Redevelopment of major industrial estate in Derbyshire backed by bespoke loan
OakNorth Bank has completed a bespoke loan to support the acquisition and redevelopment of New Stanton Park in Derbyshire.
The project is being led by Verdant Regeneration, whose management team have successfully acquired and redeveloped industrial sites across the UK for over three decades, including the recent renovation of land adjacent to the New Stanton Park site.
Its past schemes include the regeneration of several brownfield sites and the conversion of industrial warehouses to commercial offices, both domestically and overseas.
Previously the Stanton Ironworks, New Stanton Park covers over 200-acres of land between the villages of Stanton-by-Dale and Ilkeston in Derbyshire. Centrally located and a short drive from the M1 motorway, the UK’s major industrial cities of Leicester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester are all within relatively short travel distances.
The site also has its own railway, directly linked to the Midland Mainline, that can be utilised by all occupants, with East Midlands Airport, the UK’s busiest freight airport, also located only 11 miles away.
David Grier of Verdant Regeneration said: “Having acquired the site in 2020, we have worked hard across the team to quickly bring forward an outline planning application on what is one of the largest regeneration projects within the region.
“New Stanton Park offers an excellent strategic location, blending an active rail connection with strong private and public transport connectivity, plentiful labour and a large and significant power supply.
“When combined, we are confident this will result in a highly successful development with the next chapter set to positively transform and improve the area, bringing forward large-scale job creation in the process.
“This was our first time working with OakNorth Bank and we found their approach transparent throughout. Dale and the team knew the region’s industrial property market very well, meaning they were willing and able to go the extra mile to support us.”
Dale Cowdell, associate director of debt finance at OakNorth Bank, added: “With this scheme set to create up to 4,000 jobs, we’re delighted to be supporting such a positive project for the region.
“We’ve seen local demand for large logistical and industrial space increase significantly in the last 24 months, heightening the need for greater access to high-quality industrial and commercial buildings across the Midlands.
“Verdant Regeneration has been hugely proactive in its approach since purchasing the site, with the scheme’s recent successful planning application providing a major step forward for the project. We’re excited to be working with the team and look forward to supporting them on future schemes going forward.”
Burton manufacturer swoops for global business
Burton-based Doncasters, has acquired Uni-Pol, a global business specialising in the manufacture of superalloy cast parts.
This acquisition places Doncasters amongst the largest manufacturers of high-precision alloy components in the global supply chain, enhancing the future for the group, its employees, and customers.
The precision parts market is expected to reach revenues of $300 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of over 10 per cent between 2019 and 2025. Doncasters has seen the industry develop since 1778, when the company’s founder, Daniel Doncaster applied the crucible steel-making process to the manufacture of hand tools.
Since it was established, Doncasters has grown to be an international manufacturer of high-precision engineering components. Each of its eleven advanced production facilities across Europe and the US has specialist capabilities and serves a broad blue-chip client base, including Siemens, GE, Rolls-Royce, Ansaldo, BorgWarner, Garrett Motion and Cummins.
Established in 2005, Uni-Pol has four manufacturing facilities in China, India, Mexico and the UK. This acquisition means that Doncasters will have an annual revenue of over $500 million and employ nearly 3,000 people across 7 countries.
“Some time ago, we identified Uni-Pol as a natural fit with the Doncasters group of businesses,” explained Mike Quinn, CEO of Doncasters. “The additional support from the group gives Uni-Pol extensive opportunities to further develop its offering and, in turn, Doncasters will benefit from Uni-Pol’s additional expertise and technology.
“It also broadens Doncasters’ product offering, benefiting existing and new international customers, particularly those in Asia and South America.
“This is an exciting time for the Doncasters group of businesses, as we invest in upgrading our operating equipment, technology platforms and capabilities, so that we can be more efficient, accurate, timely and can compete on a wider scale. We’ll also be strengthening and developing our talent, who will benefit from the opportunities created by this acquisition,” concluded Quinn.
David Orr, Chief Executive Officer of Uni-Pol, said: “This is a fantastic new chapter in our history. This synergy is great for our people and for our customers as we focus on supplying complex, high-quality competitive products for the automotive and aerospace industries on an international scale. I’m looking forward to working together as one team, towards what looks like a bright future for us all.”
Clearbell fully lets Flintstone Portfolio with new Nottinghamshire deals
Clearbell UK Strategic Trust (CST or Clearbell), a Trust advised by Clearbell Capital, has fully let its Flintstone Portfolio, with two new leases agreed at Orchard Court industrial park in Nottinghamshire.
The Trust has agreed leases totalling nearly 18,000 sq ft at Orchard Court. This includes a 12,900 sq ft warehouse, which has been let to Dawson Group, and a 5,000 sq ft unit, now let to AF Switchgear Limited.
The lettings follow asset management work to improve the EPC ratings of the assets, to an A and B rating respectively.
As a result of these agreements, the Flintstone Portfolio, purchased in February 2022 is now fully let. The portfolio of eight properties comprise distribution, industrial and an office.
Clearbell was advised by joint agents FHP Property Consultants and Commercial Property Partners.
Alice Murray, asset manager at Clearbell Capital LLP, said: “Investor and tenant appetite for industrial and logistics assets shows no signs of abating. The strong letting activity we have seen across the Flintstone Portfolio is also testament to demand for quality assets and the importance of strong ESG credentials when tenants are making leasing decisions.”
Chris Proctor, of FHP Property Consultants, said: “I am delighted that Stuart and I have managed to conclude two lettings on behalf of Clearbell within a very swift marketing period.
“A high level of interest was achieved in both units and excellent commercial terms secured. The two units at Orchard Court provided modern good quality warehouse and distribution space within a strong location close to the A38 and Junction 28 of the M1.”
Stuart Waite, of Commercial Property Partners, said: “We are pleased to have concluded two leasing deals on behalf of our client following their recent acquisition of the estate. The units were let swiftly, at strong headline rental levels following competitive interest.
“To attract tenants the calibre of AF Switchgear and Dawson Group is a fantastic result for our client, who concluded a refurbishment programme within a tight timeframe post acquisition.”
Recognise your team’s outstanding work at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
With nominations OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s illustrious Bricks Awards, reward and recognise your teams, and boost morale, by submitting an entry.
Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening also providing the chance to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
Dan Stack, director at Chevin Homes, reflected on winning an award at the 2021 event: “We were absolutely delighted that Chevin Homes has been recognised and the Chase Farm scheme awarded as Residential Development of the Year. A great night away enjoyed by all and this award is a fitting reward for the team effort to create this bespoke development.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
£20m Levelling Up bid set to move forward for Ilkeston
A bid for up to £20m of government funding for three projects to help regenerate Ilkeston town centre looks set to be approved next week.
A meeting of Erewash Borough Council’s Executive on Tuesday (5 July) is expected to agree that the bid should be submitted to the nationwide Levelling Up initiative as part of the drive to improve the town centre.
A report going to the meeting says that a seven week public consultation earlier this year produced clear results that have helped shape the ambitious bid, with residents particularly highlighting a desire for a better range and quality of shops, including restaurants and services for children, and action over vacant properties.
If approved by Executive members, the bid will go to the government next week and focus on winning funding for three inter-linked regeneration projects covering South Street, the Market Place, Bath Street and Station Road.
Details of these project proposals include:
- The purchase and refurbishment of the derelict Grade II listed Ritz building with a view to letting it out as a possible food court, market hall or entertainment venue.
- Tackling the long term empty shops on Bath Street where there are currently 10 properties that have been vacant from 4 up to 23 years. The proposal is to support whole building refurbishment by offering to buy the leasehold of refurbished commercial units in these buildings or, failing that, to acquire the buildings and appoint a development partner to carry out the refurbishment.
- A third project aims to raise the overall quality and attractiveness of the area to attract further private sector investment and boost the welcoming vibe for residents. Suggestions include more greenery, new gateway features to the main shopping streets and innovative new lighting schemes for the Market Place.
Multi-million-pound investment and development signals new era at Gamston airport
The first phase of the multi-million-pound development and investment at Retford (Gamston) Airport by Thatcham Research marks an exciting new era for the site and surrounding area.
The ambition is to create a UK centre of excellence around vehicle technology testing and safety research that will attract future investment as well as employment and skills development in the area, while securing a long-term future for aviation.
The initial construction work started on 20 June 2022, with the first phase focused on ensuring the continued safe operation of aviation with upgrades to the main runway, markings and runway lighting, as well as development of part of the site for vehicle technology testing and safety research. Construction work is expected to be completed in September 2022.
During this period, the airport will be closed to all visiting aircraft. Businesses and private flyers based at Gamston will continue to be able to operate using an alternative runway.
Jonathan Hewett, Chief Executive at Thatcham Research, says: “We are extremely excited to begin to realise our ambition of creating a UK centre of excellence for vehicle technology research and safety assurance testing, as well as securing a long-term future for aviation at Gamston.
“We have ambitious plans around employment and skills development at Gamston. We will be looking to create 30 jobs in this first phase, through the recruitment of key engineering and support roles from across the area, as well as transferring some of our staff from Berkshire to Gamston.
“We are also exploring opportunities with Bassetlaw District Council on extending the training and skills development that we already undertake for the automotive repair industry, with more than 3,500 technicians and apprentices benefitting from our training every year.
“In terms of this phase of the construction, we’re doing all we can to ensure that it has limited impact on the local community, and are working closely with our contractors to minimise noise and disruption, as well as making sure that aviation can continue.”
Cllr Jo White, cabinet member for regeneration at Bassetlaw District Council, says: “I am very pleased to welcome Thatcham Research to Bassetlaw and I’m thrilled that they have chosen our district as a home for their new UK centre of excellence.
“Their presence and investment at Gamston will be a step-change for the area in terms of the new technology that Thatcham will bring, but also for the higher skilled employment opportunities that will be developed.
“This is the beginning of a partnership that will benefit Thatcham and Bassetlaw and I’m excited to see how this flourishes and develops over the coming months and years.”
Thatcham Research received planning permission from Bassetlaw District Council in August 2021 to develop Retford (Gamston) Airport as a dual operations site, and became owners of Gamston Aviation Limited (GAL) who run the airport in December 2021.
Future of fire & security specialists secured with Employee Ownership Trust
The long-term future of fire and security alarm system installation specialists Tecserv UK has been assured following the completion of an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
Based in Underwood, on the Notts & Derby border, Tecserv UK is about to celebrate its 21st anniversary and best ever turnover.
CEO Grahame Tilley said: “Tecserv is a great place to work and has a fantastic talented team driving it forward. I am planning on retiring within the next few years, so by adopting an EOT as an exit strategy, instead of selling the business to a 3rd party, we will be rewarding our staff for their hard work and loyalty with long term security and brand continuity.”
Founded in 2001, Tecserv UK employs more than 50 people across the UK installing and maintaining fire and intruder alarms, CCTV, access control and fire extinguishers.
Professional advice to establish the EOT was provided by John Sykes from Skye Corporate Finance in Leicester, Roger Harcourt from Shakespeare Martineau and Bob Johnson and Pujah Joshi from Mazars Leicester office.
How to increase customer satisfaction on an eCommerce site
The eCommerce sector is one of the fastest-growing industries, with eComm sales reaching over £693 billion in the UK alone. Whether you have a burgeoning eComm site or you’ve been part of the growing online revolution for a number of years, in such a competitive market it’s important to continually look for ways to improve and increase customer satisfaction.
Why is customer satisfaction important?
Ultimately, without customers, you have no business. You could have the best product in the world, but if customer satisfaction is low, they’re less likely to recommend your services.
Customer satisfaction leads to greater customer retention, which in turn, will lead to greater profits. But in order to increase customer satisfaction, you’ll need to understand how to measure it, which will help show you how you can increase it.
How to measure customer satisfaction
There are a number of ways you can measure customer satisfaction, but the easiest and most effective way is by asking your customers. Whether you ask them to fill out surveys and in thanks they receive a discount on a future purchase, or you create focus groups that use your site and then give feedback.
If you’re more tech-savvy and interested in user experience, you can also measure the conversion rate and bounce rate. By looking at which pages customers leave your site (bounce) and which pages have the highest conversions you can see where in the customer journey you need to pay attention.
How to improve customer satisfaction
Once you’ve measured customer satisfaction, you’ll know which areas to focus on. Typically these are the most common processes that cause dissatisfaction:
Make the checkout process simple
If the checkout process is long and drawn out, users are far more likely to find another site selling a similar product with a much smoother process. If you ask users to create an account, consider doing this after purchase instead of before.
Make returns easy
Having a clear returns policy will help your business stand out in a crowd. Consider enabling open banking solutions within your eCommerce site. Not only will this provide a quick payment option, but it will help customers receive return payments without much hassle in a quick and timely manner.
Make the site easy to navigate
Whilst the time spent on sites such as Facebook and Google is around 20 minutes per day, users tend to spend less than one minute (54 seconds) on other sites, so making your site easy to navigate is essential if you want to make the most of those seconds.
Make sure a user knows how to find a specific product or service, relevant details are prominent, and navigating to make a payment is clear.
It’s important to remember that customer satisfaction isn’t just a one-time thing. You should continuously monitor your site and look for ways to improve your offering.
Nottingham Venues unveiled – new name launches “unrivalled portfolio of meeting & event spaces”
After decades of providing meetings, events and hotel stays, a collection of venues located across the University of Nottingham’s campuses has been rebranded as Nottingham Venues.
The rebrand brings the Orchard Hotel, the Jubilee Hotel & Conferences, Hugh Stewart Manor House, Campus Venues (formally known as Nottingham Conferences) and East Midlands Conference Centre under one roof.
“These unique venues have always been a part of the University but have now decided to stand alone without a management company due to the wealth of knowledge of the inhouse team,” explains general manager Tom Waldron-Lynch.
“We’re talking about ‘One Destination with Endless Possibilities’ because when you look at the offering, that is what truly awaits visitors and guests.”
The five venues provide customers with world class sporting facilities, global conferences, exhibitions, award nights or cater for a simpler everyday meeting.
Each venue has its own aesthetic, located in peaceful green grounds of the secluded university campus.
Tom continues: “The move provides us with the opportunity to take the knowledge and experience gained from the last 10 years and take the business into its next phase.
“The unique nature of our offering sets us apart from competitors which has seen us become a firm favourite of organisers of global conferences, team away days, overnight stays, and business meetings.
“Being part of the University gives us world-class facilities which has seen us host a variety of sporting teams from premier league football teams to cricket and netball. We are looking forward to growing the business and becoming the number one place in the East Midlands for meetings and events.”
Whilst the heritage of the sites is important, it is the future of the organisation as a beacon of sustainability and local employment that is driving the direction and growth of the business, according to marketing director Stephanie Moss-Pearce.
“We employ circa 180 people across our sites, and we are proud to be one of the larger employers in the city. We have plans to grow but as we do, we want to make sure we do that sustainably, both in terms of personnel but also with regards to our own impact on the planet
“Nottingham Venues will officially launch as a new brand with a garden party event in early July.”
What you can experience at Nottingham Venues:
- Accommodation to suit every budget and need from student halls to four-star bedrooms.
- Sustainably built buildings, locally sourced food, and electric charging points.
- Endless food options from banqueting menus, delegate lunches, Bramleys Restaurant and Spokes Café.
Frasers Group snaps up stake in Australian fashion marketplace
Shirebrook-based Frasers Group has acquired a 28.7% holding in the Australian-based fashion marketplace, MySale plc.
MySale connects global buyers and sellers to Australian and New Zealand ecommerce sites.
In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Frasers said: “The group believes this creates an opportunity for a strategic partnership whereby end of line group products can be cleared via an established clearance channel.
“This pipeline will be further enhanced by the benefits of counter seasonality between the European and Australian climates.”
