Online recruitment events launched to support Derby businesses

A series of virtual events to help Derby businesses recruit talent launches this month (January). Derby City Council’s Economic Growth Team is introducing the monthly online sessions following feedback from employers in a variety of sectors who are struggling to recruit staff. Derby Jobs Live will give city-based employers an opportunity to showcase their vacancies and promote the benefits of working for their organisations directly to job-seekers. Where required, the team can work alongside a relevant Employment & Skills provider to offer training for the roles.
The events form part of a brokerage service from the Council’s Employment & Skills team that helps connect employers and training providers to people looking for work opportunities and training programmes.
In partnership with the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), Derby Jobs Live will be marketed to unemployed residents and employment support organisations within the City.
The launch event on January 19 will focus on the multinational infrastructure group Balfour Beatty, which has a has a major site at Raynesway delivering Plant & Fleet Service and Power Transmission and Distribution.
The Council’s brokerage service has already helped the construction giant recruit a number of CCTV operatives and trainee paint sprayers.
During the online session on Eventbrite, residents will find out first-hand what it is like to work for the company, their current live vacancies and how to apply for them and whether they could benefit from training.
Stacey Keates HR Business Partner for Balfour Beatty said: “Working with the Employment and Skills team has enabled us to access candidates within the Derby region for a number of recruitment areas within our Plant & Fleet Services business. We have already attended Careers Fairs,Training into Employment events, advertised via BBC Radio Derby and Derby Jobs Weekly, and have got some exciting events planned in already for early 2022.
“Through our partnership, we have been able to access candidates and offer employment to residents of Derby that we wouldn’t have ordinarily reached. It continues to prove an invaluable partnership and we are grateful to the Employment & Skills team for their continued support.”
Future events will feature a variety of Derby-based employers, including Neos Composite Solutions, who are aiming to create up to 150 jobs and technical apprenticeships in the city.
Cllr Evonne Williams, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills at Derby City Council said: “Derby City Council is determined to boost employment and economic recovery, including investing in skills, supporting people into work and backing businesses.
“We know from talking to businesses in certain sectors that recruitment is currently a big issue. Part of our role is to try to understand better the challenges employers are facing and work with them directly to find individuals with the right skills so they can continue to operate successfully. “The Derby Jobs Live events are one element of the support we can offer, allowing employers to speak directly to residents seeking employment, making it more efficient to recruit talent.” Register for a free place at Derby Jobs Live with Balfour Beatty

More than 150 new job vacancies at East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is recruiting more than 150 customer-facing roles within its security, car parks and passenger services teams as the airport anticipates a strong recovery in 2022.
Last week’s easing of temporary travel restrictions, which were introduced in response to the Omicron variant, has delivered a boost to the travel sector, with consumer confidence rising and bookings surging according to airlines and travel firms. The airport’s recruitment drive is in anticipation of what is expected to be a busy summer season for passenger travel. Filling vacant security officer roles is the airport’s immediate priority as new starters will need to undergo compliance training, while other vacancies will be advertised in the coming weeks. The aviation sector was hard-hit by the pandemic. However, a strong and rapid recovery is expected, and East Midlands Airport is forecasting that passenger numbers this year will reach 75-80% of pre-pandemic levels. If achieved, 2022 will be the busiest year for passengers since pre-Covid. The passenger airlines that serve EMA – Ryanair, JET2, TUI, easyJet, and Aurigny – connect holidaymakers to popular holiday-hotspots across mainland Europe, Eastern Europe and North Africa. The busiest months for passenger travel are April to October during which time two-thirds of annual travellers use the airport. Customer-facing roles such as those being currently recruited to are critical not only to ensuring safety and compliance but also for making people’s experience of travel a positive one. These roles are ‘front-of-house’ and are ideal for those who enjoy interacting with customers and working as part of a team. The hours offered are also ideal for job seekers looking for a positive work-life balance from a shift pattern. People interested in finding out more information about what it’s like to work at East Midlands Airport can join a virtual jobs fair on Tuesday 1 February 10am-12pm. Airport colleagues will be joined by representatives of other organisations based across the airport site who are also recruiting. An on-site, in-person jobs fair is planned to take place in February at the airport and EMA’s recruitment team will attend Jobcentre Plus’s virtual jobs fair on 26 January. Clare James, Managing Director, said: “After two of the most disruptive years in the history of aviation, I am confident that we will turn a corner in 2022. People’s appetite for overseas travel remains undiminished. East Midlands Airport, which is the perfect gateway for holidaymakers who want to be at the poolside, on the beach or ski slopes as quickly as possible with very little hassle, will see a surge in passenger demand this year.  We need to ensure that we have the right people in our team to be ready for this so that passengers have a positive start to their trip and that we continue providing a welcoming service for those who enjoy the ease of using our airport.” What sets EMA apart from many other airports is its cargo operation which has surged during the pandemic in response to consumer and business demand for next-day deliveries and time-critical goods which has helped with EMA’s resilience over the last two years. EMA security staff are key to the smooth running of this side of the business too. As well as joining a friendly and supportive team, airport employees enjoy many benefits including:
  • free on-site parking while on duty
  • retail discounts and savings
  • 24-hour employee assistance programme
  • MAG pension scheme which doubles your contribution
  • discounted travel on some bus services
  • discounts on MAG products such as Escape Lounges and holiday parking at airports
  • career growth opportunities
How to apply   

2022 Business Predictions: Sam Gadsby, Chief Commercial Officer at Clicky Media

It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Sam Gadsby, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Clicky Media. If the last 18 months have shown us anything, it has to be how resilient business is in our country. With such seismic shifts in societal behaviours, never in recent times have we had to adapt so significantly and at such a pace to such a broad range of challenges. I believe that 2022 will see a further resurgence of digital-first adoption by businesses in response to the changing, and indeed now established, habits of their customers. As we continue to live more of our lives and spend more of our time online, consumer expectations and demands for a more seamless on and offline experience have never been higher. Benchmarks will only continue to increase. Businesses who reacted quickly in 2020 are now benefiting from an expedited level of digital maturity and experience that would have otherwise taken many years to develop. This of course means greater competition with consumers having wider choice and buying freedom than ever before – making the continued improvement of digital strategies in businesses all the more important. Announcements in 2021 from brands such as Facebook backing their ‘metaverse’ as the successor to the mobile internet suggests further evolution is on its way and should be taken seriously. Not only are we seeing new digital-native audiences now becoming a consistently larger percentage of buying customer numbers each year, but increasingly more traditional audiences and older generations are becoming online first consumers. 2021 saw the biggest increase in global advertising spend on record, the UK representing a notable percentage of this, with digital mediums representing the highest investment area. This will undoubtedly continue to grow, most notably investment in video content and promotion alongside more immersive experiences as we crave an escape or getaway both physically and digitally. Likely later in the year as confidence grows, we’ll see consumers investing heavily in big ticket purchases, particularly again on home improvement and even more so than in 2021 on travel and leisure, as people seek real experiences to counteract the amount of time spent online (which for the average UK adult is in excess of 3.5 hours per day). In 2022 I envisage that whilst challenges will remain, as will the need for commercial adaptability, we will slowly see positive improvement in issues that have arisen from the combination of the pandemic and Brexit, across the likes of supply chain and pricing which has impeded the potential of many. I believe we’ll also see a slow down in ‘the great resignation’ as businesses set bolder ESG targets and invest in modernising approaches to remuneration, work life balance and the perks the present day workforce now prioritise. There will continue to be skills shortages in many areas, so I hope to see a greater investment in schemes and initiatives that support training and development for younger people entering the workforce and for those who want to retrain. Much like modern consumers, businesses will need to consider the conflict between convenience and conscience as both talent and customers will increasingly make decisions on ethics and the environmental/societal impact. Businesses will need to communicate more openly, with greater transparency and authenticity. Undoubtedly there will be a rocky road ahead, but I believe most businesses will have fully transitioned from a survive to a thrive mentality by the end of 2022 and for the most part have adapted for the positive.

Bramble Foods secures minority investment from LDC

Mid-market private equity firm LDC has invested in Bramble Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of fine foods, to support its organic and acquisitive growth strategy. The partnership with LDC will enable the management team to consolidate Bramble’s market-leading position by investing in the company’s product portfolio and in-house manufacturing capabilities to drive further organic growth. LDC will also support acquisition opportunities to accelerate this strategy. Headquartered in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Bramble manufactures and supplies more than 2,000 products, ranging from preserves, pickles, chutneys and sauces, to cakes, biscuits, confectionery, hampers and seasonal goods. Products are sourced from established external suppliers and an in-house manufacturing division which produces a range of preserves, chutneys, sauces and cakes. Founded in 2008, the family-run business has an extensive portfolio of 1,400 customers and supplies to a national base of independent, local retailers, and garden centres, farm shops and holiday parks. LDC is backing the existing management team, led by founder and CEO Tony Foster, alongside finance director Chris Neville and sales director Ken Osborne. As part of the transaction, co-founder Nigel Foster will retire to pursue other interests. Under their leadership, the business has delivered strong year-on-year growth. The investment was led by Rob Schofield, partner in LDC’s Midlands team alongside investment director Phil Hinson. A team from Orbis Partners, led by partner Gary Ecob and director Steve Nock, acted as lead advisors to Bramble. Tony Foster, CEO at Bramble Foods, said: “At the heart of Bramble is an unrivalled range of high-quality foods. Year on year we have increased our food production capabilities and invested in our personalisation service to offer unique bespoke products to our customers. LDC is the leading private equity firm in our region and we know our partnership with the team will help us to continue to grow our business into the future.” Rob Schofield, partner in LDC’s Midlands team, said: “Tony and his team have unrivalled experience and a real passion for delivering the highest level of service to their customers. It’s why Bramble is already one of the market-leading businesses in the sector. We’re excited to be supporting the team to deliver the next stage of their ambitious growth strategy.” Beth Mather at Gateley provided legal advice to LDC, with financial diligence provided by Ed Gray at Cooper Parry and commercial diligence provided by Michael Gell at Hullbrook. Dan Shilvock at Shoosmiths provided legal advice to Bramble.

Acquisitive Ideagen sees revenue and profit rise in first half

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Revenue and profit are up at Ideagen, the Nottinghamshire-based supplier of Information Management Software to highly regulated industries, according to unaudited interim results for the six months ended 31 October 2021. Revenue increased 33% to £38.8m from £29.2m in the same period of the year prior. Meanwhile pre-tax profit jumped from £1.2m to £5.2m. Ideagen completed six acquisitions for a combined consideration of £102m, three during the period and three completing post-period end. In aggregate, the acquisitions have added £18.4m of Annual Recurring Revenue. Ben Dorks, Chief Executive of Ideagen, said: “I am very pleased with Ideagen’s performance in the first half as we continue to see strong demand for our products from existing and new potential customers. This is testament to our people and reflects our simple purpose: making complying with regulation easy, quick and cost effective. “At our recent Capital Markets Day we set out our plan to capture more of this market opportunity and reach £200m of Annual Recurring Revenues by April 2025 through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions. We have a healthy pipeline of acquisitions to add adjacent capabilities and broaden our geographic reach, supported by our recent fundraising. “We have a strong record of identifying and integrating acquisitions that fit with our strategy, having completed eight acquisitions since December 2020, and are working hard on a number of near and medium term targets. The second half of the year has begun in line with our expectations, and we remain confident in delivering on our targets for the full year.”

190,000 sq ft warehouse takes a step forward as plans submitted

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Rula Developments has submitted a detailed planning application for the development of a new 190,000 sq ft high specification warehouse unit at J.28, M1. The proposed warehouse unit is situated on the established Fulwood Industrial Estate and will be built to high specification with strong sustainability credentials, targeting BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A rating. The warehouse will benefit from an oversized dual yard provision, 15m eaves and 50m yard depth. Subject to satisfactory planning consent, the warehouse will be speculatively delivered with a target completion date of Q1, 2023. M1 Agency and Burbage Realty have been appointed as marketing agents. Mark Hawthorne of Rula Developments said: “Having recently agreed terms for the site, we looked to quickly bring forward a planning application which, subject to a satisfactory determination, will allow us to then go on and speculatively build out the scheme. J.28 is an established and sought after occupier location and we are confident of delivering a successful development bringing forward further job creation in the area.” James Keeton of joint agents M1 Agency added: “The submission of the planning application is a positive step forward in the delivery of further new build warehouse space at J.28, which currently has a very low vacancy rate. With continued strong levels of take-up and an intention to speculatively build out, we are confident of quickly securing occupier interest.” Franco Capella of joint agents Burbage Realty finished by saying: “Fulwood 190 is fairly unique in the area in that we are offering new build warehouse space for sale or to let and an occupier the opportunity to not only lease, but buy their own brand new high specification warehouse unit. Combined with the underlying credentials of strong location and labour supply we welcome a positive planning outcome to enable the development to come forward.”

Businesses failing to support employees as 84% aren’t reporting on absences

A staggering 84% of UK businesses do not report on employee absences, despite almost half (44%) looking into retention and a third (30%) reporting on projected overhead charges, a new survey by MHR International, the Nottinghamshire-headquartered HR, payroll, finance, learning expert, finds. This means a significant majority of organisations are missing out on crucial insights that could directly impact retention rates and overheads, along with other financial and productivity levels, and employee wellbeing. According to the survey of 250 HR managers and directors in the UK and Ireland, not only are businesses failing to monitor absences, but they are also struggling with the reliability of the people data they do collect. In fact, 37% of HR departments surveyed admit they are facing challenges in accurately reporting on employee data due to not having a single source of truth. This is down to issues with the data itself, as 44% are struggling with duplicates, whilst 41% say their data is outdated, and 40% are missing information completely resulting in ill-informed business decisions being made. In addition, almost a third (32%) of businesses revealed they have no historical data to make comparisons, which makes it nearly impossible to identify patterns and trends. “Failure to report on key data, such as employee absence, result in businesses left in the dark about why productivity and profitability are going down, and most importantly why people are leaving and how to prevent it,” said Anton Roe, CEO at MHR. “Integration is key here. Joining up people data across departments will enable more informed decisions that drive a better employee experience, from wellbeing to recruitment.” Improved integration would also alleviate the time HR departments are spending on collating, analysing, and reporting their people data as the research found that 81% spend up to 59% of their time on these tasks. Along with better integration, businesses desperately need to better educate teams on how to use people data across other departments and not just HR, as one in five respondents reported that their finance teams wouldn’t know how to use people data in their roles. “Businesses need to understand that their people are at their very core, and investing in HR technology will help address the issue of inaccuracies and missed insights while freeing up time within the business that could be better spent implementing and promoting new initiatives,” added Roe.

Permanent placements in the Midlands rise at softer pace in December

The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands highlighted a softer, yet still rapid increase in the number of permanent staff appointments at the end of 2021, despite sustained reports of a shortage of suitable candidates. Temporary billings meanwhile saw a quicker uplift in December.

At the same time, growth in demand for candidates remained at historically high levels, though the pace of increase in permanent vacancies eased for the fourth successive month. Finally, inflationary pay pressures were evident in the Midlands labour market as both permanent salaries and temporary pay rates rose at marked, albeit softer rates.

The report is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.

Softer rise in permanent placements

The number of permanent staff appointments across the Midlands continued to increase at a marked rate in December. The rate of increase softened slightly from November, though remained among the highest the survey has ever recorded. Panel members often linked hiring to stronger market confidence and increased demand for permanent staff. At the regional level, the uptick in permanent placements in the Midlands was the second-fastest of all monitored English regions, behind the North of England.

Temporary billings in the Midlands rose for the eighteenth time in as many months during December. Moreover, the rate of the increase quickened from the previous survey period and was steep overall. Anecdotal evidence suggested that higher demand meant firms took on temporary staff where permanent roles could not be filled. Temp billings also increased at the UK level, while the upturn in the Midlands was the weakest of the four monitored regions.

December data highlighted a sustained increase in the number of permanent vacancies across the Midlands. Though marked overall, the rate of increase eased for the fourth successive month and was the softest of all monitored regions.

At the same time, demand for temporary staff continued to expand robustly. That said, the rate of increase eased to the softest since February. Moreover, the rise in the Midlands was the weakest of the four monitored English regions.

Permanent staff availability falls for ninth month running

Recruiters in the Midlands signalled a further reduction in the availability of permanent staff at the end of 2021. A lack of experienced candidates and elevated uncertainty surrounding the jobs market making staff unwilling to move between roles contributed to lower availability, according to panellists. While the rate of reduction was still marked, it was the softest recorded for seven months.

Temp staff availability across the Midlands fell for the tenth consecutive month during December. The rate of decline eased for the fourth month in a row to reach the softest since May. According to anecdotal evidence, there were widespread candidate shortages due to a lack of skilled workers looking for temporary work. The reduction in the Midlands was the second-softest of the four monitored regions, behind London.

Further rapid rise in permanent starting salaries

Salaries awarded to permanent new staff increased for the tenth month in a row in the latest survey period. The rate of the rise eased from November’s series record, yet remained rapid overall. Panellists attributed higher salaries to efforts to attract staff amid high demand for experienced candidates. Of the monitored regions, the Midlands recorded the second-slowest increase, ahead of London.

Recruiters across the Midlands reported a thirteenth consecutive monthly rise in average hourly pay rates for short-term staff during December. The rate of temp wage inflation eased from the record rise in November to the softest for six months, though remained robust overall. The rise in temporary pay rates was the second-slowest of the monitored regions, and slower than the national average.

Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, People Consulting Partner at KPMG, said: “The continued uptick in permanent placements and temporary billings reflects the strength of business confidence locally, which is encouraging for those looking for work in the Midlands. “However, the war for talent shows no signs of abating, and this is evidenced by wage inflation as businesses compete to attract candidates – particularly for permanent roles. “While 2021 was dubbed as ‘the great resignation’, the labour market is typically more fluid in January and with more businesses offering hybrid and flexible working options, it’s possible that the candidate supply issues we’ve seen for some time could start to ease in the coming months.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive at the REC, said: “2022 will be the year we discover staff shortages will outlive the pandemic as an economic issue. This survey shows again how tight the labour market was at the end of last year. “Demand for staff is growing across every sector and region of the UK, and candidate availability is still falling. These trends have been slowing for the past few months, but that is not surprising considering the record pace of change earlier in the autumn of 2021. “Businesses need to make sure they are reacting to the long-term challenges of this market, thinking harder about their offer to staff and how to shape their future workforce. Recruiters are ideally positioned to help employers with this, and support governments across the UK on the skills, immigration and tax reforms that are needed to keep us competitive.”

Record year for Leicestershire finance provider with £318m funding for SMEs

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ThinCats, the Ashby-De-La-Zouch-based alternative finance provider, provided a record £318 million of funding to support mid-sized SMEs during 2021. In total, ThinCats has lent more than £1.2 billion to businesses across the UK. Amany Attia, CEO, ThinCats, said: “As Covid restrictions lifted and business confidence strengthened during 2021, borrower demand switched from the short-term liquidity needs of 2020 to funding strategic growth plans, both organic and through acquisitions. Using a combination of the CBILS and RLS government-backed schemes and business as usual lending, we were delighted to provide a record amount of funding to existing and new borrowers. “An important milestone during 2021 was a £160 million investment commitment from Wafra Capital Partners which will enable us to lend more than £2 billion over the next few years of which £600 million is ready to deploy now. We also made good progress in our established healthcare and leisure specialist lending products where we passed through £200 million funding in aggregate. Funding M&A transactions was another busy area for us, particularly those involving private equity sponsors. “The economic outlook remains uncertain given the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid on top of already rising energy and input costs, ongoing supply chain disruption and staff shortages. It is unclear how long these challenges may persist, which is why businesses continue to need access to flexible funding solutions. Given such a fast-changing environment, I am really pleased that we have been able to respond quickly to the opportunities and challenges faced by our borrowers in 2021 and this will remain our top priority for 2022.”

Prime location secured for student scheme in Nottingham City Centre

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Property consultants, Box Property, has secured the strategic purchase of 7 Mansfield Road, Nottingham on behalf of long-term client Megaclose Properties to expand its portfolio and significant ownership within this part of the city centre. The prominent 21,000 sq ft multi-storey office property, built in the late 1960s, is arranged over six floors and is less than 250 metres from the city centre campus of Nottingham Trent University. Currently accommodation for multi-let offices, the property has been purchased and planning has been granted for conversion from its former office use into an 88-bed student accommodation scheme with a ground floor retail unit. Redevelopment works are expected to start imminently. Frankie Labbate, co-founder and director at Box Property, said: “The Mansfield Road property acquisition fits in perfectly with the client’s existing portfolio and its ethos to provide quality student accommodation within half a mile of Nottingham’s universities. “As specialists in buying and selling prime city centre sites with a variety of uses, we’ve worked closely with Megaclose since we set up our practice to consistently bring them off-market, prime residential opportunities to help them grow their city centre presence.” Located in Nottingham city centre on the corner of Mansfield Road and Peachey Street, it is within walking distance to Victoria Centre bus station as well as the leisure and retail facilities nearby including the Corner House and Trinity Square. It is also less than 200m from the proposed Guildhall development which is expected to include a premium hotel and student accommodation. The news comes on the back of another recent purchase by Box Property of a retail unit on Goosegate in Hockley on behalf of Megaclose. The student accommodation specialist has plans to turn the upper floors into a 27-bed development.

Work to begin on Granby Street gateway revamp

 A busy shopping street and main gateway between Leicester city centre and the railway station is set for a revamp, with work due to begin later this week. Leicester City Council will begin work to pedestrianise and improve a stretch of Granby Street between its junctions with Northampton Street and the inner ring road at St George’s Way. The aim is to create a more welcoming gateway into the city centre and help make the busy route safer and more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists. The pedestrianised area will be reconstructed to create a level surface, finished in red asphalt and a continuation of the existing high-quality block paving. Automated bollards will be installed at the entry and exit points and changes will be made to the existing contraflow cycle lane between Dover Street and the inner ring road to improve the route for cyclists. Improvements are also planned for Northampton Street, where the existing footpaths will be widened and two new loading bays created, New tree planting and cycle parking are also planned, and the installation of a new docking station as part of the city’s Santander Cycles Leicester e-bike hire scheme. An earlier proposal to close the Dover Street junction with Granby Street will be amended following feedback from consultation carried out in spring 2021. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “This part of Granby Street is a major gateway into the city centre for people arriving in Leicester by train and is a busy shopping street in its own right. It links directly to the super crossing on St George’s Way and is an important route for anyone walking or cycling into the city centre. “These improvements will make the route more welcoming and safer for pedestrians and cyclists, while having minimal impact on motorists. It’s over a decade since the underpass that ran beneath the ring road was removed and now is a good time to revisit the area and improve it further.” Work is due to get underway from Monday 10 January and will take around seven months to complete. A partial road closure of Northampton Street, from Charles Street to Newport Place, will be required from Sunday 16 January for up to 11 weeks. Work will then move further along Northampton Street, from its junctions with Newport Place to Granby Street. Well-signed diversions will be in place. Work will move onto Granby Street from spring 2022. The scheme will cost around £900,000 and will be supported through the Getting Building Fund, a pot of government funding awarded to the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) for shovel-ready infrastructure projects to create jobs and support economic recovery. Kevin Harris is chair of the LLEP Board of Directors. He said: “Granby Street is an important gateway to Leicester city centre and often the first port of call for visitors to our city. These improvements will help prioritise visitors that make the journey via public transport and help us meet our ambitious targets for sustainable transport and carbon reduction. “These improvements to Leicester’s public realm will result in a better quality of life for Leicester’s residents, increased economic opportunity for local businesses and better links to the St George’s and Cultural Quarter areas, which are vibrant parts of the city centre and key to the local economy.” Granby Street also forms part of the new High Street Heritage Action Zone. The scheme will offer grant funding to support heritage-led improvements and repairs to historic properties in the area and help bring commercial units back into use. The scheme is due to launch this summer. For more information email LeicesterHAZ@leicester.gov.uk

One of the UK’s largest food wholesalers acquired by investment firm

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London-based investment firm RDCP Group has acquired SOS Wholesale, one of the largest food wholesalers in the UK for an undisclosed sum. RDCP has acquired Derby-based SOS Wholesale, a family run business founded in 1996 by Norman Beckett and his two sons Mark and Steven. The business is one of the UK’s largest wholesalers of foods and beverages, employing 120 staff from its 70,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution centre in Derby and sales office in Barnsley. Its product range extends across 4,500 lines, selling top brands including Mars Bars, Walkers Crisps, Heinz, Nescafe, Colgate, and Fairy, delivering its products range in the UK, and exporting worldwide. The existing management team led by Mark Beckett and Vipin Patara will work closely with RDCP founders, Sameer Rizvi and Iryna Dubylovska, on SOS Wholesale’s future growth strategy. This latest deal is RDCP’s eighth acquisition in the last 18 months, following its most recent takeover of Intelling in October 2021. RDCP now controls $400 million of investments across multiple sectors in the UK. Sameer Rizvi, founder & CEO of RDCP Group, said: “This is a major milestone for us at RDCP because the four acquisitions we completed last year combined with the organic growth of our existing portfolio companies has increased RDCP Group’s assets under management to $400 million. “We were extremely impressed by SOS Wholesale and their track record of success and varied customer base which includes major national retailers as well as independents. We look forward to working closely with Mark, Vipin and their team to grow the business further and have plans to expand SOS Wholesale both organically via increased sales channels, but also by bringing bolt-on acquisitions of smaller competitors.” Iryna Dubylovska, founder & chief strategy officer of RDCP Group, said: “This acquisition reflects our strong appetite to expand our presence across different sectors and I could not be prouder of our team and our advisors. “We have ambitious plans to grow our assets under management to $1 billion by 2025 and will continue to invest our growing balance sheet capital into promising British businesses that have a consistent and profitable trading history, committed and ambitious management teams and a defendable and dominant market position within their respective sectors.” Mark Beckett, Managing Director of SOS Wholesale, said: “Steven and I are proud to be a part of one of the UK’s fastest growing private conglomerates, RDCP Group. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Vipin Patara and our management team to grow the business further, whilst retaining the family values that have made us what we are today. “It is very much business as usual for our staff, customers and suppliers. We have worked hard to build an excellent reputation of delivering exceptional service and this will continue to be a focus for SOS Wholesale moving forward.” Vipin Patara, trading director of SOS Wholesale, said: “Over the past five years working with Mark and Steven, their passion and drive to grow the business has been contagious. It is a testimony to both Mark, Steven, and the SOS team to where the business has grown to today. “The future potential is exciting for both organic growth as well as new opportunities. I am really looking forward to working collaboratively with Sameer, Iryna, Mark and the entire SOS team to take SOS Wholesale to the next level.” Roy Farmer, corporate finance partner at Dains, added: “Having built a very successful business over the past 20 years, Mark and Steven decided approximately two years ago to create a succession plan in order to facilitate their retirement. Their goal was to realise the value that they had created to date and to ensure that the business was left in the hands of a buyer who would continue to further develop the business. “We worked closely with Mark and Steven to develop their exit plan, and as part of this process spent a considerable amount of time identifying an appropriate purchaser. Having received strong interest in the SOS Wholesale business from both trade and financial investors alike, we were attracted to RDCP as a buyer for a number of reasons. “RDCP’s model of being longer-term investors in businesses, backing strong incumbent management teams and retaining the stability and culture that is embedded within a business made them stand out from the more traditional private equity model, and we quickly realised the benefits of choosing RDCP as the long-term investor in SOS Wholesale. “I am delighted with the outcome we have achieved for Mark and Steven, which allows Steven to retire immediately and Mark to work alongside Vipin for a period of time. I am confident that SOS Wholesale, under the leadership of Mark and Vipin and the ownership of RDCP, will go from strength to strength.”

Strong performance sees record quarter for Dunelm

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Dunelm, the Leicestershire-based homewares retailer, has reported a record quarter for the 13-week period ended 25 December 2021. Total sales of £407m in the second quarter were up £46m compared to FY21 and £84m compared to FY20. The company said that this “excellent performance included particularly encouraging growth from [its] stores.” Meanwhile digital sales have doubled since the pre-Covid Q2 comparative period in FY20. As a result of strong sales Dunelm now expects profit before tax for the first half to be approximately £140m (H1 FY21: £112m, H1 FY20: £84m). Nick Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted with our ongoing strong performance, which demonstrates the growing appeal of our homewares offer and includes some standout contributions from our furniture and seasonal categories. I would like to thank our fantastic colleagues and supplier partners for their ongoing commitment to serving our customers in the face of continued Covid challenges and industry-wide supply chain disruption. “Our integrated physical and digital shopping experience has transformed since we launched our new digital platform in October 2019. These advances have enabled us to reach more customers with our brand and specialist homewares product range, whilst also providing a much improved customer experience. Our digital platform and capabilities also give us more confidence and ambition for the future. “Whilst there are several macro uncertainties to be navigated, we feel well placed to continue to deliver profitable growth across all channels and grow market share as the 1st choice for home for UK homelovers.”

New Leicester City Centre residential scheme secures £8.7m

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Funds advised by Hilltop Credit Partners, a specialist funding partner for SME residential developers, have completed an £8.7m loan to Mitchian Alliance Limited for the development of 69 residential units in central Leicester. The project will deliver 53 one-bed and 16 two-bed flats and a small ground-floor retail unit next to the Waterside regeneration project, just 10 minutes from the city centre and less than a mile to Leicester train station. All residential units feature bedrooms with Juliet Balconies and are priced within the government’s regional Help To Buy limits. As part of the regeneration of the local area, which is expected to benefit from c. £80m of new investment, Leicester City Council is strictly controlling the provision of newbuild housing, creating what Hilltop believes to be a favourable supply/demand dynamic for the development. The average price of flats in Leicester has increased by c. 13% over the last 18 months, while the supply of properties for sale in the area is low. The project sponsor team is comprised of a local developer/contractor and a project manager with 40 years’ experience across multiple industries and areas, including the completion of a £13m residential scheme in Leicester city centre. Philip Mitchell of Mitchian Alliance said: “The team at Hilltop has understood our requirements from the get-go, addressed every stage of the development cycle and simplified the funding process. Their model is perfect for us as we embark upon a period of scaling our business.” Paul Oberschneider, founder and CEO of Hilltop Credit Partners, said: “A vibrant university city with great connectivity, strong employment credentials and comparatively affordable housing makes Leicester an attractive location for development. Within the city centre, the limited supply of residential property adds to a compelling proposition.”

2022 Business Predictions: Claudio Davanzo, creative director, Purpose Media

It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Claudio Davanzo, creative director at web design, creative, digital marketing and video agency, Purpose Media to get his predictions for the year ahead and what developments we are likely to see in graphic design and how brands will be evolving their marketing toolkit. The events of the last two years has led many business owners to reflect and adapt how they operate and I think this constant refinement will continue as brands take more care over their choices as to how to go to market and what to say in their promotional advertising. I believe 2022 will be a year in which motion design will gain more traction due to the exponential growth in online audiences. New digital platforms will keep being developed so organisations and their brands will evolve their online experience by creating content in animated, video, or GIF format. The use of moving image enables marketing communications to be much more engaging. By adding these additional creative layers and motion it takes the visual experience to a new dimension. With movement it is much easier to tell a story and convey key messaging that also adds personality and enables brands to differentiate themselves even further. Also, after years of minimalistic, clean and flat designs driven by digital requirements and limitations, the long period of depression caused by the pandemic is the catalyst for change creating a push for indulgence in design. Brands will begin to adopt bolder and vibrant colour palettes, gradients and more unpredictable graphic systems. Even typography will become a lot more experimental. From a social aspect, I think we will continue to see an increase in people building their online profile. People who would have previously built their network of contacts at face to face events will increasingly seek online platforms as a substitute for not being able to meet at in person events. Finally, remote working means it’s easier for talent to work from anywhere so I predict that brands and their work culture will continue to change because people have reflected on what’s important in their lives. In order to retain and attract the best talent, employers will need to evolve the workplace culture to offer a work balance that positively impacts well-being and mental health. I think we will find that flexible working that enables people to choose when to spend time with family, friends and being able to enjoy personal hobbies will be a high priority.

Investment firms come together for multibillion pound Boots bid

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A duo of major investment firms have come together to form a multibillion pound takeover bid for Boots. According to Sky News, Bain Capital and CVC Capital Partners have set their sights on the Nottingham-based retail giant and are being advised by bankers at Lazard. One of CVC’s team of managing partners, Dominic Murphy, was an architect of the £11 billion takeover of Alliance Boots by private equity firm KKR, who he worked for previously. A director of Boots’ parent company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Sky News says that Murphy is expected to need to recuse himself from boardroom discussions on the sale of Boots due to his interest in the process at CVC. It was reported in December that Boots’ parent company was considering a sale of the business, which would see it valued at over £5bn, lining up Goldman Sachs to advise it on a review of options that could see new owners for the retailer. Sky News noted that the process would be exploratory, and may not lead to an ownership change, with a floatation being considered also. A pharmacy-led health and beauty chain, Boots has over 2,000 stores and a team of over 50,000 colleagues.

Octopus Energy plugs in at Nottingham offices

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Octopus Energy Ltd has let the first floor offices at The Queens Offices on Arkwright Street to house their Nottingham-based sales and acquisition team. The building is situated opposite Nottingham Station and has recently been refurbished to provide high quality office space benefiting from a modern internal fit out that includes LED lighting and heating/cooling systems with substantial car parking facility to the rear. The building also retains some attractive architectural features from its beginnings as a 19th century hotel and sits in a prominent position facing Carrington Street. FHP Property Consultants completed the letting on behalf of retained clients. Thomas Szymkiw, of FHP’s Office Department, said: “The Queens Offices are a landmark building that has recently been saved from disrepair to offer some well needed good quality refurbished office space to the market. “After several viewings of options with Octopus Energy it was apparent that The Queens Offices ticked all the boxes in terms of location and specification to house their Nottingham-based sales and acquisition team. “I am therefore pleased that we have managed to accommodate them in the city – as I understand they were considering other locations as they hadn’t been able to find what they were looking for. “We now only have the second floor of the property available.”

Developer gifts £1,000 to local school to help fund refurbishment of dining hall

Midlands-based developer, Taggart Homes, has gifted £1,000 to Annesley Primary and Nursery School in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire as a contribution towards the refurbishment of their dining hall. The school is situated within the catchment area close to Taggart’s Forest Park development in Annesley; a new development consisting of 45 detached and semi-detached three and four-bedroom homes, and is attended by 230 children aged 3-11. The gift will be used to purchase two collapsible tables and chairs, each seating 16 children for lunch. The funding was received after the headteacher explained that the dining hall was in need of refurbishment, having previously needed to serve lunches in three sittings due to a lack of seating. Less time queuing for lunches and more time playing outside will now be the case – with the new tables alongside further tables funded by the school enabling staff to seat all children in just one sitting. Mrs Dawn Roberts, headteacher at Annesley Primary and Nursery School, was delighted with the gift and said: “This generous donation from Taggart Homes will make all the difference and we are very grateful. We haven’t been able to afford more seating until now, so to finally be able to give this to the children and staff is wonderful. “The children will now be able to spend more time outside and our staff will no longer need to do three servings at lunchtime – meaning we can get our dining hall turned around more quickly, ready for the day of activities. “The community here in the village is so strong and acts such as this is a testament to that. We want to thank Taggart Homes for their generosity and kindness this Christmas.” Michael Taggart, Chief Executive Officer at Taggart Homes, said: “We are invested in the future of Annesley with the village being so popular amongst young families, and with many of our new homeowner’s children attending the school it is our absolute pleasure to be able to gift this money. “Homes at Forest Park are designed to nestle in well with the rest of the village with modern family living in mind, each with a generous private garden, off-road parking and spacious living space, ideal for young families and professionals. We look forward to continuing to support the local community in the future.”

Revenue and profit rise at Gateley

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Gateley, the legal and professional services group, has reported “strong growth and continued trading momentum” in its unaudited results for the six months ended 31 October 2021 (H1 22). The group, which has offices in Leicester and Nottingham, has said this places it in a strong position to deliver market expectations for the full year. Revenue has grown 23.5% to £62.3m in H1 22, up from £50.5m in the same period of the year prior. Profit before tax meanwhile is up 19.5% to £7.3m from £6.1m. Revenue from consultancy (non-legal revenue services) grew substantially, increasing 33.9% to £8.3m (H1 21: £6.2m). Rod Waldie, Chief Executive Officer of Gateley, said: “I would like to thank all of my colleagues for this excellent performance in H1 22. We have delivered strong, predominately organic, revenue and profit growth on a like-for-like basis and have returned the Group to pre-pandemic profit margins. “The aggregation of complementary legal and consultancy services on our four market-facing Platforms of Corporate, Business Services, People and Property continues to differentiate Gateley, strengthen our appeal to clients and enhance our resilience. Our first segmental reporting on this basis shows strong like-for-like revenue growth in each Platform. “Our balance sheet remains strong, and we are committed to investing in our Platform strategy, to seize attractive growth opportunities. Our post period end acquisition of Adamson Jones is very recent evidence of this. Our acquisition pipeline is strong, and we are actively engaging with opportunities for further growth across each of the Platforms. “Current levels of activity are expected to continue throughout H2 22. We are therefore well positioned to deliver market expectations for the full year.”

Rolls-Royce deploy nuclear power experts to Space Park Leicester

Nuclear power experts Rolls-Royce will develop their unique expertise in energy solutions from a new base at Space Park Leicester. Staff with a pedigree in nuclear power have been deployed to the £100 million Midlands facility to expand their work on nuclear power in space. Rolls-Royce is said to be the only company in the UK with a singular focus on creating mechanical, electrical and nuclear power solutions that will be essential in tackling the challenges of the future. Space is one such challenging and growing sector in which Rolls-Royce believe power, propulsion and thermal management will play a significant role. The company intends to progress and expand these developments by collaborating closely with Professor Richard Ambrosi, Professor of Space Instrumentation and Space Nuclear Power Systems at University of Leicester and other experts, making use of their capabilities in the space arena. Abi Clayton, Director for Future Programmes at Rolls-Royce, said: “Having the opportunity to have a presence at Space Park Leicester allows us to be close to the action. It’s also incredibly inspiring to work among scientists from the University of Leicester and representatives from space-related companies.” Last January, Rolls-Royce signed an innovative contract with the UK Space Agency for a study into future nuclear power options for space exploration. This represents an opportunity to define and shape the nuclear power solutions required in space in the decades to come. Abi added: “Our innovative integrated electric power and thermal management solutions will work alongside our novel nuclear technologies, digital capabilities and engineering excellence to realise our customers’ ambitions for exploratory space missions to become a reality.” Gary Jones, Head of Manufacturing Innovation at Rolls-Royce, said: “Our presence at Space Park Leicester is a really good opportunity for our people that are specifically working on the Space Programme to immerse themselves in all things space. “Rolls-Royce is the UK’s nuclear thought leader and what we bring is unique. The expertise and just sheer innovation and brain power of some of our people is incredible and its tremendously exciting to surround ourselves with like-minded people.” Space Park Leicester has been designed to enable collaboration between The University of Leicester’s researchers and the private sector, creating high quality knowledge-based jobs, building the skills base, and contributing to economic growth and resilience of the economy. The project is being led by The University of Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). Professor Richard Ambrosi, Executive Director of Space Park Leicester and Professor of Space Instrumentation and Space Nuclear Power Systems at University of Leicester, said: “The presence of Rolls-Royce at Space Park Leicester and their work in leading the development of space reactor systems will enable Leicester researchers to collaborate with Rolls-Royce on a range of space mission concepts and technology solutions that will transform access to space for scientific and human exploration endeavours. “We welcome the opportunity to grow our portfolio of research in space nuclear power technologies, built on our heritage in radioisotope power systems.”