JULY 2021 EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK £3.50 ENGINEERING Lean engineering COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Repurpose, revitalise, regenerate IT AND TELECOMS Safe and secure THE NEXT LEVEL THE NEXT LEVEL 01.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 10:39 Page 1Looking forward at new business opportunities SINGLE USE MENUS / NOTICES AND SIGNS / INFORMATION LEAFLETS / LOGOS AND BRANDING STATIONARY / BUSINESS CARDS / NEWSLETTERS / POSTCARDS / FLYERS / BROCHURES VINYL BANNERS / ROLLER BANNERS / POSTERS / PLAN PRINTING Established more than 40 years ago, Lincoln Print & Copy Centre has experienced the highs and lows of the economy alongside many other businesses in the area. Looking at the opportunities as the economy grows, they identified areas where they can help their customers stand out from the crowd and have invested in new printing and finishing equipment. With the latest Xerox Versant 280 press and Kasfold 640 booklet maker, they can now supply landscape A4 brochures, 6 page A4 leaflets and A5 concertina leaflets with other products available in the near future, all in smaller as well as large quantities. The combination of the new machines offer many new exciting products for customers. Their experienced design team have worked in print for many years so understand what’s required in the worlds of commerce, industry, hospitality, culture and tourism. They can help customers understand how the new ideas will work for them, discuss branding and logos, what will attract and inform their customers. For more information visit www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk 9 Clifton Street, Stonefield Park Industrial Estate, Lincoln, LN5 8LQ tel: 01522 546118 email: sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Bricks 2021 A celebration of those helping to create the landscape for the next generation EAST MIDLANDS The prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards are back for 2021! Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, this year’s event will take place on Thursday 30 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. After last year’s ceremony was moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic, with cases now dropping and restrictions easing, the 2021 celebration is to be held in person once again, providing ample opportunities for networking in a safe environment. Visit www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk for more information. BUSINESS LINK Thursday 30th September 2021 at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground 02.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 10:41 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 3 EDITORS NOTES Further proof that the government’s handling of the COVID crisis has been tantamount to soap opera shenanigans, health secretary Matt Hancock has quit after his affair with an aide came to light. But, of course, flouting COVID restrictions is nothing new with Boris Johnson’s cabinet – why break tradition now? Perhaps worst of all was Johnson’s refusal to give Hancock the sack, instead leaving it to the erstwhile health secretary to quit. If the Tories are trying to convince the public that parliament isn’t just an extension of the Bullingdon Club, that cronyism doesn’t rule the roost, then they’re not doing a very good job. Sajid Javid has been thrust into the role and it’ll very much be trial by fire. But, at this point, all he has to do is stick to the rules and not have any illicit affairs and he’ll already be doing a better job than his predecessor. Nationally the country might be a laughingstock, but I’m happy to say that our region is par excellence as usual. Just have a read though our July issue and you can see for yourselves. Perhaps most importantly this issue is our charity feature which is helping to raise vital funds for those that need it most. Good reading, as always Michael Fisher Editor Welcome... 03.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 11:54 Page 1@BLMEastMidlands BLMEastMidlands Latest news 6 A round-up of the latest news from our region Commercial property 16 This issue, we highlight several major restoration and regeneration developments across the region that mean jobs and investment. Networking 20 13 lessons for 13 years in business By Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency. Design and marketing 22 Marketing has become increasingly digital as companies look to boost their exposure. Public relations 26 Your press page - where reporters on tight deadlines come to die By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR and the PR and Communications Ambassador for the IoD in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Engineering 28 A skills shortage, COVID and lockdown have all forced engineering in our region to become leaner than ever. Charity special32 Following a tough year for charities, there are a plethora of ways businesses can show their support, donate their time, and raise funds. IT and telecoms36 As the corporate world continues to grapple with life after COVID, it’s critical that companies do everything they’re able to safeguard themselves against digital threats. Corporate hospitality 40 With the lifting of most social restrictions enforced to contain the spread of COVID-19, senior leaders and company bosses can once again wine, dine and entertain prospective clients to try and secure new contracts and business. Just don’t forget your mask! Tax42 The tax implications for electric company cars By Katie De Niese, Tax Manager at Streets Chartered Accountants AutoLink44 This month we’re profiling a quartet of stunning luxury vehicles that add a touch of prestige parked outside your home or office. Driving and lease hire48 One of the most disruptive forces to the vehicle leasing sector of late has been, unsurprisingly, COVID-19. Legal services50 With the final stage of vaccinations on the way and life set to return to normal, businesses will now face issues of bringing staff back to how things used to be. With more people than ever working from home, where does a business stand in the eyes of the law? EAST MIDLANDS L E E ADING BUSINESS MAG AZINE JULY 2021 £3. .50 LEV THE VEL E NEX XT L ENGINEERIN COMMERCNG ITCIAL T AND Lean engineering WW ENGINEERIN evitRepurpose, r TYPROPER COMMERC W EASTMIDL NG Sa TE IT egenerate talise, r Y ANDSBUSINE CIAL eafe and secur ELECOMS ESSLINK CO U T AND w UK www.blmgroup.co.uk Cover photographs courtesy: Shutterstock/Caron Badkin • ShutterOK • Gorodenkoff • Bloomicon • Ferrari Contents July 2021 www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Out of office54 All the leisure sector news from the last month Events56 A timely look at forthcoming business events around the East Midlands And finally...58 Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 11:59 Page 122 Group Editor Steve Fisher s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Editor Michael Fisher m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Assistant Editor Dominic Cuthbert d.cuthbert@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. 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:00 Page 26 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk GENERAL NEWS 1,000 jobs on the way as SureScreen purchases new facility SureScreen Diagnostics is to create up to 1,000 new jobs after agreeing to purchase a new manufacturing centre near the M1. The Derby-based company plans a phased increase of its workforce up to 1,300 after moving into the new site at Sherwood Business Park, near junction 27. The expansion follows an order for tens of millions of antigen tests for Covid-19 from the UK government. SureScreen has been at the frontline in the fight against Covid-19 since the virus first emerged in late 2019. Its antibody and antigen tests have been exported to 53 countries and dependencies in every corner of the world. Orders for the tests prompted an increase in people from 60 to more than 300 over the course of a year, but with SureScreen’s new site, they believe this will grow given the high levels of demand. Director David Campbell said: “This is a huge step to increasing our capacity to meet demand, but also to establish one of the best lateral flow manufacturing facilities for the future. “This will mean incredible growth of the company, which comes with challenges, but we are committed to helping governments and companies worldwide to be on top of Covid-19 and its variants. “It’s important that we build a platform in the UK to be ready for future healthcare needs, including possible future pandemics and we believe this facility will help to do just that.” Third wave fears undermining international ambitions for local businesses New research from business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP has found that a third wave of the pandemic is the biggest concern for East Midlands-based mid-market businesses that are looking to grow internationally. With changing restrictions and continued uncertainty for many, more than two thirds (68%) of mid-market business leaders in the region believe that it is harder to grow their business internationally today than before the pandemic. The biggest challenge to international growth for East Midlands business identified by the survey is a third wave of Covid-19 (52%). This is followed by political regime change (44%) and mobility of talent (42%). Concerns over supply chain resilience (32%) also feature among mid-market businesses’ challenges. Dave Hillan, Partner and Practice Leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the region, said: “The risk of a third wave of the virus in the UK adds another layer of complexity to all of the uncertainty that businesses are already dealing with. Some sectors, such as travel, tourism and hospitality, are obviously harder hit by the extension of restrictions, but ongoing changes to guidance and deadlines affect all businesses. “Whilst the UK’s success in vaccinating its own population adds a level of confidence on the domestic front, this needs to be mirrored internationally in order to be able to move forward collectively together. Businesses in the East Midlands that trade internationally are clearly finding the current operating environment difficult and will likely have been reassured by the G7 leaders’ pledge to ‘vaccinate the world’. “Though a third and disruptive wave of the virus is the primary concern for mid-market leaders in this moment, businesses are also dealing with the ups and downs of UK economic forecasts, ongoing complexity in their supply chains, and trying to embed some of the positive changes to the ways of working that have been accelerated by remote working. “Our Business Outlook Tracker data, collected in bi-monthly surveys of mid- market leaders, shows that the mid-market is feeling slightly less optimistic about the outlook for the UK economy than they were at the beginning of this year (- 4pp from January to June), although it also reveals that their expectations for profit levels have increased significantly (+18pp from January to June).” New Institute of Technology planned for the East Midlands Loughborough University, the University of Derby, Loughborough College and the Derby College Group (DCG) have joined forces on a £13m plan to create the highly advanced workforce needed to lead the digital revolution – otherwise known as Industry 4.0. The East Midlands Institute of Technology (IoT) would focus on levelling up the critical engineering, manufacturing and digital skills needed by employers to address the grand engineering challenges of clean growth by embracing the advanced skills required for AI and a data-driven economy. Graduates will be part of a net zero carbon workforce and support the UK’s journey to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The East Midlands IoT has been selected by the Government to enter the final round of applications to become one of eight new UK IoTs. Professor Rachel Thomson FREng, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching at Loughborough University, said: “We are really excited to be working with our partners – Loughborough College, University of Derby and Derby College Group – and key employers in Leicestershire and Derbyshire to create an outstanding Institute of Technology which will deliver much-needed digital and engineering skills to support industry and business across the region. “Importantly, the IoT will provide access to the right training and skills development at the point of need to support our local community to have fulfilling careers throughout their working life.” Mandie Stravino, CEO of Derby College Group (DCG), added: “DCG has a proven track record in working with employers to co-design and co- deliver our curriculum which will be a crucial element in the development of the IoT. “By working together, we will be able to provide a clear progression for workforce and employers to access the higher level skills they need to remain competitive in their global markets and offer an accessible route into high wage and high skilled employment both for young people entering the world of work and adults looking to up-skill.” © Shutterstock /Travel mania 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:07 Page 1Nottinghamshire’s bid to host fusion energy plant reaches next stage Two existing coal-fired power stations in Nottinghamshire are in the running to host what is hoped to be the world’s first prototype fusion energy plant. Part of the site at Ratcliffe-on-Soar and West Burton A, near Retford, have both made it to the final 15 sites as part of a national search for potential locations by the government for alternative energy plants. The UK Government is bidding to be the first to develop a commercial power station that will use the energy produced by fusion reactions to generate electricity. Fusion offers an inherently safe and virtually limitless source of clean electricity by copying the processes that power the sun. The ambitious project – Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production – known as STEP, is being led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). Nottinghamshire County Council is coordinating this nomination process for the county, working with several partners, including the landowners of these sites as well as Rushcliffe Borough and Bassetlaw District councils. Councillor Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “This is hugely exciting news for Nottinghamshire. Achieving STEP would bring incredible benefits to the county, putting it at the heart of the government’s plans to revolutionise the way we generate energy in the UK and position Nottinghamshire as a major player in the levelling up agenda. “It would build on the existing strengths of our universities and manufacturing sectors, but would also create new skills, training, and thousands of highly skilled jobs, attracting investment and deliver amazing overall benefits to our regional economy including the lucrative opportunities for the local supply chain to help construct the plant. “We are an ambitious county and have a proud heritage of producing energy which helped power the industrial revolution, but looking to the future, we want to be at the heart of the UK green energy revolution. “As global energy demand continues to grow, this technology is expected to play a crucial role in helping to achieve net zero emissions – in a safe and sustainable way – during the second half of this century. We’ll be doing all that we can to help bring this once-in-a-life time opportunity to Nottinghamshire by continuing to work closely with our partners, including the landowners.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 7 GENERAL NEWS Midlands Engine Rail could safeguard thousands of jobs Figures released by transport body Midlands Connect suggest that over 3,500 jobs could be created and safeguarded by the full delivery of Midlands Engine Rail, an infrastructure programme aimed at increasing rail capacity and securing faster and more regular journeys for passengers across the Midlands region. The analysis, completed by NSA research, shows that 2,880 jobs will be safeguarded by the delivery of this nationally-significant project, with 720 new roles created. Composed of seven schemes, including the flagship Midlands Rail Hub, which was identified as a priority by Government in its 2019 Manifesto, Midlands Engine Rail will deliver 736 extra passenger services a day, with over 60 stations across the UK set to benefit from faster, more frequent and/or new rail services. The other projects that make up Midlands Engine Rail include; Birmingham Airport Connectivity, a scheme to enhance national rail connectivity to Coventry and Birmingham International stations; plans for faster and more frequent trains on the Birmingham-Black Country-Shrewsbury corridor; improvements on the Nottingham-Newark-Lincoln line and the reintroduction of direct rail links between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham. Giving travellers the means to leave their cars at home is crucial in the fight against climate change; in total, Midlands Engine Rail will add 30million passenger seats on the railway each year. The project will also create space for over a million lorries’ worth of cargo to be transported on the railways each year, rather than by road. Moving goods in this way produces 78% less CO2. Infrastructure investment has been identified as an important tool in stimulating social, environmental and economic benefits as we look to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and meet the target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. • 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. © Shutterstock /Mark Godden 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:07 Page 2APPOINTMENTS Derby accountancy firm welcomes tax expert to growing team A Derby accountancy and business advice company has welcomed a sixth new member – and is searching for a seventh – as it continues to grow. Vibrant Accountancy, based on Duffield Road, has welcomed Lauren Hiller as Head of Tax. Lauren, from West Bridgeford, will cover all things tax-related, including personal and corporate tax and project-based tax issues. The former Cooper Parry tax expert joins co-founders Ian Ball and Beverley Wakefield, Samantha Carter-Roe, Vibrant’s chief book-keeper, office co-ordinator Lynn McCabe and Emma Vicars; head of accounting. Lauren, who spent 10 years working for Cooper Parry and, before that, worked with Grant Thornton, has known Bev for several years. While Bev will continue to work on tax-related issues for Vibrant Accountancy clients, Lauren will become the first port of call for tax queries. Bev said: “I have worked with Lauren at Cooper Parry and Ian and I are delighted to welcome her to the team. “Lauren joins Vibrant at an exciting time; we’re growing and changing. We want to become the first accountants of our size in the East Midlands to supplement core bookkeeping, tax advice, VAT and year-end cloud-based accounting services with mentoring, coaching and general business support as part of a holistic approach to our clients. “There will be subsequent appointments which will support our accountancy side further and we also want to continue to disrupt the market, hoping that other accountancy firms raise the bar. “We want Vibrant Accountancy to boost the local economy after what has been such a difficult time, recruiting staff from the region who want to work with us and who we can empower, train and help blossom.” 8 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Timico makes changes to senior management team Managed services provider, Timico, has made several strategic changes to its senior management team, to accelerate its customer first growth strategy, whilst continuing to advance its cloud technology proposition. Having joined Timico in December 2019 as Chief People Officer, David Jones has been promoted to Managing Director of Corporate and SMB, where he will be responsible for customer relationship management and in driving organic sales growth of 10% CAGR over the next 2 years. With a background in leadership, commercial sales and marketing, and building high performance cultures, David has extensive Board Level experience through his previous roles at Travis Perkins, Daisy Group and Vodafone. He will now play a fundamental role in driving an aggressive sales strategy, that will ensure Timico remains both agile and responsive to customer needs – with a key focus on increasing market share amongst public sector and corporate enterprise organisations. To hone its customer centric approach, Timico has also announced the appointment of Jon Portlock as its new Customer Solutions Director. Jon joins Timico from Exponential-e, where he was Head of Cloud Services, and boasts extensive experience in working closely with organisations to transform IT operations and enable competitive advantage. The new changes to Timico’s senior management team follows the recent appointment of Strategy and Marketing Director, Andrew Vize, who has now been promoted to the Executive Board as Chief Marketing Officer and remains focused on driving the next phase of the firm’s development as a cloud-first service provider. Neil Muller, CEO of Timico, said: “Over the last 6 months, the Executive Board and I have implemented a number of strategic changes within Timico, that will enable us to continue to advance our position and significantly increase market share. “Fundamental to driving this strategy is not only in ensuring we as an organisation are agile and can respond effectively to customer demands as both the wider market and technology landscape continue to evolve, but that we also have the right talent in place to propel Timico forwards and achieve our business objectives.” Lauren Hiller 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:07 Page 3Howes Percival appoints new head of corporate law team Law firm Howes Percival has appointed a new head for its growing Corporate, Commercial and Banking practice. Andy Harris has been promoted to head the Corporate, Commercial and Banking (CCB) team. Andy re-joined Howes Percival in May 2020, having previously been with the firm from 1999-2008. With over 30 years’ experience as a transactional and advisory corporate lawyer, Andy has extensive experience in M&A work, private equity, funding work, and reorganisations. He has specific expertise in the automotive and manufacturing sectors and is experienced in advising on cross-border and international transactions. His client portfolio includes prestigious owner-managed businesses and well-known UK-based companies. Geraint Davies, Howes Percival’s Chairperson, said: “Corporate, commercial and banking work is one of our core specialisms and our practice has grown considerably in the last few years. We’ve seen a significant increase in the number, quality and size of deals we are asked to advise on. “In the first quarter of this year, we completed 32 deals, with a combined value of £263 million. Under Andy’s leadership, our ambition is to continue to further develop our CCB offering and client base.” Andy Harris, Howes Percival’s head of CCB, said: “The last 12 months have been very challenging, but also very busy indeed with buyers and sellers coming to the market, for a variety of different reasons. “Many businesses have been able to demonstrate strong normalised performance despite the pandemic; and sellers have seen pricing remain strong and have decided that now is the time to de-risk. “There’s also money available to support deals. Our CCB team has performed incredibly well during the pandemic and we’re feeling very positive about the rest of this year and beyond.” Online flooring retailer names new Chief Commercial Officer A Leicestershire-based online flooring retailer has a new Chief Commercial Officer – and it marks a meteoric rise in the business for Elia Green in the space of two years. UK Flooring Direct appointed Elia as Head of Marketing Campaigns in April 2019 and, since then, she’s achieved three promotions that sees her now move from Commercial Director to taking a place on the board as CCO. In that time, the company, which was established by CEO Jason Ashby in 2005, has grown dramatically through investment in technology and people – increasing headcount to more than 200, with plans to reach 380 by the end of 2022. Elia, who spent 13 years at Homebase before joining UK Flooring Direct, said the company is committed to developing people who show potential and want to grow with the business. She said: “I am absolutely delighted to become Chief Commercial Officer after what has been a rollercoaster two years with the company. Our business growth has been dramatic and, also, in that time we – like everyone else – have had to contend with a completely different world over the past 12 months. “It’s such an exciting business to be part of because of the pace of growth and the continuous drive to invest and improve every area of what we do. I’m really looking forward to helping the business achieve its very ambitious plans over the next few years and I also want to be able to help others to grow with the business too. “Jason and the board have been great for my own development and their support has helped me rise up to be CCO. Having such an incredible team makes me feel like I can tackle anything and that has played such a massive part in me moving into this role. It’s important to us that those who are already in the business and those who are joining us as part of our growth see that the opportunity is there for them too.” UK Flooring Direct is based in Hinckley in the East Midlands. The firm hit £50 million worth of annual sales in 2020 and is looking to treble this by 2022. It also opened a new office and warehouse site in Coventry last year, as well as attracting £8m of investment from BGF. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 9 APPOINTMENTS Chris Lindley Elia Green Andy Harris Planning director appointed at rg+p Multi-disciplinary design practice, rg+p has appointed a new director to lead the next phase of growth for its planning division. Chartered town planner and Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI), Chris Lindley joins the firm, and will initially be based from its Leicester studio. With a residential and commercial development background, Chris’s experience includes delivering net zero carbon schemes; development in the Green Belt, of listed buildings and in heritage settings; estate planning and land promotion; appeal hearings; and appearing at local plan examinations and public inquiries (as expert witness). “My entire career has been spent in consultancy roles, acting for a range of developers, landowners and public sector clients, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work all over the country,” said Chris. “When the opportunity arose to take on a directorship at rg+p, I felt the time was right to make a move and join an environment where I can work alongside colleagues to see a project from inception to completion. The practice has a strong reputation across the Midlands and London, especially in the residential market, and I’m keen to build on this. “The planning industry is set for a major shake- up over the coming months with the introduction of the Planning Bill and changes to Permitted Development rights so I want to make sure we’re at the forefront of new development in the region,” concluded Chris. rg+p’s director, Rob Woolston, added: “We’re very proud of our planning team’s achievements in the past ten years and are equally as excited to see how Chris will shape its growth from here, especially with planning being so high on the national agenda. “With over 15 years’ specialist expertise, Chris’ policy knowledge covers single plots through to entire development masterplanning so our clients can be assured they will receive timely and accurate advice in line with latest legislation. We’re confident he will be a real asset to the team.” 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 01/07/2021 12:07 Page 4Next >