Angling is the world’s most dangerous sport, claiming more lives than boxing, white water rafting and motor racing, but a Birmingham business is doing its bit to boost safety with a range of life-saving clothing.

Englands’ range of innovative marine safety clothing has already saved a reported 16 people from drowning in British waters and director Andrew England Kerr will discuss the design and innovation processes behind the company’s success when he joins a panel of innovators at a special business event later this month.

Transforming Businesses: West Midlands is being held on 31 October in Walsall as part of the Design Council’s Design in Business Week 2000 initiative.

Russell Hardy, chief executive of Birmingham based Dollond & Aitchison will look at the background to the unique Styleyes concept, which has helped to transform the company’s fortunes. Both that service and Englands’ Doctor’s Jacket have been named Millennium Products by the Design Council for the way they represent the best use of design. Also represented will be CV1 Products, a small Coventry based company which is due to launch an innovative new lamp with therapeutic and medical applications.

The event, being held at The New Art Gallery in Walsall, will be chaired by the BBC’s Mark Foster and there will also be contributions from the leader of Labour’s MEPs, Simon Murphy, and Alex Stephenson, Chair of Advantage West Midlands.

Design Council business director Harry Rich said: ‘All these companies are great examples of what businesses can do when they put effective design at the heart of their strategy and put ideas generation at the top of their agenda. We want to inspire all businesses to do the same, both by giving them first-hand examples of the kinds of gains good design can bring and encouraging a free flow of ideas and experiences.’

At the event Andrew England Kerr will describe how he saw the need for clothing with life-saving capabilities after a fishing trip when his friend was suddenly trapped in quicksand and rapidly became out of his depth. He became further convinced of the need when he went to assist a fisherman who was being swept down a river.

Two years later he started investigating the idea which led to the Doctor’s Jacket - named after his father, who was a doctor. So far, the Doctor’s Jacket has saved a reported 16 lives. And it is saving lives which motivates Andrew England Kerr more than anything else.

He said: ‘Financial rewards are one thing, but our goal is to save at least 70 more lives and then we will have achieved something.’

In April 1998 the jacket was selected by the Design Council as a Millennium Product. Andrew England Kerr says the accolade has opened many doors to the company. He has also worked closely with Business Link in Birmingham, whose proactive help has proved invaluable. He added: ‘It is vital that businesses identify the right people to work with.’

Since his initial innovation Andrew England Kerr has extended the product range dramatically. Currently 25 commercial fishermen die every year but they don’t wear life jackets because they are inflexible and heavy. Englands has patented an ultra-lightweight and breathable one-piece survival suit which fishermen can wear all day.

The company has also produced inflatable body armour for naval personnel which can withstand multiple hits from a machine gun without puncturing the life jacket. Existing models are dangerous because bullets can puncture the life jacket rendering it useless and causing mini explosions on the jacket’s surface, which can blow up in the wearer’s face.

Englands is still a family run concern but is set to bring in venture capitalists to enable expansion.

Russell Hardy, chief executive of Dollond & Aitchison, will describe how Styleyes - the company’s unique system to help customers select the best frames to suit their face and lifestyle - enabled him to implement a new customer-focused culture throughout the business.

Paul McGowen originally had the idea for what is now CV1’s therapeutic lamp while he was working as a post boy for another business, where a group of colleagues were looking for embryonic product ideas to use in a training exercise. The team worked so successfully on a business plan for the product that Paul, who had been working on the prototype for two and a half years, suggested forming a company to take the idea forward.

Since CV1, the subject of the event’s third case study, was formed in May this year it has secured funding from Sandwell Health Authority and applied for a SMART micro project grant.

Transforming Businesses: West Midlands runs from 4.30pm to 7pm and drinks and canapés. If you want to attend, e-mail: dibw2000@designcouncil.org.uk or phone 01730 235022, quoting reference WM.

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