MARCH 2017EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGFOOD & DRINKCocktail culture inSherwoodAGRICULTURALASSET FINANCEEMBL meets Ben GuyHUMANRESOURCESThe Apprenticeship Levywww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKTHEREVOLUTIONWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKSunday 6 August 2017River Trent, Victoria EmbankmentAct now!Form a crew and enter the challenge!Tel 01780 470718www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/nottinghamBoat sponsorship opportunities available! StaoB 6yaydanunSuopihsrosnops 2tsusguuAseitinutroppo 7102!elbaliavavs wwwwontAcviRS eftaobnogard.w8710leTeercramrmoFo!wciV,tnerTrev6yaydanunSu on/ku.oc.slavitse1707408tretnednawenabmEairotc2tsusguuA mahgnitto81egnellahchehthtnemkn7102 !e g g www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 3EDITOR’S NOTESWith 2017 well underway, East Midlands businesses will now beturning their attention to the Chancellor’s Spring Budget. As disputesover Article 50 rumble on, eyes and ears will be focussed more keenlythan ever on Philip Hammond come Wednesday 8th March. This is abudget that could shape the nation’s economic path for years to come,and many will be seeking assurances that whatever happens withBrexit, businesses receive the support they need to prosper in aradically changed economic environment. In this month’s edition, we take a look at the rise of financialtechnology, or “Fintech”; Ben Guy from Beacon Asset Finance tells uswhy his business is moving into Nottingham; we meet up with Shredallas the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary; Rebecca Bull of My HR Hubgives us her advice on the Apprenticeship Levy; and Greg Simpson ofPress for Attention PR asks the classic question – is all publicity goodpublicity? See you in April. Ian EvansEditorHas springsprung?ContentsMarch 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 Story16The Fintech RevolutionTax20Erica Manderfield of Streets Chartered Accountantsexplains how to reduce your inheritance tax liabilityThe Built Environment22Q&A with Built Environment Consulting’s Carl AckersPublic Relations24Is all publicity good publicity? Greg Simpson of Press forAttention PR discusses #PieGate Agricultural Asset Finance26Ben Guy from Beacon Asset Finance on the firm’simpending office moveHuman Resources28Are you ready for the Apprenticeship Levy? Rebecca Bullof My HR Hub explains allDocument Management30Shredall celebrates 20 years in businessCustomer Service32Karen Kirk from AIB (GB), Nottingham discusses goodcustomer serviceFood & Drink 34EMBL meets Christian Wirizlay of The Pillar Box,Nottingham’s newest gin barBusiness Scene36Images from the launch of Innes England’s latest MarketInsite reportAutoLink37Transport Minister John Hayes has named the 20companies that are set to benefit from government fundingunder a £20 million programme to reduce emissions andimprove air qualityOut of Office Special42“The next Paul Smith”, rock ‘n’ roll and Brexit concerns1637EditorIan 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.@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlandsSHUTTERSTOCK.COM/RAWPIXEL.COMEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk6Second LLEP Enterprise ZoneconfirmedNews of a secondEnterprise Zone that couldbring over 21,000 new jobsand £123 million into theLLEP area over the nexttwenty-five years wasannounced last month by RtHon Marcus Jones MP,Minister for LocalGovernment.Jones visitedLoughborough to announce the new science and hi-tech manufacturingLoughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone.The new Enterprise Zone follows the highly successful automotive technologyEnterprise Zone at MIRA Technology Park near Hinckley.Each of the three sites at the new Enterprise Zone (two in Loughborough andone in Leicester) is unique, offering specialist research and development facilitiesand supporting new and growing businesses to bring their innovative ideas andproducts to market.Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) focusses onadvanced engineering and manufacturing, energy and low carbon; CharnwoodCampus in Loughborough has specialisms in the life sciences, pharmaceutical andbio-medical sectors; and Leicester Waterside has a focus on space technologiesand research and advanced manufacturing, and also sits adjacent to location of theNational Space Park development proposed by the University of Leicester.In just the first five years, the new Enterprise Zone is expected to generate over£3.5 million in business rates which will be re-invested by the LLEP partnershipinto projects across the City and County.It is being led by a partnership involving the LLEP, Loughborough University,Leicester City Council, University of Leicester, Leicestershire County Council,Charnwood Borough Council and Charnwood Campus (the former Astra Zenecasite in Loughborough).Nick Pulley, chair of the LLEP, said: “Confirmation of this second EnterpriseZone will make Leicester and Leicestershire extremely attractive to science,innovation and hi-tech manufacturing companies looking for research facilities andindustrial and office space to base and expand their businesses. We have alreadyseen this model working brilliantly at MIRA Technology Park in the automotivesector and we will look to replicate this in the science, innovation and hi-techmanufacturing sectors.“Together, the EZs give us four specialist commercial sites that really enable usto cement our distinctive place as the research and development capital of theMidlands. I hope that the Government now backs our Growth Deal bid andprovides the funding needed to invest in the infrastructure to acceleratedevelopment on these sites”.Plans submitted for £200m Derby Station expansionPlans worth £200 million have been submitted to Derby City Council to expand the city’s railway station.The plans outline the construction of a new platform on the Pride Park side of Derby Midland Station, resulting in six “through”platforms.The construction forms part of a revamp of the Midland Main Line, which runs between Derby and London in the south andSheffield in the north.The new platform will not only help ease congestion at the station, but will also help increase capacity.Network Rail, who submitted the plans, said: “We have recently submitted designs for a new platform at Derby station to DerbyCity Council for prior approval, as part of our project to remodel the track at Derby Station in 2018.“This upgrade is a significant piece of work that will bring journey time benefits to passengers travelling to, from, and throughDerby”.Derby Midland Station, which is run by East Midlands Trains, recently begun a six-figure investment into improving the station.To kick off this new investment, the operator has installed new customer information screens.Rick Cammack, project manager for East Midlands Trains, said: “These new customer service improvements are all part of EastMidlands Trains’ commitment to keeping customers informed and as up to date as possible with the latest information.“The new screens will help customers with simple and easy-to-read next train information. The screens that were installed throughout Derby stationhave already received positive feedback from staff and customers who have reported how much of an improvement they are”.East Midlands’ genderpay gap one of thehighest in the UKThe earnings gap between male and female workers inthe East Midlands is one of the highest amongst the UK’s 12regions, according to PwC’s annual Women in Work Index.The average female worker in the East Midlands wouldneed a 26% wage hike – around £6,800 a year – to achieveparity with average male wages in the region. Thatcompares to an £8,800 (20%) annual gender pay gap inLondon.PwC’s research shows that a high proportion of womenin the East Midlands work in lower-paying sectors such aswholesale & retail and health services.Paul Norbury, senior partner for PwC in the EastMidlands, said: “Despite a positive picture nationally thatwomen in the UK have benefitted from the improvingeconomy, it’s a much bleaker picture in the East Midlands.Given the region’s thriving manufacturing industries, we areseeing men earning more in these sectors compared towomen in lower-paid sectors such as retail and healthservices.“By fully closing the gender pay gap we could boostwomen’s earnings by £85 billion. Women in the EastMidlands would need a £6,800 wage increase to be on apar with men, which is higher than the UK-wide average of£6,100 per woman per year. It’s not just about getting morewomen working, but also about getting more of them intohigh quality jobs that offer career progression andflexibility”.PwC’s research shows that, based on a continuation ofhistorical trends, it could take until 2041 (24 years) to closethe gender pay gap.Clare Maio, head of diversity and inclusion at PwC in theMidlands, said: “While it’s encouraging that the UK ismaking progress on closing the gender pay gap, it is a starkoutlook that it will still take around a generation to close itcompletely. Pay reporting requirements should help speedup change as businesses will face greater accountability.But merely reporting numbers without any concrete action,won’t change anything.“We know that women are ambitious – we now need tocreate workplaces that support their ambition, and enoughskilled and senior roles that have the flexibility toaccommodate work and caring responsibilities”.LATEST NEWSTimico secures over £50m ininvestment to accelerate growthTimico Technology Group, the Newark-based managed cloud service provider,has secured more than £50m in investment from growth investors Lyceum Capital.Lyceum Capital is now the majority shareholder in Timico.The deal will enable Timico to accelerate its plans for growth with furtherinvestment in systems, people and capability. It will provide the necessary funds tofinance selective acquisitions designed to bolster Timico’s skills and expertise in keyareas and bring additional strategic service capability to the company.As part of the tie-up, Timico will add to its senior line-up, with Simon Hitchcockand Geoff Neville of Lyceum joining as new non-executive directors. Timico’sfounder Tim Radford will remain on the board as a non-executive director.Since joining the business last September, Ben Marnham, Timico’s CEO has led aprogramme of change to re-structure the business around a single Timico brandand service model, honing the company’s strategy around its principal areas ofstrength and expertise and its core mid-market client base.Marnham and other key members of the management team have also invested ina share of the company.He said: “Working with Lyceum Capital is a logical next step in Timico’sevolution, building on the foundations laid by Tim Radford and the team over thelast few years. Lyceum have proven expertise in our sector and we share a verysimilar vision of Timico’s future within it. I am delighted we can now realise our planto enrich our proposition and service portfolio so we can better serve our clients’needs and fulfil our ambition to become a market-leading, end-to-end provider of ITand cloud solutions”.Simon Hitchcock, partner at Lyceum Capital, said: “Timico is led by a highlycapable and impressive team, with a very well-defined strategy to take the businessto the next stage in its development as a Managed Cloud Service Provider. It is clear that its clients, many of whom are long-standing, are firmly at thecentre of its plans and can look forward to a very rewarding relationship with the business moving forward. We are delighted to be supporting Ben and theteam through this next, exciting stage of acquisitive growth”.Timico’s financial advice was supplied by Chris Brooks and colleagues at Lincoln International, with legal support from the team at Eversheds, led bycorporate partner Jon Cox-Brown.7www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Bierkeller set to bringGerman flavour toNottingham’s nightlifeNottingham will soon be basking in Bavaria’s culturaldelights with the impending opening of the Bierkeller bar.Forming part of the new Bierkeller complex on Friar Lanewhich officially opens to the public on the 17th March, theBierkeller bar, which is located within the basement level ofthe venue, will celebrate all things Bavaria, with live Oompahshows, German beers and hearty food straight from thetables of a traditional German feast.Sean Cullen, general manager at Bierkeller Nottingham,said: “Nottingham has several themed bars and pubs in itsportfolio already, but nothing similar to Bierkeller”.A national chain, Bierkeller comprises three bars in onevenue – the traditional “Bierkeller”, “Around the World Barand Lounge” and the “Shooters” sports bar.Cullen added: “The Bierkeller is fantastic at bringing a sliceof true Bavarian culture to people’s doorsteps, so whethercustomers are keen to experience the hearty Oompah Showsor sample new beers, Bierkeller will deliver it all. For atraditional German experience, our Bierkeller bar will be thego-to place for any Nottingham night out!” Licensing specialist launches new ventureWalaiti Rathore, a former partner at Fraser Brown Solicitors specialising in all aspects of licensing, gambling as well as licensing prosecutions andrelated regulatory law, has launched a new venture, Licensing Law Consultancy (LLC). LLC – established as a consultancy rather than a law firm – is a newlicensing service for the leisure and hospitality industry which provides specialist advice and training.The consultancy also provides access to around 1000 scheduled APLH Personal Licence courses in over 70 locations in England, Wales and Scotlandthroughout the year, as well as a range of compliance and soft skills e-learning courses.Managing director Walaiti Rathore said: “Our aim is to break barriers to specialist licensing advice and training throughout England, Wales and Scotland.We achieve this by combining advancements in technology, legal expertise and a new approach which enables us to provide a cost effective and highquality service.“My expertise comes from legal training and specialist knowledge and experience gained through practising for many years as a licensing solicitor andprogressing to partner level in a law firm.“Therefore, we provide the best of both worlds in the provision of licensing services; the benefits of a consultancy and the legal expertise gainedthrough years of practicing as a specialist licensing solicitor.“The ambition to innovate in the provision of licensing services was the key to establishing LLC. We wanted to provide a service which would beconsidered to be a no brainer for operators. Judging by the overwhelming positive response we have had already we believe LLC has the potential togrow very quickly as a business and benefit more operators both locally and nationally”.Romax Technology launches JV with CastrolNottingham-based Romax Technology’s InSight business has announced a joint venture with Castrol, one of the world’s leading lubricant brands.The deal will combine Castrol’s global reach and knowledge of wind turbine lubrication with Romax InSight’s expertise in predictive maintenance,software and data analytics for wind turbines.The lubrication and maintenance of a wind turbine’s expensive gearbox is critical to optimising its performance and reliability. Romax InSight is a rapidlygrowing predictive maintenance provider that designs software and engineering services which monitor the condition of wind turbines, and predictbreakdowns.Mandhir Singh, COO, BP Lubricants, said: “We’re incredibly excited about the potential this joint venture will create, both for the new business and alsoour existing customers. By working together I believe we will create a powerful, faster-growing business in the wind sector and beyond”.Andy Poon, Romax Technology CEO, added: “We’re always looking at ways to drive innovation at Romax. The aim of Romax InSight is to combine ourdeep understanding of design and operation of wind turbines with advanced data analytics to provide practical solutions that reduce operations andmaintenance costs. We are delighted to find in Castrol a partner who shares this vision and can provide a platform for growth. We look forward to workingclosely alongside them to take InSight to the next level”.East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk8Outdoor products firm sold in pre-pack dealFour jobs have been saved at Chesterfield-based outdoor products designer FieldCandy after thecompany was sold out of administration by Dean Nelson at Smith Cooper.FieldCandy launched with a single tent product sold via the company’s website. The companythen brought both print and manufacture in-house and developed collaborations and partnershipswith high profile designers including Paul Smith, Hello Kitty and Iron Maiden, as well as celebritiesincluding Rihanna, Foo Fighters and Kelis.Despite the staycation, festival and camping markets increasing, FieldCandy, established in 2011,ran into financial difficulty due to sales being insufficient to maintain the level of overhead.Following Nelson’s appointment, a sale was completed to Hubaco, the Alfreton-based companybehind the lightest tent in the world and some of the world’s best known premium outdoor brands,including Terra Nova, Wild Country Tents and Extremities.Nelson, head of business recovery & insolvency at Smith Cooper, said: “Having established asolid reputation in this niche sector, FieldCandy unfortunately ran into cash flow problems.“After an accelerated sales process, we were approached by Hubaco Ltd who were interested inacquiring the company. With its complementary outdoor equipment and clothing brands plus itsmanufacturing facility, Hubaco Ltd is a great fit and we are confident that the acquisition will further strengthen the group’s offering as it continues togrow”.Andy Utting, managing director of Hubaco, added: “We are delighted that Hubaco Ltd could take on this leading outdoor product manufacturer.Our brands have over 25 years of history within the outdoor equipment and clothing sector and the acquisition of FieldCandy will allow us to furtherdiversify our offering”.Rachel McCahill of Nelsons solicitors led the legal advice for FieldCandy, with Fraser Cunningham of Smith Partnership providing legal advice toHubaco.Pall-Ex strengthens network with takeoverdealsEuropean palletised freight network Pall-Ex has announced the takeover of two of its long-standing members,Dorset-based Shears Brothers and Bowden Transport, based in Essex.Leicestershire-based Pall-Ex has bought the assets of the latter firm’s logistics arm and will trade as a new entitycalled Bowden Logistics Services.Kevin Buchanan, managing director at Pall-Ex, said: “The purchase of Shears Brothers and Bowden Logisticsdemonstrates our commitment to creating centres of excellence around the country. By investing in establishedfirms like these, we can ensure continuation of outstanding service and customer care across the network. It willalso mean we can provide a broader range of logistics services”.Shears Brothers, which has previously won the Pall-Ex Depot of the Year Award, anticipates a growth of 5.5%over the next 12 months thanks to the acquisition. Bowden Logistics’ sales are similarly expected to increase,growing by 7.5%.Depot principal Andy Roberts said: “Since the acquisition of Shears Brothers, existing customers have stayedwith us on our journey, and we have attracted new customers too. Our team has gone from strength-to-strength,and we look forward to more exciting future opportunities that this acquisition will present”.Roy Bowden, CEO of the Bowden Group, said: “I’m very pleased to be handing over the logistics arm of thisbusiness to Pall-Ex, I know that it will be in safe hands. The transition is going extremely well and the customersare already happy with the progress we have made”.Hilary Devey CBE, founder of Pall-Ex, added: “Shears Brothers and Bowden Logistics have played critical rolesin the Pall-Ex network since joining us almost two decades ago and I’m excited to see how these new deals canhelp both businesses achieve their ambitious growth plans in the coming years.“The purchase will also allow us to continue the great work of the depot principals and support their wishes inyears to come”.DEALSJigsaw24 acquires Root6GroupJigsaw24, the Nottingham-based IT solutions businessbacked by private equity firm NorthEdge Capital, hasacquired Soho and Glasgow-based businesses Root6 andRoot6 Ecosse.Root6 provides storage, server and specialisttechnology solutions and managed services for media andhigher education clients such as ITN, BBC, Honda R&D,The Farm and Ravensbourne College. The company hasrevenues in excess of £10m of which around 50 percentcomes from consultancy, own software and managedservices.Root6 has its own proprietary software solution,ContentAgent, which is sold globally and used by most ofthe leading film, TV and post production companies suchas HBO, BBC Sport, NBC, Harvard Business School, Sony,and CBS. It is anticipated that with the combined strengthof Root6 and Jigsaw24, along with the recent adoption ofthe technology by Avid into its product set, there will bean opportunity for more aggressive growth.The acquisition will also build on Jigsaw’s strategy toincrease its level of higher margin, recurring storage,specialist technology and software related services andsales.Jigsaw24 is based in Nottingham with operations inManchester and a customer experience and service centrein Soho, London. Founded in 1992, the company hasdemonstrated strong year-on-year growth since it wasbacked by NorthEdge in 2013. Its turnover is set to exceed£100m in the year to 30th March 2017.Martin Balaam, CEO of Jigsaw24, said: “Root6 is aperfect fit for Jigsaw24, with its focus on high end storage,specialist technology solutions and managed servicescoupled with its ContentAgent proprietary softwareproduct it sits well with Avid, Adobe and Apple andelevates our existing technical capabilities for our existingrange of services into our creative customer base.Furthermore, with the support of Jigsaw24’s sales andmarketing team we are confident that future sales of theContentAgent software can be significantly enhanced”.Marcus Hulme-Humphrey, managing director of Root6,said: “We are very excited to be joining the Jigsaw24Group and are looking forward to working together withMartin and the team to grow the business further andcapitalise on the opportunity to help transition the mediasector into cloud and datacentric solutions”.Andrew Skinner, investment manager at NorthEdgeCapital, added: “The acquisition is the third for Jigsaw24,following a sustained period of sales growth for thebusiness. The transaction represents delivery of ourcommitment to increase the proportion of higher marginsupport and service revenues both through organicgrowth and strategic acquisitions. The purchase of Root6strengthens Jigsaw’s offering, and puts the business in anenviable position from which to continue its growth”.9www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Mitre Group announcesmanagement buyoutDerby-based MitreGroup, the sports andstadia training specialists,has announced amanagement buyout led byJennie Bowmer and backedby new owners, formerClinigen Group CEO andCFO Peter George andRobin Sibson.Having formed Mitreover 24 years ago, TrevorBowmer has taken a well-earned retirement. Theownership has now passedto the management buyoutteam.Until recently, Georgeand Sibson, Mitre’s newchairman and directorrespectively, worked for thehugely successfulStaffordshire-based global pharmaceutical business Clinigen Group. They led the£164m Clinigen flotation on the AIM market in 2012 and have driven the growth of thebusiness to its current valuation. They are also leading investors and directors in thenot-for-profit Mount Cook Adventure Centre.Peter George, Mitre Group chairman, said: “I am delighted to be part of Mitre andwhat is an outstanding team, we share a common set of values and are committed toimproving the life chances of more people through training and creation ofopportunity. Both Robin and I believe our experience coupled with the potential atMitre can combine to achieve its growth ambitions and fulfil its potential. We arecommitted to supporting Mitre to build on its success and implement current growthstrategies, and look forward to an exciting future for the business”.Managing director Jennie Bowmer said: “We are delighted to have Robin and Peteron board. They have an exceptional track record that will support our exciting plansfor growth and help realise our ambitions”.Trevor Bowmer added: ‘To pass the ownership and leadership ‘baton’ to peoplewho I have known and respected for several years, whose commercial successes arewell documented and who so visibly share the ethics, aims and ambitions of Mitrepresents a remarkable opportunity for all in the business. I wish them every possiblesuccess”.Next >