Major Newark employer creates 40 jobs
Nottinghamshire firm Rototek is looking to fill 40 new positions at its Newark factory due to a significant increase in demand for its plastic manufacturing services.
Rototek, which has a second factory in Worksop and employs over 140 people, is one of the UKs biggest technical rotational moulding plastics businesses and creates over 100 different products ranging from sailing boats to water tanks.
With a surge of orders, the business is undertaking significant recruitment in Newark and the surrounding areas and is looking for new team members to help fulfil its order book.
The factory, on Sylvan Way off Great North Road (A1), runs three existing shift patterns throughout the week, but following a change in lifestyles for some families post the pandemic, the business has decided to introduce a new shift pattern which includes the option to work on Saturday and Sunday only – something that was not previously available.
Sean Conway, Managing Director at Rototek, said: “This expansion will significantly increase our manufacturing capacity, enabling us to broaden our portfolio of clients and products and to provide more jobs in Newark.
“We pride ourselves on being one of Europe’s leading technical rotational moulding companies and continuing to hire passionate, hard-working people who are eager to grow with the business is key to our success.
“Making the decision to open the manufacturing facility seven days a week means that we will be able to offer more shift patterns that will in turn mean more flexibility for our team members, something that has become a priority for many people post-lockdown.
“We also hope that the new shift patterns will appeal to a wider demographic of workers – attracting people who had not previously considered this type of work before to apply.
“For those who are new to the industry, we have training in place and all employees are supported in their new role. We are a friendly bunch and it’s a great place to work – we have staff that have been with us for over 20 years which is incredible!”
The company was founded in 1993 and has continued to expand since its inception and the creation of these new jobs is a significant step in the business’s growth plan.
Work to commence on new landmark £35m Art & Design building
Planning permission has been granted for a new state-of-the-art building to house the Nottingham School of Art & Design at Nottingham Trent University (NTU).
The building, designed by architects Hawkins\Brown, will create a signature presence on the university’s city campus, and is part of an ambitious plan to build on NTU’s reputation as one of the world’s leading art and design schools.
The new development will replace redundant buildings on the corner of Shakespeare Street and North Sherwood Street, exploiting views to and from the city whilst respecting the neighbouring heritage buildings.
It will enable NTU to develop its creative industries offering by bringing new technologies for film, animation, UX design, gaming and graphic design and illustration together with traditional design practice.
The building – which is 5,300 square metres – will feature a glazed ground floor entrance which will be used as an exhibition space, providing visitors with an exciting sense of arrival and offering opportunity for collaboration within the university, industry and the local community, through social open learning spaces.
There will be dedicated spaces for visual communication, moving image and digital screen disciplines as well as a cafe, Digital Innovation Lab and Black Box Studio.
The building will support NTU’s zero carbon commitment and has been designed with the aim of achieving BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and DEC ‘A’ ratings.
A future aspiration, alongside the development, is to create a nearby green space for students, colleagues and the local community to enjoy as part of NTU’s commitment to greening the city and enhancing the biodiversity of the university environment.
Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, said: “This building will enable the Nottingham School of Art & Design to become the leading art and design school in the UK, positioning us at the heart of one of the UK’s most innovative cities, creating the best talent in one of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy.
“It will expand our contribution to the creative industries and be a major driver of innovation and technology in art and design, allowing us to be at the forefront of the creative industries and building upon our heritage of the past 175 years.”
Michael Marsden, Executive Dean of the Nottingham School of Art & Design, said: “This new building pushes the boundaries, not only through the architecture and technologies used to create it, but through the courses on offer, the opportunity for collaboration, and the graduates it will produce.”
Work on the building will commence soon and is expected to be completed by Autumn 2023. This significant investment is expected to create more than 350 jobs and over an additional £1 million in student expenditure in the local economy.
Derbyshire childcare group adds to portfolio with nursery acquisition
A Derbyshire childcare business has added to its portfolio with the acquisition of a day nursery in the village of Shirland.
The White House Nursery group has purchased the former Nursery Rhymes Day Nursery from its previous owner Lin Yin in a deal arranged by Abacus Day Nursery Sales, and has refurbished and rebranded the business.
The property on Main Road in Shirland has housed a day nursery since 1992 and was acquired by Mrs Yin in 2012, from which point it traded as Nursery Rhymes. Mrs Yin recently appointed Abacus Day Nursery Sales to find a new owner, with a guide price of £299,950 to take over the business and the freehold property.
The nursery, which was rated “Good” by the regulator Ofsted at its most recent inspection, is run by a team of 12 staff, led by manager Fiona Keohane-Gaskell, all of whom have stayed on following the change in ownership. It is registered to provide 50 full-time childcare places and, in its last full financial year, turned over more than £170,000.
The new owner, The White House Nursery group, is a family-run Derbyshire childcare business established more than 34 years ago. The former Nursery Rhymes site is its sixth childcare setting, joining existing nurseries in Alvaston, Alfreton, Borrowash and Oakwood, as well as a Kids Club in Spondon which provides wraparound care for older children. All of its sites are rated “Good” by Ofsted.
Mike Morgan, director of The White House Nursery group, said the business was particularly attracted to the Shirland site by its strong local reputation and its links to schools and community organisations, as well as its spacious garden and onsite carpark.
Mr Morgan said: “I would like to thank all our parents and staff for their patience during the building work. I hope they will agree that the disruption was well worth it, and that our renovated nursery provides a fantastic, safe and enriching nursery experience for all of our children and their families.”
Although the business has no immediate plans to add to its team at Shirland, The White House Nursery does intend to begin taking on both qualified nursery practitioners and apprentices as necessary when the number of children on its rolls increases. The group is also on the lookout for other properties with potential for development.
Chelsea Melnyk, sales negotiator at Abacus Day Nursery Sales, said: “I am really pleased to have been able to find a new owner for the Nursery Rhymes business, to enable our client to move on. It is also great to see the investment being put into the site by The White House Day Nursery.
“This is part of a pattern we are seeing at the moment. While a number of founders are finding that this feels like the right time to sell and retire or move on, there are also a lot of childcare entrepreneurs who are now deciding to build their businesses by acquisition and take them to the next level.
“We have noticed these trends across the board, but demand from buyers is particularly strong for premises with a good amount of outside space, which is perhaps a reflection of the appreciation of the great outdoors many of us have gained during the pandemic. The East Midlands, too, is a region in which the market for childcare premises seems to be particularly buoyant.”
In addition to Abacus Day Nursery Sales, The White House Day Nursery received advice on the transaction from Flint Bishop Solicitors.
Business Gateway offers big ideas to support microbusinesses
The Business Gateway this week launched a new series of webinars designed specifically to support Leicestershire’s many microbusinesses to grow and thrive using new ideas.
The webinars start in early November and run weekly until mid-December. Like all Business Gateway support, they are fully Government-funded so free of charge to the microbusinesses.
At least 30 microbusinesses can take part in each webinar and the Business Gateway recommends that interested businesses sign up for all seven sessions so that they can become experts in thinking differently, developing new ideas and using customer feedback to test them before launching.
The seven webinars – each of which lasts just 90 minutes – will be delivered by local company Solvers Studio and led by founder, Carl Quinn.
Carl said: “I’m passionate about helping Leicestershire’s microbusinesses develop the skills they need to get a new perspective on business challenges; by doing this and using some simple techniques which we’ll share, a microbusiness owner can generate ideas for new products or services, test them to see which ones are viable and then launch them with a much higher chance of success.”
Carl will be supported by Lindsey Newman-Wood.
Sonia Baigent, chair of the Business Gateway Board, added: “Leicestershire’s economy is fortunate in being so varied and a massive 90% of businesses here are microbusinesses – that means they have fewer than five employees.
“With so many small businesses, it’s vital that they get the support they need to get through these difficult times and have the chance to thrive in the future.
“By helping them to learn how to generate and test new ideas, we’re giving them skills that will be useful for years to come. It’s that kind of thinking that can make the difference between surviving and not.”
The full programme of webinars is:
- ‘Problems and Priorities’ – 02/11/21 (14:00-15:30)
- ‘The Idea Generation Game’ – 09/11/21 (14:00-15:30)
- ‘Rapid Prototyping’ – 17/11/21 (10:00-11:30)
- ‘Developing products and services with users’ – 23/11/21 (14:00-15:30)
- ‘Winning at failing’ – 30/11/21 (14:00-15:30)
- ‘Implementing new ideas’ – 07/12/21 (10:00-11:30)
- ‘How to Sprint’ – 15/12/21 (10:00-11:30)
Corby warehouse complex snapped up in £21m deal
A substantial warehouse complex at Darwin Road in Corby, Northamptonshire has been acquired by a global investment and asset management company.
The site comprises five modern units of 263,586 sq ft which are predominately let to Rhenus Logistics, one of the UK’s leading freight forwarding companies with specialities including transporting groupage freight, express consignments, hazardous goods and providing warehouse services.
Other tenants include Truckeast Ltd, which is a main Scania dealership.
Acting on behalf of Longmead Capital, commercial property agent Prop-Search sold the investment for £21,000,000. The purchaser was represented by CBRE.
Prop-Search’s director, Richard Baker, said: “We are pleased to have completed the sale of this substantial investment. Rhenus Logistics occupies approximately 95% of the site and has proved to be a robust tenant for a significant number of years.
“Its long-term position and the potential for significant rental growth was very attractive to the purchasers, which was reflected in the price achieved.”
Business pledges to offset COVID impact on local environments with ambitious litter pick challenge
Midlands-based SF Recruitment has set an ambitious challenge for its employees to pick up a minimum of 20,000 pieces of litter from the local area throughout October and November.
The activity aims to clean up local parks, streets and waterways, such as Birmingham’s Lickey Hills and canal network, Nottingham’s Sherwood Forest and River Trent and Leicester’s River Soar in support of the local environment and community.
Each employee is being encouraged to take time out of their working week to collect their share of the litter and will be recycling all items, where appropriate. SF Recruitment hopes to take almost one tonne of plastic and litter out of the local environments with this activity.
Team SF will don high-vis jackets, protective gloves and biodegradable bin bags as and when they take their litter pickers to the streets. Eager to exceed the set target of collecting 20,000 pieces of litter, the company is also inviting other local businesses to get involved with similar pledges to help clean up the local areas.
CEO, Saira Demmer, said: “As an organisation, we have been pioneering environmentally friendly policies for some time now as it is a cause close to our hearts. We were disappointed to see that one of the side-effects of the pandemic has been an increase in litter in the form of disposable masks and gloves.
“This got us thinking about what we could do to help and so we decided on a company-wide clean-up to show our appreciation of the cities we work in and places we call home. With our staff working flexibly between our offices and home, we felt this was an ideal way to bring everyone together whilst covering more ground.”
Lincolnshire food manufacturer fined £130k after employee crushed in cooking machine
A Lincolnshire-based food manufacturer has been fined after one of its employees sustained two broken ribs having been crushed within an industrial cooking machine whilst working to clear a blocked water inlet.
Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard how the employee was crushed in the machine after its safety systems were over-ridden and the machine worked on whilst it was live. It should have been isolated before work on it began.
An investigation carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the task was carried out by the employees in this fashion on a regular basis and that the company should have been aware. No risk assessment of the task had been completed and employees had not been provided with a safe system of work to carry it out.
The lack of a safe system of work for the task and the company’s failure to monitor how the work was done, led employees to devise their own way of conducting the procedure which included over-riding the safety systems and using unsafe working practices.
Bakkavor Fresh Cook Ltd of Sluice Road, Holbeach St Marks Spalding pleaded guilty of one breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and were fined £130,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2607.10.
At the end of the trial HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers.
“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to this incident, alongside good monitoring of the way the work was done, the injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”
Leicester graphic design firm transfers ownership to employees
Leicester-based STB Graphic Designers has become an Employee Ownership Trust, joining a fast-growing movement of UK businesses looking to maximise their potential by empowering their staff to drive the company forward.
STB Graphic Designers began in 1988 as Stocks Taylor Benson. The business has worked with national and international brands over the years including Avon, Aldi, Next, Black & Decker, Virgin Trains, Majid Al Futtaim, Morrisons, Avanti West Coast, Baker Hughes, British Airways, Canon, Metro Bank, Centrica and Experian.
For this next stage in STB’s evolution, Glenn Taylor – currently the sole owner – is passing on a three-decade legacy by transferring 90 per cent ownership to its employees. Glenn will continue as CEO supported by the existing executive management team.
Glenn. W. Taylor MISD, FCSD, CEO and founder of STB Graphic Designers, says: “Over the years, I’ve been proud to work with some of the best graphic designers in the business. Our job is to help our clients make more money by selling more stuff – whether cornflakes or cars. Simple as that. It’s about solving the brief, beautifully, and putting our clients’ needs first.
“Becoming an Employee Ownership Trust will secure the future of STB. We are placing it in the hands of the people who have helped it grow over the last 33 years and enabling them to share in its success.”
Deb Oxley OBE, CEO of the Employee Ownership Association, says: “Congratulations to STB Graphic Designers on its transition to employee ownership securing the values, ethos and culture of the business for future generations.
“Businesses that give employees a stake and a say build trust and shared responsibility, therefore uniting leaders and employees behind a common purpose. This leaves the business in a better position to flex and adapt as the economy looks to recover and renew.”
Greg Jolley, executive client director of STB Graphic Designers, says: “We are hugely excited that STB is becoming an employee-owned business. This is the perfect opportunity to come together as a team and redefine our positioning and proposition.
“Glenn has built this thriving business from scratch. Passing his legacy on to the team will enable us to attract top talent, to work with more of the world’s leading brands and businesses, and ultimately to accelerate growth.”
Perfect storm of supply chain issues threatens a winter of discontent, says UK mid-market
As major disruption to supply chains continues across the country, Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker finds that a perfect storm of temporary and structural supply chain challenges, from changing Brexit regulations to production delays, are threatening to create a winter of discontent for UK businesses and consumers alike.
Over the last few months, the UK has been facing severe supply chain disruption resulting in delayed deliveries and increased prices. One in five of the 605 mid-sized businesses surveyed said they are finding it harder to move products around the UK and across the world because of the ongoing issues.
The research finds that there are a range of problems contributing to the disruption, but the main issues cited by respondents who said they have been negatively affected were found to be: Delays from source production facilities (23%), Changing rules and regulations from Brexit (21%) and International delays in shipping (21%).
While not ranked individually within the top issues, collectively, over half of respondents who said they have been negatively affected said problems relating to a lack of available workers was a major blocker. Including shortages in skilled (18%) and unskilled (19%) operators, and shortages in transport workers, including heavy/large goods vehicle drivers (19%), and specialist transport workers (18%).
Dave Hillan, partner and practice leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the Midlands, said: “The Midlands has always been famed for its productive capabilities, in fact much of the UK relies on this region’s ability to manufacture, store and move products. As the supply chain issues bite however, many of the businesses that rely on this easy flow of goods, materials, ideas and innovations will increasingly struggle.
“It’s clear that there is not just one problem behind the current supply chain disruption, rather an amalgamation of problems, including structural issues such as Brexit related uncertainties, skills shortages, shipping bottlenecks, pandemic pressures and production delays. It really is creating a perfect storm and the combination of these factors are having substantial knock-on effects further down the supply chain.
“There is also the potential for things to get worse for businesses before they get better. Many businesses may not be aware that they are currently benefitting from a range of phased Brexit implementations measures, including grace periods around rules of origin. With this set to change from 2022, when further border measures come into force, businesses need to ensure that they are prepared and ready, to avoid a shock and even further disruption.”
Ongoing supply chain issues are also found to be impacting profit levels across the mid-market. Over one third (39%) cited that they are facing reduced profits due to the continued disruption. Profit expectations over the next six months across the mid-market have also dropped -18pp compared to Grant Thornton’s last Business Outlook Tracker survey in August.
As businesses continue to build their recovery from the pandemic, one quarter of businesses (26%) also cited supply chain disruption as a top threat to their growth in 2022.
Dave Hillan added: “We are enduring a tough period where the panic buying of fuel, food and even Christmas toys has become part of our national dialogue, along with concerns about the rising costs of energy and consumer goods. Business confidence is clearly fragile, as they continue to try to recover from the pandemic but face an accumulation of challenges.
“Businesses are likely to be looking for reassurance that the issues disrupting their supply chains can be resolved, and swiftly. As we look ahead to the Autumn Budget next week, we need to see affirmative action from government to help businesses navigate through these challenges. And businesses will need to continue to draw on the agility and resilience they have already demonstrated so well over the past 18 months to safeguard their business through the winter and into 2022.”
James and James appoints new Chief Executive Officer
James and James Fulfilment, a Northampton-headquartered provider of outsourced fulfilment services to online retailers, has named Emma Dempsey, a leader with more than 25 years of experience in supply chain and logistics, as Chief Executive Officer.
Emma Dempsey succeeds James Hyde, founder of James and James, and will be responsible for running operations and growing the UK business. James Hyde, as founder, will focus on driving tech innovation, international expansion and driving growth of the company’s eCommerce business clients.
Prior to James and James, Emma Dempsey held leadership roles at the third party logistics providers: Clipper Logistics plc (Chief Operating Officer) and UTL – a Unipart Group Company (commercial director). Before that, she worked client side as head of supply chain development at Marks and Spencer after having spent several years with Accenture in a consulting role.
James Hyde, founder of James and James Fulfilment, says: “The continued growth of the business over the past decade means it has now reached a size where we need to take even more of a strategic and considered approach to manage our growth, as we continue to delight our clients.
“The size of our UK, US and EU operations is such that it is best run by someone with extensive experience in multi-site logistics. This experience is something Emma brings to the business in spades – our team, clients, existing and new, are already benefiting from her expertise and know-how. We’re very much excited about what the future holds at James and James.”
Emma Dempsey, CEO, James and James Fulfilment, adds: “As we emerge from COVID, and as more ‘young’ retailers become eCommerce savvy, it will be important to provide them – and other midmarket pure play retailers – with the vital capabilities to drive their growth locally in the UK – and to enable them to scale into international markets with identical, reliable, scalable fulfilment services. The blueprint that we are laying down at James and James, with our effective processes and technology, is enabling us to achieve this vision.”
Scrap metal firm fined after operating without a licence
A scrap metal firm and its director have been fined a total of more than £16,000 after trading from a site without a licence.
Attock Metals and LPG Ltd was prosecuted following an investigation by Leicester City Council’s licensing enforcement team into illegal activities at the site which traded metal worth nearly £14,000 before it was shut down.
The firm had been based at Humberstone Road since 2013, but in 2019 it moved and began trading from a new site at Kent Street in Spinney Hills, discovered by city council licensing enforcement officers. The new site was unlicensed and therefore all activities were illegal under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.
Both the company and its director, Mohammed Ibrahim Hanif, were issued with a formal closure notice under the Scrap Metal Act, meaning that by law they had to stop trading with immediate effect, including advertising for metal online and on signs at their premises.
However, officers monitoring of the company’s work over the following months found it was continuing to trade in breach of the closure notice, selling scrap metal totalling over £13,925 between February 2020 and February 2021, despite having been legally instructed not to do so. The metal was all sold locally to a larger dealer.
The matter came before Leicester Magistrates’ Court on October 13, after both the company and its sole director pleaded guilty to offences under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.
Attock Metals and LPG Ltd was fined £15,000 and was ordered to pay costs of £530.75 along with a victim surcharge of £190.
Company director Hanif was fined £1,500, together with costs of £530.75 and a victim surcharge of £150.
Leicester deputy city mayor responsible for regulatory services, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: “It is the first prosecution of its type for a scrap metal site by the city council, and I am pleased that the courts have taken this action.
“As always in these cases, we only pursue enforcement action when all other efforts to put the situation right have failed. In this instance, the company ignored the notice ordering them to cease trading without a licence, and in doing so has found itself being prosecuted.
“The investigation took place under Covid-19 restrictions which made it a difficult case for the investigating officers involved.
“Legislation around licensing exists to ensure work like this is carried out safely and lawfully, and bringing this case to court shows that we will take action against companies choosing to ignore that.”
Nottinghamshire manufacturer provides furniture & fitout for award-winning primary school and community campus
Deanestor designed, manufactured and installed a range of furniture solutions for the primary school and early years centre including benching, storage units, adjustable shelving, shoebox units, cloakroom benches, as well as loose furniture such as seating and tables. Deanestor also provided bespoke metal and wood shelving, solid surface worktops, and storage cabinets for the adjacent archive centre and registry.
All the furniture reflects the neutral colour palette for the scheme’s interior, using light grey and wood-effect finishes. This would allow colours to be expressed in children’s artwork.
Ayr Grammar and Archive Centre accommodates a primary school, early years centre, community arts centre, and is the new home for Ayrshire Archives and Registry which houses repositories for historical records and the Ayrshire fine art collection.
The £16m riverside project for South Ayrshire Council was delivered by hub South West Scotland, and main contractor Morrison Construction.
According to Allan Cunningham, Operations Director at Morrison Construction, “Ayr Grammar follows Deanestor’s successful delivery of furniture and fitout contracts on other award-winning education projects for Morrison, including Barony Campus, and we are working with them on a number of new school schemes. Their team performed well, and we are very pleased with the finished building.”
Lindsey Mitchell, Architect Director at architects BDP said, “This project is an exemplar of how the re-use of historic buildings is relevant to contemporary education. It is a fantastic refurbishment, and we hope it will be a catalyst for further regeneration of this historic area in the town of Ayr.”
The historically rich site has been the location of a school for over 400 years and the current building has been a local landmark since the 1800s. The 5000sqm regeneration project has created a modern learning environment with capacity for more than 430 children and includes innovative indoor and outdoor spaces, and a multi-use games facility.
Deanestor manufactures and installs bespoke, robust and flexible loose and fixed furniture solutions for early years, primary, SEN, and secondary education, fitting out areas such as classrooms, science laboratories, ICT, design and technology, atria, social dining spaces, break-out areas, sports facilities and changing rooms. Its experienced designers and project managers work with architects, contractors and directly with schools and local authorities, advising on specification of furniture and equipment to help deliver inspirational learning environments.
Increasing numbers of staff want to return to the office post pandemic
More needs to be done to help staff adjust to a hybrid working environment says a Lincolnshire Managing Director, as research from the University of Leeds shows a 9% increase in staff wishing to work from the office. However just 22% report their office has been redesigned to support the new flexible working regime.
Lincolnshire-based commercial interior design and fit out company APSS specialise in creating efficient workspaces to help streamline businesses. Following on from initial research in April 2021, where only 58% of staff wished to work from the office in some form (either full time or a 50/50 split), the most recent research indicates that six months on, 67% now want to have some form of office base for most of the week.
“Many of our customers are telling us that working from home is having a significant impact on the culture of the business. They want to bring people back into the office as much as they can to help revitalize the company values and the collaboration that has been harder to achieve at a distance, but most importantly to bring back the office banter.
“The longer people work primarily from home, the more disconnected they feel from the company they work for. This research shows, as we move further away from the initial impact of the pandemic, more people want to return to the office to keep that connection to colleagues and the business strong,” Laurence Barrass, MD for APSS said.
“It doesn’t matter if you have the best-looking office in the world, if you haven’t adjusted the layout to how you are now working, it can have a detrimental impact on both your staff and the efficiency of your business. But it’s such a simple thing to fix. As an employer, you need to stop, take a step back and ask, ‘What is it that no longer works?’
“Listening to your staff is key to getting the best from your workforce. Experience has shown that we want everyone to perform and produce. Making sure the office is set up right is the way you do that.
“When you know the answer to that, you can put a plan in place. This will enable your staff to be more productive and morale can quickly improve,” Laurence said.
Following a survey of more than 1,000 office workers across the UK, it appears many employers are still working things out as they go, instead of taking a planned approach.
“We can really see customers embracing a new way of working and seeing the positives in reorganizing their workspace to help them get the best from their work area and staff. We have spoken so much about how people still want the open plan office environment and culture to survive. Maybe not in the way it was pre-pandemic, but still in some form to provide the ability for staff to bond,” Laurence continued.
“Although businesses appear to be more confident with how they will work going forward, we appreciate there is still a lot of uncertainty in the air,” said Laurence. “Understandably, businesses do not want to invest a lot of money in a temporary solution. Creating a planned approach as to how to move forward and seeing what could be improved in your office, can have long term positive effects. This includes increased staff productivity, morale and efficiency.”
“It is so important to have an office that works for your business in both style and layout. There are some really easy ways to adapt your office without having to commit to a full refurbishment,” Laurence continued. “Take a step back and look at how you are now working as a team. If you’re implementing a hybrid working policy, do you now need more meeting spaces or more Zoom meeting rooms to allow for privacy when in the office? Do you need less in the way of desk space as you only have half of your staff in at any one time?
“Installing glass partitions to create more meeting space can be a huge help to businesses who need to create additional privacy and it is relatively easy to do with demountable partitions. It also means if your requirements change later down the line, these can easily be relocated if needed.”
With nearly 25 years of experience in office design, refurbishment and fit outs, APSS has helped businesses across the UK provide effective, inspirational and productive work environments. With a growing team of over 35 staff, experts are always on hand to help customers create the best working environment.
The British Business Bank Recovery Loan Scheme: David Marshall, Sterling Commercial Finance
David Marshall of Sterling Commercial Finance offers fresh thoughts on the British Business Bank Recovery Loan Scheme.
Six months ago, when I commented on the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS), the article was headed in large capital letters ‘BE PATIENT’. The heading faintly amused me as it reminded me of the words on the front of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy which had ‘DON’T PANIC’ in large, friendly letters on the front cover.
Between the British Business Bank and the various Lenders involved, it has taken far longer than CBILS for some Lenders to be fully operational with RLS. However, while back in April there were only eighteen accredited Lenders to the scheme, there are now over seventy.
Not all of these will be relevant to the needs of all businesses. Some offer only certain products, e.g., Term Loans, Asset Finance, Invoice Finance or Overdrafts. Some are specific to certain geographies and do not operate in the East Midlands and to be fair, the British Business Bank website has helpful filters that will help you narrow your search.
What is not obvious is that some Lenders are only looking to support certain transaction sizes, or to lend to businesses making a positive impact on society or the environment.
Some are focused on international trade, while others are looking to support property transactions. When it comes to security, some Lenders will only finance specific business assets, others are looking for conventional security cover and there are those that will lend on a partially or unsecured basis (albeit with Personal Guarantees).
What is clear is that it is going to take you some time to identify the most appropriate Lenders likely to support your business. Alternatively, you might contact a Commercial Finance Broker to do the hard yards for you.
Find a broker that is authorised and regulated by the FCA, is NACFB registered, and importantly does not charge an upfront fee. At Sterling Commercial Finance Ltd we operate on a contingent basis so if we are unable to help it costs nothing.
David Marshall: E: Click Here T: 07764 512 840
David Griffiths: E: Click Here T: 07850 188 046
Reasons why many people have turned to franchises during the pandemic
Over the years, there has been a steady global growth in franchises. Though this has eased slightly as a result of the general uncertainty in the world economy caused by the Covid pandemic, the trend continues. In the UK franchises contribute an annual £15 billion to the economy. In the past decade, franchises have increased by 46% and employ over 621,000 people.
Sectors such as accountancy and fast-food restaurants are almost bywords for franchising, wherever you travel in the world, you’re likely to be confronted by that familiar “M” logo in the high street. Yet they continue to show solid growth. For example, a niche Californian operator recently opened its first restaurant in London, and now plans to expand across Europe.
The educational sector may, at first sight, seem an unlikely sector for franchising until we consider how more and more English secondary schools are being transformed into independent “academies,” licensed and funded by the government. Brazil is just one country where the lucrative language school sector is increasingly dominated by franchises. In both the UK and other western countries, school closures caused by the pandemic have led to a significant rise in home tutoring, as ambitious parents fret about the possible lasting negative effects on their children’s progress. Many individual teachers who possess abundant expertise in their specialisms, and enthusiasm to pass on their knowledge, but little experience or interest in marketing and the business world, have welcomed the support given by franchisors in growing their activities and their incomes.
Hospitality is a notable growth sector, most of the familiar global hotel brands are in fact based on franchises. Who hasn’t been surprised to see a familiar hotel in their locality suddenly bearing the name of a national or global brand? Name recognition, combined with coherent marketing, tends to result in an upsurge in turnover.
Rising affluence and leisure in the western world are significant factors in many growth areas. More and more people spend several hours a week in their local gym or swimming pool. The support enjoyed by franchisees, along with their larger budgets, enables them to offer a wider range of services than their public competitors. In some cases, well-known athletes and sporting personalities have lent their names to such enterprises.
The pandemic has led many families and individuals to acquire a pet, to provide them with much-needed comfort and solace at home during successive lockdowns. Though most Brits probably still turn to their local kennels when they need to board their beloved pooch or moggy, there has been a remarkable growth in businesses offering such services as pet-sitting, grooming, “luxury hotels” for pets, and “living portraits.”
We live in an ageing population. While senior citizens still tend to be looked after by their families elsewhere, their welfare is increasingly put in the hands of professional caring establishments in the west. With national and local governments unable to cope with the demand, franchising plays a growing role in this sector, and in hospital provision.
Franchising is also seeing significant growth in the developing world and in emerging markets. As home markets may approach saturation point, ambitious operators will cast their eyes towards virgin territory. Eighty percent of the world’s population live in countries regarded as emerging markets. The US Department of Commerce estimates that, as growth stagnates in the developed world, these regions are likely to account for 75 percent of the growth in global trade over the next two decades. Franchisors must expect to face different challenges there. They need to consider carefully whether they are able and willing to tackle them.
It’s been said that “franchising only works when franchisors get wealthy by helping their franchisees get wealthy.” In other words, the rewards and risks are mutual. Success isn’t a zero-sum game; everyone benefits. So what kind of person is likely to succeed as a franchisee?
They should start by asking themselves certain key questions. Firstly, am I being true to myself? Do I know my own strengths and weaknesses? And do I know those of the sector in which I plan to operate? Is it still on the rise or has it already passed its zenith? Am I willing to take advice however unwelcome this may be? Is a franchise really the best way for me to operate in this sector? Provided they can give themselves clear-eyed answers to such questions, franchising can lead to abundant rewards.
Nottingham accounts administrator completes five fundraising challenges
A Nottingham accounts administrator has successfully completed a series of five fundraising challenges to raise money for Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby loss charity.
Over two months, Andrea completed three half marathons, a Tough Mudder and her first triathlon and raised £800 for the charity.
Previously postponed due to the pandemic, Andrea began her challenge at the beginning of August by completing the London Landmarks Half Marathon. She then went on to tackle the 10-mile Tough Mudder event 2 weeks later with colleagues from The RU Group.
The third challenge was Andrea’s first ever triathlon at the Huub National Triathlon relay; consisting of a 500m open water swim, a 15km bike ride and a 5km run.
In September, Andrea put her running shoes back on and successfully completed both the Great North Run in Newcastle and the Robin Hood Half marathon in Nottingham.
From a target of £350, Andrea raised an impressive £800 for Tommy’s; the baby charity which funds research into miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and provides trusted pregnancy advice for parents.
Commenting on her fundraising challenges, Andrea said: “Running kept me going through lockdown, so I decided to take on these challenges and raise some money at the same time.
“I chose Tommys’ as I believe the work that they do is invaluable to parents to be and research into these heart-breaking issues is so important. Although I have no further activities planned at the moment, I’m sure there will be some coming up next year!”
The RU Group is fully behind Andrea’s charitable efforts. The company encourages its employees to undertake their own campaigns for their chosen causes and supports them along their fundraising journeys.
Head of financial planning and marketing, Ian Browne, said: “It’s always great to hear news of our staff taking on fundraising activities outside of work to raise money for such worthy causes. Everyone at The RU Group is extremely proud of Andrea’s inspiring efforts over the last 2 months and we look forward to supporting her in the next challenge!”
Developer adds £12m new home scheme to Lincolnshire portfolio
A developer has revealed plans for the second in a series of new housebuilding projects it will deliver in Lincolnshire.
E5 Living UK will build 39 bungalows in a £12m scheme in Marton between Gainsborough and Lincoln. The homes at Stow Park Road — provisionally named Marton Meadows —include 31 high specification two to four-bedroom single storey properties with eight affordable housing units. Work is expected to start in early 2022.
Marton Meadows will be E5’s second house building venture in Lincolnshire to date. It is currently heading into phase two of King’s Park in Grimsby, a new community of nearly 100 new homes with retail units next to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Hospital.
E5 has also secured land in Market Rasen where it is proposing more than 70 bungalows and has further plans for an additional site in Market Rasen and one in Caistor.
The Marton homes are being designed by Lincolnshire-based architects Hodsons and will address the lack of single storey homes in the area, said E5 Director Kevin Stevens.
“There is a nationwide shortage of bungalows,” he explained. “We know from our experience in Grimsby that demand for bungalows far outweighs the availability and we’re going some way to redressing the balance with our Marton Meadows development.
“We have worked with Hodsons on King’s Park and together we bring a fresh approach to single storey living. Bungalows offer great scope for all kinds of house buyers — from young families to downsizers — and our designs reflect the preference for open plan contemporary homes.”
Work gets underway on Gedling’s largest modular housing scheme
A new development of 131 factory-built affordable homes – one of the largest of its kind in Nottinghamshire – is now underway following planning permission being granted by Gedling Borough Council.
ilke Homes, a modular housing firm who recently raised £60 million in a fundraise from a mix of public and private sector investors, is manufacturing the homes offsite for Jigsaw Homes, who will eventually own and operate the scheme.
The homes will be manufactured at ilke Homes’ 250,000 sq ft factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, before being delivered to Rolleston Drive.
The latest milestone follows news that in October 2020, ilke Homes was chosen by Nottinghamshire County Council to regenerate the nine-acre brownfield site following a competitive tender process.
The Homes England-backed scheme will deliver 45 two-bedroom homes, 73 three-bedroom homes and 13 four-bedroom homes – all of which will made available for either shared ownership or affordable rent.
The new development is one of the largest modular schemes to be funded through the Affordable Homes Programme by the Government’s housing agency.
It is Jigsaw’s first foray into delivering factory-built houses as part of its sustainability strategy and plans to reach net zero carbon by 2050. A number of the homes could also be fitted with a mix of photovoltaic (PV) panels and Air Source Heat Pumps to maximise energy efficiency.
The homes will be constructed in phases consisting of 15 properties at a time and transported to site. The first homes are expected to be in place, tested and handed over in May 2022 with all 131 homes ready by summer 2023.
Garnet Fazackerley, operations director of development at Jigsaw Homes Group, said: “This is an incredibly exciting project and one that will potentially change the way we look at development in the future.
“Not only will these homes be affordable and meet the local housing need but are beautifully built as well as being sustainable. We are proud to be working with ilke Homes and Homes England to bring innovative housing to Gedling.”
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, said: “This new scheme is breathing life into a brownfield site that has laid derelict for over six years, so it’s really great to see work beginning on site.
“As one of the country’s most forward-thinking housing associations, Jigsaw Homes Group shares our ambition of ensuring that the homes delivered are some of the country’s most sustainable and energy efficient.
“Since securing the site just over a year ago, our Midlands team have worked closely with both Nottinghamshire County Council and Gedling Borough Council to ensure the development will deliver not only best value, but also a well-designed sustainable development all stakeholders will be proud of.”
Dilys Jones, assistant director of affordable housing growth at Homes England, said: “This is one of the largest fully volumetric sites we’ve funded through the government’s Affordable Homes Programme via Continuous Market Engagement. It’s an excellent example of how this funding can be accessed and used to facilitate ambitious MMC led schemes that deliver affordable housing at scale.”
Deputy leader for Gedling Borough Council, Councillor Michael Payne, said: “I’m very pleased to see work beginning at the Rolleston Drive site. This development will breathe much needed new life to this unused brownfield site, a site which had been an eyesore for local residents for a very long time.
“One of our main priorities is to redevelop vacant or underused sites to create affordable homes and provide much needed new homes to boost the local economy. We will work together with our local housing providers to bring this development together to offer high quality, energy efficient and affordable housing for our residents and I look forward to seeing the works as they progress.”
Green light for new creative workspace on Grimsby docks
Plans have been approved for a brand-new workspace which will be created on Grimsby docks for a mixture of artists and creative entrepreneurs.
World renowned conservation architects and historic buildings consultants, Donald Insall Associates, were appointed last year to develop plans to create the new workspace, and a planning application was submitted earlier this year to redevelop a number of buildings in the Fish Dock area of Grimsby as part of the Grimsby Creates programme.
Work will now move forward on the first phase of the project – initially to regenerate three central buildings back into use, and create a new space for creative individuals and businesses, which will incorporate studio space as well as a communal space for collaboration, networking, and art installations.
The first stage of this development will be to do some initial works ahead of the winter period to secure the buildings from water ingress. Following this, a tender for the redevelopment will be released and it’s expected that the main construction work will take place from mid-2022 onwards. The Council will also be seeking an organisation to take on the day-to-day operation of the workspace once it has been completed.
Should further funding be secured, additional buildings already identified in the planning application may be developed in the future.
Cllr Callum Procter, Cabinet member for economic growth, said: “This is a really important project for Grimsby, bringing together the creative activity that’s been happening along with development of a unique affordable space for businesses and creatives to grow. I look forward to watching the space develop in the coming year.”
The buildings in question have had a long history associated with the port – from being occupied by a bank to being home to carpenters, sail printers, basket makers, engineers and boiler makers and of course fish handling companies. Some of the buildings also had to be re-built after suffering bomb damage in the Second World War.
Other buildings have associations with long-standing Grimsby employers, including Edwin Bacon, Ross and Youngs. And many sailors will have heard “Sailor Radio” on their travels, transmitted from one of the buildings in years past.
The project aims to provide a culture-led regeneration project in the historic ‘Kasbah’ area of the Port of Grimsby as part of the wider Great Grimsby Heritage Action Zone.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport funds the Cultural Development Fund which is administered by Arts Council England.
Leicestershire sustainable cycling apparel business to create 7 jobs following £500,000 funding package
A Hinckley-headquartered cycling apparel manufacturer has secured a £500,000 investment to fuel expansion and strengthen its position in global markets.
Velobici Ltd secured the funding from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) – managed by The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund and backed by the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).
The company will use the funds to bolster its workforce over the next three years, creating seven full time jobs, six dedicated to the manufacturing side of the business and a new finance employee.
Velobici manufactures and distributes high-end cycling apparel and accessories. It uses sustainably sourced fabrics and has an adaptable manufacturing strategy that helps limit excess production. The funding will also enable the company to increase stock levels to help meet demand from both UK and export markets.
Velobici is also planning to move to larger premises, which will increase production capacity and allow the company to grow its distribution channels overseas. Alongside the larger premises, a new range of cycling apparel is being developed for Spring 2022.
Chris Puttnam, founder and director of Velobici, said: “Being a keen amateur cyclist myself, I understand the importance of having the correct, high-performance cycling apparel. COVID-19 affected supply chains across the manufacturing sector, but with lockdown restrictions easing, the situation is greatly improving, enabling us to get back to ‘business as usual’, albeit with the correct safety measures in place.
“This funding has not only enabled us to maintain our workforce, but we are now back to full manufacturing strength, fulfilling current orders and scheduling new ones. We take great pride in attention to detail and all our roadwear garments are manufactured by our own master craftspeople from start to finish. The imminent move to our new premises will see capacity increased to deliver a growth in sales.”
Ann Marie McFadyen, investment manager at The FSE Group, which manages the MEIF Debt Finance Fund, added: “Velobici has a highly experienced leadership team, all committed to ensuring the business becomes carbon-neutral by 2025. Its respected high-quality ‘Made In England’ brand, being 100 per cent UK manufactured, is well respected and sought after, both overseas and in the UK by both current and new customers.
“The sector is set to continue to expand, and it is great to see the business getting ready to move to a larger production site to fulfil the increase in orders. We look forward to joining Chris and his team at Velobici on the next stage of their journey.”
Kevin Harris, chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, said: “Velobici is an innovative textile manufacturer whose products and designs are made right here in Leicestershire, keeping our historic heart of the UK textile industry very much alive.
“I’m very pleased that they have secured this funding to enable them to expand their team and invest in the future of their business. It is essential that our local innovative and sustainable manufacturers get the support and funding they need to expand, so they can offer future jobs and opportunities for local people. This is exactly what the Midlands Engine Investment Fund was set up to do.”
