Nominate the region’s Most Active Estate Agents for the prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023

Tess Egginton
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Nominate the region’s Most Active Estate Agents for the prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Property and construction leaders from across the region will descend on Trent Bridge Cricket Ground on Thursday 28 September for East Midlands Business Link’s Bricks Awards. The prestigious annual event recognises development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. With nominations open until Thursday 31 August, and 10 categories available to enter,  ensure to take this opportunity to shine a light on your projects and team, reward their hard work, and boost morale. One of this year’s categories is Most Active Estate Agent, which can be entered here. The winner of this category will be the Estate Agents who has had the biggest impact on the commercial property sector over the last 12 months, whether that be in deals done, quality of any given deal, or excellent customer service. Last year the award was won by specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie. Amy Biddell, director at Mather Jamie, said: “Apparently this category had so many entries that whittling it down to the three finalists was really hard to do, but we were told that we were chosen as the outright winner because of our impressive track record of supporting clients to maximise the value of their property assets for the longest timeframe. “Judges were also impressed by our commitment to the community, particularly our fundraising efforts during our 30th anniversary year when over £55,000 was raised for local charities. It would not be right to accept this award without giving credit to everyone in our commercial, development and agricultural teams who have worked so hard to make this award win possible by providing a high level of strategic land development advice as well as rural and commercial agency and property management services.” Runners up included OMEETO and BB&J Commercial. This year’s Most Active Estate Agent award will be sponsored by OMS. Speaking with Business Link, a spokesperson for OMS said: “OMS are delighted to be sponsoring the Bricks Awards again this year, an annual East Midlands event. “It is wonderful to see and hear about all of the nominations within the awards and how they have made a great impact on the area with their work and projects completed and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Submit your nominations for Most Active Estate Agent here before entries close on Thursday 31 August.

Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 28 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening also offering an opportunity to establish new connections with property and construction professionals from across the region. Other award categories open for entry include: Commercial Development of the Year, Contractor 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, and Sustainable Development of the Year. All entry forms can be accessed here. The Overall Winner award will also be presented at the event. This award cannot be entered, with the winner selected from those nominated. The Overall Winner of the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 will also receive a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000.

Book your tickets now

Tickets can now be booked for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on Thursday 28 September 2023 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region, and hear from Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, our keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire. Thanks to our sponsors:                                                             To be held at:

A window pane in the you know what… by Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR

Tess Egginton
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A window pane in the you know what… by Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR
Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, speaks on missed opportunities. I blame George Formby. I’ve done this before (sorry George) but I’m afraid it’s happened again. Just this morning. A few years back, I wrote about a chap doing a job at my neighbour’s who was “trying to earn an honest bob” – cue capering about with a ukelele. Now it is not often one gets to quote George Formby in a column about PR and Marketing, but I did then and I will do so again now because I hope it gets you thinking. I needed a regular window cleaner but there was never anyone advertising these services in or around our village. I also needed some guttering looking at. So imagine my joy when I spot a chap up his ladders next door doing that exact thing. I waited until he was safe and shouted up to him, mere feet from the ground at the time. Greg: “Could you pop over and look at mine after you’re finished there?” Formby: “I probably can but I might have to shoot off.” Greg: “Ah, do you have a business card?” Formby: “No.” Greg: “Er, can I take a mobile number and I’ll drop you a text then?” Formby: “Tell you what. I’ll come over now.” Now, I didn’t expect him to abandon one job or really want him to at that stage, but he was a lovely chap and we soon got chatting. He was actually a window cleaner, but he adds gutter cleaning to his services as he already has the ladders out. Excellent work George! If we look at his marketing in terms of the 4 Ps – Product, Place, Price and Promotion, he’s really struggling with the latter as he has no card, no branded van, no local advertising or website, no social media channels, not even a branded t-shirt but he has the Product/s. He also has the Place as he told me he has a very fixed radius which he moves around to keep things fresh. When I asked him about Price, my initial thought was that he was actually TOO CHEAP which made me worry about quality, safety and reliability a bit but it wasn’t going to cost me much to trial him so that has opened up a prospective client for him. So we agreed he’d pop over once a month and he’d send me his BACS details so we could set it all up. That WAS a smart move. He gets a regular guaranteed job and gets paid on time, no delays and I get a feeling of certainty. As he went back next door he suggested I could tackle some of my patio areas with a pressure washer – “it’s what I use.” Well…I COULD but maybe HE could charge me more and do that for me too whilst he’s over? I decided to ‘leave that on the table’ as they say in sales but he didn’t bite, probably because he was halfway up a ladder again next door. I wonder, how many of you miss opportunities to diversify your offering or make it easier to buy from you as you are too focused on doing the day-job ‘stuff’ and not looking at the marketing? By the way, he never sent me the BACS details. Fast forward to today and I have just cancelled my old window cleaner at my new place because lovely though he was, he insisted on cash in hand and never told me when we was coming. The cash and his decisions around HMRC are his business, that isn’t what put me off. The issue was his lack of reliability and making it really hard to actually do business with him. I wanted him to come MORE often, he wants to come when it suits him and expects me to have £25 to hand in cash. I’ve now replaced him with a chap who is more expensive and insists on a direct debit. This makes things easier for me, so the deal was done. Remember, it’s not all about the money.   A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective. See this column in the July edition of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.

Independent review points to benefits of Rolls-Royce SMR technology

Stuart Pearcey
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Independent review points to benefits of Rolls-Royce SMR technology
An independent report by Aurora Energy has shown the wide-ranging benefits that a fleet of Rolls-Royce Small Modular Power plants can deliver as part of the UK’s efforts to strengthen energy security, lower household bills and reach net-zero targets through the 2030s. Alastair Evans, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Government and Corporate Affairs Director, said: “Rolls-Royce SMR’s unique ‘factory-built’ solution brings innovation to the design and delivery of nuclear power plants, to reduce risk and increase delivery certainty. “This is an enlightening report that clearly shows how, with a commitment from Government to deploy a fleet of small modular reactors, we can make a hugely positive impact on security of supply, decarbonisation and the cost of energy.” Amid fresh concerns around gas and electricity price rises, and with researchers expecting prices to remain above their pre-crisis levels until the late 2030’s, the Aurora research revealed that a fleet of SMRs would lower wholesale power prices and almost remove the need to build new gas fired power stations. Working alongside existing intermittent renewables, SMRs would provide consistent low-carbon energy, significantly reducing exposure to the volatility in supply and cost of imported gas. The UK Government has a target to make the power sector net zero by 2035. However, the Committee on Climate Change has highlighted that, on the current rate of progress, the UK will miss this. This gap would be closed significantly by the rollout of Rolls-Royce SMRs throughout the 2030s. Rolls-Royce SMR is making progress through the independent regulatory Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process to secure consent for their technology to operate in the UK.

Cameron Homes builds new village hall for local community in Breedon on the Hill

Tess Egginton
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Cameron Homes builds new village hall for local community in Breedon on the Hill
Homebuilder, Cameron Homes, has built a new £500,000 village hall for the Breedon on the Hill Parish Council creating a central hub for the local community, alongside its new development of 52 homes. This month, the village hall was officially handed over by representatives from Cameron Homes including Adrian Harrison, the development’s site manager and the Breedon on the Hill Parish Chairman, Ray Morris. The village hall is located within the Cameron Homes Highwoods Green development, which includes 52 four and five bedroom homes. This is the first purpose built facility in the parish, enabling them to host free activities, run local initiatives and provide a central hub for charities, families, and the community to use. With sustainable living in mind, facilities at the village hall have been futureproofed to ensure low running costs and high levels of environmentally friendly innovation, including heat pumps, solar panels, and underfloor heating. Adrian Harrison, site manager at the Cameron Homes Highwoods Green development, said: “Cameron Homes has been working with the local parish council and community for several years whilst building has taken place at the development in Breedon on the Hill, with recent activity including the Platinum Jubilee and coronation events in the village. We’re delighted to now hand over the village hall and provide them with a purpose-built space in the centre of Breedon on the Hill. “At Cameron Homes, and the Tara Group by extension, all developments are centred around the community and building positive environments. This new village hall will allow local people, groups, and charities to come together, host events and enjoy a fantastic modern space.” Ray Morris, Local District Councillor and Breedon on the Hill Parish Chairman, added: “We are truly grateful for the generosity and hard work shown by Cameron Homes in the lead-up to the hand over. The hall has been built to an exceptional standard, with amenities that will be utilised by the parish far into the future.” The Highwoods Green development is set to be completed this month.

High street opening for growing business

Tess Egginton
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High street opening for growing business
Long Eaton-based More Than Loft Ladders has opened its first High Street premises to raise the profile of the specialist services it offers locally and to provide a base for its UK-wide franchise. More Than Loft Ladders in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire is now headed up by Kelly Hobbs whilst her husband, entrepreneur Liam Hobbs, is focusing on expanding the franchise network. Both are now based in the High Street, Long Eaton. Mr Hobbs said: “These are exciting times for More Than Loft Ladders both in this area and across the franchise network. “Kelly is committed to expanding the business serving Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire and the High Street premises will be a useful shop window for customers to see for themselves the quality of the work that we do and the advantages of opening up loft space both for extra room and storage in people’s homes. “The location in Long Eaton with easy motorway access will be ideal for our growing franchise network across the UK who we regularly welcome here for training and support sessions.” Kelly Hobbs continued that loft storage conversions was a growing market with homeowners keen to put wasted space at the top of their homes to good use either for storage or, for example, a hobby space. “We have built our reputation over the years by offering the full service and, as the name suggests – we are more than a loft ladder company. “Although this is obviously an important feature, we also install hatches, part or full loft boarding insultation, lighting and smoke alarms to transform dark and forgotten lofts into usable space. “It also makes financial sense to insulate a loft rather than see money on heating bills literally fly through the roof. “Furthermore, the volatile mortgage market also means that many people are more likely to expand the living space they have now at an affordable price rather than moving and taking on bigger payments.”

Major expansion progresses for Chesterfield cold storage provider

Tess Egginton
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Major expansion progresses for Chesterfield cold storage provider
Magnavale, the providers of temperature-controlled storage, has made significant progress on the construction of a new extension at its Chesterfield cold storage facility. The provider of temperature-controlled storage solutions is currently working on numerous projects that aim to reshape the cold storage sector, creating sustainable storage solutions. Following a recent announcement of the company’s £130m development at Easton, Grantham, and the significant expansion at its site in Holmewood, Chesterfield, Magnavale is making significant strides towards its Net Zero goals. Since breaking ground earlier this year, the project at Magnavale’s Chesterfield facility has reached several important milestones, bringing the UK project closer to the expected completion date of late 2024. Site excavation on the new facility has been successfully completed, and the concrete foundations have been poured. Over the course of the summer, Magnavale’s team will shift its focus towards the steelwork construction of the cold store. On completion, the expansion will add a significant 25,000 pallet positions to the cold store’s existing capacity of 40,000, bringing the total pallet capacity of the facility to 65,000. This will make it one of the largest cold stores in the area. This expansion will not only accommodate the increasing volumes of Magnavale’s existing customers but also open doors to new customers wanting to utilise Magnavale’s temperature-controlled facilities and value-added services. The facility features one of the most comprehensive portfolios of value-added services, encompassing, blast freezing, microwave up-tempering and contract packing.

Trading in line with expectations at Dr. Martens

Tess Egginton
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Trading in line with expectations at Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens has started its new financial year with trading in line with expectations.

The Northamptonshire shoe brand has seen “very good growth” in both EMEA and APAC, with “continued strength in retail as traffic recovers post covid,” and good ecommerce growth.

Wholesale revenues, however, were lower year-on-year. Dr. Martens said this includes the impact of the strategic decisions to reduce EMEA etailer supply and cease sales to the China distributor ahead of the contract end.

Meanwhile, Americas revenues were lower year-on-year, driven by wholesale, in line with expectations. The company noted: “Addressing our performance in this region remains our number one priority for FY24. In Americas DTC, the actions we’re taking are progressing to plan, and we continue to expect that it will take until the second half to see a meaningful improvement here.”

Funding won to unlock support for local business

Tess Egginton
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Funding won to unlock support for local business
Four Derby organisations have won Government funding to deliver tailor-made programmes of support for local businesses. East Midlands Chamber, Marketing Derby, the University of Derby and the Council’s Employment and Skills team will each benefit from a share of £2.3m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Their combined programmes aim to create 600 jobs and bring significant investment to the city over the next two years. Back in March a range of experienced support providers responded to the Council’s open call for applications to deliver bespoke projects to help businesses grow and advance. Applicants were assessed on agreed criteria, including value for money, proposed outcomes and relevant experience of successfully delivering local support previously. The process called on stakeholders and partners including local businesses to outline the most pressing local challenges and asked for their thoughts on projects and initiatives that could address them. This identified four priority areas:
  • Early years (£345k) – Programmes to enable entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses in their first years in Derby
  • Sector opportunities (£1.13m) – Programmes that champion innovation in product, process or service delivery, enabling companies to develop
  • Inward investment (£600k) – A marketing programme to bring new key sector companies or to support new external investment into the city
  • Recruitment and skills (£300k) – Funding for supporting roles that help with recruitment and skills provision and growth and scale-up advice
Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Culture and Tourism at Derby City Council, said: “Our focus is on doing everything we can to make Derby a fantastic place to live, visit and do business. These programmes will go a long way to attract investment, create jobs and help businesses to innovate and thrive, which in turn is crucial to our future economic growth.”

Council completes move to cost saving, energy efficient new home

Tess Egginton
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Council completes move to cost saving, energy efficient new home
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) has completed its cost saving move to downsized office space at Brocks Hill Country Park. Its staff have now started working from the greener, energy-efficient and cost-effective renovated building at Brocks Hill, leaving behind their aging premises at Bushloe House in Wigston. The council estimates the new efficiencies will save around £2 million over the next ten years while also substantially reducing the council’s carbon footprint. The move also commits the council to an agile working model that proved hugely successful during the Covid-19 pandemic, giving its staff more flexibility in where they work. Crucially, the proceeds of the sale of the council’s current home Bushloe House – which is currently under offer – has covered the majority of the cost of renovation work done at Brocks Hill. The council has also revealed that popular local firm Jenno’s will operate the public café at Brocks Hill. Jenno’s Coffee House already has a premises in Leicester Road, Blaby and at Everards Meadows in Leicester. Cllr Samia Haq, Leader of OWBC, said: “Making this move was a huge decision for this council, but we could clearly see the long term benefits that this brings to both residents of the borough and employees of the council. “We’re setting a clear example that we are willing to be innovative and creative to save taxpayer money while at the same time providing a better working experience for our staff. Equally important is the environmental benefits of us cutting our carbon footprint and working out of this modern, energy efficient building. “For our customers too, we now have face-to-face appointments available in all three of our town centres, as well as a reception point for basic tasks at Brocks Hill itself. “We’re absolutely thrilled to have struck a deal with Jenno’s for them to run the café here. They are a big local name with an excellent reputation and we are sure their coffee house will bring new visitors to this wonderful country park.” Paul Jenno, of Jenno’s Coffee House, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen by OWBC for the hospitality opportunity at Brocks Hill Country Park. “We aspire to repay their faith in us by creating a high quality, friendly and clean coffee house capable of satisfying the needs of park visitors and local visitors that fancy a stroll and a coffee.”

Major step forward for £60m stadium redevelopment

Tess Egginton
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Major step forward for £60m stadium redevelopment
Plans for a £60m redevelopment of Leicestershire’s Uptonsteel County Ground have taken a major step forward with the formation of a new working party. The group has been formed to drive forward the transformation of Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s home stadium and will include one of the leading figures behind Leicester City’s move to King Power Stadium. Steve Kind, currently a non-executive director at Leicestershire CCC, oversaw Leicester City’s departure from Filbert Street and will now bring his wealth of experience to the working party, which also comprises representatives from Leicester City Council and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Namita Patel, community and EDI Director, will play an important role in liaising with residents and wider groups to continue the club’s commitment to giving everyone a voice during the period of consultation. A series of community focus groups have already taken place to inform neighbouring residents about the proposals. The working party met for the first time on Wednesday, 31 May. Sean Jarvis, CEO of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, said: “The formation of the group is an exciting step forward as we work together to bring this hugely ambitious project to life. “Many of the individuals involved have been there and done it when it comes to leisure developments of this size, so I am confident that the vast range of expertise sitting round the table can move things along at a pace.” The redevelopment proposals were first revealed earlier this year and extensive talks have been ongoing with a view to beginning the first phase of development in the winter of 2023. Among the options being explored are the development of residential homes, healthcare and retail outlets. The launch of an Academy of Cricket campus, that could host a wide range of academic activities including the world’s first MBA in cricket management, also forms part of the long-term vision for the project. Other members of the working party include Bruce Cruse; Director of Facilities at the ECB, Tom Lo’Monte; Head of Capital at Leicester City Council, Ian Kendall; Director of Leisure Projects at LCCC, Chairman; John Thorpe and Stadium Manager; Dan Archer. Steve Kind said: “The redevelopment of Leicestershire’s home of cricket is long overdue and I am positive that this project will be the envy of the cricketing world when complete “For a project of this scale, it needs many minds coming together round the table who each bring different expertise. I am pleased to see that everyone on this working party is committed to the same goal which is to make the £60m transformation a reality.” Bruce Cruse added: “The ECB welcomes Leicestershire looking at all options to create a sustainable long-term future for the Club.”
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