Digital marketing agency doubles turnover
A Derby marketing agency launched during lockdown is celebrating after doubling turnover in the last 12 months, surpassing one million pounds for the first time.
Alphageek Digital has reached the milestone after less than five years in business during which it has picked up more than 50 clients based across four continents.
The firm’s annual turnover passed £1.2m in the last financial year – more than a 50% growth on the previous year, with continued progress this year.
The agency, which was founded by friends Art Lindop, Alex Mills and Kieran Flynn, is committed to further sustainable expansion during 2024.
Managing Director Art Lindop said: “When we launched Alphageek Digital back in 2020 it was an exciting time for the industry – everyone was moving online and so we were in our absolute element.
“The true test was when business returned to normal, but by then we had begun making a name for ourselves and were working with some high-profile clients, so we’ve never looked back.
“This fiscal year has been outstanding for us and we’re really proud of everything we have achieved. We’re a very ambitious team operating in a young and dynamic industry and every day we’re proving that you don’t need to be a big London agency to win international clients.
“The entire team has worked together to create a set of brand values that we are very much aligned with and I believe we have surrounded ourselves with an excellent crew, so the future is really bright for Alphageek.”
Water source heat pump unlocks University of Nottingham net zero ambitions
A new aquifer-fed open loop heat pump-based energy centre has been designed to offer the University of Nottingham an effective route to decarbonising its campus with an initial focus on the Law and Social Sciences Building and the Hallward Library.
Silcock Leedham Group, an RSK company, has worked on the project with WM Saunders, the project’s lead designers. The Law and Social Sciences Building and Hallward Library, which officially opened in 1960 and 1973, respectively, are currently connected to a gas-fired district heating system commissioned in 1954 to heat the campus. The buildings are to be removed from the network as part of the university’s decarbonisation strategy, and an alternative, sustainable heating and cooling system will be introduced. Work on-site is expected to begin in July 2024 and will include building the water source heat pump infrastructure on campus.
Once complete, the new infrastructure is estimated to save around 500 tonnes of CO₂ per annum, according to engineers at Silcock Leedham Group. This is the equivalent of 250 return flights from London to New York or enough CO₂ to fill 500 hot air balloons.
Silcock Leedham Group Associate Sean Kitchingman said: “Finding a substantive viable alternative to the current heating system that meets the university’s carbon management plan was a challenge. These are big buildings that were built to older building construction standards and regulations when energy preservation and reducing carbon emissions were not a priority – we needed to find a system that offered sufficient low-carbon heat to maintain internal building temperatures required for learning and comfort and to maximise energy efficiency at the same time. A conversation between the Silcock Leedham Group team and Carbon Zero Consulting led to the mixed open loop water source heat pump energy centre and air source heat pump type solution that the university has opted to install.
“To make this possible, the systems will use the abundant groundwater and atmospheric air renewable energy sources to supply the heat pump-based systems. The groundwater will be sourced from the Sherwood Sandstone aquifer, which flows directly below the campus. Once installed, these systems will be low carbon, using the heat energy contained within the surrounding air and groundwater to provide heating and cooling to the buildings at scale.”
Blueprint Interiors returns to sponsor Overall Winner at the prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2024
Returning sponsor, Blueprint Interiors has joined the lineup of businesses backing the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2024, supporting the esteemed Overall Winner category, the winner of which will receive a year of marketing/publicity with East Midlands Business Link Magazine worth £20,000.
Blueprint Interiors a leading Midlands-based workplace consultancy and commercial interior design firm. Their approach goes beyond aesthetics to craft workspaces that demonstrably improve employee wellbeing and business performance. 
Located in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, they leverage science-backed design principles and certifications, such as the WELL Building Standard, to create environments that nurture a thriving workforce.
Chloe Sproston, Creative Director at Blueprint Interiors, shared: “We’ve been involved in the awards since 2019 either as an award nominee or a sponsor. We continue to be impressed with both the quality of award submissions, but also the event, which attracts the elite of our region’s construction and property professionals.
“This year, we’re particularly excited to sponsor the Overall Winner category, further demonstrating our commitment to showcasing the very best talent in the region’s property and construction industry.”
The East Midlands Bricks Awards, which will take place on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, recognise development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes, schools and public spaces. We also highlight the work of architects, agencies and those behind large schemes.
Winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly.
Nominations are now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards.
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
A highlight in the business calendar, winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening of celebration and networking with property and construction leaders from across the region.
Tickets can be booked for the 2024 awards event here. Connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region.
Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Paul Southby, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Located in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, they leverage science-backed design principles and certifications, such as the WELL Building Standard, to create environments that nurture a thriving workforce.
Chloe Sproston, Creative Director at Blueprint Interiors, shared: “We’ve been involved in the awards since 2019 either as an award nominee or a sponsor. We continue to be impressed with both the quality of award submissions, but also the event, which attracts the elite of our region’s construction and property professionals.
“This year, we’re particularly excited to sponsor the Overall Winner category, further demonstrating our commitment to showcasing the very best talent in the region’s property and construction industry.”
The East Midlands Bricks Awards, which will take place on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, recognise development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes, schools and public spaces. We also highlight the work of architects, agencies and those behind large schemes.
Winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly.
Nominations are now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s annual Bricks Awards.
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Award categories include:
- Most active 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
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, with the winner, and recipient of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, selected from those nominated)
Nominations end Thursday 5th September
A highlight in the business calendar, winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening of celebration and networking with property and construction leaders from across the region.
Tickets can be booked for the 2024 awards event here. Connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region.
Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Paul Southby, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.
Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
Stronger demand conditions in the East Midlands spark April business activity upturn
The headline NatWest East Midlands PMI® Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – posted at 51.2 in April, up fractionally from 51.0 in March, to signal a modest expansion in output at East Midlands firms.
The upturn in business activity was reportedly underpinned by more favourable demand conditions and a further rise in new orders. Of the 11 monitored UK regions to record a rise in output, the East Midlands registered the second-slowest upturn. Moreover, the rate of growth was slower than the long-run series average seen for the region.
East Midlands private sector firms registered a sharper rise in new business at the start of the second quarter, thereby extending the current sequence of expansion to four months. Anecdotal evidence suggested the increase in new orders was due to stronger client demand. The rate of growth was modest and the second-fastest since June 2023.
Business confidence among East Midlands firms remained upbeat in April, as companies continued to foresee a rise in output over the coming 12 months. Optimism was linked by firms to hopes of stronger customer demand and greater investment in new products. The level of positive sentiment sank to the weakest since December 2023, however, as higher input prices and muted customer demand subdued expectations.
April data signalled a tenth successive monthly drop in employment at East Midlands firms. The rate of job shedding picked up slightly and was the joint-quickest in five months. Cost-cutting initiatives and redundancies following subdued demand conditions sparked the latest round of staff cuts, according to firms.
The fall in employment contrasted with the UK trend which signalled broadly unchanged staffing numbers.
Adjusted for seasonal factors, the Outstanding Business Index indicated a further contraction in backlogs of work at East Midlands firms in April. The rate of decline was little-changed from that seen in March and solid overall. Companies noted that muted growth of new orders allowed them to process incoming new work in a timely manner.
Private sector firms in the East Midlands signalled a steeper increase in input prices during April, as the pace of inflation ticked up to the fastest in eight months. The marked rise in cost burdens was largely linked to higher wage bills – in part stemming from a hike in the minimum and National Living Wages – and greater imported goods prices following disruption to shipping through the Red Sea.
At the sector level, manufacturers and service providers recorded sharper upticks in costs, with the latter seeing a much quicker rise.
April data indicated a further, albeit softer, rise in selling prices set by East Midlands firms. Anecdotal evidence commonly attributed higher output charges to the pass-through of greater costs to customers. That said, the pace of inflation slowed to the second-weakest since January 2021 (behind only January). Although slower than the UK average, the rate of increase was slightly quicker than the long-run series trend for the region.
Rashel Chowdhury, NatWest Midlands and East Regional Board, said: “April data signalled a more positive start to the second quarter, as output rose further following a quicker uptick in new orders. The rise in new business was the second-fastest since last June amid stronger demand conditions. Firms continued to cut workforce numbers, but the pace of decline was only marginal overall.
“Cost burdens increased markedly on the month, as the larger increase in the minimum and National Living Wages pushed input prices up. Although the slowest for three months, the rise in selling prices remained historically elevated as firms were able to pass though greater costs to customers but maintain new sales growth.”
Leicester College gets green light to build new aeronautical skills centre
Leicester College has received planning consent to build a new, state-of-the-art aeronautical and advanced technological education and training facility at its Abbey Park Campus in the city. The new facility will enable the College to deliver Level 4 and 5 technical skills programmes. The build is due for completion by May 2025.
Leicester City Council has approved the design of the two-storey building, which will house industry standard aeronautical and space specialist equipment and machinery, including wind tunnels, turbo jet trainers and flight simulators. The new facility will be used to support and inspire the next generation of aviation and space engineering professionals.
The new 800 square metre building will house workshop, propulsion, aerodynamic, avionic and instrumentation laboratories and collaborative working spaces.
The new aeronautical skills centre is funded by money secured via a successful grant application to the Office for Students.
The development will enable Leicester College to support the wide regional network of employers and stakeholders involved in the aeronautical and aerospace industries and build a skilled workforce for the future. It is predicted that England will need more than 10,000 additional aerospace engineers by 2033.
Verity Hancock, Principal and CEO of Leicester College, said: “We’re delighted to get the green light on the construction of the new aeronautical skills centre. When completed, the site will house industry-standard aeronautical equipment in a learning environment that will inspire the next generation of aviation and engineering professionals.”
A reunion with Elvis and Britney in the diary as Derby paralegal prepares to return to Kenya
A Derby paralegal is looking forward to catching up with the lives of dozens of schoolchildren when she returns to Kenya with a group of volunteers from Derby.
Sammi Allen, who works at Smith Partnership in Friar Gate, will head to the east African country at the end of the month on an annual trip organised by the Derby County Community Trust.
The Trust has been arranging the trip since 2012 and has taken more than 500 volunteers to Nakuru, a town based north-west of the capital, Nairobi, over the years.
There, they work with six partner schools based in the town’s slums, giving up their time to help build new facilities at the school or go into the classrooms to teach the children.
Last year mum-of-three Sammi, accompanied by her daughter, Lupita, 19, worked at the Jubilee Academy, which teaches 52 three to eight-year-olds, having travelled to Kenya alongside her Smith Partnership colleagues, Amelia Sutcliffe and Katie Bullimore.
This time, Sammi will be flying the flag for Smith Partnership alone, but she is looking forward to returning to Nakuru and meeting up with the children, teachers and other members of the town’s community.
However, she and Lupita are also looking forward to catching up with three people in particular – siblings Shirleen, Britney and Elvis, who are aged five, 15 and 13 respectively.
She met them last year on Madaraka Day, which is a Kenyan national holiday and the day when pupils can invite their siblings to come into school with them.
One year on, Sammi is looking forward to finding out how Britney, who wants to be a nurse, and Elvis, who dreams one day of being an engineer, are getting on.
But she is also keen to find out how the rest of the school and the town are faring after the area was hit by flash flooding in April this year.
She said: “I heard about the flooding on the news and I’m worried about what I’ll discover when I get there. Forty-two people died in Nakuru and I’ve been thinking about who might be affected and how the school has been affected too.
“Although I don’t know the people there that well, the trip last year has given me an emotional connection, especially with the children. It’s impossible not to care after you’ve visited their school and seen how they live.”
Sammi and Lupita will also travel to Kenya with a whole host of donations for the children, including new school uniforms, shoes, new plates and cups, cooking utensils and even a new toothbrush each.
They have paid for everything by holding a series of fundraising events, including a raffle at Smith Partnership and a quiz night at the Orange Tree bar in George Street, while they also have colouring books and even more clothes, donated by Portway Primary School in Allestree.
Sammi said: “The school is based in the slums and it’s a dangerous place for the children to live. For many of them, the only meal they have is the one they have at school and lots of them come to school on a Monday having not eaten over the weekend.
“I’ve got three children and it’s incredible to see the contrast between their lives and the lives of the children in Nakuru. You can’t help to be impressed and moved by the way they are so friendly and so happy, even though they have so little.
“I’m really excited about going back, because now I’ve been there, I feel I can’t let go. Even when I’m not there I worry about the children as if they’re my own.”
The Derby County Community Trust Rams in Kenya trips are held in partnership with African Adventures, which works to improve sanitation at the schools, build new classrooms or facilities as well as support the teachers in the classroom.
When they’re not at the school, their volunteers will be able to take part in activities including a safari, a visit to the Thompson Falls, a trip to the Equator and a visit to the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi.
Lupita, who is studying a Level 3 apprenticeship in accounting, said: “Going on the trip last year gave me a different perspective on life and has made me realise how much we take for granted, so I’m really looking forward to going out again.
“I’m looking forward to finishing what we started last year with the classrooms and hopefully they will be completed when we’re there so that I can see what the children make of them.”
Company insolvencies swell by a fifth, but there is cause for optimism
As the number of company insolvencies in England and Wales shoots up by a fifth and remains at a level not seen since the 2008-09 recession, the economic path ahead may not be so thorny, with a rising number of businesses able to be rescued rather than wound up.
This is according to the Midlands branch of insolvency and restructuring body R3 and follows the latest monthly statistics published by the Insolvency Service which show that corporate insolvencies increased by 18.4% in April to a total of 2,177 compared to March’s figure of 1,838, and by 52.7% in comparison with the pre-pandemic figure of 1,426 in April 2019.
The rate of company insolvencies during the 12 months ending 30 April 2024 was 57 per 10,000, rising from 52.6 per 10,000 a year earlier.
R3 Midlands Chair Stephen Rome, a partner at Penningtons Manches Cooper in the region, said: “The annual and monthly increases in corporate insolvencies have been driven by a rise in all types of corporate insolvency process, but one of the key areas which stands out is the sizeable rise in Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations.
“One factor behind this is likely to be directors closing their businesses at the end of the financial year, either because they believe the market won’t improve or because they’ve simply had enough after four tough years.
“Another possibility could be the difficulties small businesses in distress experience in being unable to access more complex and more expensive forms of restructuring and having to resort to liquidation as a means of dealing with unserviceable debt.
“Also of note is the increase in administrations. While this isn’t by a large number, it does suggest that there is a growing volume of businesses which could potentially be rescued rather than wound-up, and as the economy recovers we would anticipate this rise will continue.
“Further data available to us shows that the construction, retail and hospitality sectors have experienced the highest insolvency levels so far this year. Retail and hospitality businesses have been particularly affected by consumers’ wariness about spending money, poor weather in February and a tough pre-Christmas trading period. Issues with the weather will also have affected the construction industry, as will the fall in new work since the start of the year.
“But despite the difficult business climate over the period these figures cover, there is some cause for optimism. The economy is growing again and business and consumer confidence levels are both improving. While businesses remain concerned about costs and consumer demand, the mood is generally more positive with a significant increase in new company registrations being reported by Companies House.”
Acquisitive East Midlands accountancy firm snaps up London-based business
Cooper Parry has exchanged on the acquisition of London-based Cloud Orca – the Salesforce consultancy.
It’s the East Midlands accountancy firm’s eighth deal in the last 16 months, as it targets £250m turnover by 2025.
Cloud Orca’s 55-strong highly certified team is co-located in London and the Philippines. The firm’s impressive client roster includes Revolut, Starling Bank, Monzo Bank, Unum and Chilly’s.
Ade Cheatham, Cooper Parry CEO, said: “This Cloud Orca deal is a massive leap forward in our tech offering. It ticks tons of the right boxes: market reputation, powerful culture, huge growth, and a passion for sustainability. The fit is spot on.
“As we create the UK’s next-gen accountancy firm, the landing of such an impressive anchor firm in the digital and tech space is brilliant news. What a way to start the new financial year! And the great thing is, there’s plenty more on the horizon.”
Ed Rowland, Cloud Orca CEO, said: “Our business was founded on simple, powerful, meaningful values. We’re here to deliver the right tech for dynamic businesses to be more effective, profitable and successful. With Cooper Parry, we’ve found a firm which shares our ambitions in the mid-market space.”
Operator secured for Strategic Rail Freight Interchange in Hinckley
Tritax Symmetry has secured an agreement with Maritime Transport, to develop, lease and operate Tritax Symmetry’s planned £750 million Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) at the controversial Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange (HNRFI).
Maritime Transport, the integrated road and rail freight logistics provider, will develop a 40-acre SRFI, which will be capable of handling 16 trains per day when fully operational. At full capacity, the SRFI will remove more than 83 million HGV miles from the UK road network.
The volume of goods switched from road to rail could save around 70,120 tonnes of CO2 each year.
The new terminal will sit alongside 7 million sq ft of warehouse facilities.
The scheme remains dependent on the Secretary of State for Transport’s approval of a Development Consent Order; the outcome is due in September 2024.
Jonathan Wallis, Director at Tritax Symmetry, said: “Maritime Transport’s commitment to an SRFI at this early stage is a significant first in the sector and reflects ultimate confidence in the location’s suitability for rail freight from the leading road and rail freight location provider in the UK.
“Alongside Maritime Transport’s fully fledged support, we are excited by the potential of this prime location for rail-linked logistics, which we believe will see strong demand for large scale, flexible, modern, low carbon space.”
John Williams, Executive Chairman of Maritime Transport, said: “We are delighted to agree terms with Tritax Symmetry to become the long-term operator of the new SRFI, in planning, at HNRFI. This development will strengthen our rail-connected network and our strategy of decarbonising the full load supply chain in the UK, moving cargo closer to the end user by rail.
“Our strategy of decarbonising the supply chain will extend to the introduction of BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) to perform first and final mile transport, creating the most sustainable full load networked, intermodal logistics offering for occupiers at HNRFI and beyond.”
Tritax Symmetry is part of Tritax Big Box REIT plc and was represented by Baker Rose Consulting.
Food processing facility gets green light in Easton
Plans for a food processing facility in Easton, Lincolnshire, have been approved by South Kesteven District Council.
The application site, off Burton Lane, forms part of the existing Magnavale Group and XPO Logistics site which comprises of a number of storage and distribution warehouses and ancillary offices, providing cold storage for frozen food products.
The buildings were developed in the late 1960s, and the site is best known locally for being previously operated by Christian Salvesen Limited. Various buildings have been updated over the 50-60 years of operation, with a new coldstore food warehouse under construction.
The proposed development site for the food processing facility consists of an area of vacant, brownfield land, which previously contained a warehouse building.
The processing facility, which will have a total footprint of 18,630 sq m, will operate alongside the other coldstores on site, which will be utilised for storing the raw materials and the final product.
It will bring new life to the former McCain’s factory site.
Easton Properties Limited, part of the Sadel Group, is behind the plans. The Sadel Group has plans for the whole brownfield site to operate as a hub for controlled-temperature storage of both raw materials and finished product, reducing food miles.
Further, the group plans to develop an anaerobic digester plant in the northern part of the site area to produce renewable energy to feed the cold storage plants.
