East Midlands Green Growth triples in 9 years

Tess Egginton
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East Midlands Green Growth triples in 9 years
Green Growth activity – environmentally sustainable economic growth – from businesses in the East Midlands is three times higher than it was in 2015, according to joint research published by East Midlands Chamber and the University of Derby. Green Growth Trends research published this week by the two organisations tracks and analyses awareness and engagement with green growth, decarbonisation, and the uptake of nature-based solutions (NBS), based on responses from businesses in the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey. Findings for 2024 reveal a 7% increase from 2023 in East Midlands businesses achieving turnover from the supply of green goods and services, while more than 45% businesses in the region invested in decarbonisation initiatives over the past 12 months, an increase of 6% since 2023. The research highlights significant difference in Green Growth activity based on the size of a business. Three quarters of large businesses in the East Midlands pursue Green Growth activities but only half of small businesses do, while for micro businesses the figure drops to four out of ten. Key findings from Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands 2024
  • 7% more businesses derive turnover from the supply of Green Growth goods and services than in 2023
  • 43% of businesses trade in environmentally friendly goods and services
  • Three quarters of large businesses pursue Green Growth, half of small and four out of ten (39%) micro businesses
  • More than 45% businesses invested in decarbonisation initiatives over the past 12 months, up 6% since 2023
  • Seven out of ten large companies invest in decarbonisation
  • Just over 30% of businesses have never engaged in nature-based solutions over the last 12 months
  • Three in ten businesses have no turnover for green goods and services, 10% lower than in 2023
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “With COP29 just behind us, the publishing of this report is timely and gives assurance, on one hand that East Midlands businesses are prioritising playing their part in the journey toward Net Zero, while also highlighting how much further they still need to go. “Smaller businesses tend to be behind larger businesses, according to the findings of this research, where fewer staff and more limited resources may create a greater challenge, but it’s important that firms keep going with that mission toward becoming more sustainable and reducing their carbon footprint.” Derby Business School Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability Dr Polina Baranova said: “Seeing a 7% lift in East Midlands businesses benefiting financially by actively pursuing Green Growth is really encouraging, especially as there’s limited support nationally for businesses on their Green Growth journey. “Larger businesses are well on their way, but micro businesses are lagging behind with just four out of ten embracing Green Growth. It’s important that businesses resist ‘climate fatigue’ and don’t pull back from their effort to embrace and gain from Green Growth. “With 10% fewer businesses engaged in Green Growth than in 2023, the need to keep Green Growth high up the list of priorities is clearly underlined.”

Unilever completes £40m investment in Burton food factory

Tess Egginton
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Unilever completes £40m investment in Burton food factory
Unilever’s largest UK food factory in Burton has undergone a significant five-year transformation, bringing production of the full Unilever UK condiments business into one specialist hub in Burton. With 99% of products made at Unilever’s Burton site distributed to UK retailers, the investment will support the continued growth of Unilever’s foods business in the UK with a focus on driving supply chain efficiencies, boosting capabilities and delivering significant production growth at the site. A second state-of-the-art factory has been built alongside the existing factory, increasing the site’s footprint by 50% to 31,000 sqm and bringing production of Hellmann’s to the site, alongside Marmite, Bovril and Colman’s. Investment in digital capabilities has created a highly optimised site across two food factories and nine production lines, doubling volume alongside a 13% increase in total factory efficiency at the site in the last three years. With the final investment of the transformation complete this year on a new Hellmann’s production line, 2024 is set to be a record year for the factory, with the site producing an average of 9 million jars and bottles of condiments a month. The new factory includes state-of-the-art machinery and automation, including automated production lines using real-time data capture and analysis on the factory shop floor to boost efficiency and minimise waste, and a fully automated palletisation process, with two robotic arm palletisers and three top loading palletiser robots that pack over 1,000 pallets a day. 3D-printing machines and capabilities have also been brought in-house so standard machine parts can be replicated and replaced at speed. The investment and growth of the site has resulted in 160 new jobs at the factory whilst also supporting current employees to develop new skills in digitised manufacturing, building on the site’s 100-year history of supporting local jobs and skills. Andre Burger, Unilever UK & Ireland Foods Lead, said: “The investment in our Burton site and new factory reaffirms the site as a key food hub for British produce, making delicious condiments that are helping to create meals in homes up and down the country every day. “By bringing all our condiment production under one roof and focusing on advancing digital capabilities, we’ve really optimised our supply chain and manufacturing whilst significantly increasing the site’s capacity. “The investment has already delivered record breaking growth for the site and will be key in supporting the continued growth of our food business and market leading brands here in the UK. “This investment is a celebration of our history in Burton as well as a commitment to its future. It is testament to the continued commitment and expertise of our teams at the site that its transformation has delivered such incredible growth so quickly.” In addition to boosting productivity, the investment has accelerated the reduction of the environmental footprint of the site, with a focus on minimising food waste and reducing the carbon footprint of products. The increased use of real-time data analysis at the site has helped to halve the site’s food waste since 2021 with the remaining waste redistributed, including to create energy for the factory via the on-site biogas recycling plant or feed for local farm animals. The final-stage production of Hellmann’s 100% recycled plastic squeezy bottles – the stage at which the basic recycled plastic material is blown into the full-size distinct Hellmann’s squeezy bottle shape – has been bought onto the site. Localising these aspects of Hellmann’s production and packaging has significantly reduced lorries on the road and travel time from production to shelves, resulting in CO2 savings.

Nottingham student accommodation scheme set for expansion

Tess Egginton
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Nottingham student accommodation scheme set for expansion
SNGgroup has secured approval for the expansion of Stanley House, a Grade II listed property and student accommodation in the heart of Nottingham. The original Stanley House, acquired in December 2017, was transformed into 107 studios and completed in 2019. Now, in response to the growing demand for student accommodation, SNGgroup has received planning permission for Stanley House Phase II, which will add an additional 45 student and service accommodation units by September 2025. Stuart Singh, Managing Director of SNGgroup, said: “We are thrilled to announce the expansion of Stanley House. Our goal has always been to provide students with not just a place to live but a modern and secure home that elevates their university experience. “Nottingham’s student population continues to grow, and we are committed to meeting that demand with high-quality accommodation that is both centrally located and fully equipped with the latest amenities.” The demand for student accommodation in Nottingham has skyrocketed in recent years. This growth has made it crucial for the city to offer additional housing options. Stanley House Phase II will meet this need by adding 45 new units. The new addition will also feature a brand-new common area, available for both Stanley House and Stanley House Phase II residents, fostering a sense of community within the two blocks. Completion of Stanley House Phase II is expected in September 2025.

Joe joins Agrovista to lead glasshouse team

Stuart Pearcey
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Joe joins Agrovista to lead glasshouse team
Nottingham-based Agrovista has appointed Joe Shepherdson as glasshouse team manager to help build the company’s position in the protected horticulture sector. He joins Agrovista from within the industry, backed by eight years’ experience in glasshouse horticulture sales and a further six working for a vegetable breeder, firstly in the UK specialising in cucumbers and hydroponic lettuce, then as product manager for cucumber varieties in Western Europe. Joe said: “Over the years I have built a passion for the industry – I like the way the horticulture sector works, dealing with down-to-earth people on a face-to-face basis. “I’ve known of Agrovista for years – it is well set up and has built an excellent reputation, which makes it a very attractive place to work. The new role has brought me back to the UK market, which I had started to miss, and gives me more responsibility at management level, whilst being back on the front line with growers. I look forward working with the team and making the most of the opportunities as we move ahead.” Mike Bannister, head of glasshouse horticulture said: “Joe has been a welcome addition to the team and is already working alongside me to provide valuable managerial support in all aspects of the business. “Joe brings a wealth of experience and a fresh approach to the business as we continue to strengthen our position in the industry.”

PepsiCo launches new campaign to celebrate women in frontline roles at Leicester, home of Walkers Crisps

Tess Egginton
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PepsiCo launches new campaign to celebrate women in frontline roles at Leicester, home of Walkers Crisps
Food and drink company PepsiCo has launched a new campaign celebrating women in supply chain and operations roles at its UK sites, including Leicester, aiming to inspire more women to pursue frontline roles. As part of the ‘She Is PepsiCo’ campaign, portraits of three female employees will replace the current design on trucks used across PepsiCo’s distribution network. This will showcase the women’s major roles in bringing favourites like Sensations, Snack A Jacks and Sunbites to consumers. The campaign features Manufacturing Technicians Manjit Kaur (59), who started her career chopping potatoes at PepsiCo’s Leicester Walkers factory in 2011, and Ewa Doroslawska (36) from Coventry, whose PepsiCo career spans almost 20 years. Alex Praja (26), also a Manufacturing Technician who decided to pursue a career in engineering after joining PepsiCo, completes the group of women heroed in the campaign. The trio were nominated by their respective site directors, who were asked to highlight employees consistently going above and beyond in their roles. Each woman has also received a grant of £5,000 to donate to a local women’s charity of their choice. This month, the trucks have been officially unveiled at special ceremonies taking place at PepsiCo’s Leicester, Coventry and Skelmersdale sites, and the three charities – Women’s Aid Leicestershire, Young Women’s Trust, and Kairos Women Working Together – presented with cheques. The families, friends and colleagues of Manjit, Ewa and Alex also attended the celebrations. Alison Atkins, HR Director Supply Chain, PepsiCo UK and Ireland, said: “We’re proud to be spotlighting the incredible work of women in frontline jobs across our sites, and bringing their stories to people all over the UK. “As well as recognising their crucial role in producing some of the UK’s most-loved snacks, we hope this campaign will inspire more women to pursue careers across the supply chain. Be sure to look out for our special trucks on the roads!” Commenting on her inclusion in the She Is PepsiCo campaign, Manjit Kaur, Manufacturing Technician – Sensations, Leicester, said: “I’m very proud of this nomination – it’s something I never expected and to get this kind of recognition is amazing. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, you can reach the same goal if you have a willingness to learn and you put your mind to it.”

80,000 sq ft industrial unit sold on Sherwood Business Park

Tess Egginton
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80,000 sq ft industrial unit sold on Sherwood Business Park
Lucinda House, an 80,000ft2 industrial/warehouse unit situated on Sherwood Business Park, Nottinghamshire, has been sold. The premises comprise a modern detached industrial/warehouse unit providing a mixture of storage, production, packing and mezzanine space with offices, canteen and staff welfare facilities. The property is being sold to a nearby owner occupier as part of their expansion. Darran Severn of FHP Property Consultants said: “I am pleased the sale of Lucinda House has completed in what has been a great outcome for both our client and the purchaser.  After an initial marketing period, we were pleased to agree a sale within a matter of months. “The sale was not without its complications, but pleasingly we were able to work with all parties to resolve these and complete the sale. “There’s not much availability between 30,000ft2 and 80,000ft2 across the region on both a leasehold and freehold basis, therefore I would be delighted to hear from any property owners who have a unit of this size, as we are speaking with a number of businesses who wish to locate to a premises such as this one.” Danielle Upton of Smith Partnership who acted on behalf of the vendor said: “I am delighted to have represented our client in the successful sale of this significant industrial property, and I look forward to supporting them again on their future ventures. “I am grateful to Darran Severn at FHP for his collaborative and supportive approach to the deal, which enabled the sale to progress as smoothly and efficiently as possible for our mutual client.”

Ministers must look again at key employment proposals after sharp wake-up call from Government’s own watchdog, say small firms

Tess Egginton
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Ministers must look again at key employment proposals after sharp wake-up call from Government’s own watchdog, say small firms
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the Government to address significant concerns about its Employment Rights Bill which have been laid bare this week (Monday) in a report from the official policy watchdog, the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC). The RPC has judged that eight of the 23 individual impact assessments (IAs) for the legislation, including some of its biggest measures, were not fit for purpose. Responding to the findings, Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of FSB, said: “The RPC’s findings support the concerns that FSB has been raising about the disproportionate impacts on small employers. Red rating after red rating demonstrates that the proposed legislation has simply not been thought through. “This is a sharp wake-up call for Ministers who must think again about the dangers of a cavalier approach to jobs and work. The country cannot afford to pile further cost and risk on to small employers based on such an overwhelmingly weak evidence base. “With the red-flagged impact assessments including high-impact measures like formal dismissal from day one, the Government must urgently do the basic work required to understand the impact of its own policies and accurately quantify the likely impacts on employers and the labour market. “Parliament must step up and make sure it is challenging Ministers’ approach to such consequential legislation. Jobs, wages and living standards will suffer if Government fails to bring forward sensible policy or do the work to understand how and to what extent it is making employment harder and harder to provide.”

MD of Leicester sustainable travel consultancy named Modeshift Honorary Member

Tess Egginton
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MD of Leicester sustainable travel consultancy named Modeshift Honorary Member
Robin Pointon, Managing Director and Founder at GO Travel Solutions, a sustainable travel consultancy based in Leicester, has been named a Team Modeshift Honorary Member. This recognition was given at the 2024 National Modeshift Convention in Leeds, acknowledging Robin’s significant contributions to sustainable travel. Modeshift, a membership organisation for sustainable travel practitioners, awards the Honorary Member title to individuals who have made a meaningful impact on promoting sustainable travel. The organisation’s work addresses important global issues such as climate change, air quality, physical activity, road safety, congestion, health and wellbeing, and equal opportunities through encouraging sustainable travel choices. Robin said: “It’s great to receive this recognition from Modeshift. Sustainable travel is both a professional focus and a personal passion for me. I believe that by combining this passion with partnership working, we can address some of the most pressing health and environmental issues facing our world today.” Modeshift Chair, Ross Butcher, said: “I’m thrilled to award Robin with Honorary Member status. Each year, we celebrate individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Modeshift and the wider field of sustainable travel. “Our industry addresses some of the most critical challenges facing the world today—climate change, air quality, physical activity, road safety, congestion, health, equality, and more. With the combined expertise, experience, and passion of Team Modeshift, we can—and will—achieve incredible things when we work together. “Congratulations, Robin!” As an Honorary Member, Robin will continue to support Modeshift’s mission to increase levels of sustainable travel, advocate for best practices, and promote the growth of the organisation.

Derbyshire Specialist Aggregates acquires Resins R Us in multi-million pound investment deal

Tess Egginton
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Derbyshire Specialist Aggregates acquires Resins R Us in multi-million pound investment deal
Derbyshire Specialist Aggregates has acquired Norwich-based distributor, Resins R Us in a multi-million pound investment deal.
The acquisition brings together two of the UK’s most successful resin-bound companies and further strengthens their positions in the market. Resins R Us will continue to operate and be run as an independent division. There will be no interruptions to service or deliveries and all customer contacts and buying processes will be unchanged. Daniel Lake, Managing Director, will continue to lead the Resins R Us operation with all sales, operations and senior management teams unaffected. Sam Buckley, Managing Director of Derbyshire Specialist Aggregates, said: “We have long admired the customer service and delivery standards achieved by Resins R Us. “Combining the resources and expertise of both companies will enable us to further improve resin bound products and services and ensure all customers receive the very best – from state-of-the-art manufacturing to exceptional customer service and delivery standards. Of course, this also strengthens our national coverage with a site in East Anglia.” Daniel Lake, Managing Director, Resins R Us, added: “The Customer has always been – and will always be – our main priority. “We are so proud of our reputation for excellence in care and delivery and now, backed by the experience, resources and shared values of Derbyshire Specialist Aggregates, we have a fantastic opportunity to improve and expand that even further.” This new acquisition in Norwich adds to 8 current Derbyshire Aggregates sites across the UK including the Head Office and main production facility in Derbyshire, DALTEX Central Hub in Ashbourne, DALTEX Trade Centres in Brighouse and Bridgend, DALTEX South West Hub in Stalbridge, Dorset as well as a slate plant in Bangor, North Wales. Operations are also supported by two large dock facilities in Mersey Wharf and Goole.

Freeport and Investment Zone status boosts Nottingham and Derby’s foreign investment attractiveness

Tess Egginton
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Freeport and Investment Zone status boosts Nottingham and Derby’s foreign investment attractiveness
The East Midlands Freeport and Investment Zone have potentially helped Nottingham and Derby improve their attractiveness to overseas investment significantly – despite the current economic challenges and lower GVA growth forecasts in 2025, says a new report. The Irwin Mitchell and Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) study examines the latest changes to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attractiveness of 50 locations based on 10 economic indicators. According to the report, the Midlands’ only representation in the top 10 came from Birmingham, which ranked seventh overall. However, compared to the previous quarterly edition, there was a noticeable improvement in the fortunes of other cities in the region with Nottingham scoring 28.4 overall. Derby also improved its score to 33.5. The report says both cities are benefitting from their relative proximity to the East Midlands Investment Zone and Freeport. Investment Zones in the UK are designated areas where the government collaborates with local authorities and businesses to foster economic growth and innovation. These zones aim to leverage local strengths and untapped potential by offering a range of incentives, including tax reliefs, planning support, and business assistance. Freeports are designated areas, typically located at seaports or airports, where normal customs and tax rules do not apply. These zones offer various incentives such as tax reliefs, simplified customs procedures, and reduced tariffs to encourage economic activity, trade, and investment. The aim is to create hubs of innovation and economic growth by attracting businesses that benefit from these regulatory advantages. Bryan Bletso, Partner and Head of International at Irwin Mitchell, commented on the findings: “Despite the economy facing numerous challenges and setbacks, the level of foreign direct investment into the UK remains strong. “Our latest report provides valuable insights into the factors driving investment decisions and highlights the importance of strategic locations such as Freeports and Investment Zones. “The Department for Business & Trade’s latest statistics revealed London accounted for a third of all UK FDI projects in the 12 months to April 2024. “The findings in our report, which highlight the growing influence of the East Midlands Investment Zone and Freeport, should therefore be considered by policymakers and businesses looking to attract and retain investment in the UK. “Nottingham and Derby, in particular, are prime examples of how these strategic locations can enhance regional investment appeal.” Pushpin Singh, Senior Economist at Cebr, said: “Our findings underscore the transformative potential of Investment Zones and Freeports in reshaping the UK’s investment landscape. “Cities like Derby and Nottingham are emerging as significant beneficiaries, demonstrating how targeted infrastructure and skills development could potentially create hubs of economic opportunity.” The Office for National Statistics recently published the latest FDI statistics, revealing that the value of the UK’s inward FDI position increased by £126.8 billion, reaching £2,068 billion. According to the latest statistics from the Department for Business and Trade, 1,555 projects landed in the UK during the 2023/24 financial year because of FDI, resulting in 71,478 new jobs being created. Highlighting the dominance of London, the capital is attracting approximately the same number of FDI projects as the combined number for the Midlands, North West, North East, and Yorkshire.
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