DECEMBER 2016EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGPUBLICRELATIONS The latest adviceBREAKFASTEVENTAutumn Statement 2016MENOPAUSEBreaking the taboowww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKWHAT’SON YOURCHRISTMASWISH LIST?East Midlandsprofessionals tell allWHAT’SON YOURCHRISTMASWISH LIST?East Midlandsprofessionals tell allLinkingbusinesstogetherEast Midlands Business Link has been bringing businesses together through itsonline pages and we’re now offering even more chances to network andcreate new relationships with a host of special events – and there are numerous sponsorship opportunities to help promote your brand!Round TablesBringing together leading names from local businesses, our round table events debate the latest hottopics. By sponsoring the event you can decide on the topic and help shape the guest list to ensurerelevance. The resultant debate will appear in our pages.Breakfast EventsEast Midlands Business Link's breakfast events present topical and incisive discussion. A panel ofexperts offer their views on business matters in front of an informed and interested audience –alongside plenty of opportunities to network! Sponsors of the event receive access to the delegate list as well as extensive pre- and post-event coverage.AwardsHighlighting the best of local business, there are myriad sponsorship opportunities atEast Midlands Business Link's awards evenings. Bringing together guests from across the region,sponsoring a category or even the entire event will ensure exceptional exposure for your business! These events are also a great place to entertain and welcome distinguished guests.Business Link is renowned as the voice of the East Midlands business scene. By partnering with us at these special events you can take advantage of our strong reputation and enjoy exceptional exposure for your brand!Connectwith us today to see what we can do for your business...www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 3EDITOR’S NOTESBlimey it’s cold! I’m sat at home writing this, and I’m torn betweenputting the heating on constant or saving some cash by donning a thirdjumper. It’s getting difficult to type if I’m honest…Seeing as Christmas is *nearly* upon us, I thought we’d have a bit offun with the cover story this month. We asked a host of East Midlandsprofessionals what they want for Christmas, and asked them to predictwhat’s next for their respective sectors in 2017. The results are enoughto fill two bumper features. Elsewhere in this issue, we report from our recent Autumn Statementbreakfast event, sponsored by Freeths; Deborah Garlick from Henpickedtells us about her campaign to get people talking about the menopause;and we meet John Stallard from Warlord Games – plus much more. A very Merry Christmas to all of our readers. See you next year.Ian EvansEditorMerryChristmasContentsDecember 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 MidlandsEMBL Christmas Feature – part 116We ask businesspeople from around the East Midlandswhat’s on their Christmas wish listBreakfast Event20Report from our Autumn Statement breakfast event,42sponsored by FreethsIn Profile22Deborah Garlick, HenpickedProperty24A chat with Miller Homes’ Chris EndsorPublic Relations 26Regular columnist Greg Simpson of Press for Attention PRspeaksManufacturing 29EMBL meets Warlord Games Printing32Matt Seaford from Midland Regional Printers (MRP) looksto the futureHairdressing34UK brand RUSH Hair recently opened a new salon inNottingham – we find out whyDigital36Q&A with Dave Hartshorne from Mansfield-based agencyDijitul EMBL Christmas Feature – part 238Part 2 of our Christmas wish list featureAutoLink42Fleet managers are under pressure to decrease runningcosts and help reduce their company’s carbon footprint,but if you thought the only way to achieve this is to opt fora small car, or switching to alternative fuels, you’d bemistaken32EditorIan 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.@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlandsDECEMBER 2016EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAGPUBLICRELATIONS The latest adviceBREAKFASTEVENTAutumn Statement 2016MENOPAUSEBreaking the taboowww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKWHAT’SON YOURCHRISTMASWISH LIST?East Midlandsprofessionals tell allWHAT’SON YOURCHRISTMASWISH LIST?East Midlandsprofessionals tell allPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/SANDRA CUNNINGHAMEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk6Recruitment partnershipaims to provide “holistic”serviceDerby College has joinedforces with a recruitmentconsultancy to provide aholistic service to localemployers and additionalsupport for young peoplelooking for their first step intothe jobs market.Sky Recruitment Solutions,based at Riverside Chambersin the Cathedral Quarter, willbe working closely with theCollege’s RoundhouseRecruitment andapprenticeship teams.Firstly, through contacts from both organisations, currentCollege learners will have more opportunities for part time andseasonal work to support them during their studyprogrammes. Learners will then have access to specialistsupport from the Sky Recruitment Solutions team and theCollege when looking for job and apprenticeship roles aftergraduating.For employers, the partnership will provide the broadspectrum of candidates from apprenticeship roles to highermanagement positions – working with a single point of contactat either Sky Recruitment Solutions or Derby College.David Torrington, Sky Recruitment Solutions’ managingdirector, said: “I was struck by a presentation at a MarketingDerby Event that highlighted the high quality further andhigher education available in the city but that there werechallenges in retaining skills in the local area.“As a business committed to working in partnership tosupport the local economy, I therefore approached DerbyCollege to explore opportunities for us to work together totackle this issue.“This partnership is effectively a mutual referral approach.We often work with employers to support their recruitmentneeds but would also like to assist in handling theirapprenticeship requirements”.Derby College deputy principal, employer and economicaffairs, April Hayhurst, added: “This partnership provides asingle point of entry both for our current learners, local youngpeople looking for jobs and apprenticeships and for employerswho are looking for a range of skills and experience.New report says HS2 could add thousands of jobsand £4 billion to regional economyAround 74,000 jobs could be created and £4 billion added to the East Midlands’ economy if a planned HS2 high speed railline is routed through the region, according to a new report on the major project.Phase 2 of the national HS2 high speed rail network plans for a western (Crewe to Manchester) and an eastern leg (WestMidlands to Leeds). The eastern leg includes a regional HS2 “rail hub” at Toton, Nottinghamshire, and a networkmaintenance depot at Staveley, near Chesterfield; and the western leg (towards Manchester) will bring associated benefits tonorth Derbyshire.The government announced last month it would be taking the Phase 2 proposals forward as its preferred route. Furtherpublic consultation will be needed but if the route receives planning permission it could be operational by 2033.An initial “East Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy report” launched last month estimates the HS2 plans could create an extra74,000 jobs in the East Midlands and add £4 billion to the region’s economy by 2042, around ten years after trains beginrunning.Purpose Media securesprestigious new GoogleaccreditationFull-service digital agency Purpose Media has become one of only a handful ofagencies in the UK to achieve Google’s new “Partner Specialist” accreditation.Google recently extended a time-limited invitation to its partners to test theironline marketing knowledge with a series of exams covering the ins-and-outs ofdigital advertising. The exams covered six key areas that all needed to be passedto achieve the specialism, namely: AdWords, and search, mobile, video, displayand shopping advertising.Digital consultants Mitch Brown and Rob White both achieved the accreditationat the first attempt on behalf of Purpose Media. It follows the South Normanton-based agency being certified as a Google Premier Partner earlier in the year, andachieving RAR Recommended Agency status.Brown said: “Google has never previously offered this level of accreditation, sofor us to achieve Partner Specialist certification on top of our existing PremierPartner status is a real coup for the business.“There are many benefits of being a Google Partner. You have direct contactwith Google, access to test new features before official release, training sessionsto keep up with latest pay-per-click practices and much more. For us to be one ofjust over 100 Google Premier Partners in the UK is a remarkable achievementwhich has equipped us with the right tools to tackle online advertising for ourclients.“Bolstering those credentials with Partner Specialist accreditation acknowledgesour ability to provide effective campaigns that achieve our clients’ objectives”.Fellow digital consultant Rob White added: “These accreditations are aboutthe work we do with – and for – our clients, achieved by demonstrating,understanding and meeting real performance requirements.“As a Google Premier Partner, our team is well-versed in all things digital andknows how to spot the right opportunities for a variety of clients. Our new PartnerSpecialist badge enhances that status and proves that we can offer highly-flexiblesolutions to our clients, with different options available for different businesses.LATEST NEWS7 www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Skiwear start-up bags£20,000 in enterprisecompetitionA start-up skiwear-for-women company from Leicester isheading uphill after landing £20,000 in an enterprisecompetition. Snooks, formed by two former Loughborough Universitystudents, bagged the top prize in the Baldwins Accountants’KickStart Young Entrepreneurs Awards after impressingaround 500 business representatives with their plans for thebusiness.Sophie Kelly and Susie Beere have collected £10,000 incash for their business and £10,000 worth of mentoring andaccounting advice from Baldwins Accountants, which hasoffices in Ashby and across the Midlands and North East.The duo pitched their tailored ski jackets, t-shirts, trousersand beanie hats in front of businesses from across theMidlands region at the fourth KickStart Awards at EdgbastonCricket Ground, Birmingham. They beat two other youngentrepreneurs to land the prize after winning against 10 start-ups at the semi-final stage.The pair spoke of their frustration at not being able to findski and snowboarding clothing with the correct fit for women,and how it set them on a mission to create a brand solely forwomen.Kelly said: “Winning the prize is more than just about theinvestment. It’s about the incredible belief and the supportshown from Baldwins. Thank you to everyone that voted forus, it means such a lot.“We’ve got a clear vision of where the business needs tobe. In the next year we want to be stocked in British andEuropean retailers”.Beere added: “The fact that a group of really respectedbusiness people believe in what we are doing means an awfullot to us.“This prize money means that we can now invest inmarketing our brand and getting some sales in and making asuccess of out of Snooks.“People often say to us that we are really lucky to be doingwhat we are doing, but I honestly believe that you make yourown opportunities, and if you don’t put yourself in positionswhere you can win competitions like this, then you’rereducing your chances of success”.David Baldwin, a partner at Baldwins Accountants, saidSnooks had fought off the toughest competition sinceKickStart had begun.He said: “All three businesses will go on to be successfulas they are all well-researched and address a gap in themarket, so it was difficult to decide the winner but theaudience could see that Sophie and Susie know their targetaudience requirements inside out.Notts firm developsgroundbreaking data serviceA transformational online service that has been developed by a Nottinghamtechnology company could change the way customers view your business.Handle has been designed by Bizfitech, one of a number of growing newfinancial technology firms based at the £40m Accelerate Places technology hub inthe city centre.Run by a team which includes analysts and product designers who have workedat Google, Capital One and Experian, Bizfitech builds technology aimed at makinglife easier for small businesses in the online era.Nottingham is the city which historically drove much of the development oforiginal data-based credit checking, and Bizfitech’s CEO, Olly Betts, says hebelieves Handle represents a new era in the management of online information bybusinesses.He said: “The reason we developed Handle is that the world’s gone digital andbefore doing business with you everyone can look up information about yourcompany online – and make judgements about it.“You credit score remains one of the most recognised measures of businesshealth, but the explosion of online information means that it is now only one ofmany aspects of your company’s digital profile – and every single one can have animpact on whether people do business with you.“Prospective clients will draw conclusions about your business by looking atyour website, seeing activity on social media and reviewing feedback fromcustomers”.Handle enables businesses to take control of their digital profile all the way frommanaging their credit score to delivering a website which presents a professionalface and scores well in online rankings.Betts said: “Our starting point was a feeling that by demystifying credit scoreswe could help small businesses take control of their credit profile and grow, but wequickly noticed this wasn’t enough. PHOTO:SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ExCEPT_ELSEPHOTO: LIONEL HEAPLeicester-based manufacturer acquired for £30mLeicester-based roof-light, skylight and bi-fold doors manufacturer Roof-Maker has been acquired in a multi-million pound deal. Funds managed by NextWave Partners LLP (NWP) have acquired the business for £30 million from its founders Rachel Owen and Scott Nicholas.Owen and Nicholas have re-invested alongside NWP and banking partner Pricoa, along with members of the existing management team. The businesswill continue to operate from its facilities in Leicester and Nicholas will remain in the role of chief design officer.The pair started the business in 2001 with a £5,000 investment generated by selling their car. Over the last 15 years, Roof-Maker has enjoyed rapid andcontinued growth.Owen said: “When we founded the business, our goal was to produce products and service that we would want from a supplier ourselves”.Nicholas added: “Rachel and I have really enjoyed building up Roof-Maker over the last 15 years into the leading manufacturer and supplier of rooflightsin the UK.“However, we recognized that the time was right to find a strong partner with experience of growing businesses such as ours, in particular developingexport opportunities. We are very excited about the future and looking forward to working with the NWP team, Pricoa and the Roof-Maker managementteam over the coming years to achieve more success together”.Dean MacKenzie, NWP partner, said: “In a market underpinned by government legislation surrounding CO2 emissions and our desire for greater naturallight (and space) in our homes, Roof-Maker offers contemporary high quality bespoke products with superior thermal insulation and solar gain efficienciesdelivered to site within days of being ordered.“It is a pioneer in its market and primarily sells direct to end-users undertaking home improvements and renovations across the UK. We were impressedwith the degree to which the business has harnessed the internet to drive sales, thereby disrupting and bypassing traditional and established routes tomarket and its leading social media presence. The business also enjoys one of the highest Trustpilot ratings across the entire building products sector.“We are delighted to have been able to invest in such a great company and are excited by the opportunity to work with the management team to takethe business to the next level”.East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk8“Prescient” international investment powers renewableenergy businessLeicestershire-based renewable energy specialist Prescient Power is set for growth following overseasinvestment from international trading company Inabata & Co.Among many benefits, the six figure investment will allow Prescient Power’s customers to unlock the power ofrenewable energy for their business or property portfolio by reducing the impact on cashflow with project financeand reduced deposits.Prescient Power installs, maintains and monitors renewable energy technologies for a variety of sectors acrossthe UK, from country houses and National Trust properties to property developers, farms and commercialpremises.Formed in 1890, the Japanese Inabata Group provides solutions and services for IT & electronics, chemicals,life industry, plastics, housing & eco materials businesses worldwide with around 60 locations in 18 countriesincluding Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Los Angeles, New York and Düsseldorf.Carl Benfield, managing director of Prescient Power, said: “This is a major step forward for us in a market that is seeing many renewable providersscaling back or sadly having to cease trading due to financial pressures. Both companies have very similar business ethics and our commitment tothe environment so this is a perfect fit. The partnership is of course great news for Prescient Power, as it means we can strategically plan for strongand sustainable growth in an ever-changing market but also for our customers.Prime Derby asset sold to London investorA linchpin real estate asset in the heart of Derby City Centre has been sold through commercial property agentsSalloway Property Consultants.Comprising three acres off Traffic Street and Siddals Road, the site is widely regarded as one of Derby’s keyregeneration opportunities and has been purchased by London-based real estate investment manager Newcore CapitalManagement LLP.The deal will see Newcore, which specialises in social infrastructure, storage and accommodation strategies acrossthe UK, take control of one of the large scale development sites in Derby City Centre which was the previouslyproposed location for the 400,000 sq ft One Derby Office scheme.Architect of the disposal, Stephen Salloway, managing director of Salloway Property Consultants, said: “We wereaware from the start that the site would generate significant interest from both developers and investors, due to itslong term redevelopment potential and attractive existing income stream of over £460,000 per annum.“We were impressed with the level and quality of the interest and whilst we had serious enquiries from a range ofdevelopers, particularly from the residential private rented sector, it was ultimately an unconditional investor bid thatmade most sense to recommend to my client”.The site was sold by Speeds Limited, which has a long relationship with Derby, having formerly operated twosuccessful car dealerships from the location. Managing director Martin Speed said: “After the sale of our car dealershipbusiness, we were delighted to retain our property interests in Derby. The sale of the property was a strategic decisionbut we are keen to see our long standing family relationship with the city continue.“Our property management and development businesses are already strongly involved in activity in other parts ofthe city and it’s likely that proceeds from this sale will be invested in other real estate opportunities locally”.DEALSForesight makes sevenfigure investment intoNottingham softwarespecialistForesight Group has invested a significant sum from theForesight Nottingham Fund into Nottingham-basedsoftware business Solutions for Retail Brands (S4RB).S4RB is a cloud-based software and professionalservices business which helps retailers to evolve theirprivate brand products by providing an insight intoproduct performance, and introducing collaboration withsuppliers around product quality, innovation, incidentmanagement and brand initiatives. S4RB has a number ofhigh profile clients including Asda, Waitrose and Walmartin the U.S.The investment will enable S4RB to step up itsexpansion into national and international markets, developits software solutions and grow its current 30-strong team,building on previous assistance received from the N’TechNottingham Technology Fund and a funding award fromCreative England.Mike Quinn and Seb Saywood led the deal fromForesight’s Nottingham office. Quinn will join the Board asinvestor director. The Foresight Nottingham Fund is a £40million fund that targets equity investments into growthcompanies, with a focus on Nottingham and theNottinghamshire region.James Butcher, managing director at Solutions forRetail Brands, said: “We’re very excited by theopportunities that this extra capital provides S4RB in termsof accelerating the businesses’ software development, andfor potential further expansion. We look forward tocollaborating with Foresight’s experienced investmentteam to drive sales and improve key services in order tomaintain a position at the forefront of the market”.Mike Quinn, senior investment manager at Foresight,said: “The investment into S4RB is an exciting opportunityto support a high growth company in the heart ofNottingham. The team have already secured a number ofwell-known customers both in the UK and in the US andhave ambitious plans for the future. We are lookingforward to working with management to expand thesoftware capabilities and add to its already strongcustomer list. We have been impressed by their expertise,professionalism and ambitions for growth”.9www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link Two Notts IT companies partner toaccelerate data centre efficiencyTwo Nottingham companies – EkkoSense, based at the University of Nottingham’sInnovation Park, and 2bm – have partnered to help accelerate improved energy usagein data centres.EkkoSense’s proven thermal risk management expertise and 2bm’s extensive datacentre design and build skills are highly complementary. The two companies havealready worked together to unlock an initial £11,000 per annum data centre energy costsaving for one joint University client, and already have other customer projects in thepipeline.Dean Boyle, CEO of EkkoSense, said: “2bm is now using our EkkoSoft Critical datacentre optimisation software and services – developed by ourselves in Nottingham –and we’re helping them to carry out airflow and cooling assessments as part of theirdata centre optimisation projects.“From the results we are able to make recommendations on changes to a datacentre’s cooling configuration to save money on energy and also reduce overalloperational risk. Data centres are one of the country’s biggest energy consumers, andthe services they provide are often business critical – so even small tweaks to thecooling environment can not only save unnecessary energy costs but also reduce riskyexposure to downtime”.Jason Preston, director at 2bm, added: “During initial projects with EkkoSense wehave had impressive results. Last month we were able to identify £11,000 of energysavings for one joint University customer thanks to EkkoSense and its software. We’vealso got a number of other customers who could immediately benefit from thecombined 2bm/EkkoSense approach”.Next >