Nottinghamshire care provider sold
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Bank House Care Homes which comprises a portfolio of two purpose-built care homes in Nottinghamshire.
Established by Trish and Kris Sooriah in 2000, Bank House Care Homes is a family-run business that has enjoyed success with its two most recently constructed state-of-the-art, purpose-built care homes, Ashcroft and Willowcroft, which now make up the entirety of the business’s care home portfolio.
Both homes are situated on the same site, close to Sutton-in-Ashfield town centre in Nottinghamshire.
The business has been purchased by Only Care Limited, a family-run operator established in 2007, which caters to residential, nursing and dementia care needs across England.
Speaking on behalf of Only Care limited, director, Rishi Dhamecha, says: “We are excited to have completed on the acquisition of these two purpose-built care homes in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
“Both homes have a fantastic reputation and share the same family values as us. We look forward to working closely with the team to continue the outstanding levels of care. We also wish Patricia Sooriah and her family well in their next endeavours.”
Lee Howard, regional director – healthcare at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, says: “It has been a pleasure to act for Kris and Trish over the years, having been involved in selling them Ashcroft in 2011. It is a fitting tribute to the late Kris Sooriah and Trish’s continuation to see the units become two of the most respected homes in the Midlands and we were honoured to act in selling them to Only Care.”
Bank House Care Homes was sold for an undisclosed price.
Jobs created as distribution business expands with 100,000 sq ft unit
Commercial Property Partners (CPP) has completed a 100,000 sq ft letting at Calladine Park, Orchard Way, close to Junction 28 of the M1, to distribution business, Home Delivery Solutions (HDS).
The move is set to support HDS’s expansion requirements following significant growth over the past 18 months in the volume of goods handled through existing contracts, alongside new client contracts.
This recent growth for the business, which includes key clients Costco, B&Q and Vibrant Doors, has resulted in the expansion from its present base in Markham Vale, Chesterfield, and will secure an additional 20 jobs, with more to follow.
The unit offers HDS a modern high-grade warehouse with reception, office and refurbished welfare provision.
Sean Bremner, director of CPP, said: “We are delighted to have agreed terms with Home Delivery Solutions so swiftly after our client completed their works upon the building. HDS’s initial search was for a smaller property, but during our conversations their volumes continued to rise and so our suggestion to match them into Calladine Park has worked out well for all parties. They are a welcome addition to our client’s portfolio.”
Stephen Taylor, Managing Director of Home Delivery Solutions, added: “HDS has seen huge growth helping our clients to meet their delivery promises over the past year. The move to Calladine Park will enable our business to continue with its rapid expansion plans.
“From the first meeting with Sean, he understood what we needed, was pro-active in showing us suitable options and slick negotiations followed to enable us to move swiftly to a deal position.”
Rob Wofinden from Browne Jacobson’s Nottingham Office was legal counsel to the landlord and commented: “It was a real pleasure working alongside CPP on this matter for our mutual client. The whole transaction ran very smoothly, and the client is delighted to have Home Delivery Solutions on board.
“The lettings market in the warehouse and distribution sector is certainly very strong, particularly across the Midlands region, and it is great to be at the forefront advising on these significant letting deals with CPP.”
Time to go green and boost your business
Leicester’s Business Gateway is giving small businesses the opportunity to play their part in tackling the climate crisis and improve their bottom line with a series of six webinars in the new year. As well as reducing their carbon emissions, the businesses will be helping to attract more trade as customers increasingly looking to buy from sustainable companies.
The Business Gateway has commissioned Sustainability West Midlands (SWM) to run the webinars which start in January and, like all Business Gateway events, will be free of charge to participating businesses. The programme of webinars will cover How to find funding and support; Green transport; Energy saving; Reducing waste and Bringing your staff on board.
Andy Whyle of SWM said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Business Gateway again to promote sustainability, particularly as Leicestershire is so clearly committed to tackling climate issues head on. We’ll be including speakers from local companies who have already introduced green changes, so that other small businesses can see how easy it is. Our focus throughout will be on supporting small businesses to understand the need to go green, where to find funding to do this and the benefits that they can create.”
Sonia Baigent, Chair of the Business Gateway Board, added: “In the near future, there are bound to be new regulations around waste reduction, renewable energy usage and carbon emissions so this programme is designed to help Leicestershire businesses get ahead. On top of that, the latest research shows that a massive 85% of UK consumers now make more sustainable lifestyle choices. By becoming more sustainable, our businesses can get a share of that. Going green really will boost your business.” (Deloitte: Sustainable Consumer)
An additional benefit for participating businesses is that they will be supported to draft their own Green Policy document at each webinar, completing it at the final webinar in March 2022.
The full programme of webinars for Going Green to Boost your Business is:
What Does Net Zero Mean for your Small Business? 11 January
Funding, support and opportunities for your SME 25 January
Greener Transport 8 February
Energy Saving in your Small Business 22 February
Reduce your Waste, increase your Profitability 8 March
Engaging your Customers and Staff 22 March
All webinars start at 1pm and run until 2.30pm
You can book your place here: https://bit.ly/2ZYYN53
Accountancy firm secures private equity investment
Dains Accountants has secured significant investment from Horizon Capital, the private equity investor specialising in technology and business services.
With almost 200 staff, Dains provides services to 4,000 fast-growth businesses, international companies and high net worth individuals helping clients achieve their goals through audit, tax and business advisory and support services.
The market that Dains operates in is highly fragmented and driven by strong tailwinds due to increasing levels of compliance and sophistication, as a result of which a growing proportion of clients are outsourcing business-enhancing tasks to expert providers.
Dains has delivered growth through the COVID-19 pandemic. Horizon Capital have invested significant capital to expand these capabilities further and to enhance this through high quality acquisitions. The partnership with Horizon will enable Dains to continue to build on the momentum already created following the recent acquisitions.
Dains is Horizon Capital’s fourth new platform investment in 2021 following those in BP3, Modern Networks and The Marketing Practice (TMP) earlier in the year, which have already completed four acquisitions collectively on their buy and build journeys.
Richard McNeilly, managing partner of Dains, said: “This is an exciting time for Dains, our clients and colleagues. We are delighted to be partnering with Horizon Capital who have a strong track record in supporting companies such as ours to accelerate both organic and acquisitive growth. Dains has grown in recent years thanks to the hard work of our colleagues and the support of our clients, and we look forward to building on that success with this investment.”
Luke Kingston, partner at Horizon Capital, added: “We are excited to invest in Dains as the company provides essential, tech-enabled services to a large universe of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and high net worth individuals, both vital components of the UK economy. Dains is already a strong player with an impressive track record, and we look forward to working with Richard and his team to supplement this with an exciting acquisition strategy.”
2022 Business Predictions: Lee Marshall, Managing Director at Viridis Building Services
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Lee Marshall, Managing Director at Viridis Building Services.
2021 has been another year dominated by Covid-19. We began the year optimistic of its end but as the year has gone on, we have continued to adapt to this new way of life. For businesses, there has undoubtedly been a strain financially, but the pandemic has also brought with it an opportunity to promote the importance of health and wellbeing at work and at home.
At work, a new ‘blended’ approach has taken centre stage, with employers understanding that staff need a good work-life balance by working both at home and in the office. The office has also seen a change with many downsizing their space to a better suited environment.
Many have also moved house or made changes to their home to meet their new needs, as well as deciding it is time for a career change – even to jobs that they may not necessarily have considered pre-pandemic.
I predict that these trends will continue to grow into 2022 as Covid will remain a key feature in our lives and pave the new way of working and living.
I also think that sustainability, which has been a big talking point this year, will continue to be high on the agenda for 2022. With agreements from COP26 beginning to impact legislation and the next COP being held an unprecedented one year after Glasgow, we will certainly see environmental solutions become engrained in all policies and procedures over the next five years as we to try to combat change.
Conygar looks to raise £10m for Nottingham Island Quarter scheme
Conygar has announced a share placing to fund part of the next phase of the 36-acre Island Quarter site in Nottingham.
The company has revealed its intention to conduct a placing of 6.7 million new Ordinary Shares (Placing Shares) at a price of 150 pence per share, raising gross proceeds of £10 million.
Potential uses for the proceeds, all of which will assist with progressing The Island Quarter, include funding the completion of the construction for the first phase of the scheme, bringing a new electricity substation to the site, funding the equity component of the student accommodation scheme and potentially progressing the design and planning for an office scheme.
The company has said it is in discussions with a number of businesses for office space totalling 250,000 sq ft.
Robert Ware, CEO of Conygar, said: “The Placing we are announcing today is to fund part of the next phase of the exciting 36 acre Island Quarter site in Nottingham. There are a number of potential uses for the proceeds, including bringing a new electricity substation to the site, funding the equity component of the student accommodation scheme and potentially progressing the design and planning for an office scheme.
“Significant progress has already been made on The Island Quarter, with planning permission granted for over two million square feet to include new homes, grade A office space, a creative market, a lifestyle hotel, retail units, student accommodation and associated public realm.”
Since acquiring The Island Quarter in 2016, Conygar has submitted three detailed planning applications for the early phase developments. Two of these have subsequently been granted with the third, which includes two hotels, residential apartments and co-working space, expected to be considered by the planning committee in early 2022.
The detailed applications granted to date have enabled the company to commence the construction of the first phase, which includes a 21,500 sq ft food and beverage-led building, planned for completion by late spring 2022, and to initiate the on-site preliminary groundworks for a 700-bed student accommodation scheme.
Bank of England raises interest rates to 0.25%
The Bank of England has raised interest rates for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic despite growing concern over Omicron.
Threadneedle Street’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted to raise rates from the historic low of 0.1% to 0.25%, with pressure from surging inflation outweighing the risks to the economy from the new strain.
Figures show inflation hit 5.1% in November as energy prices skyrocketed and supply chains saw significant disruption. The MPC has an official inflation target of 2%.
The rate rise comes during deterioration in the economic outlook as the new variant hits consumer confidence.
Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “The Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates was surprising given mounting uncertainty over the economic impact of the Omicron variant. While today’s rate increase may have little effect on most firms, many will view this as the first step in a longer policy movement – not as a partial reversal of last year’s cut.
“While policymakers are facing a tricky trade-off between surging inflation and a stalling recovery, with the current inflationary spike mostly driven by global factors, higher interest rates will do little to curb further increases in inflation. Instead, it is vital more than ever that the Government’s Supply Chain Advisory Group and Industry Taskforce start to provide some practical solutions to the supply and labour shortages that are continuing to stoke inflationary pressures.
“Without real improvement to the situation supply chains are currently facing rising prices are likely to continue to be an issue even with monetary policy responses.”
Derbyshire creative agency proves it has all the right ideas by doubling in size in time for 2022
An award-winning Derbyshire creative agency has proved a strong digital presence is vital for growth in pandemic times, as it prepares to double in size for 2022.
MacMartin, a full-service marketing agency based in Church Broughton, is taking on new office space which will double its square footage, as well as employing two more members of staff who start their roles in the New Year.
The move comes during a successful growth period – despite the pandemic – for the business set up by sisters Claire MacDonald and Anna Hutton back in 2017.
Claire said: “When the pandemic came in 2020 like all businesses we worried for the future, but what we’ve actually found is that our digital services were a lifeline to clients which really needed a strong online presence during those times.
“Clients such as food businesses needed to pivot their offering to be able to offer home delivery or takeaway services, which meant they needed a robust web-based shopfront that we were able to provide for them.
“We’ve also found that many businesses which have managed to survive the pandemic have in fact done more than survive – they have thrived, perhaps by having a greater market share than they previously did.”
Born and bred in Derbyshire, MacMartin founders Claire and Anna are feeling highly optimistic about the year ahead as they take on two new members of staff, Jess Henty and Daria Blok. Jess joins MacMartin from a previous job as an account coordinator for a national sporting body, while Daria is an experienced graphic designer with a background in print.
They join the now 10-strong all female MacMartin team who work in beautiful converted farm building offices at the Bartonfields Centre in the heart of glorious Derbyshire countryside. So strong is the business’s growth that they have recently taken on the lease for the next door office which doubles their total space.
The company’s commitment to its stunning countryside location recently saw it win a regional Amazon-backed Rural Business Award for best small rural business in the Midlands, and it will go on to represent the region at the awards’ national ceremony in February.
Anna said: “It’s an exciting time for us at MacMartin and we hope to do the Midlands proud at the national Rural Business Awards final in 2022.
“Next year we celebrate our fifth birthday and we can’t believe the journey we have come on so far. We’re so proud of our business and of the talent we have nurtured amongst our staff, and we look forward to continuing to flourish in 2022.”
Anglian Water appoints M-EC to landmark pipeline infrastructure programme
M-EC has been appointed by Anglian Water to work on one of the largest strategic infrastructure programmes currently taking place in the UK.
The firm of technical development consultants, which is headquartered in Leicestershire, are working with Anglian Water on various sections of its 500km long stretch of new, interconnecting pipelines that run from Elsham in North Lincolnshire, to Ipswich in Suffolk.
M-EC’s Geomatics Team has been commissioned to undertake topographical survey work and utility tracing on the sections between Grantham and Peterborough and Elsham to Lincoln, some 140 km of pipeline. M-EC will also carry out survey work on associated infrastructure which includes several reservoirs, pumping stations and river crossings.
Anglian Water has invested approximately £400 million into the new infrastructure programme and, once completed, the network will be longer than any UK motorway. The new pipelines will help Anglian move water more freely around the region so it can divert it from areas of water surplus in north Lincolnshire to the south and east of the region, where it isn’t as readily available.
The network will also help combat the impact of climate change as James Crompton, Strategic Pipeline Alliance Director at Anglian Water comments: “The programme will make it possible to reduce the amount of water taken from the environment, as well as strengthening local resilience by reducing the number of homes and businesses which rely on a single water source.”
Alex Bennett, Director at M-EC, says: “This is an exciting project for M-EC and our Geomatics team, and we are proud to be working alongside Anglian Water and specialist partners to deliver this critical piece of UK infrastructure. Our team is already on the ground and our surveys will help inform other engineers at critical stages in the design and development of this programme.”
James Crompton adds: “Each of our partners who have joined our new Strategic Pipeline Alliance, delivering this programme bring not only a wealth of experience but new mindsets, thinking and innovation for what is an incredibly exciting project, but also collectively, one of the largest investments in our water infrastructure we’ve made in recent years.”
The entire infrastructure programme is due to be completed by 2025.
Derby healthcare services firm acquires corporate fitness provider
Derby-based Totally, the provider of a range of healthcare services, has acquired Energy Fitness Professionals Limited (Energy Fit-Pro or EFP) in an up to £1.3 million deal.
EFP is a corporate fitness provider established in 1990 to address a gap in the market for workplace fitness, which has grown to offer a range of services covering workplace wellbeing.
Energy Fit-Pro is owned equally by the two founders, Robert Radford and Alan Gallacher, who will continue to work in the business following the acquisition.
For the year ended 31 March 2021, unaudited management accounts for EFP recorded revenue of £983,708 and a profit before tax of £444,691 (which includes the impact of both government support and the COVID-19 pandemic). Unaudited management accounts for EFP showed gross assets as at 31 March 2021 of £987,000.
Wendy Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer of Totally, said: “We are thrilled to announce a new acquisition for Totally as we continue to deliver on our strategy and expand the Group.
“This acquisition creates exciting opportunities to transform the Group further by providing a new digital solution for many of our existing and planned new services. Totally will now be able to offer existing clinical, and physical and wellbeing services as part of a new digital offering to new and existing customers.
“Energy Fit-Pro is a very well-regarded business and fits well with our commitment to delivering quality services that ensure people within the UK and Ireland have access to the care and support they need.
“By entering the corporate market through Energy Fit-Pro’s strong existing contract base, we can further support our traditional customers, such as the NHS, by providing solutions that keep the population physically and mentally healthy and avoid the need for in-hospital care where possible.
“We are excited by the opportunities that this acquisition offers in a growing market, as large employers take greater accountability for the health and wellbeing of their employees.
“We continue advanced discussions with a number of other bolt-on businesses to enhance and strengthen our proposition further. I look forward to updating the market in due course as we look to build upon Totally’s position as a leading provider of healthcare delivery across the UK and Ireland and expand further by offering workplace wellbeing solutions.”
