Manchester plastic products firm acquires Nottinghamshire business

Tess Egginton
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Manchester plastic products firm acquires Nottinghamshire business
Coral Products, a specialist in the design, manufacture and supply of plastic products based in Wythenshawe, Manchester, has acquired Ecodeck Grids Limited (Ecodeck) in a deal worth up to £5.6m. Nottinghamshire-based Ecodeck supply a range of building and landscape products from driveway grids, gravel pathway grids to plastic shed bases and grass grid reinforcement. The range of products are all environmentally and eco-friendly being made from 100% recycled plastic. It is currently owned by Matthew and Kelly Staples. Ecodeck, which is based in Sutton-in-Ashfield will continue to operate from its existing premises. According to unaudited financial statements for the year ended 30 January 2022, Ecodeck’s sales were £6.8 million, profit after tax was £0.9 million and net asset value was £1.9 million. Executive chairman of Coral Products, Joe Grimmond, said: “This acquisition further reinforces our focus on niche, specialist operators in the plastics sector. We have an opportunity to leverage Ecodeck’s on-line platform for other group eco-friendly products. “We see significant scope to add value as we integrate the business into the group – the acquisition continues to broaden our group’s product offering and greatly enhances our available market opportunities. We expect this acquisition will be earnings enhancing in its first year.”

Major Nottingham residential scheme reaching to 22 storeys recommended for approval

Tess Egginton
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Major Nottingham residential scheme reaching to 22 storeys recommended for approval
Plans for a major mixed residential development in Nottingham, comprising a 22 storey tower, 9 storey building and 12 storey building, have been recommended for approval. If given the green light the scheme would be constructed on Queens Road to provide student accommodation and apartments. Until recently the development site contained four single storey industrial units. These have now been demolished. The new development would consist of a purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) building with 406 beds, and two buildings containing a total of 238 Build to Rent (BTR) apartments. The developer is proposing to build the PBSA as phase I and the BTR buildings as phase II.

Legal 500 Directory highly ranks Sills & Betteridge LLP

Tess Egginton
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Legal 500 Directory highly ranks Sills & Betteridge LLP

In another proud announcement from Sills & Betteridge LLP, it has revealed news of its latest results in the world’s leading legal directory The Legal 500. The prestigious 30 year old directory which ranks law firms based on in-depth feedback from clients and peers has reaffirmed Sills & Betteridge LLP’s position as one of the region’s top legal services providers, by again recognising it as a ‘Leading Law Firm’. With acknowledgement for being ‘exceptionally experienced and well regarded’, their family law team achieved Tier 1 status for the first time and all other service areas submitted held their positions in the tier rankings. 15 lawyers across 7 practice areas were given special individual mention for their standout contributions in their field, including corporate lawyer James Conduit who retained his position as a Leading Individual, and family lawyer Chrystal Theofanous who was newly recognised in the same category for her specialist work in the fields of international child abduction, forced marriage prevention, complex care proceedings, domestic abuse and public law children matters. Siobhan Thompson, also a family lawyer, received the accolade of Next Generation Partner following testimonials about her work from leading barristers and clients including praise for being among the most devoted and committed solicitors they had ever worked with. Tax partner David Wood and commercial property partner Melissa Kirk who joined the firm earlier this year were also listed. Karen Bower-Brown, senior partner, said: “Independent assessment means so very much to us so we are all thrilled that a publication as credible as the Legal 500 have acknowledged the outstanding talent of our people and the quality of service we try so hard to deliver.” To view the firm’s results including highlighted testimonials about some of their lawyers, please visit Sills & Betteridge LLP > Lincoln > England | The Legal 500 law firm profiles

Spinning plates? Let’s get organised: By Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency

Tess Egginton
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Spinning plates? Let’s get organised: By Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency
Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency, offers tips on how to organise your time more efficiently to create a more productive and enjoyable day. We are all spinning plates, trying to manage a multitude of tasks on a daily basis and most of the time end up giving ourselves a hard time when we fall short, whether it’s arriving late, missing an appointment or generally chasing our tail when it comes to being organised, leaving us with feelings of dissatisfaction, frustration and even guilt. Having been self-employed, running a business single handily for the past fifteen years, I have had my fair share of experiences with the above feelings and have since learnt a thing or two about how to navigate myself in order to avoid a repeat of them going forward. Granted some days don’t go as planned and that’s just life, but what’s important is that I have also learnt how to manage mindfully those ‘not so great’ days when they occur – and they do and will occur. Here, through my own personal experiences, I share my top six tips on how to organise your time more efficiently in order to create a more productive and enjoyable day:
  1. Build a routine – We as humans are habitual creatures and as such love a routine, so create a realistic one for yourself which incorporates your personal needs, the needs of anyone you are responsible for in your life and of course your work/business. If you are thinking “well, this is nothing new, I’m already in a routine,” why not write down your current routine and then write down a second version that you wish it was more like (e.g. ‘the dream routine’), and by cross checking the two, identify any tweaks you can make to your current routine to edge it nearer to the dream one.
  2. Write it down – To make a start on creating your routine, write it down in list or timeline format – starting with the non-negotiables. Maybe for you that’s the school run, breakfast, gym, work, and cooking dinner, maybe it’s something different. This works great for leaders to structure a work based plan for your teams too, but remember this is YOUR routine so make it work for YOU (or the individual in question by working together to meet all needs). Once you have covered all of the non-negotiables, move onto filling the gaps with any other key responsibilities you have during the day/week/month.
  3. Make time for you – I say this to all of my coaching clients – make time for YOU. Even if your schedule doesn’t seem to allow it, edit it so that it does. One hour per day, every day at least should be allocated to something that nourishes you, makes you happy, inspires and motivates you or simply gives you the space and time you need to refocus and re-energise, whether that is a form of exercise class/gym/sport, a walk to get your steps in each day, cycling to work, taking time for your hobby, or if work-related some business development or idea generation time in order to encourage creative thinking and growth.
  4. Create task lists – On top of your daily routine, you will have ad hoc tasks to complete perhaps both personally and in business, so make a list – seeing the words in black and white will help you to remember and keep accountable to the tasks that lie ahead. You can then incorporate these task lists into your routine, segmenting them against a timeline, again whether it be daily or weekly. I for example make to do lists for the week in order of priority. I tick each task off as I complete them, which gives an enormous sense of satisfaction and I don’t give myself a hard time if I don’t complete them all in the same day – they can simply roll over to the next day.
  5. Set reminders – There are useful software platforms and tools out there that can assist in your daily task busting endeavours, however simply adding reminders to your calendar will suffice, usually these can be accessed on your desktop/laptop/phone as everything of course links up nowadays. I am however old school and still rely on my trusty Filofax, as nothing beats handwriting down my to do lists and tasks, which in turn helps me to remember what I need to do.
  6. Delegate – Ask yourself, “are there certain jobs I can give to other people to do for me?” Can you subcontract some work out – for example can you hire a bookkeeper/accountant/virtual PA/assistant etc? Since delegating work from my business out to others over the years, I have been able to focus on business development and working on the things that I enjoy, rather than spending all my time on, for example, bookkeeping and admin which are super time consuming and don’t necessarily make my soul leap!
However you decide to manage your time and navigate your day, remember to try to prioritize YOU – after all if you don’t who will?   Fiona Duncan-Steer, RSViP www.fionaduncansteer.com  www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk   See this column in the October edition of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.

Plans for apartments at former lawn bowls club tipped for approval

Tess Egginton
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Plans for apartments at former lawn bowls club tipped for approval
Plans to transform a former lawn bowls club on Addison Street, Nottingham, have been recommended for approval.
The proposals, from Unitech Plus Ltd, would see the construction of 29 one, two, and three-bed apartments. The development would predominantly form three buildings which would front Addison Street. In addition the original three storey element of the pavilion would be retained and converted and two storey extensions added to the east and west.
It is proposed that the area that currently makes up the bowling green would be retained as a communal garden area for future residents.
11 parking spaces and 30 cycle storage spaces are planned.

Multi-million pound engineering group created as CBE+ completes merger with NiTEC UK

Tess Egginton
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Multi-million pound engineering group created as CBE+ completes merger with NiTEC UK
Chesterfield-based engineering supply chain solution provider CBE+ has completed a merger with Electroless Nickel Plating company NiTEC UK, creating a multi-million pound turnover business. The joining of the two businesses began in 2017 when Cooper Brown Enterprises (now CBE+) acquired NiTEC UK. The legal merger completes the integration of the two businesses and consolidates the CBE+ group’s capabilities to include Electroless Nickel Plating (ENP) alongside precision engineering, gear cutting, assembly and test facilities. It takes the headcount at the 70,000 sq ft site in Chesterfield from 65 to 88. The merger is the final stage in realising the vision of CBE+ founders Marie Cooper and Chris Brown to deliver an integrated supply chain solution. CEO Marie Cooper says: “This is the day we have been working towards for the last five years. Customers can now access all of our services from a single location and a single approved supplier, reducing transport costs and eliminating the inconvenience of approving multiple suppliers. “The NiTEC UK business and team relocated to the CBE+ site earlier this year, so customers can expect the same high levels of customer service, quality and delivery from the same expert team.” Formed in 2017 prior to the acquisition of BG Engineering by Marie Cooper and Chris Brown, Cooper Brown Engineering went on to acquire shares in NiTEC and Spire Laboratories. This was followed by the acquisition of Pentag Gears and Oilfield Equipment in 2018, and a wire Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) facility in 2021. The company rebranded as CBE+ in 2019. Today, the business provides multidisciplinary engineering services to manufacturers in sectors including to aerospace, defence, automotive, oil and gas, medical, renewables and general engineering. Technical director Chris Brown says: “Our vision in 2017 was to create a business that combined multiple engineering services to deliver tailored solutions for customers. 1st October marked the final step in that vision becoming a reality, and we are excited about what the future holds.”

East Midlands heat pump specialist boosts capacity seven-fold with six-figure investment

Tess Egginton
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East Midlands heat pump specialist boosts capacity seven-fold with six-figure investment
A Derbyshire business which distributes heating and cooling systems is expanding its capacity to meet growing demand after purchasing a new site in Swadlincote. Logicool has acquired the new 16,000 sq ft property, which is more than three times the size of its existing premises. It will enable the firm to hold up to 900 pallets of components for heat pumps and air conditioning units, over seven times more than its previous site. As well as more storage space, the property will include display rooms to showcase the products and expertise it can offer, in addition to more office space. It will also enable Logicool to transform its existing premises into a specialist training centre for staff and clients. Logicool will also be using these resources to test new design ideas for heating, cooling and ventilation solutions and hopes to find innovative new climate control systems. Logicool works with its customers to design energy-efficient heating and cooling systems tailored to their buildings, utilising the most sustainable technologies such as heat pumps and ventilation systems. By using heat pumps, the firm is able to help businesses reduce their energy input by up to 75% while delivering the same level of heating output. The business used a six-figure finance package from Lloyds Bank to purchase the new site in order to increase its capacity to hold more stock in an effort to mitigate ongoing supply chain issues. It has recently recruited two new members of staff and now employs 18 people in the area, with plans to take on two further employees over the coming months. Karl Richardson, Managing Director at Logicool, said: “We’ve enjoyed consistent growth for a number of years now and we recognised that we needed to increase our capacity to meet this demand. When the opportunity to purchase this site came up we knew it fitted the bill perfectly and the support we had from the Lloyds Bank team meant we were able to get the deal over the line quickly. “We’re only expecting things to get busier now more people are returning to offices and uncertainty remains over supply, so making this investment now will make sure we’re in a good position over the months ahead and beyond.” Mel Howard, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “Logicool has gone from strength to strength and it’s a fantastic example of a local business that is thriving at the moment. Their expertise is also helping businesses across the region to transfer to more sustainable heating and cooling systems and improve their own sustainable credentials. “It’s fantastic to see them expanding with the purchase of the property and we will work with them as they move into the site and look to keep their growth going.”

Government must get serious about jobs, says East Midlands Chamber as region’s unemployment rate rises

Tess Egginton
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Government must get serious about jobs, says East Midlands Chamber as region’s unemployment rate rises
The East Midlands’ unemployment rate has risen for the second month in a row – although it remains in historically low territory. The 3.1% rate for the period between June and August 2022 – which is below the 3.5% UK national average – marked its highest figure in seven months, according to the latest regional labour market data from the Office for National Statistics. Meanwhile, the region’s economic inactivity rate – which measures the number of working-age people who have dropped out of the labour market for reasons such as retirement, caring duties, long-term ill health or studying – increased from 21.9% to a record-high of 22.6%. East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Although the unemployment rate remains at historic low levels, the fact it is creeping up should be a cause for slight concern given the issues we’ve been highlighting regarding the UK facing the tightest labour market in years – as illustrated once again by a significant rise in the economic inactivity rate. “Our research shows about four in 10 East Midlands firms have been at full operating capacity over the past half a year and while two-thirds have attempted to grow via recruitment, at least four in five of this cohort have struggled to fill roles. “In our latest Quarterly Economic Survey, although the proportion of businesses that increased their workforce over the third quarter of the year rose by a net 4%, the future outlook is less optimistic with a 9% slide in the proportion of firms that expect to add to headcount before the end of the year. “What this suggests is the stack of economic challenges facing businesses – driven by rising costs for energy, people, raw materials and fuel – is now denting confidence and holding back investment. Should this continue for much longer, we can expect to see more firms deciding to tighten their belts to get through difficult times, with a resulting negative impact on the job market. “If Government is serious about growth, it needs to get serious about jobs. There are key reforms it should adopt to help ease tightness in the labour market. “These include supporting greater business investment in workforce training, adopting flexible working practices, expanding the use of apprenticeships, and a comprehensive reform of the Shortage Occupation List to allow sectors facing urgent demand for skills to get what they need.”

PKF Smith Cooper expands its tax advisory division by enhancing Capital Allowances service line

Michael Fisher
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PKF Smith Cooper expands its tax advisory division by enhancing Capital Allowances service line
Midlands-based accountancy and advisory firm PKF Smith Cooper is expanding its tax division with an enhanced Capital Allowances service, which will help local businesses and commercial property investors maximise tax relief on their capital expenditure costs. The company has recruited a new Capital Allowances Consultant, Thomas Webb, to offer additional expertise and support in this service line. Thomas has over 10 years of local and international experience in providing capital allowances support to businesses and investors across a range of sectors including construction, agriculture, food processing, furnished holiday lets, manufacturing, engineering, retail and hospitality, student accommodation and commercial property investment. In previous roles at KPMG and Grant Thornton, Thomas has worked with a number of high profile clients including supporting Pret A Manger with fixed asset additions on expenditure across the UK, USA and Hong Kong, as well as working with Lego on cost estimation and cost re-build for its head office in Denmark and flagship store in London. He has also developed extensive experience in servicing Midlands-based investors and businesses. Thomas commented: “As a new and solely focussed Capital Allowances Consultant at PKF Smith Cooper, I’m looking forward to developing the service that the firm provides for the benefit of existing and future clients. This is a great opportunity to make a real impact while supporting local businesses and investors in claiming the tax relief they are entitled to. This is an area of tax that can have a real impact on managing the tax burden of clients through identifying and accessing allowances that are often overlooked and I expect this to be important over the next few years. Working alongside the rest of the tax team, my goal is to play a significant part in establishing PKF Smith Cooper as a leading provider of Capital Allowances consultancy services in the Midlands.” From its key offices in Derby, Nottingham and Birmingham, PKF Smith Cooper provides a range of accountancy services. The company’s tax division delivers comprehensive support to clients of all sizes in personal tax, employment tax, VAT & indirect tax and private client tax. The expert tax team behind the services continues to grow, with the addition of twelve new recruits and two promotions in the past year. Gary Devonshire, Tax Advisory Partner and head of innovation and property taxes at PKF Smith Cooper, said: “It’s an exciting time of growth and expansion at PKF Smith Cooper. Last year the firm joined PKF International and this year our Derby team moved into a modern office space to accommodate our growing team which serves our expanding and diverse client-base.” “As part of our tax growth plan, we are now strengthening our tax services in key areas such as capital allowances that will attract new clients and allow us to offer an additional service to our existing clients. I am thrilled to have Thomas on board and look forward to seeing his expertise being delivered to clients and contacts as part of the continued expansion of our tax services at PKF Smith Cooper.”

Derbyshire-headquartered company crosses the finish line in 8,542-mile mental health charity challenge

Tess Egginton
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Derbyshire-headquartered company crosses the finish line in 8,542-mile mental health charity challenge

Employees of a Derbyshire-headquartered firm have finally crossed the finish line in a truly Olympic-sized charity challenge that brought hundreds together to help people with their mental health.

Since 2021, nearly 70 staff at Lubrizol – which has a headquarters in Hazelwood in Derbyshire – have walked, run, cycled, rowed, swam, climbed and even played golf over a total distance of 8,542 miles, between a quarter and fifth of the circumference of the world!

Dubbed the ‘Lubrizol Olympics’, the company’s original aim was to reach a target of £25,000 for mental health charity Mind by covering the equivalent distance from the UK to Japan, 5,882 miles, where the Olympic Games were hosted in 2021.

Team events bringing company staff together were planned to enable Lubrizol to reach its target. But when the third Covid lockdown hit in 2021, employees adapted by completing many challenges on their own in order to reach the goal. One member of staff rowed 1,000 miles on a home-rowing machine, while another took to the water on the Beaulieu River in Poole harbour to row 21 miles – the equivalent of the English Channel.

Eighteen months later, Lubrizol’s employees have finally reached their £25,000 target after a team of 14 from offices in Derbyshire and Barnsley completed the famously gruelling Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, which involves climbing Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough within 12 hours – a distance of some 24 miles.

Chris Hart-Jones, production manager at Lubrizol’s Barnsley site and responsible for orchestrating the Lubrizol Olympics, said: “I’m so proud of Lubrizol, all our employees, and everyone who supported us to complete the Olympics challenge.

“It has gone beyond my expectations. When we started to plan the event, it was pre-Covid. When Covid came, it changed everything. What it did was spur people’s imaginations. Faced with being unable to get to the gym, many of our staff members massively rose to the challenge by coming up with their own ideas, for example: rowing 1,000 miles at home.

“Our final team event, the Yorkshire Three Peaks, was tough but enjoyable. It was a great opportunity to meet people I hadn’t met before because they joined the company during Covid and we had only met over the screen for online meetings.”

Chris personally undertook all team events organised by Lubrizol when social gathering was once again permitted: walking up Snowdon in Wales, Scafell in the Lake District, the Yorkshire Three Peaks and Mam Tor in Derbyshire. He also completed all the distance between Lubrizol’s sites on a Peloton bike!

Another employee who enthusiastically took part in the Lubrizol Olympics and all team events was Suraj Lal, of Derby, who retired this year as an engineer at Lubrizol after working there for 27 and a half years.

Not content with his daily 15-mile return cycle ride from his home in Allestree to work at Hazelwood near Belper, Suraj undertook to pedal an additional 100 miles a month for a half year period in order to help the company reach its target.

Suraj said: “It was the Lubrizol Olympics and we all needed to do something. When lockdown came, it would have been easy to do nothing but sometimes doing something is actually easier still! Once you commit, you have to complete a challenge. I found myself cycling here, there and everywhere at weekends and evenings over and above my normal commute, to reach our goal.

“It was about raising money for Mind, for people who don’t have a voice and perhaps may just go back into their shell when they are struggling. Mind is a very good charity. Covid affected people who used to have a social environment at work. It represented a sudden change in lifestyle. I just thought it was an important cause to be raising money for and I was proud to support it.”

Having now reached its target of £25,000 for Mind, Lubrizol is still carrying on fundraising until the end of 2022 so the total amount raised is likely to be higher still.

Employees from the company’s sites across the UK who participated in the Lubrizol Olympics were supported by more than 800 friends, family and colleagues, whose donations enabled the company to reach its fundraising goal of £25,000.

Other personal challenges included solo completion of the Yorkshire Three Peaks; a team of 15 walking 400,000 steps each in a three-month period; a 24-hour gym challenge undertaken by four students in Manchester, plus Derbyshire Lubrizol employees and married couple Claire and Tim Hollingshurst who ran, walked and cycled the equivalent distance from John O’ Groats to Land’s End – 603 miles – as well as undertaking the Yorkshire Three Peaks themselves.

Chris said: “It’s a wonderful achievement that Lubrizol’s staff have come together to complete this challenge for Mind, and a huge relief that on our last organised team event we hit our target. I think I’ll enjoy a nice rest now but I’ll look forward to seeing what charity Lubrizol will agree to support next.”

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