Chemicals manufacturer James Briggs Ltd (JBL) is launching a first-to-market anti-corrosion aerosol Primer utilising wonder material graphene.

The Manchester-based company is set to transform the automotive aerosol Primer market when the revolutionary Graphene Anti-Corrosion Primer – part of its Hycote range – hits shelves next month.

Developed in conjunction with graphene technology firm Applied Graphene Materials, the spray signals a significant milestone in the commercial use of the substance, which was originally discovered by scientists at the University of Manchester.

The new product has been specifically formulated to offer excellent resistance to corrosion, with tests demonstrating an impressive up to 10 fold increase in corrosion protection when compared to a standard primer.

Jim Miller, Commercial Director at James Briggs Ltd, said: “This is an incredibly exciting launch for us that has the real potential to revolutionise the aerosol primer market. We’ve known for some time that graphene is a real ‘wonder material’, but its ability to add such powerful anti-corrosion properties to an aerosol Primer has not been thoroughly explored until now.

“We have carried out an intensive programme of testing to ensure that we are bringing a significantly improved level of protection against corrosion and, importantly, that we are not compromising on quality or the product’s other key attributes.

“Our development included aggressive testing regimes such as industry standard salt spray testing over many hours and we’re extremely proud of the massive difference in durability when compared to standard products.”

Founded in Manchester in 1830 at the height of the industrial revolution, JBL has built a reputation as a service-led, industrial aerosol manufacturer, specialising in the supply of paints and lubricants for retail, consumer and trade markets.

Based across two sites in Royton and Chadderton, it distributes 60 million aerosols of high performance product every year, counting household name brand WD-40 as one of its major customers.

The company will roll out its first run of Hycote Graphene Anti-Corrosion Primer at retailers such as Tetrosyl Express, with plans now underway to develop the product into both Private Label ranges and the next phase of new products.

Jim added: “We’re extremely proud to be able to bring forward this first-to-market product, created in the city where graphene was first discovered, and we are now looking for the next step-change in the performance of our other products that graphene can bring.”

In Touch, a Manchester-based global coaching and development network for elite business professionals, has been ranked at No. 30 in the Sunday Times Hiscox ‘Tech Track 100’ league table.

The table, which was unveiled in the Sunday Times on Sunday 8^th September, highlights Britain’s fastest-growing private technology companies.

It is the first time In Touch has placed on the list and follows a period of unparalleled growth for the company of more than 98 per cent over the past three years, with sales in excess of £7.4 million up to February 2019.

Founded in 2013, In Touch provides a networking, coaching and training platform for elite business professionals and supports the recruitment and personal development of non-executive directors, consultants and directors.

The company’s phenomenal growth is due, in part, to their recent acquisition of leading leadership and corporate coaching organisation, RTC, as well as the opening of its first international base in Chicago. The company has also expanded its product offering over recent years to meet the growing needs of their members.

The rapid growth of the company has seen it embark on a major new recruitment drive, with the aim of scaling its Manchester-based team by more than 30 per cent.

In Touch CEO, Matthew Roberts, said: “We’re all incredibly proud to have made it onto the Tech Track 100 list, and to have ranked so highly on our first entry is amazing. We value our team and what they’re doing for our members every day, and we could not have achieved this recognition without each and every one of them.

“We’ve come an incredibly long way since 2013 when we were just a team of six. Our growth and expansion over this time, especially in the last three years, is a testament to the driven and talented team we have here and the support they provide our members.

“We have bold plans for further growth, expanding our international offering as well as developing our UK-based teams – delivering on the aspects our members expect of us but also surpassing their expectations to ensure our network grows and we’re always adding value to their careers.”

Alpine Fire Engineers are celebrating a series of recent successes – 36% YOY growth to over £19m, office relocation to accommodate a doubled workforce, and several award nominations in recognition of their impressive achievements and employee-focused initiatives.

Alpine Fire Engineers are specialist providers in Design, Project Management and Maintenance of active fire suppression systems.

May 2019, their operations were moved from the village of Littleborough where they employed 30 people, to the new premises in Bury to accommodate the fast growth of their expert team. Now in excess of 60 colleagues, the team includes a number of home-grown talents in both the design and service engineering teams.

The move was celebrated in July 2019 when the family-focused business opened its doors to friends and family, revealing their newly refurbished open plan ‘connected’ space where knowledge share and camaraderie is encouraged.

Their new location was based on the analysis of all existing employees to minimise any impact on their journeys – an important consideration for a company that values the wellbeing of its employees.

Figures for financial year 18/19 show the business has already exceeded growth expectations against their five-year business plan.

Steven Nanda, CEO commented:

“Alpine has invested heavily in creating a dynamic and progressive environment for all to thrive in readiness for our aspirational growth plans.

Whilst we have delivered outstanding financial results our greatest success is the creation of trainee roles and development pathways for all our staff – reconnecting engineering with the young talent of today and embracing the very latest technology in delivering life safety and risk management for our customers…’’

In recognition of the impressive achievements, they have been nominated for local business awards, alongside Steven Nanda being nominated for Transformational Leader and Empowering Potential Leader in the Northern Leadership Awards 2019.