Next size up for growing fashion business

Tess Egginton
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Next size up for growing fashion business
After just 18 months in its new premises, the Leicester Fashion and Textiles Academy Ltd, whose services include fashion design, manufacture and consultancy, has outgrown the space and is on the move again. The Leicester Fashion and Textiles Academy Ltd (LFTA) was started in 2015 by fashion designer Janie Morgan-Wood whose experience includes designing for household brands such as Next, Matalan and Marks & Spencer. For several years, Janie used design rooms owned by other companies at weekends to develop her business. Her core service was supporting manufacturers with their technical skills and she also began helping start-up companies that wanted to get a foothold in the industry. The business was doing well until Covid happened and she lost access to these design rooms. Janie said: “As I sat at home during lockdown I realised I needed to adapt. I needed my own physical space and machinery.” With the help of the Business Gateway Growth Hub she successfully applied for a Leicestershire Covid Recovery Grant and was awarded £5,500. Together with her own funds, she invested in machinery and premises in Wigston. A Small Business Recovery grant of £3,000, from Leicester City Council also meant she was able to set up a design room with new machinery to create premium samples. This space in Wigston started as a design hub but today her business also manufactures small runs of 100-300 garments for niche, high-end customers. Products include ladieswear such as dresses, T-shirts, hoodies, cycling shorts, swimwear, yoga clothing and lingerie, and latterly dog hoodies. They also make men’s leisurewear including sweatshirts. The business started to build so Janie’s husband Roy gave up his lecturing job and joined her full-time. She’s also taken on three machinists and a part-time fashion designer. They’ve outgrown the current location so have just moved to a 3,500 square foot building on Linden Street in Leicester. Janie adds: “We’re helping new brands move forward with quality products made in the UK, and that’s something we are very proud of. With more than 35 years of experience, I’m able to support these brands to make better decisions for fabric and trims, it’s about focusing on what they really want. “We’ve seen lots of textile manufacturing in Leicester that is cheap, fast-fashion, mass production for high street or online retailers but very few places make better quality garments. Our staff have a high level of skill, every piece is quality checked, it’s quite artisan.” The business is also making an impact on the environment. As well as making garments of a high quality that last, they are supporting start-ups and developing brands by sourcing affordable fabric. Janie explains: “There’s a lot of waste in our industry, not so much in our business, but once you get into larger-scale production there’s over manufacturing with unused fabrics and trims. “We work with supplying companies to identify any excess, good quality stock which is offered to our clients. This means they can use better quality fabrics and trims at an affordable price. We’re helping these young brands achieve their aims saving them money and diverting unwanted fabrics from landfills.”

Office unit sold at Nottingham business park

Tess Egginton
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Office unit sold at Nottingham business park
Nationwide Care, a rapidly growing care company, has bought Unit 1 Park Lane, a self-contained office building. The property is situated in a prominent position on an established business park known as Park Lane Business Centre in Basford, Nottingham which has a wide variety of occupiers. The unit comprises approximately 1,700 sq ft of modern office accommodation situated over two floors with a generous amount of car parking also provided. Amy Howard, of FHP’s office and industrial team who agreed the sale, said: “Unit 1 Park Lane is situated in an excellent location and provides high quality office space, for which we expected a high level of interest. “It was the perfect opportunity for both owner occupier and also for investment purposes, resulting in a high level of interest on the property within the first month alone. “We managed to generate several competitive offers from the interest we received resulting in an excellent outcome for our client which saw the property under offer in under a month of it being on the market. “The office market may not be in as high demand as other sectors, but the level of interest received on this unit alone shows that the demand is still there. That being said, interest is still high for freehold units and demand is certainly outweighing supply. “It has been a delight to work alongside both our client and Nationwide Care in securing this deal and I wish them all the best in the future.”

Next stage of project to save last major bellfoundry in Britain underway as contractors invited to tender

Tess Egginton
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Next stage of project to save last major bellfoundry in Britain underway as contractors invited to tender

The Saving the Last Major Bellfoundry in Britain Project is entering its next stage as it invites main contractors to tender for a programme of capital works to protect and enhance Loughborough Bellfoundry’s Grade II* Listed Buildings and museum, funded by a number of generous donors and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The Loughborough Bellfoundry – which is in the centre of the Leicestershire town – is also known as John Taylor’s Bellfoundry, and is the last major bellfoundry in the UK and Commonwealth.

More than 25,000 bells, which can be heard in more than 100 countries, have been cast there since the present bellfoundry was built in 1859, from London’s St Paul’s Cathedral to Washington National Cathedral in the US capital, and from the National Carillon in Canberra, Australia to Cape Town City Hall in South Africa.

In 2016, the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust was set up to begin the project of restoring the bellfoundry’s buildings, redeveloping the site’s museum and protecting the bellfoundry and the ancient craft of bell making for generations to come.

Plans for the comprehensive restoration of the Victorian site have been drawn up by a team lead by Caroe Architecture Limited and the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust is now in a position to invite tenders from main contractors to deliver the project.

Works are expected to begin later this year and complete towards the end of 2023. Main contractors are invited to submit their proposals by the deadline of 16th May 2022.

The programme of works will include reconfiguration of the buildings’ archive room, office spaces and workshop facilities, as well as the creation of a new entrance into the historic site.

The museum will be improved and enhanced by increasing its footprint to incorporate additional exhibition space and room for an administration office.

Chrissie Van Mierlo, museum director at the Loughborough Bellfoundry Trust, said: “We are incredibly pleased and excited to have issued our invitation to tender on this project. The works are going to preserve and protect these historic and important buildings for years to come and provide a wonderful place for people to visit and learn about the highly specialised craftsmanship that the process of bellfounding entails.

“Our vision is for Loughborough Bellfoundry to become the global centre for the art of bell making and learning. We have been very fortunate to have benefitted from funding over the years to address the most urgent repair and conservation works required, and we’re thrilled to be in a position to enter the next stage of this project to secure the legacy of the Bellfoundry’s bells for future generations.”

Future makers get a helping hand from industry role models

Tess Egginton
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Future makers get a helping hand from industry role models
A programme designed to support young people, particularly females, who may be considering or exploring a career working in the built environment, including designing, architecture, surveying and structural engineering, has recently been launched at the new Digital Centre at Chesterfield College. The programme aims to help students develop their knowledge and understanding of the sector and career opportunities, broaden their horizons and build knowledge and awareness of career pathways. It also helps build their self-confidence and communication skills as well as helping them to learn about planning and organising. Championed and supported by the D2N2 Careers Hub, led by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and funded by the Careers & Enterprise Company, the programme builds on a successful pilot programme run in 2021 in partnership with the Chesterfield Property and Construction Forum and Chesterfield Borough Council. The launch event brought together mentors and role models from local companies, including Whitham Cox Architects, Harworth Group, Henry Boot Construction, Barrett Homes, Mascot Management and Airmaster, and matched them with students from local secondary schools and colleges. Students got to meet their mentors, interview them and learn about their companies, jobs and own career journeys, including a team building challenge at Chesterfield-based company CBE+. Each student was set an individual bespoke project by their mentor, which they will work together on over the next few months relating to their role and company. Project manager Alex Gardner, the Work-wise Foundation, who is helping to deliver the programme, said: “It’s just great to see the mentors and mentees getting to know each other and really gelling as a team straight away! What I really love is the enthusiasm and commitment being shown by everyone. The individual challenges set by the mentors all join together to tell the story of a development from initial survey and design to finished structure. This is an added bonus we hadn’t initially envisaged.” Mentor, Katie Burnham, from Henry Boot Construction Limited, said: “I think the first two initial sessions are brilliant as introduction/ice breakers to the students. It’s been a brilliant opportunity to network as well as participate in the mentoring programme and I think the support from St Mary’s career team is really helping their students to get the best out of the programme. “All the students seem really engaged with the opportunity and that’s brilliant to see and be involved with. The bridge building activity was a great opportunity to teamwork and learn about the learning style of our mentees.” Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2 LEP, said: “Providing young people with meaningful encounters and showcasing opportunities to inspire them into a sector and career is central to the work of the D2N2 LEP Careers Hub. “It has been fantastic to see this develop from last year’s pilot and we are proud to be funding the new programme. Making links between our ambitious young people and some of our region’s key employers is just one of the ways our Careers Hub is supporting inclusive economic growth.” For the employers, the programme helps them to make a real difference in a young person’s confidence, knowledge, job and career prospects while developing their own communication and leadership skills and potentially identifying future employees. It also provides a great networking opportunity with others in the sector and a chance to showcase the business and industry as a great place to work. The learning and outcomes from the mentor and student partnerships and projects will be showcased at a Celebration Event back at Chesterfield College on 8th July 2022.

Allison Homes appoints Gordon More as Non-Executive Director

Steve Fisher
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Allison Homes appoints Gordon More as Non-Executive Director
Gordon More, a former interim Chief Executive and Chief Investment Officer of Homes England, has joined Allison Homes as Non-Executive Director. Gordon joins the Lincolnshire-based developer as they seek to deliver against ambitious targets. Interim Chief Executive of Homes England until September 2021, Gordon also has over 30 years’ experience in banking and finance. Before his appointment as interim CEO, Gordon was Chief Investment Officer at Homes England, playing a key role in the development of the strategic housing plan adopted by the UK government. Speaking of the appointment, John Anderson, CEO Allison Group told Business Link Magazine: “Gordon’s experience, and passion for, encouraging the proliferation of small and medium enterprise (SME) housebuilders will provide invaluable support to Allison’s board as we pursue our targets. As a well-funded SME, we are in a strong position to make a significant impact on the industry, shaking up the way things are done and exploring new avenues to help deliver the homes that this country needs so urgently. I am looking forward to Gordon’s advice and guidance as we continue this exciting phase.” Gordon More said: “Allison Homes is already marking themselves out as an ambitious company with innovative approaches to the delivery of new homes. The recent announcement of the Legal & General partnership is an excellent example of this, demonstrating a willingness to explore multi-tenure developments – which I believe play an essential role in the future of housebuilding in the UK.” Along with developing partnerships to support growth, Allison Homes has also turned attention to customer care and is working hard to build stronger customer relationships that last throughout the buying journey and beyond. Gordon continues: “If SMEs are to compete with national housebuilders, they must exploit the agility of their size and find new ways of operating – whether that’s through establishing partnerships with other housing providers or by building loyalty and lasting relationships with buyers and residents. Allison Homes is already showing huge potential to achieve this, and I look forward to supporting them as they work towards their goals.” Gordon took up the new role from 1st April 2022.

Henry Brothers Midlands secures seventh framework appointment

Tess Egginton
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Henry Brothers Midlands secures seventh framework appointment
Contractor Henry Brothers has been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s Construction works and associated services 2/Procure23 (P23) Framework alliance. It is the seventh framework appointment for Henry Brothers Midlands, which is based in Nottingham. Crown Commercial Service supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2020/21, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £2.04bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers. The company has been successful on Lot 1.3 to provide design and construction services to NHS capital projects in the East and West Midlands up to £20 million. Henry Brothers Midlands Managing Director Ian Taylor said: “We are really excited to have been named as a supplier on NHS CCS P23 Framework. “Henry Brothers has carried out a number of healthcare projects in recent years including a new £15m ‘mock hospital’ facility, the Health and Allied Professions Centre, at Nottingham Trent University to help train healthcare professionals of the future and a new Medical Technologies Innovation Facility (MTIF), also at Nottingham Trent University. “This appointment on the NHS P23 Framework is fantastic news for Henry Brothers and will help us to build on our work in this area and further expand in what is a key and growing sector.” The new Construction Works and Associated Services 2/ProCure23 framework has been put together by the Crown Commercial Service with NHS England and NHS Improvement. ProCure23 is the fourth generation of the ProCure route to market for the provision of design and construction services to NHS capital projects. The new framework has five lots, with Lots 1-3 specifically for healthcare projects in England. It is valued at £9bn. Building on past iterations, P23 is hoped to bring the latest best practice in construction methods to the NHS and focuses on delivering greener facilities, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting social value. Henry Brothers is on its own carbon reduction journey and is committed to cutting its carbon emissions by 50% by the year 2030, and to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Henry Brothers is one of eight successful contractors who have won a space on Lot 1.3 of the framework to provide design and construction services to capital projects in the East and West Midlands up to £20 million. Henry Brothers Midlands, based at Priory Court, Derby Road, Beeston, Nottingham, is part of The Henry Group, which comprises a number of manufacturing and construction sector companies, ranging from external construction through to interiors fit-out.

Fresh plans submitted to replace Derby hotel with apartment blocks

Tess Egginton
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Fresh plans submitted to replace Derby hotel with apartment blocks
Fresh plans to demolish a Derby hotel, to make way for new apartments, have been submitted to the city council. The plans from Elgie Properties would see the La Gondola hotel on Osmaston Road replaced with 42 flats in two blocks.
The proposals for the closed two-storey hotel, which comprised of 20 bedrooms, a restaurant, function rooms and associated parking, follow a previous submission refused in 2021. The new application sees the scale of the development reduced and also looks to address concerns over bat activity.

Record year for Leicester online electrical retailer

Tess Egginton
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Record year for Leicester online electrical retailer

Marks Electrical Group, the Leicester-based online electrical retailer, has hailed a record year.

According to a trading update for its fourth quarter ended 31 March 2022, ahead of announcing its full year results, the company posted record full year revenue with growth of 44% to £80.5m, up from £56.0m in the year prior. Meanwhile Q4 saw revenue grow 19% from £17.4m to £20.7m.

Mark Smithson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “The fourth quarter was another excellent trading period for us, with 19% revenue growth vs. a particularly strong comparative of 127% in the prior year. Our disciplined focus on margin management, capital allocation and cash generation has also led to a strong returns profile from our asset light operating model.

“During the period we have continued to enhance our operational capacity and have added additional resources in our customer services and driver-installation teams, helping us to maintain our market-leading customer service score of 4.8 on Trustpilot. Our USP of free next day delivery with our own fleet of vehicles, combined with our capacity unconstrained single site location, is helping us deliver operational excellence and gain market share in a highly competitive market.

“We continued our focus on improving brand awareness with our offline marketing campaigns, coupled with our search engine optimisation improvements, driving higher levels of organic and direct traffic.

“With face to face meetings back on the agenda, we have met with multiple suppliers during the period and discussed our expansion plans and ways in which we can support each other’s growth objectives. This, coupled with inventory expansion in the second half, as supply constraints start to ease, is making Marks Electrical a more prominent retailer for our brand partners.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our colleagues and brand partners for helping us achieve a record year, despite a challenging market environment. We are well placed to seize the opportunities ahead thanks to our compelling customer proposition, low-cost operating model and continued focus on profitable market share growth, with more and more people from across the UK coming into contact with the Marks brand for the first time. As we look forward to FY23, our trading momentum has continued during the start of April, setting us up well for our FY23 financial targets.”

Generate business at the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo

Tess Egginton
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Generate business at the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo
With the Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo just around the corner, register now for the highly anticipated event. The free to attend expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will take place on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln, providing everything you require for a great day of networking and business generation. A well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets, exhibitors include Aspbury Planning Ltd, Belvoir, Business Lincolnshire, BSP Consulting, Delta Simons, the Federation of Small Businesses, J Tomlinson, NatWest, Willmott Dixon, and YMD Boon, to name a few. To see the full list of who is exhibiting click here. Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a workshop from Team Lincolnshire and Business Lincolnshire. Running from 10:15 – 11:45, it will demystify the procurement process and explore the potential which public sector contracts could bring to your business. Team Lincolnshire ambassador Neal Wheatley, director and general manager of RG Carter Lincoln Limited, and Barry Taylor, regional director at Parker Technical Service, will be sharing insightful first-hand experiences on winning a major Lincolnshire County Council contract for the construction of the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and how supporting the local economy is a core value within the RG Carter Supply Chain Commitment. Sign up to the free workshop here. As the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets for the lunch are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online. Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!” To attend the event, register for free here. To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here. Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here. Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.

Still time for Leicestershire businesses to benefit from up to £10k for low carbon improvements

Tess Egginton
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Still time for Leicestershire businesses to benefit from up to £10k for low carbon improvements
Businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire are being reminded that they have just a few weeks left to apply for grants to help to pay for energy efficiency improvements. Leicester City Council’s Green BELLE scheme offers grants of up to £10,000 to small and medium-sized businesses to help cover the costs of low carbon, energy efficient improvements to their premises. Green BELLE grants can be used to support a wide range of measures such as installing efficient heating systems, low-energy lighting, building insulation or solar PV panels. Grants can be awarded to cover up to half of the total costs, with the remaining amount paid for by the business as match-funding. So far, the scheme has provided a total of £812,904 of grant support to over 150 local businesses. It is estimated that has helped result in carbon savings of over 1,000 tCO2e per year – equivalent to the total carbon footprint over 300 typical homes. Businesses have also seen a significant reduction in their energy bills as a result of improvements made through the Green BELLE scheme. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “These grants give local small and medium-sized businesses the chance to become more energy-efficient and save money on their running costs. “We have ambitious plans to help make Leicester a carbon neutral and climate-adapted city. The Green BELLE scheme is a really good way to welcome more local firms on board and show them that becoming more energy efficient is good for business and for the city.” Cllr Danny Myers, assistant city mayor for jobs and skills, said: “Leicester’s wider future economic development is going to be driven by our large, thriving and diverse small and medium sized business sector. This scheme is a great way to both save these businesses money and ensure that the city has a more environmentally sustainable economy.” Businesses must express interest in the scheme by the end of May 2022, and the deadline for submission of full applications is currently the end of June 2022. There is a limited amount of funding available being allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. All works must be completed by December 2022. Green BELLE stands for Green Business Energy in Leicester and Leicestershire. The project is run by Leicester City Council’s sustainability service with support from Leicestershire County Council.
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