NOVEMBER 2021 EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK WWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UK £3.50 MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT Investing in the future MEN’S HEALTH Promoting men’s health BUSINESS SERVICES Significant challenges and new opportunities BUSINESS GOING FORWARD BUSINESS GOING FORWARD 01.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:15 Page 1 I NTER N Food Food &&& Food Food & N ATI O N &&Drin Drin Drin &&Drin AL nk nk nkk Coo Kee l i lf l s in C C Cii On the shel Functional ingredient Cleaning an maintenan nd ceFor businesses that are serious about reducing their carbon footprint www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 W W W. R E N E W A B L E S A N D E N V I R O N M E N T. C O M E A S T M I D L A N D S L E A E A D I N G B U S I N E S S M A G A A Z I N E APRIL 2020 0 £3. .50 BUS SUP SINES TT PPOR SS TING B THCART HEAL YY FACTOR RE OFF FICE ea Stopping the spr THCAR WW HEAL d thinkin Forwar TT AUTOMA Y AFACTOR ad WW EASTMIDL RE A hea SOL OFF ng factories ANDSBUSINE TION ficef althy of LUTIONS ESSLINK CO U FICE w UK www.blmgroup.co.uk EMPOWER Your Business Focus on TA Pharm rld o our guide to the pharmaceutical w Y B U S I N E S S I N T E R N A L ma olume 8 Issue 1 V T I O N declares g rrld Hea ooo W coron F ganisa geg l b l g l h O virus na g gency ti medic Nucle Prev aaccinV The nuclea e b f treatment ve The P l t kaage n e t eelopment t v om de rF w w w di i k . p b i f o r u m . n yorkshire & lincolnshhire’s leading business mamagazine april 2020 £3.5 50 TO T RES C THE SPOND CRISIS DING S ACTOR C OFF THCARE FICE safety Ensuring e TT HEAL e of factories The futur TION T AUTOMA YY AFACTOR fices healthy f Keeping of SOLUTIONS OFFICE employee THCARE V w VOLUME 35 ISSUE 4 .blmgroup.co.uk www Often Imitated - Never Equalled www.blmgroup.co.uk 02.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:16 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 3 EDITORS NOTES The autumn budget has just landed, which means it’s time to see what promises have been made and what impact this will have on businesses in our region. Considering the circumstances and heavy spending the Government has put forward to prop up the economy through lockdown, I doubt we were the only ones surprised by a budget that involves more spending and as no real tax rises. One can only assume those will be coming soon, and perhaps, for once, understandably so. The country is further in debt thanks to COVID-19 than it has been in a while, and future Governments will need to address that. Closer to home, the rising of the National Minimum Wage for those over 23 will be welcomed by workers but may prove detrimental to some businesses, especially those employing low- skilled labour. With shortages nation-wide in many jobs, employers are already having to pay more to keep staff, so perhaps the average wages are higher than they have been for a while anyway. Still, some employers may find the rise a bitter pill to swallow after having to deal with working from home, lockdown and complete changes to business structure. It goes without saying that the focus now is not only on recovery, but rejuvenation. With new commercial property schemes in place to rebuild areas of the country, and everyone looking to businesses to lead the economic boom, there are new opportunities to be had, and only time will tell who will grasp them. As always, we’ll be at the forefront reporting on the recovery as it happens. Until then, good luck and good business! Michael Fisher Editor Welcome... 03.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:24 Page 1@BLMEastMidlands BLMEastMidlands Latest news 6 A round-up of the latest news from our region Commercial property 16 With the economy set to slowly recover, the property market within the East Midlands is going to be leading the charge. Tax20 Workforce shortages - employers no longer have the upper hand or call the shots By James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants Antalis Packaging Q&A 22 Business Link had a chance to speak with Sam Colgan, Regional Packaging Sales Manager at Antalis Packaging, this month to see how Antalis can help companies in the Midlands. Business services 24 The pandemic has brought key challenges in the business services sector into clearer view, but also pushed firms to take advantage of new opportunities. Networking 28 Back in the room By Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency Education and training30 With a significant talent gap plaguing the country, investing in education and training is vital. Men’s health34 Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s physical and mental health, but they can’t do it alone. Public relations 38 Are you sitting comfortably? By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR and the PR and Communications Ambassador for the IoD in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Manufacturing spotlight 40 Investing in smart technologies can help to ease the supply chain burdens currently impacting manufacturers. Materials handling 44 There’s no silver bullet or single solution to solving the issues currently plaguing the materials handling sector. But with a multi- pronged approach of boosting job opportunities, wages and training in the logistics industry, investing in more warehousing space, and continuing to electrify road transport, it can future proofed. Water and waste management 49 Water resources are under increasing pressure from climate change, population growth and the need to protect the environment. However, increasing ambition from government, water companies and businesses are together having a profound impact in the amount of water that’s being used and how wastewater is being treated and recycled. EAST MIDLANDS L E E ADING BUSINESS MAG AZINE NOVEMBER 2021 £3. 50 GOIN BUS NG FO SINES AORW SS ARD G ACTUAMANUF MEN’S RING AA BUSIN NESS Investing in the fut WW SPOTLIGHT health omotingPr THTHEAL e W EASTMIDL ur new opp Significan SERVI smen’ ANDSBUSINE H portunities nt challenges and ESSLINK CO U CES w UK www.blmgroup.co.uk Cover photographs courtesy: Shutterstock/Pajor Pawel • arhendrix • Monkey Business Images • Roman Samborskyi • PopTika Contents November 2021 www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk AutoLink 52 While a brand new top of the line motor may be beyond most of us as Christmas presents, that doesn’t mean we can’t fawn over some truly gorgeous motors we could well be seeing in our region soon. 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 03/11/2021 11:25 Page 144 Group Editor Steve Fisher s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Editor Michael Fisher m.fisher@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 03/11/2021 11:25 Page 26 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk GENERAL NEWS Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to benefit from Careers Hub expansion Over 92,000 young people across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will benefit from new support to prepare them for the world of work. The local Careers Hub, run by the national body for careers education, The Careers & Enterprise Company in partnership with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), is expanding to support 118 more schools across the region. Operating since 2019, the Careers Hub will now support a total of 150 secondary schools and colleges in the region and their 118,000 students. The Hub brings together school staff, particularly those who lead on careers education, and provides them with additional support, resources and training for their schools to deliver “modern, 21st century careers education for every child, no matter their background or circumstance.” The Careers Hub also links the region’s schools with employers, Further Education colleges and apprenticeship and in-work training providers, to make sure young people in the region know about the options available to them after they leave education, and the different jobs open to them. Research carried out by The Careers & Enterprise Company shows that schools and colleges that are part of a Careers Hub deliver more support to students, have stronger links with local employers, offer more work experience opportunities and develop innovative ways of linking the curriculum with different jobs a student could go on to do. Over the next year, the D2N2 Careers Hubs will work with member schools to ensure each has a fit for purpose strategic careers plan while delivering a range of experience events and programmes for young people to access, made possible by the backing of supporting employers. Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2 LEP, said: “This exciting initiative couldn’t be better timed. Bringing the worlds of work and education together is a vital part of our strategy to lead a green recovery from the impact of Covid-19. “Our four Careers Hubs will play a key role in inspiring our future workforce about the amazing opportunities that lie ahead for them across the D2N2 area. It’s no secret that our young people have been disproportionally affected by the effects of Covid-19, so this is a real opportunity to level the playing field.” Leicestershire CO2 reduction scheme reaches milestone A pioneering scheme to help Leicestershire businesses reduce their Carbon Dioxide emissions has recruited 70 local companies keen to go green. The 70 companies represent the full range of Leicestershire’s economy with manufacturers NS Engineering, MWS Ltd, DPI (UK) Ltd and KS Composites; creatives Three Point Design Ltd, Rosie Made a Thing Ltd and Pure Table Top. Agriculture is represented by Northfield Farm Ltd and R&T Ensor Ltd; the world of estate agents is represented by James Sellick, Countrywide and Boards4Agents. Other local businesses represent food manufacturing, retail, finance, hospitality, education services, logistics, environmental, IT and space. They will all take part in a year-long carbon emissions reduction programme funded by the Business Gateway and LLEP in partnership with sustainability experts Zellar. The ‘sustainability as a service’ platform from Zellar enables a business to identify its carbon impact and then provides a bespoke plan to reduce it, including advice on how to offset emissions, how to find sustainable energy providers and also how to reduce and recycle more. Gary Styles, founder of Zellar, said: “We’ve created Zellar to tackle the climate change issue and it’s fantastic that Leicestershire is showing such leadership in green issues for the business sector.” Short-term planning threatens entrepreneurial growth in the region A new report which looks at barriers to growth for entrepreneurial businesses has revealed 70% of companies are only planning nine months ahead, despite ambitions to launch new products and services and three quarters lacking confidence that their strategy is future-proof. According to BDO’s The Ambitious Entrepreneur: Tackling Your Barriers to Growth Report, two fifths of the companies surveyed are only planning six months ahead, which means they only have visibility until March next year. More than three quarters of companies shared they’re likely – to some degree – to test out new business ideas or innovate this year and next, but 21% recognise a lack of planning will prohibit this innovation. Suk Aulak, partner at BDO LLP in the Midlands, said: “Ambitious, entrepreneurial businesses underpin our regional economy across all sectors and will be key to the UK’s future economic prosperity, as well as a driver of levelling up. It’s concerning but not surprising to see so many struggling to strategically plan more than six months in advance. “The last 20 months have demonstrated that plans need to be flexible. For this type of business, it is often their agility which gives them a competitive advantage. However, creativity alone won’t sustain innovation and there needs to be a firm focus on planning and commercialising ideas if businesses are serious about growth and not losing ground to competitors.” BDO’s research found that a third of respondents try to handle operations, growth, funding, talent and compliance internally with their existing team. © Shutterstock /Olivier Le Moal © Shutterstock /bluedog studio 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:31 Page 1Notts makes shortlist for ‘world’s first’ fusion energy plant An existing coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire has made the shortlist of what is hoped to be the world’s first prototype fusion energy plant. Part of the site at Ratcliffe-on-Soar has made it to the final five as part of a national search for potential locations by the government for alternative energy plants, with the final decision due to be announced in late 2022. 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). The authority announced that part of the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station site will now progress to the final stage of assessment and has the potential to host the fusion power station, aimed to be built by 2040. West Burton A, near Retford, which was also being considered as part of the 15-strong long-list, announced earlier this summer, has made the reserve list. Although it won’t be immediately assessed alongside the shortlisted sites, it will be brought into the process by the end of this year if any of the five sites fall out of the process. Nottinghamshire County Council coordinated this nomination process for the county working with several partners, including the landowners of these sites as well as Rushcliffe Borough Council and Bassetlaw District Council. Councillor Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “For a Nottinghamshire site to get down to the final five is incredible. We are another step closer to this being a reality. Achieving STEP would bring massive benefits to the county, putting it at the heart of the government’s plans to revolutionise the way we generate energy in the UK. “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 delivering amazing overall benefits to our regional economy including the lucrative opportunities for the local supply chain to help construct the plant.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 7 GENERAL NEWS Perfect storm of supply chain issues threatens winter of discontent As major disruption to supply chains continues across the country, Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker finds that a perfect storm of temporary and structural supply chain challenges, from changing Brexit regulations to production delays, are threatening to create a winter of discontent for UK businesses and consumers alike. Over the last few months, the UK has been facing severe supply chain disruption resulting in delayed deliveries and increased prices. One in five of the 605 mid-sized businesses surveyed said they are finding it harder to move products around the UK and across the world because of the ongoing issues. The research finds that there are a range of problems contributing to the disruption, but the main issues cited by respondents who said they have been negatively affected were found to be: Delays from source production facilities (23%), Changing rules and regulations from Brexit (21%) and International delays in shipping (21%). While not ranked individually within the top issues, collectively, over half of respondents who said they have been negatively affected said problems relating to a lack of available workers was a major blocker. Including shortages in skilled (18%) and unskilled (19%) operators, and shortages in transport workers, including heavy/large goods vehicle drivers (19%), and specialist transport workers (18%). Dave Hillan, partner and practice leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP in the Midlands, said: “The Midlands has always been famed for its productive capabilities, in fact much of the UK relies on this region’s ability to manufacture, store and move products. As the supply chain issues bite however, many of the businesses that rely on this easy flow of goods, materials, ideas and innovations will increasingly struggle.” • 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 /Monkey Business Images © Shutterstock /Mark Godden 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:31 Page 2APPOINTMENTS Local creative agency expands Nottingham-based creative agency and print house, Ginger Root, has, for the second time this year, added to their team to keep up with an increasing portfolio of clients. Jimi Struselis has been appointed as head of development and will be leading Ginger Root’s team of front and back-end developers to create websites for clients. Jimi has a wealth of experience and has been in the web development industry for over 12 years. His primary skills include full stack web and web-application solutions, server infrastructure management and systems integrations. Anthony Scoon, Managing Director of Ginger Root, said: “It’s an exciting time for us all at Ginger Root, the expansion to our existing web development team is driven by the increase in client demand for our web services. “Bringing a candidate into the business with the skill set which Jimi offers is a real treat! It’ll not only ensure we can fulfil the increase in workload we’re experiencing but will also greater our offerings to our wide range of clients whether they’re SME’s or leading, global companies.” 8 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Leicestershire property consultancy makes 11 promotions A property consultancy has announced 11 promotions at its East Midlands offices as a result of the firm’s ongoing growth. Fisher German has made the promotions across its two Ashby offices and its Market Harborough office as part of its career progression framework, which provides colleagues with a pathway for professional development. In Ashby, the firm has promoted Simon Tivey to associate director, Matthias Charlton and Scott O’Dell to senior associates, and Ella Pearson to associate. James Beverley has been promoted to senior planner, Matthew Handford has progressed to senior development surveyor, Sam Gifford has been promoted to senior surveyor, while Michelle Lewis has become senior project coordinator. In the firm’s Head Office, which is also based in Ashby and houses business support services, Agnieska Dzilbo has progressed to senior finance manager, while Eleanor Saunders-Brant has been promoted to senior communications manager. At Fisher German’s Market Harborough office, Tom Beeley has progressed to senior surveyor. The firm has made a total of 37 promotions across its 26 offices and Fisher German senior partner, Tim Shuldham, said it is the hard work of colleagues as well as the strength and resilience of the business that have made these promotions possible. He said: “I would like to congratulate all of those across the firm who have received promotions. “It is a testament to the hard work of everyone at Fisher German, and a commitment from the Partnership to continually invest in professional development, that has allowed our teams to continue growing throughout the last 18 months where many firms have pulled back. “I have no doubt that this growth will continue as we are awarded an increasing number of competitive contracts with both new and existing clients. “I remain excited by what lies ahead for Fisher German and the opportunities available to colleagues at all levels of the business, from early years through to the Partnership.” Jimi Struselis 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:31 Page 3Cosworth strengthens executive management team with COO appointment Cosworth, based in Northampton, has appointed digital and business transformation specialist Stephen Dyke into the newly created role of Chief Operations Officer (COO) to support the company’s growth within the transportation technology sector. Dyke joins Cosworth from engineering firm Ricardo, where he spent two years as Managing Director, leading the company’s automotive and industrial offering across EMEA. He was also chair of the EMEA Board, as well as statutory director of Ricardo UK Ltd, so brings to Cosworth recent and relevant credentials in the fields of automotive, commercial, defence, marine, aerospace and energy sectors. Dyke’s appointment as COO, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Hal Reisiger, will allow the company to accelerate its roadmap to electrification and to solve new mobility challenges through hybrid and EV propulsion, data connectivity and automation technology. Prior to his work with Ricardo, Dyke was responsible for leading data and digital transformation within Amey, EY and Network Rail, as well as running the transport and logistics business at CSC, now known as DXC Technology. Underpinning his career, Dyke spent over twenty years in the Royal Air Force (RAF), during which he studied electronic systems engineering at Cranfield University. Stephen Dyke said: “Cosworth is an exciting business and much broader in its capabilities than many yet know from the outside. Since joining, I have learned more about our high-performance engineering and an opportunity to scale the company’s suite of offerings into new sectors and geographies.” BGF appoints senior investor to Midlands team BGF – the growth capital investor – has continued to expand its Midlands team, with the appointment of David Bellis as investor. David joins BGF from Alantra Corporate Finance and brings more than eight years’ corporate and M&A advisory experience to the role. The qualified chartered accountant, who started his career at PwC, will be based at the company’s Midlands office. At BGF, David will be responsible for all aspects of the investment process, including identifying and executing investments, through to working with the management teams of portfolio companies post- investment. Gurinder Sunner, head of BGF in the Midlands, said: “We’re delighted to welcome David to BGF, at what is an exciting time not only for the company, but also for the region. “BGF’s deal activity in the Midlands has been very strong during the year, with in excess of £80 million of capital being deployed to an array of exciting growth economy companies. By bolstering our team with people of David’s experience, we are perfectly positioned to respond to the demands of the regional and national marketplace over the coming 12 months.” David said: “Having spent the last four years advising on and executing transactions, I am excited at the prospect of working with entrepreneurs and business owners as they scale their companies. BGF’s strategy of providing growth capital, being a supportive partner and helping business owners achieve their ambitions, really resonates with me and I am thrilled to be here.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 9 APPOINTMENTS David Bellis Partners& makes appointment to lead wellbeing, engagement and benefits business Partners&, which has offices in Nottingham, has bolstered its wellbeing, engagement and benefits proposition with the appointment of Marcia Reid as managing partner – wellbeing, engagement and benefits. Marcia will report to the chartered insurance broker’s CEO, Phil Barton, and join the executive team. The Partners& wellbeing, engagement and benefits proposition is based on obtaining a forensic understanding of their clients’ business and employee profile, so the team can identify and quantify the risks they face. Then, they recommend a relevant business protection, wellbeing, engagement and benefits strategy that can help clients protect their business and maximise their people’s potential. Marcia has 30 years’ experience in corporate health and wellbeing. Senior management roles have included national account manager for Bupa UK, head of SME at SimplyHealth and director of corporate consulting at Lorica. Most recently, she was Managing Director of the health and protection division of Stackhouse Poland, prior to its acquisition by Gallagher in 2019. There she led a multi-disciplinary team of consultants and support administrators who worked with a wide panel of insurers to achieve the best possible outcome for corporate and private clients. Marcia said: “This is a challenging time for anyone involved in the business of health but a significant opportunity for specialist advisers to work closely with their clients to protect themselves, their people and their business. I am delighted to be joining the talented and inspirational executive team at Partners& and I look forward to leading the wellbeing, engagement and benefits team.” Stephen Dyke Marcia Reid 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/2021 11:32 Page 4Next >