Seaham news
JADE BUSINESS
PARK MAKES FIRST
SIGNING
Management buy-out at Homefair Blinds
H
omefair Blinds, which has head
offices in Seaham and Manchester,
has been acquired in a management
buy-out led by Steve Ellithorn, Claire Ripley
and Shaun Welsh.
The trio acquired the company from
retiring director, Jonathan Fitton. The
County Durham retailer and manufacturer
of blinds and shutters is looking to develop
and grow its product offerings as the
management buy-out team has extensive
knowledge of the sector and have exciting
plans for the growth of the business.
Sales and customer service director Steve
Ellithorn has been at Homefair Blinds more
than 22 years.
Finance director Claire Ripley joined the
business over a decade ago following 13 years
in accountancy practice, having trained with
Ernst & Young earlier in her career.
Shaun Welsh joined the business as
operations director in 2017, bringing with
him a wealth of knowledge and experience,
having worked in the industry for the UK
market leader for more than 25 years.
Founded in 1985 with one showroom,
Homefair Blinds has been offering its clients
window covering solutions for over 30 years.
The business now currently employs in
excess of 180 people across the North-East
and North-West of England regions, within
more than 25 showrooms and also two large
manufacturing plants in County Durham.
Steve said: “We have a fantastic team
and are proud of what we have achieved at
Homefair Blinds, which we aim to build
upon as owners of the business. We have
exciting plans for the future as part of our
overall vision including, increasing our
digital presence and showroom portfolio,
particularly in the North-West.”
Shaun added: “With blind technology
continuously developing, we will also be
extending our product portfolio to offer
customers, safe cutting-edge window
coverings.”
CHEESE FIRM PRIMED
FOR SUCCESS Food Festival to serve
business up on a plate
Family-run firm Prima Cheese
has nearly doubled its profits in
the space of a year – despite only a
modest increase in turnover.
The Seaham-based company saw
operating profit rise from £833,000
in 2018 to £1.5m in 2019.
And that increase was even
more impressive, given it was
achieved despite the firm’s turnover
remaining broadly static at £65.6m.
Along with Prima Cheese’s
financial growth, the company also
added new jobs, with the size of its
workforce rising from 110 to 118. The return of
Seaham’s Food
Festival in the
summer of 2020
is set to boost
businesses
across the town
and could be just a taste of things to come.
Organisers Durham County Council has
announced the second annual Seaham Food Festival
will take place on Saturday, June 13, and Sunday, June
14.
And the hope will be that now the event has been
repeated, it can go on to establish itself as a fixture in
the calendar which will grow and grow.
County Durham’s spectacular heritage coast will
provide a beautiful backdrop to an event, which will
feature more than 100 stalls selling tasty street food
and the finest local produce.
Traders can now apply for a pitch and are advised
to act quickly to avoid missing out.
A new 55-acre business park in Seaham
has its first tenant – a major international
corporation.
Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems
Europe is part of a Fortune 500
corporation with a turnover north of
£700m and more than 20,000 employees.
It produces and distributes automotive
wiring harnesses, fuse boxes, connectors
and cables throughout Europe and
its siting in Seaham is a coup for the
new Jade Business Park which is being
managed by Business Durham.
Peter McDowell, property and business
services director at Business Durham,
said: “It is fantastic to see such a high-
profile and successful business take the
first lease at the business park.”
Lottery facelift will
reinvigorate Seaham
town centre
A seaside town’s rich heritage will
soon be enhanced following the
launch of a £2.25m regeneration
project.
Durham County Council
announced in 2019 it had secured
a £1.6m grant from The National
Lottery Heritage Fund towards
the three-year Seaham Townscape
Heritage Project.
This project will build on work
already being undertaken and will
focus on the regeneration of targeted
historic properties in the Church
Street area of the town.
Read more at wear.business
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