SEPTEMBER 2024 EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www..co.uk WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK £3.50 Training the internal teamMeasuring office productivity Embracing new technologyNottingham, Mansfield, Sutton, Kirkby & Heanor 0115 906 8963 enquiries@hopkins-solicitors.co.uk BUSINESS DISPUTES They may be a fact of life, but dealing with them on your own doesn’t have to be. We believe that a business dispute shouldn’t cause major problems for your business. An early resolution to a dispute can mean the difference between a minor problem and a major crisis. > Shareholder & partnership disputes > > Debt collection > Professional negligence > Supplier & customer disputes More than just Legal Experts, we’re problem solvers www.hopkins-solicitors.co.uk We can help Enquire Today HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Top rated law firm in the East Midlands >Employment matters Propertydisputes >Contractdisputeswww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 3 EDITORS NOTES As we move into the third quarter of the year the economy remains in a perilous state. This hardly comes as a surprise to many, even after the election as everyone knew that there would be economic problems to sort out no matter who won. Tax hikes are another factor that economists accused all parties of being cagey on, and it’s to be expected that taxes will rise in the coming weeks or months. The only question is where they will come from and what this will mean for businesses. At the time of writing, it seems unlikely (though not impossible) that businesses themselves will be faced with extensive tax increases. Much talk at the moment is put toward pensions due to the amount of time pensioners have had with some of the lowest tax burdens faced by anyone in the UK. While this is unlikely to win Labour much love from pensioners, it’s also seen as the holdout group for supporting the Conservative Party anyway. The economy needs some boost no matter the source, as it’s currently placing undue weight on growth and leading to intense wage stagnation among workers. With more and more younger people priced out the property market and now seeing little value in work in the first place due to low wages and limited options for advancement, the country faces a very serious problem and needs to do more to raise spirits as well as arbitrary numbers. Good reading, as always. Michael Fisher Editor@BLMEastMidlands BLMEastMidlands Latest news 6 A round-up of the latest news from our region. Commercial property 16 Work on a plethora of significant developments is getting underway and completing across the East Midlands. Here, Business Link reflects on some of the most recent milestones. Tax 20 James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, considers the challenges being faced by charities and not-for-profit organisations. Finance 20 A painful budget, insolvencies at an all- time high and trouble ahead. It’s a tough time to be in business, and many are looking at how to cash out. Food and drink industry spotlight 25 In the wake of economic issues, a cost of living crisis and, before that, the global pandemic, the food and drink industry is doing its best to get ahead of the curve and embrace new technology to shore weaknesses in its business model. Education and training28 Hiring is difficult right now, which is why internal training up of existing employees is the go-to option for businesses, especially in the worsening economic climate. Public relations 32 Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, delves into the importance of creative photography for press releases. Office solutions 34 Wellbeing in the office isn’t just the newest buzzword – it’s a scientifically- proven measure of stimuli and surroundings designed to ensure the highest levels of productivity in workers. Net zero 38 Though the drive to Net Zero hasn’t been an easy or universally supported one, companies are still seeing the value in pursuing it. Not all ways of reducing energy expenditure are expensive or difficult to adapt, however. Corporate hospitality 31 The East Midlands Bricks Awards will return to Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on Thursday 3rd October to celebrate the region’s property and construction industry and provide an ideal occasion for networking. SEPTEMBER 2024 EAST MIDLANDS £3.50 LEADING BUSINESS MA AGAZINE chnology mbracing new INESSLINKCOUK .co.ukwww. oductivitypr Measuring of W ficeffraining trT WWWEASTMI tec Emnal teamthe inter IDLANDSBUS Cover photographs courtesy: • stock.adobe.com/Prostock-studio • ipopba • Rido • Andrey Popov • Dee karen Contents September 2024 AutoLink 44 Limited runs, expensive models and new releases – sometimes it’s about looking at dream cars. Events48 A timely look at forthcoming business events around the East Midlands. And finally...50 Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks.38 Group Editor Steve Fisher s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Editor Michael Fisher m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Journalist Tess Egginton t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk Sales Director Angela Cooper a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310310 Accounts & Subscriptions Angela Sharman accounts@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311 Design & Production Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson studio@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310304 E-Mail: eastmidlands@blmgroup.co.uk Publisher Haychart Ltd, t/a Business Link Magazine Group, Huntingdon House, 278-290 Huntingdon Street, Nottingham NG1 3LY All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk GENERAL NEWS Nottingham-headquartered solicitors joins Amputation Foundation legal panel Rothera Bray Solicitors have been appointed to the legal panel of the Amputation Foundation. Founded in 2017, the Amputation Foundation is a charity dedicated to providing immediate, empathetic, and effective support to amputees and their families. As one of the Amputation Foundation’s recommended legal partners, Rothera Bray will leverage their extensive experience in limb loss litigation and will aid the charity in expanding its reach and delivering its strategy to support more people affected by limb loss. Founder Stephen Cruse said: “Amputation Foundation is delighted to welcome Rothera Bray to the AF family. As the charity grows, so too does our need for additional support and having met with Rothera Bray on several occasions, we were excited by the synergy and ethos we shared. “AF is expanding its regional support hubs and sharing a partnership with another Midlands based legal firm will help us and our members to access broader support.” Business wins food waste recycling tender with Lincolnshire County Council BioteCH4 has secured a new contract with Lincolnshire County Council to recycle food waste from all districts within Lincolnshire. BioteCH4, the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) operator, handled over 600,000 tonnes of food waste in 2023, producing power equivalent to the electricity used by over 30,000 homes for an entire year. Following confirmation that all Councils must provide a weekly food waste collection from March 2026, Lincolnshire County Council has moved quickly, securing an in-county solution with BioteCH4 which will see up to 50,000 tonnes of food waste captured annually from homes and businesses across the county. Starting in Autumn 2025, BioteCH4 will collect the food waste daily from a network of six transfer stations throughout the county for up to 9 years. BioteCH4 will use its experience to collaborate closely with the councils as they implement these food waste collections for the first time, ensuring a smooth rollout of services and maximising the amount of food waste recycled across the county. East Midlands business confidence falls, but remains above national average Business confidence in the East Midlands fell 10 points during August to 52%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Although East Midlands businesses’ confidence in the economy climbed three points to 53%, their confidence in their own business prospects fell 25 points month-on-month to 50%. When taken together these figures give a headline reading of 52% (vs. 62% in July). Looking ahead to the next six months, businesses in the East Midlands identified their top target areas for growth as investing in their team, for example through training (34%), entering new markets (32%) and evolving their offering, for example by introducing new products or services (31%). A net balance of 44% of businesses in the region also expect to increase staff levels over the next year – the same proportion as in July. The East Midlands’ confidence remained above the UK average, which was unchanged from July in August at 50%. © BioteCH4 Hemswell Biogas, Lincolnshire Rothera Bray’s Serious Injury team: Greg Almond, Julie Walker and Ian JohnsonDerby security business expands through buy out Derby-based Monarch Security have bought out another local company and taken a step further in their goal to become one of the region’s largest security and executive protection companies. Monarch Security, based at Oberoi Business Hub in Pride Park, was set up during the pandemic by Farhaan Bhatti and Phil Wright who have more than 30 years’ combined experience in the industry. The company was approached by Leigh Baldwin, the owner of Burton- based Security Kings, to take over his business – incorporating its clients and staff into Monarch Security’s operations. The buy-out increases Monarch Security’s team which provides a range of services including personal protection, mobile patrols, manned guarding, key holding and alarm response for clients across the East Midlands as well as nationally and internationally. Security Kings has been established since 2017 and provides a wide range of services to businesses and residents including retail and site security, alarm response and key holding. Mr Baldwin is now concentrating on his new business Liberty Maze which provides supported housing for young people in care in the Burton and Derby areas. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link GENERAL NEWS • Commercial • Events • Headshots • Automotive • Fashion CALL OR EMAIL FOR A QUOTE 07506 998855 STEVE@STEVEEDWARDSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM STEVEEDWARDSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Creating eye-catching images to help businesses build their brands and engage with clients. © stock.adobe.com/Naypong Studio Major solar farm completed and sold in Nottinghamshire Lightsource bp has completed its largest UK solar project to date. Completion was followed by the sale of the solar farm and co- located energy storage project to specialist renewable investment manager Schroders Greencoat. Lightsource bp will provide asset management and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services for the solar project via its in-house O&M team. Tiln Farm is a 49.9MWac solar project near Retford in Nottinghamshire and, now complete, is providing power to building products manufacturer Forterra via a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The signing of the PPA with Forterra in 2022 heralded the company taking significant steps to a sustainable future. Tiln Farm solar will provide the Northampton-headquartered brick, block, and concrete producer with around 70 percent of its electricity needs, in a sector-leading investment that will provide renewable energy to Forterra’s 17 sites for 15 years. Construction on the project began in 2022, on what is the first Lightsource bp project globally to be co-located with energy storage, with a 25MW/50MWh (two-hour duration) battery also now operational onsite. Farhaan Bhatti and Phil Wright © stock.adobe.com/SoonthornMather Jamie expands leadership team with new senior associate director Loughborough-based land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie has appointed Richard Scriven as the firm’s new senior associate director. Richard Scriven brings over 20 years of experience from his previous role at Fisher German LLP, where he served as a rural practice surveyor. His extensive background spans estate management to rural property consultancy. Scriven holds a BSc (Hons) in Rural Enterprise and Land Management from Harper Adams University and is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. In his new role at Mather Jamie, Scriven will oversee a variety of services, including estate management, rural property consultancy, valuations, compulsory purchase and compensation, as well as rural property sales and lettings. Robert Cole, Managing Director at Mather Jamie, said: “Having an expert like Richard join our team is a tremendous asset. His ability to offer his vast experience in all matters rural practice will significantly benefit our clients and enhance our internal expertise.” APPOINTMENTS New technical director appointed at Gateley RJA Gateley RJA, the specialist quantity surveying, employer’s agent, project management and clerk of works arm of professional services group, Gateley, has strengthened its commercial team with the appointment of Harman Singh Barech as a technical director in Leicester. Chartered surveyor, Barech, brings 17 years of quantity surveying, employer’s agent and project management experience to the team following roles with TSA Riley and AtkinsRéalis with experience in both the public and private sector. He also headed up the internal RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) programme at TSA Riley and has mentored and assessed RICS APC candidates on a national scale since 2018, as well as holding a chair role. At Gateley RJA, Barech will be responsible for overseeing and developing technical output and client account management, as well as supporting the continued growth of the Leicester commercial team. His role will support director of commercial, Chris Clubb. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Northants logistics firm names new MD Xtra Express Logistics, a logistics firm with sites in Brackmills and Hannington, has appointed a new Managing Director of its Brackmills business. Sophie Yorke will step up from her current role to Managing Director and Edward Grant-Salmon will become Group Managing Director. This latest announcement follows a year of change for the business which has included the acquisition of Action Express Northampton on Brackmills Industrial Estate and a major rebrand and name change from Crisis Logistics to Xtra Express Logistics. Sophie joined Action Express Northampton via an agency 20 years ago at the age of 17, taking on the role of accounts assistant. Then she proceeded to rise through the ranks before becoming operations manager in 2015. Sophie’s role changed again to general manager in 2022. When Crisis Logistics – as the business was known then – acquired Action Express Northampton, the management team instantly saw Sophie as part of the company’s future. L-R: Rob Cole and Richard Scriven L-R: Chris Clubb and Harman Singh Barech L-R: Roman Stajila, Edward Grant-Salmon, Sophie Yorke and Charles Grant-Salmon of Xtra Express LogisticsCharterpoint names new director of acquisitions Developer Charterpoint has strengthened its team with the appointment of Miles Howard as director of acquisitions. The new position has been created as part of the continued expansion of the Charterpoint Group, which specialises in developing senior living accommodation, sustainable mixed- use and housing developments, and primary care premises. Miles brings with him 30 years of experience in the land market, having worked within the residential sector and the senior living sector. His new role at Nottingham- based Charterpoint is a nationwide role which will support the developer as it continues to identify and acquire sites for development across the country. CEO at Charterpoint Adrian Goose said: “We are pleased to welcome Miles to our growing team at Charterpoint. He has a fantastic track record on acquisitions within the sectors that we specialise in and I envisage that his insight and expertise will play a key role as we continue to expand.” Miles has previously held positions as land director at a number of well-known companies within the senior living and residential development sectors. New senior team member appointed at Microlise Group Microlise, a provider of technology solutions, has appointed Mike Blackburn as its new chief revenue officer. With a wealth of experience in SaaS, technology and professional services, Mike is set to lead the sales and marketing teams in driving revenue generation and accelerating growth. Mike’s impressive career is marked by his ability to drive innovation and create substantial value for businesses. With a strong focus on sales scale-up, turnaround and transformation, he has successfully led multiple business growth initiatives and orchestrated two significant private equity exits. His strategic leadership has consistently delivered sustained growth by securing new customers and executing cross-sell and upsell strategies across diverse markets. In his new role, Mike will be responsible for overseeing all revenue-related activities, ensuring alignment between sales and marketing teams to identify long-term sales opportunities, while maximising profitability. By leveraging his expertise in sales strategy and commercial operations, Mike will work to enhance the company’s sales performance and drive growth in key markets. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link APPOINTMENTS Waste management firm bolsters senior team with ex-BT customer service specialist ESE, the manufacturer of temporary storage systems for waste and recyclables, has expanded its team by appointing Jetal Sharma as its customer service manager. Based at its UK headquarters in Coalville, Leicestershire, with operations spanning across Europe, the strategic hire aims to enhance customer satisfaction and support across the region, as the firm advances its commitment to sustainable waste management solutions. With over two decades of experience — having previously held roles at firms including British Telecom (BT) and Futures Housing Group — Jetal brings a wealth of expertise to her position at ESE. As well as providing active mentorship to colleagues, planning day-to-day workflow, analysing KPIs and performance targets, and communicating across various levels — from stakeholders, investors, and head office, to the front end of the business — Jetal will lead on CRMs to centralise customer interactions. She will also implement policy and procedural changes to improve the end-user journey and enhance service levels at every stage. “We hold stringent standards of care across everything we do,” says Peter Vernon, managing director at ESE. “And as our footprint grows, alongside our expanding product portfolio, we want that to be a mainstay of operations. With Jetal’s vast experience, we’re confident our customer service function will reach new heights, ensuring our commitment to excellence reflects as much in our end-to-end service as it does throughout our sustainable waste management solutions.” Jetal Sharma Mike Blackburn Miles HowardNext >