A manufacturing firm made up of two of Sheffield's well-known industry names is taking a joint approach to its development with assistance from two city business organisations.

‘Davy' and ‘Markham' were two names synonymous with traditional manufacturing and engineering excellence in Sheffield dating back to 1830.

Two years ago the two names were combined into one company - DavyMarkham - which came close to closing, until a subsequent management buyout, forward thinking and investment saw the firm start to manufacture a turnaround.

Now DavyMarkham is forging further city links, joining Sheffield Chamber as a member and receiving assistance from Creative Sheffield.

Managing director Kevin Parkin said: "We felt Chamber membership would help raise our profile and support us as we work on our growth strategy.

"Membership may open up new areas to us like the Chamber's Training Services. It is not enough to train someone once and leave it at that. Staff morale and development and leadership skills are key issues for proactive employers.

"We see the Chamber as capable of introducing us to companies in our industry across the world and we want to develop more of a global presence.

"The Chamber's links with places like Pittsburgh are important to us. It is similar to Sheffield in that it, too, suffered a decline but has undergone regeneration and transformation and is now on the up!

"We also want to work with the Chamber and Creative Sheffield to improve and advance the image of the city's manufacturing sector and prove that it is alive and well!"

Chamber head of business development Paul Reeves said: "We are very pleased to welcome DavyMarkham as a new Chamber member and look forward to working with them and other members as we continue to support the city's manufacturing industry."