Member Article

Barnsley surgical firm transforms former Grimethorpe coal pit site into £400k manufacturing hub

A Barnsley company that needs ultra-clean premises to develop new products has moved on to the site of the former Grimethorpe pit.

Single Use Surgical, which makes single-use surgical instruments for hospitals around the world, has spent £400k on its new base at Park Springs Industrial Estate, which is built on the former colliery.

SUS, which launched in 2001, has taken on three new staff with the move, bringing the total to 17.

The new building, which is in the middle of the three former mine shafts, contains a ‘clean room’ which is kept as free from contamination as possible and is used to develop prototype products and for small scale manufacturing.

SUS specialises in high quality single-use fine surgical suction tubes, but also sells more than 150 other different types of single-use surgical instruments. The products are used by three-quarters of hospitals in the UK and exported to 20 countries.

SUS moved to the 10,000 square ft building after out-growing its previous premises in Wilthorpe, Barnsley. As well as the clean room, the building includes warehousing and offices.

The move has been backed by business support programme Enterprising Barnsley, who helped find the premises and get a grant towards the move.

Managing director Matthew Tully said: “The contrast of our work, where we are manufacturing precision products that have to be kept completely clean, and the old use of this site as the power house of heavy industry is quite stark.

“It shows the way industry is changing around here and part of that is the growth of the medical technology sector, of which we are at the forefront.

“But not only is the inside of the building very different from how the site would have been before the pit shut over 20 years ago, but we look out at wildlife from the windows rather than mine workings.”

“The advisers from Enterprising Barnsley have been helpful in working with us on our growth strategy and it definitely seems to be working.”

“Turnover last year was £2.25 million and looks set to be higher in 2014.”

Enterprising Barnsley, which is delivered by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, offers a wide range of free business support to small and medium-sized businesses with growth potential.

The programme is supported financially by the European Union and has attracted £2,259,511 investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe’s support for the region’s economic development, through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .