- Walsall – 30 employees – 14th Sept
- Stafford – 20 employees – 12th Sept
- Brownhills – 15 employees – 12th Sept
- Uttoxeter – 9 employees – 14th Sep
52 wilko shops to close as more than 1,300 made redundant
52 wilko store closures have been confirmed as administrators continue to explore the structure, implications and viability of offers received for all or parts of the group.
PwC shared: “It has become clear from these discussions that some stores do not form part of any ongoing interest in the wilko store portfolio.”
The closure of the 52 shops will lead to the redundancies of 1,016 staff. Meanwhile a further 299 redundancies are to be made at two distribution centres in Worksop and Newport.
The final day of trading for the stores will be Tuesday 12 September and Thursday 14 September. For those employed at the distribution centres, redundancy will be effective from close of business on Thursday 7 September.
The news follows an agreement to provide B&M with the option to acquire up to 51 properties, after the administration trading period concludes at those sites.
Edward Williams, joint administrator, said: “In the absence of viable offers for the whole business, very sadly store closures and redundancies of team members from those stores are now necessary, in addition to the already announced redundancies at the support centre and distribution centres.
“We know this has been a deeply unsettling time for everyone concerned and would like to express our gratitude to all wilko team members for the dedication and support they have continued to give the business in the most trying of circumstances.”
Stores closing in the Midlands include:
Gateley sees another year of growth
Gateley, the professional services group, has continued its unbroken record of year-on-year revenue and underlying profit growth.
In audited results for the year ended 30 April 2023 (FY23), the firm hailed a “strong financial performance…through its diversified and resilient business model, benefitting from a full year’s contribution from the prior year’s acquisitions, Adamson Jones Limited and Gateley Smithers Purslow Limited.”
Underlying group revenue hit £162.7m, growing from £137.2m in the year prior, while group underlying profit before tax reached £25.1m, increasing from £21.6m.
Reported group profit before tax however slipped to £16.2m from £26.8m as a result of the IFRS 3 related acquisition accounting treatments.
Rod Waldie, CEO of Gateley, said: “I am very pleased to report another year of growth for Gateley. This is a strong performance, set against a challenging macro-economic backdrop throughout the second half. It is the result of the hard work and dedication of our people allied to a long-term commitment and adherence to the successful execution of our growth through our diversification strategy, building in resilience through design.
“During the year under review, both our legal services teams and consultancy teams performed strongly and we have made further progress in adding breadth and strength to our group, expanding the patent and trade mark attorney offer on our Business Services Platform through the acquisition of Symbiosis.
“Post-Period end, we have added legal services lateral hires to strategically broaden our Business Services Platform dispute resolution teams and have further enhanced our Property Platform with the acquisition of RJA Consultants. Our M&A pipeline for FY24 is encouraging and we will seek to strengthen our Platforms further as opportunities arise.
“Looking forward, we are mindful of ongoing macro-uncertainty and it is difficult to predict market conditions for the rest of FY24. However, our diverse and resilient business model, combined with our proven and consistent track record of delivering strong growth across all economic cycles, means that we have entered FY24 with a positive mindset and cautious optimism.”
Celebrate with the region’s property and construction leaders at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Taking place on Thursday 28 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, a highlight in the business calendar, will celebrate the region’s property and construction industry while providing a brilliant opportunity to connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks.
The prestigious event, taking place from 4:30pm – 7:30pm, will also feature Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, as keynote speaker.
To be held at:
Tickets can be booked for the glittering awards event here.
Attend to see who takes home 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. The overall winner of the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 will also be awarded a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000. After winning deal of the year at last year’s event, Richard Foxon, Managing Director at Newton LDP, said: “My colleague Sam Jones and I thoroughly enjoyed the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022. The event was well attended, with some prestigious awards up for grabs. The evening offered a great opportunity to network with like-minded property folk, whilst enjoying the backdrop of Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Many thanks to all the organisers and sponsors.”
Find out who last year’s winners were here.
East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
When: Thursday 28 September 2023, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: The Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground
Keynote speaker: Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council
Dress code: Standard business attire
Tickets: Available here
Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
East Midlands accountancy firm snapped up by expanding group
Dains Accountants has acquired HSKSG in a move that propels them towards becoming one of the Top 30 firms in the UK.
An accountancy firm in the East Midlands, HSKSG has offices in Nottingham, Derby and Uttoxeter. The business has grown consistently in recent years, buoyed by a commitment to the use of technology, alongside high-quality personal and tailored relationships.
Richard McNeilly, CEO of Dains, said: “We have followed the progress of HSKSG for several years and it became increasingly clear that their approach to client delivery and people development closely aligned with ours. As a long-established firm in the East Midlands, we believe they are ideal partners to support our continued growth in the Midlands.”
Colin Peacock, Managing Director of HSKSG believes the transaction provides the business with an improved client proposition and potential for growth and said: “We have continued to invest in our target markets and our team in recent years and we have always been determined to deliver the best possible service to our loyal clients.
“By joining the Dains Group, our ability to deliver an even broader range of services is enhanced and we look forward to joining the Dains team on this incredibly exciting journey.”
Luke Kingston, partner at Horizon Capital, said: “We are delighted to have supported Richard and Dains on their fifth acquisition and welcome the fantastic team at HSKSG into the Group. This is another exciting addition to the Group which has more than doubled since we first invested, and we look forward to this strong momentum continuing.”
Dains were advised by Dow Schofield Watts and Forward Corporate Finance (Financial Due Diligence), and CMS (Legal). HSKSG were advised by Actons Solicitors.
Thorn Baker grows with new appointments
Thorn Baker, a provider of Construction, Industrial and FM recruitment services, has made three significant new hires.
These appointments are due to an ambitious growth trajectory plan that will help Nottingham-headquartered Thorn Baker strengthen its teams and create a robust infrastructure for the expanding business.
Laura Kirby joins as head of marketing, Scott Ingham as branch manager for Thorn Baker’s new Industrial branch in Mansfield and Laura Ball as business development executive.
As head of marketing, Laura Kirby will be responsible for overseeing all marketing activities including brand strategy, digital marketing and lead generation. She will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop and execute innovative marketing initiates that align with the company’s values and objectives.
Mansfield branch manager, Scott Ingham joins Thorn Baker’s Industrial recruitment team to strengthen its presence in the North Nottinghamshire region and expand its branch network. This strategic move allows for convenient access to its staffing services, ensuring that both clients and candidates in the area can benefit from Scott and his team’s expertise.
Laura Ball joins as business development executive for Thorn Baker’s FM and Industrial teams to expand their portfolios and support the business in its plans. Laura brings with her a wealth of industry experience to enhance its existing business development function.
Paul Jackman, Chief Executive at Thorn Baker, said: “I am delighted to announce our new appointments which I hope demonstrate Thorn Baker’s commitment to excellence and our ongoing efforts to drive growth.
“I am confident that our new hires will be instrumental in achieving our vision and ensuring we have the right infrastructure in place to broaden our service offering and fully meet the needs of our clients and candidates.”
East Midlands manufacturer hails record turnover with £5m increase in sales
Mansfield-based Deanestor, the furniture and fitout specialists, has hailed a strong financial performance with a 35 per cent increase in turnover to £19m and a return to pre-pandemic profit levels, according to its latest accounts which have now been released.
Turnover increased by £5m in the financial year ending 31st December 2022 and operating profit rose to £750,000. Sales of £17.5m have already been secured so far in 2023 with a strong order pipeline which extends into 2025.
Deanestor’s financial performance is now one of the strongest in the FF&E (furniture and fitout) sector and the business has continued to grow across each of its target markets –student accommodation, build-to-rent, healthcare, and education. Its turnover in Scotland increased by 75 per cent since 2021 to over £7m last year.
William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said: “I am pleased to report that we had a solid performance last year and are on target with our growth forecast for 2023.
“We operate in diverse sectors which all remain buoyant despite the economic challenges, and we have maintained high levels of repeat business with some of the UK’s leading contractors and residential developers. This is testament to the hard work and commitment of our teams in Mansfield, Scotland and on site across the country.
“We have a strong foundation on which to grow and are continuing to invest in our people, in new cutting edge manufacturing technology, and in our production facilities and capacity.
“We have continued to grow our business in Scotland, particularly in the school building sector and following our acquisition of the Havelock brands in 2019. This has contributed to a very significant increase in sales in the past year and we have already secured over £6m of orders for Scottish projects so far this year.”
Deanestor has recently expanded its storage facilities to 200,000 sq ft with the addition of two new units in Mansfield.
An additional CNC cutting machine will be installed at its manufacturing centre in Mansfield this autumn to further increase capabilities, which is another significant investment. Twenty new jobs have been created in design, production planning, installation management, production and despatch to support Deanestor’s growth.
New projects include the manufacture and installation of fitted bedroom furniture and kitchens for seven three-storey buildings which are under construction by EQUANS for the University of Birmingham, and a contract worth more than £3m for Robertson Group to fitout a new secondary school campus in Dundee.
Three healthcare projects have recently been completed – a new research centre for cancer care at The Royal Marsden in London, a new mental health facility for South London and Maudsley Hospital, and a £1.5m furniture and fitout contract with Laing O’Rourke for the first phase of the £485m Brighton 3Ts redevelopment of Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Senior appointment at Pick Everard with new national director
Bolstering its consultancy services nationwide, Pick Everard has appointed a new national director to its building services engineering team.
Joining the independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy, Justin Neil brings 24 years of experience to his new role with a background in design and construction, including four years in Doha, Qatar, where he worked closely on its widely celebrated National Library.
Justin’s responsibilities are to lead and develop an industry leading building services team, growing the 90–strong team nationally, and delivering a consultancy service fully aligned with the requirements of its clients.
Talking about his new role, Justin said: “Across the many projects I’ve worked on in my career, I’m still yet to see a wholly cohesive delivery approach done well. It’s one of the key reasons why I’m hugely excited by my new role at Pick Everard.
“The business is structured to focus on responding to clients’ needs uniquely, with one centre of communication and management throughout each project phase which is underpinned by an ethos of delivering better together.
“My varied career and experience abroad has given me a unique, all-round perspective that melds well with Pick Everard’s multi-disciplinary approach. Having worked on all sides of the construction spectrum – for contractors, clients, and consultants – I’m ideally situated to hit the ground running and drive forward our department.”
Beginning his career as an M&E apprentice in 1999, Justin made the move into consultancy in 2006 and holds three degrees to his name; a bachelor’s in building services engineering and two master’s in electrical building services engineering and BIM and integrated design.
A Chartered building services engineer, Justin has most recently held appointments in single service engineering businesses but has chosen to make the move back to a multi-disciplinary consultancy to have greater agency on project delivery in a leadership role – a move that has been welcomed by his colleagues.
Andrew Almond, partner at Pick Everard, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Justin has joined us. I can see that he will fit seamlessly into our senior management team and his talent, experience, and drive will be a real asset to Pick Everard.
“I am looking forward to working alongside Justin, collaborating closely on our objectives to develop our team and to deliver a service of excellence to our clients across the UK and beyond.”
Optima UK appoints head of manufacturing
Recruitment, training, and business advisory firm Optima UK has appointed Will Vigars to the role of head of manufacturing. Will is a seasoned recruitment professional, bringing with him extensive experience in the UK manufacturing, engineering and energy markets.
He is tasked with leading the manufacturing team and is part of the senior management group at the Leicestershire-based business.
Optima UK founder and Chief Executive Larraine Boorman said: “We’re delighted that Will has joined us in this key role.
“He has an impressive track record and I am confident that his expertise and experience will play a big part in helping to accelerate the growth of the business.”
Will has spent more than 15 years in the recruitment industry, specialising in engineering and energy, and in his previous role was a director of a company focused on advanced manufacturing and engineering recruitment.
Will said: “Given Optima’s established reputation and chosen sectors, it was an obvious choice for my experience in the manufacturing, engineering and energy markets.
“Optima’s consultants have a comprehensive operational background, enabling them to support their client base on all types of specialist roles across the manufacturing environment, and it was an exciting prospect to be joining a dedicated team with similar values to my own.
“I know Optima UK has positive expansion plans for the future and a very innovative strategy for growth and development which I hope to play a big part in.
“The existing manufacturing team has a positive mix of experience, character and potential, and I look forward to learning, contributing, and growing our existing operations alongside them.”
BDO welcomes more than 50 trainees in the Midlands
Accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO is welcoming 55 trainees across the Midlands this week in roles across audit, advisory and tax.
The trainees will be a combination of school leaver apprentices and university graduates, with forty-two based in the firm’s Birmingham office and 13 out of its office in Nottingham.
As part of their training programme, the majority of the new joiners will also have opportunity to undertake a level-7 apprenticeship programme, resulting in a qualification equivalent to a master’s degree.
The firm has also hired over 90 industrial placement students to join BDO for 12 months between their second and third year of university, as well as more than 80 summer interns.
BDO is also now in its third year of its targeted virtual insight programmes, delivered as part of its commitment to increasing diversity in the profession. More than 20 students from years 11-13 across the UK, took part in the firm’s Explore BDO programme, targeting students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, whilst 14 students from various universities took part in BDO’s Black heritage programme.
Applications for the firm’s 2024 graduate and school leaver apprentice programmes will open later this month, with more than 700 positions available. More than 500 of this group will join the firm’s audit practice.
Kyla Bellingall, regional managing partner at BDO, said: “The Midlands is home to some of the country’s brightest talent and we’re investing significantly as a firm to provide the career opportunities and pathways that enable young people from all walks of life to access a vibrant and exciting profession, such as accountancy.
“The last few years has seen so much uncertainty as businesses and individuals alike have navigated many challenges. We know that many of these new joiners will have felt the disruptive impact of the last few years, and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements and resilience throughout these difficult circumstances.
“Having joined the accountancy profession as an apprentice myself, straight from school, I’m really pleased to be welcoming a number of school leaver apprentices to the firm. I look forward to supporting all of our new trainees to kickstart their careers and watching them succeed here at BDO.”
B&M to acquire 50 wilko properties in £13m deal
B&M has entered into an agreement with the joint administrators of wilko to acquire up to 51 properties for up to £13m.
The consideration is fully funded from existing cash reserves and the acquisition is not expected to be conditional on any regulatory clearances.
The discount retailer has been one of wilko’s main competitors. It is not yet known whether the shops’ staff will retain their jobs.
Meanwhile, HMV owner, Doug Putman, is understood to still be in talks with administrators, PwC, over a deal, with initial plans to buy around 300 stores hit by difficulties.
The news follows PwC confirming a raft of redundancies.
Wilko collapsed into administration last month (August), putting 12,000 jobs on the line.
The retailer opened its first store in Leicester 93 years ago, and has hosted its HQ in Nottinghamshire for the past half a century.
