Nottingham’s Phenna Group makes eighth Australian acquisition
New leadership for engineering consultancy BWB
Business leaders join Nimbus Disability’s board
Footwear wholesaler accelerates growth following seven-figure funding package
Chirag Makwana, relationship manager at HSBC UK, added: “T&A Footwear and Heavenly Feet are long-established wholesalers and retailers of footwear in the UK. As interest in sustainable fashion continues to increase, we’re excited and delighted to support with boosting growth for both companies internationally.”
Dunelm Group delivers “strong performance”
Dunelm Group, the Leicester-headquartered homewares retailer, has hailed a “strong performance” in its interim results for the 26 weeks to 30 December 2023.
The company reported sales growth of 4.5%, with total sales increasing to £872m, up from £835m in the same period of the year prior. Profit before tax, meanwhile, increased by 4.8% to £123m, growing from £117m.Nick Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “In the past six months we have kept our customers front of mind, ensuring our broad offer has value at its core whilst also expanding our ranges, introducing new styles, and improving the experience across our store and digital channels.
“This has been particularly important in a more difficult trading environment and has resulted in another strong sales performance combined with market share gains. Despite ongoing pressures on consumers, we are encouraged by the wide variety of new customers shopping with Dunelm, and existing shoppers also coming back more frequently.
“Alongside the positive sales performance we have delivered a very strong gross margin, which is testament to our tight operational control and the inherent strength of our business model.
“As we move towards Spring and customers look to freshen up their homes, our specialist proposition continues to resonate strongly and, in a dynamic retail environment, we are relentlessly focused on evolving and investing in our business to ensure we remain relevant to further increase our broad appeal.
“We have never been more excited about our future as we build trust in our offer and identity as the Home of Homes.”
Woo the media on Valentine’s and all year-round: By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR
Roses are red,
Violets are blue
The media craves experts
Might the next one be you?
Because here is the truth
When it comes to the press
It’s not about budgets
That’s not how you impress
Imagine a journalist,
Locked in their tower
As the deadline ticks down
Slowly, hour by hour
And yet they still lack
That nugget, that quote
To enliven their copy
On that, they will dote
Because too many times
When they open a pitch
It’s a glorified advert
I’m sorry to bitch
But it’s true, coz I’ve been there
I’ve seen it and done it
Folk send in their “stories”
There’s no way they will run it
Yet there’s always that hope
That in amongst all the waste
Is a beautiful gem
They can copy and paste
Full of insight, and wisdom
Knowledge and skill
The work of a lifetime
Broken down and distilled
To a couple of sentences
Sometimes much more
That sheds light on a topic
Like never before
For that they will thank you
Be you butcher or baker
Dentist or broker
Or candlestick maker
For you are the expert
That means you have the clout
To transform your marketing
Of that there’s no doubt
The challenge for you
On this Valentine’s Day
Is to drop them a line
When the chance comes your way
So, apart from poems of questionable quality, how do you make the media fall in love with you? There’s no need for incantations and you will be pleased to see that neither eye of newt nor toe of frog are on your shopping list. However, we are going to weave something of a spell here as we aim to at least get you a date with your target media. By the end of it, you might even be holding hands. OOOOOOhhhhhh. All too often when people chat to me at events, they seem keen to find ‘sneaky ways’ to get the press to cover them. Almost like they are trying to get away with being covered by them before they are rumbled! A bit like online dating but using a VERY old photo or perhaps exaggerating some of your ‘achievements’ in the hope that they will pique interest. The problem is, this strategy will only work in the short-term before you are rumbled, if indeed it works at all. Are we in a relationship? I want you to be more mature about what you want from each other in any potential media relationship. I want you to think about what you BOTH bring to the party. It shouldn’t just be about you getting media coverage, it should be about them getting a great story so they can sell more copies or clicks. It is a win/win for both of you. I want you to start looking for a relationship where you are perfect for one another. The problem is, although it is perfectly possible to DIY when it comes to PR, too many people are focused on What’s In It For Me? To be really good at the PR game, you need to think about What’s In It For Us? You need to find the right media partner, the perfect fit for your business, not your ego. You need to find common ground where you and the journalist are greater than the sum of your parts. You need to add some Valentine’s Value. If you work with this approach, you will soon start to find that you are doing less of the chasing and the media suitors are actually flocking to you for a date. Valentine’s Day was originally a celebration of the coming of spring. If you start to work with my approach you will soon find your PR and marketing campaign is blooming marvellous. Or you could just send them flowers, it’s a start. A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective. See this article in the February issue of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.Demand for Mercia Marina places high after planning permission is confirmed
Chesterfield businesses expand into new spaces at Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre
Two Chesterfield-based companies have expanded into larger offices at the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre after growing their businesses over the last year.
We Are Spaces, a commercial interior design and property solution company, and Integrated Interest, a sales and marketing technology company, have expanded into larger office spaces in the centre.
Owned by Chesterfield Borough Council, the office development opened in July 2022 and with the expansion of these businesses is now 85% let.
Amy Revell, co-founder and director of We Are Spaces, said: “The Enterprise Centre is a wonderful space for us to call our home. The Grade A space and service we receive from the team here really is great value for money. We are incredibly settled and have a great relationship with the other businesses and staff, so we didn’t want to lose this, when needing to increase the size of our office to meet the new needs of our team.
“The Enterprise Centre has made the process so easy for us to move into a bigger suite without incurring big moving costs and disruption. We always knew that when we first based ourselves here, it provided us with lots of flexibility to grow efficiently and we are doing just that.
“It’s a pleasure to have our offices within the enterprise centre and we are investing a huge amount to create an amazing fit out for our clients and staff to enjoy for many more years to come.”
Steven Brough, director of Integrated Interest, said: “When we first started looking for office space the Enterprise Centre was at the top of the list straight away, with it being in such a prominent location.
“It is perfectly placed for access by car, bus or train, and with access to Chesterfield town centre and Queen’s Park, there is everything you need on the doorstep. With it being such a new building, everything is modern and creates the feel I wanted for a technology company.”
The Enterprise Chesterfield model aims to provide space for new and small businesses, where they can access a range of support that will help them to grow.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “It is fantastic to see local businesses growing, employing more of our residents, and expanding their presence in the Enterprise Centre.
“Our investment in the development formed a key part of our economic recovery plan following the pandemic – the growth of these businesses and the high occupancy rate of the centre shows how the building has helped our borough’s economy to bounce back and has created new employment opportunities for our residents.
“As well as growing the local economy, our enterprise centres also provide a small income for the council. This income helps ensure we can support businesses to grow whilst still providing the essential services our residents rely on.
“We knew our Enterprise Chesterfield model would be successful because we’ve seen businesses based at our other centres grow significantly and expand their presence in our borough, but it is great to see this working as planned in our newest centre less than two years since opening.”
Renewable energy experts move to new Nottingham head office
Renewable energy experts Geo Green Power have moved to new head office premises at Bradmore Business Park, Nottingham, thanks to rapid growth in demand for its green energy solutions which is expected to see the business double in size by 2025.
With the company on target to grow its turnover by 50 percent this year to more than £18m (from £12m to 31 March 2023), Geo Green needs more space as team numbers have passed 60 people and will continue to rise. At 6000 ft over two floors, the new head office can house the existing office team of around 30 with capacity to more than double in the years ahead. Warehousing and supply will continue at Geo Green’s existing premises in Costock.
Geo Green Power operates nationally with multiple teams installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, electric vehicle (EV) charging, heat pump and battery storage systems in both the commercial and residential sectors for customers including Kingspan, Mitchells & Butlers, Inchcape, Mercedes-Benz and JCB.
James Cunningham, MD, Geo Green Power, said: “It’s been an incredible three years at Geo Green Power, our purpose-built offices have served us well but the rapid expansion that we have seen since 2021 has quite literally seen them overflow.
“We’ve a fantastic team, and it was important that we moved to a location that would enable us to keep them all. I’m delighted that our new offices will give our people much needed space and storage, more meeting rooms, kitchen facilities and a fabulous break area which we’re still fitting out. It’s absolutely what they deserve for the hard work and commitment they have shown while delivering year on year growth.”
Geo Green worked with commercial property agents FHP to secure the new premises at Bradmore, which includes 25 car parking spaces and is leased for five years. Interior design and office fitout work was undertaken by 360 Commercial Projects.
Inflation holds steady at 4%
