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Melton fulfilment firm records £6m turnover as it marks milestone birthday
Melton-based fulfilment specialist Hallmark Consumer Services has reported a year-on-year increase in annual turnover of over 10 percent to £6m, in the wake of increased demand from online retailers for its flexible fulfilment services.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the family-owned fulfilment company employs 70 people and provides a range of outsourced services including bespoke fulfilment, contract packing, direct mail, and logistics solutions.
Hallmark purchased its 40,000 sq ft headquarters in Melton in 2013 and has since invested in further extending its premises and capacity, most recently by adding an enhanced storage and shipping facility and further locations for carton picks to enable the company to expand the range and size of goods it handles for clients.
To facilitate the demand for its services, the company has also taken on a second site in Grantham, set to officially open this summer.
Commenting on the growth, Hallmark Managing Director, Philip Hall, says: “We’ve overcome many challenges in the last two years as a result of the pandemic and Brexit, but have managed to come out of the other side successfully and having secured several new clients.
“With the pandemic forcing retail companies to sell more of their products online, we saw demand for our services rocket. Fortunately, our business model and IT infrastructure are such that we can quickly scale our fulfilment services up or down in response to customer demand. It is this flexibility that our clients appreciate.”
Of Hallmark’s 30th anniversary, Chief Executive Chris Hall says: “When we first started out, I ran the business from my garage and focused on promotional sales fulfilment, before evolving into direct mail.
“We quickly expanded and over the years have taken on more and more units at the industrial estate where we are based in Melton. As E-commerce started to take off, our clients moved from printed catalogues to online shops, and this was the key driver for our growth.
“As a company, we have won numerous awards in recognition of our high level of customer service and innovation. But the biggest thrill for us is having such longstanding clients. We feel honoured that one of our clients has been with us for over 20 years.”
Philip adds: “We’re proud of the growth and development of our team and the fact we’re now one of the largest employers in the Melton Mowbray area. It means a lot to be able to contribute to the local economy and create jobs for people living locally.
“We’re looking forward to expanding our current site as well as launching our new facility in Grantham and continuing to enhance our service offering to help our clients to grow their businesses.”
22 East Midlands businesses revealed as winners in 2022 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise
Businesses representing every part of the United Kingdom and a range of sectors have been recognised by Her Majesty The Queen on her birthday as among the best in the country. This includes 22 firms in the East Midlands.
Awards have been won in the categories of International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity.
The winners in our region include: For Innovation- Elcom Ltd
- Flexeserve, a trading name and brand of The Alan Nuttall Partnership Ltd
- Imagesound Limited
- NIMBUS: THE DISABILITY CONSULTANCY SERVICE LTD
- Peak NDT Limited
- Oncimmune Holdings plc
- Qdos Broker & Underwriting Services Limited trading as Qdos Contractor
- Ampetronic Limited
- Cellomatics Biosciences Limited
- DEA Aviation Ltd
- Diamond Hard Surfaces Ltd
- Donald Ward Limited T/A Ward
- Flair Flooring Group Ltd
- Imagesound Limited
- Logi-tek (UK) Limited
- Peak NDT Limited
- PR Marriott Drilling Limited
- Unimed Procurement Services Limited
- URBAN APOTHECARY LIMITED
- Plum Products Ltd
Thomas Ward, commercial director at Ward, said: “Winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade is a huge honour for the Ward team. Our core business, which represents around 80% of turnover, is the buying, selling, processing and recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from a variety of sources, including end-of-life vehicles and arisings demolition projects.
“Over the three years to March 2019, thanks to significant investment in deep sea dock facilities and ongoing hard work of our dedicated teams, our overseas sales grew by 84%, a growth rate of 36% per annum. We were able to expand our export capabilities to service larger customers in Turkey, Egypt, India and Pakistan.”
Plum Products’ Managing Director, Paul Schaffer said that he was “extremely proud and honoured to receive the prestigious Queen’s Award.” He added: “From launching our first toy over 30 years ago to now, selling to more than 50 countries, it’s been quite a journey!
“Plum Play was set up to offer children toys that look great, are super safe and have that all-important fun factor. This award is a recognition of all our hard work and will increase opportunities for us to break into new markets and raise further awareness of the brand.”
Cellomatics’ CEO and founder, Dr Shailendra Singh, said: “It is an absolute honour to be recognised with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise and for our excellence in international trade, particularly on the year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. “Cellomatics has continuously moved from strength to strength since our inception over six years ago. We’re proud to have successfully completed over 200 projects in collaboration with approximately 70 clients in the last six years, with between 10 and 15 new clients secured each year, and around half of our clients placing repeat business. This has translated into strong revenue growth from an expanding international and diversified customer base. “None of this would be possible without the dedication of our skilled team of scientists and our shared focus, vision, and ambition to constantly improve and deliver quality results for our growing network of clients. We’re also proud to be located at the heart of the UK in the East Midlands which is a hub for thriving life sciences businesses and CROs driving innovation on an international and global scale.” For Sustainable Development- Bambino Mio
- Collaborate and Innovate Ltd – trading as Cosy
Small Business Minister Paul Scully said of Bambino Mio’s win: “Companies like Bambino Mio are outstanding examples of the entrepreneurial spirit this country is renowned for. Today, we’re recognising the contributions they make to the East Midlands and the wider community by championing sustainable development.
“I congratulate all of this year’s winners for their hard work and commitment to producing innovative products and services and wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
Winners’ awards are valid for 5 years. Winners are permitted to fly The Queen’s Awards flag at their main office and use the emblem on their marketing materials. Winners are also given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy. Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year. Eligible businesses are free to apply for one or more categories. The winners pass a robust assessment process, judged by senior officials in Whitehall and experts from industry, academia and the third sector. On that basis, the winners of The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are recommended by the Prime Minister to Her Majesty The Queen. Applications for the 2023 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise will open on 1 May 2022 and businesses are encouraged to apply.Metal recycling and waste management specialist wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade
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New jobs set for Nottingham as KAM Project Consultants opens office
KAM Project Consultants is further expanding as they move into Nottingham.
The new location will allow KAM to expand on its existing portfolio in the East Midlands where they are currently working on several high-profile projects.
The office will be headed by KAM co-founder and director, Mike Wilcock, and closely supported by senior associate, Mat Daley, and associate project manager, Nick Orton. Both colleagues are re-locating from KAM’s Leicester office, with a number of new colleagues joining in the coming months.
Mat Daley said: “The East Midlands industrial market has continued to thrive, with vast amounts of money going into new warehousing thanks to the region’s central position. The opening of the Nottingham office ensures KAM are best placed to support this growing demand and allow us to better serve both new and existing clients.
“With several of the Leicester team joining me on the move, I look forward to working alongside them to embrace new opportunities and strengthen KAM’s position as market leaders.”
Addressing the Nottingham opening, Mike Wilcock said: “We are delighted to be growing our presence and expanding our team of cost managers and project managers in the East Midlands.
“We have had great success over the last eight years delivering logistics, distribution and manufacturing facilities for both developers and customers across the UK and overseas. Opening an office in Nottingham is an exciting next step in KAM’s structured growth plan and we can’t wait to see what the road ahead brings.”
Former Freeths solicitor installed as new High Sheriff of Derbyshire
Derbyshire has a new High Sheriff who is promising to raise career aspirations of primary school pupils in the city and county.
Mike Copestake was recently installed during a ceremony at All Saints Church in Turnditch. The former corporate lawyer, who spent 26 years with solicitors Freeths, also wants to help charities that work with young people and support ex-offenders into work following their release from prison.
He said: “When I was vice-chairman of inward investment agency Marketing Derby, we would visit Cannes for the annual MIPIM; a major international property investment show. Most people thought it was a jolly but one of my proudest moments was when the Financial Times voted Derby – little old Derby – as having the best investment strategy in the world, ahead of Hong Kong and New York.
“But while this was an incredible honour, one of the biggest weaknesses in our city and in certain parts of the county is social mobility and a distinct lack of aspiration.
“The Enterprise for Education (E4E) scheme which was launched in 2014 by Derby City Council and of which I was chair until recently, does a brilliant job in helping inspire secondary school pupils with its mock interviews, career talks, and CV writing, led by manager Arshad Iqbal.
“However, through the E4E journey we came to realise that career aspirations start at primary school. The success of the London Challenge – a school improvement programme that went a long way in raising standards in the poorest areas in our capital – highlighted this and, starting with a visit to Cherry Tree Primary School in Chaddesden this month, I intend to visit as many primary schools as possible to hopefully inspire others.”
Mike hopes to visit 100 schools during his year as High Sheriff, where he will tell of a childhood ambition to become a firefighter and introduce youngsters to inspirational people from Derby and Derbyshire; people including Olympic gold medallist Hollie Webb – a former Turnditch Primary School pupil who also worked for HMRC – and ex-Alvaston Moor pupil Clive Lawrence, who grew up in a single-parent household and was awarded an OBE earlier this year for his services to education.
He has plans to become more involved with charities such as Safe and Sound, Enthusiasm and YMCA Derbyshire, who all work with young people, and the police youth engagement team. Mike is encouraging children and young people to enter the High Sheriff’s prestigious National Crimebeat Award for the most innovative and successful crime prevention projects carried out by young people.
Finalists will be invited to attend the National Crimebeat Awards Ceremony in London.
However, another passion for Mike is helping to transform the fortunes of others and following visits to Sudbury Prison in Ashbourne, he was inspired to help bridge the gap between ex-offenders leaving prison and finding employment.
According to the Centre for Mental Health, reoffending costs the economy somewhere in the region of £11 billion – but only 25% of men leave prison into some form of employment and the statistic for women in even lower at just 20%.
Mike, who is also a trustee for the Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, said: “As a corporate lawyer, you get to talk to an awful lot of people. If you ask employers in Derby if they would take in a prisoner, most say yes they would.
“However, that doesn’t seem to be happening, so people leaving the likes of Sudbury and Foston struggle to find employment. I’d like to speak to more employers in the city and county – the likes of Trent Barton, Cosy and David Nieper have already agreed to help – about helping to unlock what it takes to get prisoners out of prison and into the working environment.”
It’s clear that Mike is on a mission to leave a lasting legacy following his year as High Sheriff; a role which has evolved over time and is a far cry from what it was initially intended to be.
Dating back to Saxon times, the role of the High Sheriff is to act as the sovereign’s representative in their county. The High Sheriff would previously wield extensive powers to maintain law and order, often demanding taxes from civilians.
Now, though, those taking up the voluntary role take an active role in making a difference. There are currently 55 High Sheriffs serving across England and Wales, who are also required to attend Royal visits to their county.