DECEMBER 2025 EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www..co.uk WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK £3.50Armstrong house Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Superb Location - - Close to the ports of Grimsby & Immingham - Great motorway links - Close to the town centre Secure off street parking High speed internet availability A range of affordable office sizes 3 3 3 3 Last remaining office suites Prime location in Grimsby Offering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House on Armstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports of Grimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre, off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors, meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming offices are located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. At Armstrong House, when it comes to affordability and with a range of office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. If you require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 per month. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements call 01472 310301.From tax pressures and rising costs to skills shortages and redundancies, 2025 has been (another) tough year for businesses, and as we near its end, many will be considering what is to come in 2026 — whether looking ahead with hope or dread. But the year is not over just yet; in the meantime, the pre-Christmas rush has arrived, with December standing as a hectic time for businesses, just as it is for magazines, when all January issues must be written before people break up for the holiday. For employees, meanwhile, the Christmas period provides a moment to reflect, reconsider their future, and potentially search for a new job. At this time of year, it is more important than any for employers to show appreciation to hardworking staff, whether it be through a raise, offering opportunity for professional development come the new year, a Christmas bonus, or a classic Christmas party. When it comes to the latter, don’t forget to include your remote team members in any festivities — colleagues that deserved to be rewarded as much as any other, and a topic on which we have a feature in this very issue. We also pause to take a look back on the successes amidst the storms of 2025 for the region, dive into the hot topic of AI, highlight construction industry innovation, and more. Good reading, and merry Christmas! Tess Egginton Editor www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 3 EDITOR’S NOTES welcome…@BLMEastMidlands BLMEastMidlands Latest news 6 A round-up of the latest news from our region. Commercial property 16 From universities to colleges and research institutions, projects bolstering education and skills development are marking milestones across the region. End of year success stories 20 Despite another difficult year for businesses, 2025 delivered major steps forward for the region, from billion-pound investment plans and long-term transport reform to clean-energy training hubs and early progress on next- generation nuclear. Business scene 24 Nottingham’s built environment community gathers for The Build Club. Accounting26 Dr Rehman Rafiq, associate director – grants, at Streets explores the European grant funding options available for growing businesses. Construction innovation 28 Wearables, drones and robotics are reshaping the UK’s most hazardous industry, reducing injuries and changing how risks are managed long before problems emerge. Corporate hospitality 32 As hybrid working reshapes the modern office, companies are reinventing their end-of-year celebrations to include everyone. From livestreamed events to at-home festive kits, corporate hospitality is finding new ways to bring teams together, wherever they are. Public relations 36 “Parasocial” may be Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year, but Greg Simpson, founder of Press For Attention PR, explains why the shortlisted term “slop” is much more apt as the new root of businesses’ content-creating fears. Artificial intelligence 38 Firms rushed to embrace artificial intelligence, only to discover that governance, data quality and human oversight matter more than early hype suggested. A growing number are now building structure before scaling. AutoLink 42 Rev up: three new cars for business and pleasure. • We put the TALOS XXT through its paces. Events48 A timely look at forthcoming business events around the East Midlands. And finally...50 Here’s Frazer’s collection of the weird and wonderful ‘news’ that came his way over the last few weeks. Contents December 2025 28 32 3820 Group Editor Steve Fisher s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Editor 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 Cover photographs courtesy: • Talos Vehicles • stock.adobe.com/WINDCOLORS • stock.adobe.com/MD • stock.adobe.com/Elmira • stock.adobe.com/Chaosamran_Studio 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.Northants company makes £500k machinery investment to support growth See Limited, a group holding company operating in the UK built environment industry, has invested £500k in machinery to improve its productivity and aid growth. The company operates as a holding company for two businesses in the built environment sector, Performance Panels with its distribution facility in Halifax, West Yorkshire and Bousfields, its production facility in Corby, Northants. The investment in Bousfields signals See Limited’s commitment to growth thanks to the installation of a HOMAG CNC P-310 and a HOMAG EDGETEQ S-380. Using the latest cutting edge technology, the energy efficient HOMAG machinery has enabled the company to double productivity whilst providing increased flexibility when producing customer orders. This is thanks to optimisation of the production process which has seen a reduction of operatives required fall from two to one. Speaking of the investment, Tony Dawson, general manager at See Limited, said: “The implementation of the new machinery forms part of our continuous investment into See Limited’s operating businesses as we continue to grow and evolve.” 6 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk GENERAL NEWS LRG expands East Midlands presence with Osprey Property acquisition LRG has acquired Residential Property Group Ltd, trading as Osprey Property, a regional estate agency operating across Oakham, Stamford, Oundle, and Melton Mowbray. The acquisition marks an important milestone in LRG’s strategic expansion, extending the group’s reach into three new market towns where it previously had limited coverage. Founded in 2005 by shareholders James Turcan and Robert Brown, Osprey Property is an independent, family-owned estate and letting agency. Osprey’s team is made up entirely of local residents, using their shared knowledge of the area and network of offices to showcase properties to a wide audience of buyers and tenants. The business will continue to operate under the existing Osprey brand within LRG. All staff will remain with the company, including managing director Graham Freeman, who rejoins LRG having previously worked with the group five years ago. Matthew Light, group mergers & acquisitions director at LRG, said: “This is another significant acquisition and another strong step in our strategy to partner with high-quality multi-branch regional agencies. We are delighted to expand our footprint into three new towns within an area where we already have a growing presence.” Grimsby construction and manufacturing group becomes employee-owned Central Insulations Ltd, a Grimsby-based construction and manufacturing group, has moved to an employee ownership model as part of its long-term growth strategy. The company, founded in 1986, delivers temperature-controlled environments for the food sector. It expanded into pharmaceutical and cleanroom projects in 2015 and strengthened its offer further in 2017 through its acquisition of Lincs Doors, adding bespoke industrial door manufacturing to the group. The business has now established an employee ownership trust (EOT). Former majority owner Paul Walmsley will stay within the organisation to support the transition, while Adam Rowson has taken on the role of managing director, backed by an existing board of directors. Michael Crook, acting on behalf of The Corporate Law Partner, has been appointed chair of the EOT trustee board. Advisory support for the transaction was provided by RSM UK, whose tax and share plans teams advised on the structure and tax implications of the move. The new ownership model is intended to secure continuity, retain skills within the business, and position the group for sustained growth across its food, pharmaceutical, and industrial door divisions.www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 7 GENERAL NEWS • Commercial • Events • Headshots • Automotive • Fashion CALL OR EMAIL FOR A QUOTE 07506 998855 STEVE@STEVEEDWARDSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM STEVEEDWARDSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Creating eye-catching images to help businesses build their brands and engage with clients. Obsequio expands to Northern Ireland with Atlas World deal Expanding compliance services group Obsequio has added Northern Ireland to its location map with the acquisition of a majority stake in Atlas World. Based in Belfast, Atlas World has been operating for over four decades and undertakes the complete design, supply, installation, commissioning and ongoing maintenance of fire and security systems. In addition to those core services which are also offered throughout the Obsequio Group, the 71-strong Atlas team now also enables the provision of renewable energy solutions such as solar PV, EV charging and air source heat pumps, along with assistance technologies such as warden and nurse call systems and home automation. The deal, advised on by KBS Corporate, means the Leicester-based group obtains a more geographically diverse client base, with a presence in Northern Ireland and access to EU markets via Atlas’ established relationships with customers in the Republic of Ireland. Atlas World’s leadership team will all remain with the business and maintain a significant shareholding. Siemens expands UK rail capabilities with new Northampton facility Siemens Mobility has opened a £6 million facility at its Kings Heath Depot in Northampton to handle train modifications and upgrades across the UK’s passenger rail fleet. The Multi-Functional Centre will support refurbishment projects such as interior improvements to seating, toilets, luggage areas, and charging points. The new site will initially service East Midlands Railway’s Class 360 trains as part of a comfort and performance upgrade. It also enables a mobile engineering team to operate nationwide, recently completing a braking performance enhancement using Siemens’ Variable Rate Sanding technology and preparing for further upgrades to train data recorders to boost connectivity and reliability. Lucy Rigby KC MP, Member of Parliament for Northampton North, said: “It was a privilege to officially open Siemens Mobility’s state-of-the-art Multi-Functional Centre and meet the highly skilled team working to enhance passenger journeys. It’s fantastic to see how Siemens Mobility’s local investment is fostering economic growth, creating new jobs, and developing skills right here in Northampton.” The project will generate over 30 new local jobs and has achieved a 17% net biodiversity gain through on-site initiatives, including a wildflower garden and tree planting. The development forms part of Siemens Mobility’s wider UK investment programme, which totals around £340 million. This includes £240 million for its Goole Rail Village in Yorkshire, where new Piccadilly line trains are being built, and £100 million for a Rail Technology Centre in Chippenham. © stock.adobe.com/Jacob Lund Image courtesy of KBS Corporate © Siemens MobilityMulti-disciplinary design practice makes raft of promotions Multi-disciplinary design practice, rg+p Ltd has made a series of promotions, rewarding ten members of staff with new roles. The promotions have been made across the practice’s London and Leicester studios, recognising the achievements of individuals across six disciplines including Architecture, Architectural Technology, Interior Design, BIM, Administration, and HR/Practice Management. Two of the ten, architects, Nuno Mota and Victoria Torres, take on directorships, with the remaining eight moving into management, senior leadership or executive level roles. rg+p’s newly promoted team includes Poppy Chester to PA – Rob Woolston, Georgia Harvey to interior architectural designer, James Hickford to senior architect/team leader, Ollie Holt to BIM & technology manager, Luke Mockford to senior architectural technologist, Nuno Mota to architectural technical director, Natasha Rimmington to head of quality, people and team management, Ashley Roberts to PA – Chris Lindley, Kelly Tomlinson to practice manager, and Victoria Torres to architectural service director. New partner appointment bolsters Cooper Parry’s tax team Russell Brooks has joined Cooper Parry as partner in its Indirect Tax team. Russell brings over two decades of indirect tax expertise to the table, having worked within HMRC, Big Four firms, in-house for global giants like Gazprom and most recently as director leading across all taxes for the EMEA Commodities and Global Markets business at Macquarie Group. Speaking about his appointment, Russell said: “Indirect tax can be daunting – especially with so many developments over the last few years – but it doesn’t have to be. I love helping businesses take the heat out of it, so they can focus on what they do best. “Having worked in practice, in-house and with HMRC, I know how to navigate the tricky stuff and turn it into something that works for you whether that be through optimisation of your indirect tax cash flow, better governance of your processes or working out the VAT liability of the goods or services your business supplies. “I’m excited to be part of Cooper Parry’s bold, people-first approach and to help build something brilliant in London and the South.” Pulse appoints new board directors to drive growth Construction consultancy Pulse Consult has strengthened its leadership team with the promotion of Jonathan Aldworth and Tom Howells to its board. The appointments place Jonathan and Tom directly into ownership positions within the business. Jonathan Aldworth, who has progressed through the business since 2017, and Tom Howells, a healthcare project specialist, will take on strategic responsibilities at a time when demand for complex construction projects is growing across the UK. Progressing from a project manager role, Jonathan Aldworth has overseen high-value projects across a variety of sectors, including heritage schemes, higher education, and housing. In his new role, Jonathan will lead Pulse’s expanding East of England hub, which includes Nottingham, Leicester, King’s Lynn and Lincoln. Jonathan will continue to build on the strengthening of local partnerships, drive operational excellence, and accelerate regional development. Tom Howells brings over seven years of experience at Pulse and extensive expertise in managing complex healthcare projects. In his new role, Tom will lead Pulse’s healthcare sector strategy, continue to grow sector experience nationally, drive innovation in client solutions, and help the company meet the growing national demand for healthcare infrastructure. Some of rg+p’s newly promoted team members. L-R: Natasha Rimmington, James Hickford, Victoria Torres, Georgia Harvey, Nuno Mota, Poppy Chester, Luke Mockford and Kelly Tomlinson Russell Brooks 8 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk APPOINTMENTS Upper L-R: Paul Beardsmore, finance director; Kevin Jones, board director; Ian Carey, managing director; Lee Cantrill, board director; James O’Keefe, board director. Lower L-R: Jonathan Aldworth, board director; Tom Howells, board director and national head of healthcare; James Peake, board director; Graham Black, board directorWBR Group strengthens tax proposition with key promotion WBR Group (WBR), the independent provider of SSAS administration and integrated professional services, has appointed Callum James as tax director. Callum joined WBR Group in 2024 as senior tax manager, bringing over 10 years of experience in accountancy and tax advisory. He started his career at Mark J Rees, where he became a qualified accountant and tax adviser, before moving to Cottons Group, where he specialised in tax advice. Since joining WBR Group, Callum has delivered expert guidance on a broad spectrum of tax planning strategies, leveraging his technical expertise to craft tailored solutions for business owners and high-net-worth individuals, particularly focused on estate planning. In his new role, Callum will be responsible for driving the continued development of WBR Group’s tax advisory services and ensuring the continued delivery of excellent client service. This appointment reflects WBR Group’s commitment to investing in talent and strengthening its leadership team as the business continues to expand its market presence. Callum James Stepnell drives regional expansion and framework expertise with senior appointments Complete construction partner Stepnell has appointed Graham Lambert as director for the Midlands region and Craig Finn as framework director. Graham Lambert brings extensive expertise across construction and property development, encompassing sectors including urban regeneration, education, healthcare, STEM and cross- tenure residential. Most recently, he spent six years as managing director at Vinci UK Developments leading regeneration and urban development schemes. Prior to this he held senior leadership roles at Linkcity and Leadbitter, where he gained significant experience securing and delivering public sector schemes and frameworks. Graham will oversee Stepnell’s operations across the Midlands, focusing on strengthening client relationships and expanding the company’s portfolio of regional projects. Craig Finn has been appointed to the leadership team as framework director, bringing significant expertise with more than two decades of framework procurement and delivery at central and local government levels. His career includes work winning roles at Tarmac and more recently in a leadership capacity at Henry Boot Construction, where he served as a statutory board director and led preconstruction and framework strategies. Craig will be responsible for ensuring excellence across Stepnell’s existing framework agreements while spearheading growth into new regional and national frameworks for the firm. BDO promotes 125 in the Midlands Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP has promoted 125 people across the Midlands region. This includes the appointment of Kristi Middleton as tax partner. Kristi’s appointment follows 10 years at BDO, with expertise in private client taxation – from tax compliance to sale of business, bereavement and succession planning. In her new role, her focus will be supporting wealthy individuals with their personal tax affairs and assisting them with generational wealth transfer. BDO has promoted 102 people in its Birmingham office, with a further 22 in Nottingham. Additionally, Grame Hurst, established London deals advisory partner, has transferred to the Midlands region. Graeme has provided due diligence services in the life sciences & healthcare sector for over 14 years completing more than 150 deals. Kyla Bellingall, regional managing partner in the Midlands at BDO, said: “These promotions demonstrate BDO’s investment in our people. Their talent, commitment to clients and hard work are critical to the overall success of the Midlands team. “Our strength as a business comes from the impact our people deliver to their clients, to the communities we operate in, to our planet, and always through a lens of good governance. I look forward to seeing the careers of our people continue to develop and grow and want to congratulate the 125 new promotions.” Kristi Middleton www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 9 APPOINTMENTS L-R: Graham Lambert, director for the Midlands region, and Craig Finn, framework director, StepnellNext >