A high-tech company in rural Northumberland is building a solid future thanks to help from Business Link and the North East England Investment Centre.

Haltwhistle-based Prozomix develops and supplies a wide range of enzymes and offers enzyme related products and services for the global academic and industrial research markets.

The company was set up by a small team of directors who already had successful careers in academic and industrial research behind them, and were confident that there was a huge and expanding market to exploit.

Managing director Dr Simon Charnock says: “We were confident the business would come and, as part of our previous jobs, we knew that people wanted lots more enzymes than were currently available. So we knew there was a market, and if we provided off-the-shelf enzymes lots of people would come along, try those enzymes, we would interact with them and, when they gained confidence in us, they would go for our enzyme services.”

Now the business, that is enjoying rapidly rising sales - 90% of which are exports – employs six and also has two UK research council PhD research students.

“We are looking at recruiting more staff and we have just taken on additional premises next door to double our available space. We have been using about 800 square feet of research and production space and we had to let another unit elsewhere just for storage, but now we are going to use the adjoining unit, enabling the expansion of the lab and customer services areas, a move that will also add a large storeroom and packing area,’’ says Dr Charnock.

From its foundation, Prozomix has worked closely with Business Link adviser Judith Falla to access a range of support and advice from the service. In addition to general business advice on developing the company, Business Link introduced Prozomix to the North East England Investment Centre (NEEIC), which invests public funds into business development projects, to see what funding was available to develop its services. The company received funding support towards legal fees to draw up shareholder agreements, confidentiality agreements and royalty agreements.

Project part-financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 Prozomix then approached Business Link again for further advice and guidance to develop its financial systems. After the progress meeting, Judith assessed the company’s options and referred them to access additional funding support from NEEIC for a consultant in accountancy services and to set the company up with a bookkeeping software package.

Most recently, the business has used an Innovation Voucher from the NEEIC, which has allowed the company to work with Northumbria University to research and develop a new enzyme production system. As such, Prozomix anticipates a doubling in turnover over the next two years and is close to launching an entire new product range, which it is developing in conjunction with Northumbria University.

Dr Charnock says: “Like any new business, we were very anxious to get started and, if Business Link had not been there, we could very easily have ended up with a much cheaper and less suitable website and, knowing what we know now, that would have been a disaster.

“Judith Falla is excellent and guided us through the whole process of grant application. Business Link’s help was very important to us.’’ Judith Falla says: “Prozomix got in touch with us to advise on starting up in March 2008. It has been a really good company to work with and they are now an excellent example of a rural based knowledge intensive business, demonstrating how such a company, with the advantages of modern ICT, can thrive in a rural location. Prozomix has a bright future before it and I look forward to working with them in the years to come.’’ Business Link has a team of expert advisers who offer advice, help and information to individuals and companies across the region, giving them access to the ‘business brains’ who will help to get their business idea off the ground, or grow their existing company. For further information about Business Link visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast or call 0845 600 9006.