Stirlin marks new era of expansion with latest hire
Lincoln contractor, Stirlin, has welcomed Jayne Southall to its team as business development manager.
The creation of the role marks a new era of expansion for Stirlin. For over 15 years, the company’s focus has been exclusively on serving private clients and joint venture development partners. However, this move signifies a strategic step toward embracing new opportunities with external clients.
With an impressive background as CEO of the Lincolnshire Showground spanning over a decade, Jayne brings with her an extensive network of contacts and important relationships across Lincolnshire.
In her new role as business development manager, Jayne will be strengthening important relationships with Stirlin’s clients and championing the company’s pursuit of external contracts.
Jayne’s career journey spans various domains, including sales, operational management, and financial responsibilities within the construction sector. Beginning her professional journey in the timber import industry, she later transitioned to the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society in 2006, taking on the role of finance and administration manager. Her dedication and expertise led her to rise to the role of CEO in 2011, where she was responsible for all aspects of the society’s commercial and charitable activities including overall responsibility for the Lincolnshire Show and the Showground Events Business.
Reflecting on her new role, Jayne shares: “I am delighted to embark on this journey as the business development manager at Stirlin. Having steered the Lincolnshire Showground through the pandemic, I decided it was time to look for a new challenge.
“I’m looking forward to the collaborative strides we will take together at Stirlin. I’m eager to reconnect with familiar faces and forge new connections to contribute to the company’s growth as it opens up to external contracting.”
Tony Lawton, Managing Director of Stirlin, says: “We are delighted to welcome Jayne as a valuable new addition to the Stirlin team. Jayne will play a pivotal role in Stirlin’s continued growth and fostering fresh opportunities. We’re looking forward to seeing where this next chapter will take Stirlin.”
HMV owner’s bid for wilko takes steps forward
The owner of HMV is said to be moving closer to putting forward a deal in the battle to save Nottinghamshire retailer wilko.
The firm’s administrators, PwC, have started consulting creditors on the terms of a deal which would see Doug Putman save roughly 8,500 jobs, according to Sky News.
Putman is reportedly intending to acquire over 300 of wilko’s 400 shops. It would however still leave thousands of staff without jobs.
A creditor quoted by Sky News said: “It’s still in the balance but it is beginning to look more positive that a deal can get done.”
The potential deal comes after M2 Capital’s bid for the company fell through and follows PwC confirming a raft of redundancies.
Get your tickets for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 – an evening of celebration and networking
With nominations now CLOSED for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, secure your tickets for the prestigious event!
Taking place on Thursday 28 September, at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, the highly anticipated East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 will celebrate the region’s property and construction industry while providing a prime opportunity to connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks.
The event will additionally feature Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, as keynote speaker.
To be held at:
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours.
Attend the event 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.
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:
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Solar farm gets planning approval
Loughborough-based specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie has played a lead role in securing planning permission for a new 80 acre solar panel farm in Warwickshire.
Novus Renewable Services, a UK solar PV development company, has been granted permission by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council to develop, construct and operate a solar project at Tolldish Hall Farm, North East of Aldermans Green.
The local plan for Nuneaton and Bedworth states that 14,000 new houses will be needed within the area between 2024 and 2039. The new solar farm will generate 25MW of electricity, which will be fed back to the grid. This is sufficient to power 7,091 homes, resulting in over half of the planned new housing being supplied by green energy.
The site has been carefully selected and designed through a detailed assessment process considering grid availability, heritage, landscape & amenity, ecology & environmental designations, access, and agricultural land quality.
Hamish Byers, head of sustainable energy at Mather Jamie, said: “There is significant growth in the renewable energy market and planning committees seem to be supportive of projects as long as their impact on the local environment meet biodiversity net gain BNG criteria. Solar farms also enable farmers to diversify and create additional revenue in an agricultural industry which is under significant pressure.”
The solar farm will be seeded with an appropriate grassland mix and suitable for animal grazing within a fenced area. The margins of the site outside the fencing will be used for other habitat enhancements such as wildflower seeding with the aim to boost the biodiversity both on and off site. Footpaths will also be retained to ensure local communities can continue to enjoy the countryside.
Hamish added: “The UK has a target to be net zero by 2050 and this development at Tolldish Hall Farm will serve a key role in the vital transition towards using renewable energy. The conversion of the land from monoculture cropping to grassland mix will also have a significant biodiversity uplift.”
Hamish is working on a significant number of other renewable energy projects across the UK. The combined energy production from these schemes (if all are successful at planning) will produce enough electricity supply to power in the region of 400,000 to 500,000 homes.
Leicestershire vehicle parts supplier firm revs up for growth
A Melton Mowbray business specialising in supplying and distributing vehicle accident repair parts is motoring towards further growth with support from HSBC UK.
Trade Vehicle Parts will use the seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK to source and secure a growing number of vehicle parts such as bonnets and bumpers globally, ensuring customers have more options available when seeking repairs to their vehicles.
The funding package will enable Trade Vehicle Parts to import core stock from countries around the world including Taiwan, China, and Poland. The deal also sees the business utilise HSBC UK’s Global Wallet. This multi-currency virtual account allows Trade Vehicle Parts to make and receive international payments using local account details, making it easier to purchase car parts in bulk, lowering costs and increasing revenue.
The funding package from HSBC UK also includes a refinancing of the commercial mortgage for its 17000 sq ft Melton Mowbray headquarters.
The deal with HSBC UK is expected to result in a 50 percent increase in turnover for Trade Vehicle Parts over the next three years, building on the steady growth the company have experienced up to now.
Deyan Petrovski, owner & director at Trade Vehicle Parts, said: “This funding from HSBC UK is a crucial milestone in our growth journey. Operating in an industry where working closely with international suppliers is so important, we are grateful for the ability to maximise our cashflow due to HSBC’s international footprint.”
Kim King, deputy area director at HSBC UK, added: “Trade Vehicle Parts is an ambitious business which provides a fantastic and essential service to vehicle owners and organisations across the country. We’re pleased to assist the business’s growth with domestic and international support.”
BakeAway bolsters senior leadership team
BakeAway has appointed Marc Garcia as its new UK operations director, who brings with him a wealth of expertise and leadership to further elevate the brand’s growth in the UK market.
Based in Corby, Northamptonshire, BakeAway is a manufacturer of pastry and dough, supplying grocery retailers with private label products including puff pastry, shortcrust pastry, pizza dough and cookie dough.
Marc’s extensive knowledge, following 30 years’ experience, makes him the ideal candidate to lead BakeAway’s UK operations and oversee the development of the brand.
Discussing plans for his role, Marc said: “I jumped at the opportunity to work for BakeAway, especially during this period of growth for the organisation.
“I consider myself fortunate to lead BakeAway during this pivotal phase, with a focus on investing further in our people, buildings and machinery, as they are the backbone of our success.”
Garcia joins BakeAway after serving as operations director for Barry Callebaut in his previous position, where he played a pivotal role in streamlining operations and driving efficiency.
Star Trust announces next round of grant support
East Midlands charity, Star Trust, is now accepting bids from East Midlands charities to support the life-changing work they do in local communities.
Star Trust is run by local business owners and entrepreneurs and supports good causes in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Rutland.
Since its launch ten years ago, Star Trust has supported 106 charities with a total of £798,763 and directly touched the lives of over 56,000 people in the East Midlands area.
The latest recipients recently received funding cheques totalling nearly £20,000. They are the British Disabled Angling Association, TwentyTwenty, Hope for Hunger, Lamp and Home Start Newark.
The next major fundraising event is the Star Trust annual ball which is set to raise over £100,000 and the charity is keen to hear from local charities who need their support.
Star Trust founder Steve Hampson said: “We organise up to three high profile events a year and all the money raised is then granted to small charities across the East Midlands region who apply for funding.
“The generosity of business owners and entrepreneurs across the region makes a huge difference to local charities of all sizes whose services are in such high demand from vulnerable individuals and families in our local communities.
“The application process is very straightforward so that it is accessible to even the smallest of charities and we look forward to helping even more organisations in the coming year.”
Car dealership drives into Burton
Commercial property agents Rushton Hickman have let a 2,466 sq ft industrial unit close to the town centre of Burton upon Trent.
The industrial unit forms part of a terrace on Millers Lane and is accessed from Derby Street with other industrial units and premises close by.
The new tenants of the premises are Apex Auto Hub who have taken it on as their new home. The car dealership trading in new and used cars and light motor vehicles are a family run business with many years of experience in the motor trade.
Property agent Taylor Millington said: “We previously sold this unit to the current landlord and it was great to be retained as the letting agent when their tenant gave notice to leave. After bringing the unit to the market, as anticipated it proved very popular, with numerous viewings and enquiries.
“We were able to agree a deal very quickly to ensure that there was no void period for our client. It’s excellent to see an established business set up in the local area as well as knowing that our client has a fully let investment.”
Speedy sale delivered for Prigmore Haulage
A “quick and easy” sale of Prigmore Haulage Ltd, overseen by KBS Corporate, has been praised by the family of the company’s founders, who are now able to retire.
Started in 2000 as a sole tradership by Patricia Prigmore, the Wellingborough-based business has expanded from having a single van delivering hazardous loads for local customers to becoming a limited company with a fleet ranging from 7.5-tonne vehicles up to 44-tonne artics.
Patricia and Kenneth Prigmore have now had their retirement plans enabled by a partial share-sale to Explore Transport and Plant Hire, which is based in Worksop with depots around England, most of which are in the Midlands.
Katherine Prigmore, daughter-in-law of the founders and who joined the business in 2015, is staying on with her husband, Richard.
“The partial sale of Prigmore Haulage Ltd has allowed my in-laws to retire and my husband and myself to continue running the company,” said Katherine. “We have partnered up with a larger company with aspirations to continue to grow on a larger scale than we could have imagined.”
Adam Nelson, KBS Corporate deal executive, added: “Prigmore Haulage stood out as it has a strong 20-years-plus history which has helped it to develop a great reputation.
“Through achieving a deal, Patricia and Kenneth Prigmore are now able to step back and retire, while Katherine and Richard can accelerate the business forward with the partial share-sale. I believe this has allowed the family to meet their expectations and move on to their next chapter.
“Explore Transport’s interest was discovered through KBS and we have achieved a very timely deal due to great efforts from all involved. I’m happy we have achieved the deal the Prigmore family were looking for and I’m excited to see how the business develops. I wish all parties the best of luck moving forward.”
Support and expertise on the deal were also provided by Adam Gilbert, Deni Slaveva and Harriet Woolley of AG Corporate Law.
Redundancies made at wilko
While discussions continue with those interested in buying parts of wilko, the business’s administrators have now said it is “clear that no viable offer structure put forward includes the group in its entirety.”
According to PwC it has therefore been necessary to assess the roles required in wilko’s Support Centre in Worksop and distribution centres in Worksop and Newport. It means 269 Support Centre team member roles will be made redundant, effective from close of business on Monday 4 September – with further redundancies across the two distribution centres from early next week (exact numbers to be confirmed).
Furthermore, no viable offers have been received for Kin Limited (Kin), a subsidiary of Wilkinson Hardware Stores Ltd (WHSL). As such, the company has had to close, resulting in the redundancies of its 14 employees – effective from close of business on Monday 4 September.
The administration’s dedicated employee team will continue to work with HR and payroll to provide support to team members, including assisting in the statutory redundancy claims process with the Redundancy Payments Service.
A dedicated helpline also remains in place to ensure employees can address queries they have regarding the process, and company support systems with access to further advice and resources remain active.
The administrators say they will continue to liaise closely with the government, agencies, unions and large employers to help create avenues to further employment opportunities for affected staff.
Jane Steer, joint administrator, said: “It’s with great sadness that we announce these redundancies. We’re incredibly grateful to these team members for the support and dedication they’ve shown to the company, particularly over the last few very difficult weeks.
“We will continue to do all that we can to support staff through this period of difficult upheaval, and to maximise their opportunities for a rapid return to work. Our priority is to ensure that all team members affected by redundancy are assisted in processing their claims with immediate effect.
“We will be circulating correspondence to all staff as soon as possible which will outline the support available to complete redundancy payment forms. Advice and assistance will also be available from Job Centre Plus and other agencies.”
All stores are currently trading and remain open.
