Precision FM appoints new business development manager

Tess Egginton
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Precision FM appoints new business development manager

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.”

Purchaser sought as administrators appointed to Lincoln wood pellet business

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Purchaser sought as administrators appointed to Lincoln wood pellet business
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 retail display business enters administration

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Leicester retail display business enters administration
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.

Construction company fined £185,000 after Brook started “running red with silt pollution” at East Midlands site

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Construction company fined £185,000 after Brook started “running red with silt pollution” at East Midlands site
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.”

Post pandemic retail recovery sees lowest number of East Midlands store closures since 2017

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Post pandemic retail recovery sees lowest number of East Midlands store closures since 2017
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.”

Derbyshire Dales businesses sign open letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him to prioritise funding for small regional firms

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Derbyshire Dales businesses sign open letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt urging him to prioritise funding for small regional firms
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.

Wellgosh to close after 35 years

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Wellgosh to close after 35 years
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.

Worksop warehouse sold to leading global real estate investor

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Worksop warehouse sold to leading global real estate investor
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.”

£3.8m facility that will revolutionise the world of manufacturing opens at University of Nottingham

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£3.8m facility that will revolutionise the world of manufacturing opens at University of Nottingham
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 appoints new board members

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The Access Group appoints new board members
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.”
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