Bloc Digital launches US business as base for growth in America
Marketing content and digital solutions specialist Bloc Digital has launched a US business to unlock further opportunities for growth in North America.
The establishment of Bloc Digital Inc comes as the company continues to experience sustained and increasing expansion in the US market, seeing an 80% increase in income within the last year.
This latest milestone in the business’ development is being consolidated with a trade mission to the US, during which Bloc Digital’s co-founders Keith Cox and Chris Hotham will be welcomed by prominent US companies, such as Nordson Corporation and Rolls-Royce Defence America.
The visit is being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in Mentor, Ohio – a centrally located hub for industrial and manufacturing businesses.
Keith said: “The digital nature of our business gives us a truly global reach and has enabled us to work successfully with American clients for many years.
“Building on our growth and the foundations we laid prior to global Covid disruptions, we are thrilled to establish Bloc Digital Inc and be transitioning from a business with international clients into being an international business ourselves.”
Bloc Digital supports industry through digital solutions and marketing material, with six core disciplines: design, 3D modelling, animation, immersive (VR and AR), development (web and app), and data.
Its technology and services help clients to work smarter, be more connected, and have greater impact on their customers and markets.
Chris said: “We’re looking forward to connecting with several high-profile companies in the US who are already impressed by our portfolio and are excited by the new opportunities and collaborations our trade mission will bring.”
Green light for iconic £6m development at Derbyshire marina despite ‘Government obstacles’.
Plans for a new £6m mixed-use building at the site of the UK’s largest inland marina have been approved despite complaints that Government policy discourages entrepreneurial investment.
South Derbyshire District Council this week approved Mercia Marina’s proposed Promenade building, an iconic glass, stone and timber structure housing 14 apartments above seven ground floor retail units.
The planning application, lodged more than 12 months ago, succeeded due to what the marina’s owner John Thornton describes as ‘foresight’ of the local authority, which recognised the scheme’s £11.9m estimated benefit to the local economy over 10 years and the creation of 43 new jobs.
Yet John, former CEO of Derbyshire-based chocolate manufacturer Thorntons, also criticised recent Government policy and attitudes which, he claims, offer few incentives to regional private investment schemes such the Promenade development.
Construction of the Promenade, which the marina expects to begin in around 12 months, follows the completion of two similar developments on the 77-acre site over the past decade – the Boardwalk and Piazza – which have won national awards for architecture.
The Promenade will replace three existing buildings, one of which was originally a timber fishing hut prior to the marina opening 15 years ago and is now a much-loved tea room that will relocate to the new building.
John, founding partner of Mercia Marina, which sits next to the Trent & Mersey Canal at Willington, Derbyshire, said: “We are delighted this iconic new building has received planning approval from South Derbyshire District Council (SDDC).
“We very much hope and believe that the Promenade, which is in keeping with the style of the existing Piazza and Boardwalk buildings, will, when built, become a heritage asset complementing the Canal Conservation Area.
“It has been a slow and difficult process. But it is thanks to the foresight, support and leadership of South Derbyshire District Council, which realises that the region’s economic, employment and cultural welfare depend upon the encouragement of private investment, that the project has been approved.
“When the economy strengthens, inflation recedes and confidence returns, we look forward to bringing the project to fruition.”
John said that the planning application had succeeded despite, not because of, recent UK Government policy.
“We hope that our national leaders will quickly come to realise that it is only through encouragement rather than the recent destruction of private initiative and investment that our country will be able to create the jobs and wealth needed to provide for the future wellbeing of all,” he said.
“The great wealth and social progress created in this country during the nineteenth century was through private rather than public investment, and the levelling up that everyone wishes to see throughout the nation will only be realised when the conditions necessary to encourage and foster local private initiative and investment are created.”
Mercia Marina has grown from a former fishing lake in a gravel pit to becoming one of the leading leisure and tourism businesses in the East Midlands, attracting around 800,000 visitors annually.
The marina supports more than 300 jobs directly, and many more indirectly. An Economic Impact Assessment (EIA) submitted with the latest planning application estimates that the site contributes £18.8m per year towards the local economy (including £9.1m to the visitor economy), with the Promenade set to add a further £11.9m over the next 10 years.
SMB College Group Awarded 2.7 Million in Funding for Decarbonisation
SMB College Group are delighted to announce that they have successfully secured £2.7million as a part of the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
The funding has specifically been awarded for the College to make positive environmental changes at their Brooksby Campus, their specialist 850-acre land-based and Sport site.
With a focus on the Brooksby Hall area of the estate, the college will be replacing the current oil-fired district heating system, in addition to the introduction of solar power and upgrades to windows.
Dawn Whitemore, Principal & CEO of SMB College Group said of the award: ‘SMB College Group are delighted to have been awarded £2.7m towards the decarbonisation of our Brooksby Hall site, located in the heart of our specialist land-based Brooksby Campus. The project will replace the current oil-fired district heating system with greener air source to water source heat pumps, and will include the replacement distribution pipework, the addition of solar power to feed the new system, and upgrades to building fabric to improve efficiency.
‘This investment is highly important to the College Group as we continue to work towards becoming more sustainable as an organisation. Our 850-acre estate at Brooksby is already benefiting from some excellent sustainability initiatives, spearheaded by our fantastic lecturers and land-based students – including a regenerative agriculture project and a river restoration project – and this funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme is an extremely welcome addition to this. Long term investment strategies such as these by our Government will safeguard the future of our college, ensuring that we can continue developing the skilled workforce our country needs.
‘Sustainability is one of six key values which underpins everything that we do here at SMB College Group, and we are excited to utilise this funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to further our developments in this area.’
Eight is great for housebuilder
Regional housebuilder William Davis Homes has secured the industry’s prestigious ‘5 star’ status for the eighth year in row – confirming the company’s reputation for excellence.
Building on previous success, the Loughborough-based company has received another overwhelmingly positive score from its customers.
Based on independent customer satisfaction surveys, the sought-after 5 Star Award is the highest ranking given by the Home Builders Federation. It reflects every aspect of the company, from the outstanding quality of its homes to excellent customer service.
The accolade is only given to companies where more than ninety percent of their customers would recommend them to a friend.
Among the company’s happy customers are Glynis and Kevin Marshall, who are so impressed with the company that they’re now in their second William Davis home.
The couple moved to Prince’s Place at Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, after living in their previous home for 26 years, and would recommend William Davis Homes to other house hunters.
Said Glynis: “Prince’s Place is the perfect location, with lots of amenities within walking distance. There’s the countryside on the doorstep, for walking and cycling, and easy access to Nottingham city centre.
“We have found our William Davis home to be solidly built, well designed with a spacious layout and high-quality fixtures and fittings.
“The sales process and customer service have been excellent, with helpful advice and information being provided throughout the process and any issues being dealt with quickly.”
Guy Higgins, Managing Director of William Davis Homes, said: “We’re proud and delighted to have again received such high praise from our customers.
“Winning this award for an eighth successive year is a fantastic achievement. It shows how our entire team has continued to achieve high standards and first-class service over the past year.”
Bank of England announces interest rate increase to 4.25%
The Bank of England has voted 7-2 to raise interest rates from 4% to 4.25%.
This marks the 11th increase in a row as the BoE struggles to get to grips with the country’s spiraling rate of inflation.
Leicester Enterprise Partnership names new Chief Exec to take post in May
In May Phoebe Dawson will take up the post of Chief Exec of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership.
She is now completing the notice period in her current role of Director of Business Engagement and Partnerships at Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (WLEP).
Anil Majithia, LLEP Co-Chair, said: “The Board and I are really looking forward to having Phoebe join us as CEO and she will provide excellent leadership at a critical stage.”
Phoebe said: “I look forward to working with the Board, our partners, and our stakeholders, to build on the strong reputation of the LLEP, and bring further growth and prosperity to this exciting and innovative region.”
Phoebe, who is also a Non-Executive Director at Worcestershire Cricket Board, has been a Director at WLEP since 2019.
She shares responsibility for the strategic and operational delivery, as well as delivering the high-performing Worcestershire Growth Hub team, Inward Investment, and stakeholder engagement.
As part of her current role, she is responsible for both the WLEP Growth Hub and Invest in Worcestershire.
She also works closely with local authorities, the business community and partners including the Midlands Engine and the Department for International Trade.
Prior to starting at WLEP, Phoebe spent two years as Chief Executive of Worcester Business Improvement District (BID), developing its vision and providing strategic leadership, as well as day-to-day operational management.
She led the ballot which secured more than £2 million investment for the city and worked with the city council to develop a new brand for the city, Visit Worcester.
Midlands Net Zero Hub secures £47m in grants for greater energy efficiency
The Midlands Net Zero Hub has secured more than £47m to improve the energy efficiency of up to 4,226 socially owned homes in the region from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Working in partnership with 24 consortia members, made up of 14 housing associations and 10 local authorities, the Hub – which is accountable to Nottingham City Council – used the experience of previous project successes to make a strong case to secure the funding.
The grants will be used to retrofit homes in the region, using a ‘fabric-first’ approach which will see over 15,000 measures such as insulation, draught-proofing and double glazing installed to improve the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of the properties. This approach ensures that renewable technologies, including heat pumps, are more effective.
Nearly £600,000 of the funding will be used for developing digital technologies to support smart building use, for example sensors to monitor the effectiveness of the measures installed. The information collected through these technologies will be used to make improvements to retrofit work in the future as well as identifying issues such as damp and mould within properties and flagging fuel poverty.
Through SHDF Wave 2.1, an estimated 356 jobs will also be supported in the region, which will help to grow the green economy and improve opportunities for those working in the retrofit sector.
As part of the consortium bid, Nottingham City Council secured £2.9m to retrofit 371 social homes in the city. These homes will have cavity wall, external wall and draught-proofing installed, which will result in lower bills for Nottingham City Homes residents and support the city’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2028.
Councillor Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste Services, said: “It’s fantastic news that the Midlands Net Zero Hub has successfully bid for £47m to improve the energy efficiency of homes in the region. Reducing emissions from the county’s buildings is vital as nearly a quarter of the UK’s carbon footprint comes from heating and powering homes.
“This presents a huge challenge as much of the country’s housing stock was built before the 1990s, so poor insulation and fossil fuel heating is widespread. With energy prices soaring, it is more important than ever that we make sure our homes are fit for the future.”
Michael Gallagher, Head of Midlands Net Zero Hub, said: “I’m delighted that the Hub’s domestic retrofit team has secured more Government funding to help mitigate rising cases of fuel poverty in the region. Not only do schemes like SHDF make homes more comfortable for tenants and reduce energy bills, they also help to minimise carbon emissions from domestic properties.
“We are committed to supporting the country’s target to be net zero by 2050 through the work that we do both across the region and nationally. Through all our domestic retrofit schemes, we aim to deliver improvements to homes at scale while driving down costs to make them accessible to all. This ambitious delivery would not be achievable without the support of our regional delivery partners and highly dedicated consortium members.”
Superior Wellness claims place as one of fastest growers in Europe
Chesterfield-based Superior Wellness has earnt a place on the FT 1000 for the second successive year.
On 1 March 2023, the latest FT-Statista report was released, highlighting the fastest-growing European companies in the three years to 2021. Superior Wellness ranked 323rd up from 348th last year. This also means the company has ranked in the top 60 across the UK.
Superior Wellness leads the market as the world’s fastest growing hot tub manufacturer, creating premium, high quality products focused on improving your health and well-being.
The ranking shows how many businesses thrived despite the pandemic — or, in many cases, because of it. Superior Wellness was in a fortunate position to experience a monumental level of growth during the pandemic.
The ranking lists those European companies that achieved the highest compound annual growth rate in revenue between 2018 and 2021. The minimum average growth rate required to be included on the list was 36.2 per cent — marginally less than the 36.5 per cent last time round.
Superior Wellness moved into its Chesterfield HQ in March 2021 and last year opened a 10,000 sq. ft showroom with training facilities. It now works with a global partner network of 250 hot tub retailers and is focusing on its growth across the United States of America with two dedicated sales managers based there.
MD Rob Carlin said: “We were so proud when we heard the news that Superior Wellness had made it once again onto the fastest-growing companies in Europe list. We ranked 323rd in Europe for the fastest growing companies and also in the top 60 in the UK!
“I would like to extend my thanks to all the Superior Wellness team and our partners for making this possible.”
LEP Chair fears government plans could silence the voice of business
The Chancellor’s announcement that he is minded to cease funding Local Enterprise Partnerships beyond 2023/24, raises serious questions about consequent costs and the role of business, according to LEP Network Chair Mark Bretton.
He says that by implication, the Growth Hubs that have helped support millions of small businesses will also lose funding.
He said: “The Chancellor’s statement was a further step in LEPs’ evolving role in the devolution agenda, if not managed well, it could significantly diminish or even silence the voice of local business and damage the unique convening power that gets projects delivered, acknowledged as the hallmark of LEP success for over a decade.
“We have now received the letter from Ministers and met with Officials. The letter included clear statements from Ministers that the “minded to” decision is not about performance, but is driven by political policy. Our meetings have revealed the full scale of the challenge and complexity facing Officials – most LEPs are incorporated companies, a structure insisted upon by Government. Unravelling this with the trailing liabilities and accountability for significant sums of money will not be simple, yet we need to do all of this whilst continuing to deliver for our local communities.
“What the 2000 business leaders, 350 FE and HE Principals and Vice Chancellors and, indeed, the 200 democratically-elected local politicians on our LEP boards want to be clear on is that:
- Whitehall recognises the transition will cost money, not save it, under the new burdens rule on Local Authorities, whereby any new functions must be funded by government, both LAs and government need to agree what these functions would cost to effectively deliver them. There is no money in the LEP system or core funding settlement to pay for this exercise which will only serve to divert scarce resources from where they should be focused, stimulating economic growth and supporting local enterprise;
- LEP directors cannot be expected to shoulder ongoing liabilities and going concern commitments. Government must provide full indemnities and take complete responsibility for the implications of their decisions;
- Business must not be silenced or made ineffective – it must retain a meaningful voice to ensure investment is relevant and that it enables the creation of jobs – after all it is business which creates jobs, not government;
- Lessons learned, especially in business case assessment, project execution governance and the delivery of committed outcomes are not lost. Government needs to avoid a “cookie cutter” approach and ensure solutions are locally tailored.
- Most importantly, that the 1000 people employed in our Executive teams are respected and their talent is not wasted.
Surprising rise in inflation provides stark warning to Government over economy, says East Midlands Chamber
Commenting on the latest inflation data from the Office for National Statistics, East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “After the economic difficulties of recent months had appeared to be easing slightly, these latest figures should provide a stark warning to Government, as an unexpected rise in the Consumer Price Index rate to 10.4% indicates we are still in the midst of a stubborn inflationary peak.
“With Producer Price Index inflation at a near-historic high of 12.7%, this illustrates how businesses are still absorbing many of the cost pressures they have experienced across labour, energy, raw materials and fuel for 18 months now.
“We have always said this is unsustainable, however, and the latest research via our Quarterly Economic Survey shows that more than half of East Midlands businesses expect they will be forced to raise their own prices over the next three months.
“The longer this goes on, the greater the impact on businesses and consumers as much higher prices become the norm.
“The Spring Budget offered little in the way of support for these cost pressures facing firms, but there are still steps the Government can take to ‘get the basics right’ for businesses, as we have outlined in our Business Manifesto for Growth.
“This could involve improving our trading relationships with international markets to ease supply chain difficulties and incentivising companies to invest in upskilling their people to boost productivity.”
