Biggest growth ever for consultancy firm helping town and city centres to improve
A specialist consultancy firm is celebrating its biggest ever year after supporting town and city centres to rebuild in the post-pandemic world.
Partnerships for Better Business Ltd (pfbb UK) work with local authorities and businesses across the country to implement and manage effective Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in their areas, focusing on partnership and investment opportunities, and creating better places for shoppers and visitors to enjoy.
In the last year, the Derby-based business has launched a new ‘place management’ service to help local authorities with research, partnerships, BIDs and strategies to improve town and city centres, grown to a team of 14, and increased its loyal client base by 67%, as more and more businesses and organisations need help to overcome challenges caused by Covid.
Ian Ferguson, director at pfbb UK and a Government expert for the High Street Task Force, said: “We have experienced some fantastic organic growth here at pfbb UK, which has come through our expertise in delivering BIDs and helping local authorities to generate levy revenue to reinvest in their areas.
“Making places better is at the heart of what we do, and our experience of working in town centres for the last 20 years has put us in an excellent position to help local authorities and businesses adapt to the changes brought by the pandemic, such as the reduction in retail footage, the need for more green spaces, and making offices work in a different way due to hybrid working.
“The way people use town centres has changed dramatically in the last two years, and we have the experience and skills to ensure masterplans are delivered on the ground. Many towns and cities need help and support to bring all their plans together, and our success and growth as a business demonstrates that the high street is certainly not dead.”
Kerry Reynolds, co-chair, Northampton town centre BID, and area director, Metro Bank, said: “pfbb UK has been managing the BID since 2014, eighteen months before its first renewal to set it back on track.
“They have since managed delivery of our BID projects and taken us through a further renewal into our third term. Through their skill they developed a very close and productive working relationship with Northampton Borough Council and managed relationships under the newly reconstructed unitary authority.
“During Covid the BID initiated and led the creation and coordination of Northampton town centre Task Force, supporting businesses and managing the town centre throughout the various stages of Covid, lockdown and openings. Through a highly experienced, effective and professional team, the BID is now playing a key role in shaping the delivery of the Northampton town centre’s Masterplan, driving real benefits to businesses and shaping the future of the town centre.”
Gavin O’Brien, chair of Luton BID and co-director of Clearhead Media, added: “I have worked with pfbb UK since they developed the BID back in 2014. Since then the pfbb UK team have managed the delivery of BID plans and taken Luton BID into its second term.
“We are very fortunate to have such a professional, experienced and technically skilled team supporting the Board and managing the BID to deliver real benefits to businesses in Luton town centre. Thanks to the effectiveness of their project delivery, the BID has made a real difference to the way the town centre looks and feels.
“pfbb UK’s placemaking expertise also enables the BID to play a key strategic role in working with the council in the development and delivery of its masterplan which is key to changing the perceptions of the town centre and enabling Luton to reach its full potential.
“On top of this, they aren’t scared to challenge ’the norm’ and really do feel like incredible teammates, guiding us through issues that any town or city might have. I highly recommend pfbb UK as a highly professional and competent team who deliver valuable benefits to BID business levy payers.”
To find out more about pfbb UK visit www.pfbbuk.co.uk.
Third generation of commercial launderers sell family firm after 94 years
A commercial laundry and linen hire specialist which was founded by the current owners’ grandparents in 1928, has been sold in a deal completed by Northampton based corporate finance specialists Watersheds.
K Laundry Ltd, which is based in Ramsgate, Kent, was established by the grandparents of current owners Clive Jones and family almost a century ago, and still operates from the original site.
Originally serving the domestic market, K Laundry later moved into the commercial laundry sector as domestic washing machines became more prevalent. K Laundry served the seaside town’s hotels and guest houses, before expanding into laundry and linen hire for hospitality, private schools and manufacturers.
When MD Clive Jones decided to retire, he wanted to be confident that his family’s business would still have a promising future, and particularly that the company’s employees would be secure in their jobs.
Clive said “With the experience in laundry deals, and their sympathetic and hands-on approach to the sale, my family were reassured that Watersheds was ‘on our side’”.
When Watersheds introduced Clive to Belmont Laundry, an Essex-based company serving much of the South-East of England, Clive felt that Belmont would be an excellent fit.
“Like K Laundry, Belmont is a family-owned company that serves similar customers and also strives for the highest standards of customer service,” continued Clive.
“Ramsgate is an area of deprivation and preserving the jobs of those who have been so loyal to us was an absolute must for any deal. Watersheds appreciated the importance of the human element if we were to sell, and we really appreciate the time and effort they took to find a match that met our ethical, as well as financial, requirements. Engaging Watersheds was one of the best business decisions made in the 90+ years of K Laundry.”
Mark Middleton, MD of Belmont Laundry, said his own father started their business over 30 years ago, so he understands why Clive and his family wanted a buyer with similar aims and values.
“This acquisition will allow us to expand geographically, while maintaining the same high-quality service,” said Mark.
“We will continue to invest in the K Laundry site and, given that providing such a service is very labour-intensive, will continue to employ the local workforce.”
Jessica Painter, a partner with Watersheds, said:
“This was our fourth laundry deal, and one of very many deals where the owners understandably have no experience of transactions such as this, so it was gratifying to be able to support Clive and get a deal in place that ticks all his boxes.
“It’s not at all uncommon for owners of second or third-generation firms to feel a strong commitment to their staff, and to want to protect their future livelihoods.
“Because we spend a lot of time understanding what they really want from a deal, we can save them time by seeking out offers that genuinely meet their criteria. This means they can leave the company in safe hands and enjoy the fruits of their long years of labour.”
Former DWP building in Sutton to be transformed into office, retail, and creative space
As part of the £6.27m Future High Streets Fund that was secured by Ashfield District Council, the former DWP building on High Pavement, Sutton, will be transformed into a shared office, retail, and creative space.
Ashfield District Council purchased the building in September 2021 using the Future High Street Fund which was awarded to the Council in January 2021 to regenerate Sutton’s town centre.
This project will see the building converted into a mixed-use hub including a Maker Space shared facility and a business hub.
The ground floor Maker Space will be a community space with access to equipment for members to use, learn new skills, invent, and build whilst socialising and collaborating.
The business hub will contain small lettable units for new and existing businesses in the creative industries, with communal kitchen facilities, meeting space, and breakout areas.
The renovation work should be completed before the end of the year and artist impressions have now been revealed.
Cllr Matthew Relf, lead executive member for regeneration and corporate transformation, said: “The artist impressions are an exciting step in the development of this project, which will give new purpose and energy to this prominent building in Sutton. Housing the new Makerspace and business hub it will be an incredible asset to residents of Sutton and the rest of the District.
“The business hub will allow new creative industries to flourish in a purpose-built space. The Makerspace will provide a fantastic space that gives people the opportunity to gain valuable new skills and enjoy the pleasure of making things. This is just one of the many exciting projects that we are developing through the Future High Street and Towns Fund worth over £70m.”
LDC’s East Midlands team invests in advertising company to accelerate growth and double headcount
Mid-market private equity firm LDC has made a significant investment in Blis, a global programmatic advertising company, to support its international growth plans.
Blis has an international team of more than 240 people working for some of the world’s largest companies. The company has grown rapidly over the last five years, with revenues rising to c.£60m this year.
LDC is backing the existing management team led by CEO Greg Isbister. The private equity firm is supporting their growth plans to invest in new product development, broaden its service offering and expand the team across Europe, the USA and Asia-Pacific. LDC’s investment will enable Blis to double its headcount over the next few years.
The transaction was led by John Green, an investment director in LDC’s East Midlands and East of England team, and was supported by investment director Karen Mann and partner David Andrews.
LDC’s John Green and David Andrews will join the board alongside CEO Greg Isbister, CFO Parm Dhami and industry heavy-weight John Farrell, who joins Blis as non-executive chair. With more than 25 years’ experience, John Farrell has led some of the world’s biggest marketing services brands and was the former president and CEO of Publicis Group’s specialised agencies and marketing services arm.
Greg Isbister, CEO of Blis, said: “I’m really excited to have LDC as an investor in the business – they clearly understand the opportunity ahead of us and back our vision to accelerate our growth in this exciting space. They bring a huge amount of sector expertise across their broad portfolio and have a straight talking and down to earth approach.”
John Green, investment director in LDC’s East Midlands team, added: “The Blis team has created a compelling marketing proposition that really works in today’s privacy-first world. They came to us with a successful track record and a plan to further expand the business across major international markets. We’re excited to play a part in the next stage of their growth journey.”
LDC was advised by GP Bullhound (corporate finance), Browne Jacobson (legal), PwC (commercial and financial due diligence).
Blis was advised by Moelis & Co (corporate finance) and Fox Williams (legal). The management team were advised by Deloitte (corporate finance) and Eversheds (legal). Debt facilities were provided by OakNorth Bank.
Exhibitor bookings flying for Midlands Machinery Show
Exhibitor bookings for this year’s Midlands Machinery Show are running 15% ahead of normal, demonstrating the farm industry’s delight at getting back out and about post-Covid.
The event, which will be held on 16-17 November at Newark Showground, provides farmers and contractors the opportunity to view the latest kit, from new tractors to robots and precision sprayers to low disturbance cultivators. “Exhibitors are clearly keen to return to farm events; new bookings were 15% up by the early bird deadline at the end of May, and repeat bookings are also flooding in,” says show organiser Elizabeth Halsall.
The event promises to feature some of the newest, most advanced machinery and equipment on the market, including the latest tractor models, robotic machinery, loaders, telehandlers, and mowers. “Last year, 77% of our visitors attended to research and purchase new products and to meet suppliers face-to-face, and there will certainly be plenty for them to see.”
Chandlers (MF) Ltd will be bringing a large selection of the latest Massey Ferguson models and the Chandlers (FV) Ltd team will have a full range of Fendt and Valtra tractors, including some brand new models not yet released at the time of going to press. Telehandlers and loaders will also be on view, joined by the innovative FarmDroid FD20 – which will for many be the first chance to see the new fully automated machine. The lightweight six-to-eight row FD20 runs entirely off solar power to reduce labour and costs of sowing and weeding crops, while being CO2 neutral, explains Gavin Pell, managing director at Chandlers.
“The farming industry is changing towards machinery that is high tech and often robotic to reduce labour and costs,” he says. “Requirements are drifting towards newer, more advanced technology and we are excited to be able to offer the new FarmDroid to our customers.”
Returning exhibitor Setchfields will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and will be exhibiting Kioti tractors, mowers, and equipment. The Lincolnshire–based firm will also be joined by JCB loaders.
“The Midlands Machinery Show is a good place to catch up with new and existing contacts,” says chief operating officer Hannah Setchfield, who joined the family business last year. “The farming community is continually evolving, and through our parts, service and machinery offering we are well equipped to meet the demands of the modern farming business.”
Almost 35% of visitors last year ordered a new product from the show, and 82% learnt about new products and innovations, says Mrs Halsall. “Given the close focus on farm and turf care machinery and equipment, both exhibitors and visitors know that they will get what they came for. Last year 93% of visitors were satisfied with the exhibitors’ offering, and with advance bookings already up on previous years, it promises to be a fantastic event for all involved.”
East Midlands furniture manufacturer delivers second contract for community hospital in Scottish Highlands
The new Broadford Community Hospital on the Isle of Skye is part of a £40m development by NHS Highland. This investment included the award-winning Badenoch & Strathspey Community Hospital in Aviemore, which opened towards the end 2021, and was also fitted out by Deanestor.
Deanestor provided both loose and bespoke fitted furniture for 142 rooms throughout the new hospital on Skye. This included storage units, medicine cabinets, height-adjustable changing benches, bedroom wardrobes, foldaway beds in some inpatient rooms, nurse stations, and a main reception desk with a walnut wood-effect finish and contrasting glacier white solid surface countertops.
Bespoke joinery was also manufactured and installed by Deanestor for a new six-bay suite for chemotherapy and renal patients to help create a more welcoming patient environment. This suite has large picture windows with stunning sea views. The white low-level counters are designed to house medical gases and vacuum outlets, and incorporate lighting, worktops, oak privacy screens, and coat and bag storage.
Commenting on the opening of the new hospital, Tracy Ligema, Project Director at NHS Highland, said, “This is a significant milestone in the history of Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross. There has been a considerable amount of work involved in this process and we want to thank everyone who has contributed.”
“The new hospital will serve the community for many years to come and highlights the health board’s commitment to developing remote and rural health and social care services.”
Peter Ramsay, Project Director for hub North Scotland, said, “Broadford Hospital is a fantastic health facility which will bring huge benefits for the communities of Skye, Lochalsh and South West Ross. We faced major challenges progressing construction during the Covid pandemic but the support of all the partners and the local community ensured we have delivered a hospital that everyone can be proud of.”
A durable laminate finish was used for the storage solutions in two shades of blue to reflect the sky and the sea in the surrounding landscape. Darker blue was specified for the inpatient bedrooms and utility areas, with calming aqua for the treatment areas.
Deanestor also fitted out the pharmacy with tall cabinets, worktops, dispensing cabinets with integrated trays and metal drugs cabinets. A wide range of specialist equipment was also installed across the hospital – from physiotherapy bars to white boards, dispensers, sanitisers, and appliances.
Originally established in 1948 to manufacture hospital furniture and fittings for the newly established NHS, Deanestor now has the resources and expertise to manage 5,000-room hospital projects. It offers bespoke design services to meet specific healthcare project requirements and is responsible for installation to provide a seamless approach and a single point of contact for contractors, NHS trusts and other construction clients.
me&u open new UK head office in Burton
Burton-based commercial property agents, Rushton Hickman, has just let 3,197 sq ft (297 sq m) of ground floor office space to me&u for their new UK head office location.
Suite A/B, The Maltsters is located on Wetmore Rd, in Burton upon Trent. This former Bass Brewery maltings building was fully refurbished a number of years ago, to provide quality modern office space for rent. East Staffordshire Borough Council occupied a large part of the property for several years prior to moving back to the Burton Town Hall building.
me&u founder, Stevan Premutico is one of Australia’s leading tech entrepreneurs in the food & tech space. In 2007, Stevan conceptualised Dimmi Online Restaurant Reservations, and in 2015 it was acquired by TripAdvisor. Now he is back with me&u, which is set to change the way we order & pay for food and drinks in the hospitality sector.
James Winstanley, me&u country manager (UK), said: “The business benefits to the hospitality industry are an absolute game changer and we are transforming hospitality venues at a critical time for operators, through improved operational efficiencies, maximising customer experience and driving significant incremental revenue. Using me&u offers businesses on demand ordering, ability to accept a range of payments and provides a world class digital ordering platform to their guests.
“We chose The Maltsters site in Burton upon Trent, due to its central location within the UK, which is perfect for our National coverage, as well as the deep rooted links with the hospitality industry through the brewery trade.
“Rushton Hickman provided a comprehensive and fast service, which enabled us to identify the space required and get it open for business in the time frame we required.”
Rushton Hickman commercial property agent Simon Walker said: “We are delighted that me&u have chosen Burton upon Trent as the location for their new UK head office. Competitive levels of asking rents in the area coupled with good transport links are proving the commercial property market continues to remain very active in the locality.
“We have found both the number of enquiries received and viewings of commercial properties from interested parties are on the increase, which is fantastic news for our clients of course.”
Gateley announces a raft of new promotions at its Nottingham office
Legal and professional services group Gateley has announced its latest round of promotions, which includes eight people from its Nottingham office.
Charlie Jakeman – a construction lawyer, Elly Duggins – a lawyer in the real estate team and Natalie Howes, who is a commercial dispute resolution lawyer, have all been promoted to the position of legal director.
Three new senior associates have been confirmed with residential development lawyers Alexandra Smith and Lauren Jeffery, along with Charlotte Chapman who is a real estate lawyer.
Nathan Allaway, who is also a lawyer within the real estate team and banking lawyer Alicia Bradburn have both been made associates.
Andrew Macmillan, partner and head of Gateley’s Nottingham office, said: “I congratulate all those who have received a promotion and believe this sets a very positive tone as we continue to emerge from the challenges of the last two years and the pandemic.
“At Gateley we are committed to recognising and rewarding our region’s top legal talent which in turn ensures we can deliver the best service to our clients. All promotions are very well deserved as they have demonstrated dedication and a determination to succeed by going above and beyond for their clients and our business.”
A total of 70 promotions were announced across Gateley including eight new partners, nine legal directors, 23 senior associates and 30 new associates. In addition to Nottingham, the promotions span Gateley’s offices in Belfast, Birmingham, Dubai, Guildford, Leeds, London, Manchester and Reading.
£100,000 funding awarded to supercharge sustainable travel around Derbyshire
Independent research consultancy Cenex, in partnership with Derbyshire County Council, has been announced as the winner of Midlands Connect’s rural mobility competition, receiving £100,000 of funding to develop its proposal for an online Electric Vehicle (EV) charging and car sharing platform.
Once developed, the online platform will allow EV users across Derbyshire to ‘rent out’ their private charge points, giving motorists access to more chargers to power up their vehicles. The platform will also promote car sharing by providing opportunities for people to rent out their cars when they’re not using them, meaning that residents without their own private vehicle can get around more easily.
The project will encourage sustainable travel and open up opportunities for EV ownership to groups who may not have benefitted from access to local charging points before, particularly households without off-street parking.
The online platform will initially be targeted towards residents and local businesses, with hopes to expand to tourists in time.
Cenex and Derbyshire County Council will now use the prize money of £100,000 to further develop, test and trial the platform. Following the trial phase, should it be successful, it can then seek funding from either public or private sector sources for its widespread rollout.
Midlands Connect’s future of rural mobility competition received submissions from businesses which were asked to present new ideas that could help solve the social, environmental, and economic issues caused by poor connectivity in rural areas.
The winner was announced today at Midlands Connect’s Rural Mobility Conference in Melton Mowbray. The conference included panels from competition winners and runners up, as well as the Department for Transport, senior politicians and transport experts.
Midlands Connect CEO Maria Machancoses said: “Poor transport connectivity can be a challenge for rural communities, with residents often experiencing worse access to amenities and services such as schools, workplaces or hospitals. Our rural mobility competition was created to address these challenges and create innovative solutions that would enhance transport connectivity in isolated communities.
It’s great to see how many people have come together to challenge poorer connectivity at our conference today, particularly those from the Department for Transport, senior leaders and decision makers.
All our finalists for the rural mobility competition produced innovative solutions to tackle rural mobility – picking one winner was very challenging. We would like to congratulate our competition winner Cenex and look forward to seeing the idea developed in further detail.
Although there could only be one winner, we will be sharing all information and experience with our partners so that they can set up similar pilot schemes if they wish to do so.
BDO expands DRAS team with senior hire
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has strengthened its Digital Risk Advisory Services team (DRAS) with the appointment of Sandi Dosanjh as partner.
Sandi will lead BDO’s Digital team in the Midlands, specialising in controls transformation, cyber risk management, IT optimisation and technology enablement. Her previous roles included working as a director in Technology Risk Consulting, where she was responsible for leading large-scale control transformation programmes for FTSE 50 clients.
Evan Devetzis, partner, Digital Risk Advisory Services team (DRAS), said: “We’re delighted to welcome someone of Sandi’s calibre to the Midlands team, as we continue to grow our Digital offering, both regionally and nationally.
“Having someone on the ground in the Midlands, who has the experience and expertise to lead complex and large-scale risk programmes, will be vital to achieving our growth ambitions. In the last 12 months, DRAS has grown by 65% with significant potential in the Midlands market to expand our presence further.”
According to BDO’s latest global risk report, organisations that plan for and manage risk are more likely to succeed in a post-COVID economy, with 90% of businesses surveyed as part of the report admitting that the pandemic has triggered their organisation to completely re-evaluate their risk framework.
Sandi, who is also chair of the FA Women’s National League and passionate about making football accessible and safe for all girls of all ages, said: “I’m really looking forward to collaborating with colleagues to create something very special in my home region. To build and grow a team is an opportunity that doesn’t come around very often in your career and to have the opportunity to do that at BDO with a talented team of people is really exciting.”
