- Walsall – 30 employees – 14th Sept
- Stafford – 20 employees – 12th Sept
- Brownhills – 15 employees – 12th Sept
- Uttoxeter – 9 employees – 14th Sep
52 wilko shops to close as more than 1,300 made redundant
52 wilko store closures have been confirmed as administrators continue to explore the structure, implications and viability of offers received for all or parts of the group.
PwC shared: “It has become clear from these discussions that some stores do not form part of any ongoing interest in the wilko store portfolio.”
The closure of the 52 shops will lead to the redundancies of 1,016 staff. Meanwhile a further 299 redundancies are to be made at two distribution centres in Worksop and Newport.
The final day of trading for the stores will be Tuesday 12 September and Thursday 14 September. For those employed at the distribution centres, redundancy will be effective from close of business on Thursday 7 September.
The news follows an agreement to provide B&M with the option to acquire up to 51 properties, after the administration trading period concludes at those sites.
Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: “In the absence of viable offers for the whole business, very sadly store closures and redundancies of team members from those stores are now necessary, in addition to the already announced redundancies at the support centre and distribution centres.
“We know this has been a deeply unsettling time for everyone concerned and would like to express our gratitude to all wilko team members for the dedication and support they have continued to give the business in the most trying of circumstances.”
Stores closing in the Midlands include:
Gateley sees another year of growth
Gateley, the professional services group, has continued its unbroken record of year-on-year revenue and underlying profit growth.
In audited results for the year ended 30 April 2023 (FY23), the firm hailed a “strong financial performance…through its diversified and resilient business model, benefitting from a full year’s contribution from the prior year’s acquisitions, Adamson Jones Limited and Gateley Smithers Purslow Limited.”
Underlying group revenue hit £162.7m, growing from £137.2m in the year prior, while group underlying profit before tax reached £25.1m, increasing from £21.6m.
Reported group profit before tax however slipped to £16.2m from £26.8m as a result of the IFRS 3 related acquisition accounting treatments.
Rod Waldie, CEO of Gateley, said: “I am very pleased to report another year of growth for Gateley. This is a strong performance, set against a challenging macro-economic backdrop throughout the second half. It is the result of the hard work and dedication of our people allied to a long-term commitment and adherence to the successful execution of our growth through our diversification strategy, building in resilience through design.
“During the year under review, both our legal services teams and consultancy teams performed strongly and we have made further progress in adding breadth and strength to our group, expanding the patent and trade mark attorney offer on our Business Services Platform through the acquisition of Symbiosis.
“Post-Period end, we have added legal services lateral hires to strategically broaden our Business Services Platform dispute resolution teams and have further enhanced our Property Platform with the acquisition of RJA Consultants. Our M&A pipeline for FY24 is encouraging and we will seek to strengthen our Platforms further as opportunities arise.
“Looking forward, we are mindful of ongoing macro-uncertainty and it is difficult to predict market conditions for the rest of FY24. However, our diverse and resilient business model, combined with our proven and consistent track record of delivering strong growth across all economic cycles, means that we have entered FY24 with a positive mindset and cautious optimism.”
Celebrate with the region’s property and construction leaders at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Taking place on Thursday 28 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, a highlight in the business calendar, will celebrate the region’s property and construction industry while providing a brilliant opportunity to connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks.
The prestigious event, taking place from 4:30pm – 7:30pm, will also feature Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, as keynote speaker.
To be held at:
Tickets can be booked for the glittering awards event here.
Attend to see who takes home most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner. The overall winner of the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 will also be awarded a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000. After winning deal of the year at last year’s event, Richard Foxon, Managing Director at Newton LDP, said: “My colleague Sam Jones and I thoroughly enjoyed the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022. The event was well attended, with some prestigious awards up for grabs. The evening offered a great opportunity to network with like-minded property folk, whilst enjoying the backdrop of Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Many thanks to all the organisers and sponsors.”
Find out who last year’s winners were here.
East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
When: Thursday 28 September 2023, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: The Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground
Keynote speaker: Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council
Dress code: Standard business attire
Tickets: Available here
Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
East Midlands accountancy firm snapped up by expanding group
Dains Accountants has acquired HSKSG in a move that propels them towards becoming one of the Top 30 firms in the UK.
An accountancy firm in the East Midlands, HSKSG has offices in Nottingham, Derby and Uttoxeter. The business has grown consistently in recent years, buoyed by a commitment to the use of technology, alongside high-quality personal and tailored relationships.
Richard McNeilly, CEO of Dains, said: “We have followed the progress of HSKSG for several years and it became increasingly clear that their approach to client delivery and people development closely aligned with ours. As a long-established firm in the East Midlands, we believe they are ideal partners to support our continued growth in the Midlands.”
Colin Peacock, Managing Director of HSKSG believes the transaction provides the business with an improved client proposition and potential for growth and said: “We have continued to invest in our target markets and our team in recent years and we have always been determined to deliver the best possible service to our loyal clients.
“By joining the Dains Group, our ability to deliver an even broader range of services is enhanced and we look forward to joining the Dains team on this incredibly exciting journey.”
Luke Kingston, partner at Horizon Capital, said: “We are delighted to have supported Richard and Dains on their fifth acquisition and welcome the fantastic team at HSKSG into the Group. This is another exciting addition to the Group which has more than doubled since we first invested, and we look forward to this strong momentum continuing.”
Dains were advised by Dow Schofield Watts and Forward Corporate Finance (Financial Due Diligence), and CMS (Legal). HSKSG were advised by Actons Solicitors.
Thorn Baker grows with new appointments
Thorn Baker, a provider of Construction, Industrial and FM recruitment services, has made three significant new hires.
These appointments are due to an ambitious growth trajectory plan that will help Nottingham-headquartered Thorn Baker strengthen its teams and create a robust infrastructure for the expanding business.
Laura Kirby joins as head of marketing, Scott Ingham as branch manager for Thorn Baker’s new Industrial branch in Mansfield and Laura Ball as business development executive.
As head of marketing, Laura Kirby will be responsible for overseeing all marketing activities including brand strategy, digital marketing and lead generation. She will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop and execute innovative marketing initiates that align with the company’s values and objectives.
Mansfield branch manager, Scott Ingham joins Thorn Baker’s Industrial recruitment team to strengthen its presence in the North Nottinghamshire region and expand its branch network. This strategic move allows for convenient access to its staffing services, ensuring that both clients and candidates in the area can benefit from Scott and his team’s expertise.
Laura Ball joins as business development executive for Thorn Baker’s FM and Industrial teams to expand their portfolios and support the business in its plans. Laura brings with her a wealth of industry experience to enhance its existing business development function.
Paul Jackman, Chief Executive at Thorn Baker, said: “I am delighted to announce our new appointments which I hope demonstrate Thorn Baker’s commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to drive growth.
“I am confident that our new hires will be instrumental in achieving our vision and ensuring we have the right infrastructure in place to broaden our service offering and fully meet the needs of our clients and candidates.”
East Midlands manufacturer hails record turnover with £5m increase in sales
Mansfield-based Deanestor, the furniture and fitout specialists, has hailed a strong financial performance with a 35 per cent increase in turnover to £19m and a return to pre-pandemic profit levels, according to its latest accounts which have now been released.
Turnover increased by £5m in the financial year ending 31st December 2022 and operating profit rose to £750,000. Sales of £17.5m have already been secured so far in 2023 with a strong order pipeline which extends into 2025.
Deanestor’s financial performance is now one of the strongest in the FF&E (furniture and fitout) sector and the business has continued to grow across each of its target markets –student accommodation, build-to-rent, healthcare, and education. Its turnover in Scotland increased by 75 per cent since 2021 to over £7m last year.
William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said: “I am pleased to report that we had a solid performance last year and are on target with our growth forecast for 2023.
“We operate in diverse sectors which all remain buoyant despite the economic challenges, and we have maintained high levels of repeat business with some of the UK’s leading contractors and residential developers. This is testament to the hard work and commitment of our teams in Mansfield, Scotland and on site across the country.
“We have a strong foundation on which to grow and are continuing to invest in our people, in new cutting edge manufacturing technology, and in our production facilities and capacity.
“We have continued to grow our business in Scotland, particularly in the school building sector and following our acquisition of the Havelock brands in 2019. This has contributed to a very significant increase in sales in the past year and we have already secured over £6m of orders for Scottish projects so far this year.”
Deanestor has recently expanded its storage facilities to 200,000 sq ft with the addition of two new units in Mansfield.
An additional CNC cutting machine will be installed at its manufacturing centre in Mansfield this autumn to further increase capabilities, which is another significant investment. Twenty new jobs have been created in design, production planning, installation management, production and despatch to support Deanestor’s growth.
New projects include the manufacture and installation of fitted bedroom furniture and kitchens for seven three-storey buildings which are under construction by EQUANS for the University of Birmingham, and a contract worth more than £3m for Robertson Group to fitout a new secondary school campus in Dundee.
Three healthcare projects have recently been completed – a new research centre for cancer care at The Royal Marsden in London, a new mental health facility for South London and Maudsley Hospital, and a £1.5m furniture and fitout contract with Laing O’Rourke for the first phase of the £485m Brighton 3Ts redevelopment of Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Senior appointment at Pick Everard with new national director
Bolstering its consultancy services nationwide, Pick Everard has appointed a new national director to its building services engineering team.
Joining the independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy, Justin Neil brings 24 years of experience to his new role with a background in design and construction, including four years in Doha, Qatar, where he worked closely on its widely celebrated National Library.
Justin’s responsibilities are to lead and develop an industry leading building services team, growing the 90–strong team nationally, and delivering a consultancy service fully aligned with the requirements of its clients.
Talking about his new role, Justin said: “Across the many projects I’ve worked on in my career, I’m still yet to see a wholly cohesive delivery approach done well. It’s one of the key reasons why I’m hugely excited by my new role at Pick Everard.
“The business is structured to focus on responding to clients’ needs uniquely, with one centre of communication and management throughout each project phase which is underpinned by an ethos of delivering better together.
“My varied career and experience abroad has given me a unique, all-round perspective that melds well with Pick Everard’s multi-disciplinary approach. Having worked on all sides of the construction spectrum – for contractors, clients, and consultants – I’m ideally situated to hit the ground running and drive forward our department.”
Beginning his career as an M&E apprentice in 1999, Justin made the move into consultancy in 2006 and holds three degrees to his name; a bachelor’s in building services engineering and two master’s in electrical building services engineering and BIM and integrated design.
A Chartered building services engineer, Justin has most recently held appointments in single service engineering businesses but has chosen to make the move back to a multi-disciplinary consultancy to have greater agency on project delivery in a leadership role – a move that has been welcomed by his colleagues.
Andrew Almond, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Justin has joined us. I can see that he will fit seamlessly into our senior management team and his talent, experience, and drive will be a real asset to Pick Everard.
“I am looking forward to working alongside Justin, collaborating closely on our objectives to develop our team and to deliver a service of excellence to our clients across the UK and beyond.”
Optima UK appoints head of manufacturing
Recruitment, training, and business advisory firm Optima UK has appointed Will Vigars to the role of head of manufacturing. Will is a seasoned recruitment professional, bringing with him extensive experience in the UK manufacturing, engineering and energy markets.
He is tasked with leading the manufacturing team and is part of the senior management group at the Leicestershire-based business.
Optima UK founder and Chief Executive Larraine Boorman said: “We’re delighted that Will has joined us in this key role.
“He has an impressive track record and I am confident that his expertise and experience will play a big part in helping to accelerate the growth of the business.”
Will has spent more than 15 years in the recruitment industry, specialising in engineering and energy, and in his previous role was a director of a company focused on advanced manufacturing and engineering recruitment.
Will said: “Given Optima’s established reputation and chosen sectors, it was an obvious choice for my experience in the manufacturing, engineering and energy markets.
“Optima’s consultants have a comprehensive operational background, enabling them to support their client base on all types of specialist roles across the manufacturing environment, and it was an exciting prospect to be joining a dedicated team with similar values to my own.
“I know Optima UK has positive expansion plans for the future and a very innovative strategy for growth and development which I hope to play a big part in.
“The existing manufacturing team has a positive mix of experience, character and potential, and I look forward to learning, contributing, and growing our existing operations alongside them.”
BDO welcomes more than 50 trainees in the Midlands
Accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO is welcoming 55 trainees across the Midlands this week in roles across audit, advisory and tax.
The trainees will be a combination of school leaver apprentices and university graduates, with forty-two based in the firm’s Birmingham office and 13 out of its office in Nottingham.
As part of their training programme, the majority of the new joiners will also have opportunity to undertake a level-7 apprenticeship programme, resulting in a qualification equivalent to a master’s degree.
The firm has also hired over 90 industrial placement students to join BDO for 12 months between their second and third year of university, as well as more than 80 summer interns.
BDO is also now in its third year of its targeted virtual insight programmes, delivered as part of its commitment to increasing diversity in the profession. More than 20 students from years 11-13 across the UK, took part in the firm’s Explore BDO programme, targeting students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, whilst 14 students from various universities took part in BDO’s Black heritage programme.
Applications for the firm’s 2024 graduate and school leaver apprentice programmes will open later this month, with more than 700 positions available. More than 500 of this group will join the firm’s audit practice.
Kyla Bellingall, regional managing partner at BDO, said: “The Midlands is home to some of the country’s brightest talent and we’re investing significantly as a firm to provide the career opportunities and pathways that enable young people from all walks of life to access a vibrant and exciting profession, such as accountancy.
“The last few years has seen so much uncertainty as businesses and individuals alike have navigated many challenges. We know that many of these new joiners will have felt the disruptive impact of the last few years, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements and resilience throughout these difficult circumstances.
“Having joined the accountancy profession as an apprentice myself, straight from school, I’m really pleased to be welcoming a number of school leaver apprentices to the firm. I look forward to supporting all of our new trainees to kickstart their careers and watching them succeed here at BDO.”
B&M to acquire 50 wilko properties in £13m deal
B&M has entered into an agreement with the joint administrators of wilko to acquire up to 51 properties for up to £13m.
The consideration is fully funded from existing cash reserves and the acquisition is not expected to be conditional on any regulatory clearances.
The discount retailer has been one of wilko’s main competitors. It is not yet known whether the shops’ staff will retain their jobs.
Meanwhile, HMV owner, Doug Putman, is understood to still be in talks with administrators, PwC, over a deal, with initial plans to buy around 300 stores hit by difficulties.
The news follows PwC confirming a raft of redundancies.
Wilko collapsed into administration last month (August), putting 12,000 jobs on the line.
The retailer opened its first store in Leicester 93 years ago, and has hosted its HQ in Nottinghamshire for the past half a century.
New MD appointed at Alfreton-based PermaGroup
Building products company, PermaGroup has appointed Duncan Kirkwood as its new Managing Director to spearhead the organisation’s ambitious growth plans.
Collaborating alongside long-standing director, Adrian Buttress, Duncan brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the roofing and building products industry, having held senior positions at the likes of Marley Building Materials, Icopal Limited and most recently as MD of Carlisle Construction Materials.
Duncan said: “I’ve known of PermaGroup for many years and have always admired the business and Adrian’s vision for it. For me, now is the perfect time to take on this new challenge at a business that I really believe in.
“I just love roofing and have been passionate about it my entire career, but I’m equally excited to expand my knowledge to the other areas of the business including modular builds and fencing – I can see real opportunities to grow the group as a whole.”
Duncan added: “With me being based in the south, I’ve got fantastic connections that can further expand PermaGroup’s presence down here and into London. Adrian and I already have ambitious plans that we can’t wait to action but for me, it starts internally.
“Company culture is hugely important, and I’m eager to implement things that improve on what Adrian has already established across the group. Of course, no company growth can happen unless the employees and clients are brought on the journey too.”
Duncan will take on much of the day-to-day activities working with Adrian on the strategic development plans.
Adrian said: “Welcoming Duncan to the team is exactly the right move for us to take the next steps as a business. We both have the best interests of PermaGroup in mind, not just for the investors but for our team and clients too and we’re excited to unlock the business’s full potential.
“It’s fantastic to have Duncan’s expertise and a fresh pair of eyes on the PermaGroup, ready to drive it forward and I’m eager for us to start working together.”
Nottingham Venues make finals of MIA Awards
Nottingham Venues’ sales and marketing team has been named as a finalist in this year’s Meeting Industry Association Awards – the MIAList 2023.
The MIAList 2023 is organised by the Meeting Industry Association and celebrates the achievements of individuals and businesses within the sector, which brings in £31.2 billion to the UK economy each year.
Nottingham Venues operates a collection of independent venues specialising in meetings and events, set within the grounds of the University of Nottingham campus. These include the East Midlands Conference Centre, the Jubilee Hotel and Conferences venue, Campus Venues and the 4* Orchard Eco Hotel. It provides meeting space from 5 to 1000 delegates, with over 40 meeting rooms, 2000 sq ft of exhibition space and 300 bedrooms at the Orchard Hotel and Jubilee Hotel combined.
It is one year since the Nottingham Venues brand was born and it has been a successful first twelve months. The creation of the new brand, website, social media channels and a significant increase in revenue have led to the sales and marketing team being shortlisted in the Team of the Year category.
Voting is now open, and Nottingham Venues is encouraging the local business community and its clients to vote for them in the awards by visiting the MIA Website. Voting closes on Friday 8 September.
Stephanie Moss-Pearce, director of marketing at Nottingham Venues, says: “The MIAList is one of the leading awards within our industry, so we are delighted to have made the finals. It has been a very busy 12 months for us all at Nottingham Venues since the re-launch and re-brand, so it is great to see that our efforts are being recognised by our industry peers. I just hope that we are successful on the night!”
East Midlands-based synthetic turf maintenance expert wins seven-year contract in the South West
East Midlands-based synthetic turf maintenance expert Replay Maintenance is celebrating after winning a seven-year, multiple-site contract in the South West to service a range of military sports facilities.
The long-term deal with landscape construction company, Gavin Jones, now part of the nationwide green services provider, Nurture Group, means Replay Maintenance will take care of a variety of artificial sports surfaces at 13 sites.
Predominantly at Naval and Royal Marine bases, with a variety of sports surfaces including sand-dressed hockey pitches, athletics tracks and 3G football surfaces, the sites include Bickleigh Barracks, RMB Chivenor and HMS Excellent in the Plymouth area, HMS Collingwood in Fareham, Hampshire, RNAS Culdrose on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, Britannia Royal Naval College near Dartmouth in Devon, Royal Marine Commando Training Centre at Lympstone in Devon, HMS Rayleigh at Torpoint in Cornwall, RNAS Yeovilton near Yeovil in Somerset, and Norton Manor Camp near Taunton in Somerset.
Replay Maintenance will be drawing on the company’s 20 plus years’ knowledge and expertise to ensure that the sports facilities are in the best condition for His Majesty’s military personnel.
Nick Harris, Replay Maintenance MD, said: “We are delighted to have secured the contract to maintain the synthetic surfaces on these sites. Our teams have worked diligently to undertake ad hoc, specialist maintenance on behalf of Gavin Jones.
“The quality of works done has clearly been favourable in the decision to award the contract to Replay Maintenance for such a lengthy period. With a number of recent strategic partnerships in the South West including The Pitchmark Group, Wiltshire FA and Somerset FA, we look forward to building on our national reputation as the leading synthetic sports turf maintenance specialist.”
Introductions between the two companies were made when Replay Maintenance was contracted by Gavin Jones to undertake a one-off athletics track clean in 2015, using Replay’s trademark Aquatrax process.
Since then, Replay Maintenance has continued to build relationships with the team, gradually increasing the ad-hoc processes and being introduced to new facilities. Through these works, Gavin Jones has now entrusted the artificial sports surface maintenance of these 13 sites to Replay Maintenance, with talks for further sites ongoing.
Andy Mighall, Gavin Jones’ Regional Manager, said: “In awarding this contract to Replay Maintenance, we are confident that our customers will receive the exceptional quality service that they have come to expect from a Gavin Jones maintained site.
“We have worked with Replay Maintenance since 2015 and have found the works that they completed have always been delivered to a very high standard. I look forward to working with the team over the coming years in continuing to deliver outstanding service to our customers.”
£1.3m council loan could kick start transformation of Derby city centre properties
A £1.3 million loan by Derby City Council could kick start £11 million of private investment to bring neglected city centre properties back into use.
A proposed scheme by private developers would see buildings bought and refurbished to provide residential units, office space, retail and hospitality units in a location where regeneration is already under way nearby. The properties are in a priority area for the Council and the project will help meet a number of objectives in Derby’s City Centre Ambition.
The Council would be working in partnership with the private sector in its ambition to bring vibrancy back to the city centre by boosting the local economy, improving the street scene, increasing foot flow during the day and night, and connecting key landmark buildings with improved street scenes.
Details of the properties and company involved cannot be disclosed at this stage for commercial reasons, but the company behind the proposed scheme involves property investors with a track record for delivering commercial and residential properties, both locally and nationally. The loan is subject to Cabinet approval at its next meeting.
The properties, once completed and occupied, would be expected to generate an additional £100,000 a year in business rates alone for the Council, with further income from Council Tax payments by the new residents.
Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Culture and Tourism, said: “We’re committed to working with our partners to enable fresh and exciting ideas to put the heart back into our city centre.
“The Council’s financial position means we need to make sensible, strategic decisions to support partnership investment in order to fulfill our vision for Derby City Centre.
“This scheme has the potential to create new business opportunities, make the area more attractive and generate income for the Council in the long term. We are excited to support such key investment in our High Street.”
New boutique hotel makes progress in Chesterfield town centre
The development of a new boutique hotel in Chesterfield has achieved another milestone, having received the green light from planning officers.
Voeberg has taken on the project to develop the Holywell Hotel, next to the town’s well-known Holywell Cross or ‘Donut’ roundabout in the heart of Chesterfield.
The Grade II listed building is set to undergo more than £1 million of refurbishment, sensitively converting it into one two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom apartments for use as short-stay accommodation.
Emily Smith, property investor and mentor at Voeberg, said: “We’re really excited to have the support for the project from the council and all the stakeholders involved in granting planning permission.
“We’re working through some of the final building control requirements, but are expecting to start the renovation imminently. We’re looking forward to enhancing the character of the Grade II listed building while bringing it into a new use.”
Once work is completed, the premises will operate as a ‘smart hotel’ with self-check-ins, keyless entry and a digital portal which will provide guests with relevant information about their stay. Work will also take place to repair the buildings, including restoring the sash windows, renovating the doors and conserving all the listed features.
Emily added: “The hotel is going to offer a different accommodation option for Chesterfield’s visitors – whether leisure or business. The location serves the town centre as well as the train station so it’s ideal for people travelling and conducting business in the area.
“It’ll complement other hospitality and retail businesses’ offerings in the town and we’re looking forward to partnering with many local businesses through the development and then the running of the hotel.”
Nottingham businesses urged to consider cash grants of up to £25,000 for green transport schemes
Nottingham businesses are being urged to consider cash grants of up to £25,000 for green transport schemes before a deadline at the end of the year.
The money can be applied for through Nottingham City Council’s Workplace Travel Service.
So far, the scheme, funded by the government’s Transforming Cities Fund, has distributed more than half a million pounds locally to help Nottingham businesses go greener.
In order to qualify, a business or organisation needs to be based within the Nottingham City boundary. Businesses contribute 25 per cent towards the costs of any scheme, but public-sector, voluntary or charitable groups are fully funded. The deadline for applications is 31 December this year.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Planning, Councillor Angela Kandola, said: “Calling local businesses, public-sector organisations, voluntary or faith groups, we can help you to future-proof your workplace by adding electric vehicle charging points and facilities to make cycling to work easier.
“We really want local groups and businesses to take advantage of this scheme before it ends so we can help as many people as possible. It’s all done for you from end to end – all you have to do is fill in a simple application form with around seven questions and our helpful team are there to support you.”
LAC Conveyer Systems benefitted from a grant of £5,000. Lauren Cassidy, Head of Business Support, said: “The Workplace Travel Service team helped LAC Conveyor Systems discover available options and provided expert advice that proved invaluable in our decision to foster a greener, more responsible business model.
“Thanks to the grant, we were able to install several EV chargers at our workplace, which has enabled us to take another step towards sustainability. We are charging the way to a greener future, one charge at a time.”
Revenue and profit down at Eurocell
Revenue and profit have slipped at Eurocell, the manufacturer, distributor and recycler of window, door and roofline PVC products, according to half year results for the six months ending 30 June 2023.
Against a “challenging market backdrop, with particularly severe decline in new build housing,” first half profits were down “as expected.” Reported profit before tax sat at £3.5m, dropping from £15.7m in the first half of 2022.
Meanwhile the firm posted revenue of £184.4m, declining from £188.8m.With further deterioration in market conditions, Eurocell’s full year performance is now anticipated to be below previous expectations.
Darren Waters, Chief Executive of Eurocell plc, said: “Market conditions in H1 2023 became more challenging than we had anticipated, on the back of a sluggish new build housing market and lower RMI activity, with the CPA July update forecasting declines of 19% and 11% respectively in these sectors. Against this backdrop and an exceptionally strong comparative period, we delivered some resilience in the Group’s sales performance in the first half, with volumes down 6%, and improved cash flow.
“As expected, H1 profits were down on the prior period. Lower market volumes have resulted in an increasingly competitive environment and margin pressure in the branch network. First half profits were further impacted by recycling feedstock prices, which were significantly higher than H1 2022.
“With the decline in market volumes and a tough outlook for the balance of 2023 and 2024, we acted quickly to lower operating costs and focused on efficient working capital management. In addition, we continue to seek operational efficiencies, for profit and cash flow improvement, the benefits of which we should start to see next year.
“We anticipate that profits in H2 will benefit from lower input prices as well as the operational cost savings already secured. However, with another base rate increase implemented and the prospect of more to come further impacting upon consumer confidence, market conditions have deteriorated since the beginning of August, meaning that we now anticipate full year performance will be below our previous expectations.
“On becoming CEO in May, I initiated a review of our strategy, including the future size and shape of the branch network, customer proposition and other business structures, and I expect this will identify more opportunities for growth and efficiencies. In addition, our pipeline for new fabricator account wins remains positive, supported by a net reduction in UK capacity following the announcement that Duraflex intends to exit the market in September.
“Looking further ahead, the UK construction market continues to have attractive medium and long-term growth prospects, driven by the structural deficit in new build housing and an ageing housing stock that requires increased repair and maintenance. Overall, I believe the actions we are now taking leave the business well positioned to benefit from a recovery in our markets which will, over the medium-term, drive sustainable growth in shareholder value.”
Derby social enterprise shortlisted for national award
Derby-based Nimbus Disability is a finalist in the UK Social Enterprise Awards, recognising it as one of the country’s most innovative and impactful businesses.
Social enterprises are mission-led businesses that reinvest or donate their profits for social purposes. Nimbus Disability is a social enterprise that is run by disabled people for disabled people.
Its work to improve the lives of disabled people includes the development of the Access Card, which has been recognised with The Queen’s Award for Innovation, and is held by hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and beyond who register their accessibility requirements.
The Access Card is the first accessible scheme of its type in the world; offering a universal and consistent way of disabled people evidencing and communicating their access requirements to providers quickly and discreetly.
Powered by ‘NOS’, a bespoke software, the system translates its holder’s disability/impairment or access requirements into symbols, which ultimately means that, when booking online, it informs providers quickly and discreetly about the access requirements that individuals need. It has realised a simplistic way for disabled people to book online and protect those reasonable adjustments for those who require them.
The scheme has become a lifetime of opportunity for disabled people and a digital bridge to customers for business internationally – widely recognised at the majority of the UK’s leisure and tourism venues such as Buckingham Palace, the O2 Arena and Alton Towers as well as venues in the USA, Europe and New Zealand.
Nimbus Disability beat stiff competition to make the shortlist for the UK Social Enterprise Awards this year, which attracted more than 400 entries from all over the country. Awards recognise sector-leading excellence and innovation across a diverse range of criteria, and Nimbus Disability is a finalist in the Tech for Good: Technology Social Enterprise of the Year category.
Martin Austin MBE is Managing Director of Nimbus Disability. He said: “We are delighted that our work has been recognised in this way.
“Our innovative Access Card scheme is improving the lives of thousands of disabled people across the UK and across the globe – opening up the opportunity for them to visit and engage with events and destinations and enabling them to play a more participative role in society.”
Nimbus Disability will join other finalists and VIP guests at a prestigious awards ceremony in London’s iconic Roundhouse on Thursday 30 November, when the winners will be revealed.
Slowdown in businesses adopting green growth strategies amid cost pressures
Green growth activity in the East Midlands has fallen over the past year amid a cost-of-doing-business crisis – but has still more than doubled since 2015, new research shows.
A joint annual study by East Midlands Chamber and Derby Business School at the University of Derby found the proportion of businesses across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire that have made any income from environmentally-friendly goods and services dropped from 45% in 2022 to 36% in 2023.
Despite the drop, this still represents a significant increase on the 16% that reported they derived turnover from goods such as energy efficiency, waste recovery, and eco-food and drink products in 2015, as the business community has increasingly identified opportunities in the UK’s race to net zero.
In the face of conflicting messages from central Government about the net zero agenda, there was also a decline in the number of businesses that believe the policy environment is conducive to engagement in the green agenda – falling from 17% to 13% over the past 12 months.
Other key findings in the Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands 2023 study were a major distinction between large and micro businesses in pursuing green growth opportunities and investing in decarbonisation, while four in 10 businesses are not engaged at all in the low-carbon agenda.
The unique research provides the evidence base that informs East Midlands Chamber’s Sustainable East Midlands initiative, which was launched in 2020 to support businesses in engaging with the green agenda.
East Midlands Chamber director of policy and insight Chris Hobson said: “The drop-off in green growth engagement among East Midlands businesses over the past year can in part be attributed to the ongoing cost-of-doing-business crisis, in which firms have been hit by once-in-a-generation cost pressures across energy, fuel, raw materials and people.
“But this year’s findings have also identified that fewer companies believe the current policy landscape allows them to fully engage with green growth, perhaps the result of mixed messaging from different parts of Government over recent months around the importance of net zero policy.
“The big picture direction of travel, though, is clear. As net zero increasingly forms the bedrock of our national economic strategy the nearer we get to 2050, the more businesses will identify opportunities for growth that has a positive, rather than detrimental, impact on our environment.
“This is why we called on the Government to ‘grow our competitiveness the right way’ as one of the three overarching themes in our regional economic blueprint, A Centre of Trading Excellence: A Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond.
“Many barriers to engagement remain, however, so it is imperative our politicians understand that now is not the time to row back on the net zero and sustainability commitments we have made as a country.
“Long-term planning allows firms to grow sustainably and create opportunities for the UK to be world leaders in the products and processes that will drive global growth for decades to come.”
Other key findings from the research, which was based on responses from 368 businesses in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire as part of the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2023, included:
· 68% of large businesses report they are actively pursuing green growth opportunities, compared with 31% of micro, 51% of small and 50% of medium-sized companies
· More than a third of organisations invested in decarbonisation initiatives over the past 12 months – increasing to seven in 10 among large companies, which lead the trend
· Manufacturers are investing 1.5-times more in decarbonisation initiatives than services companies
· There has been a three-fold increase in firms reporting up to half of their turnover is made from supplying green goods or services since 2015
· Four in 10 businesses have no turnover generated from green goods and services, a 5% increase from 2022
· The information gap is widening, with the proportion of respondents saying they did not feel well-informed about the support available for green growth rising from 33% to 36% in the past year
· The largest demands for skills development are in the areas of energy efficiency, business strategy, resource efficiency, environmental strategy and waste management.
Dr Polina Baranova, associate professor of strategy and sustainability at Derby Business School, co-authored the report with Dr Fred Paterson, the university’s lead for sustainable business and clean growth.
She said: “This analysis could indicate that the green gains we experienced during the pandemic are starting to fizzle out and businesses are reverting to the conventional, non-green operations and strategies.
“It illustrates the fragility of green growth in the face of economic adversities and how companies of different sizes and sectors are affected differently.
“Net zero does not just make environmental sense, but good business sense, and we now need to see leadership from Government to reverse the slowdown in progress if the UK is to be at the forefront globally of the new green economy.”
Private equity firm invests in Nottingham-based business messaging provider
ECI Partners, the growth-focused mid-market private equity firm, has invested in Commify, the Nottingham business messaging solutions firm.
The deal, valued at €300 million, provides a full realisation for Hg, an investor in European and transatlantic software and services businesses, that has backed Commify’s transformation since 2016.
Commify’s integrated solutions enable over 45,000 customers to communicate with their customers and staff, sending over 5 billion messages per year, covering a range of business critical use cases from appointment confirmations to emergency alerts, via a range of channels including SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, email and voice.
The business is a long-established leader in the European Local Enterprise segment, complemented by fast-growing operations in the US and Australia. It operates at global scale, taken to market locally in each country via both its global solutions brand Esendex and local self-serve brands.
Commify has completed 16 complementary acquisitions in the last decade, and the investment from ECI will support further acquisitions across both existing and new countries, as well as to accelerate future platform and product development.
Richard Hanscott, CEO, Commify, said: “With Hg’s backing in recent years we have built a highly differentiated market-leading business, with material investment in both M&A and our business messaging platform. ECI’s ownership will allow us to accelerate our investment in new products and services, including our growing range of messaging channels such as WhatsApp.
“Alongside this we are excited to continue to drive expansion through further acquisitions in both existing and new geographies. Commify is perfectly positioned to continue to deliver high quality, sustainable growth. This is a very exciting time for Commify, our customers and our employees as we look forward to further strong growth supported by ECI’s significant investment.”
Paul McCreadie, partner at ECI, said: “Commify has built a differentiated position in an exciting global market, and with messaging becoming the number one customer engagement channel, there is a clear and compelling growth opportunity across Europe, the US and Australia. We’re delighted to be partnering with Richard and the Commify team to support them on further organic and acquisitive growth for the next stage of their journey.”
Nick Jordan, partner at Hg, said: “The investment from ECI is a big milestone for the management and staff at Commify. We have been incredibly proud to support the business as it expanded into multiple new European geographies and the US, more than doubling the size of business in doing so. We wish the team well for the future, in partnership with ECI.”
