APRIL 2024 EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www..co.uk WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK £3.50 Redeveloping and regenerating A seamless fit-outTaking family businesses to the next levelZZZVWFRQQHFWFRXN 1HZ+RXVLQJ'HYHORSPHQWVWKDWIDFH1XWULHQW1HXWUDOLW\ RUOLWWOHQRFDSDFLW\6HYHUQ7UHQW&RQQHFWFDQKHOSSOHDVHFRQWDFWXV For All Business Development Enquiries Please Contact Business Development Manager Lara Day Email: lara.day @ st-connect.co.uk Mobile: 07384 450 701 Benefits Odourless and quiet Unobtrusive and small footprint Environmental and sustainability matters Non-potable water services (rainwater and greywater systems) Nutrient Neutrality Adoption of sustainable drainage system (SuDS) Lower customer bills Removal of potential delays and expedited development Certainty in time frame Ofwat regulated 67&RQQHFW SEPTEMBER 2023 EAST MIDLANDS LE £3.50 LEADING BUSINESS MAG MAGAZNE going gr The business case T OCTOB £2.95 BER2023 BreastC Hair & B Cce Bty WithLou In Love Month Awaren B th BLM GROUP www.blmgroup.co.uk Heritage Lincolns hi WWW.LINCWWW.LINC OLNSHIRETOOLNSHIRETO ODAYNEODAYNE aging k caa P rld o our guide to the pharmaceutical wY Issue 41 olume 1V mpeeee T profitable Sustainable ature er bl a Unyieldingi contro em il ll a Handlingthe handli M Often Imitated - Never Equalled www.blmgroup.co.uk INTERN NATION AL Fut pro Futu ture oo g ,coding abilit y ce p g Labelling, co and tr aaceab Food scienc Envir onment spotlight ena september 2023 yorkshire & lincolnshir £3.50 hire’s leading business mag agazine VOLUME38SSUE09 .blmgroup.co.ukwww organi cOver Automation driving adaption success Driving business ning isational lear comngbaeso V wwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 3 EDITORS NOTES Is it a bad thing if the government is paralysed? The political mudslinging continues between the various parties, leaving the country’s government paralysed by internal strife and debate. Perhaps we’ll see yet another unelected prime minister within the coming weeks or months, but one thing is for certain – there won’t be any meaningful changes coming to our region’s businesses. But one has to ask: is that a bad thing??? It may be a little hyperbolic of me but I think a lot of people would agree that everything the government has touched of late hasn’t quite worked out as they’ve hoped it to. Perhaps, then, we should be relieved that they’re being kept busy and away from our region, so that they can’t make life more difficult for us. Of course, that’s not for lack of trying. Companies House will be receiving new powers to combat financial crime by accessing and sharing data with other agencies. Of course, that’s unlikely to be used to target the big tax avoiders because their lawyers are too expensive. Instead, it’ll be used to clamp down on SMEs across the country who can’t afford to fight back too hard. On brighter news, there is evidence that inflation will begin to ease in the second half of 2024 and towards 2025, and economists are hopeful for a bounce back effect that could see some genuine improvement in the economic outlook. It’s hard to say whether this is a result of any direct action taken by the UK or whether it’s just the inevitable bounce from such a big fall, but if GDP improves then we may feel that in our region, and it may mean more options for the next government (whichever that may be) to improve the UK market. Good reading, as always Michael Fisher Editor@BLMEastMidlands BLMEastMidlands Latest news 6 A round-up of the latest news from our region. Commercial property 16 With a wealth of redevelopment and regeneration projects underway across the region, the East Midlands is undergoing significant transformation. Factory automation spotlight 20 The dynamic relationship between human workers and automation technologies is constantly evolving – from collaborative robots to sensor-driven quality control measures. Together, they’re driving innovation and productivity in the manufacturing landscape. Family business 24 Family businesses stand as pillars of resilience and innovation, seen as the embodiments of a unique blend of tradition and adaptability. Tax 28 James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, considers the importance of a business’s culture. Office solutions 30 As many businesses look to rejuvenate their offices to create a workplace more suited to current working habits, establishing the right team to ensure a seamless project is key. Healthcare 34 It’s tempting to say an employee’s health is their own to manage and none of your business, but it becomes your business when ill-health interferes with their ability to do their job. And with the NHS at breaking point and delays at an all-time high, health problems among staff may not be resolved for lengthy periods. Public relations 38 Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR, reflects on a wasted marketing opportunity. Refrigeration 40 Beyond preservation alone, refrigeration has a pivotal role in maintaining product integrity and safety across a spectrum of manufacturing processes. From pharmaceuticals to electronics, we explore the diverse applications shaping our modern industrial landscape. AutoLink 44 We look at some motors coming this year, and what’s on the horizon for the next. APRIL 2024 EAST MIDLANDS £3.50 LEADING BUSINESS MA AGAZINE the next level aking family businesses INESSLINKCOUK .co.ukwww. A seamless f W it-out egeneratr Redevelop WWWEASTMI to aaT ing ping and IDLANDSBUS Cover photographs courtesy: • stock.adobe.com/ummit Art Creations • sirisakboakaew • Photographee.eu • REDPIXEL • jirsak Contents April 2024 Corporate hospitality 48 Any corporate event requires solid planning to triumph. Events52 A timely look at forthcoming business events around the East Midlands. And finally...54 Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks.24 Group Editor Steve Fisher s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Editor Michael Fisher m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Journalist Tess Egginton t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk Sales Director Angela Cooper a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310310 Accounts & Subscriptions Angela Sharman accounts@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311 Design & Production Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson studio@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310304 E-Mail: eastmidlands@blmgroup.co.uk Publisher Haychart Ltd, t/a Business Link Magazine Group, Huntingdon House, 278-290 Huntingdon Street, Nottingham NG1 3LY All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk GENERAL NEWS • Commercial • Events • Headshots • Automotive • Fashion CALL OR EMAIL FOR A QUOTE 07506 998855 STEVE@STEVEEDWARDSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM STEVEEDWARDSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Creating eye-catching images to help businesses build their brands and engage with clients. Renewables company makes eleventh strategic acquisition Green Building Renewables has expanded its nationwide network into Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire with its eleventh acquisition. Newark-based JL Phillips Renewable Energy Limited increases the company’s turnover to £42 million as it remains on track to reach its £100 million turnover target by the end of 2025. Since 2021, Green Building Renewables has increased its turnover more than tenfold from £3m to over £40m. Its rapid growth reflects the increasing demand for renewable technology in domestic and commercial settings. Managing Director of Green Building Renewables, Chris Delaney, said: “JL Phillips is our eleventh acquisition and it demonstrates our commitment to continually investing in renewables and low carbon technology across the country as we aim to build the largest renewable installation company in the UK.” Chris Joubert, Merger and Acquisition Director at Green Building Renewables, added: “JL Phillips is the second acquisition of the year for the company. We are in active conversations with other companies, and we are confident that by the end of the year we will have complete coverage of England through our nationwide local network.” Canva snaps up Nottingham design platform Canva, the all-in-one visual communication platform, has acquired Nottingham-based Affinity, the creative software suite for professional photo editing, illustration, graphic design and page layout. The acquisition significantly bolsters Canva’s vision to build the world’s most comprehensive suite of visual communication tools. “Visual communication is now ubiquitous in the workplace and investing in strategies that enhance our B2B offerings is core to the future of our business,” said Canva co-founder and COO, Cliff Obrecht. “From sales and marketing, to brand and creative teams, the need to create effective and engaging visual content is on the rise. The Affinity team comes with an incredible caliber of talent and technology and we’re delighted to welcome them to Canva as we enter our next phase together.” Today, more than 3 million users around the world trust Affinity to create everything from complex multi-layered graphics to detailed technical diagrams, art and illustration, logos, mockups, documents, magazines and more. Affinity CEO Ash Hewson and Canva Head of Europe Duncan ClarkT: 01332 492 465 E: hello@glowfrogvideo.com W: www.glowfrogvideo.com East Midlands business confidence falls in March Business confidence in the East Midlands fell 17 points during March to 35%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in the East Midlands reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, down 15 points at 37%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down 19 points to 33%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 35% (vs. 52% in February). Businesses in the East Midlands identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offering, investing in their team, and entering new markets. Dave Atkinson, regional director for the East Midlands at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “While it might be discouraging to see a drop in business confidence in the region this month, a pickup in businesses looking to evolve their offering since last month points to an increasing focus on diversification as a route for growth. “As an upcoming devolution deal will deliver £38m per year for the newly formed East Midlands Combined County Authority, regional businesses can look forward to fresh development opportunities.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Dave Atkinson © stock.adobe.com/ Jacob Lund Does video marketing offer a good return on investment? Business Link have been speaking with Glowfrog Video Production and discovered that many of their clients are increasing their sales three-fold by posting high-quality product videos online. But, considering the costs involved to produce professional sales videos, are these businesses just increasing turnover, or actually seeing a good return on investment? To answer this question, Glowfrog have provided a representative example to illustrate the ROI you might achieve on any given product when posting a professional sales video to social media. Product sell price: £30 ea. Video impressions: 100,000 Conversions: 500 (0.5%) Sales: £15,000 Product cost price: -£15 ea. Video production: -£2,000 Video promotion: -£7.50 CPM Costs: £10,250 = Gross Profit: £4,750 (46%) This is just a conservative example - you are likely working with some higher sell prices, and may achieve more conversions with a lower budget depending what style of video and placement you choose. Then extrapolate this over a range of products/services, and this explains why so many marketers are hiring video production companies to help create marketing videos that increase sales. Your ROI on video marketing will also be determined by the quality of your videos and how effectively your message is conveyed. That’s why it’s important to talk with a professional video production company that specialises in video marketing. Glowfrog are based in the East Midlands and they are recent winners of the VPA No.1 Midlands Video Production Company award. To discuss video production for your business, contact Glowfrog.Nottingham-based investigation tech firm appoints new chair Nottingham-based investigation tech firm, Altia, has appointed a new chair as the company looks to strengthen its growth plans throughout 2024 and beyond. Stuart Warriner, who holds over 35 years of corporate finance experience, will succeed Simon Hook, who had held the position since 2020. Stuart joins Altia with an impressive portfolio of chair and non-executive director (NED) roles, and currently serves as chair at Mortgage and Surveying Services Limited and Blue-i Group. He is also a NED at Alternative Investment Market (AIM) listed The Pebble Group plc and at the privately owned Lodestone Communications, as well as being a senior advisor to Houlihan Lokey. Joining Altia, Stuart’s board roles will be complemented by his extensive corporate finance background, having served as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and as a Managing Director at GCA Altium. As chair, Stuart will support the company’s senior leadership team in implementing growth across the company, leveraging his expertise in market analysis and strategic planning. APPOINTMENTS Anthony James Insurance Brokers makes two new Board appointments Anthony James Insurance Brokers has rewarded talent by appointing two new directors to its Board after a year of sustained growth. Josh Gough and Greg Sands have been promoted by the Loughborough-based firm as it seeks to maintain and develop the volume of its work after the business grew by 38% in 2023. Josh is Anthony James’ new commercial director. He will focus specifically on elevating the delivery of the company’s service, helping to build and maintain relationships with clients, stakeholders, and partners. He will also look to drive initiatives for process improvements and further grow the business. Greg is Anthony James’ new technical director, and will further the level of technical knowledge amongst the team. Within his new role he will look to implement structured training and development programmes that aim to challenge individuals and create opportunities for them to grow within their position. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Dow Schofield Watts’ corporate finance team expands again Dow Schofield Watts (DSW) has appointed an additional Partner in its expanding Midlands corporate finance team. Ryan Shields joins from Grant Thornton where he was an M&A Director. Ryan is the fifth and final founding member to join the team, with his arrival having been delayed due to contractual commitments. He joins the existing Partners – Harry Walker and Shaf Bheda, together with Director Fahim Kassam and Associate Directors Daniel Chouciño and Lucy Fairclough, bringing the total number in the team to six. Ryan will be focusing on building Dow Schofield Watts’ corporate finance presence in Milton Keynes and Northampton, an area where he has a strong track record. He has spent his career at Grant Thornton, joining in 2012 and gaining his accountancy qualifications, then moving into the corporate finance team and rising through the ranks. Working with entrepreneurs, owner-managers, large corporates, management teams, and private equity he has advised on a wide range of transactions. Stuart Warriner L-R: Shaf Bheda, Harry Walker, Ryan Shields Josh Gough and Greg SandsHarris Lamb appoints new head of environment team The director of property consultancy Harris Lamb’s Environment department has announced her departure from the business in order to specialise in heritage projects. Dr Holly Smith joined Harris Lamb in February 2018, tasked with building an ecological arm to the business to operate in conjunction with the Planning department. In the six years since, she has built a seven-strong team of ecologists and developed a UK-wide portfolio of clients requiring ecological advice and support. Holly is joining the HCUK Group, an environmental consultancy with a focus on heritage and archaeology projects specialising in the management of change within the historic environment. Holly said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision. I am immensely proud of the team of colleagues I have built here, the diverse range of invaluable services we offer and in particular, what we have achieved in terms of supporting clients throughout the residential and commercial sectors about environmental impact and biodiversity net gain. “My passion for history and heritage projects dates back to my childhood, and I’m currently studying part time for a Masters degree in Historic Buildings at York University, so the opportunity to combine that with my ecological experience and to work alongside and learn from archaeological experts was one I simply couldn’t pass up.” Craig Greenwell, who joined the team as an associate in 2022, will take over as head of department. Hinckley & Rugby appoints first female Chair of the Board Hinckley & Rugby Building Society has appointed Nemone Wynn-Evans as the mutual’s new Chair of the Board. Announcing the news, the Society confirmed that Colin Franklin is retiring after nine years in the role. Nemone Wynn-Evans joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in March 2017. She chairs the Nominations & Governance Committee and was appointed the mutual’s Vice-Chair in 2023. She is the Society’s first female Chair of the Board. Nemone’s background is in the equity capital markets sector of the City of London. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment, and holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management. Speaking about her appointment (which is subject to regulatory approval), Nemone said: “I am very much looking forward to working closely with our recently-appointed CEO, Barry Carter, as we develop a truly customer-centric organisation for our members. “We have strong and ambitious plans for growth, with products and services that add real value to our members’ lives, and a strong desire to make our Society the most efficient and effective it can be.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link APPOINTMENTS Business development expert joins NLT board Mel Archbould, owner and Managing Director of Cloud-busting, a business scale-up consultancy based in Chesterfield, has joined NLT Training Services’ Board of Directors. Mel joins the five-strong board and will play an active role in advising on and shaping the training provider’s strategy for its future growth and charitable activities across the East Midlands and Humberside. She brings more than 17 years’ experience as Managing Director of her family business, Palamatic, and now her own consultancy, Cloud-busting, to NLT. Mel Explained: “I have been on a journey myself and learned a great many lessons which are transferable to other organisations, including NLT. I am excited to now be part of NLT’s journey. “There are a wealth of opportunities waiting for NLT to bring to so many adults in careers that require certification and validation of competence to carry out their role. I am looking forward to working with the board to help structure and focus on how that continues as NLT approaches its sixtieth year.” Mel Archbould Nemone Wynn-Evans Craig Greenwell and Dr Holly SmithNext >