Medical device designer and manufacturer secures £250,000 investment
Loughborough-based medical device designer and manufacturer Uvamed has secured a growth finance loan from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), provided by The FSE Group Debt Finance Fund, and backed by the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS).
The £250,000 investment will be used to fund new warehouse and sales staff, marketing activity, accreditation, patents and tooling.
Uvamed’s Rainbow Trays are compartmentalised trays for holding syringes containing anaesthetic drugs for use in surgery. These syringes are labelled using an internationally recognised critical care colour coding system which is replicated across the sections of the Rainbow Tray.
The concept was developed using extensive research in collaboration with healthcare professionals to reduce the cognitive load for anaesthetists working during an emergency and in high pressure situations.
Uvamed is an approved NHS supplier after its Rainbow Trays were successful in feasibility and usability trials and as its domestic and export sales continue to grow.
An estimated 237 million medication administration errors occur across the sector each year in England, with the financial burden to the NHS upwards of £98 million. The Rainbow Tray helps to mitigate the potential cost of litigation and aftercare, as well as improve patient experience and save lives.
Keith Fawdington, Managing Director at Uvamed, said: “The pandemic put our initial plans on hold as health services everywhere were overwhelmed. As our funding requirement didn’t fit traditional loan criteria, the MEIF investment proved crucial for us to expedite growth and get the products into hospitals. We look forward to having The FSE Group and MEIF on board as an investor.”
Ann Marie McFadyen, investment manager at The FSE Group, said: “Keith and his team have created an award-winning and industry-recognised solution to an identified market gap. They have expanded the range to provide for a number of medical environments and needs, including tamper evident trays, and they are working on a trauma tray for military field surgical teams. There is clear potential for the Rainbow Tray to become a go-to tool in operating theatres across the world and we are delighted to be supporting this dynamic team to achieve its potential.”
Celebrate outstanding projects and businesses with a nomination for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022!
Place the spotlight on exceptional businesses and projects, and reward the teams behind them, by submitting a nomination for East Midlands Business Link’s esteemed Bricks Awards!
The East Midlands Bricks Awards celebrate the region’s property and construction industry, its people, and outstanding developments. 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 that will also provide plenty of opportunities to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
Thanks to our sponsors:
William Crooks, Managing Director of Cawarden, reflected on winning an award at the 2021 event: “After being named Contractor of the Year at the British Demolition Awards at the start of September, we were absolutely thrilled to win the same accolade from the East Midlands Bricks Awards a few weeks later.
“The event is a real showcase for the regional property and construction sector and we are proud to be recognised for our project and service delivery expertise as a leading specialist contractor. It was a great night and provided an opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces as well as meeting new with the wonderful Trent Bridge Cricket Ground as a backdrop.
“Well done to the Cawarden team for continuously going above and beyond and maintaining high standards for our valued clients. Congratulations must also go to all the other awards finalists and award winners on the night.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.- 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:
Land development and property consultancy appoint new director
Specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie has announced the promotion of Gary Kirk to director.
Gary was promoted to senior associate director by the Loughborough-based firm of Chartered Surveyors in February 2021 and subsequently joined the management board alongside fellow directors Robert Cole, Andrew Bamber, Alex Reid, Gary Owens, and Amy Biddell.
Having spent a placement year with Mather Jamie during 2008-09, Gary re-joined the company in 2010 having obtained a degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management from Harper Adams University College. Gary later became a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 2012 and a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers in 2013.
Over the last 12 years, Gary has steadily progressed his career and expanded the firm’s client base and his involvement in property transactions and estate management. In recent years he has played an influential role strategically advising clients on the disposal of land to leading housebuilders and property developers that require land to create residential developments ranging in size from sites for two dwellings up to large-scale developments that will deliver hundreds of homes.
Commenting on his promotion, Gary said: “Mather Jamie offers a great environment for young people to learn from experienced and well-respected professionals. My career is evidence of the way the firm supports young professionals and allows them to grow and flourish via their pathway of internal promotion.
“I am really pleased that my long-term commitment to the firm and our clients has been rewarded with promotion to director and that I have been entrusted to help to ensure the future longevity of the firm. I am extremely grateful to my colleagues and clients for their support over the years.”
Mather Jamie Managing Director, Robert Cole, added: “We pride ourselves in offering a director-led service and Gary should be really proud of the way he has progressed his career at the firm. Being a strategic adviser requires patience and supporting talented young people to progress their career within the same firm enables us to build the kind of long-term trusted relationships that ensures our clients achieve their short and long term objectives.”
Over the last month Gary and the team have completed transactions including the sale of land to Jelson Homes, Sheppard Developments, Dandara and Cameron Homes. The firm was also recognised as a 2022 CoStar Awards winner, which honour the very best agents in commercial real estate.
Clowes Developments and Bellway join forces for major residential development
Clowes and Bellway have joined forces with their combined land holdings in Chellaston to form Snelsmoor Grange.
The planning application for the residential development was submitted jointly to Derby City Council and received approval in March 2022.
The 800-home development will form part of Boulton Moor, a larger settlement on the outskirts of Chellaston.
Following the news of the successful application, Clowes Developments have sold their share of the land holdings to Bellway to enable the national housebuilder to progress with the residential development.
Clowes Developments director, Thomas Clowes commented on the deal: “We are delighted to finally see this scheme coming to fruition. The relationship between Clowes and Bellway spans many years, collaborating on a number of projects up and down the UK. Snelsmoor Grange has presented a unique opportunity to work together and deliver another exciting development.”
Paul Coleman, Managing Director of Bellway East Midlands, said: “Derby City Council’s resolution to grant planning permission for this new residential development in Chellaston is very pleasing for everyone who has worked incredibly hard to put forward the proposed scheme. We have worked very closely with Clowes to secure this agreement, building on our longstanding relationship with the team there.
“Bellway is looking forward to delivering the new Snelsmoor Grange development and will announce further details on the project once construction work begins on site in the near future.”
As well as the 800-residential dwellings, Snelsmoor Grange will have a village park and various social-amenities. The development will also provide a brand-new primary due to open as early as September 2023. The school will be able to accommodate 315 primary and 39 nursery pupils.
East Midlands’ mid-market businesses poised to raise prices
Mid-sized businesses in the East Midlands are preparing to raise their prices in response to spiralling inflationary pressures, according to new research from Grant Thornton UK LLP.
In its latest Business Outlook Tracker survey, Grant Thornton found that 17% of mid-market firms in the East Midlands have already raised their prices, with a further 38% intending to do so in the future.
More than half (56%) of these businesses expect a price increase to remain in place for at least 12 months, though only 19% anticipate that this will be permanent. The research also found that amid rising costs, wage inflation and energy bills, confidence in the mid-market has dipped. Just 50% of respondents in the East Midlands are optimistic about the outlook of the UK economy, a -12 percentage point (pp) decrease compared to February (62%). The latest Tracker also recorded a significant fall in respondents reporting revenue growth optimism – dropping down to just 40% of respondents indicating they were confident compared to February’s total of 76%. These challenges have also led to changes in investment priorities, as investment expectations for the next six months have dropped significantly across all areas monitored by the Tracker. The most significant drop in the East Midlands (-33pp compared to the last Tracker) is seen in R&D. This is followed by skills development (-29pp), technology (-13pp) and growing in international markets (-7pp). Sue Knight, partner and practice leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the Midlands, said: “With inflation running at 9% and predicted to rise even further, the mid-market in the East Midlands is bracing itself for another challenging period. If they haven’t done so already, many are seriously considering when they need to increase prices in order to maintain acceptable profitability and cashflow levels. “Acting quickly and decisively to manage rising inflation rates could mean passing on increased prices to the consumer, but management teams also need to be looking at every aspect of their business to identify potential savings. “Due to the current situation, there’s been a real shift in the mid-market’s priorities, with the increasing uncertainty stalling investment expectations. This is likely because many businesses are facing a double squeeze, with almost every cost increasing alongside rising concern from the potential of slowing consumer demand.”M-EC launches CPD training sessions to prepare for new building regulations
Leicestershire-based development technical consultants, M-EC, has created a continuous professional development (CPD) session to equip members of the residential development community with the knowledge around new building regulations, coming into effect in June 2022.
Approved Document O (AD-O) is a new building regulation that makes it a requirement to take overheating into consideration with all new residential developments. It is intended to future proof homes against hotter summers in England, as well as avoid overheating which is becoming a cause for concern. It also considers night-time noise levels in bedrooms.
M-EC director, Alex Bennett, comments on what it will mean for the building industry: “These changes are some of the biggest in Building Regulations for a long time. It will mean an increased workload to show compliance and developers on residential projects will need to adopt different design strategies to remove excess heat and limit solar gains from properties. Overheating and noise will now need to be considered together.
“It’s only appropriate to help our clients through these changes when the response from the government has been so limited. Most companies that work in construction aren’t aware of the significant implications of these new regulations and it’s important we highlight this to our clients so there are no surprises at planning or later stages.”
The regulations apply to any dwelling where someone can sleep, so includes houses, student accommodation and care homes, yet not hotels.
Alex adds: “Although it’s a building control matter, it is advised to consider this early to ensure mitigation measures don’t affect planning permission. For developments with planning, providing work starts on site pre 15th June 2023 no compliance is needed.”
M-EC is offering CPD sessions which include an overview of AD-O and its proposed methodology for implementing it into new residential projects.
Adam Walker, acoustic consultant at M-EC, will be undertaking the sessions, he explains: “Significantly onerous ‘simple’ criteria are going to be difficult to meet for many businesses and so thermal modelling is going to become commonplace in residential design for certain building types. Our team is trained in thermal modelling to provide acoustic advice on the implications of overheating strategies.”
M-EC has invested in software which models virtual environments. Adam adds: “Essentially, we are able to draw in a layout provided by the client, including the internal floor plans to ultimately create an accurate 3D model of how a development will sit once it has been completed.
“Using weather files in accordance with the necessary guidance, we can then simulate the thermal conditions over a year which allows us to assess whether there is a risk of overheating in each of the dwellings. As part of the calculations/analysis, the model also considers things like thermal constructions, occupancy of the rooms and window and door openings. Thermal modelling ties in closely to the acoustics work that we do for our clients and can be carried out in a single assessment.”
M-EC will be running the CPD sessions with an overview of Approved Document O throughout May and June 2022. For more information or to book onto a CPD session contact 01530 264753 or email group@m-ec.co.uk.
New instruction proves a safe bet
Derby College Group chosen to support future cycling stars
Sweet deal sees bakery firm enter wholesale market
£950 million fund launched to support SMEs across East Midlands
HSBC UK has launched a £15bn lending fund today for small and medium sized businesses with £950m ring-fenced to support local economies, employment opportunities and drive growth across the East Midlands.
Whilst concerns about the broader market remain, HSBC’s customers are thinking about growth via investment, acquisitions and capital expenditure. Businesses have told us that they are ready to invest for growth and are confident about the prospects for their own businesses. They point to the biggest areas of opportunity are in sustainability (12%) and digitisation (11%)*.
The Fund is a key part of HSBC’s commitment to help British businesses to innovate, thrive and grow in the UK and internationally. SMEs are vital to the UK economy and account for three fifths of the employment and around half of turnover in the UK private sector according to the FSB. The Fund, which includes specific regional and locally focussed allocations, will seek to ensure that companies throughout the country can benefit.
This year’s fund also includes ring-fenced funding for businesses trading internationally (£2 billion), in the agriculture sector (£1.2 billion) the tech sector (£500m) and franchise businesses (£500m).
It is also aligned with the Green SME Fund (£500m) for businesses of all sizes to transition and thrive in a low carbon economy and the new Growth Lending Fund (£250m) for high growth tech businesses to support well-equitised, high growth, loss-making scale ups early in their growth journey.
Since launching the SME Fund in 2014, HSBC has lent more than £90 billion helping businesses to make the most of their money, now and into the future and opening up a world of opportunity for our customers.
In 2021, the HSBC UK SME Fund supported Little Eaton car and van repair centre, Panel Match, with a five-figure package. The support allowed the company to open a new unit, which has increased operating space by 50 per cent and enabled the company to meet increasing customer demand for its body repair and paint services.
Small Business Minister, Paul Scully said: “This new fund puts HSBC on course to have lent more than £100 billion to UK small businesses within a decade, which is a great milestone for HSBC and even better for the communities across the country being helped to thrive.
“This extra funding builds on the support available through government schemes like Help to Grow and Start Up Loans to help small businesses grow and reach their full potential.”
Small Business Commissioner, Liz Barclay, said: “The challenges facing small businesses are beyond imagination. The problems caused by poor payment practices such as late or delayed payments, and extended payment terms pile pressure on cash flow. Small firms are the lifeblood of the economy, and they must be paid fast and fair, and if they are to have the confidence to invest and build the resilience, they’ll need to weather the storms ahead and they will need the support of funds like this more than ever”.
Peter McIntyre, Head of Business Banking at HSBC UK, said: “SMEs are vital to the UK economy, and our customers have told us they are ready to invest for growth. The £15 billion fund will help businesses to expand internationally, as well as here in the UK, supporting key sectors and driving investment across the regions.
“We want to make a significant contribution to economies across the country, driving employment, local wealth and growth by providing funding, when and where it’s needed most. We know our customers are innovating and adapting at pace and British businesses need their bank to be flexible, supporting future growth opportunities.”
