JANUARY 2017EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGNEW GUESTCOLUMNISTS Streets & JLT SpecialtyHOLIDAYHANGOVER?Beat the bluesHUMANRESOURCESThe latest trendswww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKWHEREDO WEGO FROMHERE?WHEREDO WEGO FROMHERE?LinkingbusinesstogetherEast Midlands Business Link has been bringing businesses together through itsonline pages and we’re now offering even more chances to network andcreate new relationships with a host of special events – and there are numerous sponsorship opportunities to help promote your brand!Round TablesBringing together leading names from local businesses, our round table events debate the latest hottopics. By sponsoring the event you can decide on the topic and help shape the guest list to ensurerelevance. The resultant debate will appear in our pages.Breakfast EventsEast Midlands Business Link's breakfast events present topical and incisive discussion. A panel ofexperts offer their views on business matters in front of an informed and interested audience –alongside plenty of opportunities to network! Sponsors of the event receive access to the delegate list as well as extensive pre- and post-event coverage.AwardsHighlighting the best of local business, there are myriad sponsorship opportunities atEast Midlands Business Link's awards evenings. Bringing together guests from across the region,sponsoring a category or even the entire event will ensure exceptional exposure for your business! These events are also a great place to entertain and welcome distinguished guests.Business Link is renowned as the voice of the East Midlands business scene. By partnering with us at these special events you can take advantage of our strong reputation and enjoy exceptional exposure for your brand!Connectwith us today to see what we can do for your business...www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 3EDITOR’S NOTESHappy New Year!2016 was a rollercoaster ride and no mistake. Will 2017 treat us morekindly? Only time will tell. Uncertainty remains the order of the day, butbusinesses across the East Midlands will doubtless be planning to meetwhatever 2017 throws at them head on. One thing’s for sure: there willbe no sitting on hands. In our cover feature this month we take a look back at 2016 andconsider what’s in store this year. We also introduce two new guestcolumnists, James Pinchbeck of Streets Chartered Accountants andSally Swann of JLT Specialty, and welcome back regular contributorsRebecca Bull of My HR Hub and Greg Simpson of Press for AttentionPR. Elsewhere there are tips for staving off the post-Christmas blues, andinterviews with a host of East Midlands business luminaries includingEd Vernon OBE of Macildowie and Rebecca Aldridge from Balance:Wealth Planning. Enjoy. Ian EvansEditorTime to push onContentsJanuary 2017Latest News6The latest news from the regionDeals8The latest news from the dealmakers around the regionProperty News 10All the latest from the property sectorAppointments12Who’s moving whereManufacturing News14News and views from around the East MidlandsCover Story16We take a look back at 2016 and consider what’s in storethis yearNew Year’s Resolutions18James Pinchbeck of Streets Chartered Accountants on theimportance of planning for the year aheadHuman Resources20Rebecca Bull (My HR Hub) runs through the latest trends inthe HR sectorRecruitment22A chat with Ed Vernon OBE, chairman of East Midlands-based recruitment consultancy MacildowieProperty 23Q&A with David Hargreaves, co-founder of property agentFHPPublic Relations 24The latest advice from Greg Simpson, founder of Press forAttention PR and Enterprise Nation Champion forNottinghamWealth Planning26We meet Rebecca Aldridge, managing director of EastMidlands-based financial planning business Balance:Wealth PlanningThe Internet of Things28Sally Swann of JLT Specialty discusses the risk andinsurance implications of the “Internet of Things” Brand Building30Alan Slaney, chairman of marketing and CRM agencyDiversity, tells EMBL how brands within the builtenvironment can be successfully engineered to becomeindustry sector leadersHoliday Hangover?32How to stave off the worst of the post-Christmas bluesSocial Scene35Christmas Day wine tasting sessionOut of Office Special36Daffodils, Olympic medallists and football sponsorshipdealsAutoLink38It’s been an interesting year for new model launches in2016, but 2017 looks to be even better with some greatcars scheduled to arrive to our shores. Here’s our rundown of just a few models buyers can look forward to25EditorIan Evansi.evans@blmgroup.co.ukAccounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharmanaccounts@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark Cassonstudio@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310304Fax: (01472) 310314E-Mail:eastmidlands@blmgroup.co.ukPublisherHaychart Ltd, t/a Business Link Magazine Group,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied,recorded or otherwise without expresspermission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to thepublisher. While every reasonable care is taken,neither the publisher nor its participating agentsaccept liability for loss or damage to prints,colour transparencies, negatives or othermaterial of whatever nature submitted to thispublication. The views expressed in thispublication are not necessarily the views of thoseheld by the publisher.@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlandsPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ILIN SERGEYEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk6Trew reaches agreementto sell Notts County tolocal businessmanNotts County FootballClub owner Ray Trew hasreached an agreement withlocal businessman AlanHardy over the sale of theclub.Having held discussionswith a number ofprospective buyers in recentmonths, Trew felt that adeal with Hardy was thebest option for all partiesand will now work towardsfinalising the agreement andcompleting the transfer ofownership in due course.Trew, who took overNotts when they were onthe brink of being placed into administration in February 2010,said of the deal: “It has been one of the hardest tasks of mytime at Meadow Lane to find a successor to my tenure of theclub, but I feel that in Alan Hardy the Notts County fans willhave found someone who they can get behind and believe into usher in a new era that I hope will bring success andhappiness for all involved.“In handing over the reins of this great club, I amcomfortable in saying that I have always given my all to thebetterment of the World’s Oldest Football League Club andwhilst things haven’t always gone as I would have liked, I haveenjoyed some incredibly memorable moments during my timeat Meadow Lane and leave the club feeling incredibly proud ofthe fact that the fans still have a club that they can believe inand support on to bigger and better things in the future”.“I would like to thank everyone who has played any part inthe running of Notts County during my time at the club, thereare far too many to name, but I hope that they know howmuch I appreciate the hard work and commitment that theyput in to ensure that Notts battled through thick and thin overthe years that I was at the helm.“Football is an industry like no other and I have learnedsome valuable lessons along the way, but I wish Alan andeveryone associated with Notts County all the very best for thefuture and hope that they bring the success that we all cravefor the club over the coming years”.Picsolve to create 25 jobs with new tech developmentdivisionDerby-based company Picsolve, which provides photography solutions for theme parks and attractions, is expanding its PridePark office to host a brand new tech development division for 25 recruits. The expanded team will join a further 60 employeesworking on delivering innovative photo solutions for the leisure and entertainment industry.Picsolve is already well-established, with over 2,500 employees across the world, capturing over 250 million photos a year forpartners such as Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds. Its offering includes award winning “Green Screen”,rollercoaster ride and specialist event photography at theme parks, water parks, tourist attractions and holiday resorts globally.Despite its global presence with offices in Orlando, Hong Kong and Dubai, Picsolve has always maintained a presence in the“tech city” of Derby, where 12% of its workforce are already employed within hi-tech roles.Alan Wright, CEO at Picsolve, said: “Creating competition for established tech hubs, Derby is a burgeoning hot spot fortechnology innovation and we aim to take advantage of this local talent by moving our entire technology provision to the region. Asa global leader in the attractions industry, Picsolve represents a fantastic opportunity for developers looking for an excitingchallenge coupled with the stability of working for an established business”.Industrial development atHucknall marks major milestoneA major industrial development which could create up to 2,000 new jobs andbring a new generation of businesses to Hucknall has marked a milestone in thedevelopment process. Harrier Park, which will be accessed through a new entrance off Hucknall by-pass, will open up 67 acres of industrial space.Up to 900 new homes will also be developed on the site, which covers 150acres in total, providing a significant boost for the local economy through newjobs and new residents likely to support local services.A new primary school, care home, green space and other community facilitiesalso form part of the development.Harrier Park is a partnership between site owner Rolls-Royce, NottinghamshireCounty Council, Ashfield District Council, and Muse Developments, which has atrack record of delivering high-profile mixed use and regeneration projects acrossthe UK.The partners in the project have now marked the commencement of the nextphase of road infrastructure on the site, which is expected to accelerate itsdevelopment and kick-start interest from potential occupiers.Councillor Alan Rhodes, the Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said:“There has never been a more important time to invest in the future of theeconomy and, as a council, we are committed helping support new opportunitiesfor our communities – demonstrated by our funding for the new Harrier Park linkroad.“Harrier Park is a site that has an illustrious history and it remains a key part ofthe global activities of Rolls-Royce. By helping to open up the site fordevelopment, we now hope to see more businesses coming to Hucknall to helpgrow the county economy and provide jobs for local people into the future”.Harrier Park is the historic site of RAF Hucknall, which witnessed thedevelopment of a number of pioneering aviation projects during the 20th century.It takes its name from the world-famous Harrier jump jet, a ground-breakingvertical take-off military aircraft whose early development took place at the siteand involved the design of revolutionary engine technology by Rolls-Royce.LATEST NEWS7www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 300 new student flatsplanned for DerbyProsperity Capital Partners, one of the UK’s leadingproviders of student accommodation, has teamed up withCedar House Investments to announce plans to develop asecond facility in Derby.Following on from its successful £20.3 million CathedralCourt scheme, which was completed in September this year,plans have now been submitted to develop around 300 unitsin the new building on Cathedral Road.Strategically located adjacent to Derby College’s JosephWright Sixth Form centre and close to the Cathedral Quarter,the new scheme, previously known as the officedevelopment City Gate House, will provide students in thecity with contemporary living accommodation in aconvenient location.The announcement that the Cathedral Quarter won BestCity Location at the Great British High Street awards furtherhighlights the desirability of the area.The deal was brokered by commercial property specialistsRigby & Co, alongside FHP, on behalf of the owner, Derbybusinessman Peter Gadsby, who was keen to see theprogression of the land benefit the wider businesscommunity.He said: “We considered a number of different commercialand residential schemes for this site, but ultimately weresatisfied that Prosperity Capital Partners will meet thegrowing expectations of Derby’s student market – and thisdeal ensures there will be development activity in this region.“We have been aware of the ambition of the University ofDerby to continue to build close to Derby city centre for awhile now, and we’re sure that this deal will deliver a sitewhich will make a positive contribution to the increasedvibrancy in this part of the city centre”.Gavin Barry, CEO of Prosperity Capital Partners, added:“We were keen to build on the success of our CathedralCourt scheme and develop further high quality,contemporary accommodation for Derby’s students. Thesekinds of developments are incredibly important to the city’seconomic wellbeing and provide invaluable support toDerby’s student population. It has been a pleasure workingalongside Peter Gadsby and Rigby & Co to conclude hisdeal”.New restaurant to create 50 jobsin West BridgfordRestaurant brand Gusto is set to create 50 jobs when it opens in West Bridgfordthis year. The award-winning restaurant, which is making a host of full and part-time roles available, will further boost employment in the city’s lively food anddrink scene.A million-pound investment has seen the former Monkey Tree restaurant andpub on Bridgford Road transform into the new branch of Gusto, which opens inFebruary.Sue Crimes, managing director for Gusto, said: “We’re really excited to open ourlatest bar and restaurant, especially in the vibrant West Bridgford location. Byhosting a recruitment day in January, with 50 vacancies available, we hope tocreate great opportunities for the local people, as well as finding the best fit for thejobs that are on offer. KPMG UK breaks £2bn barrierKPMG has announced an increase in revenues from £1,958m to £2,068m – nearly6 percent – for the financial year ended 30th September 2016.The firm responded well to the market forces which are changing the shape ofprofessional services, specifically audit rotation and the move towards providinglarge scale, managed services online or in the cloud. KPMG secured the audits ofcompanies such as John Lewis Partnership, Standard Life, Balfour Beatty and WoodGroup, and its management consulting team won large managed services projectssuch as the Civil Service Learning contract to provide up to 400,000 civil servantswith their learning and development needs.The firm grew across all functions except risk consulting, which saw large bankremediation projects close. Highlights for the year included mid-market tax,transaction services and management consulting which all achieved double digitgrowth.Foresight completes hat-trick of deals in NottinghamForesight Group has made another significant investment from the Foresight Nottingham Fund into Nottingham-based software andsensor business Ekkosense. This follows deals involving local businesses S4RB and PlayerLayer last month.Ekkosense is a Nottingham-based business specialising in developing and delivering software analytics, low cost sensors and vendoragnostic thermal expertise for optimising the performance of data centres, server rooms, power transmission sites, solar plants andtelecoms equipment. It includes Nottingham City Homes amongst its customers.The investment will enable the business to continue to develop its software functionality and sensor technologies, enabling itscustomers to reduce operational risk, benefit from energy savings and release unused or unavailable capacity.Mike Quinn and Matt Smith led the deal from Foresight’s Nottingham office. Quinn will join the Board as investor director.The Foresight Nottingham Fund is a £40 million fund that targets equity investments of up to £2 million into growth companies, with afocus on Nottingham and the Nottinghamshire region.Dean Boyle, CEO at Ekkosense, said: “We’re excited by the opportunities that this extra capital provides Ekkosense in terms ofaccelerating the businesses’ software growth. Our EkkoSoft software platform has received fantastic customer feedback and we will beadding new functionality for our data centre customers and driving growth in other critical sectors via our breakthrough IoTtechnologies. We look forward to collaborating with Foresight’s experienced investment team to drive sales and improve key services inorder to maintain a position at the forefront of the market”.East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk8Former cricket star lights up the iPro stadium with newpartnership dealHe once starred with the bat at the County Ground but now former Derbyshire cricketer MattCassar is making a name for himself at the iPro Stadium after his company became a clubpartner with Derby County.Cassar has agreed a deal with the Rams for the rest of the season to promote his companyFinance Advice Centre on the two large LED big screens outside the ground and on the pitch-side hoardings during the game.Finance Advice Centre, whose UK headquarters are based not far from the ground inRaynesway, has also launched its own Derby County supporters offer and will be giving outRams season tickets and match-day hospitality via prize draws throughout the rest of theseason.Cassar, who played for Derbyshire between 1994 and 2000, set up Finance Advice Centre in 2014. It has 50 advisers and adminstaff and specialises in arranging mortgages for people whose financial history means they are struggling to get a deal.He said: “I love sport and I know from my time playing for the county how much the Derby public love their sport too, so I’vealways wanted to try and give something back if possible.Notts IT firm makes major acquisitionNottingham-based IT systems provider Columbus has acquired Cambridge Online Systems, an ITservices company specializing in Microsoft Dynamics NAV and CRM. With the acquisition of CambridgeOnline Systems, Columbus is seeking to increase its footprint in the growing Dynamics 365 market andgrow its cloud technology business within the UK.Columbus CEO Thomas Honoré said: “We are pleased to announce the acquisition of CambridgeOnline Systems. Cambridge Online Systems is a well-established company with a strong customer base,and with their extensive skills within ERP and CRM Columbus aim to increase our market share andgrowth potential in the UK”.Since its founding in 1978, Cambridge Online Systems has built substantial market share and todayservices a large number of customers.Mary Hunter, managing director at Columbus UK, said: “This is an extremely exciting acquisition forColumbus enabling us to expand our portfolio and footprint in the UK market. As the longest standingand leading Dynamics partner in the UK, we always strive to deliver maximum value to our customers,through the very latest technologies that suit their needs. With the new offerings and capabilities that thisacquisition brings, we will continue to give our customers a competitive edge in their markets”.Cambridge Online Systems employs 71 ERP and CRM specialists working out of its office inCambridge. In 2015, the business had in the financial year 2015/2016 a revenue of £5.5m, and earningsof £526,100.DEALSExco InTouch acquiredby ERTExco InTouch, the Nottingham-based provider ofpatient engagement, data capture and digital healthsolutions for the clinical research and healthcareindustry, which is backed by Scottish EquityPartners (SEP) and Albion Ventures (Albion), hasbeen acquired by ERT, a provider of high-qualitypatient data collection solutions for use in clinicaldrug development.The combined organisation will provide thebiopharmaceutical industry with an advanced andcomprehensive choice for electronic clinicaloutcome assessments (eCOA), patient engagementand digital health supporting the entire clinicaldevelopment to commercialisation spectrum – fromearly phase to late phase; from the simplest to themost complex – and will help clients minimize risks,run safer and more efficient studies, and get newclinical treatments to patients more quickly.Jan Rutherford, a partner at SEP and non-executive director of Exco InTouch, said: “ExcoInTouch has been widely recognised as one of thefastest growing technology companies in the UK,quadrupling its turnover over the last three yearsand increasing its staff to over 180 skilledpersonnel. SEP has actively supported thecompany in driving technological innovation forboth clinical trial and digital health programs andexpanding its partnerships with pharma companiesin both the US and Europe. The acquisition by ERTis a great strategic fit, opening up furtheropportunities for progression and we wish thetalented team continued success with this excitingnext stage of growth”.Dr. Andrew Elder, lead healthcare partner atAlbion Ventures, said: “Albion is pleased to havepartnered with an outstanding team at ExcoInTouch over the last two years during which thecompany experienced its most rapid phase ofgrowth. 9www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Four big dealsin fourmonths forGeldards’MidlandscorporateteamGeldards’ Midlandscorporate team has finished the year on a high after completing four largetransactions in four months.In September, Paul Feenan and Daniel Martin advised the shareholders ofMidlands-based Notedome on the sale of the company to Indian stockexchange listed Manali Petrochemicals. Notedome manufactures high endpolyurethane products which are used across the world in industries rangingfrom the automotive sector to offshore oil and gas.In November, Debra Martin and Peter Francis advised the shareholders ofthe Americk Packaging Group on its sale to Spanish multinational SAICA.Americk is a £110m turnover business with six sites in Ireland and the UK,and supplies packaging solutions to a variety of household names such asJohnson & Johnson.At the same time, Feenan and Martin advised the shareholders of CamfaudConcrete Pumps, Premier Concrete Pumping and South Coast ConcretePumping on the simultaneous sale of all three companies to U.S-basedBrundage-Bone Concrete Pumping, Inc., which has resulted in Brundagebecoming the world’s leading concrete pumping business. PKF Cooper Parryprovided corporate finance advice to the shareholders.The run of deals concluded in December with David Tilly and DanielMartin advising Synseal Extrusions on its acquisition of the domestic sealedunit business of Euroview Manufacturing, trading as Village Glass from itspremises in Essex. This latest acquisition adds an important Southern UKelement to Synseal’s existing glass manufacturing sites in the Midlands andthe North, helping to expand its customer base even further.Next >