Smart move for water efficiency and sustainability specialists
Acting on behalf of Private Landlord clients, Salloway Property Consultants have let a modern business unit located at the heart of the Parker Centre, off Mansfield Road, within Derby.
The property, which provides recently refurbished hybrid office and workshop accommodation totalling approximately 4,050 sq ft, has been let to new tenant H2OiQ Limited.
The water efficiency and sustainability specialists (which incorporates both H2OiQ and HVACiQ) have relocated from Worcestershire to the new property in Derby in order to aid expansion and cope with increasing demand.
Richard Butler, director at H2OiQ Limited, said: “This is a wonderful property with plenty of office space, which was a huge factor for taking on this commercial building. It is absolutely ideal for us – it was also crucial to be located within the ‘centre of the universe’, Derby!”
Hugo Beresford, associate director at Salloway, said: “I am delighted that I was able to secure a high quality occupier for my client and at the same time line up the tenant with the space that they needed to enable their impressive growth plans.
“H2OiQ Limited are an innovative and rapidly expanding business whose range of products and services are at the cutting edge of water and energy sustainability – they were a pleasure to deal with throughout the transaction process and I wish them the very best in their new premises.”
East Midlands firms choose productivity, growth and investment as top New Year’s resolutions
New research from Lloyds Bank has found that two fifths (40%) of East Midlands businesses are making New Year’s resolutions to improve their productivity, as businesses signal confidence in more positive macroeconomic conditions ahead.
This optimism about the future comes after 2023 being a tough year for businesses, as they faced into high inflation and a sluggish economy.
The data revealed the top three areas where firms are focusing their attention as they head into the new year, with two fifths (39%) concentrating on developing their business, a third (32%) focusing on staff training, and another third (32%) looking to hire more staff.
As businesses take stock of 2023, many are reporting they are looking at ways to ensure they have a healthy cashflow, with more than a third (35%) of firms planning to keep a closer eye on costs over the next 12 months.
The data also shows that businesses are setting themselves up for growth, by building teams to support new opportunities, with over half (58%) expecting to hire more staff in the New Year.
With the expectation of inflation continuing to fall, more than two thirds (67%) of firms are confident that they will see their business become more profitable in 2024 compared to 2023.
Almost three fifths (57%) expect their turnover to increase in 2024. Of those expecting an increase in turnover, a fifth (22%) anticipate growth of 5%-10% and almost one in ten (6%) have eyes on growth of 11%-20%.
Dave Atkinson, regional director for the East Midlands at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many East Midlands businesses readying themselves for a strong year. Buoyed by a busy festive season, the country’s thriving hospitality and leisure sectors will be hoping to lay the foundations to keep momentum going as we enter 2024.“While firms will rightly be mindful of costs and where their business will benefit most from investment, it’s encouraging to see a focus on hiring new staff and developing those already onboard as routes to growth. “Having financial flexibility will be key for businesses as they expand their offering, and we will be here to help them maintain the healthy cashflow needed to unlock new opportunities.”122 affordable homes set for Sleaford brownfield site
Countryside Partnerships, the provider of multi-tenure, affordable homes, has exchanged contracts with Tesco Stores Ltd on a 12.8-acre brownfield site in Sleaford, Lincolnshire with a view to building 122 new affordable homes, 5 First Homes and a 66-bed care home.
They will also be providing a new county standard bowls green and club house to replace the ageing facilities currently on site.
The regeneration project will transform the former industrial site, previously used for seed processing, into much-needed housing with a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom family homes for the area. The First Homes are market-sale properties discounted by at least 30% and available to first-time buyers meeting certain eligibility criteria.
The land is allocated for mixed-use and residential development in the Lincolnshire Local Plan, adopted in April 2023. Countryside now expects to submit a Reserved Matters planning application in the first half of 2024 with a view to starting work later in the year.
Lee Parry, Managing Director, Countryside Partnerships North East Midlands, said: “Redeveloping brownfield sites such as this one in Sleaford is hugely important in helping to tackle the crippling shortage of affordable homes across the UK.
“Our planning team cannot wait to get into the finer planning details with a view to transforming this former industrial site into an attractive and welcoming place to live for the local community.”
G F Tomlinson continues support of Arena Church with refuge centre renovations
Following the delivery of sanitation facilities for Arena Church in Nottingham, Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson has transformed another disused space to help vulnerable city residents who need it most.
As part of the company’s commitment to delivering social value in the region and building on its long-standing relationship with the church, the contractor has provided ventilation upgrades and enhancement works for the basement area of the central city shelter in Western Street, Hockley.
The contractor partnered with Amptron Electrical Services to provide upgraded ventilation systems which allow mechanical air change movements, to help with the lack of natural air flow, due to the location within the building. The G F Tomlinson Client Care team also carried out redecoration works to the space.
These enhancements have enabled the basement area to become a more comfortable space within the church, providing vulnerable Nottingham residents with shelter, sanitation facilities and hot refreshments.
New bollards were also installed to car parking bays, enabling the church to rent out the spaces to local businesses in the city centre, providing much needed revenue for the shelter. A drone survey was also completed of the building’s roof, to assist Arena Church with assessing repair and maintenance needs.
In February, G F Tomlinson worked with local sub-contractors alongside Pastor, Jono Kirk, from Arena Community, to convert previously unused space into a shower and washer / dryer facility for vulnerable Nottingham residents to use who lack access to basic sanitation facilities.
In 2023, the contractor provided a total of £67,782 worth of social value-added opportunities for Arena Church, and the vital additions will act as an extension of the church’s mission to ‘Go, Grow, Love and Serve’ in Nottingham City, with facilities and spaces on hand ready for the church’s ‘Care for a Coffee’ initiative, which launches early next year.
‘Care for a Coffee’ will provide warm, safe spaces for vulnerable people to get a weekly hot meal, with an option to clean and dry clothes and make the most of a ‘shower hour.’
Stephen Green, project manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “It has been a pleasure to return to the Arena Church and to build on the great work we did previously, providing further necessary renovations to this community asset and provide help and facilities where most needed, especially in the wintertime.
“As a company, we are strong advocates of the incredible work that Arena Church does for the local area, and it’s a privilege that the team have again been involved in further enhancing spaces to provide refuge for vulnerable people in Nottingham.”
Jono Kirk, Pastor at Arena Church, said: “We’re very grateful for our relationship with G F Tomlinson and other subcontractors who have helped us on our journey to improve support services for city residents who need our help.
“Our community can now access vital facilities and safe, comfortable spaces which they wouldn’t have been had without the help of this partnership. Thank you to everyone involved.”
Blueprint Interiors expands office furniture capability
Having won several high value projects during 2023 and already secured more projects of a similar size and value for 2024, workplace consultants and commercial office fit out specialists Blueprint Interiors has expanded its furniture supply team following the appointment of Sinead McCaffery as a furniture project coordinator.
Sinead has extensive experience in the commercial interior design and retail industries and is passionate about all aspects of art and design. In her new role, Sinead will report to furniture manager Gemma Ryder and be involved in project managing furniture orders and arranging delivery schedules to ensure Blueprint Interiors continues to provide excellent customer service and projects are delivered to the highest standard.
Head of furniture, Gemma Ryder said: “Flexible working and how employees prefer to work means that the specification of office furniture is a much more considered decision. There is a greater wider range of options available from leading UK and international furniture manufacturers. It is therefore important that we expand the size of the team so that the ordering and delivery of furniture is carefully co-ordinated alongside the overall office fit-out schedule.”
Sinead added: “I have always respected Blueprint Interiors and its reputation as a specialist within the interior design industry. As well as being experts in their field I liked the fact their culture and the way they design for clients is very people orientated.”
Blueprint Interiors is based in Ashby de la Zouch and has completed workplace consultancy and office fit out projects for a number of the region’s top 200 employers and best companies to work for. Clients include Gleeds, The Melton Building Society, East Midlands Chamber, and Worldline.
Businesses offered potential-realising advice from University of Derby
Business leaders are being encouraged to explore how they can realise the potential of their organisations, with support to grow from the University of Derby.
Help to Grow: Management is a practical training course delivered by world-class business schools, accredited by the Small Business Charter focusing on building and strengthening people’s capabilities to lead a business, delivered by the University of Derby across Derbyshire.
This course incorporates hybrid learning, peer group networks and mentoring and will support managers and leaders of small and medium-sized businesses to boost business performance, resilience, and long-term growth. The 12-week course is 90% funded and the fee payable by participants is £750. The course has been designed to allow participants to complete it alongside full-time work.
A new cohort is now available to join this month. Benefits from taking part in the course include:
- Enhance your management and strategic capabilities
- Produce a growth plan for your business
- Build resilience to future shocks
- Learn how to innovate in your business
- Adopt digital technologies to boost productivity and operational agility
- Develop your value proposition and reach into growth markets
- Improve employee engagement and responsible business practices
LLEP to start pilot programme for new peer network later this month
Later this month a pilot programme will kick off a new LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub peer network for business owners.
The group is aimed at developing leadership skills in businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire and is called Transform to Grow.
It will support the growth and development of businesses trading for a minimum of 12 months, and which have five or more employees.
Peer Networks have been a success story of recent years, enabling business owners to build and strengthen their organisations through a trusted support network.
Transform to Grow will be facilitated by Maria Peggs of Vispera. It will enable 12 business owners to share ideas, collaborate and network with fellow entrepreneurs at a similar stage in their business growth journey.
There will be five online sessions, of three hours each, including the following topics:
- Values: Impact of your personal values on quality and the business
- Change: How to manage all forms effectively
- Pricing: The Most Powerful Profit Lever
- Leadership: Understand Your Style
- Resources: Effective Management.
2024 Business Predictions: Seb Saywood, investor at BGF
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Seb Saywood, investor at BGF in the Midlands.
There’s no doubt that the majority of businesses currently face a challenging economic environment, and growth businesses are no different. However, dynamic, well-capitalised companies are well positioned to seize opportunities and manage challenges ahead in a measured way.
That’s why the current market conditions present an opportunity for BGF, as it was created to fund promising businesses with limited access to capital.
From our perspective, momentum really picked up in the final quarter of 2023, with deal pipeline building towards a strong Q1 across a variety of different sectors.
The issue of raising capital has been a real sticking point over the last few months, with the cost of lending increasing substantially.
Unsurprisingly, the cost of lending has led to an increase in companies exploring minority equity deals. BGF’s unique balance sheet investment model means that we are well positioned to continue investing throughout the economic cycle, forming long-term partnerships with companies and supporting them over time as they grow.
While we don’t expect to see a shift in interest rates in the coming months, we do expect to see better deal flow more broadly across the Midlands in 2024. This is largely due to pent up demand, following a more subdued first three quarters of 2023, and this is likely to be a major contributor to increased activity.
What’s more, the political backdrop may also drive M&A activity in the first half of 2024. An election tends to bring a degree of uncertainty and we expect many will think hard about the sustainability of current capital gains tax rates.
Real Fun Group acquires eight clubs from Majestic Bingo, safeguarding 140 jobs
Real Fun Group Ltd is set to become a prominent player in the UK’s independent bingo sector following the acquisition of eight bingo clubs and their freeholds from Majestic Bingo Limited out of administration.
This strategic acquisition expands the group’s portfolio to a total of 10 bingo clubs throughout England and Wales, further establishing its presence in the industry, whilst safeguarding the employment of over 140 individuals.
Experienced entrepreneurs backing the group, which already operates two independent bingo clubs, have reinforced their commitment to growth and community engagement through this significant expansion.
Majestic Bingo Limited entered administration on 7 July 2023, overseen by Tim Bateson and Chris Pole from Interpath Advisory as joint administrators.
Tim Bateson, director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: “Having been appointed in July 2023 and traded the business for nearly six months, we are absolutely delighted to have achieved this going concern sale, which not only will see all eight venues continue to trade, but which also both safeguards the employment of 140 people and ensures continuity for the communities which these clubs serve.
“We would like to extend our thanks to the many stakeholders who have provided support to the administration team since our appointment, including customers, suppliers and Majestic’s dedicated staff. Their support has enabled us to conclude this transaction which will enable the business to continue under new ownership.”
Kevin McGinnigle, CEO of Real Fun Group, shared his enthusiasm for the new venture, stating: “I’m incredibly excited by this opportunity. This was a well-run business that was hit with devastating luck over the last few years, and I can’t wait to work with the team. To sit here today, knowing we’re able to keep so many people in work is an unbelievable feeling.”
He further added: “Undoubtedly there is a lot of work ahead of us and I’m confident we’ve got the right people within the business to make this a huge success for everyone concerned. Coming from a family of bingo players, I’m aware of the role that local bingo clubs play in their community and to get the opportunity to keep these historic clubs open for our customers is just fantastic.”
With this acquisition, Real Fun Group now employs nearly 200 staff across 10 bingo clubs nationwide, positioning itself as one of the UK’s largest independent bingo operators.
Shoosmiths’ Corporate Restructuring & Advisory Team acted for Real Fun Group. Sarah Teal, partner, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to have supported Real Fun Group with this acquisition, securing the future of these bingo clubs that are integral to the communities in which they operate and securing jobs in time for Christmas.”
Stuart Taylor, partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency Team at Harrison Clark Rickerbys, acting for the joint administrators, said: “It was great to work with the joint administrators on the sale of Majestic Bingo, a deal that safeguards a number of jobs and ensures continuity of local businesses.”
Majestic Bingo operates from eight sites across England and Wales including:
Hippodrome, Bishop Auckland
Apollo, Caernarfon
Apollo, Camborne
Globe, Donnington
Apollo, Rhyl
Roman Bank, Skegness
Judges, Tonypandy
Majestic, Worcester
BSE supports Christmas charity campaigns
BGF-backed Business Support Experts Group (BSE) – business tax relief specialists – has donated more than 500 presents to children through an initiative with Nottingham City Council and The Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT) in Altrincham.
The BSE team hand-picked personalised toys from Smyths and thanks to Nottingham based Global Solutions Clothing (GSC) they dressed up as elves to deliver the gifts and share with the children. They also provided the opportunity for children to meet Santa in Nottingham for a framed photo, thanks to the team at Captcha Photography.
Commenting on the Christmas appeals, BSE CEO Mark Joyner, said: “Our team wanted to give back to the communities we all live and work in, especially during such tough financial times. We’ve absolutely loved this Christmas charity campaign which allowed us to spend time with some of the children, as well as donating the toys & creating some smiles.”
Mark Joyner added: “As a business, we are committed to supporting the growth of other SME companies and it is thanks to our clients and partners continued support that we are able to do more for those who have less. As we have ambitious plans to expand further in 2024, we hope to be able to bring even more joy to children next Christmas.”
