A Barnsley manufacturer who has built more than 3,000 camper vans has invested in cutting edge technology to speed up production.

Wellhouse Leisure has bought a CNC machine with the support of a Business Productivity Grant secured through the Enterprising Barnsley programme.

The grant, designed to help SMEs improve productivity, is supported by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and part-funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

It has been put towards the cost of the £83,000 Biesse Rover K FT machine which will now be used by Wellhouse to cut all component wooden parts for fitted furniture in their van conversions. Previously, the company sub-contracted this task to a business in Leeds.

Wellhouse Leisure CEO David Elliott said: “Having our own CNC machine on-site will save us so much time and money. We’ve worked out that we’ve paid out more than £53,000 over the years so our joiners could go and use someone else’s machine. On top of that, add the time and money spent on them going back and forth on a 70-mile round trip to Leeds.

“Having our own CNC machine cuts all that out; and eradicates any little hold-ups when we need to amend a piece or cut a replacement. It will speed up each job and make life easier for us all round – we estimate it will pay for itself within two years.”

David is planning to develop new products and explore new markets with the in-house CNC machine too. He is looking into the manufacture of flat-pack furniture kits to sell to other camper van companies and the manufacture of fittings for garden buildings and man sheds.

Business support advisor at Enterprising Barnsley Paul Johnson said: “We’re very pleased to support this latest bold move by Wellhouse Leisure to improve productivity and operational efficiencies at work. It’s great to see a manufacturing business continue to invest in Barnsley and grow. It highlights the strength of Barnsley as a great place to do business.”

Enterprising Barnsley has previously supported Wellhouse Leisure to invest in other machinery and software; developments in lean manufacturing; skills training to support new product ventures and engagement with a borough-wide Business Productivity Group.

David set up Wellhouse Leisure in 2002, building on a lifetime of experience in van conversions, having previously run Deepcar Motorhomes with his Dad.

He and wife Sarah now employ 21 people, and their Barugh Green factory manufactures, services, repairs and sells made-to-order and in-stock campers to customers nationwide.

The company has manufactured more than 3,000 conversions over the last 22 years, working with quality base vehicles such as the Toyota Alphard, Ford Transit, Nissan Serena and Honda Elysion.

David said: “As a business we’ve never been driven by price but always concentrated on quality and want to deliver the best camper van conversions on the market.

“Using CNC-cut pieces for our fitted furniture means we can guarantee precision and consistency which helps us deliver strong, durable and rattle-free cabinets for our premium camper vans.”

The Business Productivity and Digitisation grant is being delivered across South Yorkshire via part-funding from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and £5.2m of investment through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Companies who secure a grant can put it towards either a capital or revenue project. The funded initiative must identify and address a challenge to business productivity.

New figures have shown that the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has invested £150m over the past financial year – the highest-ever figure – into projects across every part of South Yorkshire. The authority has invested in 182 projects through the Capital Investment Programme for South Yorkshire businesses and people in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. They include:•    Renewal of Supertram £100m – allowing us to extend the life of tram tracks, improve reliability and safety and connect communities for generations to come •    South Yorkshire Airport City – over £3m of funding committed to support Doncaster Council to undertake the processes needed to acquire the airport site and go through the procurement process to appoint a new operator who will re-open Doncaster Sheffield Airport •    Glass Works £3.6m and Barnsley Market Gate Bridge £8.9m – helping deliver the award-winning Glass Works retail, leisure and public space in Barnsley’s regenerated town centre and deliver the Market Gate Bridge, a much-needed active travel link into the town centre •    Sheffield Heart of the City 2 £9m and Westbar £3.65m – supporting Sheffield’s Heart of the City 2 development which is currently transforming the city centre with an improved retail, working, leisure and living environment and Westbar which is the second largest regeneration project in Sheffield that will deliver accommodation, offices and retail •    Rotherham to Kilnhurst Flood Alleviation Scheme £2m and Forge Island to Riverside footbridge £1m – improved flood defences to reduce risk of flooding in Templeborough, Rotherham town centre, Parkgate and Kilnhurst area and a new footbridge across the River Don connecting Forge Island to Riverside, supporting regeneration to the town centre •    Zero emission buses £18.1m – the introduction of zero emission electric buses across South Yorkshire through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) scheme South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “I’m proud that we’re investing in every part of South Yorkshire to help all of our communities stay near and go far. “We’re renewing vital parts of our Supertram network, supporting the brilliant Glass Works development and Market Gate Bridge in Barnsley’s revitalised town centre, improving flood defences to protect people and businesses in Rotherham, backing the transformational Heart of the City 2 development in Sheffield and funding the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. “There’s talent and opportunity right across our region and by investing in our people and places I’m determined to unlock South Yorkshire’s full potential.”

Yorkshire and the Humber delivered a resilient economic performance in August, showing the third greatest decrease in levels of insolvency-related activity of all the 12 nations and regions across the UK since the previous month, according to the latest research from the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3. In August, Yorkshire and the Humber saw 211 businesses impacted by insolvency-related activity, down from 256 the previous month. This 17.6% drop was only beaten by Northern Ireland with a month-on-month fall of 26.7%; and the North East which decreased by 19.1%. In contrast, five of the nations and regions saw an increase in this type of activity (which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings). The East Midlands showed the greatest increase (up by 33.3%); followed by the South West (up by 15.4%); East Anglia (up by 12.8%); the South East (up by 10.1%); and Wales (up by 2.8%). The research from R3, which is based on an analysis of data provided by CreditSafe, also showed a less encouraging sign of economic well-being with every one of the 12 nations and regions seeing a decrease in the number of start-ups between July and August. However, Yorkshire and the Humber was among the best performing with a month-on-month fall of just 3.5%. In July there were 4,076 new businesses in the region and this fell by 142 to 3,934 in August. Other nations and regions which saw only a slight drop in the number of start-ups were East Midlands (-1%); Scotland (-1.1%); East Anglia (-1.5%); and Greater London (-3%). Those with the greatest month-on-month fall in new businesses were Northern Ireland, with an 26.9% decrease; the West Midlands with a drop of 10.6%; and the North East, down by 9.7%. “After the initial euphoria of getting the General Election behind us, it looks like there are still some tough decisions ahead before the UK economy can return to pre-Covid growth,” says Dave Broadbent, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and partner at Begbies Traynor in York and Teesside. “Unfortunately, there are no easy fixes for businesses as households continue to struggle under the strain of increased living costs. However, it is encouraging to see many of the nations and regions experiencing decreases in levels of insolvency-related activity in August compared with the previous month, and for Yorkshire and the Humber to be amongst the strongest performers. “With poor forecasts for growth in the short term, businesses should be prepared for the difficult conditions to continue and would be wise to seek professional advice at the first sign of financial pressure when problems have the best chance of being contained.”