Global cannabis company acquires Nottingham firm
Nottingham-based BCM Specials Ltd, the Specials manufacturer in the UK owned by Fareva, has been acquired by global medical cannabis business, Avida Global Ltd.
The new company, Avida Medical, will manufacture and distribute medicinal cannabis products in the UK, in addition to servicing the existing Specials business. Avida Medical will remain in the D10 Building, Thane Road, Beeston before relocating to a new site in Nottingham later next year.
Avida Medical will be headed up by Paul Parkinson, chief operations officer, MD and head of UK operations at Avida Global. Neil Bashforth, general manager at BCM Specials will assume the role of Managing Director, Avida Medical. All 50 BCM Specials employees will transfer across to the new business.
This acquisition gives Avida Global the accreditation and complete set of licenses required to import, manufacture and distribute medicinal cannabis products in the UK for the human and veterinary market, thereby surpassing this lengthy, complicated and costly process.
David Kirby, Chief Executive Officer at Avida Global, said: “This transformative acquisition is incredibly exciting and gives us extraordinary potential as a business, giving us immediate access to the UK medical cannabis market, home to one of the largest patient populations using cannabis in Europe.
“Our primary driver has always been to bring quality to life and we are committed to supplying the highest quality products, working with partners to create new innovative cannabis-based medicines and helping to improve patient access.”
Stepnell opens new Beeston office
Stepnell has opened a new Beeston office, replacing the construction firm’s former Nottingham office located on the nearby Eldon Business Park.
The new 3,800 sq ft office has been designed with CPMG Architects to ensure that the growing East Midlands team – including newly appointed social value roles – can all work together across one floor, as well as provide sufficient space to facilitate team training and meetings.
Showers, more car parking and bike storage have also been added, and infrastructure for electric vehicle charging points.
Tom Sewell, director at Stepnell, said: “It’s great to have finally moved into our newly designed space after months of hard work. We had a clear vision of what we wanted the office to provide, including presentation and training areas that will enable us to upskill our teams and continue their professional development.
“We are also pleased to have been able to put staff first by choosing an office in close proximity to our previous location, which was done to ensure that staff could continue to benefit from similar commuting times and all the area has to offer. This is in addition to being an excellent base for a number of several important projects in the region.”
Tom Wakeford, Managing Director at Stepnell, said: “We aim to give colleagues a fantastic experience and therefore we want great environments for them to work in.”
Ruth Evans, associate interior designer at CPMG Architects, said: “Having supported Stepnell on a variety of projects over the years, we welcomed the opportunity to help with the delivery of their new office space. They had a very clear vision of what they wanted, and they’ve been a great team to work with. The fitout team have shown fantastic attention to detail throughout and we’re delighted with the result.”
Jobs saved as Joules snapped up by joint venture between its founder and NEXT
The joint administrators of Joules Group plc and Joules Limited have sold the majority of the business and assets to a newly formed company which is a joint venture set up by NEXT and Joules founder Tom Joule.
In addition, NEXT has acquired the Joules head office in Market Harborough.
The new company has acquired around 100 Joules stores, with approximately 1,450 employees across these stores and head office transferring as part of the transaction.
19 stores are not part of the transaction and will be closed with immediate effect. 133 redundancies have therefore been made.
Will Wright, Ryan Grant and Chris Pole from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators of Joules Group plc and Joules Limited on 16 November 2022.
Will Wright, head of Restructuring at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “Following a highly competitive process, we are pleased to have concluded this transaction which secures the future of this great British brand, as well as safeguarding a significant number of jobs.
“To have achieved this in such a short timetable is testament to the support we’ve received from employees, suppliers and other key stakeholders throughout the administration process, so we’d like to express our profound thanks to everyone involved.”
New law firm welcomes first new partner
New specialist law firm Michael Cummins Employment Solicitors has welcomed its first new partner, Fabienne McAllister.
Fabienne has moved from her role as a partner at Knights to join the growing venture launched by Michael Cummins.
It’s a reunion for Michael and Fabienne, who worked together at Knights following its acquisitions of their previous firms – Cummins Solicitors and Emms Gilmore Liberson.
Bilingual in French and English, Fabienne will work alongside Michael and the rest of the team at the Leicestershire-based legal firm, providing employers with advice and representation on all aspects of employment law.
Fabienne said: “It’s exciting to be involved in the early days of this new venture. I am enjoying being part of a small team as it grows. Michael is a very collaborative person and an ethos of the firm is to enable flexibility and autonomy.
“I was previously based in Birmingham, so it is also great to be meeting lots of new clients in the East Midlands and beyond.”
Fabienne qualified in 2002 and has specialised in employment law since 2008, developing on her early work in commercial litigation at the international law firm Ashurst in London and Paris before moving back home to work in the Midlands.
She said: “I really enjoy employment law as it has a real human interest to it, it affects everyone in some way, and people and how they are treated are key to any organisation’s success.
“It is also a constantly evolving field, with new case law and new trends in employment. In the last couple of years, we’ve had furlough to deal with and now there are new hybrid and agile working patterns and the prospect of industrial action in many more workplaces than has been the case for many years.
“Helping employers navigate those new challenges is at the heart of what we do, as there are always fresh developments in the workplace and how people work.”
Michael Cummins said: “We are very pleased indeed to have attracted a new partner of Fabienne’s calibre. Her extensive experience, including at the Employment Tribunal, and her commitment to providing outstanding service will be of great value to our clients.
“Our new business has great growth potential and we will be looking to recruit more colleagues at various stages of their careers.”
SureScreen appoints new CEO
A manufacturer of diagnostic testing kits has appointed a new Chief Executive to drive its operations and deliver new innovations designed to tackle the world’s latest health crises.
Derby-based SureScreen Diagnostics says the appointment of Andrew Wilcher in the CEO role is a significant development that will pave the way for further growth following strong performance over the past two years.
The company was established in 1996 and has long been at the forefront of medical testing in the UK, and Andrew’s appointment follows a significant investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in at Sherwood Business Park at Annersley, near Hucknall, which will act as a platform for future diagnostics.
Recent new developments include a 10-minute lateral flow test for Mpox – the World Health Organisation’s new recommended name for Monkeypox – and the first UK-approved lateral flow test to detect both flu and COVID at the same time.
Andrew has worked in healthcare for his whole career, spanning pharmaceutical and medical device sectors before joining SureScreen.
He said: “Over the years, SureScreen has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of research and development when it comes to diagnostic technology, and I am thrilled to be joining as Chief Executive at such an important and exciting time.
“Rapid result tests have got a huge part to play in ensuring the healthcare systems such as the NHS can continue to respond to the needs of the patients because they are able to give immediate diagnoses and markers without the need to send samples to labs, which would save a huge amount of time and money each year, not least in critical care settings such as accident and emergency departments.
“My role will be to ensure the company builds on the strong platform it has established over the past years while exploring new ways to create synergy with other areas of the business in order to offer solutions to assist clinical decisions.”
SureScreen director David Campbell, who runs the company alongside his brothers, Alastair and Alex, said: “We are delighted to be working with Andrew to build on our 25-year history.
“Andrew has extensive experience in healthcare which will allow us to continue to innovate and supply those most at need with reliable and cost-effective tests.”
Access PaySuite strengthens payments offering with acquisition
Access PaySuite, a division of Loughborough-headquartered The Access Group, has acquired Pay360, one of the UK’s leading providers of credit card and payments facilitation services to the UK public and private sector. Pay360 has been providing secure payment services to a range of customers across the public and private sectors for more than 20 years. With significant experience in the public sector, the acquisition represents major growth potential for Access PaySuite as consumers increasingly demand digitised services. The deal will strengthen Access PaySuite’s payments processing capabilities by adding card payments and Payment Facilitation (PayFac) to its existing payments solutions.Commenting on the acquisition, Andrea Dunlop, Managing Director of Access PaySuite, said: “Pay360 joining Access PaySuite is further evidence of our commitment to invest in innovative payment solutions that give businesses and organisations the confidence that they have a credible, secure and scalable payments partner.“As well as expanding our expertise and capability to enter new markets, Pay360 complements the Access Group’s existing footprint, and our customers across the public and private sector can take advantage of our enhanced, best-of-breed payments solutions.“The Access Group has a long and proud track record of investing in the companies we acquire. Bringing great people, as well as great technology, into Access PaySuite was a major consideration for us. I am confident that there is a great cultural fit between the two companies, and we’re committed to improving customer success and product development to become the payments provider of choice for current and future customers.”Stephen Ferry, MD of Pay360, said: “We are delighted that Pay360 is joining the Access family. It provides a strong platform for the company to grow and prosper further. With complementary products and a shared vision, the acquisition will enable the enlarged payments division to really drive forward innovation and customer excellence to the benefits of our customer base.“We look forward to working with our new owners to support and accelerate innovation within our combined product portfolio to ensure our payments can continue to support the needs and requirements of our customers today and tomorrow.”
Derbion reveals ambitious city centre masterplan
Recycling technology leader opens new research and development labs at Loughborough University
Plastic Energy, a global leader in chemical recycling technology, has opened new research and development labs at Loughborough University.
This builds on the company’s impactful research partnership with the University which began in 2012 to accelerate the innovative process to help prevent plastic waste, transforming previously unrecyclable plastic waste into a valuable resource.
Building capability and attracting skilled research and technical staff, Plastic Energy’s research team has grown from the laboratory space it shared with the University’s chemistry researchers into a suite of specialist labs and a dedicated office space on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP).
LUSEP will be the hub for Plastic Energy’s work on further development and optimisation of its unique chemical recycling technology. The research team will use state of the art equipment in the new labs to test feedstock and improve the quality of the final product from Plastic Energy’s TAC™ process, called TACOIL™.
Plastic Energy leadership and research teams, and key stakeholders at Loughborough University gathered for the official opening event which included a tour of the labs and demonstration of current R&D projects.
“LUSEP is an excellent base for Plastic Energy to continue leading the way to help create a circular economy where plastics are re-used repeatedly, for good,” said Steve Christie, Loughborough University’s professor of Chemical Technologies. “Co-located with the University’s net zero and sustainability research capabilities, I look forward to us continuing working together to realize this shared goal.”
“After a decade of collaboration with Loughborough University, we are delighted to formally open our new Plastic Energy labs and office space at LUSEP,” said David McNamara, chief technology officer at Plastic Energy. “This will provide a base for our research team to continue their invaluable work on our technology and act us a hub for internal and external visitors. We are grateful to Loughborough University for their continued support.”
Alex Owen, Loughborough University chief financial officer and LUSEP lead, says: “Leading the field in the transition to a low-carbon circular economy for plastics, Plastic Energy are a valuable addition to LUSEP’s largest and most established cluster, Energy and Low Carbon.
“With its distinctive added value of the University’s knowledge base and high calibre graduate workforce, I am confident that LUSEP will be a supportive base for Plastic Energy’s R&D team to flourish. I wish them every success.”
Nottingham e-mobility business to lead project reviewing city’s approach to greening businesses’ supply chains
Nottingham-based e-mobility business, Ottr, have been invited by the Nottingham Green Partnership to lead a project to review the city’s approach to greening businesses’ supply chains and procurement processes to help achieve Nottingham’s ambition of being carbon neutral by 2028 (CN28).
The Nottingham Green Partnership, a group of over 20 public and private sector organisations, has been working to help the city to be more sustainable and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions since 1992.
CN28 is Nottingham’s action plan to help achieve a resilient and sustainable carbon neutral city by 2028. The plan spans: carbon reduction measures; carbon removal; resilience and adaption; and ecology and biodiversity.
To date, the city has reduced its overall CO2 emissions per capita by 57.7% which is the highest reduction of any core UK city. Furthermore, if the plans are successful, Nottingham will be Europe’s first carbon neutral city.
Ottr’s involvement in the project is born from the values at the heart of the company: to contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future by creating innovative technology to harness renewable energy through their fleet of electric vehicles.
The brand’s point of difference is that they are actively encouraging and supporting local communities and business to swap their daily car commute for an e-bike or e-moped and their work with Nottingham City Council is yet another example of this.
Ottr became part of the City’s Green Partnership earlier this year and as CEO of Ottr, David Bothwell explains: “We are working with the City Council and other organisations across the city to progress their impressive plans and work out how we, and other businesses striking the same chord, are best placed to help.
“The plan that we at Ottr have in place to reduce our own carbon footprint within supply chain and procurement is something we’re very proud of and we are consequently well placed and well versed to advise other local business on how to achieve similar goals.”
Chris Common, Carbon Neutral Policy Manager at the City Council, added: “We have big ambitions to achieve CN28 and become Europe’s first carbon neutral city. But the City Council can’t do it alone and businesses like Ottr give us the support and collaboration we need to bring other local businesses on this journey with us.”
Dice Environmental makes significant appointments
East Midlands-based Dice Environmental has appointed two new acoustic specialists to its team.
The company, which launched earlier this year, has experienced considerable growth. It now further strengthens its team and service offering with Jonathan Riley appointed as head of acoustics and Claire Starley supporting him as senior acoustic consultant.
Both have a proven track record in environmental and architectural acoustics with Jonathan having worked across sectors including residential, commercial, industrial, energy, education, healthcare, entertainment, and leisure.
Claire’s specialism is in large-scale road and rail schemes, construction modeling and permitting.
These appointments further add to Dice Environmental’s existing team of expert geo-environmental consultants, and expands the company’s service offering.
It has ambitious plans for the future with an exciting year two coming up.
Jake Bayne, director at Dice Environmental, said: “We could not be happier with how the first year has progressed. We’ve grown the team in less than a year to a level which has exceeded all of our expectations.
“The appointments of Jonathan and Claire are important ones for us. When we launched Dice Environmental, we knew there was a demand for quality environmental services such as contaminated land investigations and acoustic assessments from our existing client base, but that demand has been much higher than we planned for.
“These significant appointments signal how serious we are about growing this arm of the business, and by recruiting acoustics specialists, enable us to boost our pre-planning services offering.
“As for the future, we’ll continue to look for ways to build on our service offering and our business resilience and carry on developing key relationships across different sectors.”
