Swedish medical technology manufacturer chooses Derby for new HQ
Swedish medical technology manufacturer Getinge has revealed plans to establish a new Global Centre of Excellence for Chemistry and UK headquarters at St. Modwen Park Derby. Within the facility, the MedTech company will bring together its chemistry and instrument decontamination business, as well as its UK sales offices, service functions and logistics operations.
Getinge, which acquired Derby-based Quadralene in 2020, will be operational within the state-of-the-art, sustainable 78,000 sq ft building in August 2023.
The site will also feature Getinge’s new Global Centre of Excellence for Chemistry – a department focused on chemistry and instrument disinfection which is led by a dedicated research and development team. Complete with microbiologists and full-time chemists, the centre aims to create new products and solutions for the healthcare industry.
A new training academy will also form part of the new headquarters, allowing the company to supplement the current expertise of its specialist workforce with the brightest young talent available in the region.
Finally, a dedicated showroom will also be installed to allow Getinge to showcase the wide variety of products across its portfolio – from operating tables and ventilators through to the decontamination products it supplies globally across the medical industry.
Following support from Derby City Council and Marketing Derby, Getinge becomes the first global MedTech company to move into St. Modwen Park Derby following a £46.5m investment by St. Modwen Logistics to regenerate 67 acres of brownfield land and initially develop four high-quality warehouse spaces totalling more than 300,000 sq ft.
As with all the buildings on the first phase of the Park, Getinge’s new headquarters has been rated as ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM – the certification body for sustainable construction – and comes complete with an EPC A rating to demonstrate the building’s energy efficiency.
“By relocating to this new, larger facility we continue to execute on our strategic ambition to widen our Infection Control portfolio towards consumables, developed and manufactured inhouse, which will make our financial performance more robust and sustainable,” says Bob Newsome, Managing Director, Centre of Excellence Chemistry at Getinge.
“We are very excited about this opportunity and believe this merger of all our facilities in the UK will greatly benefit our business as well as our customers,” says Avril Forde, president North Europe Region at Getinge. “At the new site we will also incorporate our training academy and a showroom to display our detergents and disinfectants as well as other solutions from the Getinge portfolio.”
Robert Richardson, development director, St. Modwen Logistics, added: “This deal has been a real triumph for teamwork and relationships. St. Modwen Logistics has been working with Bob and his team for more than three years to understand the businesses needs of Getinge to ensure that we developed the type of versatile building necessary to support their operations. We are thrilled to finally be able to welcome another great manufacturer into St. Modwen Park Derby.
“This deal would also not have been possible were it not for the support received by Marketing Derby and Derby City Council and we must also express our gratitude and thanks to them for their efforts.”
Councillor Chris Poulter, leader of Derby City Council, added: “This is another brilliant piece of news for Derby. Within the space of two weeks we’ve been able to announce investment from not one but two industry leaders who have chosen to put down roots at St Modwen Park Derby.
“Getinge is an internationally recognised industry leader, serving hospitals and life science institutions across the world and we’re thrilled that they have chosen to invest into our city, creating more jobs, providing a boost to our economy and continuing to put Derby on the map as prime location for investment.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Getinge to Derby.”
John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “This is a really important investment that delivers genuine growth in a long-standing local company, as well as significant international investment in Derby.
“We first met with the Getinge team at our London Embassy in 2021 and have been working closely with our colleagues at the city council, as well as St. Modwen Logistics and Innes England, to land this.
“Getinge is a £2.5 billion turnover MedTech company, which we believe will thrive in Derby and bring significant benefits to the city.”
Derby-based Innes England is marketing the site alongside the Birmingham office of Savills. Nick Hosking, director, Innes England, said: “Take-up within Derby’s industrial sector has reached a record high over the last 12 months, with St Modwen’s delivery of 300,000 sq ft of new build Grade A supply in the first phase at SMPD helping to satisfy pent-up demand from within the local market. Attracting Getinge to the scheme is great news for Derby, enabling their continued expansion and securing hi-tech jobs within the city.”
The substantial fit-out of the unit is being managed by Jonathan Heath of Derby-based Armsons Barlow and is due to complete in August 2023.
Burton waste and recycling firm secures significant reappointments
Burton waste and recycling firm, Willshee’s has secured two significant reappointments with Hobbycraft and Brunel Healthcare.
Hobbycraft has reappointed Willshee’s as their sole waste and recycling partner after a successful first term. With over 110 stores and more than 200,000 product lines, Hobbycraft’s has a 220,000 square foot national distribution centre in Burton employing 300 staff.
Anthony Oldfield is retail operations manager for Hobbycraft’s Burton national distribution centre. He says: “Working with the Willshee’s team as our total waste management partner is bringing many benefits to our business.
“They take a very proactive approach which is refreshing as well as being hugely advantageous. Through their investments and industry relationships, Willshee’s has introduced better routes for recycling wood, hard plastics and glass which have reduced some of our costs.”
Brunel Healthcare is a leading manufacturer of vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements. Based in Swadlincote and employing 500 people across four sites, the company specialises in private label and contract manufacture of shelf-ready goods for the global marketplace.
Brunel has reappointed Willshee’s to provide total waste management across all four sites – including the supply of onsite compactors and balers. This means Brunel can now recycle in the most effective and cost-efficient way.
Brunel Healthcare warehouse & services manager Colin Sturgess has been working with Willshee’s for nearly 10 years, and said: “We enjoy a really productive and rewarding partnership approach with the Willshee’s team. Despite working together for nearly a decade, the standard of account management is consistently excellent.
“We’re always looking at new ways to further improve our carbon footprint and environmental legacy and Willshee’s continue to re-evaluate our waste streams and look for new and innovative solutions. This really adds value.
“For example, some of our waste now goes to an anaerobic digestion plant rather than becoming Refuse Derived Fuel. Anaerobic digestion is higher up the waste hierarchy, recycling more and reducing our levels of general waste – which is good news for us, and good news for the environment.”
European success for Nottingham PR agency
A Nottingham-based PR agency has won the top award at an event to celebrate the best marketing across Europe.
Motive PR, which is based in Lenton, was named Content Marketing Agency of the Year at the European Content Awards 2023.
The agency delivers digital PR and content marketing campaigns for a range of e-commerce brands including MuscleFood.com and Quotezone.co.uk.
They were handed the gong after judges heard of the agency’s growth and its record-breaking results for clients during 2022.
During the year Motive’s digital PR team won 14,259 media backlinks for clients which worked out at 40 links for each client per month on average.
They helped several e-commerce sites to double organic traffic during the year with many also reporting record growth during that period.
The European Content Awards were judged by a panel of marketing experts from across the UK and EU including senior managers from brands such as Microsoft, Virgin and IKEA.
In a statement, they praised Motive saying: “This is a small agency with their sights set on big things!”
Motive founder Steve McComish said: “We are riding the crest of a wave at the moment and it’s fantastic to share our success with others. Three years ago, we rebranded our agency with a new name, Motive PR, and a clear focus on digital PR and content marketing for ambitious e-commerce brands.
“We decided only to take on work we’d be proud to tell our mums about and to politely turn away any leads which didn’t fill us with joy. We concentrated on wowing clients with results beyond their wildest dreams and measured all our outputs, compiling comprehensive reports of all our campaigns.
“In 2022 we grew our fee income by 43% which was well beyond our targets. To add further context 2021 was already the biggest year we had ever had so to do almost half as much again was a huge achievement.
“Our results also continued to get better and our content earned a massive 14,259 links for clients – well over a thousand links each month. It works out at 475 links for every client we worked with on average – that is almost 40 a month.
“But we didn’t just deliver on quantity we also smashed it with quality with links coming in from some of the web’s highest authority domains including the BBC news website which is about as good as it gets for SEO.
“Being named best agency in all of Europe really is a little surreal but we are incredibly grateful to the judges for this recognition and we hope it will help us push on to even greater heights this year.”
Derby tech firm lands £3m contract with global industrial brand
Bloc Digital has signed a £3 million contract with a global industrial brand for its expertise.
The CG visualisation and digital solutions specialist has signed a three-year retainer agreement, which will see it provide its knowledge, skills and services.
The Derby firm said it has already been providing comprehensive creative, media and technology support for the client for a number of years.
According to the company, the new agreement will drive further collaboration between Bloc Digital and the global client, including across the UK, US, Asia and emerging markets.
Keith Cox, co-founder of Bloc Digital, said: “Bound by strict NDAs, we can’t disclose the name of the client, but I can say how proud we are to have an industry leader formally recognise the value of our unique and extensive mix of skills – investing in our creative, multi-media content and digital technology expertise.”
In recent years, Bloc has strengthened its portfolio across the client’s subsidiaries and worldwide locations, including concepting and creating brand collateral, AR (Augmented Reality) experiences, detailed 3D animations and interactive virtual platforms for product launches, exhibitions, and sales and marketing activity.
Chris Hotham, co-founder of Bloc Digital, said: “This contract also demonstrates how our commitment to delivering impactful, high-quality results while balancing costs is providing our clients with a real edge.
“It’s this combination of values, industrial expertise, and range of digital skills – something they described as being challenging to find within one company – that attracted this global brand to strengthening its relationship with us.”
Self Assessment income tax receipts reach record level, up by 33% year-on-year
New figures from the ONS show that income tax collected by HMRC via Self Assessment rose by 33% year-on-year to a record £21.9bn in January, helping to push public sector net borrowing into a higher than expected surplus of £5.4bn.
Meanwhile, the overall tax take for the month reached its highest level of £106.5bn, 19% up on the same month last year.
According to the ONS, January’s high annual self-assessed tax receipts were partly offset by substantial spending on energy support schemes.
Commenting on the latest figures, Dawn Register, BDO’s Head of Tax Dispute Resolution said: “After a record 11.7m tax returns were filed by the 31 January deadline, HMRC will have been expecting high tax collection figures for January.
“Despite this achievement for HMRC, these record figures for Self Assessment income tax payments also reflect the impact of frozen tax thresholds, and the subsequent increase in the number of people being pulled into the Self Assessment tax net.
“Those who missed the 31 January filing deadline should ensure their returns are filed as soon as possible as penalties will already apply.
“While January’s figures have boosted the public finances, what today’s figures don’t show is that the level of outstanding tax debt owed to the Exchequer also rose. The latest statistics released earlier this month show that tax debt rose by 22% year-on-year to reach £48bn as at the end of December 2022.
“Clearly there are taxpayers whose economic circumstances mean that they will need to agree Time to Pay arrangements with HMRC.
“But if HMRC were better resourced to tackle persistent and deliberate non-payers and prevent more tax avoidance, the public finances would be in a much better shape and the tax burden on those paying promptly could ease. This should be a priority for the Chancellor at the March Budget.”
An exciting new era for the White Hart Hotel
Positive changes are underway at the iconic White Hart Hotel in Lincoln’s historic Bailgate, with the recent appointment of a new General Manager and an imminent programme for a full transformation of the hotel with a sensitive and comprehensive refurbishment scheme.
The hotel’s owner, local businessman Andrew Long, said: “Since acquiring the White Hart Hotel in July 2022, the intention has always been to maximise the full trading potential and to enhance the status of the full range of facilities. Our extensive refurbishment will respect the centuries of heritage in the building and its exceptional location.
“To now have a confirmed date for the commencement of the works is very exciting for the future of the White Hart, as well as a further ‘milestone’ for Lincoln’s historic Bailgate and the surrounding Uphill area.
“We believe that the hotel will become one of the very best in the region, as well as remaining a popular and welcoming venue for our loyal guests, many of whom have known the hotel for several decades and generations.”
The hotel will close for the extensive refurbishment and improvement works for three months from 1st March and is scheduled for reopening in June. The work will include a complete refurbishment and ‘refit’ of the main Lounge Bar, as well as the addition of a new Club Bar and a relocated Reception. At the same time, the contractors will complete a sensitive refurbishment of the ground and first floor function rooms, inclusive of the former Orangery / Eastgate Suite and King Richard Room.
There will also be a significant reconfiguration of the Restaurant, which will be ‘rebranded’ and re-launched in July. This will include an impressive new frontage onto Bailgate, appropriately elevating the venue as a sophisticated ‘special occasion’ dining destination in its own right, offering high standards of cuisine with extensive use of local produce.
Six bedrooms will be re-launched at the start of June, with the other 44 bedrooms and suites to be refurbished in a ‘rolling programme’ throughout the remainder of the year.
There is also a full re-branding project being undertaken in conjunction with renowned illustrator Chris Mitchell (who has been instrumental in many iconic designs for world-famous brands), which has already commenced in readiness for the reopening of the hotel.
Paul Noble joined the team as new General Manager in mid-January, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the White Hart. Having worked in hotels and restaurants across the country, ranging from country houses to some of London’s finest eateries, he will oversee the preparation for the reopening in conjunction with the senior members of the full project team.
Paul said: “There’s nowhere quite like the White Hart and the uniqueness of this hotel is something which I’m very excited about. The world class location and the future potential are what have drawn me to this role and it’s going to be one of the most sought-after Cathedral city hotels in the country once the refurbishment has taken place.”
Andrew added: “Paul brings a huge amount of experience and energy to the role of General Manager. His appointment will be instrumental to the full delivery of our objectives to create a substantial jewel in Lincoln’s crown.”
Interior design concepts are being handled by the nationally renowned DO Design team. Director, Sarah Daniels, said: “Visiting Lincoln and the White Hart, we were struck by the need to reflect the heritage and innate features that may have been lost over time through previous renovations. We want to bring back a deep, warm feel and the colours and aesthetic choices we’ve planned will give a look that is both sympathetic to the building’s history without taking it back in time.
“This will also be supported by a suitable choice of varied furniture and antiques.”
Building work is to be undertaken by the Lindum Group in conjunction with many other Lincoln-based companies, project managed by Luxury Hotel Management, working in conjunction with John Robert Architects, Building & Quantity specialists P&BC, together with Banks, Long & Co.
New £741k Library Learning Facility set for Stapleford
A project to create a new £741k educational facility for people in Stapleford will begin next month.
The Library Learning Facility project is one of six regeneration projects being funded through the £21.1m Stapleford Towns Fund.
The existing town library, owned by the County Council, and run by Inspire will be remodelled, creating more space for new entry level skills education and training, allowing residents with little or no formal qualifications to take their first step, within their local community, on their lifelong learning journey.
Inspire, which delivers culture, learning and libraries on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, aims to support up to 1,000 local people with new skills over the next three years as well as providing community and family learning opportunities.
The reconfiguration will be delivered by Inspire with the Arc Partnership, a joint venture between Nottinghamshire County Council and SCAPE formed in 2016 to support and develop their property portfolio.
Phase one will begin in mid-March to create three new training rooms opening in June 2023. The library layout will be updated to make way for the learning facilities but will still accommodate the same amount of book stock as well as computers, floor space for children and exhibitions.
Ian Jowett, chair of the Stapleford Towns Board, said: “It’s great news that our plans have been approved to improve the education and learning provision in our town and help our people fulfil their learning and earning potential. The library’s a great local resource and this project will give it a new lease of life, making sure it remains at the heart of our great community.”
Peter Gaw, Inspire CEO, said: “We are excited to have this opportunity to improve education and learning for local residents to fulfil their learning and earning potential. We are delighted that we can provide three new learning spaces without compromising the library offer. We hope the new facilities will attract users new and old to use the space whether it be for learning, borrowing, events or community use.”
Councillor John Cottee, Cabinet Member for Communities at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The development of new learning spaces and our expanded learning offer at Stapleford library is a great opportunity for local residents to improve their skills and wellbeing on their doorstep. With a focus on entry level skills, we hope to see lots of learners start their learning journey with Inspire improving their employment prospects.”
Architect appointed to revamp auctioneers’ flagship site
Matthew Montague Architects has been appointed to revamp and extend the flagship site of Hanson Auctioneers.
The firm has been called in to design the upgraded premises at Etwall, providing it with an overall facelift and increasing space.
After a space-planning exercise, Matthew Montague Architects has finalised designs to re-organise the building, relocate the offices, improve the customer experience and maximise available space.
Paul Myers, the architect leading the project, said: “We have designed a two-story extension to be used as offices to replace the portacabin offices currently occupied by staff.
“We have also included meeting rooms, reconfigured the layout to maximize space, and designed a grand new entrance.”
Planning permission will now be sought from South Derbyshire District Council.
Hanson Auctioneers was founded in 2015 by antiques expert Charles Hanson, who is also a regular on television shows such as Flog It, Antiques Road Trip, and Bargain Hunt.
Matthew Montague said: “This is a great client for the practice; 2023 will mark our 25th year in business, we are well-known for our sports, education and residential projects, but in parallel we are equally pleased to be continuing to reinforce our portfolio of commercial work all across the Midlands.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Hansons.”
Charles said: “Matthew designed an elegant extension to my home; the addition to our period property was exactly what we wanted, and the new build blended seamlessly with the existing, suiting the house perfectly.
“Following that, I gave Matthew Montague Architects the approval to remodel the Etwall showroom. We are very excited for our business as we move into this new stage.”
Chesterfield open for business as Council approves new growth strategy
An ambitious plan which sets out a long-term vision for economic growth – including a focus on quality jobs for local people, access to higher level skills, and environmental sustainability – has been approved by Chesterfield Borough Council.
The new four-year Growth strategy (2023 – 2027) represents a long-term commitment from the council to make Chesterfield a thriving borough by strengthening local skills provision, supporting local businesses and further cementing Chesterfield’s role as a visitor destination.
It builds on the success of the last decade which has seen the creation of more than 2000 new jobs and more than 500 new businesses operating in the area, along with significant regeneration and investment across the borough.
The strategy – which was approved at a meeting of the full council on Wednesday 22 February – also has environmental sustainability at its heart, supporting the target of becoming a carbon neutral borough by 2050.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “This strategy is vital to ensuring our borough remains a thriving place to live and work, where everyone has the opportunity to boost their skills, and has access to quality jobs.
“It’s also crucial that we build environmental considerations into our long-term plans, as part of our ongoing commitment to create a sustainable borough for future generations and ensuring we do all we can to reduce carbon emissions.
“The plan builds on our successes over the last ten years including the creation of more than 2000 jobs, and with over 500 new businesses operating in the area.”
The strategy includes five key objectives, which are:
- Help businesses to grow and secure new business investment in the borough.
- Build a competitive place infrastructure that accelerates employment and housing growth.
- Strengthen the distinctive character and vibrancy of our town centres
- Develop Chesterfield’s role as a visitor destination and as a base for exploring the surrounding area.
- Ensure local people have the right skills to support progression in the labour market and benefit from future employment opportunities.
93,000 sq ft distribution facility completes in Burton
To meet continued demand for well-connected distribution space close to consumers, Goodman has completed a 93,000 sq ft high-specification facility at Centrum Logistics Park, Burton-upon-Trent.
This latest development builds on Goodman’s long-term investment at Centrum Logistics Park, having previously delivered the largest drive-through distribution centre in Europe for Palletforce.
Centrum 93 is built to a Grade A specification, with 1MVA of power capable of running investments in technology and automation, a 10m clear internal height, and office space, offering customers flexibility and supporting operational efficiency.
The sustainable property will help businesses to achieve energy efficiencies and have a lower carbon footprint, contributing to ongoing cost savings. Achieving an A-rated energy performance certification (EPC), the property features a solar PV system of 100kWp to generate clean energy, LED lighting to improve efficiency, and electric vehicle (EV) charging points and EV infrastructure to enable the next generation of vehicle fleets.
Nigel Dolan, development director at Goodman, said: “Strategically located distribution and logistics space provides essential infrastructure for businesses seeking to improve supply chain efficiency, reduce costs and lead times. A sustainable property in a Grade A location means that Centrum 93 provides customers with space to support their own long term sustainability and growth ambitions.”
