Burton bus operator acquired
Rotala, the bus operator, has acquired Midland Classic Limited, the principal bus operator in Burton-upon-Trent.
Midland operates 60 vehicles from its freehold depot in Burton-upon-Trent and employs approximately 110 staff, who will join the Rotala Group as part of the acquisition.
This latest move represents an extension of the group’s business to a new territory in the East Midlands from which further growth will be targeted. Midland Classic will be renamed Diamond Bus (East Midlands) Limited and will become part of Rotala’s Midlands division which is controlled from the group’s headquarters at Tividale, Oldbury.
Simon Dunn, Chief Executive of Rotala, said: “Midland Classic is a sizeable well-established business in an attractive bus territory. It represents the entry by Rotala into the East Midlands which is a new market for the group.
“However, at the same time, geographically it is adjacent to our existing operations in the West Midlands and so easily managed from there. The business also has its own freehold depot from which we will look to further expand Rotala’s services as the recovery in passenger numbers post-COVID continues.”
James Boddice, Managing Director and majority shareholder of Midland Classic, said: “After 17 years of successful independent bus operation during which time the company has grown, including taking over the Arriva local garage in 2016, to become the primary operator in and around Burton upon Trent, after much consideration we have decided to accept an offer from Rotala PLC to take over the business.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of the company, especially our employees, and wish everyone well for the future.”
Revenue up for Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce says it has “progressed well in the first half of the year,” as it reports results.
The company posted an underlying revenue of £5.3bn, up from £5.2bn in the first half of 2021.
Meanwhile underlying operating profit dipped to £125m from £307m.
Rolls-Royce noted that demand for its products and services is growing with another period of record order intake in Power Systems, continued recovery in Civil Aerospace engine flying hours and high visibility of future revenues in Defence with a strong order book.
Warren East, Chief Executive, said: “We have progressed well in the first half of the year, with more than a £1bn improvement in free cash flow, strong order intake in Power Systems, increased engine flying hours and commercial discipline in Civil Aerospace, and targeted investment to support longer-term growth in Defence and New Markets.
“We are actively managing the impacts of a number of challenges, including rising inflation and ongoing supply chain disruption, with a sharper focus on pricing, productivity and costs. As a result of the actions we have taken over the last few years, our Civil Aerospace business is becoming leaner and more agile, and we are executing on the levers of value creation we shared at our investor event in May.
“This is setting us up to deliver on our commitments this year and in the future. We are making choices to manage the current challenges, deliver better returns, reduce debt, and generate long-term sustainable value.”
Advisers revealed behind The Fleet Auction Group transaction
Tax specialists from Leicester-based WestBridge Group have advised on the sale of a 22-acre facility on Stephenson Industrial Estate in Coalville to one of the UK’s largest wholesale used vehicle suppliers.
The site was previously owned by The Fleet Auction Group and has been acquired by Motability Operations who are set to develop the space into a state-of-the-art vehicle conditioning centre, doubling its existing capacity to assess and refurbish vehicles.
The site will be operated by IT Fleet, one of Motability’s vehicle refurbishment partners and up to 25,000 vehicles will be refurbished on the site each year and sold through the business’s remarketing arm, mfldirect. Motability expect that their investment in the site will be a long term commitment and going forward will generate jobs for the local area.
Tax advice on the transaction was provided by Tom Moore and Lucas Harding-Cox from WestBridge Tax, part of The WestBridge Group, which also includes WestBridge SSAS.
Tom Moore said: “We are delighted to have supported this transaction which was significant for both parties and will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the local economy going forward.”
Fleet Auction Group chairman Martin Betts said: “Bringing Motability Operations to Coalville, to create a state-of-the-art vehicle conditioning centre, will leave a lasting legacy and be a positive contribution to the regeneration of the local area.”
Loughborough University and Caterpillar reinforce strategic collaboration to accelerate innovative technologies for a reduced carbon future
Loughborough University and Caterpillar have formally agreed to continue a strategic collaboration launched more than 25 years ago to accelerate innovative technologies within the off-highway powertrain sector.
The collaboration began in the late 90s and led to the establishment on the University campus of the Innovation and Research Centre (IRC) with world-class facilities and expertise in the field of engines, engine sub-systems and hybrid powertrain systems development.
The IRC was the first long term collaboration between Caterpillar and a university in Europe. It delivers research that addresses fundamental questions, discovering and developing new engineering processes and components applied worldwide by Caterpillar and its global supply chain.
Over the years the IRC’s many projects spanning control, thermal management, aftertreatment and more recently hybridisation, materials, data analytics and digitisation have earned international academic respect, delivering commercial value as well as far-reaching economic and societal impact.
A notable example is a £26m project delivered in conjunction with the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre to facilitate Advanced Systems for Carbon Emission reduction through New Technology (ASCENT). The project enabled a major upgrade of the Cat® C4.4 and C7.1 heavy-duty diesel engines to align with Stage 5 emission standards, ultimately providing an annual production saving of over 270k tonnes of C02, the creation of 250 jobs and almost £300m wider economic benefits in the UK.
ASCENT also enabled the University to further enhance its leading reputation in the field of optical diagnostics, advancement measurement and component design, train six new researchers and deliver 27 influential research publications.
Caterpillar’s collaboration with Loughborough is having a profound impact on the provision of industrial skills, providing invaluable professional development to all levels of engineers in the company through bespoke courses, as well as recruiting more UK-based graduates from Loughborough than any other university.
Adrian Spencer, professor in Thermo-fluid Mechanics at Loughborough University and director of the Innovation and Research Centre, says: “Loughborough and Caterpillar are committed to accelerating solutions for a more sustainable future and enabling an inclusive and diverse workforce. Through the IRC, we look forward to another five years of pushing the boundaries in research and innovation to keep pace with the rapidly changing heavy-duty vehicles sector.”
David Goldspink, Caterpillar vice president and general manager, added: “It is rare that we are able to step back and appreciate the excellent work that the Loughborough and Caterpillar teams have achieved. We look forward to working together to ensure the synergy between great technical research and future talent continues long into the future.”
The East Midlands Expo returns on Monday 14 November!
Taking place on Monday 14 November 2022, make new contacts at the East Midlands Expo, an established event of over 20 years!
The free to attend expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, is well targeted and aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets.
Held at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, the day will begin with exhibitor breakfast networking, with the exhibition opening to attendees at 9am, and a seminar taking place between 10:45am and noon.
A special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm.
For more information on exhibiting at the event click here.
To register to attend the event for free click here.
To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here.
From property agents to developers, architects, contractors, investors, PR firms, and more, see the list of current exhibitors here.Nomination deadline nears for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 – highlight exceptional developments and businesses now!
Shine a light on exceptional businesses and developments, and reward the teams behind them, by submitting a nomination for East Midlands Business Link’s esteemed Bricks Awards before entries close on Friday 19 August.
The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 will celebrate the region’s property and construction industry, its people, and outstanding projects. 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.
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:
Partners united as £15m Ashbourne transformation bid is submitted
Partners have issued a rallying cry as the £15 million bid to transform Ashbourne town centre goes forward to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for consideration.
The bid, named ‘Ashbourne Reborn’, is being led by Derbyshire Dales District Council. It has been developed through close working with a number of local partners who have brought forward project ideas, identified opportunities and raised match-funding for the bid.
The partners include Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council, AshCom, Ashbourne Methodist Church and Derbyshire County Council.
There are two distinct project areas. The first is a series of transformed public spaces including Market Place, Victoria Square, Millennium Square and Shrovetide Walk, while the second focuses on a new community hub, transforming the Methodist Church into a multi-purpose community building.
New traffic management plans will be transformational to the pedestrian experience in Ashbourne, while the hub will provide a wide range of event and meeting spaces, a performance venue and flexible work areas with high quality digital provision.
If successful, work could start as early as the end of this year.
Last month the District Council’s Community & Environment Committee unanimously gave the green light for the submission to go forward to the Government’s Levelling Up initiative.
District Council leader Councillor Garry Purdy said: “This project to date has been a brilliant example of local partnership working and I want to thank all partners for their invaluable input.
“I understand it is the biggest capital grant bid ever submitted by this council and, if successful, I am confident it will create vibrant public squares and yards in Ashbourne, reversing decline in parts of the town and giving lots of reasons to visit in a safe and welcoming environment. We want to restore pride in place in Ashbourne.”
Connections between town centre spaces will be improved and a comprehensive set of upgrades along Compton, Dig Street and St John Street will create a far better pedestrian experience, reducing the impact of vehicles and improving safety.
Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council’s deputy leader, said: “I’m delighted that this project for Ashbourne has been approved by the district council.
“I’ve been working with the Ashbourne Town Team for some time on a variety of issues and I’m delighted to have been able to support them with their valuable work. Everyone involved, including all the local county and district councillors, have worked hard to get to this point and I hope the Government are able to find the money that is needed.
“All the work planned will make a massive difference to the town, for those who live here, and those who visit us, and I look forward to work starting as soon as possible.”
A key part of the project is to celebrate the town’s heritage while enabling a wide variety of future events to bring new life to the centre of Ashbourne, creating an environment where businesses will want to locate and invest, and residents and visitors spend time whilst supporting the local economy.
Anne Wright, chair of Ashbourne Town Team, said: “We believe the public realm, traffic management and pedestrian projects are at the heart of the bid and will be transformational for the town. The success of this initiative is absolutely vital to kick-start the local economy and revive a positive experience in the town centre for residents and visitors.
“From our local knowledge and experience we know that the implementation of improvements enabled by the Levelling Up Fund will encourage and support substantial further investment by local investors, giving them the confidence to back the town.
“The Town Team is really pleased to have helped bring together the amazing work being done by AshCom, the Town Council and the Methodist Church to turn our strategy into reality.”
The proposed community hub at Ashbourne Methodist Church, offering a fresh, modern range of accommodation options for groups and families and an outdoor riverside garden event space, will also link to a range of sustainable transport options to improve connectivity, including charging for e-bikes and scooters and connections to the Tissington Trail.
Rev Tim Morris, Superintendent Minister of Ashbourne Methodist Circuit, said: “Ashbourne Methodist Church has been contributing to the local community for over 200 years and we are committed to contributing for many generations to come. We are an active church with significant community activities taking place on our premises already and it is our vision to develop our buildings, and, most importantly, the activities taking place in them, to become a seven-days-a week church, community hub and performing arts and events space.”
Tony Walker CBE DL, Link Development team leader, said: “We are thrilled to be a part of the Derbyshire Dales District Council Levelling Up Fund bid. We have been working for over six years on our project to create a modern set of fully accessible facilities which will provide an inclusive, comfortable and sustainable environment for community and town activities in a heritage set of buildings.
“We already have planning permission, listed building consent and are ready to start as soon as we get the funds. Our fundraising, including funds received, committed and expected is over a million pounds already. However, this does not enable the completion of much of our plans. A LUF award would be totally game changing for us, enabling us to deliver all our plans.”
The package will ensure Ashbourne takes its rightful place within the regional visitor economy, providing an attractive and vibrant environment that draws in residents, visitors and businesses and re-establishes its identity as a flourishing market town.
Ashbourne Town Council said: “The Town Council are pleased that their scheme to redevelop the area known as Millennium Square is included as part of the Levelling Up Fund bid. This will make a much needed improvement to the centre of the town and will complement the other schemes put forward as part of the bid.”
The final bid submission includes detailed calculations of the value for money of the package, comparing the economic benefits and economic costs to produce a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR). The BCR for the Ashbourne package is comfortably above the requirement set by government and indicates that the bid should perform well against value for money requirements.
Sue Bridgett for AshCom said: “AshCom is pleased to enthusiastically endorse the proposal that has been developed for Ashbourne, both in the strength of its content and strategic vision and also in terms of the partnership working across a range of organisations and agencies which came together to make the bid as coherent as it is.
“The projects prioritised can help to take the town forward in an exciting and necessary way for residents, businesses and visitors alike. We wish the bid every success.”
The support of Derbyshire Dales MP Sarah Dines is crucial as the bid goes forward to Government. The introduction to the bid submission states: “Like many market towns, Ashbourne is facing the challenge of re-inventing itself to ensure that it remains vibrant and relevant for the 21st century.”
The bid has been supported by the District Council’s expert consultant Michael Rich, Bentley Project Management, Amion, Lathams and Thomas Lister.
L.B. Foster makes duo of acquisitions
L.B. Foster Company, a solutions provider of products and services for the rail and infrastructure markets with offices in Nottingham, has acquired Skratch Enterprises Ltd., a Telford-based digital solutions specialty company, and Intelligent Video Ltd. (IV) of Leamington Spa.
L.B. Foster designs, develops, manufactures, and installs a range of mobile, wireless, and digital customer information signage systems for use in railway stations and airports. Skratch, an industry leader in digital system integration within the UK, brings advanced digital display technology and capabilities to L.B. Foster that can be leveraged in both the rail space and adjacent retail markets.
L.B. Foster has collaborated with Skratch on digital solutions for the retail sector in the past, including the first digital signage application using British Sign Language interpreters in ASDA superstores.
IV is a developer of surveillance, security, and safety solutions. They have provided sub-contracting services for L.B. Foster’s Remote Condition Monitoring (RCM) and Inform Visual Communications solutions. IV also provides L.B. Foster with enhanced technical resources to assist in a variety of existing and developing solutions for the company.
John Kasel, president and Chief Executive Officer of L.B. Foster Company, said: “These acquisitions fit neatly into the growth strategy L.B. Foster announced in 2021. The accomplished team at Skratch delivers new learning, expertise, and experience that complements existing L.B. Foster growth businesses, and enables access to wider target markets in the UK and Europe. IV provides unique expertise and capabilities that help enable our aspiration to grow our technology-focused solutions offering.”
Skratch and IV collectively employ 38 people at their Telford and Leamington Spa offices. Both Skratch and IV will operate as standalone subsidiaries within the L.B. Foster group of companies.
Nottingham energy storage startup raises £3.5m
Cheesecake Energy Ltd (CEL), a Nottingham-based energy storage startup, has raised £3.5 million in pre-series A funding.
The round was led by BGF with support from Perivoli Innovations and private investors including former Jaguar chair, Sir John Egan.
The funds will be used to grow the CEL team, begin pilot deployments of the company’s technology, and build partnerships with potential manufacturing and distribution partners around the world.
The company’s unique eTanker technology stores electricity in the form of heat and compressed air. To store the energy, electric motors are used to drive compressors, which deliver high pressure air & heat into storage units. When the electricity is required, the high-pressure air and heat is passed back through the same compressor, now working as an expander, which turns a generator to produce electricity.
With its simple raw materials and longer life, the eTanker will displace lithium-ion batteries in a wide range of static applications, from industry and agriculture to transport and renewable generation.
“Compared with battery alternatives, our eTanker solution is lower cost and much more sustainable, with no rare or toxic materials and with a design that can be fully recycled at the end of its 20-year plus life,” said CEL co-founder and CCO, Mike Simpson. “Our system stores much of the energy as heat in inert rock in a way that is passively safe, avoiding the fire risk faced by some battery technologies.”
Employing circular economy principles, CEL converts truck engines into zero-emission electrical power-conversion machines for putting energy into and out of storage. Its technology brings together the low cost of thermal storage with the long life and robustness of a mechanical system, all in a modular containerised package.
Commenting on the funding, CEL CEO Paul Harris said: “We are pleased to have completed this funding round, which will enable us to accelerate the development of our technology, to deploy pilot projects and bring our novel, sustainable energy storage to market. We are looking forward to working with our visionary investor, BGF, and are grateful for the continued support from our existing investors led by Perivoli Innovations.”
Since 2011, BGF has backed a range of early-stage and growth businesses involved in the field of Climate Tech, everything from fuel cells to sustainable battery solutions and energy-efficient buildings. The CEL funding round takes the total amount invested by BGF in this field to £230 million.
Dennis Atkinson, investor at BGF, said: “We see huge potential for CEL’s technology and expect it to be a global leader in the energy transition from its base in the Midlands. The UK is a hotbed of innovation in this space, and it is vital that the investment ecosystem is supporting entrepreneurs and innovators to drive growth and development across key areas in the fight against climate change. We share the ambition and mission of the CEL team and look forward to helping them achieve it.”
Seb Saywood, Nottingham investor at BGF, added: “The Nottingham office is delighted to have been able to draw on our Early Stage Team’s expertise to invest in CEL’s game changing technology. This investment quickly follows another very successful exit in the sale of Jola Cloud Solutions to Wireless Logic. Year to date, we have already invested £33.5m in the East Midlands as we continue to build our momentum.”
Bhayani Law and Lync HR join forces
East Midlands firm Bhayani Law, a provider of HR solutions, has merged with Lync HR to strengthen its offering.
The combined business will provide a host of additional services including recruitment, HR, employment law, HR software, Health & Safety training, and coaching.
Bhayani Law was established by Jay Bhayani in 2014 and in 2021 sister company Bhayani Recruitment was born.
The firm has offices in Leicester, Sheffield, Barnsley, Leeds and London.
Jay said at such an important and challenging time for business with candidate and skills shortages, the merger has come at the right time: “Combining services from both businesses will provide a compelling offering for our clients and give us scope to deliver our work into further northern areas such as Doncaster and North Yorkshire where Lyn has strong links.
“We are very excited about our first merger here at Bhayani Law which fits in nicely with our expansion plans. Having known Lyn for many years I know that her approach is aligned with my own, of not forgetting the ‘human aspect of human resource’.”
Lync HR is an established employment and human resource consultancy service founded by Lyn Easton in 2002.
Lyn has 20 years’ experience working within HR. Her experience is from a wide generalist background with specific expertise in Employee Relations, Effective Communication, Understanding Behaviour and Health & Wellbeing.
A focus has been to establish a facilitated learning approach on all aspects of people management, from HR administrators to Senior Management teams, in order to interpret and translate employment legislation in the real world to real organisations.
Lyn Easton said: “Knowing Jay for some years, meeting all her team and understanding how our ethos and values in business work well together our merger is a good fit.
“I want to continue to offer to Lync HR clients the same practical down to earth, professional approach with the extra bonus that some other business needs can be covered all in one place – legal, recruitment, Health & Safety & Training.
“I am thrilled to merge Lync HR with Bhayani Law. I have known and cherished working with Lync HR clients and feel that my ‘Erin Brockovich’ approach (watch the film!) to HR will be replicated.”
