Rolls-Royce appoints Rob Watson to Executive Team as President – Electrical
Rolls-Royce has appointed Rob Watson to the Executive Team as President – Electrical.
Rob has led Rolls-Royce Electrical since October 2017, having previously held a number of senior corporate and business roles across the group during his ten year career with the company.
This follows Rolls-Royce’s announcement, at its half year results, that from the beginning of this year it will report Rolls-Royce Electrical as a separate line item in its financial statements, alongside its three established business units and Rolls-Royce SMR.
Rolls-Royce Electrical offers aviation customers a complete electric propulsion system for their platform, whether that is an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) or commuter aircraft. In 2021, Rolls-Royce Electrical announced partnerships with Vertical Aerospace, Eve and Tecnam and also staked the claim for the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft with the Spirit of Innovation.
Warren East, CEO, Rolls-Royce, said: “Rob has played a fundamental role in building our Rolls-Royce Electrical business, which is leading us into exciting new advanced air mobility markets as we look to create significant commercial opportunities from the transition to net zero. I would like to welcome him to the Executive Team.”
2022 Business Predictions: Luke Draper, Managing Director of IDT Limited
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 Luke Draper, Managing Director of Ilkeston-based managed IT specialist IDT Limited.
I predict the death of the desktop in 2022. We all have had to change our business models in order to survive over the last two years, and now that flexible working is here to stay, the devices we use need to come with us.
The pandemic has affected our industry massively, proving that companies who invest in their IT and communications have not only survived, many now are reaping the benefits – and not just from a monetary point of view, but also the staff satisfaction giving people more flexibility to do their work from wherever.
We plan to continue our good work from 2021, and have ambitious growth and targets we want to hit so we are excited for the year to come. We have had a great year and have again made a substantial investment in our staff and helped businesses when others have just tried to make a quick buck.
Revenues rise while profits fall at Games Workshop
Revenue continues to rise at “confident” Games Workshop, though pre-tax profits have slipped.
According to half-yearly results for the six months to 28 November 2021, revenue grew to £191.5m, up from £186.8m in the same period of 2020.
Profit before tax at the Nottingham-headquartered business however dipped to £88.2m, from £91.6m.
Kevin Rountree, CEO of Games Workshop, said: “We are on the front foot and confident in our ability to continue to deliver our strategy. Our commitment to focus on real cash returns and return on capital continues to deliver honest and consistent returns to our owners. We will continue to try our best. In the period reported, we have delivered just that.
“We have proven once again that the Warhammer hobby creates exciting experiences and allows people around the world to come together and have some fun. We continue to focus on making the best miniatures in the world and to document and deliver an exciting operational plan.
“I’m once again immensely proud of the global teams’ performance, the ongoing support of our customers and those unsung heroes that keep us safe and well, thank you.”
80 acres of land sold at prime logistics development site in Derbyshire
Bolsover Land Limited (BLL), a joint venture between ALMCOR (formally known as iSec) and St. Francis Group, has sold over 80 acres at its 1.4 million sq ft Horizon 29 warehouse and logistics development to BentallGreenOak (BGO) and their development partner, Equation Properties for £39.9 million.
BGO and Equation will develop up to 1.2 million sq ft at Horizon 29 across the 140-acre strategic brownfield site located adjacent to Junction 29A of the M1 and Markham Vale.
Horizon 29, formerly the Coalite works, was acquired by BLL in 2012. The site has been remediated and core infrastructure constructed to allow for development to further consolidate Horizon 29 as one of the East Midlands’ premier industrial and logistics locations.
BLL retains over 33 acres for further development which will be brought forward alongside the BGO development.
Rupert Wood, head of strategic land at ALMCOR, said: “This is an excellent deal for the JV having bought the site in 2012. It will drive forward the delivery of Horizon 29 while allowing ALMCOR to release capital to recycle it into other substantial projects that we are bringing forward, such as Thames Enterprise Park in Thurrock.
“Working with our JV partner, St Francis Group, we have delivered a warehousing and logistics site into an increasingly constrained market at the right time demonstrating our credentials as strategic land specialists.”
Gareth Williams, development director at St Francis Group, said: “This sale highlights the expertise within the Group and the wider Joint Venture to unlock technically challenging brownfield sites, and to complete significant highway and service infrastructure to create a development ready site capable of immediate development.
“Having jointly invested significant funds to achieve this in time to capitalise on rising demand for serviced land, we are delighted to have completed this sale to BGO and to have secured a programme of speculative development at Horizon29.”
Gareth Purcell, Managing Director at BentallGreenOak, said: “We are delighted to have closed on the acquisition. The first phases of the site already benefit from Reserved Matters planning consent and we will be commencing speculative development works on site during Q2 with the first units completing by year-end.
“This deal, which completed on Christmas Eve, closes out a very busy year for BGO’s UK logistics platform, with us having acquired land to deliver c. 5m sq ft of new logistics space with our partners at Equation Properties in addition to a further 3.7m sq ft of standing assets across a total of 12 separate transactions.”
BLL was advised by JLL and Clyde & Co and BGO and Equation were advised by Burbage Realty and Taylor Wessing.
Survey finds South East Midlands businesses remain resilient despite economic challenges
The South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) has published the results of the 2021 Business Survey, identifying the economic challenges and opportunities facing businesses in the area.
The biennial survey, conducted over October and November 2021, engaged with over 1,800 local businesses to identify economic issues and opportunities to support the growth of local businesses and the local economy. The key trends identified include:
Business Location: The South East Midlands continues to be rated increasingly highly as a place to do businesses, with various aspects presenting positive opportunities to attract inward investment.
- 75% of businesses rated the South East Midlands region as a ‘good’ or ‘very good’ place to do business (69% in 2019).
- 26% of businesses said performance had improved over the past 12 months (40% in 2019) while 34% said it had deteriorated (20% in 2019)
- Over the coming year, businesses are more likely to expect improvements than further deterioration (40% vs. 15%).
- 28% of businesses had vacancies in the last 12 months (39% in 2019)
- 17% had hard-to-fill vacancies (18% in 2019)
- 16% reported skills gaps amongst current staff (25% in 2019)
- 7% have an apprentice (12% in 2019)
- 21% of businesses innovated in the last 12 months (26% in 2019)
- 46% of businesses have the intention of being more sustainable, but only 11% have a specific target or aim to achieve net-zero
- 27% of businesses are actively adopting inclusive recruitment practices
Derby telecoms specialist recognised as ‘NHS hero’ for its support during the pandemic
Derby communications and telecoms specialist EVAD has received national recognition for its role in supporting the NHS during the pandemic.
EVAD’s Think Healthcare service has made access to healthcare simpler for patients by freeing up time and capacity at busy GP surgeries across the country.
The company, which has seen its integrated telecoms service now become best practise within many NHS trusts supporting over 200 GP surgeries, saves an average of 200 administrative hours a year per practice for staff and has been awarded the General Practice Telecoms of the Year Award which celebrates excellence and innovation in healthcare.
Coming at a time when GP surgeries are over stretched with increased demand the technology makes it easier for surgeries to support patients, increase capacity and free up staff time to alleviate added burdens and provide a better service.
In its 14th year, the General Practice Awards celebrate the very best within the healthcare industry and according to their website “recognise the national NHS heroes carrying out work on a daily basis to help others.”
Katie Saunders joins Devonshire Group as People Director
Katie Saunders has been appointed as Group People Director at the Devonshire Group, the company that represents the interests, charities and businesses of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.
Having been operating at board level for the past 15 years in High Street retail and during 20 years in the motor industry, including Volkswagen UK and Audi UK, Katie Saunders joins the Devonshire Group with responsibility for more than 1400 employees spread across 65,000 acres at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, the Compton estate in Sussex, and Lismore in the Republic of Ireland.
Katie Saunders said: “I’m genuinely excited by the challenge. My experience is very broad, which I think will be important given the Devonshire Group includes such a variety of businesses from visitor attractions, shops, restaurants and luxury accommodation to farming and forestry, and property development.
“Although there are many different job roles and responsibilities, it’s very clear that there is a strong, shared passion for the organisation and its values, at all levels. Part of my role will be to share my experience and expertise in Learning and Development, and particularly Management Development and Leadership, to enable everybody to make the very best of their skills and reach their full potential.”
“Some great work has been done to introduce young people and apprentices to the Devonshire Group through the Kickstart scheme and there’s more to come. To be an employer of choice we need to listen to our team and respond to their concerns so I’ll certainly be looking at issues like wellbeing and diversity to see what more we can do to further develop a modern, motivated and committed workforce.”
Brought up in Doncaster and now living in Chesterfield, Katie Saunders and her husband are frequent visitors to the Peak District and keen foodies. “We know Chatsworth well and often take walks across parts of the estate. For many years I’ve experienced first hand the professionalism, commitment and good humour of the people who work here – this really is my dream job,” she said.
Regatta Way works to start in January 2022
Works are set to begin in January on a new cycle and footpath on Regatta Way in West Bridgford.
Once complete, pedestrians, cyclists and other footway users will benefit from an upgraded two-way route which will run from A6011 Radcliffe Road to Adbolton Lane, where it will join with the existing shared cycle and footway.
Works on the new route, which will connect residential areas to facilities at Holme Pierrepont Country Park, will include the creation of a cycle track that is segregated from both the pavement and the road.
Via East Midlands, who manage Nottinghamshire’s highways on behalf of the county council, will begin works on-site on Monday 10 January 2022.
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Transport and Environment Committee, said: “It is great to hear that works on this scheme will be starting early in the New Year.
“I was pleased to hear that this scheme had strong local support and it is our hope that the creation of this new cycle and footway will help to embed walking and cycling into daily lives.
“The scheme will cost around £1.24m to construct and will be funded from the £2.178m that the county council successfully secured from the Government’s Active Travel Fund.
“There are so many benefits to walking and cycling, including cleaner air and less congested roads, and we are delighted to be delivering a scheme which will help local people to enjoy both of these safely.
“We know that news of works on the highway may cause concern about possible disruption, but we and our colleagues at Via East Midlands will endeavour to keep communities up-to-date while aiming to keep disruption to a minimum.”
“I hope these efforts will result in a great facility and I am confident that road users will be pleased with the final result.”
More information about the Active Travel Fund and schemes in Nottinghamshire can be found at: Active Travel Fund – Tranche 2 | Nottinghamshire County Council
TTK Confectionery appoints new commercial director
Nottingham-based food gifting company TTK Confectionery have appointed Katie Gilbert as their new commercial director.
The commercial director role is new and has been created as the result of a sustained period of significant growth at the company. Katie will be the second female director on the board and at only twenty-six will be their youngest ever appointment.
TTK Confectionery create food gifting solutions for major retailers across the UK such as Sainsburys, Morrisons, Matalan, Urban Outfitters and WH Smith. They also sell to over twenty-one countries worldwide as far afield as Canada and Australia.
Katie has been with the company since its creation. She first joined the company on a university internship steering the creative direction of the business. With the guidance and support of the board she developed skills in a number of areas showing a natural gift for leadership and strategic thinking. She now heads a team of eight and plays an integral part in the running of the company, managing multimillion pound budgets across several departments.
Speaking about the new appointment Katie said: “I’m extraordinarily proud that I’ve managed to reach this pivotal point of TTK’s growth journey and that I get to help shape our future. It’s a pleasure to be able to have such an influence over our strategy and I owe it all to the belief that our directors had in me from the very beginning.”
CEO Martin Barnett said: “Katie is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication. Her team are inspired by her journey at TTK and we are delighted that she is now taking her place as a member of the board. We are so proud of all she has achieved both within the business and personally.”
Anglian Water discovers Britain’s largest ‘Sea Dragon’ in UK’s smallest county
The fossilised remains of Britain’s largest ichthyosaur, colloquially known as a ‘Sea Dragon’, has been discovered at the Rutland Water Nature Reserve, owned and run by Anglian Water. It is the biggest and most complete skeleton of its kind found to date in the UK and is also thought to be the first ichthyosaur of its species (called Temnodontosaurus trigonodon) found in the country.
The remains were fully excavated earlier this year and will feature on BBC Two’s Digging for Britain, on Tuesday 11th January at 8pm, before being made available on BBC iPlayer.
The ichthyosaur was discovered by Joe Davis, Conservation Team Leader at Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, who operates the nature reserve in partnership with the water company, during the routine draining of a lagoon island for re-landscaping at Rutland Water in February 2021.
Joe Davis said: “The find has been absolutely fascinating and a real career highlight, it’s great to learn so much from the discovery and to think that this amazing creature was once swimming in seas above us, and now once again Rutland Water is a haven for wetland wildlife albeit on a smaller scale!”
The ichthyosaur is approximately 180 million years old and, with a skeleton measuring around 10 metres in length and a skull weighing approximately one tonne, it is the most complete large ichthyosaur ever found in Britain.
Ichthyosaurs first appeared around 250 million years ago and went extinct 90 million years ago. They were an extraordinary group of marine reptiles that varied in size from 1 to more than 25 metres in length, and resembled dolphins in general body shape.
The fragile remains of the huge skeleton were carefully excavated in August and September 2021 by a team of expert palaeontologists assembled from around the UK, in partnership with Anglian Water, Rutland County Council and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. The excavation was led by world ichthyosaur expert Dr Dean Lomax and specialist palaeontological conservator Nigel Larkin, along with marine reptile specialist Dr Mark Evans, Dr Emma Nicholls from the Horniman Museum and volunteers with experience of excavating fossilised marine reptiles.
The discovery is not the first at the Anglian Water reservoir, with two incomplete and much smaller ichthyosaurs found during the initial construction of Rutland Water in the 1970s. It is however the first complete skeleton to be discovered there.
CEO for Anglian Water, Peter Simpson said: “Rutland Water has a long list of previous, fascinating archaeological and palaeontological discoveries, but none more exciting than this.
“As a water company we have a role to bring environmental and social prosperity to our region. Which is why the correct preservation and conservation of something so scientifically valuable and part of our history, is as important to us as ensuring our pipes and pumps are fit and resilient for the future.
We also recognise the significance a find like this will have for the local community in Rutland. Our focus now is to secure the right funding to guarantee it’s legacy will last into the future.”
In order to preserve the precious remains, Anglian Water is seeking heritage funding. This will also ensure that it can remain in Rutland where its legacy can be shared with the general public.
Dr Dean Lomax, a palaeontologist and a Visiting Scientist affiliated with the University of Manchester, who has studied thousands of ichthyosaurs and named five new species in the process, said: “It was an honour to lead the excavation. Britain is the birthplace of ichthyosaurs – their fossils have been unearthed here for over 200 years, with the first scientific dating back to Mary Anning and her discoveries along the Jurassic Coast. Despite the many ichthyosaur fossils found in Britain, it is remarkable to think that the Rutland ichthyosaur is the largest skeleton ever found in the UK. It is a truly unprecedented discovery and one of the greatest finds in British palaeontological history.”
Dr Mark Evans of the British Antarctic Survey and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Leicester said: “I’ve been studying the Jurassic fossil reptiles of Rutland and Leicestershire for over twenty years. When I first saw the initial exposure of the specimen with Joe Davis I could tell that it was the largest ichthyosaur known from either county. However, it was only after our exploratory dig that we realised that it was practically complete to the tip of the tail. Rutland’s motto, “Multum in Parvo”, translates as “Much in Little” so it is fitting that we’ve found Britain’s largest ichthyosaur skeleton in England’s smallest county. It’s a highly significant discovery both nationally and internationally but also of huge importance to the people of Rutland and the surrounding area.”
Nigel Larkin, specialist palaeontological conservator and Visiting Research Fellow at Reading University, said “The block containing the massive 2m-long skull weighs just under a tonne (comprising the fossil, the Jurassic clay in which it lies, and the encasing plaster of paris and wooden splints). The block containing the body section weighs about a tonne and a half. It’s not often you are responsible for safely lifting a very important but very fragile fossil weighing that much. It is a responsibility, but I love a challenge. It was a very complex operation to uncover, record, and collect this important specimen safely.”
The team of palaeontologists will continue to work on the research and conservation of this significant scientific discovery, with academic papers to be published in the future.
For more information visit: www.anglianwater.co.uk/rutlandseadragon
