Leicestershire technical consultancy appoints new board of directors

Tess Egginton
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Leicestershire technical consultancy appoints new board of directors
A Leicestershire technical consultancy has strengthened its board of directors. MEC Consulting Group, formerly M-EC Development Technical Consultants, has promoted Tim Rose to regional director (Leicester) while adding Rob MacDonald as regional director (Birmingham) and Dave Stockton as director – Civils & Structures. MEC’s Managing Director, Alex Bennett explains: “Since becoming MD in the final quarter of last year, I’ve had the opportunity to review our business goals and reprioritise. Key outcomes from this exercise were the need to broaden client awareness of the full suite of services we offer, and to expand our work with housebuilders and developers. “To achieve this, we have deliberately recruited from within the housebuilding industry, appointing two well-connected and respected professionals in Dave and Rob. “Both have two decades’ expertise working for regional developers and national PLCs, meaning they have an inherant understanding of the quality and service required, and are entirely commercially minded. This, coupled with our collaborative approach, is what we believe will set MEC apart.” Assuming responsibility for MEC’s ten-strong Civils & Structures team is Dave Stockton, a qualified civil engineer whose career encompasses consultancy roles and working directly for housebuilders including Bellway Homes and Countyside Partnerships. Dave says: “The directorship at MEC appealed because I could help shape the redirection of the business and bring fresh insight into the design standards and value engineering that developers expect. Being a multi-disciplinary consultancy also means we offer a ‘one-team’ service, which can significantly increase speed of development delivery, so is an added advantage.” Heading up MEC’s relaunched Birmingham office is Rob MacDonald. Aside from short spells with a consultancy and local authority, Rob’s career has been entirely in residential development, undertaking senior technical and director roles at Taylor Wimpey, Cala Homes and Wain Homes. “I’ve known and worked with MEC for around 13 years so when I became aware the company was looking to re-establish its presence in Birmingham, the opportunity was too good to miss,” said Rob. “Birmingham’s property sector is thriving. The city has plenty of exciting developments underway as well as ambitious plans for continued regeneration. I’m looking forward to connecting with many of the region’s developers and helping facilitate schemes that will provide quality new homes and places of work.” “Our team has a wide breadth of knowledge across multiple disciplines so we are keen to build upon our reputation as a ‘safe pair of hands’ as we embark on our next phase of growth,” adds Alex. “With new leadership now in place, clients can be assured they will receive timely, robust and considered advice as well as a senior point of contact for the duration of a project. “All of this means our future looks very positive. We have the official opening of our Birmingham office to look forward to, which presents opportunities for recruitment and to achieve our target of employing a team of 50 specialists by the end of the year, plus in December we will celebrate 15 years in business, which will be an extremely proud milestone for us all,” concludes Alex.

University of Leicester partners with Flexeserve to drive innovation

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University of Leicester partners with Flexeserve to drive innovation
The University of Leicester is working with Hinckley-based manufacturer Flexeserve and Innovate UK on a collaboration which helps businesses innovate for growth. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), will see Flexeserve – which manufactures hot-holding food cabinets and is partnered with big-name retailers such as Marks & Spencer, BP and Greggs – aim to strategically grow its business and turnover in international markets. Graduate Venkatesh Ravi, who completed an MSc in Applied Computations and Numerical Modelling at the University of Leicester, has been successfully employed under the scheme as KTP Associate. KTPs connect forward thinking businesses with the UK’s world class knowledge bases to deliver business-led innovation projects, lasting between 12 and 36 months. The project is supported by Kamran Hussein, one of Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Advisers, who provides expertise and guidance to all partners at every stage of the journey. Through collaboration with academics from the University of Leicester, Flexeserve hopes to further enhance its successful range of heated food cabinets with new software and skills, overcoming its lengthy and expensive ‘trial and error’ of physical prototyping and testing. The project is valued at £200,000 and is anticipated to last two years. Innovate UK, the country’s national innovation agency, has provided a grant covering 67% of the costs. The KTP agreement has officially been underway since the start of October, and will help Flexeserve with its strategy to meet international demand for heated units with an additional £4.6 million of sales in the next five years. Venkatesh, employed as AeroThermo Mechanical Design Engineer, is under the guidance and weekly supervision of the University of Leicester’s Dr Aldo Rona (School of Engineering) and Dr Alberto Paganini (School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences). Since 1975, KTPs have been creating positive impact and driving innovation. Currently around 800 businesses, 100 knowledge bases and over 800 graduates are involved in KTPs across the UK. Paul Corazzo, Research and Partnership Development Officer at the University of Leicester, said: “The research partnerships team work alongside academics to co-ordinate a number of KTPs, with a portfolio of seven live projects. These are with a diverse range of partners from financial services, care homes, cancer immunotherapy, tabletting science, to understanding theatre audiences. KTP is perfect for businesses who want to de-risk their innovation.” Alberto Paganini, Associate Professor in Mathematics and Project Academic Lead, said: “Through KTPs, industrial partners can access state-of-the-art science and upgrade and enhance their capabilities. KTPs also provide academic partners with insight into current industrial workflows, which informs their future research vision.” Aldo Rona, Associate Professor in the School of Engineering and Academic Supervisor, said: “This KTP has started with great energy and momentum, facilitated by the use of a common Computer Aided Design platform between Flexeserve and the University of Leicester. “This is allowing the freedom to use more sophisticated heat and flow management concepts, explore them in bespoke design solutions, and iterate the designs in computer simulations. The energy savings in the improved hot food holding cabinets will be good for the environment, for shop owners, and will make hot food on the go more affordable.” Mick Steele, Technical Director at Flexeserve, said: “We are all very excited at Flexeserve to benefit from this important strategic project. The skills and knowledge that will be invested into the business will transform the efficiency of our products and allow new and innovative products to be brought to market far more quickly. “With Venkatesh in the business, and the huge support of the University of Leicester Engineering team, the successes of Flexeserve will continue to put Leicestershire and the UK at the forefront of innovation.”

The Compleat Food Group makes duo of acquisitions

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The Compleat Food Group makes duo of acquisitions
Nottingham-based The Compleat Food Group has sealed a duo of deals, acquiring SK Foods and Zorba Foods from The Entrepreneurial Food Group. The two food businesses are category leaders in private label chilled party foods and dips and deli fillings, with a combined turnover of over £160m and over 1,150 employees. Formed in 1987, Teesside-based SK Foods employs over 770 people and specialises in globally inspired party foods including Indian, Oriental, Tex Mex, Mediterranean, and Traditional British favourites. It holds around 40% of the market share for private label party foods outside of the Christmas period and became part of The Entrepreneurial Food Group in 1999. South Wales-based Zorba Foods was formed in 1976. Now employing nearly 380 people at its Gwent site, it started out creating authentic Greek houmous, before expanding to cover a range of Greek, Traditional, Tex Mex and Asian-inspired dips and sauces, alongside soups, for retail and foodservice. It holds around 25% share of the private label dips market and became part of the Entrepreneurial Food Group in 2003. Nick Field, CEO, said: “We’re incredibly excited about these two significant additions and what they bring to the group, with both companies having strong heritage in their categories for creating great food that people love. We plan to continue investment in both companies to extend their respective capabilities, allowing us to further innovate and inspire within their categories. “For The Compleat Food Group, these acquisitions accelerate our commitment to build on our breadth of capability, increase our category leadership position, and deliver more excitement and interest to delight our consumers, driving sustained growth in the sector.” Jeremy Faulkner, CEO of both SK Foods and Zorba, said: “At the heart of both SK Foods and Zorba is a commitment to real food values. It’s what our reputations have been founded on and why we are able to say that we are category leaders. “With The Compleat Food Group, we have found a natural partner who not only shares our values, but also the ambition to invest and support us in driving further innovation and growth for our categories and key partners.”

Next plans storage expansion at Enderby HQ

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Next plans storage expansion at Enderby HQ
Plans from Leicestershire retailer Next to build on its Enderby HQ have been recommended for approval. The proposal involves the erection of a new storage building to be accommodated through the relocation of current recycling facilities. The new building will provide: a new location for staff ‘Direct to Desk’ collections (whereby staff can collect items ordered online whilst at the workplace; a permanent storage facility for samples currently stored in shipping containers across the site; additional storage for homeware samples; general storage for IT equipment. Associated external works to accompany the new storage building will see recycling facilities relocated to the existing container yard, a new access ramp to the side of the multistorey car park to allow movement of goods to the Phase 6 building, and new staff amenity space to the side of the multistorey car park. The proposed storage building will have a gross internal area of 1,077 square metres at ground floor plus 1,036.5 square metres at first floor, totalling 2,113.5 square metres. Alongside the proposed storage building, a service yard is proposed to the rear. Next’s headquarters have been based at the current Enderby site since 1986. The site has been progressively expanded, with the most recent addition being the purpose built Photo Studio completed in 2016. A document from Blaby District Council’s Planning Committee, which the plans will go before on 8 February, says: “The proposal will assist Next in managing storage requirements at their Head Office site and reduce the need for temporary buildings and structures. “It is considered that the building, although relatively plain and functional, is in keeping with the design and scale of other buildings on site and whilst likely to be visible from outside the site (in particular from Forest Road to the rear), would be viewed in the context of the existing buildings and would not be detrimental to the character and appearance of the countryside. “The proposed building would result in a reduction in the overall quantum of car parking on site, but the applicant has demonstrated that a surplus of parking now exists due to changes in working practices in the last four years and so the loss would be acceptable. Furthermore, as the building will accommodate existing uses on site, it will not result in additional trip generation or parking requirements. “It is recommended that planning permission is granted.”

First and second phases complete at Horizon 29

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First and second phases complete at Horizon 29

Phase 1A and 1B of industrial and distribution hub, Horizon 29, in Bolsover, Derbyshire are now finished. 

Horizon 29 is a new distribution development located one mile from Junction 29A of the M1, and once fully complete, it will span 1,150,256 sq ft and have a total of eight warehouses, delivered over three phases by McLaren Construction (Midlands and North).

Phase 1A comprises two single-storey distribution warehouses (units 1 and 2) and sustainable features including solar PVs, air source heat pumps, enhanced cladding, responsibly sourced sustainable materials, LED lighting and electric vehicle charging points. The units have been constructed to a BREEAM Rating of ‘Excellent,’ with an EPC ‘A’ Rating. 

Phase 1B, involved the construction of units 4 and 5, alongside all subsequent mechanical and electrical works, office fit outs and external works to ongoing conference laboratory car parks. 

The contractor also delivered earthworks, CMC and VSC piling, concrete foundations, steel framing, lift shaft and stair installations, nets for roofing works and office elevation cladding.

Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction (Midlands and North), said: “We are delighted that works for both Phase 1A and 1B are finally complete.

“Once all phases are finished, Horizon 29 will be a premier distribution centre for the region, and an ideal hub for quality tenants looking for direct and easy access to the M1 north and south.

“We were pleased to be working alongside BentallGreenOak and Equation Properties for the second phase of this landmark scheme.”

Thrills galore for Safe and Sound fundraisers

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Thrills galore for Safe and Sound fundraisers
Safe and Sound has announced its first two fundraising events for 2024 with proceeds going to help the charity protect and support more young people and families whose lives have been affected by child exploitation. The first event will be the popular annual Race Night on Thursday April 25, sponsored by Cosy Direct. This is set to be the biggest ever and will be hosted by the city’s newly-opened Great Northern Classics. Guided by host and charity CEO Tracy Harrison, race goers place their bets and then cheer their chosen horses over the finishing line with the races played out on giant screens. Tickets can be booked for individuals or tables of eight and ten. Those looking for an even greater thrill will then have the opportunity to join a sponsored skydive on Friday June 28, at Langar Airfield, Nottingham. Representatives from several local businesses have already signed up including Smith Partnership, Gravity Digital, Bloc Digital and PIB Insurance – prompting organisers to look at booking a second date due to the high demand. Further events are planned for later in the year and Tracy Harrison explained: “The Derbyshire business community has always shown us amazing support and this is vital to ensure we can support children as young as seven who are being groomed and exploited both online and in person in our local communities as well as their families. “We like to set our supporters a new challenge every year and, having tackled abseiling and fire walking in the past, I hope that as many people as possible will join me in jumping out of a plane! “Although child exploitation is a serious and sometimes uncomfortable truth, our fundraising events are always designed to be fun to reflect our goal – to help young people and families move forward and bring joy and laughter back into their lives.”

Nimbus Disability prepares for expansion with office move

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Nimbus Disability prepares for expansion with office move
Derby-based Nimbus Disability has moved to new offices in Sir Frank Whittle Road, opposite Derbyshire County Cricket Ground, to pave the way for future expansion. The social enterprise, which is run by disabled people for disabled people, is now based in Grade A 4,077 sq ft offices on the ground floor at Pentagon House which, over the years, has been home to some of the city’s largest Blue Chip companies. The fully-accessible offices are home to Nimbus Disability’s 28 staff who administer the award-winning Access Card which is held by more than 350,000 disabled people and is recognised by more than 1,600 venues and events across the world who offer accessible tickets. Many of the venues and events are seasonal such as Alton Towers and Glastonbury Festival and employee numbers are set to increase in the coming weeks to cope with the annual increase of new and renewal applications for the Access Card. The Access Card is the first accessible ticketing scheme of its type in the world – offering a universal and consistent way of disabled people evidencing and communicating their needs to providers quickly and discreetly. Powered by ‘NOS’, Nimbus Disability’s bespoke software, the system translates its holder’s disability/impairment/access requirements into symbols and when booking online, informs providers quickly and discreetly about the access requirements that individuals need. It is already widely recognised at major venues including West End theatres, The London Eye and the O2 Arena to venues in the USA, Europe and New Zealand. Martin Austin MBE, who set up Nimbus Disability eight years ago, explained: “We have outgrown our previous offices in Pride Park and needed somewhere with the space and accessible facilities that our growing team needs. “We have particularly seen increased numbers of Access Card applications since we were recognised with The Queen’s Award for Innovation two years ago and our members now make at least 2.5 million visits a year using this invaluable service. “Our innovative Access Card scheme is improving the lives of thousands of disabled people across the UK and across the globe – opening up the opportunity for them to visit and engage with events and destinations and enabling them to play a more participative role in society. “These high quality offices will therefore pave the way for future growth as we onboard even more venue and event partners and the benefits of the Access Card are further recognised by disabled people both in the UK and abroad.” As a social enterprise, Nimbus Disability was established to donate most of their profits for a social or environmental purpose. At the official opening of the new offices, Mr Austin announced that £340,000 had been donated back to its sister charity Disability Direct in 2022/23 which provides information and advice service for disabled people, older people and carers and is the East Midlands’ largest user-led charity. Disability Direct CEO Dr. Amo Raju OBE DL congratulated the Nimbus Disability team on their success so far. He said: “We are incredibly proud of the growth and direction of travel which Nimbus is experiencing. “Whilst we naturally welcome the yearly donation for our vital projects for disabled people in the community, we are equally thrilled it’s meeting a genuine need nationally too. We’re looking forward to see Nimbus thrive and reach even greater heights.”

Purpose Media appoints senior account manager

Stuart Pearcey
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Purpose Media appoints senior account manager

Chris Lockwood has been appointed Senior Account Manager with the South Normanton-based agency Purpose Media, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the business after his time representing clients such as Barclays, Sony and Legal & General.

The University of Derby graduate had previously worked in marketing roles with Sports Direct, Punch Communications and Derby City Council and also operated as a freelance consultant.

HE said: “I’m really passionate about what we do and about using our expertise to really add value for our clients.

“The digital marketing sector is fast-paced and constantly evolving, which means we need to be forward-thinking, sometimes we need to be brave, and we always need to be creative.”

Chris’s career highlights to date include working with Sony Xperia mobile phones, running paid media and content campaigns to boost sales across the company’s European territories. He also helped Sports Direct to launch of the 2017 Liverpool FC home kit, with a strategy which included asset creation, email marketing and paid media.

Purpose Media MD Matt Wheatcroft said: “Chris’s track record is impressive; he’s achieved great results for many blue-chip clients and he’s massively enthusiastic about doing the same for the businesses we advise. We’re sure that Chris will be a great addition to the Purpose team.”

‘It’s wonderful’, says Chesterfield woman named amongst UK’s most impressive businesswomen

Stuart Pearcey
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‘It’s wonderful’, says Chesterfield woman named amongst UK’s most impressive businesswomen
Chesterfield business owner Lucinda White has been crowned one of the UK’s most impressive female entrepreneurs by Small Business Britain. Lucinda, who founded Pure Awards, a boutique award writing and content agency in 2005 is being profiled among 100 inspirational female entrepreneurs from across the country, as part of the campaign to celebrate the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK. She said: “I am thrilled to be recognised in this award and campaign for 2024. For the last three years I have had a client feature in the #IAlso 100 so it is really wonderful to be on the list for this year too. I am excited to get to know all the other wonderful female entrepreneurs in this community as the year unfolds. 2024 is going to be a fantastic year!”. From AI companies to female-run tradeswoman platforms and sustainable fashion designers, the Small Business Britain f:Entrepreneur ‘#IAlso100’ line-up particularly showcases trailblazing female founders who lead purpose-driven businesses alongside a roster of other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support. Lucinda was also called out for her success as a winning award writer, enabling businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the UK to benefit from hundreds of finalist positions and wins using her writing skills. She has also helped charities raise over £750,000 for good causes through grant applications and created content to showcase local and national brands. All of this whilst running a busy home and bringing up her two daughters with husband Matt. Launched in 2017 by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK – the f:Entrepreneur campaign aims to raise greater awareness of the impact of incredible female business owners across the country, and help provide inspiration and role models to the wider small business community.

Leicester wealth management company sees growth despite “complex macroeconomic backdrop”

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Leicester wealth management company sees growth despite “complex macroeconomic backdrop”
Revenue and pre-tax profits are on the rise at Mattioli Woods, the specialist wealth and asset management business, as demand increases for wealth management and financial planning advice driven by proposed pension and investment reforms, and market conditions. According to interim results for the six months ended 30 November 2023, revenue was up 8% to £59.1m, in comparison to £54.9m in the same period of the year prior. Meanwhile profit before tax grew 60% to £7.6m, up from £4.8m.

Ian Mattioli MBE, Chief Executive Officer, said: “The first six months of this financial year saw the Group deliver improved organic growth despite the complex macroeconomic backdrop that persisted throughout the period.

“Our priority remains the delivery of profitable organic growth and we are pleased to report further progress towards our medium-term strategic goals, with revenue of £59.1m up 8% on the equivalent period last year (1H23: £54.9m) driven by positive performance across our pensions advice and administration, employee benefits and investment management operating segments. 

“The success of our new business initiatives, combined with our expanding product range and the strength of existing client referrals resulted in organic revenue growth of 4% despite a 0.4% reduction in the value of total client assets to £15.2bn.

“The Group’s improved organic growth resulted from a combination of clients’ demand for advice and proactive communication by advisers, with a 13% increase in the value of new clients on boarded in the first half versus the equivalent period last year.

“The Group’s strong, integrated business model facilitates multiple engagement points in providing a holistic service to our clients and to generate multiple revenue streams to facilitate future revenue growth.

“The combination of improved organic growth, positive contributions from recent acquisitions and continued cost management delivered 10% growth in adjusted EBITDA to £16.5m (1H23: £15.0m).

“Profit before tax was up 60% to £7.6m (1H23: £4.8m), in part due to reduced deferred consideration payments recognised as remuneration expense under IFRS 3 of £2.5m (1H23: £3.9m) and lower acquisition-related costs of £0.3m (1H23: £0.5m), while adjusted profit before tax was up 15% to £15.6m (1H23: £13.5m) after adding back acquisition-related costs, platform project costs, deferred consideration recognised as an expense and amortisation of acquired intangible assets of £4.2m (1H23: £3.9m).          

“We believe the benefits of operating a responsibly integrated business allows us to secure great client outcomes while delivering strong, sustainable shareholder returns over the long term. The Board remains committed to a progressive dividend, while maintaining an appropriate level of dividend cover. Accordingly, the Board is pleased to announce an interim dividend of 9.0p per share (1H23: 8.8p) up 2.3%, demonstrating our desire to deliver value to shareholders.

“The first half of the financial year has seen the Group deliver a resilient trading performance against a complex macroeconomic backdrop. We plan to build on this position, advancing our key strategic initiatives: new business generation, investing in our adviser academy training programmes, developing our investment proposition, developing new products and services, reviewing our processes, and investing in technology to deliver operational efficiencies and growth through the integration of strategic acquisitions.

“Our trading outlook for the year remains in line with management’s expectations and we believe the Group remains well-positioned to take advantage of the growth opportunities in the UK wealth market and deliver sustainable returns for our stakeholders.”

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