Timms team celebrates title
The wills and probate team at law firm Timms Solicitors has been named the best in the region.
The firm was named Midlands Solicitor Firm of the Year in the British Wills and Probate Awards, which were recently held in Birmingham.
The team received the award in recognition of all round excellence, client engagement, technology transformation, commitment to staff development and providing an outstanding service to the local community.
Managing Partner Fiona Moffat said: “We are delighted that the wills and probate team have been recognised with this prestigious award.
“We have been serving our community and clients from our high street bases for more than 130 years and, under the leadership of Jo Robinson, our established wills and probate team has gone from strength to strength.
“We are committed to investing in all of our staff and as a result we are able to provide an exceptional service to our clients.”
Digital transformation firm acquires Nottingham business
OSF Digital, a provider of digital transformation services, has acquired Oegen Ltd., a Nottingham-based Salesforce consulting firm.
OSF Digital, which has over 2,200 employees and 49 offices worldwide, is acquiring Oegen to quickly establish a Salesforce Experience Cloud team in the UK region and expand the multi-cloud center of excellence and delivery team in the UK and EMEA.
The terms of the deal are not being disclosed.
Oegen has expertise in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, Service, Sales Cloud, and B2B Commerce with a focus on the financial and business services, education, and non-profit sectors. Customers include major UK high street banks as well as global education and charitable foundations.
“This acquisition will help to deepen our customer relationships in EMEA in many verticals,” said Gerard (Gerry) Szatvanyi, CEO of OSF Digital. “We are serious about further strengthening our Salesforce multi-cloud services globally. Oegen’s agility and commitment to excellence align very well with OSF’s values and mission.”
“We’re pleased to join OSF Digital’s growing team,” said Pete Fells, Managing Director & founder of Oegen Ltd. “Together with OSF, we’ll continue to deliver comprehensive digital transformation and user experience excellence to a vast customer base in several verticals in the UK and EMEA.”
Award winning entrepreneur joins Purpose Media
Award-winning entrepreneur Amanda Strong has joined full service marketing agency Purpose Media as a partnership manager.
For 33 years, Amanda was the owner of Mercia Image Print during which she won entrepreneur of the year and outstanding female entrepreneur of the year. The company won Small Business of the Year and various printing industry related awards. She is a trustee at Children First Derby, an ambassador of Safe and Sound and also on the committee of Derby’s Finest which aims to support and inspire ladies in Derbyshire and to gain the recognition they deserve.
Having recently sold Mercia Image Print she intends to use her time, experience and connections to create business opportunities for other local businesses.
In her new role, Amanda will be introducing Purpose Media to her network and explaining the benefits of partnering together for mutual benefit.
She said: “Because of their reputation I have always trusted and respected Purpose Media. I am delighted to be offered this role as I have absolute confidence in their ability to deliver services and advice that will help businesses to grow.”
Grace Golden, head of Client Services, added: “Amanda has a wealth of experience and is highly respected by the business community due to the success she has enjoyed as a business owner. She will be a great asset and brings many complimentary skills to our team.”
Purpose Media Managing Director Matt Wheatcroft added: “I have known Amanda for many years and we have always got on so it seemed a natural progression to invite her to join our team given the ambitions she has to connect businesses with likeminded needs.”
Greater Lincolnshire LEP to focus on ‘four game changing sectors’ at annual conference
The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise’s annual conference, which takes place this week, will will focus on Greater Lincolnshire’s four game-changing sectors – energy, UK Food Valley, defence, and ports & logistics.
The organisers have also brought together a line-up of high-calibre speakers who will lead an in-depth discussion on the day and provide an opportunity for business leaders to pose questions and share views at a time of challenge and unique opportunities for growth.
Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “Everyone is really looking forward to getting together on Thursday and unpacking our four game-changing sectors.
“The event is free to attend and places are being booked up fast.
“Those attending will be treated to an enlightening discussion about some of the opportunities which have the potential to transform the economy of Greater Lincolnshire.”
Greater Lincolnshire – Leading the Way takes place from 8.30am until 1pm on Thursday 10th November 2022. Register for your free ticket to the conference by visiting the Eventbrite page.
We are also welcoming strategic partners in an exhibition this year showcasing some of our collaborative projects and programmes.
SourceBio unveils plans to go private to accelerate growth
In a new trading update, SourceBio International has revealed plans to delist from the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
The Nottingham-based provider of laboratory services says its board has conducted a review of the benefits and drawbacks to the company retaining its listing on AIM and maintaining its existing corporate structure.
Subject to shareholder approval, the firm believes that the cancellation would be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders as a whole.
Reasons noted by the business include that while one of the main benefits of a company being on AIM is the potential to issue new shares to raise additional funds for investment or to issue new shares as consideration for acquisitions, the company has been unable to raise money at what the directors believe to be a fair valuation and, due to the low liquidity, the shares do not represent an attractive currency.Further, the board believes that the company’s current share price does not accurately reflect the future potential of the business.
The group also believes that as a private business corporate development and restructuring needed to drive and develop growth may be executed faster and more nimbly, and that it would be able to command a much higher valuation for the business on eventual exit, serving in the best interest of shareholders.SourceBio estimates that it could save annualised costs of £600,000 per year in the move.
In conjunction with the cancellation, the company is planning a tender offer at a price of 115 pence per ordinary share to certain shareholders. It is expected that over half of issued shares will be purchased and the firm says it is in advanced discussions to secure the necessary financing for the tender offer.
The news comes as revenues from SourceBio’s three core business units (Healthcare Diagnostics, Genomics and Stability Storage) continue to perform well, as they did in the first half of the year, with all business units showing growth on last year. Jay LeCoque, executive chairman, said: “We continue to be encouraged with progress and growth delivered across our three core business units. Our operational focus remains the continued expansion and scale-up of Cellular Pathology and Digital Pathology volumes through the rest of the year and beyond. “We are confident that we can potentially grow the business faster as a private company and look forward to providing fuller details in due course.”Ideagen appoints chief corporate development officer
Global expansion has led to Nottinghamshire software company Ideagen strengthening its leadership team with the appointment of Paul Carter as chief corporate development officer.
With over two decades’ experience leading corporate development teams for several FTSE-100 and Fortune 500 companies, Paul will lead Ideagen’s acquisition strategy.
Ideagen CEO, Ben Dorks, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Paul to the Ideagen executive team. He’s exactly the person we need to continue our growth trajectory and strengthen the Ideagen product portfolio for our customers.
“Paul is a well-regarded strategist with deep industry experience at blue chip organisations. His proven track record of evaluating, negotiating and executing acquisition opportunities will play a key role in helping us accelerate faster, serve customers better and scale our business.”
Having most recently served as global head of corporate development at cyber security software company Avast, Paul brings a wealth of experience within the financial services, data, technology and business services sectors. Prior to this, he held senior corporate development roles at the London Stock Exchange Group, Experian and Dun & Bradstreet.
A graduate of The University of Birmingham and Henley Business School, Paul qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand before focusing on corporate development. He brings to Ideagen extensive experience in M&A planning, research, due diligence, closing and implementation having led the full process of more than 100 acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures, across most major world economies.
Speaking about his new role, Paul said: “I am very excited to be joining the Ideagen team at this stage in its journey in becoming a world leading software company helping our customers manage complex quality, risk, audit and compliance needs in highly regulated industries.
“Ben and the team have already seen incredible growth and we’re well positioned to unlock more opportunities that enable the business to fulfil our vision. I am confident that we can meet our growth expectations to support greater numbers of customers with an increased range of solutions.”
In October, Ideagen announced its 27th acquisition and the second of 2022 – health and safety solution company, ProcessMap.
Major trade-counter brands expand in Ashbourne
Two major tool, accessories, and hardware retailers have moved in at Ashbourne’s Waterside Park.
National brands Screwfix and Toolstation have taken over the former Countrywide Country Store in a double deal, brokered by Salloway Property Consultants.
The deal comes after planning permission was granted to allow the building to be split into two 4,400 sq ft units and for the permitted use to be changed.
Salloway’s Hugo Beresford, who represented the landlord, said: “We had a tenant lined up to take the whole building but the deal failed to materialise and so I advised my client that splitting the space was the way to go. Once that decision had been made, terms were quickly agreed with both occupiers.”
Beresford added: “The planning process was not straight-forward but permission came through and I’m delighted to have been able to secure two high quality tenants for our client.”
Richard Pigott (Planning & Design Practice Ltd) represented the Landlord in respect of the planning application and Sharon Lowe (Geldards LLP) in respect of the lease documentation.
Next makes Made.com swoop after online furniture retailer’s collapse
Leicester-headquartered retailer Next has swooped for the brand, website and IP of online furniture firm Made.com.
It comes after Made.com’s operating subsidiary’s collapse, appointing PWC as administrators.
In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Susanne Given, chair of Made, said: “Having run an extensive process to secure the future of the business, we are deeply disappointed that we have reached this point and how it will affect all our stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders.
“We appreciate and deeply regret the frustration that MDL going into administration will have caused for everyone.”
The company had attempted to find a buyer, though talks failed.
In interim results for the six months to 30 June 2022, when the firm faced a significant reduction in demand, supply chain problems and the cost of living squeeze following a boom in the pandemic, Made’s losses before tax widened to £35.3m, compared to a loss of £10.1m in the same period in 2021. Revenue meanwhile grew to £178m from £171m.
Nottingham Trent University calls on construction supply chain to become Innovation Champions
A programme to help tackle the productivity challenge in the construction industry is calling on smaller firms to lead the way for change.
Innovation Driven Procurement (IDP), a fully funded programme for SME and Micro-business Owners in the supply chain, has launched an initiative to create 40 Innovation Champions to solve problems within their business relating to productivity and inspire others to do the same.
Applications to receive this valuable support are open to all UK contractor’s supply chain.
Limited places are now available online, where business owners can receive one-to-one coaching and mentoring to do an innovation project and receive the kudos of being an Innovation Champion.
With the construction industry lagging behind other areas of the economy, the initiative was created with a focus on improving productivity, profits, relationships and projects.
The IDP is the brainchild of Nottingham Trent University and Morgan Sindall Construction, supported by Construction Coach with funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
Maria Coulter, founder of Construction Coach, said: “It’s vitally important that initiatives such as our Innovation Champion programme are taken up by businesses in order to drive the change that will help our industry achieve long term sustainability. By tailoring this opportunity specifically for firms in the supply chain, we are equipping people with the tools and skills needed to make a difference from the bottom up whilst inspiring others.
“Our cohort of 40 Innovation Champions will gain access to free skills and resources which will not only benefit their businesses but help to inspire others within construction. It’s a challenging time for the industry so we strongly encourage as many people as possible to invest time with the programme.”
Dr Emmanuel Manu is an associate professor in Quantity Surveying and Project Management at the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment at Nottingham Trent University, said: “This is another exciting step for the IDP after we launched online training for the supply chain and The IDP Community earlier this year. We are looking forward to working with our delivery partners on this next step, which we hope will go some way to addressing some of the challenges within the construction industry.
“We are placing power in the hands of the smaller firms to promote innovation within the industry. This will strengthen the working relationships between all parties, enabling the development of better on-site processes and business solutions for improved productivity and profitability, helping to encourage innovation to solve on-site and business challenges.”
So far, the programme has been implemented by multiple businesses with proven success. In one example, subcontractors were able to achieve shorter delivery times and minimise risks on site after engaging with training and implementing innovation and early engagement.
Short CPD modules have been developed with construction supply chain businesses with the aim to streamline construction practices, flushing out potential problems before they arise and generally taking a more collaborative, communicative approach to encourage innovation from the outset. Modules include Collaborative Behaviours, Collaborative Design and the Supply Chain, Collaborative Risk Management using Flow Walks, Innovation and Value in the Supply Chain.
The IDP is also launching an app this month for site workers to be able to access the CPD modules whilst ‘on the go’, a method relatively unheard of in the industry. The aim is to improve accessibility and remove barriers such as lack of computers on-site and time constraints. It will be available to download on the Apple and Android store.
Caistor architects join building control partnership scheme
Exciting news as West Lindsey District Council’s Building Control welcomes another local design practice into the LABC partnership scheme.
Mother Architects, based in Caistor, are the latest company to partner with West Lindsey Building Control and take advantage of everything that being a member of the LABC partnership family has to offer.
Sam Marriot, Managing Director of Mother Architects said: “As a practice, we predominantly work within the West Lindsey area and have found the whole team to be reliable, engaged and most importantly proactive in their approach.
“This is both on-site and with pre-occupancy duties over the past 8 years. This carries right across the team, with Phil, never failing the answer the phone and giving advice, right across to Gloria issuing certification exactly when expected. We are excited to be working closer than ever with the Building Control team at West Lindsey to continue to deliver the high-quality architect-designed housing that our area deserves.”
West Lindsey District Council’s Building Control Team Manager, Phil Westmorland is thrilled to welcome Mother Architects to the scheme.
He said: “The Partnership Scheme is an excellent way of strengthening bonds between local businesses and the national LABC network through the expertise of your local authority building control team.
“We have worked with Jo and Sam at Mother Architects for a number of years and I have always been impressed with their diligence and customer focused work ethos along with their imaginative design solutions. It is an absolute pleasure to formalise that working arrangement, and the entire team looks forward to helping them with their future projects.”
If you are interested in joining the partnership scheme and being a member of the LABC family, it can bring numerous benefits to your business including:
- A single point contact for all your building control work in England and Wales
- Competitive pricing on high volumes of repeat work or major developments
- Site inspections from a local professional team with invaluable local contacts and knowledge
- Simplified fees and invoicing arrangements
- Electronic submissions and e-working
- The use of LABC Partner logo on all of your marketing materials
- Easy access to the planning department, the highways engineers and local fire service
- In-depth expertise on structure, fire, acoustics, warranties, access, contamination, energy and sustainability from LABC specialists
