Global staffing solutions company to bring more jobs to Leicester
Recruitment firm Venquis, is growing its Leicester office as it plans to grow its workforce to 100-strong, in the city, by March 2023.
The company which supports clients recruiting business change and transformation specialists, is expanding in Leicester as they move to a larger office. Leicester’s digital and business drive fits with Venquis’ vision. The location and the diverse talent added to Leicester’s appeal.
The move also means the company can accommodate more staff with additional room for breakout areas and meeting space. The latest move forms part of their ambitious growth plans.
New Talent Delivery Director Paul Rafferty joined Venquis in September and heads up the Talent Delivery Consultant team, says: ” Venquis is exceptionally well positioned. With fantastic, easily accessible offices, a current core of established staff, and an appetite to embrace technology, this puts our business at the cutting edge. We can provide the highest quality and speed of staffing solutions for our European-wide partners. We look forward to training people from all walks of life and helping them build a long and established career within our business. Our growth plans will provide countless opportunities for progression and learning.”
New associate director at Armsons Barlow
Derby-based project managers, construction cost consultants and building surveyors Armsons Barlow have appointed Paul Hanson as associate director.
Paul joined Barlow & Associates in 1991 as a trainee quantity surveyor and went on to gain a degree in Quantity Surveying from Nottingham Trent University.
During his time with the firm, Paul has delivered a variety of schemes for a range of clients and worked in a number of different roles including quantity surveyor, employer’s agent, bank monitoring surveyor, project manager and party wall surveyor.
He has also broadened his skills and experience with secondments to contractors in both retail and civil engineering.
In his new role as associate director, Paul will assume several new responsibilities, including managing a small team of surveyors and leading the companies’ services on a portfolio of schemes for one of their key clients.
Commenting on his new role, Paul said: “The merger of Armsons and Barlow & Associates is proving to be an exciting time, and I am enjoying being part of a larger team and sharing experiences.
“The varying roles and mix of clients I have worked on over the past 30 years has helped keep the work fresh and exciting. This, together with great colleagues, is the reason I have been here for this amount of time.
“My promotion within the new structure at Armsons Barlow has opened up a new chapter to enable me to further my career and I look forward to many more years learning and sharing with my new colleagues.”
Josh Toon, director of Armsons Barlow, added: “We’re delighted to appoint Paul as an associate director at Armsons Barlow. This appointment reflects the significant contribution he has made to the firm over the past three decades.
“Over the past 30 years, Paul has gained an unrivalled level of experience, working on a diverse range of major projects for both private and public sector clients and he is set to take on more responsibility in his new role as a senior member of the team.”
Study shows 70% of East Midlands motor trade businesses expect to make employee redundancies by the end of 2022
The cost of living crisis is an unwanted reality that the entire population is facing, and the motor trade industry is no exception in the East Midlands. 27% of motor trade employers in the East Midlands have already let staff go, with a further 43% considering making cuts to their staff before the end of the year.
In Nottingham, 57% of motor trade businesses have or will experience redundancies before the end of the year. Showing a bleak picture for motor trade professionals in the region. There are many factors which could be impacting this, both directly in the form of supply costs increasing to indirectly through the cost of living’s impact on the population. A recent RAC report stated that young people are increasingly putting off car checks and repays due to their own squeezed finances.
In order to establish the facts and learn about the severity of inflation-based challenges affecting the nation, a specialist motor trade insurance provider, ChoiceQuote, commissioned an independent survey of 303 motor trade professionals in the UK. The picture it paints is a pessimistic one.
A huge 63% of the professionals surveyed in the East Midlands said that their business is facing serious or very serious issues linked to inflation.
How is this affecting the industry’s business decisions? Over a third expect their company to struggle (40%), and a sixth (17%) expect trading to remain stagnant. One in six may even close!
27% of motor trade employers have already let staff go as a consequence of rising costs, with 43% planning to lay workers off before the end of this year. Similarly, 67% of motor trade professionals in the East Midlands are expected to have reduced working hours within their business before the start of 2023.
A massive 43% of East Midland motor trade businesses have already increased customer prices this year, and 47% will be looking to increase prices before the year is out. Meaning that 90% will have increased their prices within the year.
Decision makers are making the tough decision as to whether they persevere through these difficult times or switch to a different kind of work due to the strain that the inflation crisis has had on their professional and personal life. Almost 2 in 3 (60%) motor trade professionals feel more stressed due to the impact of inflation on their personal finances (63% in Nottingham alone).
Derek Henry, Managing Director of ChoiceQuote comments: “It’s definitely a worrying outlook. In recent months, rising new and used cars, as well as fuel prices have meant that many businesses and traders have had to rethink their strategy or make some incredibly tough decisions on their future.”
East Midlands manufacturer delivers £1.6m furniture contract in Scotland
Mansfield-based Deanestor, one of the UK’s leading education furniture and fitout specialists, has delivered a £1.6m contract for one of the highest performing secondary schools in Scotland.
Built by McLaughlin & Harvey for East Dunbartonshire Council, the new £40.9m Boclair Academy in Bearsden near Glasgow has created a state-of-the-art learning environment for 1,000 pupils.
This was Deanestor’s fourth project for McLaughlin & Harvey and it follows earlier fitout projects at Hopefield Primary School in Midlothian and two primary schools for Scottish Borders Council.
Deanestor fitted out 228 rooms across the new Boclair campus, which reflects the latest thinking for curriculum delivery.
According to Neil Kemp, Senior Project Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, “Despite the challenges of Brexit and the covid pandemic, the project and the fit out went very well and we were able to hand the new campus over early. The quality of the furniture manufactured by Deanestor met our expectations and requirements. The finished school looks fantastic, particularly the open plan spaces, and staff and students at the Academy are absolutely delighted with their new facility.”
Charles Riach, Architect at Ryder Architecture, said, “The finished school is outstanding. The design both internally and externally references the quality, textures and colours of the surrounding architecture and landscape. Deanestor has once again delivered the brief and the design for the furniture and fitout, and their team worked well with us at each stage.”
Deanestor provided a wide range of contemporary fitted and loose furniture, soft furnishings, teaching aids, lockers, and equipment for sports, crafts, design and technology, science laboratories, and food technology – from mirrors and ballet barres to a kiln and laboratory fume cupboards.
Its team manufactured bespoke items of furniture, including the solid oak reception desk, storage cabinets, booth seating, benching, lockers, and teaching aids. Specially designed tiered seating in a beech finish was provided by Deanestor which doubles up as informal break-out spaces to encourage social interaction.
Nearly 3,000 items of loose furniture were also supplied as part of Deanestor’s FF&E contract, such as tables and chairs, dining tables, modular soft seating, mobile storage, and over 300 sofas.
The interior design strategy reflects the school’s corporate identity and uses two shades of blue to help unify different spaces across the campus. Natural colours and tones feature extensively to complement the surrounding,
Deanestor manufactures and installs robust and flexible loose and fixed furniture solutions for early years, primary, SEN, and secondary education, fitting out areas such as classrooms, science laboratories, ICT, design and technology, atria, social dining spaces, break-out areas, sports facilities and changing rooms. Its experienced designers and project managers work with architects, contractors and directly with schools and local authorities, advising on specification of furniture and equipment to help deliver inspirational learning environments.
Innovative Lincolnshire climate business vying for top national award
Up-and-coming climate tech company, Seaweed Culture, is one of the final 100 businesses from across Great Britain aiming to take home a top award at the Santander X UK Awards.
The Lincolnshire-based business seeks to tackle climate change by reducing methane emissions in livestock through the use of seaweed and is one of 60 business vying to win the Launch category at the Santander X UK Awards, where the national winner will take home a top prize of £15,000.
Seaweed Culture’s Founder and CEO, Luke Smith, developed his passion for supporting the environment whilst studying at the University of Lincoln, UK, and identified seaweed as a way to help the livestock industry meet net zero targets and create climate conscious products.
Luke, who received advice and funding from the University’s Student Enterprise Services to support his start-up journey, has developed a novel land-based cultivation system to grow a seaweed species not native to the UK.
When incorporating less than 0.2% into their daily diets, this seaweed species can reduced methane emissions from cows by up to 95% with no effects on the quality of meat or milk while also increasing productivity and reducing cost.
Having been selected from a field of 500 applications, Luke is now taking part in a tailored, intensive business training programme ahead of pitching heats at the Oval in London on 28th November where the Awards finalists will be selected.
Six businesses from the Launch category will be chosen to take part in the final the following day at London’s One Marylebone where the judging panel will be headed up by Santander UK CEO Mike Regnier.
Speaking about his progress in the Awards, Luke said: “Being part of the Santander X Cohort has really helped the business refine its approach moving forward. It has been a great opportunity to learn and strengthen our own understanding alongside supporting the business.”
Should Seaweed Culture bring home the award, it would add to the growing list of accolades which both Luke and the business have already secured. The company won both the Environmental/Sustainable Business of the Year and the Andrew Stevenson Award – which recognises businesses with significant global potential – at the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2022, whilst Luke has previously been recognised as one of Lincolnshire’s 30 Under 30.
Midlands sees fall in permanent placements for first time since February 2021
The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands survey saw permanent placements decline for the first time since February 2021 and a second consecutive reduction in temporary billings during October. Pay inflation, meanwhile, remained elevated amid reports of both high demand for labour alongside shortages in candidate availability.
The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.
Renewed decline in permanent placements
The number of permanent placements across the Midlands fell for the first time since February 2021 in October. Moreover, the rate of decline was marked. Recruitment consultancies indicated that the renewed decline in permanent placements stemmed from the weak levels of demand that firms across the UK are currently facing.
The decrease in permanent placements in the Midlands was the second sharpest of the four monitored English regions, behind only London which registered the fastest decline since July 2020. All of the monitored English regions recorded lower levels of permanent placements and three of the four downturns followed increases in the previous month.
Temp billings fall at the fastest rate since June 2020
Temporary billings fell for a second consecutive month at the start of the final quarter. Moreover, the rate of decline accelerated from September and was the quickest since June 2020. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the downturn was linked to the worsening economic landscape in the UK. Other firms mentioned that a shortage of candidates also contributed to the decline.
The fall in temp billings in the Midlands was the fastest of the four monitored regions. Conversely, the South of England registered a marked upturn which underpinned the uptick at the UK level.
Demand for staff across the Midlands continued to increase in October, although rates of expansion remained below the respective historical averages. Permanent vacancies rose at a robust rate but at one which was comfortably below the survey peak recorded in July 2021.
Meanwhile, October data completed two consecutive years whereby demand for temporary staff has increased on a monthly basis. The rate of growth, however, was the slowest since January 2021.
Downturn in permanent staff availability sharpens
Recruiters across the Midlands registered a drop in the supply of permanent staff in October which was the nineteenth in as many months. The reduction was sharp and quicker than in September but remained much softer than seen across much of the past year-and-a-half. Candidates were reportedly reluctant to move positions amid widespread economic and market uncertainty. The Midlands posted the softest fall in permanent candidate numbers of the four monitored English regions whilst the North of England reported the sharpest decline.
Temporary staff availability falls at a softer rate
The availability of candidates for temporary roles in the Midlands fell in October, thereby stretching the current negative sequence to 20 months. Anecdotal evidence suggested that people were currently seeking extra stability and had a preference for permanent positions. Other recruitment consultancies also mentioned that high levels of employment across the UK meant that there was a general lack of candidates. That said, the rate of decline in temporary staff availability was the softest since March 2021. Bucking the wider trend, London registered the first uptick in temp staff availability in a year-and-a-half.
Permanent salary growth eases to 18-month low
October data signalled that salaries for permanent new joiners in the Midlands increased for the twentieth month in a row. Though remaining elevated, the rate of increase was much slower than in September and the softest in a year-and-a-half. The rise in permanent salaries was reportedly reflective of a talent shortage, with firms subsequently forced to increase salaries to entice candidates. On a national level, the increase in permanent starting salaries was led by London, though all four monitored English regions registered marked inflation.
Rate of temp wage inflation the softest since May 2021
Hourly pay rates for temporary staff increased further in October, stretching the current sequence of inflation to just short of two years. Anecdotal evidence suggested that a combination of high demand for staff and a shortage in available labour drove the increase in temp wages. That said, the rate of inflation was the softest since May 2021. The rise in the Midlands was also the weakest of the four monitored English regions. London recorded the steepest increase in temporary pay, followed by the South of England.
Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, people consulting partner at KPMG UK, said: “The looming recession is clearly impacting the UK jobs market. Candidates’ reluctance to move as a result of the challenging economic landscape has resulted in higher demand for staff across the Midlands but fewer actual placements. Employers are also improving their benefit and development offerings, which has also made a significant impact in the number of available candidates. “The talent war is ongoing in the Midlands and now more than ever, it’s essential that we focus on upskilling the workforce to support and boost economic recovery when it comes. The jobs market will bounce back, particularly if we invest in the skills of the workforce across all sectors of the economy.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said: “The economic and political uncertainty of September and October has caused employers to become more cautious in their approach to hiring than during the frenzy of earlier in the year. “We’ve witnessed permanent placements decline in the Midlands for the first time since February 2021 and a second consecutive reduction in temporary billings in October. Activity overall, is still well in advance of pre-pandemic levels, however. We will need to watch how this story develops over months to come, but so far this data suggests heightened employer caution, not a retreat from the market. “It remains the case that firms in many sectors are struggling to hire, as hours worked remain below their pre-pandemic level despite record-low unemployment. We’re looking to the Autumn Statement later this month to help with removing the brakes on growth by reforming the apprenticeship levy to build a more effective skills system, improving support to help people move from inactivity to work, and align other policy areas – like work permits – with a growth strategy.”Nottingham retail warehouse sold for £7m
Independent out-of-town agent XPROP, on behalf of Bradda Capital, has completed the sale of Mansfield Retail Park, Nottingham for in excess of £7m.
GPLI acted on behalf of an active private client as they further diversified their portfolio.
Comprising 37,955 sq ft of retail warehouse occupied by Go Outdoors, Carpetright and Topps Tiles this investment offers over 12 years of income security, a large proportion of which is guaranteed by JD Sports Fashion PLC.
The property has a dominant trading position fronting Mansfield Road (A60) in a thriving roadside, retail and commercial area to the North of Nottingham City Centre.
David Griffiths, director, GPLI, says: “We are delighted to have secured this investment on behalf of a private client. In a period of permacrisis, the long term stability and consistency of income offered by this investment demonstrates one of the core advantages of commercial property.
“As our client continues to diversify their portfolio we look forward to securing more opportunities across sector and across the UK.”
David Phillips, Managing Director of Bradda Capital, said: “We are very pleased to have closed the sale of this property bought for income 12 years ago and generated a gross IRR of 17.5%. This is a fantastic result and a testament to the quality of the assets that we target – and the execution capability of our team.”
Alpkit scales new heights with latest Crowdfunding campaign
Nottingham outdoor retailer, Alpkit, has far exceeded its £750,000 crowdfunding target, raising a total of over £2.3m to date, through Crowdcube.
The company, which has multiple sites in key locations across the UK, has also seen demand increase from international markets across Europe and the US.
Alpkit are a performance outdoor & bike brand, targeting mountain enthusiasts, who run, hike, climb, camp, swim and bike. Having increased sales to £14m in just eight years, they have opened 5 new stores and become a B Corp since their 2020 raise.
In 2020 the company raised £1.5m from 1350 customers in less than an hour. It was one of Crowdcubes fastest ever and Alpkit’s premoney valuation has increased by 44% since then.
Alpkit is now looking to grow its UK & international web sales and have ambitious plans to open 2 stores a year and set up a European hub.
David Hanney, CEO and co-founder says, “Having customers as shareholders helps us stay aligned to our purpose. And when we do that, our business flourishes – we know we’ll still be making great product and doing good things not just in 5 years but in 25 years.”
The crowdfunding campaign remains open for a further 4 days
900 jobs at risk as Bakkavor announces closure of two East Midlands sites
900 jobs are at risk in the East Midlands region as Bakkavor announces closure of two local factories.
The company is proposing to close Bakkavor Salads in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire and Bakkavor Desserts in Leicester, with around 900 staff working between the two sites.
The company blames the macro-economic backdrop and in particular consumer sentiment in the UK , which it says remains very challenging.
In a press statement the company states: “As reported in our Half Year Results announcement in September, the significant level of inflation and consumer headwinds we are continuing to face are expected to persist into next year.
“Recent investments across our UK operations to enhance our capacity and capabilities provide us with a strong platform on which to further leverage our scale and flexibility. Therefore, as we seek to protect our business, we have undertaken a detailed review of our UK footprint. We are proposing to close two sites; Bakkavor Salads in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire and Bakkavor Desserts in Leicester. Our other UK sites have the capacity and capabilities to continue to fully service our customers should these proposals go ahead.
“As a business that invests in the development of its people, rewards long service and invests in the local communities in which we operate, it is with great sadness that this difficult but necessary business decision may impact a number of our colleagues. Across the two sites, we employ over 900 colleagues.
“We will shortly be commencing a 45-day consultation period with affected colleagues and their representatives at both sites. If the proposals go ahead, we will do everything we can to support our colleagues and try to minimise job losses. We are committed to offering our weekly paid colleagues comparable roles at a different Bakkavor site, and for those where this is not possible, we will be working on several initiatives to help colleagues secure alternative employment opportunities in their local area.”
Mike Edwards, CEO, commented:“As with businesses all over the UK, we are having to take decisive action to adapt to the challenging macro-economic backdrop. The decision to close any site is never taken lightly, and we do not underestimate the impact of this announcement on our colleagues and the local communities within which we operate. We remain committed to both protecting our business and doing everything we can to support our people through this difficult time.”
£21k pa savings for Academy following ground breaking environmental project
A Lincolnshire Academy is investing in a ground-breaking environmental scheme which will slash energy bills and reduce its carbon footprint.
A heat pump, thought to be the first of its kind in northern Lincolnshire, will replace the 31-year-old system to help provide the heating and hot water in a £520,000 scheme.
Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust has secured the funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of its Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, delivered by Salix Finance.
The scheme aims to put the public sector at the forefront of decarbonising buildings in the UK.
The school has also installed 359 solar panels at the site and swopped out all internal lights to LED.
The project is expected to save more than 3,000 tonnes of harmful carbon dioxide being emitted into the earth’s atmosphere over its 25-year lifespan.
Trust Chief Executive Officer Martin Brown said unpredictable and increasing costs of oil, together with the opportunity of funding, prompted the move.
“Somercotes is our only Academy where heating is provided by oil,” he said.
“We’re proud to be installing energy efficient, air source heat pump technology and showing our students we are reducing our environmental impact, something as young people they feel very strongly about.
“The scheme will also help with rising energy costs. Oil for the old boiler system costs around £20,000 annually, expected to rise to between £25,000 and £30,000 this winter.”
The air source heat pump is estimated to save almost £9,000 a year and the solar panels more than £12,000 through on-site generation.
“With all the improvements, we’re anticipating a cost saving of £21,000 annually, money which can be used to benefit students elsewhere in the Academy,” said Mr Brown.
Salix Finance delivers funding on behalf of Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and also offers support and expertise to the public sector to decarbonise, improve energy efficiency and lower bills.
The project was driven by Rob Middleton, Facilities Officer at LGAT. He and Facilities Manager Mark Shadbolt watched as the £200,000, 7.5-tonne heat pump, was dropped into its position using a 75-tonne crane.
He said: “I saw the scheme through doing some research last October and we heard of our successful bid in February, so it’s been a long road to this point.
“It’s going to have a dramatic impact on our carbon emissions. The heat pump will reduce the carbon dioxide produced every year by 69%, preventing 98 tonnes going into the atmosphere annually. The solar panels will account for a further 26 tonnes and changing to LED lights 25 tonnes.”
Mr Shadbolt said: “Seeing it in situ is a big relief. Rob’s put in a huge amount of work to get it to this point and we’re just looking forward to progressing with the scheme.”
The switch from oil to the heat pump is scheduled to be completed in the February half term.
The solar panels across three rooftops have been installed and are already generating up to 50% of the school’s required energy. The heat pump will make up the shortfall.
Smart metering and a building energy management system will provide data to ensure the system is operating effectively.
Fouad Amuni, client support officer at Salix Finance, said: “Working on the Trust’s decarbonisation project has been really exciting and inspiring.
“They got rid of a 31-year-old fossil heating system and are replacing it with clean, energy efficient heat pumps.
“They’re also adding solar panels and Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS).
“They’re making a really positive environmental impact by saving over 3,000 of tonnes of carbon over the next 25 years and at the same time educating future generations about the importance of renewable and sustainable energy.”
