< PreviousTrimcraft on the move in NottinghamA Nottingham based arts and crafts distributor has continue its growth plans with newpremises in the west of the city.Trimcraft, a family-run business which sources and supplies arts and crafts goods, willsoon move to a new self-contained warehouse facility at Glaisdale Drive West. The 19,228 sqft premises will be the main centre for Trimcraft’s manufacturing and distribution.Gavin Webb, industrial and logistics surveyor at LSH, whose Nottingham office handledthe letting on behalf of a private client, said: “We are seeing significant demand for propertylike Glaisdale Drive West at the moment; a high quality facility in a well-establishedcommercial area of Nottingham. It’s well connected to the M1 and is the ideal home for anexpanding business like Trimcraft. It’s great to see a successful local firm taking on thelease.”Sunny Landa, director of commercial property agency NG Chartered Surveyors, actingon behalf of Trimcraft said: “We’re delighted that Trimcraft has secured a new home atGlaisdale Drive West. It was key that we found a property that closely met thecompany’s present requirements but also that could meet its needs for theforeseeable future as it continues to grow. I’m confident that Glaisdale Drive West isjust that.”Trimcraft was set up in Nottingham in the 1970s as a lace & haberdasherywholesaler, but diversified in the early 2000s, cornering the niche market forscrapbooking materials.Today it is a manufacturer and developer of arts and crafts products in theUK and supplies retailers such as Wilkinson, Hobbycraft, The Range, Asdaand WH Smith and distributes to 25 countries.Vince Fakey, chairman of Trimcraft, said: “We are a company that hasa long history in Nottingham so finding high quality distributionpremises that could support us going forward in our home city wasvery important. We are on course to become the number onesource for a wide range of British-designed arts and craftsproducts, and these new premises will play a big part in thatjourney.”In 2014 Trimcraft moved its offices and showroom toa new site at Abbeyfield Court in Lenton, to thewest of the city.PROPERTY NEWSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk10Nottingham hotelchanges handsA well-known city centre hotel inNottingham has been saved from closureafter changing hands.The Westminster Hotel on Mansfield Road,part of the Best Western group, has beensold to Remarkable Hotels.Al Malik, owner of Remarkable Hotels,said: “We are pleased to be taking the helmat the Westminster Hotel, our secondproperty in Nottingham.“It is already a popular place to stay andwe have a long-term refurbishment plan tofurther improve the common areas and thebedrooms.“I’m looking forward to joining a dedicatedteam of staff, many of whom have worked atthe hotel for 15 years or so.”The Westminster is a three star hotel with abar, restaurant, conference and functionfacilities and car park. After the sale it willretain its membership in the Best Westerngroup.Sam Spencer from Bruton Knowles andPhilip Gibson from Lambert Smith Hamptonadvised on the deal.Quarnmill set to expand specoffice building in Derby A Derbyshire-based developer is to create 7,500 sq ft of Grade A officeaccommodation at Bradgate Park View.Quarnmill Construction is set to build the offices on a site next to Infinity Park.Derby’s new 250-acre hi-tech engineering and advanced manufacturing park.Graham Prime, managing director at Quarnmill Construction, said: “Building on thesuccess of phase one, we have taken the decision to press on with construction ofphase two and we are currently on programme to complete by Easter 2016.”Stuart Waite, associate director at Innes England, is marketing the scheme jointly withMilner Commercial. He said: “This is an exciting development for Derby. There is arenewed confidence in the market and this site is ideally located on the south side of thecity, at the entrance to Infinity Park, with excellent transport links via the nearby A50 andwithin close proximity of East Midlands Airport.”Peter Milner at Milner Commercial added: “This is a real statement of intent by our clientand is reflective of their commitment to the city. The offices will provide high qualityaccommodation and we welcome discussions with interested parties.”Invest now in constructionskills, warns CooleThe head of the EastMidlands Property Alliance(EMPA) says that the industryshould invest in the future ofconstruction sector now –before it’s too late.Alan Coole told EastMidlands Business Link: “Nowis the time to be investing inthe future of the constructionindustry. New research hasshown that the demand forpermanent construction staffcontinues to accelerate at atime when there has beenyear on year growth for new construction work.“But the industry needs the right talent in the region tomaintain economic growth and meet the ever-growingdemand to build much-needed housing, schools, colleges,leisure facilities and libraries.EMPA’s training academy has welcomed more than 50new apprentices to date this year, compared to 24 theprevious year, and is delivered through nineconstruction firms across the wider East Midlands.Coole added: “We need to be ready to meet therising demand in work by offering tangible learningopportunities. The academy is something we arereally keen to develop further to give careerprospects to young people and create the righttalent for the growing industry.”PROPERTY NEWSwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 11NG securesdouble dealat LanghamParkEast Midlands commercial propertyagent NG Chartered Surveyors has completed a double deal on a 4,778 sqft industrial unit in Ilkeston.NG sold the building at Unit B5 on Langham Park out of receivership to aprivate investor, and was then retained to let the unit out to a new tenant.A new tenant, DFB Sound & Light Warehouse, a company set up in 2000to supply DJ equipment was found at the asking rental price.Sunny Landa, director at NG Chartered Surveyors, said: “These dealshighlight once again that having the right local knowledge can attracttenants and get the best possible price for our clients.“The lack of good quality industrial stock in the East Midlands meansthat tenants are turning to us more and more to advise them on theirproperty needs. They know we have the inside track on the sector, andwe’re proving time and time again that we can help let properties quickly.We wish DFB Sound and Light Warehouse all the best in their new home.”APPOINTMENT NEWSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk12Streets hunt down FoxLincoln-headquartered Streets Chartered Accountants had added Krista Fox as a taxpartner.Fox joins from Dains, and has also worked for Grant Thornton and EY.Streets Chartered Accountants chairman and managing partner, Paul Tutin, said:“Over the last 12 months or so we have focused on the development of our tax practicethrough recruiting high end technical advisers and specialists. Krista’s appointment,along with those made in the field of VAT and personal tax, are very much a part of ourstrategy to ensure we respond to the changing, and if anything a more complex,environment for tax compliance, legislation and planning.“We are especially pleased to have attracted her to the firm, given her expertise andaffinity in looking after the needs of entrepreneurial clients.Leicester based recruitment firm, the Precision Group, which specialises inengineering, technical and sales recruitment, has appointed Steve Easton, associatedirector, to head up its new logistics division.Easton joins Precision Search from Michael Page, where he was business manager.Managing director Phil Walker said: “The team and I are very excited to have Steveon board. Building on our already successful growth within the technical executivemarket, Steve will spearhead the new division of senior logistics, helping PrecisionSearch to grow further to other markets that accompany the ten year strategy to be themanagement and executive specialists in the Midlands.”New appointmentsand promotions atParagon LawNottingham immigration law firm, ParagonLaw, has appointed Emma Okenyi, Decla Palmerand Karen Rimmer to start training contracts atthe firm.Meanwhile, Charlotte Roberts and Jo Longhave joined the expanding corporateimmigration department as legal caseworkers.Emily Bodden-Burton has passed the LawSociety Level 2 immigration law accreditationand has been promoted to a senior caseworker.Maaria Mahmood has been promoted to legalsecretary in the personal immigrationdepartment whilst Holly Costema has beenpromoted from legal secretary to the financedepartment.Maria Markopoulou joins Paragon Law astrainee operations manager with a particularinterest in human resources management andmanages a team including new apprenticeadministrators, Poppy Lockwood and MarthaKagusuma.Kirin Abbas, Paragon Law’s legal servicesdirector said: “That each of the new recruitswere the outstanding candidates during therecruitment process and those that have beenpromoted have been done so because of theirhard work and because of their shared valueswith the firm.”She added: “I am particularly delighted withour strong relationship with the two universitiesin Nottingham with six of the recruits comingfrom there. We are not only doing our share torecruit talent into Nottingham but also ensuringthat it is retained after graduation”.Lawson-Westappoints new headof conveyancingLeicestershire law firm Lawson-West hasappointed property lawyer Elizabeth Whiteas its new head of conveyancing.White joins the firm from nationalconveyancing services group myhomemovein Leicester where she was employed as alegal technical specialist.Originally from Sutton Coldfield, she readlaw at Bournemouth University, took her LPCthere and worked for south coast law firmson qualifying as a solicitor, before returningto the Midlands in 2011.In her new role Elizabeth divides her timeequally between Lawson-West’s UppinghamRoad premises in Leicester and its newMarket Harborough office in Roman Way.In addition to managing a busy residential conveyancing team, she also deals directly with clients who arebuying and selling homes.White said: “Although I enjoyed working for a big conveyancing firm, I missed having direct contact with clients.“Buying a home is the biggest purchase most people will ever make and being there to guide them through theprocess brings great job satisfaction. It’s great to be involved and rewarding when the process is over and clients arehappy. It’s then we know we’ve done a good job.”Newpartners atFocusEconomic developmentand constructionconsultancy FocusConsultants has appointedtwo new partners.Heather Frecklington,who is based at theNottinghamheadquarters of Focus,and Eleanor Clarke, whoworks from the firm’sLondon office, are thefirst two femalepartners in thecompany’s 21-yearhistory.“Since being founded in 1994 in Nottingham, Focus Consultants has developed into a thrivingbusiness that offers a unique set of services to clients locally, regionally and across the UK,” said KevinOsbon, co-partner. “We are delighted to have appointed our first two female Partners as part of thenew leadership team. As we move through a transitional phase, the team will be mentored andsupported by the Partners who have shaped Focus into the successful business it is today.”The news coincides with an announcement from Nottinghamshire County Council that it is awardingFocus Consultants an £83,468 grant from its Nottinghamshire Economic Development Capital Fund – a£3m pot which is supporting businesses across the county to innovate, grow and create new jobs.Focus will use the grant to overhaul the ICT it uses, investing in a new CRM (Customer RelationshipManagement) system, BIM (Building Information Modelling) software to enable 3D modelling andmobile technology. The investment will create four new jobs and two apprenticeships at the company,which is based at Phoenix Business Park and has branches in Holborn in London, Leicester, andBoston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire.New head offranchising atFraser BrownFraser Brown has appointed a newhead of franchising to its BusinessServices team.Fiona Boswell joins the firm fromFreeths. She will work alongside theexisting franchise team and will beresponsible for co-ordinating thefranchise practice at the firm, includingadvising businesses on all legal aspectsconcerning franchising.She said: “I welcome theopportunity to help businesses growby franchising in my role at FraserBrown and becoming part of thehighly regarded Fraser Brownfranchise practice”.Patrick Wood, managing partnerat Fraser Brown, said: “Theappointment of Fiona to theBusiness Services team willdefinitely strengthen the firm. It’sgreat to have someone withFiona’s knowledge andexperience on board. I’m sureshe will fit in and have a greatfuture at Fraser Brown andwill add to the great serviceour clients experience”.www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 13APPOINTMENT NEWSCatapult sells OxfordCryosystems to newmanagement teamMelton Mowbray-based investment house Capital Ventures has sold itsstake in Oxford Cryosystems, which has been sold through a managementbuy-out.Catapult invested in Oxford Cryosystems in September 2010 when it backeda management buy-out of the company from its previous corporate owners.The business manufactures low temperature devices used in x-raycrystallography.Ed Wass, who led the transaction for Catapult Ventures, said: “We aredelighted that Oxford Cryosystems has been such a successful story. Catapultbacked the management team because we recognised that they had not only arange of world leading products but also the passion and ideas to develop thebusiness further. We are very proud to have supported them through thisperiod of the company’s development.”Richard Glazer, Oxford Cryosystems CEO, added: “Over the last five yearsCatapult Ventures have been a hugely supportive partner, with its investmentand guidance, enabling us to successfully deliver our strategic goals. Themanagement team including Alex Renshaw (CTO) and Kevin D’Silva (non-execchairman) look forward to continuing to develop the business as a privatecompany.”MANUFACTURING NEWSEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk14Triumph launches newBonneville rangeTriumph, the Hinckley manufacturer of motorcycles, has launchedunveiled a new Bonneville range.Triumph’s new Bonneville family comprises five new bikes and includesthe 900cc Street Twin, the 1200cc Bonneville T120 and T120 Black, as wellas the 1200cc Thruxton and Thruxton R.Nick Bloor, CEO of Triumph Motorcycles, said: “The launch of ourBonneville range represents huge investment in our future. It also signalsour long-term commitment to new model development and our belief thatgreat design, inspired engineering and a passion for performance are theingredients for success in the UK and overseas markets.”Triumph’s new range of Bonnevilles will be available across the brand’sglobal dealer network in Spring 2016.Wilkins Group to open$3m Sri Lanka factoryA Nottingham-headquarted firm which manufactures packaginghas invested $3m in a new Sri Lankan factory.Wilkins Spence Packaging Lanka, a subsidiary of The WilkinsGroup, will open the 40,000 sq ft facility in Mawaramandiya on 23rdOctober.The company will be relocating from a rented property inColombo.Chairman and managing director of the Wilkins Group AndréWilkins, said: “Having emerged from a three decade long conflict,Sri Lanka is now experiencing a massive resurgence in economicactivity on all fronts. “As major infrastructure projects are put intoplace, the country is posed to welcome new investors to takeeconomic activity to the next level. This building will house state-of-the-art machinery to produce innovative retail-packagingsolutions.”The Wilkins Group reported revenues of £33m last year.Rockpecker chooses Nottingham asEuropean HQRockpecker,manufacturer anddesigner of PDC(polycrystalline diamondcompact) drill bits for theoil and gas andconstruction industries,has bought a newproduction plant inNottingham with thesupport of a £250,000commercial mortgagefrom HSBC.In addition, HSBC hasprovided a further£81,000 to coveradditional costs and fundthe refurbishment of thepremises.The new production facility is the company’s first in the UK and will help the businessachieve its growth ambitions. This includes growing its revenue beyond £50m within fiveyears and the creation of a separate dedicated research and development facility that willpartner with universities in Nottingham and Derby to co-fund research projects.Rockpecker also plans to double its research and development team by hiring fouradditional dedicated specialists.Rajnish Kumar, director and founder of Rockpecker, said: “HSBC has provided us withsupport needed to bring Rockpecker to the UK and to Nottingham. Not only have theyhelped provide funds to purchase and expand our premises, they have also been valuablebusiness advisors.”Paul Smith, area director business banking in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, added: “Iam pleased we have been able to be support Rockpecker to purchase their first UKproduction facility and achieve their growth plans. HSBC is proud to back ambitiousbusinesses like Rockpecker and we look forward to our continued work together.”Rockpecker operates across Europe, North America and South East Asia. The businesssupplies 16 companies globally and currently processes 200 orders a year.MANUFACTURING NEWSwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 15Manufacturing growthstalls as demandslowsManufacturing production edged downwardsduring the three months to October, marking the firstdecline in the last two years, according to the CBIQuarterly Industrial Trends Survey. Despite this,firms have signalled that they expect overallconditions to stabilise over the next quarter.New export orders fell at the fastest pace in threeyears, possibly down to the continued strength ofSterling. Total new domestic orders reduced overthe quarter for the first time since April 2013 andmanufacturers’ optimism about both their businesssituation and export prospects for the year ahead fellto the greatest extent since October 2012.Total unit costs stabilised over the three monthsto October, but output prices fell further and areexpected to do so again over the next three months.The 463 manufacturers surveyed predict thatoverall manufacturing conditions will stabilise in thenext three months, with a small rise in output,although export new orders are expected to edgedown slightly further.Firms highlighted concerns about political andeconomic conditions abroad and their impact onexport orders. Worries about price competition roseand the number of manufacturers citing uncertaintyabout demand as a constraint on investment was thehighest in two years.LAWEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk16From 1st October 2015, The Consumer Rights Act 2015 comesinto force with key changes affecting retailers and consumers inrelation to goods, digital content and services. Here, Ian explainsthe key changes to goods, which will affect how retailers’ termsand conditions must be written.Right to reject goodsRetailers’ terms and conditions will need to be updated to clarifythat consumers are entitled to reject goods within 30 days ofreceiving them.What statutory rights are there under a goods contract?Goods to be of satisfactory qualityGoods to be fit for particular purposeGoods to be as describedOther pre-contract information included in contractGoods to match a sampleGoods to match a model seen or examinedInstallation as part of conformity of the goods with thecontractGoods not conforming to contract if digital content does notconformMade to order goodsRetailers’ terms and conditions will also need to say thatfinished products that are made to order (e.g.: curtains, bespokeclothing, wardrobes) as goods and not a product of their services.‘What they see is what they get’If a contract is entered into, for example in reference to buying anew sofa or car, where the consumer expects to receive whatthey have seen in the showroom, the goods provided must matchwhat was seen. If there are any changes or differences to goods,the consumer must be made aware of this before a contract isentered into.Which goods contracts are covered in the Consumer Rights Act?Ownership of goodsSales contractsContracts for the hire of goodsHire-purchase agreementsContracts for transfer of goodsDigital content as goodsIf digital content is sold, but the received goods are not fit forpurpose, as described or of satisfactory quality, in certaincircumstances consumers can reject the digital content, request areplacement or be entitled to a price reduction.Retailers breaching goods contractsIf retailers do not meet all pre-contract commitments, or if theybreach any of these (relating to information, cancellations andadditional charges e.g. delivery costs) then consumers mayrecover costs incurred, separate to the cost of the product itself.What remedies are there if statutory rights under a goodscontract are not met?Consumer’s rights to enforce terms about goodsRight to rejectPartial rejection of goodsTime limit for short-term right to rejectRight to repair or replacementRight to price reduction or final right to rejectRelated articles:Consumer Rights Act: Digital ContentConsumer Rights Act: ServicesWhat retailers need to doIf you are a retailer, your terms and conditions will have to bechanged to reflect the changes brought about by the ConsumerRights Act 2015 by the time that it comes into force on 1stOctober 2015.To go through this with a specialist corporate lawyer, you cancontact Bray & Bray’s corporate law team at its offices in Leicester,Hinckley and Market Harborough by calling 0116 254 8871.Changes to the ConsumerRights Act from October 2015Retailers need to be aware of imminent changes to the Consumer Rights Act, which Ian Lewis,senior corporate and employment law consultant at Bray & Bray, says have been the mostsignificant changes for years.BREAKFAST EVENTwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 17LEGAL REVIEW: East Midlands law firmsin a ‘war on talent’The legal sector in the East Midlands isengaged in a ‘war on talent’, according to themanaging partner of one the region’s leadinglaw firms.at the East Midlands Business Link Legal Briefing, JulianMiddleton, who heads up Freeths headquarters in Nottingham,said that law firms are in a constant battle to recruit the rightpeople.“The East Midlands legal sector is, for some reason, seen asinferior to that in London and other bigger cities around the UK.What we Jane Biggshave to do is make sure our local sector is18 ÁOur respected legal experts focus on getting the right results, every time.It’s this unique approach that has helped the firm become synonymous with successacross the country.Working with a large range of companies, including plcs, owner-managed businesses and management buy-out teams, we have a reputation built on a solid track record.Our areas of expertise are wide including:•Real Estate and Construction•Planning and Environmental•Corporate and Commercial•EmploymentFew other ‘local’ law firms can offer this level of experience and knowledge and that’swhy we’re the legal partner of choice in the East Midlands and beyond.Julian MiddletonManaging Partner, Nottinghamjulian.middleton@freeths.co.uk0845 634 2598www.freeths.co.ukBIRMINGHAM •DERBY •LEEDS •LEICESTER •LONDON •MANCHESTER •MILTON KEYNESNOTTINGHAM •OXFORD •SHEFFIELD •STOKE ON TRENT•Litigation and Corporate Recovery•Licensing•Taxation•Intellectual Property and TechnologyFreethinking It’s what we add to every legal answerBREAKFAST EVENTwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 19seen to be as attractive as possibleto those who are looking to relocate,or those who have just qualified. Weshould celebrating the what theregion has to offer – the quality oflife here is much better than inLondon, and we need to sell that.“We also need to realise that thoseembarking on a legal career don’tnecessarily want the same things wedid when we started out. Perhapsthey don’t want the burden ofpartnership, for example, and wehave to embrace flexible workingpractices. We’re engaged in a waron talent, and we have to win it.”Echoing Middleton was JaneBiggs, co-founder of legalrecruitment firm Bygott Biggs, whosaid that the biggest challenge lawfirms face is the talent gap. “Duringthe recession,” she said, “law firmsmade more people redundant thanthey had done for twenty years.They cancelled training contracts,and, seven years on, the effects ofthe recession have left a void.”She added: “Now law firms haveto understand not only how toattract the best talent – but how toretain it.”Our respected legal experts focus on getting the right results, every time.It’s this unique approach that has helped the firm become synonymous with successacross the country.Working with a large range of companies, including plcs, owner-managed businesses and management buy-out teams, we have a reputation built on a solid track record.Our areas of expertise are wide including:•Real Estate and Construction•Planning and Environmental•Corporate and Commercial•EmploymentFew other ‘local’ law firms can offer this level of experience and knowledge and that’swhy we’re the legal partner of choice in the East Midlands and beyond.Julian MiddletonManaging Partner, Nottinghamjulian.middleton@freeths.co.uk0845 634 2598www.freeths.co.ukBIRMINGHAM •DERBY •LEEDS •LEICESTER •LONDON •MANCHESTER •MILTON KEYNESNOTTINGHAM •OXFORD •SHEFFIELD •STOKE ON TRENT•Litigation and Corporate Recovery•Licensing•Taxation•Intellectual Property and TechnologyFreethinking It’s what we add to every legal answerNext >