JUNE 2016EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGBEST FOOTFORWARDEMBL speaks to Cheaney ShoesBEST FOOTFORWARDEMBL speaks to Cheaney ShoesCONSTRUCTION Hodgkinson on skillsshortagesBUSINESSSERVICES THe Qdos GroupFASTEST 40All the winnerswww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKEDITOR’S NOTESI could talk about the EU Referendum again – and we do later on in themagazine – but there is little more to be said. Instead, I’d like to use this space to congratulate Ian Morris, group commercialdirector at Leicester’s EHL Group, who was recently crowned Fastest inProfessional Services and Overall Winner at the East Midlands Business LinkFastest 40 Awards 2016. It’s people like Ian and his fellow winners Aaron Dicks& Tom Craig of Impression (Fastest Owner-Managers) and Ross Davies of StrafeCreative (Fastest in the Creative Industries) who are keeping the entrepreneurialspirit alive and well in the East Midlands. A full report of the awards event isincluded in this issue. Elsewhere, we speak to Cheaney Shoes, the award-winning manufacturer oftraditional hand-crafted English footwear; Derby brickwork boss Ian Hodgkinsondiscusses skills shortages; Qdos chairman Steve Greenwell tells us about theGroup’s unique business model; and we profile global wellness adviser andstrategist Anni Hood. See you next month. Ian EvansEditorMorristriumphantContentsJune 2016Latest News6The latest news from the regionDeals8The latest news from the dealmakers around the regionProperty News 10All the latest from the property sectorAppointments12Who’s moving whereManufacturing News14News and views from around the East MidlandsThe East Midlands Business Link 17Fastest 40 Awards 2016Full report of the popular awards night Cover Story20EMBL visits Cheaney Shoes, the award-winningmanufacturer of traditional hand-crafted English footwearConstruction 22Derby brickwork boss Ian Hodgkinson discusses the skillscrisisEU Referendum 25Countdown to Brexit? Branding 28A chat with S4RB Public Relations30Greg Simpson of Press for Attention PR explains how toget known for what you knowBusiness Solutions32EMBL talks to Steve Greenwell, chairman at The QdosGroup In Profile: Anni Hood34Meet wellness business advisor and consultant Anni Hood Freeths Breakfast Event 36Experts from Freeths, Arup and the D2N2 LEP discussdevolution Social Scene: My HR Hub Launch Party38Images from the My HR Hub launch night at BarescaOut of Office Special40Awards, celebrations, charity work and moreAutolink42An international motor show almost on our doorstepseemed too good an opportunity to miss – after all howoften do we get the chance to get up close and personal tothe cars that are about to hit our showrooms without havingto leave our shores? 421725EditorIan Evansi.evans@blmgroup.co.ukAccounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharmanaccounts@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark Cassonstudio@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310304Fax: (01472) 310314E-Mail:eastmidlands@blmgroup.co.ukPublisherHaychart Ltd, t/a Business Link Magazine Group,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied,recorded or otherwise without expresspermission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to thepublisher. While every reasonable care is taken,neither the publisher nor its participating agentsaccept liability for loss or damage to prints,colour transparencies, negatives or othermaterial of whatever nature submitted to thispublication. The views expressed in thispublication are not necessarily the views of thoseheld by the publisher.JUNE 2016EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGBEST FOOTFORWARDEMBL speaks to Cheaney ShoesBEST FOOTFORWARDEMBL speaks to Cheaney ShoesCONSTRUCTION Hodgkinson on skillsshortagesTHE LIVING WAGE Is it working?FASTEST 40All the winnerswww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlandsGENERAL NEWSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk6Make retention ofprofessional services firmsin city centre a priority,urges Mazars chiefInward investment chiefs inNottingham need to “put theirarms” around professionalservices and make sureeverything is being done toencourage professional servicesfirms to stay in Nottingham citycentre – that’s according toAlistair Wesson, East Midlandsmanaging partner at top tenaccountancy and businessadvisory firm Mazars.Wesson made the call after law firm Eversheds revealed it willbe relocating its city centre offices at the end of November. WithEversheds’ lease-break fast approaching, the firm recentlycommented that it is determined to remain in the city and iscurrently searching for new premises within Nottingham.Wesson said: “The news that Eversheds is committing itself toNottingham city centre despite having to change offices iswelcomed. Such relocations have often seen top firms being leftwith no choice but to leave the city and that is why more needsto be done to find the business suitable premises.“Mazars was fortunate. We found our premises in the heart ofthe professional services quarter on the top two floors of ParkView House, 58 The Ropewalk, relatively easily – but we knowthat other businesses struggle”.Over the past decade, Nottingham has lost many firms, andmany others have made the decision to move out of the cityaltogether.Wesson added: “The professional services sector is worth£396m per annum to the Nottingham economy and supportsthousands of jobs, making up 24 percent of employment in thecity.“We want more to be done to make sure the city continues itsexcellent reputation as a centre of professional services. Muchhas been made lately of the drive towards graduate retention,and we know from experience that young people want to work incity centres. By having a strong, central professional servicesoffering, Nottingham will give itself the best chance possible ofnot only attracting the best talent – but keeping it”.32 percent average profit growth for East Midlands’ Top 200companiesThe East Midlands’ best performing businesses have grown profits by an average of nearly 32%, according to an annual report of the region’s top200 companies by Grant Thornton and the CBI.The annual East Midlands Top 200 Report, now in its fourth year and produced by Grant Thornton’s East Midlands regional office in Leicester inpartnership with the CBI, highlights the 200 fastest growing companies run and managed from the East Midlands on the basis of profit growth todeliver a unique snapshot of the health of the region’s economy.According to the 2016 Report’s findings, collectively, the East Midlands’ Top 200 companies have an operating profit of £736 million, employ 63,045people, and turnover a total of £12.8 billion – a growth of 58.3% in the last three years. Based on the “typical company” in the Top 200, this equatesto an annual compound growth of approximately 12% per year.This growth in profitability has enabled the East Midlands’ Top 200 companies to generate nearly 17,000 net new jobs over the period of the report,an increase of 36% over the three years, simultaneously increasing average wages and productivity at a higher rate than the national average.Manufacturing and services continue to be the two fastest growing sectors in the region according to the report’s analysis, and represent 48% ofthe companies on the 2016 report. However, this is down on the report’s findings in 2015, with other sectors, notably property and construction,grabbing a greater slice of the fastest growth.78% of the East Midlands’ disclosed exports are from the manufacturing sector.Lincolnshire’s Chris Eley Produce, based in Spalding, is ranked number one in the report for profit growth this year. The company specialises ingrowing, preparing and distributing vegetables, fruit and horticultural produce, and is one of two from Lincolnshire to feature in the report’s top 10.Wilson Vale named regionalfinalists in EY Entrepreneur of theYear AwardsAndrew Wilson and Carolyne Vale, co-founders of niche catering businessWilson Vale, have been named joint finalists within the Midlands region of the EYEntrepreneur of the Year Awards 2016.The couple started Wilson Vale in 2002, initially working from home above theirgarage in Derbyshire, establishing the business with £50K personal savings and “alaptop and a pencil”.Wilson Vale now employs 600 people and holds 85 catering contracts, mainlywithin the business & industry, independent education and the conference venuessectors. Its current annual turnover is £23 million.Wilson said: “We are absolutely thrilled, surprised and honoured to be includedin such great company. We really didn’t expect this as we don’t see ourselves ashigh flying entrepreneurs but more as two people with a passion and enjoymentfor what we do.“This is a fantastic endorsement of everything we have achieved to date, andwe are particularly pleased for our teams whose hard work and absolutecommitment continue to make the Wilson Vale journey so special”.Wilson and Vale will join 33 others at the Midlands finals, which will be held onTuesday June 14th at Birmingham Council House.The 12-strong judging panel includes Lord Digby Jones, an internationalbusinessman and active cross-bench peer in the House of Lords, and InspiredThinking Group CEO Simon Ward.Now in its 30th year globally and 18th in the UK, the EY Entrepreneur of theYear awards recognise entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence andextraordinary success in areas such as innovation, financial performance andpersonal commitment to their businesses and communities.GENERAL NEWS7www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Avingtrans to sellaerospace divisionSandiacre-based Avingtrans – the provider of highlyengineered components, systems and services to theaerospace, energy, medical and traffic managementindustries – has announced an agreement to sell itsaerospace division Sigma Components to AnthonyBidco.Anthony Bidco is controlled by funds managed bySilverfleet Capital Partners LLP.The deal has an enterprise value of £65 millionwhich, after adjustment for debt and working capitaland associated transaction costs, will result inAvingtrans receiving proceeds of approximately £52million (before escrow arrangements).Silverfleet Capital is an independent Europeanprivate equity firm which specialises in mid-marketbuyouts.Steve McQuillan, chief executive officer atAvingtrans, said: “I am delighted to announce theagreement to sell the Aerospace Division. Following astrategic review the Board concluded that it was theright time to consider the disposal of the Aerospacebusiness which had achieved the majority of its targets.This transaction further demonstrates Avingtrans’ trackrecord in growing successful businesses and realisingvalue for shareholders. The proceeds of thistransaction will enable the return of substantial value toshareholders while also providing additionalinvestment for the Energy and Medical businesseswhere the Board believes there are exciting prospectswhich have the potential to deliver significant furthervalue for shareholders”.Leicester’s economy set to boom asFoxes win Premier League titleIn the wake of Leicester City’s PremierLeague title win, analysis of past sportingachievements around the UK suggeststhat the city’s economy could be in forsimilarly spectacular success.According to research carried out bythe business data website CompanyCheck, Leicester’s business communitycould grow by almost double the nationalaverage if the experience of other placesis anything to go by.The analysis, which has been reviewedby Sheffield Hallam University’s SportsIndustry Research Centre, looked at thetotal number of businesses trading inother UK regions before and afterunexpected sporting achievements.In Bournemouth, where the footballteam earned promotion from League Twoto the Premier League between 2010-15,the total number of businesses in thetown grew by 15% in 2011 after the first promotion, compared with 9% for the UK as awhole.For the two years after that business count was up 11% and 10% respectively,versus the national average of 6% a year.This is no isolated case. In Swansea, where the football team achieved promotion tothe Premier League in 2011, research carried out two years later showed that thisadded £58m to the local economy.Alastair Campbell, founder of Company Check, which is itself based in the EastMidlands, said: “Leicester’s achievement this year is without precedent in PremierLeague history, so accurately predicting the likely economic impact on the city isn’teasy.“However, by analysing business numbers in other areas like Bournemouth, anotherplace where a football team had sudden and unexpected success, it’s been possible todemonstrate that footballing wins are often followed by a business boom.“Whether the football team’s achievements led to the economic growth or vice versais another matter! We’ll have to wait and see whether Leicester can replicate this overthe next few years”.Company Check’s analysis took full-year accounts for all UK postcodes for the years2010-2014. In the city of Leicester, the number of new businesses grew by an averageof 3% a year, well below the UK’s 7% yearly growth due to a 12% year-on-year fall inLeicester between 2013-14.However with Leicester City Football Club winning the top flight title for the first timein its 132-year history, the city’s business community is gearing up for growth.Sarah Harrison, City Centre director for Leicester City Council, said: “The success ofthe football team this year has given the region the most amazing exposure. We’ve gota proud, 2,000-year history here in Leicester and this sporting Cinderella story gives usa fantastic opportunity to showcase the best the city has to offer, finding new ways toencourage visitors to stay for longer.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/TRAVELLIGHTRolls-Royce strikes £2bn deal with ChinaEasternManufacturing giant Rolls-Royce has announced a £2bn deal with China’s second largest airline ChinaEastern.The Chinese company has selected 20 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft which are powered by Rolls-Royce’sTrent XWB engine.1,500 Trent XWB engines – the world’s most efficient large civil aero engines – have already beensold to 40 customers.This is China Eastern’s first selection of the Airbus A350 XWB. Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines alreadypower 51 China Eastern Airbus A330 aircraft in service.Dominic Horwood, director of customers and services, civil aerospace at Rolls-Royce, said: “Wewelcome this decision by China Eastern to select the A350 XWB. We now look forward to powering theaircraft with our Trent XWB engine”.DEALSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk8Leicestershire nursery groupacquired by Busy BeesLeicestershire-based Bush Babies Nursery Group – a private childcare provider with aportfolio of seven nurseries in the Midlands – has been acquired by Staffordshirecompany Busy Bees.Busy Bees is the largest childcare provider in the UK. Including this acquisition, thecompany now operates 257 nurseries. Currently, Busy Bees employs and trains over7,700 staff and provides care for over 30,000 children.Marg Randles, managing director at Busy Bees, said: “We are delighted to welcome theBush Babies group into the Busy Bees family. Every nursery in the portfolio is alreadyproviding exceptional outcomes for children and we are all really looking forward toworking with the extremely talented teams in place.“It is an absolute pleasure to work with such experienced managers and devoted staff, all of whom will continue to play the most important role,providing quality care for the children in partnership with their families. Meanwhile we will be working very closely with the management team toensure this transition is as seamless as possible for everyone involved.“It is our promise to keep our parents informed every step of the way, as we continue to improve the excellent care, resources and services thiscollection of outstanding nurseries currently offer”.Focus Consultants acquirescontrolling interest in MESFocus Consultants has acquired a controlling interest in Newark-based sustainablebuilding consultancy Midland Energy Services (trading as MES Building Solutions).The move will strengthen the sustainable development services already provided byFocus and increase the number of professionals working on the team.The existing MES management team will remain and MES will be run separately for theforeseeable future.Focus Consultants partner Kevin Osbon said: “We see this as an exciting opportunity towork in partnership with MES to help both businesses grow.“MES original founder and owner of the business Alex Hole will remain as CEO, and weare looking forward to pooling our resources to provide extended services to our clients interms of the sustainable building services that we offer.“Focus Consultants views the arrangement as a partnership, which will allow us toundertake joint initiatives to support our clients”.Focus, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has branches inLondon, Leicester, and in Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, offers a range of services inthe fields of funding and regeneration, energy, project management and chartered surveying. Its sustainable development department providesservices such as low carbon refurbishment support, Code for Sustainable Homes assessment, energy/sustainability statements for planning, lowcarbon funding advice and BREEAM assessments.As well as a range of eco-sustainability services, the team at MES will bring “rights of light” expertise to the group.The acquisition of MES, for an undisclosed sum, is expected to bring a combined turnover of more than £5 million for 2016/2017 for the Focusgroup, and with the addition of 12 skilled staff, will create a team of almost 60 across its offices.MES is based in Beacon Hill Office Park, Newark, and specialises in environmental consultancy work.CEO Alex Hole said: “MES will continue to operate as a separate company. However, our clients will be able to benefit from this association withFocus Consultants as we will also be able to offer even more of a ‘one-stop’ construction solution through our sister organisation.“I will continue to lead the MES team and other personnel within MES stay the same. We are excited about the opportunities this brings and lookforward to being able to continue to provide our clients with the high quality, honest and diligent service we are renowned for”.The partners at Focus were advised on the deal by Duncan James of Shakespeare Martineau and Collin Franklin from Franklin Underwood.DEALS9www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Ideagen wins over £1million worth ofcontracts in the lifescience sectorIdeagen, the Ruddington-based supplier of informationmanagement software to highly regulated industries, hasannounced a series of contract wins in the life scienceindustry – bringing the total customer contribution fromthis industry alone to more than £1 million in revenue sincethe start of the financial year.Ideagen has won in excess of £1 million in new softwareand service revenue from both new customers andexpanded engagements with existing customers in the lifescience vertical.Its 27 new customers include an in-vitro diagnostics andpharmaceutical company, a global pharmaceutical therapydevelopment company and a UK science-based university.The Group’s electronic quality management system Q-Pulse is the most widely used solution from the productsuite for customers in the life science industry. During theyear, Ideagen agreed a strategic partnership with DataVita,operator of the UK’s first life sciences and healthcarecompliant datacentre. The partnership will enable thecompany to offer the Q-Pulse solution via the DataVitavalidated platform.David Hornsby, chief executive officer at Ideagen, said:“We continue to see strong demand for our product suiteacross all of our vertical markets, including transport,finance and complex manufacturing, however demandwithin the life science industry has been particularly strongthis year. While life sciences alone still represents a smallproportion of overall revenue, we are pleased with thetraction we are making in this industry and see this as animportant sector from which to grow further as we roll outnew products and upgrades, as well as launch the DataVitahosted Q-Pulse solution.“To break through the £1 million barrier with healthyexisting and new business contracts is testament to thestrength of our products and to the expertise of our teamin what is a rapidly growing industry”.MBO at Moody DirectRetford-based MoodyDirect has undergone amanagement buyout fromthe Moody Group ofCompanies for anundisclosed amount –with financial supportcoming from Barclays.For 40 years the MoodyGroup of Companies hassupplied process andpackaging solutions to thedairy, food, beverage,brewery, ice cream,chemical andpharmaceutical industries. Founded by Paul Moody in 1975, the Group serves a largecustomer base in the UK, Ireland and around the world.Moody Direct is a supplier of process spare parts, maintenance, equipment andproject engineering services. The company incorporates Moody Direct Spares andService, Moody Heat Exchangers, Moody Projects, Daken Stainless Products andAlfred & Company.The management buyout of Moody Direct has been led by David Tomlinson and KenWild, with Paul Moody being retained as non-executive chairman.Wild founded Daken Stainless Products in 1998 and joined forces with Moody Directin 2007. Qualified accountant Tomlinson joined the Moody Group in 1998 and has beenfinance director for over 12 years.Wild said: “The Moody name holds a fantastic reputation in the market place andMoody Direct has a great team of people with an amazing breadth of knowledge andexperience. David, myself and all of the Moody Direct team are excited to explore themany opportunities which lie ahead and look forward to growing and developing thebusiness over the coming years”.Despite becoming independent from other parts of the Moody Group, following themanagement buyout Moody Direct will retain the Moody name and will continue tooperate from its main base in Retford, with additional offices in Derbyshire and aservice centre in Gloucestershire.Paul Moody added: “Over the last 40 years the Moody Group of companies hasgrown, developed, diversified and become a leading force in the industries we serve. Iam very proud of the Moody Group and I have been fortunate to have beensurrounded by great people, without whom none of what we have achieved would’vebeen possible. I would like to thank our loyal customer base and wish Moody Directevery success for the future. I look forward to continuing to work with David and Kenin my role within Moody Direct”.The Moody Group of companies has a longstanding relationship with Barclays.Ashley Hallam, relationship director at Barclays in Nottingham, said: “I am delighted wehave been able to provide the funding for the management buy-out and I look forwardto working with the companies as they implement their strategic growth plan”.Next >