Chesterfield businesses have been urged to take action if they want to make a difference to the town’s future.
Speaking at the annual Celebrate Chesterfield Conference on Thursday 2 March, organised by Destination Chesterfield in association with Addooco IT, Peter Swallow, chair of the town’s inward investment marketing campaign Destination Chesterfield, called on businesses to ‘get involved,’ ‘collaborate’ and ‘make change happen’ to ensure the town achieves its transformational growth strategy by 2030.
He said: “We have a network of more than 200 businesses, charities and education providers in Chesterfield, known as Chesterfield Champions, and the people in these organisations do so much to support Destination Chesterfield to market the town as a destination to invest, work, live and visit.
“But if we want to see the town thrive in an increasingly competitive market, we need to do even more collectively. We must collaborate and buy from each other and we must champion Chesterfield outside the area in order to help us bring investment into the borough and create highly skilled jobs.”
Launched on 23 February by Chesterfield Borough Council, key headline targets of the Chesterfield Growth Strategy include:
· Increasing the number of employee jobs in the borough by 4% (2,000 jobs).
· Increasing the number of businesses by 12% (400 businesses).
· Increasing the number of higher value businesses by 15% (100 businesses).
· Increasing the share of Chesterfield residents in knowledge-based occupations by 15% (baseline Census 21 – 18,000).
· Increasing the value of the visitor economy by 20% (baseline £163m).
Speaking about the ambitious strategy at the conference, Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “Bringing together the public, private and community sectors to champion our borough is key to achieving our ambitions and strengthening the local economy. As a council we have continued to bring investment into the area from central government and elsewhere.
“Earlier this year we announced our success in bringing almost £2.7 million of UK Shared Prosperity Funding into the borough, a comprehensive spending plan is in place that will provide training support, grant programmes for businesses and charities, as well as helping to make further improvements to green spaces, sports and play facilities across our borough.
“We have secured more than £45 million from the government, this will be used to invest in the future of Staveley but also to improve Chesterfield town centre and enhance our appeal to visitors.
“Looking to the future there is more than £2 billion of investment across our borough and this will help ensure that we have a bright future ahead of us but there is still more we can do and working with the Chesterfield Champions we look forward to promoting our borough as the place to live, work, visit and invest.”
As well as being chair of Destination Chesterfield, Mr Swallow is also Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc. The company developed the new flagship office space One Waterside Place which opened earlier this year.
Chesterfield Borough Council’s Growth Strategy will see further investors like Bolsterstone Group and Devonshire Group attracted to the borough.
The Devonshire Group is behind the future residential development and regeneration of 150 hectares of former industrial land in Staveley and is also partnering with Chesterfield Borough Council, Chesterfield College and the University of Derby in delivering the Construction Skills Hub. This is funded through the Staveley Town Deal and will provide training, careers insights, and work experience for more than 5,000 learners on a live construction site over 10 years.
In addition to site and bench joinery, brickwork, ground works and electrical installation the Hub will also provide training in green technologies.
Andy Byrne, property development director for The Devonshire Group, also spoke at the conference, saying: “Although we have land in the area, the Devonshire Group is investing in Chesterfield because we have opportunities with great partners – Chesterfield Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, Harworth Group and HBD. The geography of Chesterfield is one of its many advantages. It has good motorway and rail links and also a skilled workforce already present in the area.”
The annual Celebrate Chesterfield conference, which was attended by more than 250 members of the town’s businesses community, also saw the launch of the new Destination Chesterfield plan, which will position the borough as a desirable and contemporary destination for visitors, investors and residents.
The new plan places the town’s network of Champions at the forefront, having been recently praised by the UK’s leading place branding, place marketing and place making specialist Thinking Place, as a ‘sales force’ for the town.
Celebrate Chesterfield was sponsored by Chesterfield Champions Addooco IT, University of Derby, Choice Utility and Markham Vale.
Peter Swallow added: “The financial support of the town’s Champions is incredibly important to ensure events such as Celebrate happen. For people to be onboard and contributing actively to the town’s growth and development, then they also must be informed and involved with plans. The lasting and far reaching change we are striving for in Chesterfield cannot be done by one organisation alone; it must be a collaborative effort.”
Nigel Mallender, head of sales and marketing at Addooco IT Ltd, the event’s headline sponsor, said: “Addooco are a proud Chesterfield based business and the majority of our Team live in the town. We’re delighted to support the many Destination Chesterfield events and to promote their initiatives wherever possible.
“They do an excellent job of increasing awareness of our town and in spreading the word on what a great place Chesterfield is to live, work, meet and to run a business. Addooco are committed to Chesterfield and continue to use local suppliers, services and hire local people wherever we can.”
Dan Molloy, Managing Director of Choice Utility, added: “I believe that Chesterfield is one of the best places to do business out of. It’s important that the businesses based here support the town and each other, whether it’s through attending and sponsoring events like Celebrate Chesterfield or shopping local. Having a thriving local economy is key to developing conversations with national investors and ensuring Chesterfield continues to grow and develop.”
Adam Doyle, head of business engagement and employability at the University of Derby, which is supporting the Festival of Business Exhibition, said: “We were proud to be the partner of the Derbyshire Festival of Business exhibition at Celebrate Chesterfield.
“The festival plays a key role in continuing to support the business community to innovate and grow, aligned to our aim of raising skills and aspirations across our region. Working with businesses, we are helping to position our county internationally as a place to do business as well as a place to study, live and work.”
A spokesperson for HBD, the developer behind Chesterfield’s successful Markham Vale and a sponsor of Celebrate Chesterfield, added: “Chesterfield is a fantastic place to do business, as demonstrated by the phenomenal growth we’ve seen at Markham Vale and the creation of more than 2,700 new jobs.”
Derbyshire County Council has submitted proposals for the first phase of a new waterside development in Staveley for planning approval.
Plans for the Staveley Waterside Development at Staveley Basin have been drawn-up as part of the Staveley Town Deal – a £25 million government-funded regeneration programme for the area.
Planning permission is being sought from Chesterfield Borough Council to construct a 2-storey building, offering flexible space for new and existing small businesses, some retail use, and a food and beverage opportunity, with indoor and outdoor dining space, along with an access road, and mooring space.
£2.664 million has been earmarked from the Staveley Town Deal fund, subject to planning approval, for the first phase of the development on the Staveley Basin site, off Eckington Road, which forms part of the Markham Vale estate – the county council’s flagship regeneration site off M1 junction 29a.
Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, said: “We’ve put together proposals for an exciting new development which will help to bring jobs to the area and boost the visitor economy.
“Derbyshire County Council has been working alongside partners over a number of years to improve the Staveley Basin area and the Staveley Town Deal has given us a great opportunity to turn our ideas into reality, using our expertise from Markham Vale to create high-quality business accommodation as well as a visitor destination that people from near and far can enjoy.”
Ivan Fomin, chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “Staveley Waterside represents a fantastic opportunity to breathe new life into the area around the canal basin by creating facilities for businesses, residents and visitors.
“Enhancing the visitor experience around the canal will make it even more attractive to walkers and cyclists. The regeneration of this area will leave a lasting legacy for future generations and ensure that Staveley is a place where people can start, stay and grow.”
Nottinghamshire-based Affinity Asset Finance has agreed a major strategic partnership with one of the UK’s leading suppliers of CNC machine tools.
The deal will allow Sheffield-based T W Ward CNC Machinery (Ward CNC) to offer its customers a range of flexible machinery financing options, with Affinity acting as their own FCA authorised finance provider.
Neil Kimberley, director at Affinity Asset Finance, said: “We are delighted to announce our preferred finance partner status with T W Ward CNC Machinery Ltd, who are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of high-quality CNC machine tools across multiple engineering services.
“It has been over a year since we began working together and our partnership has continued to flourish as we have worked closely with Ward’s extensive customer base on a variety of finance solutions.
“We see Ward CNC as a valued partner to our business and we’re sure our relationship will continue to strengthen over the coming years.”
With over 140 years of heritage, Ward CNC currently employs over 30 people across its 5,500 square metre facility at Albion Works, Sheffield, and its dedicated sales showroom at Redditch.
It is the sole UK distributor for a number of the world’s leading machine tool manufacturers including Hyundai-Wia, Hartford, Soraluce, Takisawa and Hankook.
Simon Whitworth, Managing Director at Ward CNC, says: “Our new partnership with the team at Affinity is going to be hugely valuable to our customer base. Many of them will have already worked with Affinity to finance purchases from us since we began working together back in early 2022.
“This new partnership will help us to further develop our service offering and mean that we are not tied to any one lender or bank. Therefore, customers are assured that they can access the broadest range of funding/finance packages and deals available on the market, and we can offer extremely flexible terms and attractive finance arrangements for them. It is fantastic news for our customers and of course, for us here at Ward CNC too.”
Terinex Flexibles, which has recently rebranded from QC Flexible Packaging, has started building its new £8m state of the art facility at a 3-acre new site on the Dove Valley Park, near Derby. This investment from parent company, the OGM Holdings Group, will allow for future ambitious growth and support innovation.
The new factory will initially be 46,000 sq ft and will significantly increase capacity of the factory and warehouse and accommodate the expanding team at Terinex Flexibles. The company is expecting to increase its staff numbers in the first year, with hires across production and engineering. The R&D department will also move from its current location at OGM in Oxford.
Paul Wightman, group Managing Director of the OGM Group, says: “This investment will more than double the size of the Terinex Flexibles factory enabling for new equipment, offices and warehouse space.
“We have already invested in a new Comexi F2 MB flexographic printing press, which will be delivered and commissioned later this year, and we are planning to add another press. In addition to offering greater production volumes, our food, petfood and medical packaging customers will benefit from increased R&D capabilities to support their packaging innovations.”
The new facility will have advanced sustainable energy systems such as a regenerative thermal oxidiser (RTO) that efficiently recovers heat to the printing process for reuse and the roof will be fitted with solar PV panels for generating power to operate the factory. In addition, heat will be reclaimed from the compressors to send warm air to the curing room for the lamination process and the staff and visitor car park will have electric charging points.
Marc Freeman, director at Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, says: “Clowes Developments is delighted to welcome Terinex Flexibles to Dove Valley Park. DVP continues to attract investment from significant household names including JCB, TopHat and GXO. We look forward to working with Terinex in constructing its custom designed environmentally conscientious building.”
Paul adds: “The new factory will optimise all of our processes. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to build a factory with the best environmental footprint that will allow industry leading productivity and quality. We hope to be ready to move in by the end of the year.”
Leicester-based facilities management company, Precision FM has appointed Peter Hutchinson as its new business development manager.
With over a decade of experience in customer service and business development, Peter will help Precision FM expand its reach into new business sectors while continuing to support the business to deliver FM services to existing clients.
Peter will be responsible for expanding the company’s relationships with existing clients, seeking new contracts and work opportunities, and driving growth across the business. His extensive business development and customer service background will enable him to build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders.
“I am excited to be joining the talented team at Precision FM,” said Peter Hutchinson. “The company has a strong reputation for excellence in facilities management, and I am eager to help drive business growth working with both Precision FM’s current customer base and identify new opportunities and deliver solutions that exceed their expectations.”
Established in 2012, Precision FM offers a total facilities management (FM) service spanning the entire building and property management environment.
Commenting on Peter’s appointment, Brij Thankey, CEO at Precision FM, said: “We are pleased to welcome Peter to the Precision FM team. Peter’s extensive experience in delivering value for customers will be instrumental in helping to deliver the high service standards for which Precision FM is known.
“His appointment will allow us to drive focus into securing new customers within the sectors where we can readily demonstrate our extensive experience, while also enable us to expand into other industry sectors to offer our innovative, value driven FM services.”
3F Pellets, based in Saxilby, Lincoln, has entered administration.
Established in 2015, the manufacturer and supplier of wood-based pellet products such as cat litter, horse bedding and biomass heating pellets, recently invested heavily in machinery and equipment with a view to further expanding into the Biomass industry, but had unfortunately struggled to break into the market leading to financial difficulties.
Restructuring and recovery specialists Andy Pear and Milan Vuceljic of Moorfields Advisory were appointed joint administrators of the business on 22 February 2023.
Moorfields are now marketing the business and its assets for sale.
Andy Pear, partner at Moorfields, said: “3F Pellets has a good customer base and the right location and equipment but similar to many companies has struggled with new market entry. We hope to find a suitable purchaser for the business and assets who will be able to expand the business as intended.”
Leicester-based business Thomson Hayes Retail Display Ltd has entered administration.
The company designed and manufactured retail display sets, predominantly for cosmetics brands, for use in department stores and shops. Clients included L’Oreal, Dior and Lancome. The firm was established in 1989 by directors Chris Thomson and Frank Hayes and employed 26 people.
The pandemic was instrumental in the downturn in bricks and mortar retail sales as consumers were forced to switch to online shopping. This, along with rising costs, impacted on the business which has been unable to recover.
Prior to the appointment of administrators, the company had taken the difficult decision to wind down its business and to ultimately cease to trade. The directors of the business endeavoured to honour outstanding contracts and to fulfil outstanding orders for some customers to maximise returns for creditors and stakeholders.
However, the directors’ endeavours to do so became increasingly problematic, resulting in the appointment of Tyrone Courtman and Deviesh Raikundalia of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP as joint administrators on 22 February 2023, who are now exploring the feasibility of doing so.
The administrators will also be seeking any expressions of interest in the sale of the company’s remaining business and assets as a going concern, if at all practicable.
Unfortunately, 15 employees have been made redundant and the company will, in all probability cease to trade, during the week ending 10 March following completion of all outstanding works after which all of the company’s remaining employees will be made redundant. The joint administrators are liaising with the company’s employees to provide relevant redundancy support.
The administrators at RSM said they are working to secure the best outcome for creditors and all the company’s stakeholders.
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a construction company for polluting a local brook whilst engaged as contractors at the East Midlands Gateway development site.
At Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 1 March 2023, Winvic Construction Limited, of Tenter Road, Moulton Park, Northampton, admitted causing pollution and was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £25,577.79.
The court was told that the company were contractors at the site near Kegworth when Hemington Brook became highly turbid and discoloured with clay solids.
A biological survey revealed that the discharge of contaminated run off from the site had caused “gross and chronic” pollution adversely affecting invertebrates.
A member of the public alerted the Environment Agency when the brook started “running red with silt pollution” on or before 27 September 2019.
The source was traced to an outfall near the development site which was the responsibility of the company.
Staff told officers from the Environment Agency that a drain blocker had failed. This had allowed the contaminated contents of two ponds to drain and discharge into the brook via a flood attenuation basin.
Officers from the Environment Agency attended the site again on September 30 2019, and found that the discharge had not been stopped.
Analysis was carried out revealing that the level of suspended solids in Hemington Brook had measured between 1200 – 1400 mg/l downstream.
By comparison, historical sampling data from 2019/20 indicated an average level of 50 mg/l suspended solids with a maximum of 240 mg/l.
High levels of suspended solids in water inhibit plant photosynthesis and lower oxygen levels.
Solids can clog and irritate fish gills, further increasing stress. They can also smother fish spawning areas and invertebrate habitat.
The Court accepted that the offence was due in part to unprecedented rainfall in the local area.
Ian Firkins, senior environment manager for the Environment Agency’s East Midlands Area, said: “We welcome this sentence which should act as a deterrent to other companies who breach environmental legislation.
“As a regulator, the Environment Agency will not hesitate to pursue companies that fail to meet its obligations to the environment. The conditions of an environmental permit are designed to protect people and the environment.
“Failure to comply with these legal requirements is a serious offence that can damage the environment and harm human health. If anyone has environmental concerns they should call our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.”
PwC has launched the latest figures for stores opening and closing across Great Britain (GB). Created in association with the Local Data company, the twice-yearly research tracks over 200,000 outlets in over 3,500 locations to gain a picture of the changing landscape of high streets, retail parks, shopping centres and stand alone outlets.
Throughout 2022, 493 shops opened across the East Midlands, compared to 702 closures, creating a net decline of 209 (-1.4%), the lowest since 2017. This highlights a great improvement since 2021, where the East Midlands saw 528 store openings and 1,146 closures, a net change of 618.
The East Midlands performed third best out of the regions across GB, following the South East and Scotland in first and second. The West Midlands was the worst performing region overall, with a net closure rate of -2.3%, below the national average of -1.4%.
Speaking about the East Midlands report, Sarah Phillips, PwC partner and consumer markets leader for the Midlands, says: “It’s pleasing to see the East Midlands retail and hospitality sectors experiencing slower rates of closure and the difference between openings and closures narrowing.
“We’re seeing recovery through a bounce back in a variety of sectors, most notably takeaways, convenience stores, DIY and pet stores, helped by pandemic trends. Retail parks and shopping centres are holding strong, and the East Midlands benefits from multiple strong locations.
“High Streets are also recovering well and we’re seeing more innovative store openings, embracing technology and creating experiences for younger consumers. There is a trend of combining multiple offerings and better utilising space, mixing fashion with lifestyle, beauty and hospitality.
“There are challenges ahead with a potential recession and the cost of living crisis continuing, however we have seen how quickly the tide can change and there is positive growth for retail across GB, as more people return to work and offices, boosting the high street.”
Small businesses across the Derbyshire Dales are braced for the triple whammy of UK recession, the ongoing energy crisis, and the end of June deadline when much needed European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) business support ends.
The ERDF programme backs projects that create jobs and local growth including the ENSCITE programme, jointly offered by the University of Derby and Aston University, helping firms in the automotive, aerospace and rail sectors.
Entrepreneurs and business leaders across the region have now added their names to an open letter from University Alliance to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him to prioritise funding for small regional firms who are currently benefitting from the university-led scheme which offers workshops in strategy, leadership, and productivity.
Local business woman Deborah O’Donovan, CEO of Chater Smart, a startup executive recruitment firm in London and Derby, said: “Female entrepreneurs are much less likely to be backed by external investors so programmes like ENSCITE make a huge difference. Funding regional business support programmes is an essential part of the promised levelling up agenda.”
The open letter was sent to Jeremy Hunt last week from the University Alliance and backed by 300 business leaders across the Derbyshire Dales and rest of the UK who are hoping the government will agree to provide replacement funding before June to ensure regional businesses continue to grow, create jobs and thrive despite the looming recession.
Leicester clothing retailer Wellgosh, which has stores in Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham, and a major online presence, is set to close.
On Twitter, the company announced: “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the closing down of Wellgosh.
“For over 35 years, Leicester has been the beating heart of our brand and we are grateful to our store teams and the dedicated community that we have created.
“Our website and stores will close shortly.”
Wellgosh was established in 1988 in Silver Arcade, Leicester, originally specialising in sourcing vintage and original clothing and evolving to become a major destination store for elevated street, skate and sneaker brands.
It was bought by JD Sports in 2021.
Tritax Big Box REIT has sold three investment assets for £125 million, including a Worksop warehouse.
The purchaser is a “leading global investor in real estate.”
The 330,000 sq ft Worksop property, which is let to Cerealto for a further 12.5 years, was acquired by Tritax Big Box REIT in November 2017 and was constructed in 2007.
The other buildings in the deal consist of a 470,000 sq ft site in Skelmersdale, let to DHL, and a property in Knowsley, with a ground floor GIA of 578,000 sq ft, let to Matalan.
Colin Godfrey, CEO for Tritax Big Box, said: “We constantly seek ways to optimise our portfolio to crystalise value and redeploy capital into higher returning opportunities. The disposal of three assets for £125 million, in line with their book value, demonstrates the ongoing effective implementation of our strategy and the attractiveness of our assets.
“The sale to a leading global investor in real estate provides further evidence of the growing stabilisation within the UK investment market. With the UK’s largest logistics focused land portfolio, we have a significant pipeline of higher returning development opportunities we are able to recycle capital into.”
A new £3.8 million facility that will revolutionise the world of manufacturing, making it more efficient and cost-effective, has opened at the University of Nottingham.
The state-of-the-art OMNIFACTORY, a concept factory where different digital technologies are implemented to improve traditional manufacturing practices, was officially opened on Wednesday 1 March 2023 by Brian Holliday, Managing Director at Siemens Digital Industries and co-chair of the Made Smarter Commission, with a keynote contribution from George Freeman MP, Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Situated on the university’s Jubilee Campus, OMNIFACTORY is home to a bespoke test bed floor, developed in Nottingham, that provides a unique reconfigurable environment. The floor autonomously adapts itself to the next product’s environment and specifications, reshaping itself through a combination of digital technologies, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
“OMNIFACTORY is a unique facility that will allow us to develop, demonstrate and rapidly implement the latest digital manufacturing technologies in industry,” said Svetan Ratchev, director of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing.
Svetan continued: “Working closely with our industrial partners, we aim to transform current practices and improve productivity across different sectors by developing the next generation of smart, highly agile, and efficient factories, which will also support localised manufacturing supply chains.
“By leveraging technologies such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, we can dramatically accelerate the development and sustainable manufacturing of new products and deliver significant societal, economic, and environmental benefits.
“Manufacturing processes have a significant impact on the environment, with a large proportion of the carbon footprint of some products being created during their production and logistics. By creating a new generation of smart, highly efficient factories embedded in local supply chains, we will contribute to the net-zero agenda and make a significant step towards the circular economy.
“OMNIFACTORY is a national testbed for future factory technologies, and we welcome new businesses to join us and explore the future of manufacturing.
“We have already received an incredible response from industry working both with large original equipment manufacturers and highly innovative local SMEs.”
The five-year project has been funded by Innovate UK and aligned to the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, but OMNIFACTORY’s facilities can be applied to other sectors, such as food and automotive.
“OMNIFACTORY is a game-changing facility, which creates a blueprint for how future factories will dramatically enhance the productivity and competitiveness of British manufacturers,” said professor Alan Norbury, chief technologist at Siemens Digital Industries.
Alan continued: “Based on the foundations of excellent research conducted at the University of Nottingham, this new space will support industry in developing, testing and validating new digital manufacturing applications and their rapid implementation across all sectors. We’re incredibly proud to support this unique development and to see Siemens’ core technologies being deployed to showcase the future of UK manufacturing.”
The facility is already working with several businesses that operate in a variety of sectors, including Airbus, and GKN, which is utilising OMNIFACTORY for the ELCAT project.
Andrew Portsmore, technology director of Assembly Systems at GKN, said: “We developed the vision for the ELCAT project with the University of Nottingham, which sets out to enable flexible manufacturing systems without the need for expensive ‘black box’ integration, by fusing real-world industrial experience with game-changing theoretical proposals backed by academic analysis.
“Now, OMNIFACTORY will allow this thinking to be taken to a point of physical reality, maturing and de-risking the associated technology threads to a level ready for final development and adoption in GKN.”
The Access Group, a Loughborough-based provider of business management software, has appointed two new board members.
Marko Perisic joined The Access Group board in the latter part of 2022 as chief product and engineering officer (CPEO) taking over responsibility for product and engineering, while Fabrice Dreneau joined at the same time as chief customer success officer (CCSO) to help further strengthen the customer experience.
Marko joins from Zellis, where he was most recently chief product and technology officer. He has decades of experience in the technology space, having had a long and distinguished career at Microsoft before that.
Commenting on his position at Access, Marko said: “Everything I have observed about The Access Group points to an incredibly successful business, with many people who feel passionate about software to make customers’ working lives easier – a passion that I also share. What stands out the most is the culture at Access – everyone I have spoken to speaks very proudly of working for the company and that is one of our strongest assets.
“I’m learning every day from my colleagues and sharing my experience as we take The Access Group’s product portfolio into its next phase of growth, powered by Access Workspace as a unifying platform, and the best-in-class experience for our customers.”
Marko takes over from Steve Lane who has retired after a 40-year career in IT and six years at The Access Group. During this time he created a world-class product and engineering function that has grown from 200 people when he joined, to over 1,700 people.
Fabrice joins The Access Group from Qlik, where he was senior vice president and led a global customer success and renewal team. He is passionate and client-focused and has previously held senior positions at Autodesk and Dassault Systems and has substantial international experience including a five-year assignment in Japan.
During his career, he has achieved a reputation for ensuring the effective adoption of outcome-based repeatable solutions to increase customer loyalty and revenue growth.
Fabrice Dreneau
Fabrice said: “I’m excited to lead Access’ Customer Success on the next stage of its journey in providing the very best service to its customers.
“At Access, we succeed only when our customers succeed. Through embedding new technologies, enhanced education and training, robust reporting and analytics and strategic engagement, our team endeavours to support a seamless client journey across all our divisions.
“From SMEs to midmarket and large multi-product customers, it is our mission to make our customers’ voices integral to the overall experience and instrumental to achieving desired outcomes through successful partnering with Access.
“I look forward to using my expertise to help the company’s growth continue in a direction that benefits everyone – our employees and our customers.”
Welcoming the new appointments, Access Group CEO, Chris Bayne, said: “Both of these appointments to our board show our commitment to developing the very best in technology and taking our product, engineering and hosting teams into the next phase of our growth, as well as keeping each of our customers engaged with our products and ensuring they are receiving the best service possible.
“Marko and Fabrice are already making a hugely positive impact on their teams and the company as a whole.”
The number of new technology companies incorporated in the East Midlands increased 38% in 2022, according to analysis of Companies House data by audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK. A total of 1,390 tech businesses were incorporated in the East Midlands last year, up from 1,009 the previous year. Sheetal Sanghvi, partner and head of innovation reliefs in the Central region at RSM UK, said: “It is great to see East Midlands at the top of the table with the biggest increase year-on-year.“The region has always benefitted from a thriving technology sector, particularly in fintech and medtech. This is largely due to the quality of the local incubator hubs, universities and the scale of global businesses from which experienced individuals go on to build their own businesses. “Like many regional cities, the cost of workspaces in the East Midlands is more competitive than the capital. For start-ups and small businesses tight on cash, this has been a huge factor when setting up their headquarters and is reflected in the numbers published. “New businesses also tend to attract younger demographics and the region has a generous pool of young talent to hand. In addition, with many workers moving away from the bigger cities during the pandemic and post-pandemic, triggered by the rise in remote working, regions with lower costs have become an appealing option for tech workers.“This is another key driver in the decision-making process for businesses when deciding where to locate their new business.”Nationally, 46,474 tech businesses were incorporated in 2022, up from 38,240 in 2021. The total number of incorporations in 2022 is nearly double the 23,531 companies in 2020, demonstrating sustained growth in new tech incorporations year-on-year. The data cements tech as an area of huge growth across the UK. All regions in the UK saw an increase compared to 2021, with London being home to the highest number of tech incorporations (24,783). Eight of the ten regions in the UK saw increases on or above 22%.Ben Bilsland, partner and Technology Industry senior analyst at RSM UK, said: “Despite the obvious economic challenges, it’s been another strong year for the tech industry. Whilst it is no surprise to see London at the centre of new tech incorporations, growth across all regions outside the capital is further evidence of the UK’s thriving tech industry. “There is clearly appetite from entrepreneurs to start up new, innovative businesses and become part of the UK’s booming tech industry. “This crop of early-stage businesses will need support to scale. Access to funding will be crucial and the UK government will need to ensure that UK tech is an attractive place for both domestic and overseas investment. “For many young innovative companies, R&D tax incentives are crucial cash inflows. For many, the recent changes to UK R&D schemes that reduced the amounts small companies can claim were not seen as a positive step towards supporting the early-stage ecosystem.“Innovation requires a world-class talent pool and UK tech will look to both education and immigration to build their workforces. Support from our universities and schools to build skills in STEM subjects and emergent areas such as Artificial Intelligence will be essential. Clarity over immigration policy will be required to ensure a healthy inflow of tech talent to fuel growing companies.”
A health and safety manager who previously worked on oil rigs and in car and construction equipment assembly lines has taken on his first role in the rail industry by joining depot maintenance company MTMS.
Steven Ostle has been appointed as the company’s new health, safety and environmental manager, with responsibility for ensuring that MTMS’s engineers and sub-contractors continue to work safely at rail depots all over the country.
MTMS services and maintains rolling stock and specialist depot equipment at over half of the UK’s rail depots, serving such familiar names in mainline rail as First MTR South-Western Railway, Hitachi, Arriva and Siemens, and is the proud owner of an excellent safety record.
Steven’s role will be to review and update its H&S policies, offer training and advice and make site visits to discuss any issues with staff in the field, while also drawing up specific health and safety procedures for minor engineering projects carried out to improve the depot infrastructure.
He will also help the company attain the coveted ISO 45001 international standard for health and safety at work.
Although his previous two roles involved working indoors in the vehicle manufacture industries, Steve has previously worked outdoors, when he was the health and safety liaison officer working offshore on oil rigs and on the Irish Sea Pioneer – a giant lift boat which supports drilling operations off the coast of Liverpool.
But he says many of the skills he puts into practice relate back to his days serving in the British Army, which he left in 2012 having achieved the rank of Captain, a role which relied heavily on upholding rules and being able to communicate them clearly.
He said: “The rail industry is a new industry to me but it is a sector where health and safety is of paramount importance and it’s enjoyable doing something different after working in factory settings for the last five years.
“While the majority of my work will be supporting our engineers undertaking their routine maintaining rolling stock at rail facilities, I’ll also be planning health and safety frameworks for one-off infrastructure projects.
“This role fits well with my military career, because the Army also relies on rules and regulations, and requires the ability to understand the work culture in order to be able to communicate them effectively.”
MTMS advertises itself as a pro-military employer and has been awarded the Silver Defence Employer Recognition scheme for its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, and Matt Forst, Managing Director of MTMS, says Steve’s military background and vast experience were key to him getting his new role.
He said: “Steve’s CV shows that he is incredibly well-qualified and has an understanding of how to undertake his health and safety role in a range of different and challenging settings.
“We’re delighted that he has joined us here at MTMS, where we’re confident that he will help us maintain our proud safety record and enable us to achieve the ISO 45001 standard.”
The future of a local charity is looking bright as work starts to build them a new home.
North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) has provided land in Swannington to Hospice Hope so it can create a bespoke facility and continue its work supporting people with life limiting conditions. Local house builder Bloor Homes will carry out the building work at no cost to the charity.
Work started on site to build Bright Hope House on Monday 27 February, with the centre expected to open early 2024.
In 2019 Hospice Hope learned that they would have to move out of their current accommodation in Griffydam, so the trustees turned to the district council for ideas.
In response, the council agreed to lease some of its land – currently used to store spare wheelie bins – to the charity for a peppercorn rent. Bloor Homes have now started building the bespoke 6,000 sq ft facility at no cost to the charity.
Councillor Andrew Woodman, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at NWLDC, said: “This is a very exciting time, as work to build Bright Hope House begins in Swannington. The facility will secure the future of a fantastic charity which supports so many local people.
“It has been our pleasure to work with Hospice Hope and Bloor Homes on this important project, and we look forward to seeing the building take shape over the coming months.”
Stewart Shepherd, chair of the Trustees of Hospice Hope, says the charity is delighted with the news: “This wonderful partnership between the council, Bloor Homes and our charity must be unique. It enables Hospice Hope to develop and build on all that it has learned and achieved over many years.
“The need for our services continues to grow and develop and we are all looking forward to meeting that need when Bright Hope House opens. As the building progresses, we shall be looking to the community and local businesses to support this excellent initiative.”
A major extension to Markham Vale North, granted by Chesterfield Borough Council in December last year, has now been approved by Bolsover Council.
The decision is a significant milestone for the project and follows three years of extensive discussions with both councils and the local community. It will enable the creation of a high-quality addition to the commercial offer at Markham Vale, further strengthening the local economy.
HBD, the developer behind Markham Vale, will work with Devonshire Property Group to bring the new scheme forward, with the potential to create up to 800 new jobs.
The development will boast strong sustainability credentials, with an extensive landscaping plan that protects and improves the existing river corridor.
Significant planting will include around 5,700 new trees (including 2.15ha of new woodland planting), 3.7ha of new grassland habitat and 2km of new native hedgerow to screen the development and create areas of new habitat.
Markham Vale, a joint venture partnership between HBD and Derbyshire County Council which began in 2006, has created more than 2,700 jobs across a wide range of sectors, including advanced manufacturing and logistics.
It is home to a range of businesses, including Bilstein Group, which manufactures and distributes automotive parts, Granger International, manufacturers of waterproof outdoor products and shoe care products, and Sterigenics, makers of sterile healthcare products.
David Wells, director at HBD, said: “It’s great to be able to move forward with this project – it will allow us to meet established demand for superior sustainable and well-located industrial stock, while continuing to attract vital inward investment into the region. We look forward to working alongside Devonshire Property Group to bring the scheme forward.”
Andrew Byrne, Devonshire Property Group, said: “We are delighted that both planning committees have approved this exciting project. This is a high-quality extension to an already successful employment location, and will make a real contribution to the strength of the local economy and the environment.
“It is a further demonstration of how the Devonshire Property business is actively investing into both Chesterfield and Bolsover, delivering on our stated ambitions of creating jobs and opportunities for local communities. We look forward to being part of this regeneration, working alongside our Joint Venture partner HBD.”
Plans for a new Business School in Derby city centre have been secured after the University of Derby raised £70 million funding to help develop the state-of-the-art Business School, a core part of the University’s long-term strategy.
Following a competitive funding process, the £70m private placement was secured, featuring highly attractive, fixed rate, 35-year terms. It is the University’s first debt capital markets issuance and was arranged by Centrus, who acted as corporate finance advisor.
The funding is structured, so half of it has already been received, with the remainder due in December this year, to better match the project’s funding needs while reducing the University’s interest costs. Further, the funding incentivises the University’s commitment to social inclusion and equality. It does so by providing a discount if the target set by the University for reducing the attainment gap is achieved.
Craig Jones, chief financial and commercial officer at the University of Derby, said: “The new Business School is pivotal to our role as a Civic university and the development of our city campus, enhancing the teaching and real-world learning experience for our students and staff.
“Centrus, and Mills & Reeve, provided outstanding support through the process, contributing to the successful outcome achieved. We are delighted our new borrowing arrangements link to our inclusion and equality commitments, given these commitments to the University’s strategic agenda.”
Sam Goldman, director at Centrus, said: “It’s been a pleasure to have supported the University to arrange funding so key to their long term-strategy. This excellent outcome was achieved against the backdrop of significantly volatile financial markets.
“A key element of the success obtained was a carefully targeted investor and credit positioning strategy, on which we worked closely with the University to develop and implement. We see this transaction as part of a broader trend towards universities utilising debt financing for capital projects across the sector.”
Matthew Howling, principal associate at Mills & Reeve, added: “We are delighted to have supported the University on its private placement. It was a pleasure to work with the University at every step in the transaction, providing help and advice throughout. It was also rewarding to work on a project that will have such a positive impact on the University, its students and staff, as well as the wider community in Derby.”
Increasing demand for high environmental standards is providing businesses who invest in ESG with a competitive advantage and the opportunity to increase revenue, new Paragon Bank research has found.
Conducted by Opinium, the research of over 500 UK SMEs found that 61% of firms take an active interest in the ESG credentials of their suppliers, with 51% refusing to work with businesses with a poor environmental record.
Concern over the ESG record of a business continued into enquiries made by customers with 53% demanding to know about an SME’s own standards. This is led to 57% of SMEs considering ESG standards as important to their business and only 14% who do not.
With the increased interest in ESG standards, a majority of SMEs are now both actively investing in new equipment to improve their standards (59%) and are planning to increase future investment (58%).
As well as investing to improve ESG standards to meet the demands of customers, SMEs are also moving towards more sustainable working practices to reduce energy bills (58%).
The research identified both the level of interest and lack of interest shown towards ESG standards:
Interested in supplier’s credentials (Agree 61% /Disagree 12%)
Actively investing to improve (59% / 13%)
Plan to increase investment (58% / 12%)
Investing to lower energy bills (58% / 14%)
Very important to our business (57% / 14%)
Customers demanding to know credentials (53% / 22%)
Won’t work with company with poor ESG (51% / 17%)
Commenting on the research findings John Phillipou, Paragon’s Managing Director of SME Lending, said: “The move towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly working practices is a win-win for SMEs.
“As the research identifies, customers are now looking to work with companies that have strong ESG policies. Those that do will have a competitive advantage, creating fresh business opportunities and the ability to increase revenue thanks to providing clients with the standards demanded by their own customers.
“The increased energy efficiency of the new tech also provides the potential for long-term cost savings, with SMEs able to reduce the costs at the same time as increasing business.”
He continued: “Investing in green technology also comes with the vital benefit of helping to support and protect the environment – and SMEs seeking to improve their ESG will play a key role in preserving and improving our environment for generations to come.
“Paragon is committed to supporting businesses making the transition to more environmentally friendly working practices. With an increasing range of electric and alternative fuel powered assets coming onto the market, now is the time for SMEs to start planning for the future and investing in their ESG standards and take full advantage of the opportunities they can provide.”
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