Made In Sheffield Dot Com was established in October 1996
by Sheffield businesswoman Wendi Hebb. Wendi, a costume jeweller since 1984,
thought of the concept for Made In Sheffield Dot Com while researching ways to
market her jewellery business Jujube, based in Sheffield city centre.

She soon realised that the Internet would be a very cost-effective way
to promote her company world wide, but that the site would need a more
memorable web address than www.Jujube.com.
(‘Jujube’ actually means a small round jelly (sweeties) or a south American fruit tree.)

The answer came to Wendi in a flash of inspiration on February 26 1996
(in what is called the "Kinell factor") - why not use the internationally
recognised phrase ‘Made In Sheffield’ as a web address to market not
just her own company, but all Sheffield-based businesses?

Fast forward eighteen months and Wendi’s concept for Made In Sheffield Dot Com
had grown to include a Cyberstore, Arts Directory and Diary and Interactive Map,
with more to follow.

In November 1997, Made In Sheffield Dot Com was invited to take part in
e-Christmas – a retail site backed by Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Natwest
and UPS couriers - to sell Christmas gifts from a selection of retailers
across Europe. Made In Sheffield Dot Com’s site offered products supplied
by nine Sheffield manufacturers. And the results were very encouraging,
with orders from as far afield as Alaska, Texas and Pennsylvania.

The company’s office and Internet Gallery is based at The Craft Centre,
Orchard Square, Sheffield, S1 2FB.

To find out more about Made in Sheffield Dot Com's history,
take a look at our press releases.