Hayley Barsby, who has worked at the council for nearly 22 years, is leaving on 9 January to spend more time with her family.
From starting her working life as an industrial engineer at Mansfield Shoe Group, Hayley moved to the council in 1999 starting as a clerical assistant.
Over the next two decades, she progressed through the ranks to Head of Housing and Director of Communities. She became the Interim Chief Executive in May 2017 before being appointed to the role on a permanent basis in January 2018.
Hayley has led the organisation through some of its most difficult years to date. She took over at a time when the council needed to make significant financial savings as a result of cuts in Government grants. COVID-19 has been a major focus for much of the last two years with the council’s main priorities during the height of the pandemic being on maintaining vital services and supporting the district’s most vulnerable residents.
A married mother of two children with disabilities, Hayley was born and went to school in Mansfield Woodhouse. She lives just outside Mansfield but considers it to be her home town.
She said: “I love Mansfield – both the people and the place and I hope I have made a difference. I will be sad to leave the organisation but I feel the time is right for someone else to take Mansfield to the next level.
“I have dedicated 22 years to Mansfield and the past few years have been challenging, particularly since the start of the pandemic. During my time as Chief Executive I have lost both my parents. My Dad passed away in April and I am still feeling the after-effects of having COVID-19 in the summer.
“Over the years I have made sacrifices for the job, and rightly so, but these life-changing events have made me reassess and I’m now making a conscious decision to put my family first.”
Speaking about her proudest achievements, Hayley said: “I’m most proud of the work we have done with Nottingham Trent University to bring students to Mansfield. It’s early days but I’m proud of the opportunities this is creating for local people to enter employment in some of our anchor institutions such as at Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ Trust.
“I’ve invested a lot of time into understanding the needs of our communities and working closely with partners, particularly around prevention rather than intervention. I’m proud of how we responded to COVID-19 and how we have provided our local communities with hope and support when they needed it, for example, through our food clubs and cultural services outreach work.
“I’m immensely proud of how we built our housing schemes at Poppy Fields and Town View to help meet the needs of over-55s and those who need extra support and care. In 2010, during my time as the Head of Housing, the council built its first new council homes for 30 years. Even then, climate change was at the forefront of our minds and the 43 energy efficient homes on the Bellamy Road estate have either ground source heat pumps or solar panels and water harvesting.
“With the Government funding we’ve secured and the publication of the Local Plan and draft town centre masterplan, we have an ambitious vision for how the town centre and wider district could be transformed in the coming years. I’ve created the right foundations for Mansfield and this is an exciting time for someone to take over and see these major projects through to fruition. I’ll be rallying behind Mansfield all the way.”
Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “Having worked her way up from the bottom to the top, which is inspiring in itself, Hayley has been the font of all knowledge leading Team Mansfield.
“She has been a rock throughout the pandemic, forward-thinking, anticipating problems and ensuring everything is in place to keep our residents and her staff safe, and local businesses protected where possible.
“I will miss her sound and reliable advice and guidance but she has assembled a fantastic team that I have every confidence in to deliver our ambitious plans for the district. The new Chief Executive will be well placed to pick up the torch and carry on the great foundation Hayley has left and lead our residents to a brighter future.”
No decisions have been made on interim arrangements or the recruitment process.
Mansfield District Council Chief Executive resigns
The Chief Executive of Mansfield District Council has announced she is stepping down from the role in the new year.
Business Gateway provides SUBStantial support for start-ups interrupted by COVID
Good news for any Leicestershire business that started in 2018 or after, and had to stop trading due to COVID; a huge programme of no-cost business support has been funded by the Business Gateway to help get these businesses back on their feet and growing.
SUBS or Start-Up Business Support will provide training, mentoring, peer networks and digital workshops to over 150 businesses in Leicestershire.
Simon Weaver, senior project manager at the LLEP, said: “This programme is open to any business less than 36 months old, from any sector, based in Leicester or Leicestershire. The only other eligibility criterion is that you must be registered as a business with HMRC or Companies House. It is likely you will be a micro-business or small to medium enterprise.”
Four companies have won the contract to deliver the support programmes. NBV’s Beryl Pettit will be delivering the three-week programme ‘Gearing for Growth’. Stuart Hartley and his company Incrementa will deliver a six-week programme including mentoring, weekly workshops and 1-2-1 support. Sam Larke will lead the Leicester Start-Ups CIC programme to help solve the most critical business challenges. Finally, Ben Mainwaring and his team from So Very Creative will deliver SMARTUP, a digital marketing accelerator.
Mr Mainwaring said: “We’re very much looking forward to supporting Leicester businesses who had to stop trading because of COVID. We’re aiming to deliver really practical sessions that they can use to grow their businesses and leave COVID in the past.”
Simon Weaver concluded: “We’re advising any business that wants to take up this offer to speak to one of our Business Advisers first. There is quite a range of support packages and a Business Adviser can help you decide which one is right for you. Just call the Business Gateway on 0116 366 8487 or there’s more information on our website: https://bit.ly/2YX18zg.”
M-EC welcomes five new staff members
M-EC, the development technical consultants, has recruited five new members of staff.
The company is experiencing strong demand for its services as the construction industry and the economy continues to pick up following the pandemic. The new appointments, which will all be based at the firm’s Leicestershire head office, will enable M-EC to further meet client demand.
Joining the firm are:
Zoe Jordan: assistant flood risk engineer
Simran Matharu: assistant transport planner
Isobel Jones-Walters: land surveyor
Natasha Kearl: geo environmental engineer
Adam Walker: acoustic consultant
As part of M-EC’s commitment to developing a diverse workplace and training and developing its own staff, two of the new appointments, Zoe Jordan and Simran Matharu are recent graduates and four are women, which is unusual in a traditionally male dominated sector.
Zoe and Simran are taking their first steps in the engineering industry after leaving university. Isobel Jones-Walters, Natasha Kearl and Adam Walker join M-EC with a wealth of engineering experience so can hit the ground running and immediately get started on client projects.
Alex Bennett, director of M-EC, says: “We are extremely pleased to be expanding our team with these five new appointments. Each individual is bringing a specific set of expertise to the company and I am looking forward to seeing them grow within M-EC and positively impact our client base.
“It’s great to see increased interest in careers in engineering and development consultancy from women. It’s certainly a growing trend across the country and I know more women joining the industry will bring huge benefits, both to individual firms and the sector as a whole. M-EC is proud to support a diverse workforce as an equal opportunities employer.”
APPEX programme to help Advanced Manufacturers reach new heights
The Business Gateway is demonstrating its support for Leicestershire’s key sectors by creating a programme for innovative Advanced Manufacturing companies.
Called APPEX, the course will help participating companies achieve Advanced Manufacturing Product and Process Excellence to help boost turnover.
The programme is worth at least £5,000 but will be free of charge to the ten businesses that qualify to take part.
APPEX helps businesses get a detailed understanding of their business capabilities, leadership team priorities and how to select, plan and execute a focussed improvement project with external support. It also gives them the chance to see and learn best practices from other non-competing Advanced Manufacturers on the programme.
APPEX is available to manufacturers in several growing and innovative sectors including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, medical, transportation, construction equipment, low carbon, and power generation among others.
To qualify to take part, companies need to have been trading for more than three years, have more than 50 employees, have an annual turnover of more than £4m and have a functional leadership team structure. They should also be manufacturing a product that is new to market or using innovative manufacturing processes.
Dr Chris Owen, MD of Owen & Partners Ltd, who will be delivering the programme, said: “We’ve put together a really practical programme of support for Leicestershire’s Advanced Manufacturers.
“Companies will learn how to select and drive focussed improvement projects to boost their competitive positioning and productivity and win more orders. As part of the very first cohort of its kind, participating leaders will also become pioneers in building a community of innovative advanced manufacturing leaders to further boost the sector in Leicestershire.”
Rachel York, Business Gateway manager, added: “We’re delighted to be able to offer such high-quality support to Leicestershire’s Advanced Manufacturing sector, particularly the companies who are embracing innovation because that’s an essential element for growth. Hopefully the companies that participate will spread the word across the sector and we will see more companies taking up our offer.”
Any company that meets the criteria should contact a Business Adviser on 0116 366 8487 to discuss applying for the programme.
Plans revealed for new business park in Leicestershire
Brackley Property Developments (BPD) has revealed plans to develop a new business park in Leicestershire.
The commercial developer has submitted a reserved matters application to Harborough District Council for the first phase of development at Elm Business Park in Broughton Astley.
The scheme proposes the development of industrial and warehouse units ranging in size from approximately 8,000 – 50,000 sq ft on a 17-acre site adjacent to Broughton Astley Golf Complex.
Units will be available on a design and build basis, which will provide occupiers with the opportunity to tailor the size and specification to their requirements. The largest building which can be accommodated is c.120,000 sq ft, subject to layout.
Elm Business Park lies on a prominent site off the B4114 Coventry Road, within six miles of the M1/M69 interchange. Outline planning consent was granted in December 2020 for a mix of uses including industrial, office, retail and leisure.
Stephen Pedrick-Moyle, Managing Director of BPD, said: “We are expecting planning approval for phase one towards the end of the year but we are already engaging with occupiers to discuss potential requirements for the site. This is with a view to starting construction during the first quarter of 2022.”
Approval for 275-bed student scheme at Argos site
Plans for a new student accommodation scheme and commercial space at Lombard House in Nottingham have been approved by the city council.
The site, at 37-41 Lower Parliament Street, is currently occupied by Argos.
Bmor Ltd are behind the 275-bed student accommodation development which would provide a mix of clusters and studios, including 23 studios which are included in the existing Argos building.
The proposals involve the demolition of the warehouse section of the Argos for a new development. The scheme would be up to 10 storeys.
Acquisitive firm snaps up majority stake in Notts furniture company
Storskogen, the Swedish firm which acquires and manages well-managed and profitable small and medium-sized enterprises, has snapped up a qualified majority stake in Julian Bowen Ltd.
Julian Bowen is a Nottinghamshire-based e-commerce design and fulfilment specialist for home furniture, with annual revenue and EBIT of approximately £34.9m and £6.9m, respectively. Julian Bowen is Storskogen’s second acquisition in the UK and represents a major milestone in the group’s international expansion.
Established in 1987, online retailers now comprise about 70 per cent of Julian Bowen’s sales, while the company offers a flexible fulfilment model to suit its wide range of customers that includes e-commerce, traditional bricks and mortar retailers, and contract furniture providers.
Amazon, Wayfair, Dunelm and DFS can be found among Julian Bowens customer base. Julian Bowen has also amassed a wide range of international suppliers.
Julian Bowen has a workforce of around 100 employees, while Managing Director Emmett Lenaghan and buying director Mark Pickup will remain in their existing senior roles within the company.
“We are delighted that Storskogen have chosen to partner with us. Their support and expertise will be highly beneficial as we continue to deliver our ambitious plans for the company,” said Emmett Lenaghan, Managing Director of Julian Bowen.
Julian Bowen will join the business area Trade headed by Christer Hansson.
“Throughout our discussions, we have been immensely impressed with Julian Bowen, in particular their extensive e-commerce operations and capacity to innovate in partnership with customers and suppliers. Julian Bowen is an ideal partner for Storskogen, and we will continue to support the expansion of their flexible and dynamic customer offering,” said Christer Hansson, EVP and Head of Business Area, Trade.
Storskogen UK CEO Philip Lofgren believes the UK has an integral role to play in Storskogen’s international expansion plans, and Julian Bowen represents another step towards realising these objectives.
“Julian Bowen represents our second investment in the UK following our acquisition of SGS Engineering in Q2 2021. Like SGS, Julian Bowen is exceptionally well positioned to benefit from the ongoing migration from bricks and mortar towards digital retail channels.
“We have extensive expertise in the B2B and B2C e-commerce space and are excited to partner with the existing Julian Bowen management team to develop these capabilities further,” said Philip Lofgren, CEO of Storskogen UK.
National lighting and security provider expands into Derby
National lighting and security providers, QVIS, have taken occupation of Unit 11 Dunstall Park.
The business has moved into the 4,500 sq ft unit on a new 10 year lease as part of their planned UK wide expansion.
Dunstall Park is a new development of workshop and warehouse units being undertaken by Derby-based Ivygrove Developments. The 7-acre scheme will provide units from 2,000 sq ft to 6,000 sq ft.
Matthew Holliday, UK project manager, QVIS, said: “We are delighted to be opening our 6th Technology Showroom in the fantastic City of Derby. This continues our rapid growth and we hope to open 14 more technology centres within the next 24 months and are glad to be creating new jobs in each of the areas plus providing the Security Trade with State-of-the-Art Technology, advice and training inside our Showrooms.”
Chris Keogh, associate director, Salloway Property Consultants, said: “The addition of QVIS to the Dunstall Park development fits perfectly within the scheme which will eventually comprise a mixture of Trade Counter and Industrial occupiers once completed. We are now releasing the final two phases of the development where units are available on a freehold or leasehold basis with sizes ranging from 2,000 sq ft up to 5,700 sq ft.”
Take advantage of face to face networking at the East Midlands Property & Business Expo
After almost two years of no exhibitions, the East Midlands Property & Business Expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will return on Friday 12 November 2021.
Taking place at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, delegates can pre-register for free entry to the event, which has everything you need for a great day of networking and business generation.
An established event of over 20 years, the show is well targeted and aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets.
The exhibition will open to attendees at 9am, with a seminar taking place between 10:30am and noon. A special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm.
For more information on exhibiting at the event click here.
To register to attend the event for free click here.
To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here.
Exhibitors include A+G Architects, Allica Bank, Aspbury Planning, Bassetlaw District Council, Bowmer + Kirkland, BSP Consulting, Business Link Magazine, Delta Simons, East Midlands Chamber, Empire Finance, Galliford Try, Invest East Midlands, Invest Newark & Sherwood, J Tomlinson, Lindum, Nottingham Trent University, Pick Everard, Pygott & Crone, Rigby & Co, Severn Trent, Stepnell, Wildgoose, YMD Boon, and more.
Supply chain issues and rising costs drive profit warnings of listed Midlands firms back to pre-pandemic levels
The number of profit warnings issued by UK listed businesses based in the Midlands rose marginally in the third quarter of the year, to six (from five in Q2).
Nationally, profit warnings rose to 51 in the third quarter of the year, up 19 from Q2 2021, as threats to growth and profitability increased, according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report.
The report reveals that whilst a post-pandemic demand surge boosted sales for many businesses over the summer months, it has also exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains and energy and labour markets, with 43% citing these pressures as the reason for their profits warning.
Most warnings in the region came from Industrial FTSE sectors and a third (33%) of Midlands-based companies issuing a warning said that supply chain issues were hampering their business.
Midlands listed business issued the joint second highest number of profit warnings, along with the South East (6) although significantly behind London (27).
Nearly two-fifths (39%) of UK companies warning were also affected by the fallout of COVID-19 – down from 72% in the previous quarter. Whilst the direct impact of the pandemic is waning, the increase in supply and cost pressures, and the end of government furlough support, will add to the challenge – especially for sectors where demand hasn’t yet returned to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Businesses with annual turnover of under £100m issued 50% of the third quarter’s profit warnings and almost 60% of the warnings were from AIM listed companies, typically small to mid-market companies which are less resilient to economic headwinds. New headwinds, including the impact of the steep rise in energy costs on a wide range of sectors, has also led to a high proportion of new companies warning for the first time.
Dan Hurd, EY Parthenon UK&I Turnaround and Restructuring Leader in the Midlands, said: “Whilst it’s encouraging that profit warnings among Midlands-based businesses remain low, evidence from the last few years has shown a trend for warnings to dip during Q3.
“The last two years has been anything but normal trading for businesses and there is nothing straightforward about this recovery. Whilst UK profit warning levels remained low during the summer they jumped dramatically back to above-average levels in September, as supply chain and cost stresses cascaded through the economy.
“Over the last 18 months, government support has mitigated the impact of massive changes in the UK economy. These measures have now come to an end and the remainder of the year will reveal those surviving on life support, as the government removes most, but not all of its props.”
Supply challenges dominate
The report revealed that profit warnings are rising in consumer-facing sectors as the impact of rising energy prices, supply bottlenecks and labour shortages spread across the economy. Consumer Discretionary FTSE sectors issued the most warnings in Q3 2021 with 11, followed by Industrials with 10.
The Consumer Staples sector – including food, drink, and household product producers – issued six warnings, its highest level of third-quarter profit warnings since 2014, with all but one of these six warnings blaming increasing costs or supply chain issues.
Meanwhile, supply chain issues remain acute in many FTSE Industrial sectors compounded by delayed or cancelled contracts, as companies suspended or limit production in response to the direct or knock-on impacts of rising costs or the lack of goods and labour.
Rising energy prices have also generated considerable stress in the retail energy supply sector, with EY expecting the number of UK suppliers to consolidate to 8-10, from 70 at the start of 2021. There is also a wider challenge in the transition to Net Zero that is also playing out in this and other sectors – including oilfield services and automotive – as companies move away from carbon intensive activities.
Dan Hurd said: “As this recovery develops, we expect the gaps to widen between and within sectors, depending on companies pricing power, their agility and capacity to adapt and capitalise on changing behaviours, and their ability to build a sustainable long-term value story.”
A sustainable recovery?
The research also explores how the trade-off between value and values is narrowing. Changing consumer behaviours, regulation and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) measurements are now all moving into the capital markets mainstream and companies will increasingly need to demonstrate their commitment to creating long-term value.
Adding to the challenge for companies is the lack of standardisation and regulation of ESG measurements. But, with the growth in green indices, green bonds, green investment funds and increasing fund manager differentiation, EY anticipates more consistent standards and scrutiny to emerge.
This could effectively lead to companies issuing ‘purpose warnings’ in the future – for instance, if companies miss targets and their price of debt increases, or they miss out on contracts as a result.
Joanne Robinson, EY-Parthenon Partner, Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy, said: “Just as we’re seeing increased investor reaction to profit warnings in the wake of greater economic peril, we’re also seeing investors react to greater climate peril. There’s no doubt that companies face a potentially difficult transition period where they’ll need to manage and time new investments, whilst also maintaining some legacy businesses.”
She added: “Companies need to strengthen their social licence to attract new customers and talent. The sustainability challenge will provide the impetus to innovate new products, services and business models that will be more valuable and resilient in the long-term. But the journey – as we can see in the UK energy market – won’t be easy.”
