnership with many local businesses and organisations including TOG24, Holme Build and the Honley Show.

“Without the continued support of One Community, third sector leaders and the Kirklees Council’s social enterprise support team the our work would not achieve the social impact it has done.”

The Annual SEYH Awards recognise and celebrate the breadth of work being done in the social enterprise sector by organisations who plough their profits back into the communities they serve.

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