A major business story in the ‘Steel City’ was given top priority on a regional daily this week with a striking front page design.

David Walsh’s report on a local steel giant announcing losses of almost £5m was splashed by the Sheffield Star and given a fiery poster-style front by Dean Mellor at the National World design hub.

Forgemasters, acquired by the Ministry of Defence in 2021, employs around 600 staff making forgings and castings for customers including the Royal Navy and oil and gas companies.

David’s report revealed how sanctions against Russia, high energy prices, inflation and ‘major machinery breakdown’ had led to the steelmaker losing £4.8m on a turnover of £99.4m – according to accounts for the year to March 31 2023.

The striking front page of the Sheffield Star reporting on the near-£5m losses at the Steel City’s Forgemasters plant.

The front-page image shows a steelworker in amongst flying molten spray at the firm’s Brightside plant, with the dark background making the ideal backdrop for the headline ‘£4.8m losses at steel firm’.

A strap at the foot of the page offers hope, however, with the line ‘But future still bright at iconic city firm Forgemasters, bosses say’ as it urges readers to turn inside for the full story.

David’s inside piece explains how steel bosses are confident of recovery as a major re-fit is completed and that in April, the firm landed a multi-million pound order from an American rolling mill which is set to keep the 600-employee plant busy for a year.