Robinson wins ‘Best Custom Packaging Solutions Provider’ at Midlands Enterprise Awards

Michael Fisher
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Robinson wins ‘Best Custom Packaging Solutions Provider’ at Midlands Enterprise Awards

Robinson – the manufacturer specialising in value-added custom packaging – has been named ‘Best Custom Packaging Solutions Provider’ at the 2021 Midlands Enterprise Awards.

 

Now running for four consecutive years, the Midlands Enterprise programme is created to acknowledge and award those SMEs of all different sizes covering a range of businesses and industries that are based within the Midlands. The region is often described as the beating heart of the British industry and is a strong force in opening new avenues and business opportunities to most SMEs.

 

Dr Helene Roberts, CEO at Robinson, says: “We are thrilled to be named Best Custom Packaging Solutions Provider. With nearly 200 years within the industry, we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to provide our customers with customised solutions that meet their packaging needs.

 

Roberts continues: “Being an independent business, it gives us the advantage of being highly adaptive and flexible, our in-house team can help develop sustainable packaging formats, introduce innovative features and designs, or refine functionality, to make sure our customers meet their goals.”

 

The awards are given solely on merit and are awarded to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.

 

Awards Coordinator Dean Taylor commented: “I am incredibly proud of all of the winners this year and would like to congratulate them on achieving so much. It has been a pleasure managing this programme and I wish all the winners the best of luck for their future endeavours!”

Silverstone’s Carbon Component Solutions acquires plastic manufacturer

Tess Egginton
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Silverstone’s Carbon Component Solutions acquires plastic manufacturer
Carbon Component Solutions, a composite component manufacturer situated in Silverstone, has acquired Arnold Engineering Plastics. Arnold Engineering Plastics, a well-established manufacturing business based in Northampton, was previously owner managed by the Larkins family, who shared a long-standing relationship with Carbon Component Solutions. The firm has specialised in plastic manufacturing for 50 years and the acquisition has enabled Carbon Component Solutions to expand the manufacturing services and goods available to its clients. Co-owner and director of Carbon Component Solutions, Bryn Noon, said: “Purchasing Arnold Engineering Plastics is an exciting opportunity to expand our business and manufacturing capabilities. We have had a strong relationship with AEP for some time and we’re now excited to work alongside Peter Larkins to integrate the two businesses together into Carbon Component Solutions’ wider services.” Co-owner and director of Carbon Component Solutions, Scott Noon, said: “We are looking forward to being able to provide our clients and customers with a greater range of services which was one of the driving forces for us doing this transaction. We couldn’t have done the deal without our team of advisors, Howes Percival and CED Accountancy Services, who provided clear guidance throughout and their combined project management got the deal over the line.” Howes Percival’s team comprised Matt Thompson and Matt Mayes (Corporate), Graham Irons and Sobia Ahmad (Employment), Rob Starr (Regulatory) and Owen Franks (Commercial Property).

Duo of tools and building materials businesses open at new £30m mixed-use development

Tess Egginton
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Duo of tools and building materials businesses open at new £30m mixed-use development
Two UK-wide tools and building materials businesses have opened their doors at a new £30 million mixed-use development in Nottingham. Tool Station started trading earlier this month at Teal Park off the Colwick Loop Road in Netherfield. They have been joined this weekend by Screwfix. Howdens is due to start the fitting out of its 6,000 sq ft premises towards the end of this month. This activity marks the completion of the 33,300 sq ft trade park and a 28,860 sq ft industrial unit sold to Storage Giant which has been jointly developed by Warwickshire-based AC Lloyd Commercial and Nottingham-based based Henry Davidson Developments (HDD). The multi-million-pound development will also include another six trade units and six large employment units totalling 111,000 sq ft, a care home, a new Local Centre with four retail shops, a children’s day nursery and a pub as well as an Aldi supermarket when it is completed. Mark Edwards, Managing Director at AC Lloyd Commercial, said this was the first time he had visited Teal Park since the first national lockdown in March 2020. “It was fantastic to see all the work that has been done over the last 19 months in person – and the difference to my last visit is staggering,” he said. “There was a hive of activity with customers already visiting Tool Station and Screwfix and I’m sure there will be an equally positive response when Howdens and Storage Giant open. “Looking at photos of the trade park doesn’t do it justice and we are really pleased with the completion of the first phase of the development.” Richard Croft, director at HDD, added: “This is the first branch of Tool Station in this part of Nottingham and the steady flow of customers shows that Tool Station and Screwfix are already proving popular. “The opening of these two units will be part of an overall job creation figure of 340 full-time equivalent posts when Teal Park is finished which is good news for local job-seekers and the local economy.”

Derbyshire Dales District Council to further support recovery of small businesses with grants

Tess Egginton
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Derbyshire Dales District Council to further support recovery of small businesses with grants
To support the continued recovery of the local economy, Derbyshire Dales District Council proposes to utilise its remaining COVID Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) allocation to help small and micro-businesses to adapt, diversify and improve resilience post COVID. Priority will be given to businesses operating from business premises and employing staff in order to assist longer term economic recovery. Applications from businesses with growth plans curtailed as a result of COVID restrictions will also be considered. Applicants should show that investment will contribute to one or more of the following: increase turnover, enhance productivity, enable diversification/expansion into different products or services, improve efficiency or safeguard/create new jobs. Businesses in manufacturing, engineering and knowledge based/creative and digital sectors are particularly encouraged to apply. Grant support at 50% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of £20,000 will be considered for projects costing more than £10,000 and up to £40,000 (excluding recoverable VAT). Larger projects may be considered in exceptional cases. Eligible costs include: new equipment, machinery or technology; specialist consultancy; or expenditure to reduce the carbon footprint of the business. Applicants must be able to complete their investment and claim the grant by 28 February 2022 latest. Three quotes are required for items of expenditure over £1,000. These must be submitted online as part of the application. Applications are to be submitted online before 5pm on 15 November 2021.

Carlton Forest 3PL acquires 100,000 sq ft site in Nottinghamshire

Tess Egginton
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Carlton Forest 3PL acquires 100,000 sq ft site in Nottinghamshire

Carlton Forest 3PL has added a further 100,000 sq ft site to its growing portfolio, it’s fourth building acquisition in just eight months.

The warehouse, located at Tuxford, Nottinghamshire, close to the A1, is facilitating stock storage, management, and fulfilment for two significant retailers to support them with their strategic long-term supply chain management.

“We continue to seek opportunities to grow our customer base and the reputation that we have secured for our high levels of customer service are paying dividends as businesses seek partnership agreements with us,” said Adam Jones, Managing Director, Carlton Forest 3PL.

“This latest acquisition highlights our ability to create tailor made solutions in strategic locations that suit our customer requirements and allows us to integrate the site into our business operations with ease.”

The site is now fully operational and has secured the employment of ten staff from the local community after the previous company operating from the building went into administration. The companies’ entire portfolio of warehouse space now exceeds 1.3m sq ft.

Adam concluded: “This latest acquisition joins our sites at Worksop, Hellaby and Bawtry Park and gives us great flexibility in offering support to business who are either based in the region or who are seeking a distribution hub in the area. 2022 already looks exciting for us with further expansion planned and warehouse acquisitions already in the pipeline.”

Record month for Nottingham property developer

Tess Egginton
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Record month for Nottingham property developer
Hockley Developments, the Nottingham-based supported living and residential property developer, has exchanged on £5m of forward sales in the month of October. Announcing the record month, head of construction, Paul Kennedy, confirmed demand continued to be higher than the business could supply. “With one of our repeat buyers exchanging on the full development at The Phoenix development, a 26 apartment new build development in Nottingham, and further exchanges at our site at Westbridge House, this highlights the confidence in the value, finish and specification that our buyers have. “With us expecting a similar amount of sales to be agreed in November across two new developments in Sherwood and St Anns in Nottingham, we are now focusing on securing further sites to develop in 2022. “We also expect to expand our supported living developments across the East Midlands next year with sites being identified in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.”

More than half of UK private equity firms have made investment strategies more ESG focused

Tess Egginton
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More than half of UK private equity firms have made investment strategies more ESG focused
More than half of UK private equity firms have made their investment strategies more ESG focused, despite COVID-19 threatening to halt progress as firms rallied to support portfolio companies throughout pandemic uncertainty. According to accountancy and business advisory firm BDO, which studied the environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies of 100 private equity (PE) houses with UK operations, PE firms are increasingly having to prove to investors that they take ESG issues seriously. While the majority have started to make their investment portfolios more responsible from an ESG perspective, progress stalled slightly during COVID-19 as PE houses focused their attention on supporting portfolio companies through the worst of the pandemic.
  • In 2021, 57% of UK PE firms clearly set out the changes they have implemented to make their investments more ESG focused.
  • 55% of UK PE firms now adhere to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI), the world’s most-recognised set of ESG principles. This is up from 49% in 2020.
  • 48% of UK PE firms now report in detail on the ESG impact of their investments – unchanged from the previous year.
  • 29% of UK PE firms now have a dedicated individual or team responsible for embedding ESG into the investment process – up from 25% in 2020.
As the post-pandemic recovery takes hold and private equity-backed business accelerate their growth plans, private equity houses are rallying to prioritise their ESG credentials, says BDO. PE firms are often applying ESG screening pre-transaction to identify any ethical red flags at a prospective investee company. Firms are also conducting specific due diligence before any potential deal, and a rising number are educating their investment committees on relevant ESG considerations. More firms are now also beginning to report in detail on the ESG impact of their investments. This includes carrying out ongoing ESG monitoring post-transaction and ensuring managers report on the ESG impacts of their portfolio companies to their Limited Partners (LPs). While progress has been made in some areas, BDO says there is clear room for improvement. A third (34%) of PE firms are yet to publish their own set of ESG principles and only 29% have a dedicated ESG team. Sarah Ziegler, private equity director at BDO, says some PE firms risk falling behind as comprehensive ESG rises up investors’ agendas. “The majority of private equity firms now understand that integrating ESG into their investment decisions can help boost returns. For this to work, portfolio companies should be able to clearly show how they follow ESG guidelines. “Some firms are doing this well, but there are still some that need to improve. The uncertainty experienced in the heat of the pandemic was felt across the industry and that understandably required critical attention, however LPs will soon start to notice if PE houses start falling behind on their ESG commitments.” There has been scepticism towards ESG from some in the private equity sector in the past, but firms are more aware than ever of how having strong ESG credentials can act as a key competitive advantage. Sarah Ziegler adds: “Firms that demonstrate not just a commitment to ESG but data to prove the impact of their approach are now in a better position to attract investment. “Investment consulting firms and Placement Agents, who act as ‘gatekeepers’ for institutional investors, are also paying closer attention to the ESG policies of PE firms, and in particular the substance behind those policies. “PE houses should embrace reporting requirements and use environmental KPIs to capture the link between environmental and financial performance. An increasing number of studies have shown that ESG or sustainable investing leads to better returns across a range of asset classes, including private equity.”

Thousands of young people across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to benefit from Careers Hub expansion

Tess Egginton
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Thousands of young people across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to benefit from Careers Hub expansion
Over 92,000 young people across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will benefit from new support to prepare them for the world of work. The local Careers Hub, run by the national body for careers education, The Careers & Enterprise Company in partnership with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), is expanding to support 118 more schools across the region. Operating since 2019, the Careers Hub will now support a total of 150 secondary schools and colleges in the region and their 118,000 students. The Hub brings together school staff, particularly those who lead on careers education, and provides them with additional support, resources and training for their schools to deliver “modern, 21st century careers education for every child, no matter their background or circumstance.” The Careers Hub also links the region’s schools with employers, Further Education colleges and apprenticeship and in-work training providers, to make sure young people in the region know about the options available to them after they leave education, and the different jobs open to them. Research carried out by The Careers & Enterprise Company shows that schools and colleges that are part of a Careers Hub deliver more support to students, have stronger links with local employers, offer more work experience opportunities and develop innovative ways of linking the curriculum with different jobs a student could go on to do. Over the next year, the D2N2 Careers Hubs will work with member schools to ensure each has a fit for purpose strategic careers plan while delivering a range of experience events and programmes for young people to access, made possible by the backing of supporting employers. Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2 LEP, said: “This exciting initiative couldn’t be better timed. Bringing the worlds of work and education together is a vital part of our strategy to lead a green recovery from the impact of Covid-19. “Our four Careers Hubs will play a key role in inspiring our future workforce about the amazing opportunities that lie ahead for them across the D2N2 area. It’s no secret that our young people have been disproportionally affected by the effects of Covid-19, so this is a real opportunity to level the playing field. “It has been a real collaborative effort to bring these Careers Hubs to our region and we look forward to working with all our partners as we look to transform the careers landscape across the D2N2 area.” Oli de Botton, the Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, the national body for careers education in England, said: “Modern, 21st century careers education for every child, no matter their background or circumstance couldn’t be more important. “Over the last few years schools and colleges across the country have been improving careers education, and helping more and more of their young people to take their best next step out of education and into the wider world. “Careers Hubs have played an incredibly important role in making this happen. They are helping businesses, schools, apprenticeship providers and colleges to collaborate and work together as effectively as possible. “I want to say a huge congratulations to the team in in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Derby for making this happen, and for expanding their Careers Hub so it helps to improve the lives of many more young people in the area.” Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart, said: “Careers Hubs ensure young people can see and know about the huge range of different jobs and career pathways on offer, and make decisions that work best for them and their futures. “Good careers education is such a valuable asset, so it’s fantastic to see that the Careers Hub in Nottingham, Derby, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire is expanding, extending the support to make sure more young people have the information they need to make the most of their talents.”

Mansfield District Council Chief Executive resigns

Tess Egginton
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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.
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.

Business Gateway provides SUBStantial support for start-ups interrupted by COVID

Tess Egginton
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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.”
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