Life-changing plans for wheelchair users

Hull-based manufacturing company Cyclone produces wheelchairs which can be used for sports such as tennis.

The company expects to triple its turnover over the next three years with help from the Manufacturing Advisory Service Yorkshire & Humber.

Cyclone is the sole UK distributor of gym, fitness and advanced therapy equipment, including the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) therapy product, which was developed in conjunction with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

The foundation was set up to further the work of the late actor, Christopher Reeve – best known for appearing in the Superman films – who was a passionate campaigner on behalf of people with disabilities. Mr Reeve, who died in 2004, was paralysed in 1995 after falling from his horse.

Cyclone was founded in 1989 by Stuart Dunne, who has a background in engineering. Following a car accident in the mid-1980s, he was diagnosed as a tetraplegic.

However, he was determined to establish a company that would enable people with disabilities to enjoy an active life.

Originally based in the Wirrall, the present managing director, Dave Hawkins, who is paraplegic, joined the company in 2006 as an equal shareholder.

In 2009, Cyclone moved to Mr Hawkins's home in Ottringham, near Hull, which gave the business the space to expand. It employs 12 people and has a turnover of 1.2m.

Mr Hawkins said: "My background is joinery and I had no previous experience of running a business. I recognised that the company had huge potential but to move forward and help us achieve our ambitious goals, we needed expert advice and mentoring."

He recalled: "I suffered a spinal cord injury in 1980, aged 24, due to a road traffic accident, which left me paralysed from the waist down.

"At the age of 50, I felt I owed it to myself to see what I was capable of in terms of work, and joined Cyclone.

"Five of the team are wheelchair users. This allows us to give the ultimate response to our customers' questions and needs.

"Our target is to achieve a turnover of 3m within the next two years. We would need to be sure that we could continue to offer the very personal service we are proud of before we could raise the bar any higher."

Mr Hawkins is one of a handful of disabled people competing in motor rallying events in Britain. He drives a factory-built Subaru Impreza.

He said: "There are no 'disabled class' rallies. I simply compete with other drivers on an even footing. So I could, if funds allowed, compete against the current world champion. A typical event would have, say, 80 competitors.''

In most races, he is the only disabled driver competing.

He enlisted the help of Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) adviser Krys Szokalo, who developed a strategic plan for the business.

The key objective is to grow the company's turnover by manufacturing a new range of wheelchairs. Cyclone also plans to distribute specialist gym equipment which can be used while sitting in a wheelchair.

Cyclone is producing the lightweight TI Mirage wheelchair, which is made from titanium. Premier, a Hull engineering company, is creating the frames for the wheelchair.

Mr Hawkins said: "We now understand much more about the key aspects of running the business, and feel the sky is the limit in terms of what we can achieve."