Journeo achieves revenue and proft growth for fifth year running

Tess Egginton
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Journeo achieves revenue and proft growth for fifth year running

Journeo, an Ashby-de-la-Zouch-based provider of information systems and technical services to transport operators and local authorities, has achieved growth in sales, profit before tax and recurring revenues for a fifth year running.

According to final results for the year ended 31 December 2024, revenue at the firm increased 8% to £49.6m, while profit before tax grew 33% to £5m.

Russ Singleton, CEO of Journeo plc, said: “Journeo has delivered another strong set of results, achieving growth in sales, profit before tax and recurring revenues for a fifth year running. The increasing adoption of our core IP is delivering a growing sales pipeline based on technology created and implemented by the operating companies within the Group.

“In addition to our financial performance, we have made significant operational improvements. We have formed the Journeo Design Centre to create new world-class products and made strategic investments for our next growth phase with new appointments to our Senior Leadership Team.

“We have also made steps forward in our ESG and carbon reporting and are progressing with a number of potential complementary acquisitions.

“We move forward into 2025 with confidence that we will continue to deliver stakeholder value as the Group benefits from Government-backed initiatives for the more sustainable, safer and more secure communities and transport of the future.”

Derby recruitment business hails 2024 as “extremely satisfying year”

Tess Egginton
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Derby recruitment business hails 2024 as “extremely satisfying year”
The CEO of Derby-based recruitment business RTC Group has hailed 2024 as “an extremely satisfying year for the Group” with a “strong set of results.” According to audited results for the year ended 31 December 2024, profit before tax grew to £2.54m, up from £2.53m in 2023. Meanwhile, group revenue from continuing operations stood at £96.8m, down from £98.8m in 2023. Andy Pendlebury, Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “2024 was an extremely satisfying year for the Group. “Another strong set of results, another constructive year of value enhancement for our shareholders, while continuing to invest in the future, and a business with an outstanding balance sheet, and long-term revenue visibility through its strong order book with blue chip clients. A Group with strong independent yet interlinked subsidiary businesses with proven track records in both UK and International markets. 

“I am confident that our strategy of building a diverse group of subsidiaries partnering with companies heavily invested in long-term capital-intensive infrastructure sectors will continue to provide us with a layer of protection from the peaks and troughs of the traditional recruitment cycle. 

“Our solid order book across rail maintenance and renewals, and smart meter roll out and upgrades alongside other key infrastructure programmes, provides some clear visibility of revenue in 2025 and I remain cautiously confident in our short, medium and long-term prospects.

“Once again, our excellent performance is as a direct result of the exceptional people that we employ across the Group. The accumulation of both industry and company knowledge, experience and operational capability, coupled with the continual and unbridled enthusiasm and energy of everybody combines to create the unique and distinctive culture which permeates every corner of the Group and differentiates us as a company. 

“A big thank you to everybody for all your hard work.“

Morrisons to close cafés and counters, 365 jobs at risk

April Lara
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Morrisons to close cafés and counters, 365 jobs at risk

Morrisons is set to close 52 cafés, 18 market kitchens, 17 convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters, and four pharmacies due to rising operational costs. The supermarket chain stated that the affected services were no longer financially viable.

While most impacted employees will be offered redeployment within the company, 365 jobs remain at risk of redundancy. CEO Rami Baitieh described the closures as necessary to refocus investment on areas that customers prioritise.

East Midlands businesses show downbeat outlook in new research

Tess Egginton
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East Midlands businesses show downbeat outlook in new research
The economy has remained challenging during the first months of 2025 for East Midlands businesses, with four out of ten expecting profitability to worsen and half expecting to raise prices. The East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q1 displayed a bleak forecast for the region. Future pricing intentions
  • Half of businesses (54%) expect to put their prices up. This figure has shown little sign of improvement from 56% at the end of 2024
  • Labour costs are the biggest driver of the pressure to put prices up
Profitability
  • 4 out of 10 expect profitability to worsen over the next 12 months. This figure has doubled from 2 out of 10 in Q3 2024
Recruitment
  • 65% had difficulty finding suitable staff. The figure was 72% at the end of 2024
Top 3 worries of East Midlands businesses
  1. Corporate Taxation
  2. Inflation
  3. Business Rates
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “For businesses to be reporting such low levels of confidence in future profitability over the next 12 months is a stark reminder of how hard things are right now. “If we look at the Quarterly Economic Survey data over the last six months, we see profitability expectation nosedive. On turnover, fewer respondents reported that they’re expecting turnover to improve over the next three months, so when we look at profitability and turnover expectation through the same lens, you get a fairly grim outlook. “Businesses have faced challenging trading conditions for some time, navigating everything from inflation to soaring energy bills, but higher costs hitting from April will have added another layer of concern. “Raised employer National Insurance contributions, for example, appear to have been a factor behind cautious spending plans, while the expectation of having to raise prices is still high. When you consider rising inflation, it’s not surprising that half of businesses are considering putting prices up. While that number has eased very slightly from six out of ten at the end of last year, but it’s still high. “There was modest improvement this quarter in orders for overseas trade and a slight lift in investment intention for plant, machinery and equipment, but spending plans are still not very ambitious. 30% of firms have revised investment intention on those things downwards and that’s a huge change from just 8% last summer. With training it’s the same story – nearly a quarter of businesses have adjusted their spending plan downwards when it was just 5% last summer. “With corporate taxation still the number one concern of East Midlands businesses, closely followed by inflation, you get a picture of the protective approach being taken, treading carefully to alleviate the effect of rising costs. “When it comes to recruiting staff, there was a slight improvement in the number of businesses reporting difficulty in finding suitable candidates. That’s eased from 72% to 65% – but while that’s a step in the right direction, we’re still talking about the majority of firms, and it highlights the continued need to address skills investment. “Amid so much economic uncertainty, full growth potential in the East Midlands is being held back. The discouraging outlook in these findings underlines the need for government to step up. The government’s spring statement and comprehensive spending review are opportunities to put supportive policies for businesses front and centre and it’s essential that happens.”

Leicestershire wholesaler Crowndale joins Country Range Group

April Lara
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Leicestershire wholesaler Crowndale joins Country Range Group

Crowndale Foodservice, a Leicester-based foodservice wholesaler, has joined the Country Range Group (CRG), expanding the buying group’s network to 16 member businesses and 18 wholesalers across the UK, Ireland, Jersey, and Coastal Spain.

In 1988, Crowndale initially supplied meats to retail butchers before expanding into the foodservice sector. The company now serves the public sector, hospitality, and event catering markets across the Midlands, delivering five days a week with a fleet of 15 vehicles.

The business has doubled its turnover since 2021 and is projected to reach £15 million in 2025. Crowndale’s director, William Boulger, said the partnership with CRG will help accelerate growth, particularly in the hospitality and profit sectors, by providing access to CRG’s buying power and product portfolio.

Frasers Group expands into five South Asian markets

April Lara
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Frasers Group expands into five South Asian markets

Frasers Group has signed a new distribution deal with MAP Active to expand its Sports Direct brand into five new South Asian markets: India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The agreement also strengthens Sports Direct’s presence in Indonesia.

The partnership builds on Frasers’ existing relationship with MAP Active, a region’s leading sports and fashion distributor. The move aligns with Frasers Group’s strategy to accelerate international growth and tap into emerging markets with strong demand for sports retail.

Frasers CEO Michael Murray highlighted the long-term growth potential in these markets. At the same time, MAP Active’s Group CEO, V.P. Sharma, emphasised the collaboration’s role in enhancing brand engagement and customer experience in the region.

Nottingham chemical manufacturer invests £110,000 to accelerate development of climate change-tackling materials

Tess Egginton
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Nottingham chemical manufacturer invests £110,000 to accelerate development of climate change-tackling materials
A Nottingham chemical manufacturing firm has invested £110,000 into new equipment to accelerate the development of a class of advanced materials that could help tackle climate change. Promethean Particles has spent the funds on the equipment to analyse how the advanced materials in question, called metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, behave under different environmental conditions. The company is pioneering the large-scale manufacture of MOFs, which are tiny crystal structures with extremely large internal surface areas, meaning they can capture and store huge quantities of molecules. This allows them to be used for a variety of purposes, including storing water and trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) created by the burning of industrial fuels. The new equipment purchased includes a thermal gravimetric analyser (TGA), which will monitor and record the amount of CO2 the MOFs take up at different temperatures, as well as looking at how their physical properties change when they are heated up. This information is vital in understanding how MOFs would behave in a real-world application. Additional equipment now installed at the company will also help the team to understand how the MOFs behave when manufactured in large quantities, so that production processes can be made to be more efficient and cost-effective. The purchase of the equipment is another significant step for Promethean Particles this year, after appointing a new Board chair and welcoming a new commercial director. Dr Leah Matsinha, materials development manager at Promethean Particles, said: “MOFs were discovered three decades ago, but while the awareness of their properties and their potential to help tackle climate change has been steadily growing, there is still so much we – as a scientific community – don’t know about how the different types of MOFs behave under various, real-world environments. “Our work here is cutting-edge and we are pioneering new production techniques, so understanding the potential challenges we would face while scaling up the manufacture of different MOFs, and overcoming these issues, is vital to deploying these materials commercially. “Previously we would outsource this work but bringing it into our laboratory with these new analytical instruments means we will reduce the time and cost of developing new MOFs. “What we learn here will add to the growing body of knowledge concerning these fascinating materials, while also enabling us to meet our customers’ needs quicker and, ultimately, manufacture MOFs that are capable of helping us address some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.”

Rollasons Solicitors LLP pushes growth plans forward with new business development director

Tess Egginton
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Rollasons Solicitors LLP pushes growth plans forward with new business development director
Lutterworth-based Rollasons Solicitors LLP has pushed forward its regional growth plans with the appointment of Ian Taylor as its new business development director.  A strategy and performance specialist, Ian has worked closely with Rollasons’ leadership team as a consultant for the past 18 months, now joining Rollasons as an interim business development director to drive forward its expansion plans. With a five-year plan already in motion, the firm is growing with six new hires planned this year across its offices in Daventry, Lutterworth, and Leamington Spa, and has plans to open in further locations. Kam Vara, partner at Rollasons Solicitors LLP, said: “We’re delighted to officially welcome Ian to the team and value the expertise and dedication he’s already brought to Rollasons. We’re a thriving, dynamic firm of solicitors, recently celebrating 30 years in business, and we’re now ready to expand again while staying true to our values and family ethos. “With six new hires on the way and more to follow, we’re building a team that reflects our commitment to excellence and outstanding client care. Ian’s expertise will be instrumental in driving our next phase of growth, and we’re excited for what’s ahead.” Ian added: “This is an exciting time for Rollasons. The firm is highly respected for its expert legal services and its reputation for professionalism, approachability and a personal touch. Rollasons isn’t just about legal expertise, it’s about building real relationships and delivering outstanding client care. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the team over the past 18 months, and I’m looking forward to officially stepping into this role to help expand their presence even further.”

Mather Jamie expands with graduate development surveyor

Tess Egginton
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Mather Jamie expands with graduate development surveyor
East Midlands property consultancy, Mather Jamie, has appointed Henry Wells as a graduate development surveyor. Henry recently obtained a BSc (Hons) in Real Estate from The Royal Agricultural University and is now working towards achieving his RICS accreditation while gaining hands-on experience at Mather Jamie. In his new role, he will assist the directors in progressing clients’ land through the planning and sales process for both residential and commercial development as well as a variety of other professional work Having grown up locally to Loughborough, Henry has long admired Mather Jamie’s reputation within the development industry. He said: “Growing up in the area, I have seen Mather Jamie go from strength to strength. The company has a fantastic reputation, and I look forward to playing a part in ensuring it remains a dominant force in the sector.” Gary Kirk, director at Mather Jamie, welcomed Henry to the team, saying: “We are thrilled to have Henry join us as a graduate development surveyor. His enthusiasm and strong academic background make him a great addition to the team. “We look forward to supporting him in his professional development as he works towards RICS accreditation and contributes to our continued success.” Outside of work, Henry is a keen cyclist and squash player, with a passion for visiting the French Alps in both winter and summer. He is also committed to giving back to the community and has previously volunteered for St Basils, helping to renovate a garden at a homeless shelter in Redditch to create a welcoming outdoor space for young residents.

Next steps for transformative North Leicestershire college merger

Tess Egginton
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Next steps for transformative North Leicestershire college merger
A consultation has launched on a prospective merger between Loughborough College and SMB College Group, with an aim to further educational excellence across North Leicestershire. The proposed merger looks to transform the educational landscape by driving economic growth, enhancing skills development, and delivering substantial investments in student experience and cutting-edge learning facilities. The consultation period encourages students from both colleges, parents, staff, employers and the local community to share their views. Corrie Harris, Principal and CEO at Loughborough College, said: “We are thrilled to be in the consultation phase of this ambitious proposal, which we believe has the potential to be a truly transformative partnership. “Our vision for the future merger is to unite both organisations in a shared commitment to drive economic growth while providing students across the region with an exceptional educational experience.” Dawn Whitemore, Principal and Chief Executive of SMB College Group, added: “We are excited to be embarking on this journey with the prospective merger of these two unique and vibrant colleges. “This proposed union represents an enhancement of educational offerings across all campuses, providing students with even greater opportunities for success both whilst at college and in their future careers. Together, we will create a dynamic, innovative, and inclusive learning environment that will benefit our local and regional community.” This proposed merger seeks to strengthen the growth plans for both colleges, to shape a skilled, resilient workforce and establish Leicestershire as a hub of educational and economic innovation. This includes more than £55m investment in projects such as the East Midlands Institute of Technology and a new Land-based Agri-tech Centre. The consultation period runs until 30 April 2025, with the proposed merger planned to take place on 1 August 2025.
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