Praise for personalised education as Nottingham Business School receives reaccreditation for global excellence
Nottingham Business School (NBS) has been praised for its best practice in personalised learning as part of a reaccreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
NBS was first accredited by AACSB in 2016 and has now been reaccredited for the maximum of five years. AACSB is the most recognised form of specialised accreditation that an institution and its business programmes can earn.
NBS is also accredited by EQUIS and the Small Business Charter, as well as by EFMD for its International Business courses. NBS is also an exemplar of sustainable and responsible business and management education and has held a UN PRME Champion role for more than four years.
Particular areas of excellence highlighted by the review team include the impact that NBS’ commitment to personalised learning has on the student experience and outcomes; the School’s connectedness to business and the opportunities this brings for experiential learning and employment opportunities for its students; and its culture of continuous improvement and a supportive and caring environment for students and staff.
The passion of all NBS stakeholders for research impact and sustainability was also noted, along with the impact that its research has on society – such as its work on measuring the impact of COVID-19 on the voluntary sector and involvement in a European project to minimise waste using Big Data and Internet of Things sensors.
Executive Dean of NBS, Professor Baback Yazdani, said: “I am very proud of all colleagues, students and stakeholders who have helped to achieve this reaccreditation. NBS is a truly unique business school with a philosophy of experiential learning, personalisation of our entire student experience, connected to the world of business in everything we do and of course with a very strong research and education in responsible and sustainable business.
“These pervade every area of NBS, and not only do we personalise education to the learner’s individual needs and ambitions, but our international partnerships and connectivity to the world of business mean we can offer them a range of valuable and inspiring placements, internships, industry projects at a great scale.
“I am especially pleased that the panel noted our commitment to continuous improvement. Our mission is to provide education and research that combines excellence with a positive impact on business and society, and we are always striving to introduce new innovations to achieve this.”
Derbyshire-based property group completes Derby County deal
Clowes Developments has completed a deal to buy Derby County, taking the club out of administration.
The Derbyshire-based property group has taken full ownership of the Rams after finalising a deal with the club’s administrators.
It means that the club has come out of administration, where it had been placed by former owner Mel Morris in September.
Speaking about the takeover, David Clowes, chairman of Clowes Developments, has said: “As a long-standing loyal supporter, I am personally delighted that we are in a position to be able to secure the future of the football club. This is a very proud and humbling moment for Clowes Developments.”
Councillor Chris Poulter, leader of Derby City Council, said: “This news is monumental. A buyer from Derby, doing it for Derby – we can’t ask for more than that.
“It’s now time for us to come together and work towards the long-term stability of the club.”
John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “The past few months have reinforced the importance of Derby County to the communities and economies of Derby and Derbyshire.
“Marketing Derby welcomes the purchase, which draws a line on administration and allows Derby County to start its next chapter.”
It has been a turbulent last 10 months for Derby County since it was put into administration.
Last season, the club was relegated from the Championship to League One after being deducted 21 points for going into administration and breaches of English Football League accounting rules had been accepted.
In that time, there had been a number of failed attempts to buy the club, which has faced a race against time to find a new owner before the new season starts.
However, in June, Clowes Developments announced it had bought the company that owns Pride Park Stadium from Mr Morris – and had supplied the club with an interim loan to allow it to start the coming season and trade while a deal to purchase the club was concluded.
The company also announced its intention to submit a bid to buy the club – and administrators Quantuma confirmed that it had “formally accepted” Clowes’ takeover offer, which has now gone through.
At the time, Mr Clowes said: “As a proud Derby supporter, it was inconceivable to me that the club was at risk of falling away.”
The campaign to save the Rams attracted overwhelming support, both from Derby County fans and the wider football community.
At the height of the Rams crisis, Team Derby, a group made up of Marketing Derby, Derby City Council and local MPs, was formed to highlight Derby County’s plight at local and national level, while helping move the sale of the club forward.
Mr Forkin said: “As an active member of Team Derby we have worked with Derby City Council, MPs and businesses to help move the process forward and we are especially pleased to see local ownership of the club and stadium established and congratulate David Clowes, and Clowes Developments, on his considerable investment.”
Councillor Poulter said: “Derby County is at the beating heart of our city and its communities. It plays a huge part in the social, economic and cultural fabric of the city. Alongside fans, Team Derby has worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of the club and has shared the ups and downs of the journey.
“After what has been a turbulent few months, supporters – ourselves included – are extremely hopeful. A new owner will bring clear leadership, and a vision for the club’s future, and as a proud Derby fan himself, David is a fantastic choice to bring that to fruition.”
Blueprint Interiors completes fit-out for global payment services provider in Beeston
Workplace consultants and commercial office interior fit-out specialists Blueprint Interiors has completed the six figure transformation at the Beeston site of global payment services provider Worldline. The refurbished office will now become the new HQ for all UK operations for the company.
The new space will create at least 50 new jobs for Nottingham and an all East Midlands team of contractors carried out the refurbishments which also includes digital display and office tech from TecInteractive based in Derby, 200 Degrees Coffee and R&R Hub which specialise in micro markets & workplace refreshments.
The refurbishment has also led to the donation of £137,584 worth of office furniture to the community, 816 items/35,044kg diverted from landfill and 68,291kg of CO2e avoided.
The project involved the transformation of 14,000 sq ft of office space that was previously configured as rows and rows of desks into a space which places the needs of the people using the space at the forefront of design. At the heart of the transformation is a learning and invention suite, where Worldline will host industry colleagues and customers in a state-of-the-art immersive experience. The new space offers employees not just a better working environment, but space that is conducive to collaboration.
Commenting on the investment, James Bain, CEO of Worldline UK&I, said: “The investment in making Beeston our new UK head office is a strategic decision. Its central location is ideal and we hope that by completely transforming the space that we will inspire and motivate our people, enabling them to collaborate, invent and work to the best of their abilities. The new space is better than I could have ever imagined. For me, this project wasn’t just about changing the way the office looked, but how it’s used to better support all our employees.”
Lee Jones, project manager from Worldline, added: “We are really excited to be able to bring our people back to the office with an offer that is so compelling. There are a wide range of spaces which will enable them to focus, collaborate on projects or socialise together. It really is a space in which we can create the future.”
Chloe Sproston, creative & commercial director from Blueprint Interiors, which is based in Ashby de la Zouch, added: “Worldline has been totally committed to ensuring their people, strategic partners and customers have all the tools they need to collaborate and be inventive. We have been delighted that our design consultancy, project management and fit-out expertise has helped turn their vision into reality and are really proud of the transformation we have been able to deliver on their behalf.”
Tom Bamford, commercial director from TecInteractive, added: “Workplace technology has been a central part of the Worldline office transformation. Their space is now fully equipped with the latest audio visual tools to equip their workforce and enable hybrid working. This includes a unique presentation suite with immersive technology to which they can invite customers for training and to learn more about their company. They can now explain the full Worldline story and use tech to deliver their proposition with an unrivalled wow factor.”
Acres Engineering proves there IS such a thing as a free lunch
With the cost of living crisis dominating the headlines and with budgets squeezed across the UK, one Derby engineering firm has stepped up to support their hard working employees.
Melbourne-based Acres Engineering, which specialises in manufacturing custom solutions for clients across the UK and increasingly overseas, has a team of 38 at its Castle Lane facility.
With a growing order book and busy schedules right across the team, Acres has teamed up with a local supplier, Heaths Farm Shop, who will now be delivering fresh food to the site every week.
Luke Parker, Managing Director at Acres Engineering, said: “It is no secret that the current economic climate is a challenge for a lot of people. Acres is performing very strongly, despite these global challenges but that is only made possible by the hard work of our talented team.
“We’re a family business at heart. So we wanted to do what we can to support them and when we can do that by partnering with a local supplier, so much the better.”
It isn’t just staff who can access the new lunch offering. Clients and visitors to the manufacturing specialist are always welcome to lunch, with Major Bruce Spencer, the East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association regional employer engagement director joining the team this week.
Alison Parker, HR manager at Acres Engineering, who thought up the initiative, adds: “We appreciate that the cost of living increases are hurting everybody and we really want to help our employees in any way that we can. This is one of the ways that we do things differently and demonstrates just how much we care about the employees that work for Acres.”
Software developer takes final space at Nottingham business park
A software development company has snapped up the final available premises at a now fully let business park in the East Midlands.
DIGI-Steel has agreed a new five-year lease on Unit 4, a recently refurbished 5,440 sq ft office building at Interchange 25 Business Park, Bostocks Lane in Nottingham.
The company, which delivers cloud based solutions to the steel processing fabrication sectors, is taking further space on the estate where it has been based since 2019.
It is the third letting to be completed at Interchange 25 Business Park in less than six months and follows recent deals with UK house builder, Keepmoat Homes and global packaging solutions provider, GPA Global.
Hortons’ has also agreed a five-year lease renewal with accountants Coleby Associates LLP on Unit 3, a 4,240 sq ft property near the entrance to the business park.
Jeremy Boothroyd of landlord Hortons’ Estate Ltd said all eight buildings at Interchange 25 were now let and hailed the recent spate of deals as a positive sign for the out-of-town office market.
He said: “We’re very pleased that DIGI-Steel has chosen to expand its business at Interchange 25. The letting demonstrates the company’s commitment to the location and is indicative of the excellent working relationship we have with our tenants.
“We undertook a programme of building refurbishments on the estate which has been an important factor in letting the remaining properties in quick succession and in securing good rents. The business park benefits from a superb location and good facilities, with a high quality of established occupiers.”
Mark Tomlinson, director at property consultants FHP, who marketed the estate, said: “Occupier sentiment continues to move towards securing the best quality office spaces and those landlords who have invested in their buildings to present good quality specifications, finishes and eco credentials are reaping the rewards.
“We are seeing continued rental growth in the sector for the prime end of the market and increased deal activity and I am delighted that we have now secured full occupancy at Interchange 25.”
Interchange 25 Business Park is a development of eight self-contained office buildings, located at the intersection between Junction 25 of the M1 and the A52 (Brian Clough Way) which connects Nottingham and Derby.
Office activity continues on Pride Park as private investor snaps up two-storey business premises
FHP Property Consultants have completed on the sale of 10 Royal Scot Road on Pride Park, Derby to a local investor.
The property was sold on behalf of private clients who are relocating to a larger premises close by, which shows that there is still a desire for businesses to remain in the Pride Park area.
Dan Mooney of FHP Property Consultants said: “To have concluded this sale is fantastic and I wish both the vendor and new owners every success with their respective moves.
“The need for office premises across Derby is slowly on the rise again, and it is clear to see that Pride Park remains a significant focus in Derby.
“Unfortunately, at present there aren’t many, if any, freehold options out there to cater to the interest we are currently receiving.”
Redevelopment of major industrial estate in Derbyshire backed by bespoke loan
OakNorth Bank has completed a bespoke loan to support the acquisition and redevelopment of New Stanton Park in Derbyshire.
The project is being led by Verdant Regeneration, whose management team have successfully acquired and redeveloped industrial sites across the UK for over three decades, including the recent renovation of land adjacent to the New Stanton Park site.
Its past schemes include the regeneration of several brownfield sites and the conversion of industrial warehouses to commercial offices, both domestically and overseas.
Previously the Stanton Ironworks, New Stanton Park covers over 200-acres of land between the villages of Stanton-by-Dale and Ilkeston in Derbyshire. Centrally located and a short drive from the M1 motorway, the UK’s major industrial cities of Leicester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester are all within relatively short travel distances.
The site also has its own railway, directly linked to the Midland Mainline, that can be utilised by all occupants, with East Midlands Airport, the UK’s busiest freight airport, also located only 11 miles away.
David Grier of Verdant Regeneration said: “Having acquired the site in 2020, we have worked hard across the team to quickly bring forward an outline planning application on what is one of the largest regeneration projects within the region.
“New Stanton Park offers an excellent strategic location, blending an active rail connection with strong private and public transport connectivity, plentiful labour and a large and significant power supply.
“When combined, we are confident this will result in a highly successful development with the next chapter set to positively transform and improve the area, bringing forward large-scale job creation in the process.
“This was our first time working with OakNorth Bank and we found their approach transparent throughout. Dale and the team knew the region’s industrial property market very well, meaning they were willing and able to go the extra mile to support us.”
Dale Cowdell, associate director of debt finance at OakNorth Bank, added: “With this scheme set to create up to 4,000 jobs, we’re delighted to be supporting such a positive project for the region.
“We’ve seen local demand for large logistical and industrial space increase significantly in the last 24 months, heightening the need for greater access to high-quality industrial and commercial buildings across the Midlands.
“Verdant Regeneration has been hugely proactive in its approach since purchasing the site, with the scheme’s recent successful planning application providing a major step forward for the project. We’re excited to be working with the team and look forward to supporting them on future schemes going forward.”
Burton manufacturer swoops for global business
Burton-based Doncasters, has acquired Uni-Pol, a global business specialising in the manufacture of superalloy cast parts.
This acquisition places Doncasters amongst the largest manufacturers of high-precision alloy components in the global supply chain, enhancing the future for the group, its employees, and customers.
The precision parts market is expected to reach revenues of $300 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of over 10 per cent between 2019 and 2025. Doncasters has seen the industry develop since 1778, when the company’s founder, Daniel Doncaster applied the crucible steel-making process to the manufacture of hand tools.
Since it was established, Doncasters has grown to be an international manufacturer of high-precision engineering components. Each of its eleven advanced production facilities across Europe and the US has specialist capabilities and serves a broad blue-chip client base, including Siemens, GE, Rolls-Royce, Ansaldo, BorgWarner, Garrett Motion and Cummins.
Established in 2005, Uni-Pol has four manufacturing facilities in China, India, Mexico and the UK. This acquisition means that Doncasters will have an annual revenue of over $500 million and employ nearly 3,000 people across 7 countries.
“Some time ago, we identified Uni-Pol as a natural fit with the Doncasters group of businesses,” explained Mike Quinn, CEO of Doncasters. “The additional support from the group gives Uni-Pol extensive opportunities to further develop its offering and, in turn, Doncasters will benefit from Uni-Pol’s additional expertise and technology.
“It also broadens Doncasters’ product offering, benefiting existing and new international customers, particularly those in Asia and South America.
“This is an exciting time for the Doncasters group of businesses, as we invest in upgrading our operating equipment, technology platforms and capabilities, so that we can be more efficient, accurate, timely and can compete on a wider scale. We’ll also be strengthening and developing our talent, who will benefit from the opportunities created by this acquisition,” concluded Quinn.
David Orr, Chief Executive Officer of Uni-Pol, said: “This is a fantastic new chapter in our history. This synergy is great for our people and for our customers as we focus on supplying complex, high-quality competitive products for the automotive and aerospace industries on an international scale. I’m looking forward to working together as one team, towards what looks like a bright future for us all.”
Clearbell fully lets Flintstone Portfolio with new Nottinghamshire deals
Clearbell UK Strategic Trust (CST or Clearbell), a Trust advised by Clearbell Capital, has fully let its Flintstone Portfolio, with two new leases agreed at Orchard Court industrial park in Nottinghamshire.
The Trust has agreed leases totalling nearly 18,000 sq ft at Orchard Court. This includes a 12,900 sq ft warehouse, which has been let to Dawson Group, and a 5,000 sq ft unit, now let to AF Switchgear Limited.
The lettings follow asset management work to improve the EPC ratings of the assets, to an A and B rating respectively.
As a result of these agreements, the Flintstone Portfolio, purchased in February 2022 is now fully let. The portfolio of eight properties comprise distribution, industrial and an office.
Clearbell was advised by joint agents FHP Property Consultants and Commercial Property Partners.
Alice Murray, asset manager at Clearbell Capital LLP, said: “Investor and tenant appetite for industrial and logistics assets shows no signs of abating. The strong letting activity we have seen across the Flintstone Portfolio is also testament to demand for quality assets and the importance of strong ESG credentials when tenants are making leasing decisions.”
Chris Proctor, of FHP Property Consultants, said: “I am delighted that Stuart and I have managed to conclude two lettings on behalf of Clearbell within a very swift marketing period.
“A high level of interest was achieved in both units and excellent commercial terms secured. The two units at Orchard Court provided modern good quality warehouse and distribution space within a strong location close to the A38 and Junction 28 of the M1.”
Stuart Waite, of Commercial Property Partners, said: “We are pleased to have concluded two leasing deals on behalf of our client following their recent acquisition of the estate. The units were let swiftly, at strong headline rental levels following competitive interest.
“To attract tenants the calibre of AF Switchgear and Dawson Group is a fantastic result for our client, who concluded a refurbishment programme within a tight timeframe post acquisition.”
Recognise your team’s outstanding work at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
With nominations OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s illustrious Bricks Awards, reward and recognise your teams, and boost morale, by submitting an entry.
Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening also providing the chance to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
Dan Stack, director at Chevin Homes, reflected on winning an award at the 2021 event: “We were absolutely delighted that Chevin Homes has been recognised and the Chase Farm scheme awarded as Residential Development of the Year. A great night away enjoyed by all and this award is a fitting reward for the team effort to create this bespoke development.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
