Member Article

Halifax business benefits from Appleyard Lees Growth Fund

Brighouse-based industrial fans manufacturer, Halifax Fan has secured funding from patent and trade mark attorneys, Appleyard Lees, for patent protection of its latest invention.

Celebrating its 50th birthday this year, Halifax Fan has been designing its own range of industrial fans to meet the needs of industries worldwide. The forward-thinking company developed its latest innovation and applied for a patent to safeguard the concept.

Keen to work with an international firm that also has a local presence, Halifax Fan were introduced to the Appleyard Lees Growth Fund which provides support for businesses with winning ideas and a proven track record of innovation.

Appleyard Lees assisted Halifax Fan with the detailed process of drafting and submitting a patent application. Currently pending, the patent will allow the manufacturer to freely discuss its new product with customers, which promises to be a robust and practical solution in the industrial centrifugal fan market.

Barry Thomas, chief engineer at Halifax Fan, commented: “The industries we cater for require the very best products and solutions. So, as a company, it is vital that we challenge ourselves to develop the latest technologically advanced units for our customers.

“Following rigorous research, we have created a product that will benefit many sectors such as automotive, nuclear, food & beverage and pharmaceutical markets, all on a global scale. We know our competitors don’t offer this newly developed concept and so this will really set us apart.”

Having listened to the needs of its customers, Barry Thomas and his team of expert engineers spotted a gap in the market in Autumn 2014 and devised a concept which will simplify maintenance of industrial centrifugal fan units. The invention will ensure a safer and cleaner working environment for those taking care of the complex machinery, as well as overall speeding up maintenance cycles.

Having joined the team almost three years ago from with a background in the automotive industry, Barry’s wealth of experience designing robust and reliable products has helped Halifax Fan maintain its position as the market leader within its industry.

Speaking about Appleyard Lees, he added: “Working with Appleyard Lees has helped us to consolidate our position in the market. The team are incredibly knowledgeable and are clearly engineers at heart. They made the process quite simple for us.

“The Growth Fund is a welcomed initiative and to have been granted this support is a great bonus.”

Launched in 2012, the annual fund of £50,000 has been established by the specialist IP firm, which has offices in Manchester, Leeds and Halifax. Grants from the Appleyard Lees Growth Fund are awarded on a case by case basis to individuals or organisations with winning ideas, a track record for innovation and a sound strategic approach.

Adam Tindall, senior associate at Appleyard Lees, commented: “We work with pioneering engineering firms with the objective of supporting their growth. Part of our support with Halifax Fan included discussing whether they even needed a patent. This new invention provides such a huge advantage that it was clearly important to pursue protection. We look forward to working more with Halifax Fan, giving them the support and solutions that suit their needs.”

Appleyard Lees is committed to providing companies with technical and legal expertise to protect and nurture the intellectual property of value to their business.

Further information on Appleyard Lees can be found at www.appleyardlees.com

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