Ova-jmr, which employs 11 people and has an annual turnover of £2 million, will supply products under the trade name BST UK.

The company, which hopes to rival the likes of battery firm Saft, says new jobs will be created under the deal.

Chief executive Richard Kooseenlin, said: "BST is the biggest battery manufacturer in the world and we beat competition from many other companies to secure this deal.

"The market for batteries across Europe is huge with the potential to bring in £6 million in revenue. We believe that on the back of this deal we will be creating jobs in the future, but it is impossible to say a precise number at the moment.

"We will be targeting industry, lighting manufacturers and professional customers, as well as breaking into the consumer market for the first time."

Ova-jmr will be supplying the full range of BST consumer products.

This includes batteries for toys, household appliances - including whisks, electric toothbrushes and shavers - security systems and cordless phones.

They will also supply small consumer batteries, as well as lithium-ion polymer batteries for cameras, mobile phones and mp4 players.

The firm will sell batteries and chargers through a website.

Mr Kooseenlin added: "With people becoming more and more internet savvy, we believe this is the way forward.

"It also means we can supply the batteries at a much lower cost and people can have them in their homes the next day."

The company will also be distributing batteries for security systems and emergency lighting to electrical manufacturers.

Mr Kooseenlin said: "If one of the mains fail one of the lights stayed on powered by the battery."

BST Power was set up in 2002 and focuses on high-performance rechargeable battery research, development and production. The company is valued at around £1.5 million and exports products to Asia, Europe, South America and North America.

Ova-jmr, which was set up in 2004 and employs six people in Sheffield, also supplies lighting equipment which responds to European legislation on fluorescent lighting and fire safety. The X-tra 5 system is a fluorescent tube which replaces existing lighting tubes and enables energy savings of around 30 per cent.

The product was launched to meet the criteria of European Directive 2000/55/EC, which came into force in 2005 banning use of low-efficient, high-loss magnetic ballasts of class D from fluorescent fittings.

ova-jmr has recently secured contracts a £70,000 deal with Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and a £380,000 contract with the Eagle Centre in Derby to supply the equipment.

The company has also recently launched a PC-based control system enabling users to monitor lighting from a central location.

The Network 007 -which is aimed at facilities managers and people in similar roles - has been produced in response to a Regulatory Reform Order (RRO) and other European emergency standards. The RRO came into force in the UK in October 2006 and phases out fire certificates for all but a few high-risk sites and puts the onus on a designated person.

Ova-jmr will be using BST batteries in both these products to reduce costs for customers.

Mr Kooseenlin added: "I think we were chosen to be BST's European distributor because technically we are very good. My team has around 70 years' experience in lighting and there is a great deal of cross-over between the lighting and batteries."

Jessica.williams @ thesentinel.co.uk

21 may 2007

 Coming soon