C&W In Business - Jan 2015

Issue 45

January / February 2015

‘Be careful what you wish for’ Devolution debate - page 22

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

Happy New Year Dear Member,

CONTENTS January / February 2015 Policy

I hope that, as a valued Member of the Chamber of Commerce, your 2015 is a strong and prosperous one, remembering that we (your Chamber Team) are here to work with you to help make that happen.

Let’s hope that 2015 brings great things and lots of opportunity. I read that our British Chambers of Commerce downgraded its UK GDP growth forecast from 3.2% to 3.0% by the end of last year (2014), but state that this figure still represents the fastest growth experienced by the British economy since 2007.

I note also that the BCC has revised down its growth forecasts from 2.8% to 2.6% in 2015 and from 2.5% to 2.4% in 2016.

Again, potential good growth, albeit growth may be slower than expected largely due to slower growth in the Services Sector, weaker household consumption and potentially a slower (than anticipated) growth in exports.

So, did the Chancellor in what seemed quite a late Autumn Statement in December 2014 build confidence?

Well, overall, I felt that it was a relatively upbeat Autumn Statement and one that could encourage greater investment and employment, but there was very little by way of detail.

The announcement abolishing the National Insurance that businesses pay on apprentices under the age of 25 was very welcome and fits, very much, with our Presidents, Peter Burns MBE, ambition to get our local young people into local jobs.

The announcement that business rates will be reviewed fills me with dread as I am not sure the outcome could ever be a good one for business! However, through our partners at the British Chambers of Commerce, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber will be seeking to work with Government as part of the review.

At the back-end of last year, we did hear a lot from Government on investment in infrastructure – including our roads, rail and flood defences – all vital to keep our whole economy moving – but, one wonders whether such promises will disappear post-election.

Certainly a challenge for Coventry and Warwickshire, as a sub region, is how we respond to the Government’s interest in creating economic power houses, such as Greater Manchester, as it seems that public investment is likely to fall into the laps of those willing to combine to form

larger, greater and stronger economic localities. Is Coventry & Warwickshire, under the leadership of our Enterprise Partnership and Local Government, big and bold enough to attract the kinds of public and private sector investment we want?

Well we, your Chamber, hosted a Big Business Debate on this very subject, on 12th December 14, and according to the plentiful show of hands in the room, there is certainly an appetite from local businesses to benefit from being part of a larger geographical economic power house. The Chancellor, of course, sites the Greater Manchester Model which comprises 10 local authorities. We need to decide the model that is best for us, local businesses. As your Chamber of Commerce, we believe that businesses should have a voice on devolution and, indeed, there should be a duty to cooperate with business on the local taxsetting of business rates. Your Chamber would want to see Coventry and Warwickshire (our geography) remain united in any new model going forward.

Coventry is rather land-locked without Warwickshire! In any new geographical and economic model, going forward, businesses would certainly want to see speedier decision making and real benefit in terms of greater investment locally.

Whatever happens, I applaud the view of Jonathan Browning, Chairman of our Local Enterprise Partnership, who said that “we must not get side tracked from immediate priorities and immediate wins”.

So, it will, I am sure, be an interesting year. An election year. No doubt there will be lots of promises made, by politicians, to businesses, the wealth creators of this Country. I think our task-at-hand, as business leaders, is to simply get on and do our jobs, create wealth, be innovative, invest in our people and think global as well as local. As always, your Chamber is here to help you do this and you can contact me, at any time, on louiseb@cw-chamber.co.uk when you need our support, advice or you want to access our trade networks and b2b opportunities.

Kind regards Louise Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL

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Chamber Services

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News

7-14-18

Events

8-9-10

CWT

11

International Trade

12

Chamber News

13

Business Support

15

Legal & Finance

16-17

Property

19

Profile

20-21

Business Debate

22

Around the Region News

23-31 32-40-43

Business Direct

33-39

President & People

44-45

New Members

46

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3

Policy

CONTACTS At the Chamber

News desk

Members are encouraged to send any news about their firm – new orders, staff, new products, expansions or relocations – for publication in C&W in business.

Chancellor ‘pulls rabbit out of the hat’

Whilst every effort will be made to publish submitted articles, we cannot guarantee inclusion.

Send them to: news@cw-chamber.co.uk Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Chamber House Innovation Village Cheetah Road Coventry CV1 2TL T: 024 76 65 4371 F: 024 76 45 0242

At the publishers

Publisher

Ian Fletcher

Benham Publishing Limited 3tc House, 16 Crosby Road North, Crosby, Liverpool L22 0NY 0151 236 4141

Advertising Contact Alison Seymour alison@benhampublishing.com 07841 115444 Production Manager Mark Etherington Accounts Director Joanne Casey Media Number 1376 © Benham Publishing 2015.

C&W in Business is produced on behalf of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce by Benham Publishing Limited and is distributed to members free of charge. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in C&W in Business, neither Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies it contains. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber.

C&W in Business is printed and distributed by Headley Brothers Limited

The official publication of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce 4

Pictured: Business people gather for the Autumn Statement at the Chamber of Commerce

Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire described Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement to change the stamp duty system as ‘pulling a rabbit out of the hat’.

Companies from across the area met at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters and gave their verdict on Chancellor’s final Autumn Statement before the next General Election.

The event was sponsored by Burgis & Bullock, an accountancy company with offices across Warwickshire, and partner Anne Rose was first to offer her judgement.

She said: “I had heard some mention of changes to stamp duty before, but this was his rabbit out of the hat as he saved it until last.

“It will be popular with most of the population and is a more subtle way of introducing a wealth tax.

“On many of the other announcements – particularly around anti-avoidance schemes – we will really have to keep an eye on the detail as it emerges. I’m really not sure how he is going to raise a 25 per cent charge against companies diverting their profits.”

RICS spokesman Harvey Williams also backed the stamp duty move but said it should have been done four years ago.

“We welcome the move,” he said, “but it has been talked about for also long as I can remember. He spoke for a long time about wanting to encourage home ownership and this was the rabbit out of the hat that he left for the end of the statement.”

Paul Collier, of Lanemark, said: “We already benefit from R&D tax credits so it was good to hear that this will be extended and increased slightly. The tax office have more experts in place, however, and are looking at claims more closely.”

Tim Squires, of Squires Gear and Engineering, said the abolition of National Insurance payments on apprentices under25 was a positive move.

He said: “This improves the opportunity to get more young people into work as soon as possible and for those who employ a high number of apprentices, this can make a real difference.”

Amrik Bhabra, of ADECS, agreed: “I am very much in favour of the changes around apprentices and I am also

encouraged by more support for those doing Masters degrees.”

Angela Tellyn, the partnership manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the additional funding for exporters was welcome to help more firms do business overseas.

She said: “The Chancellor announced a further £45million for export support. The full detail wasn’t in the statement, but the more money to get our businesses trading overseas, the better.”

Peter Deeley, of the Deeley Group, felt that the Chancellor sidestepped the issue of business rates, opting only for a review, but Chamber president Peter Burns said the Chamber would play a full role in that consultation.

Brett Marshall, of Coventry CORE, felt it was a pre-election statement but added: “Anything that brings growth and confidence to business is good for our sector.”

Judy Groves, of the Rigby Group, added: “This was act one of a two-part political drama more suited to a stage in Stratford!”

Chief executive sounds a positive note Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “From a business perspective, it was a relatively upbeat Autumn Statement and one that should encourage greater investment and employment, but there was very little by way of detail.

“The announcement abolishing the National Insurance that businesses pay on apprentices under the age of 25 is very welcome and fits, very much, with our president Peter Burns’ ambition to get our local young people into employment.

“It is right that those businesses that give opportunities to young people should be given a break and this is a great incentive for more companies to follow suit.

“One area where we, as a Chamber, through our partners at the British Chambers of Commerce will be very happy to work with Government is the review of business rates.

“I know the Chancellor announced an extension to double rate relief for small businesses for another year – and that is to be welcomed – but we agree that the whole system needs to be reviewed for the longer term and we will be very much part of that process as it needs to be right.

“We have seen a great many announcements made in the run up to the Autumn Statement around infrastructure – including our roads, rail and flood defences – and that is vital to keep our whole economy moving.

“Not only that, it will bring a welcome boost to the construction and engineering sectors.

“However, there was something of a challenge for this area in the Chancellor’s statement. We heard great mention of Manchester and the northern powerhouse.

We heard news of public investment in both technology and the arts in that area.

“It’s vital, therefore, that this region makes sure it carves a place for itself in this new

devolved world that the Government is pressing ahead with. The Chamber is hosting a debate on this very subject at Warwick University on Wednesday December 10 with key figures from this area.

“We want future statements and budgets to include this type of investment in Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. So it’s important that this wider region puts itself on the map when it comes to the Government’s agenda on devolving power because that is clearly where they are looking to invest and the Chancellor said his ‘door was open’ to other places to follow the path that Manchester have taken.

“So overall, it was a positive statement for businesses in this area despite the early warning that there are warning lights flashing over the global economy but, as the voice of business in this area, we will continue to push in every way possible to help companies across Coventry and Warwickshire grow and prosper.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Policy BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE: AUTUMN STATEMENT 2014:

KEY POLICY CHANGES AT A GLANCE 3rd DECEMBER 2014

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT International Trade

• £20 million funding increase for UKTI to support first-time exporters (details to follow) • The FCO will deliver a £25 million ‘surge for growth’ programme to support projects and trade agreements across the world. This includes: • £22 million for emerging and developing economies on projects with the potential to increase UK exports.

• An additional £3 million will support further reducing trade barriers with North American and European trading partners.

Investment

• Increase in the rate of the ‘above the line’ credit for research and development (R&D) from 10% to 11% and of the SME scheme from 225% to 230%, from 1 April 2015; and advanced assurance scheme for small businesses making their first claim.

Enterprise

• In future, gains eligible for Entrepreneurs’ Relief (ER) and deferred into investment under the Enterprise Investment Scheme or Social Investment Tax Relief can benefit from ER when the gain is realised.

• University students to be given loans to study for masters’ degrees.

Labour Market • From April 2016, employer NICs will be abolished for apprentices under 25, on earnings up to the upper limit.

• The government will invest £20 million to improve careers advice and support for young people (awaiting further details of how this will be spent). & Skills • £235m investment to establish a material research institute in Manchester, with satellite hubs in Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds.

Pensions

• From April 2015, beneficiaries of individuals who die under the age of 75 with a joint life or guaranteed term annuity will be able to receive any future payments from such policies tax free.

Business Regulation

• The pilot Business Focus on Enforcement programme will be made a permanent programme, with funding secured to support it.

• Pledge that by 2018 every local authority will offer a single online license application process where businesses only need to register their details once.

Access To Finance

• • • •

Up to £500 million of new lending in 2015-16 though the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme. £400 million to support venture capital through the British Business Bank’s Enterprise Capital Funds programme over the next three years Increase the annual investment limit for Social Investment Tax Relief to £5 million per annum, up to a total of £15 million per organisation, from April 2015.

New bad debt relief for lending through peer-to-peer platforms.

Infrastructure

The revised national infrastructure plan was published yesterday (2 Dec). Highlights include: • The allocation of £2.3 billion to more than 1,400 flood defence projects. These include £196m for Thames Estuary projects, £80m for Humber Estuary improvements, £42m for a flood alleviation scheme in Oxford, and £15.5m for flood defences in Somerset; • A commitment to publish for consultation at Budget 2015 proposals to make the compulsory purchase process clearer, faster and fairer, with the aim of bringing forward more brownfield land for development; • A £1bn project to build the world's first power-generating tidal lagoon, in Swansea Bay; • £2m will be made available to support the development of a comprehensive business case for Crossrail 2; On Monday (1 Dec) the department of transport published a road investment strategy that committed £15 billion between 2015-16 and 2020-21 to continue the transformation of the Strategic Road Network, including major projects for the A303, A1, A47 and A27.

In the Autumn Statement the government announced that alongside Transport for the North they will produce a comprehensive transport strategy for the north. This will include options, costs and a delivery timetable for a HS3 east west rail connection, with an interim report in March 2015.

Energy

• A long-term investment fund will be established from shale gas tax revenues and ring-fenced for investment in the north of England. A new £5 million fund to provide independent evidence directly to the public about the robustness of the existing shale regulatory regime will also be created.

• Major reforms to the oil and gas fiscal regime will be announced shortly. As part of these reforms the government will implement an immediate 2% reduction in the rate of the Supplementary Charge, from 32% to 30%, and extend the ring fence expenditure supplement to 10 years for offshore oil and gas activities. A new cluster area allowance to support investment in the development of technically challenging exploration will also be introduced.

Housing

Residential properties stamp duty reform so that rates apply only to that part of the property price that falls within each band. Changes to come into effect at midnight on Thursday, 4 December.

Planning

£100 million will be made available to fund infrastructure and land remediation to kick start the building of the first new garden city for almost 100 years at Ebbsfleet.

Devolution

Corporation tax will be devolved to Northern Ireland provided the ongoing talks between Northern Irish parties conclude successfully.

An agreement has been reached between the UK and Welsh governments on the full devolution of business rates. A cross-party agreement on the devolution of further powers to Wales is expected to be concluded next March.

Office Cleaning

Let’s make a clean start.

Our (YLH Supervisors will tailor our services

TAX CHANGES

to meet your needs, drawing on years of

Business Taxation / simplification

Business Rates

Personal Taxation and Benefits (including council tax)

• Diverted Profits Tax to be introduced: 25% tax on profits generated by multi-nationals that are shifted out of the UK. • Implementation of Office of Tax Simplification recommendations on improving the competitiveness of UK tax administration.

experience to deliver an exceptional service.

• Review into the structure of business rates to be completed in early 2016. Business groups invited to participate.

• 2% cap on the RPI increase in the business rates multiplier and doubling of Small Business Rate Relief extended to April 2016.

• Increase in rates discount for high street shops, pubs and cafes by 50% to £1,500 next year.

If you’re looking for a local cleaning company to

• Higher rate threshold to increase by inflation (1.2%) in 2015-16, for first time in 5 years.

• From April 2015, will extend the £2,000 annual National Insurance contributions Employment Allowance to those households that employ care and support workers.

• From April 2016, childcare support will increase within Universal Credit to 85% of eligible childcare costs.

• Limit migrant access to Jobseekers’ Allowance to 3 months (down from 6 months), unless they passed a Genuine Prospect of Work assessment.

Ensuring we get off to a clean start, right from the beginning.

help your business make a clean start in 2015 talk to Zenith Find out more at www.zenithcontractservices.co.uk

To arrange your free site visit and consultation please call Jill Reay on 024 7668 7167.

Unit 4, 205 Torrington Avenue, Coventry, CV4 9UT

• The trigger point for changes to fuel duty- currently $75 per barrel of oil - as set by the Fair Fuel Stabiliser in 2011 will be abolished.

Environmental • Air Passenger Duty for under-12s will be abolished from 1 May 2015, Taxation and under-16s from 1 March 2016.

T: 024 7668 7167 E: info@zenithcontractservices.co.uk

contractors limited

www.zenithcontractservices.co.uk

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Chamber Services

Keep your staff healthy and at work by taking advantage of our Chamber Health Plans through AXA PPP and Westfield Health HEALTHCARE BENEFITS AXA PPP Just as Britain’s businesses are recovering from the economic pains of recent years, another, more physical, kind of ache threatens productivity. Back, neck and muscle pains are now the greatest cause of sick days in UK workers - some way ahead of ‘common’ ailments like coughs, colds and flu.

Smaller businesses feel the impact of lost working days more keenly than most because every employee really counts. When AXA PPP healthcare surveyed 500 SME businesses, one in five said they’d lost revenue as a result of sick days, while over a third said that other employees suffer through having to pick up extra work. And a whopping 61% said it was a growing issue.

At AXA PPP healthcare, their therapies module includes a physiotherapist service for small and medium business members. It’s called Working Body and it puts expert diagnosis and treatment for musculoskeletal conditions – like aching backs, stiff necks and sore joints – just a call away. Phone consultations save the hassle of having to book an appointment. Instead, your employees can get advice for muscle, bone and joint problems, quickly – without needing to speak to a GP first and without even needing to leave the workplace.

By choosing the medical insurance with AXA PPP Healthcare, your business can enjoy 50% off your Chamber membership renewal for a three year period.

What’s more, as a member you receive FREE added value services: Health at Hand: 24 hour health information available over the phone to you and all of your qualified employees. Nurses, midwives and pharmacists are on hand to offer support to your employees and their families.

Personal Business Assistance: Offers company’s key decision makers support, should they be hospitalised due to ill health.

The dedicated support team will help you stay in touch with customers and suppliers, by responding to phone calls and sending / forwarding emails.

WESTFIELD HEALTH

Chamber Primary Health Plan Westfield Health, in partnership with the BCC, offers a health plan exclusively available to Chamber Members. As a Member you can take advantage of employee health cover from just £4.77 per employee per month.

The Chamber Plan covers many everyday health costs such as dental appointments, optical check ups and therapy treatments.

It also provides a range of health and wellbeing services including scanning, counselling, a 24 hour GP helpline, and Best Doctors - the expert second medical opinion service.

Hospital treatment insurance is also available, providing prompt access to surgery and medical procedures.

Benefits for your business • Valuable employee benefit package • Improves staff productivity, motivation and morale • Helps recruit, retain and reward your staff • Can help with pay negotiations • Can help employees with stress related issues • Can support your duty of care obligations

Reasons to work with Westfield Health Since 1919, we’ve been at the forefront of keeping hardworking people fit and healthy. We lead the corporate paid health cash plan market with 35% market share (Laing & Buisson Health Cover UK Market Report 2013). That’s why so many key decision makers trust our products to work harder for their companies.

Our best in class products give your employees an impressive range of benefits that can help you to attract and retain motivated and hardworking people and by keeping your workforce at their healthy best, we can really help your business to thrive.

• Minimum effort - our plans are simple to arrange with minimal administration • Maximum reward - marketing support to help you and your employees get the most from your plan • Dedicated account manager - ongoing help, support and regular reviews • Not for profit - we invest surplus to improve products and services • Prestigious industry awards - service, innovative products & best provider

Contact your Chamber Membership Support Team info@cw-chamber.co.uk or 024 7665 4321 for more information about using your Health care services

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

sponsored column

83,000 reasons to celebrate The largest charitable grant-making organisation in Coventry and Warwickshire had more than 83,000 reasons to celebrate a record year.

Fair Train invites local Year-end tax businesses to think about planning ideas Work Experience

The Heart of England Community Foundation, which gives grants to support community projects across Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull, has carried out its first full impact study which has revealed its grants helped 83,692 people last year.

The foundation, one of 48 across the UK, receives money from a variety of organisations, including many local businesses who want their donations to remain local and make a difference to communities where they are based.

And in the past 12 months the foundation awarded £519,353 through 160 grants and started working across a wider geographical area.

NFU Mutual awarded for outstanding contribution to equine safety NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer was presented with the prestigious Tarquin Trophy by The British Horse Society (BHS) at the charity’s annual award ceremony at Saddlers’ Hall in London.

The award, presented by Martin Clunes, President of the BHS, recognised the insurer’s significant contribution to equestrian safety through its campaign to reduce horsebox and trailer accidents and to educate equine students and horse owners.

The ‘Come back a winner’ campaign was launched in 2011, in response to an increase in the number of accidents and breakdowns involving equestrian transport and a lack of awareness of the rules and regulations surrounding the use of horseboxes and trailers.

Coventry company gives time to help good causes Coventry-based commercial property

company The Wigley Group have made a big difference to users of the Koco Community Resource Centre in Spon End. During two days in October, members of Wigley’s Facilities Team volunteered in Koco’s garden, breathing new life into a forgotten corner, giving it a muchneeded facelift by cutting down overgrown shrubs and clearing rubbish and weeds.

The action was brought about by Coventry 4 Good, an initiative run by Voluntary Action Coventry, designed to make it easier to help local good causes through the giving of time, skills and resources.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Marion Plant, NWHC, Stephen Gardner, Fair Train, Beth Gardner - Fair Train CEO and Rachael Stewart, CWLEP.

Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire have a better understanding of the benefits of Work Experience, thanks to an event hosted in conjunction with the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The event, held at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College was organised by Fair Train developers of the national Work Experience Quality Standard.

It outlined how offering work experience, traineeships and apprenticeships can help improve the productivity of organisations, and showed how to get the best value out of work experience placements.

The event hosted by Marion Plant, principal of the college (which holds the Quality Standard) and chair of the CWLEP Skills Group, was held in the run up to Work Experience Week in October.

Marion said: "The Fair Train standard effectively means that employers and young people maximise the advantages that work experience can bring to both parties."

"The LEP Skills Group is made up of strategic players involved in the demand for skills and the supply of skills - this is where quality work experience and the standards developed by Fair Train come in. Put simply, the development and delivery of good work experience is a fantastic way of developing practical workplace skills and understanding, but also a very motivating way for learners to develop the employability skills so many employers require."

Overall, the event was a success in engaging businesses and learning providers to think about the benefits of Work Experience in their organisation and to the young people they work with, and also in encouraging organisations to support Work Experience Week.

To find out more about the Work Experience Quality Standard, in line with CWLEP’s skills strategy, visit www.fairtrain.org.

Warwickshire goes Green for the NSPCC Warwickshire supported the Go Green initiative to help raise money for the NSPCC’s Childline Schools Service, which helps to educate local children about abuse before it starts.

From cake makers to paramedics, people from across the region were involved in the fundraising campaign week in October.

NSPCC research shows that, on average, two children in every primary school classroom are suffering from abuse or neglect and the majority of cases go undetected until the children are much older.

The NSPCC asked as many local people as possible to Go Green by hosting green-themed events and money raised will enable the charity to extend its ground-breaking ChildLine Schools Service into schools across the Midlands.

Using specially trained volunteers, the Service delivers sensitively tailored workshops and assemblies to 9–11 year olds to educate them about abuse, how to protect themselves and where to get help if they need it.

Midlands cake making company Green Kitchen Cakes, owned and run by Laura Poxon, who made a spectacular green cake to mark the occasion, said: “It was a pleasure to make the cake for this important campaign.

The ChildLine Schools Service is obviously having a really positive impact in the lives of the children it is reaching.”

To offer your fundraising ideas or support, please contact the Midlands NSPCC Community Fundraising team on 0844 892 0217

Having regard to the proposed changes announced within the Autumn Statement there are a number of tax planning actions that can be undertaken in order to reduce your overall tax burden.

Give income generating assets to your spouse With a top rate of income tax of 45% it can be highly beneficial to transfer income bearing assets to a spouse who is subject to income tax at a lower rate (0%/20%/40%). No capital gain or loss should arise on the transfer by virtue of the spouse exemption.

Salary sacrifice Tax free benefits can be taken in the place of salary, saving income tax and NIC for both the employee and the employer.

Examples include childcare vouchers and pension contributions.

Give up ‘free’ fuel In many cases the car fuel benefit costs more in tax for the employee than the underlying cost of the fuel used. The fuel multiplier has increased significantly in recent years, and is forecast to rise further; meaning that all except those with very high private mileage will be worse off than with the cash alternative.

Maintain entitlement to child benefit Child benefit is clawed back where an individual’s taxable income rises above £50,000 and is completely lost where income exceeds £60,000. Where possible, a couple’s income should be managed through the use of tax free benefits to keep taxable income below £50,000.

Reconsider business status The Government has tightened the rules for partnerships. Broadly, these changes affect partnerships with corporate or nonresident members and also those with partners that do not shoulder economic risk. With the reduction in corporation tax rate to 20% from 1 April 2015 the argument for incorporating partnerships becomes ever more compelling.

Invest in EIS, SEIS or VCT An investment under EIS/SEIS or through a VCT attracts income tax relief at up to 50%, and may also qualify for a CGT exemption on an eventual sale and certain CGT deferment avenues.

Pension contributions From 6 April 2015 retirees will have far greater flexibility over the timing and amount of withdrawals from their pension funds. Unused funds on their death can pass to the spouse or dependent free from inheritance tax (IHT), with legacies to other beneficiaries free from IHT from 6 April 2016.

Use Annual Exemptions Individuals qualify for an annual exemption for capital gains of £11,000 in 2014/15, rising to £11,100 in 2015/16.

Assets can be transferred between spouses to fully utilise both annual exemptions.

Entrepreneurs’ Relief The sale of qualifying business interests or shares in a qualifying company may be eligible for the 10% rate of capital gains tax if the conditions for Entrepreneurs’ Relief are met.

Individuals wishing to know more should contact Paul Spencer or David Thomas on 02476 257481 or ps@sgduk.com/dt@sgduk.com.

For more information please visit our website www.sgduk.com.

7

Events

Team celebrates success

Masterclass with Neil Liddell

The events team has been celebrating success in the last few months of 2014 with a record number of events on the calendar list. The Chamber offered its members numerous networking and industry specific events as well as debates on key topics.

The Business is Good for Women luncheon held on 4th November at the Holiday Inn Kenilworth saw a record number of business leaders, both ladies and gentlemen listening to a motivational speech by Joy V. Seppala, a great opportunity to network and gain new industry contacts. The manufacturing event, held one week later at MGTS (Midland Group Training Services Ltd) which provides training for young engineers, allowed the attendees to tour the facility which is equipped to high

industry standards. MGTS has gained an exceptional reputation amongst potential employers.

The Chamber also welcomed over 50 visitors to the new conference facility at Cheylesmore House, home of the Growth Hub. This excellent facility has two large conference rooms, two board rooms, two small meeting rooms and with free on-site parking and an in-house restaurant offers the perfect location to host meetings, seminars or conferences. Enquiries and bookings can be made through Carol Verdon on carolv@cw-chamber.co.uk.

The peak event of the month was the Christmas entertainment lunch at Twycross Zoo. This fantastic facility offered the perfect backdrop for a lunch time event filled with

MGTS Tour

8

entertainment and networking with inspiring speakers - winter paralympic skier Anna Turney, CEO of Quidem (broadcasting Touch FM, Oak FM) Steve Orchard and Senior Researcher, Dr Charlotte Macdonald, were not only highly informative but also very entertaining.

To conclude the 2014 events calendar the Chamber with CWLEP delivered the Big Business Debate at the Ricoh Arena with Patrick Burns BBC political editor. Over 100 attendees heard from a panel of business and political speakers debate the devolution and the opportunities for change.

The events team has already started planning the 2015 events calendar and you can look forward to joining us at the traditional networking and industry focused events as well as new events such as "Meet

your Neighbours" which will offer you the opportunity to establish new business contacts from neighbouring Chambers such as Solihull, Hereford & Worcester or Bedfordshire & Northamptonshire & Milton Keynes.

Preparations for the March Expo are in full swing with half the stands already booked. The Expo will take place at the Ricoh Arena on 13 March 2015 and will provide the opportunity to showcase products / services, network and attend seminars. As always this event and the seminars are free to attend.

Keep a look out for the events mailer which is delivered direct to your inbox every month on Fridays or visit our website www.cw-chamber.co.uk.

Christmas Networking at Twycross Zoo

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Events

sponsored column

Brian Jukes, Tax Partner at Dafferns LLP

5 tax tips for business owners in 2015 Tax legislation is constantly changing and the New Year is always a good time to review what your business could do differently to take advantage of the new opportunities that this can create.

Anna Turney, exclusive speaker at the Twycross Zoo event

This checklist outlines five key areas that your business could consider when looking for tax savings in 2015: • Remuneration Strategies - Not only vital for motivational purposes, but also an important tax planning tool for your business and its staff. Make sure you are taking advantage of the latest, tax efficient reward strategies that benefit both the organisation and your staff.

• Capital allowances - If you own commercial property and haven’t taken the recent changes to the capital allowances rules into consideration, now is the time to do so! The rules came into effect on 1 April 2014 and failure to act could negatively affect the property’s future sale price. You could also lose out on a claim for capital allowances and tax relief going forward.

Christmas Networking

Olivia Butterworth - Best Christmas Jumper

• R&D Tax Credits - These rates are increasing from 225% to 230% for SMEs for the tax year 2015/16. For non-SMEs the above the line tax credit is increasing from 10% to 11%. Make sure your business takes maximum advantage of this generous tax break!

• Patent Box - With careful planning, companies can save tax on all profits derived from patents. The tax rate for these profits is charged at 10% instead of the standard 20% corporation tax rate.

• Pensions - Auto enrolment is just around the corner for small businesses.

Make sure you know your obligations and have a plan - you don’t want to incur penalties. Also, be aware of the raft of changes coming in April 2015 - planning ahead could save you and your employees tax on your pensions.

If you would like to discuss your own circumstances with a Dafferns corporate tax planning specialist, please contact Brian Jukes on 024 7622 1046 or brian.jukes@dafferns.com.

Steve Orchard, exclusive speaker at the Twycross Zoo event

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Christmas Networking

9

Events

Events 12th January

Masterclass How to become more innovative as a business in 2015 9.30am - 12.30pm Chamber House, Innovation Village, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL Free of charge – members only Would you like to become more profitable, more efficient and more open to growth opportunities? This Masterclass, delivered by Matt and Debbie Stocker, directors of Stocker Partnership, will encourage you to think differently about your business in 2015 by exploring five powerful ways in which you can innovate.

16th January

Business is good for Women Networking Lunch 11.30am - 2.00pm Ansty Hall, Ansty, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV7 9HZ Members £15 + VAT Non members £20 + VAT Join us in the stunning surroundings of Ansty hall for our high profile networking lunch. Take the opportunity to share knowledge, raise your company profile and debate the issues around the Women in Business agenda.

Prior to the lunch we are pleased to welcome Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities.

26th January

16th February

Chamber Networking

Masterclass Is Cybercrime the biggest threat to your business?

4.00pm - 6.00pm Market Hall Museum, Market Place Warwick, CV34 4SA Free of charge This event is a brilliant way for businesses to reach their potential by tapping into a network of local companies.

Market Hall Museum is located in a striking 17th century building in the centre of Warwick. It houses displays on the geology,natural history and early history of the county.

This event is a great way to promote your business to local companies in the grounds of this stunning venue.

10th February

Chamber Networking 08.00am - 10.00am National Breeding Centre for Guide Dogs, Banbury Road, Bishops Tachbrook, Warwickshire, CV33 9QJ Free of charge Do you want to showcase your business to local companies and create new professional contacts? Then join us for breakfast and networking at the National Breeding Centre.

The event will provide excellent networking opportunities and a guided tour of the largest Breeding centre facility for Guide Dogs in the world!

Save the date

Business and Trade Expo 13th March 2015 www.cwexpo.co.uk

09.30am - 12.30pm Chamber House, Innovation Village, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL Members only - Free of charge Cybercrime is fast becoming the biggest threat to both individuals and businesses. This Masterclass provides delegates with the practical knowledge to address the challenges we all face as a result of this cyber menace, how the cyber criminals work and introduce five simple steps how to lock your Internet “doors & windows”.

26th February

Meet your Chamber Lunch 12.00pm - 2.00pm Mallory Court Hotel, Harbury Lane, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV33 9QB Free of charge This informative event will give new and existing Chamber members the opportunity to understand how we can support your business and how to make the most of your membership. The event will also provide excellent opportunity to network with businesses from across the Warwickshire area over a buffet lunch.

Find out more information or to book a place please see the events pages at www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events or contact events@cw-chamber.co.uk

Conference Hire service is expanded Putting election candidates on the spot

The Chamber has created a new facility which is available for hire for corporate meetings and business events, ranging from small meetings to conferences and product demos.

The new venue is based at the Growth Hub in Cheylesmore House, Coventry, which is just five minutes’ walk from the existing facility at the Chamber House.

Both venues are situated within the walking distance from the railway station and the city centre and offer free on-site car parking.

Prices start from £22 per delegate and Chamber members benefit from additional 10% discount.

Facilities on offer include: Chamber House: One medium Conference Room, three small Meeting Rooms Cheylesmore House: Two large Conference Rooms, two Board Rooms, two small Meeting Rooms and an on-site restaurant In addition both facilities share the following qualities: • Welcoming environment • Air Conditioned rooms • Equipment – Laptop, Projector, Screen • Refreshments throughout the day • Buffet lunches • Free On-Site Car Parking • Disabled access • Excellent transport links • High Speed Internet / WiFi • Excellent customer service • Flexible packages to meet your business needs

You can contact our experienced Sales Coordinators and they will help you choose from one of our venues and plan your meeting or event, at Carol Verdon - carolv@cw-chamber.co.uk/Matthew Hammersley - matthewh@cw-chamber.co.uk

10

Ask your local Parliamentary Candidates to explain why you should vote for them.

The country goes to the polls in May with the economy expected to dominate many of the debates.

Politicians from all parties have focused in on the effect of austerity and the need to tackle the deficit as key concerns for the electorate.

That includes business people for whom the health of the economy is crucial as they make decisions on investment for the future.

To further focus minds, The Chamber is holding a series of events across the region in the run-up to the General Election, where you will get the chance to hear the views of Parliamentary candidates on a number of important local business and economic issues.

You will also have the opportunity to put questions to the candidates on the issues that are important to you and your business.

The events run from the 5 February – 6 March, and places are limited, so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment.

You are welcome to attend any of the events, if you can’t make the one in your area.

5 February

5.00 pm - 6.30 pm Rugby (venue tbc)

6 February

8.30 am - 10.00 am Nuneaton (Office of SFB)

13 February

8.00 am - 9.30 am Leamington and Warwick (Holiday Inn)

20 February

1.00 pm - 3.00 pm Stratford (The Arden Hotel)

23 February

1.00 pm - 2.30 pm Bedworth & N Warwickshire (venue tbc)

27 February

8.00 am - 9.30 am Coventry (Chamber House)

6 March

8.00 am – 9.30 am Kenilworth & Southam (Holiday Inn) FREE of charge to Members | £10.00 + VAT for Non-Members For more details and to book your place please email event@cw-chamber.co.uk

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

CWT

Apprenticeships - the Business Growth Catalyst

Pentlands was founded in 1998 and has grown to a team of 18 working out of their Warwick headquarters.

In 2010 Elinor Perry completed a buy-back shareholding from the other partner, becoming owner for the first time of her own business.

At the start of 2011, Elinor was flying solo with a team of 10. There was one owner and a clear direction of growth. The business and team flourished.

In 2009 after struggling to find good people, Pentlands began to recruit apprentices using a governmentbacked scheme with the support of CWT Chamber Training.

Growing the Pentlands team in numbers and skills is one of the areas that Pentlands is different to some other organisations. The business is run with the philosophy that if you grow your people, you grow your business.

The team expanded and the business grew. When recession came, Pentlands refocused in supporting clients to financially batten down the hatches until the worst was over. By early 2014 and with a team of now 13, Pentlands needed further space to operate.

Pentlands has acquired a neighbouring office unit, adjoining both spaces to create a 2,250 square-foot space extending its premises by 50%. Five new roles, including apprenticeships, were also created as part of the firm’s three-year growth plan ‒ taking headcount from 13 to 18. Alison Chadwick also joined Pentlands in the role of Marketing Manager.

Declan George and Rory Ashton have joined as new apprentices as part of the CWT Chamber Training programme to pursue their chosen career in accountancy.

Elinor Perry said, “We are very pleased that Declan and Rory have joined us as they will be instrumental in supporting the current team.”

Pentlands also employ two trainee client managers who have recently come to the end of their apprenticeships.

Pentlands have worked with CWT Chamber Training over a number of years, with four apprentices to date reaching the full ACCA Accountancy qualification. Pentlands is also an approved training practice and have been awarded the Platinum Approved Employer Status from ACCA. There has never been a better time to recruit an Apprentice - fresh talent, new ideas – the facts speak for themselves.

After finishing, the majority of apprentices (85%) will stay in employment, with two-thirds (64%) staying with the same employer.

A third (32%) of all former apprentices had received a promotion within 12 months of finishing, and of those in work, three quarters (75%) reported taking on more responsibility in their job.

Employers think that qualified apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications.

Leading Local Companies Target Tomorrow’s Talent Leading local companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, Coventry Building Society and Barclays Bank took the opportunity to speak to secondary school pupils at Tile Hill Wood School and Language College as part of the Employers into Education programme being spearheaded by CWT Chamber Training.

The business representatives that took part in the day found the experience highly beneficial, enjoyable and fed back that the initiative provided a valuable opportunity for them to relate to the younger generation and understand the challenges and opportunities they are faced with.

As well as having an input in the pupils gaining a more valuable and rounded educational experience, the businesses will also reap the rewards of warming tomorrow’s talent to the benefits of working for their organisations.

Anita Tomsett of CWT Chamber Training said, “The pupils were keen to engage with the employers and find out as much as possible about the career pathways they could take.

These are real life employers who have taken time out of their day and the pupils thoroughly embraced the opportunity, especially as it’s not something they would normally have exposure to in their day to day school experience.”

Employers spoke very honestly to the pupils. One business representative talked about how youngsters don’t always sell themselves enough. They talked about how young people often have the skills and knowledge that employers are looking for but seem to struggle to communicate them during the application / interview process.

One employer fed back that “the students need to be more aware of their achievements and praise themselves more; this will help in future interviews, be it for apprenticeships, college or university.”

Valuable insights for tomorrow’s talent – they have the skills to succeed but need to sell them with

confidence. Careers education and guidance helps young people to gain the knowledge and skills needed to make more from their future career choices.

The employers gave the students a view into the world of work, developing their knowledge and understanding of career paths, vocational opportunities and exactly what employers are looking for.

Sessions such as these help ensure that young people are better informed, more aware and focussed in their transition into the world of work. They also provide an opportunity for businesses to inspire the best candidates to work towards becoming part of their organisation in the future.

Picture Perfect Hairdressers go Viral Congratulations to the 44 apprenticeship trainee hairdressers from CWT Chamber Training’s Hairdressing Academy who have gone viral following the release of their hairdressing competition photography through social media.

The annual hairdressing competition for 2014 was to produce an editorial look worthy of any fashion magazine front cover. This is the first year that CWT Chamber Training have conducted a photographic competition for the apprentices, with the young stylist’s skills being put to the challenge to work with a model and create a professional head and shoulders photograph.

The hairdressing training team constructed a studio in the Coventry training centre with a backdrop and modelling lighting, giving the learners a realistic experience of working with models in a professional environment.

Photographs were captured for each completed style and the students were tasked with selecting the best look to reflect the editorial brief.

The final photography was published to Facebook during December with followers being encouraged to vote for the look that best reflected the brief.

Laura Malpass, who works at Duo Hair studio, produced this stunning Editorial look for the competition. Laura used the design from a wrap as inspiration to create a woven plaid in

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

the hair. The highlighted coloured effect of the hair helped compliment the chosen design plan.

Laura created this avant-garde look in only her first year of hairdressing after starting her apprenticeship with CWT Chamber Training in August. Laura is a very practical person and enjoys being in a creative environment.

Laura’s manager, Lorna Bennett from Duo Hair is delighted with the amount of likes this completed look has gained and is excited about the positive publicity and brand awareness this will bring to her business. The image will also be used to develop Laura’s portfolio of work for the apprenticeship qualification.

Competition work helps to develop the trainee hairdressers’ skills and confidence which are put into practice in their employer’s salons. A strong and confident qualified hairdresser can attract new clients and help grow the business.

Using Facebook as the media channel to share the apprentice’s fantastic images has been a phenomenal success. The apprentices’ achievements reached over 20,000 Facebook users, with users from as far afield as America and Iran engaging and voting for their preferred look.

Laura’s stunning image, along with all of the images produced by the apprentices, will be open for votes (likes) on the CWT Chamber Training Hairdressing Team’s Facebook page until 5th January 2015.

sponsored column

Your Communications Resolution

Every January we make resolutions, tempted by the potential of a fresh new year. Last January I said I would do the Two Castles Run. Not being a natural runner I quickly doubted the sense of my decision but having made it publicly I couldn’t turn back.

If you’re in the mood for resolutions there is one I urge every business leader to make and stand by throughout 2015; commit to effective communication.

Attracting potential new customers with appealing marketing boosts sales while an engaged and motivated workforce will drive up productivity. So getting internal and external communication right makes good commercial sense.

But too often each is considered in isolation, the coherence and consistency of the messages never being part of the planning process. This might seem okay but it doesn’t maximize the potential and there is a real risk of undermining your own efforts.

Trust is key to every good working relationship. But an employee contradicting an external message to a customer, however lightly, will damage that customer’s trust and if employees see you tell half-truths to customers they can’t be confident you’re being straightforward with them. And re-building trust is a great deal harder than making sure you don’t lose it in the first place.

This doesn’t mean you have to gush the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth all the time! But it does mean you need to be consistent, coherent and straightforward in your communication.

A simple audit of your internal and external messages and processes will make sure that what you are saying resonates internally and externally and so is driving forward your top and bottom lines.

If you would like a communication audit, contact Cathy Connan of Communication Strategy on 07976 669089 or email cathy@cathyconnan.com.

11

International Trade

Warwickshire company demonstrate British engineering at trade fair in Germany

Companies looking to the power of MINT economies

A company from Warwickshire travelled over to Germany to demonstrate British technology in action at an international trade fair.

Automotive Insulations, who develop and manufacture lightweight acoustic and thermal materials for a range of vehicles, were exhibiting at the International Supplier Fair (IZB) near Hanover. The biennial event is one of Europe’s leading trade fairs for the automotive sector.

The Automotive Insulations stand included a fully converted showcase Mini One insulated with individually designed 3D and 2D parts which utilise a range of technologies, including thermoforming, drape moulding, cut and seal, die cutting and reaction moulding. The Mini was stripped of its engine along with one side of the interior. A 32” television was fitted in place of the steering wheel and dashboard, a 24” monitor was placed under the bonnet and a surround sound kit in the boot, along with a wireless touchpad inside the car itself.

Sales engineer Steve Richardson of Automotive Insulations said: “The Mini was transformed to give a complete overview of our state of the art acoustic and thermal capabilities. It certainly attracted a lot of positive attention during the fair and enabled us to clearly demonstrate our material capabilities through the use of the surround sound system and our in house acoustic testing.”

There were seven staff from Automotive Insulations present at the event, some on the stand dealing with queries and explaining the technologies on show whilst other staff took the opportunity to network with potential customers and suppliers.

“It was our first time at IZB; it’s such a prestigious event in our industry that we knew Based in Rugby, Automotive Insulations already has a presence in the German automotive market, with a sister site known as Rheinland Insulations (RI) near Dusseldorf. RI manufacture materials for car production in Germany and the UK as well as for the construction and specialist vehicle markets.

12

Leigh Turner – (Consul General Istanbul and Head of Trade & Investment for Turkey), Mark Naylor (Managing Director of PMD Group Ltd), Chris Gaunt (Chairman of British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey)

Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire have been learning how 2015 could be the year of the MINT economies.

More than 70 delegates from across the West Midlands attended an event at the Ricoh Arena designed to alert businesses to opportunities in the emerging markets of the ‘MINT’ economies in Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey.

The event was hosted by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s UKTI International Trade team and informed firms of the ways in which they can exploit openings in these key markets, as they begin to grow.

The event include key addresses and case studies from business leaders

with experience in each of the four growing markets, as well as question and answer sessions to provide greater understanding.

Mick Page, Head of International Trade at the Chamber, said: “With a combined population of 600 million people, and a forecast for strong growth, the ‘MINT’ economies are being touted as the next wave of high growth markets.

“It is important to catch these markets on the up, so we felt it was a good idea to alert Coventry and Warwickshire businesses to the type of opportunities that are available.

Mark Naylor, of Coventry-based PMD Group, said his firm was already making strong headway in Turkey.

He said: “Turkey is an important market in the export strategy of the chemicals division of PMD(UK)Ltd as it is a major consumer of metal finishing chemicals in the automotive, electronics and jewellery industries.

“Our exports to Turkey started to become significant in 2014 and we see these growing rapidly in 2015 and beyond and due to both the geographic closeness and size of the potential market we envisage that Turkey will be one of our core export activities.”

Formoreinformationaboutthe CoventryandWarwickshireChamber ofCommerce,andupcomingevents visit www.cw-chamber.co.ukorcall 02476654321

Terex updates site dumper portfolio In response to widespread customer demand, global construction solutions provider, Terex, has announced the streamlining of its two-tonne site dumper range.

The project will see continued investment in developing the popular TA2H, TA2SH and TA2SEH models.

Delivering exceptional off-road performance, the hydrostatic transmission in these models guarantees increased operator comfort and productivity, as well as

inimizing regular maintenance and servicing requirements.

To focus on the in-demand models, Terex will be streamlining its wider portfolio, phasing out the TA2, TA2S, TA2E, TA2SE and TA2EH units over the coming months.

Mark Royse, Product Manager – Site Dumpers and Compaction Rollers at Terex Construction, said: “Over the past six months, our site dumper business has continued to develop and we have engaged in some valuable

conversations with our customers.

As a result, we’re focusing on delivering the models customers tell us they want.

“Existing orders of our phase-out machines will be completed and delivered over the coming weeks, with ongoing maintenance and support provided to dealers and customers as required. The streamlined range is already available and technical information can be found online or from your local distributor.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Chamber News

sponsored column

Chief Executive is new Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Louise Bennett has been appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands.

Louise, who was awarded the OBE for services to business and enterprise in 2007, is one of five new Deputy Lieutenant’s appointed by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands Paul Sabapathy CBE. Prior to being invited to serve as Deputy Lieutenants, each person must

have contributed significantly to national life, their local communities – or both.

Paul Sabapathy said: “I am delighted that Louise has joined a fantastic group of highly committed Deputy Lieutenants in Coventry.

“She will further strengthen our strong tieswiththewonderfulpeopleofCoventry assheiswellplacedasChiefExecutiveof Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to engage and support the business community locally.”

Louise, who has been chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce since 2003, said: “I am absolutely delighted and honoured to have been appointed as a Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands.

“I believe it’s also testimony to the standing of the Chamber and its commitment to serving the business community across Coventry and Warwickshire.”

Confidence high as 2015 arrives The service sector in Coventry and Warwickshire is heading into 2015 at its most confident since the recession, according to a new business poll.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) is used as a barometer for the local economy and also feeds into a national survey carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce.

In the final survey of 2014, 74 per cent of firms in the service industry believe turnover will rise in the next 12 months – the highest since the downturn – with just nine per cent forecasting a drop.

In manufacturing, 59 per cent of companies believe turnover is going to increase across 2015, with 24 per cent predicting a decrease.

And the jump appears to be fuelled by a growing domestic order book in manufacturing – as 47 per cent of companies said their advanced UK orders www.cw-chamber.co.uk

were up while 70 per cent said overseas orders had remained constant.

In the service sector, there is a more even split with 27 per cent of companies reporting an increase in both domestic and overseas orders.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Companies in both the service and manufacturing sectors have a positive outlook going into the New Year and the service sector, particularly, is extremely buoyant as 2015 approaches.

“This is great news as we head into a General Election year and should see the economy in our region continue to grow.

“It’s vital that during the build-up to the election and then the subsequent formation of a Government that supporting business and providing the best conditions for the economy to grow is maintained.

“While there has been a resurgence in our manufacturing and engineering sector, there is still much more to be done to get to a position where we can say we have truly balanced economy.

“The same goes for exports. This region is performing extremely well when it comes to overseas trade and, as a Chamber, we are delighted to be playing a very significant role in that through our International Trade Hub. “But every effort must still be made to get more of our businesses selling their goods and services abroad and to help existing exporters find new markets.”

The survey suggests that unemployment will continue to fall across Coventry and Warwickshire with 41 per cent of firms saying they will increase headcounts early in the New Year and more than 50 per cent saying they will keep staffing levels the same.

Why up-skilling your staff is vital

Hello and welcome to my new regular column. Today, I want to take a look at business growth and staff skills. While a good strategy is vital for growth, you also need to invest as heavily in talent development and succession planning.

A lack of these can have a negative impact on businesses and their growth.

But how do you effectively succession plan and nurture the needed talent?

Most CEOs and MDs only go as far as naming the successor that they think is the most suited (or, in some cases, the least unsuited) and spending some handover time with them. This is a risky strategy.

The best succession planning programs come from coaches who have the hardwon experience and know-how which only comes from leading successfully in the past. As insiders, they connect the dots during coaching and draw upon their own experiences to nudge those with potential in the right direction.

Succession planning should include: • Assessment • Challenge • Support • Results and • Connecting the dots to help the participants transform For the best results, I recommend these steps: • Define objectives and processes and establish candidate selection criteria.

• Perform multi-tiered talent matches of high potential candidates to determine their readiness and fit for the job(s) through customised assessments.

• Gather additional insights through interviews and shadowing to complement the assessment findings.

• Provide feedback (including “insight sharing,” goal-setting, and development plans) that reflects key behaviours and outcomes, aligned with stakeholder expectations.

• Implement the plan with challenges and support in place to help participants attain the desired results.

The Transfer of wisdom is what delivers the best ROI. This allows the company to grow on a high growth trajectory.

••• Written by Neil Liddell of Sandler Training. Providers of Management and Sales training.

Avon House, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4AA T: 0845 0573563 M: 07547 227442 E: nliddell@sandler.com www.central.sandler.com

13

News

Logistics company expansion driven by Irish market

Firm looks to the next generation The continued expansion of a Coventry automotive engineering and design firm is creating new pathways for young people to enter the industry.

M-Tec Group, based at Siskin Drive in the city, utilises state-of-the-art software to design and develop automotive interiors and exteriors, and since being established in 2011, has developed a standalone turnover of approximately £7million per year.

The business boasts 75 staff and has ambitions to double its turnover by the end of 2016.

Alongside traditional recruitment strategies, supported by its associated recruitment business in Birmingham, M-Tec Group has employed three additional joined-up approaches for the development of new staff at the Coventry office.

The company welcomed Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce president Peter Burns to its headquarters to show how it is contributing the local economy.

Ashley Crump, commercial and business development director at M-Tec, said: “As a stand-alone business we have secured consistent growth and expansion over the past three years, supported by adopting traditional recruitment methods and by also developing young people from within the business.

“With regard to the development of young people, we have adopted three strategies, offering school work placement schemes, a graduate development programme and the sponsorship of students from Black Country University Technical College (UTC).

“The relationship with the UTC came about through a personal relationship when we were introduced to a UTC student who we felt had a flair for engineering and design. We sponsored him through his university studies and, after four years, he is now an integral part of our team and working on a project for one of our most highprofile automotive clients.

“We have maintained a dialogue with the UTC, and continued to identify a number of high potential students, and our intention is employ two or three of their best students each year. We have found that developing students via the UTC route, and providing on the job training alongside their university studies, can in many ways better prepare the individuals for the industry when compared to graduates direct from university.

“In addition to the development of UTC students, we also employ graduates direct from university and install them on a 12-month development programme working alongside our established project teams, which is also working very well in terms of providing an intensive learning environment.

“Our work placements with school students are more geared towards offering the students an opportunity to experience the working environment within our sector so they can make an informed decision as to whether they would like to pursue a career within an engineering or design related environment.

“We have enjoyed great results from these approaches and feel there is great potential for them to work on a wider scale, and we are looking forward to working with the Chamber to further this aim.”

Peter Burns said: “It was great to visit M-Tec and find out all about the way they have taken it upon themselves to find their own solution to the skills gap that everybody talks about.

“They have gone above and beyond their own responsibility to developing more skilled workers for the industry in the region, and we feel it is something that could yet become an even bigger success story.”

14

Logistics company Primeline Express is expanding its services on the back of rapid growth in the Irish market.

The company, which was formed in 2007, has seen its Daily Express overnight road freight

services between the UK and Ireland prove increasingly popular as internet buying increases.

Express development director Steve Bell said: “We started in 2007 funded by the already wellestablished Primeline Logistics with a very

aggressive business plan; to grow and develop sales in the UK and Irish markets.

“The Irish marketplace is now beginning to embrace Internet buying, consequently we are seeing a big jump in B2C deliveries.”

To cope with the business, the company has invested heavily in technology. All shipments are scanned throughout the delivery process, up to and including final destination, producing a realtime proof of delivery.

The scanning process involves the scanner having GPS-tracking, enabling the company to monitor every stage of the vehicle’s journey.

Steve said “The group philosophy is to continue to evolve. You stand still, you go backwards.”

The company has also set up a daily connection between Warrington and the South East coast, which will give it the capability to offer express services into Europe.

If you would like further information, please visit www.primeline.ie

Company looks forward to a spectacular year

This year looks set to be a fantastic year for Warwickshire-based live events company Roolive.

They are developing relationships with new clients from a range of industries and are excited to be working closer to home with Coventry and Warwickshire businesses.

Owner managers Steve and Becky Rooney have been involved in creating unforgettable experiences for more than 20 years. Their portfolio includes AGMs, sales conferences, product launches, roadshows, black tie award ceremonies, gala dinners, high profile art installations and innovative outdoor public events.

Becky said: “Between us we’ve made leading CEOs into pantomime stars, flown high performance sports cars over an audience's heads, hidden entire fun fairs and installed herds of ornately decorated animal sculptures into cities across the UK. “One of my favourite events was a 50th birthday celebration with a well-known opera singer performing for the birthday girl. It was a total surprise for all the guests and I couldn't help but laugh when they commented to each other what a brilliant tribute act he was. The penny finally dropped when he sang his signature song.”

Steve said: “We’re not a massive company but we know lots of brilliant people and have developed great relationships with quality suppliers across the board.

“We have a range of companies and production crew who we work with and who we know we can trust with even the most bizarre ideas“

Chris Owen, Senior Event Manager at Ricoh Arena has worked with Roolive for a number of years. Chris said: “"We really enjoy working with Roolive and have loved helping them deliver some of the most challenging events we've had.

“A very memorable moment was putting in a huge projection screen that completely engulfed the entire Jaguar Hall from floor to ceiling. It looked and sounded incredible.”

Conference is held

Succession planning ‘can resolve skills gap’

A focus on the ‘good, the bad and the ugly’ of the construction sector provided the opening act for seven speakers addressing delegates at Wright Hassall’s annual construction conference.

The Leamington solicitors’ Head of Construction Phillip Harris’s annual review of developments began proceedings at Wright Hassall’s 11th conference at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon.

More than 80 delegates heard Phillip outline the good things to happen including the growth in economy and the industry’s ability to deploy teams around the country and further afield.

The bad was reflected in the slow-down in the Euro economy and recent stock market concerns, while the ugly referred to ugly buildings of the past, from which the sector was moving away.

Succession planning can help resolve the ongoing skills shortage in the manufacturing and engineering sector, according to an experienced industry consultant.

Caroline Suggett from strategic business development experts ROM Consultancy, based in Warwickshire, is urging Midlands business owners in the manufacturing and engineering industry to invest in succession planning processes in order to overcome the skills shortage and aid future business growth.

Her advice comes at a time when the industry is seeking a further one million skilled workers by 2020 in order to replace those retiring and leaving the industry.

The figure, which was announced recently by EEF Manufacturers’ Organisation, is further compounded by recent reports which declared, despite the recent growth felt across the industry, there is still a shortage of skilled applicants applying for advanced engineering positions.

Warwickshire based Manufacturing company, Automotive Insulations, is an example of a company which actively embraces succession planning as an integral business function.

Managing Director Jim Griffin said “The current skills shortage has the potential to stall growth across the sector, but if businesses invest in upskilling their existing workforce some of the skills gaps can be filled.

“We have been growing the business for a number of years and only recently started to

invest in training programmes for our management teams. We are also embarking on a recruitment drive across the business at all levels and ages to ensure we build a more sustainable skills base.”

Caroline Suggett said: “Often, business leaders fail to invest the time in creating an effective succession plan for their business, thinking that the time can be used more effectively elsewhere. Taking the short time to ensure a comprehensive succession plan is in place can pay dividends in the long term. “ Leaders should use the plan as a tool to upskill and increase the responsibility of its current workforce; whilst recognising potential opportunities for business growth. So when one employee leaves or is promoted another is already sufficiently trained to carry out the role, with minimal disruption, or cost.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Support

Back from the Brink

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Brian Lee’s story is one to inspire any would-be entrepreneur faced with difficult times.

Having experienced several setbacks, he set up TCB Training, which is going from strength to strength.

He said: “After leaving school with no grades, I became a truck driver, which did until the age of forty-eight.

“After many years of deliberation, I decided that I was prepared to take the necessary risks in order to start my own business.

“My new business venture started when I attempted to set up in an international country. I spent £48,000 and worked hard for ten months, only to almost become bankrupt with as little as £7 in the bank as the business was not making any profit.”

Part of his recovery included receiving a £1,300 refund from one of the banks through PPI. He invested that money into a Driver CPC Train the Trainer Course and was focused on building his business and gaining experience.

Brian gained a three year contract with a centre based in Nottingham for full use of

the office and training room. After five months the centre went into liquidation, which left him out of pocket again.

He said: “I swiftly made the decision that I needed to find alternative arrangements and get all courses changed to a new centre. I managed to achieve this in eleven days.

“At the beginning of my new adventure, I started making small amounts of profit, but with this I reinvested the money in training in other various courses.

“Following this, I continued to train people with the profit I made then

proceeded to get trained to teach in 37 different courses. I worked seven days a week looking at advertising and marketing my business in the UK as well as being able to obtain contracts by word of mouth.

“After being unfortunate in having one failed business, three years later I have a profit of £61,000 in the last year and a wellestablished company which is growing every day.”

To prove the point, the company was nominated for the ‘Back from the Brink’ Award in September 2014 in which it was finalists out of seventy organisations.

“I continued to train people with the profit I made then proceeded to get trained to teach in 37 different courses. I worked seven days a week looking at advertising and marketing my business in the UK as well as being able to obtain contracts by word of mouth.”

Training scheme launched Fully funded training is available to all businesses, from start-ups to FTSE100 giants. But the money is only there for a year - so they need to hurry.

Some of the biggest names in Basic Skills provision have

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launched a national campaign, For Business, For Life, to urge employers to make use of free opportunities to upskill their employees in the crucial areas of literacy and numeracy.

Together, as the National Consortium of Colleges and Providers (NCCP), they are reaching out to business leaders in every sector to tell them about the advantages of their employees receiving training in English and maths.

In addition to acquiring more confident and ambitious workers, the vast majority will receive government funding for the training.

More information is available at www.ncc.ac.uk

Our fire safety training programs are also the only courses in the UK designed using the DSAT (Defence System Approach to Training) model, making us the number one choice for those looking for a complete, legally watertight and gold standard service. WFST can offer either on site training or accredited online fire courses from as little as £12.50pp The provision of fire safety has been our forte for the past 20 years and we actively utilise our expertise to deliver high quality solutions to businesses of all sizes throughout the UK. Our fire risk assessors currently carry out assessments on crown property on behalf of the secretary of state so you can be certain that our comprehensive reports will keep you legally compliant.

Workplace Fire & Safety Training Ltd is an ISO 9001 approved company you can trust to deliver a first class and competitively priced service whatever your business’ size or niche.

As a member of the chamber you can benefit from our members only discount of 15% on any service by using the code CHAMBER_FIRE For further information please call 0800 6894999 or email enquiries@wfst.co.uk.

15

Legal & Finance

The effect on business of marriage breakdown

Businesses are suffering as a result of divorce and separation – new research has found.

A report commissioned to mark Family Dispute Resolution Week has found that 11 per cent of people in the West Midlands have either had to leave their job as a result of their own separation, or have seen a colleague move on for the same reason.

The stress of separation also has an impact, with 17 per cent saying they or one of their colleagues has had to take sick leave as a direct result of the anguish of a break up. While 16 per cent of people in the West Midlands said separation and divorce has had a negative impact on productivity where they work.

Yet despite the effect it has on them or their colleagues, just nine per cent of people think their employers offer adequate support for people going through a break up, with 31 per cent saying more needs to be done to provide support in the workplace for those undergoing separation or divorce.

It’s estimated that divorce costs the British economy up to £46bn every year, and the British Chambers of Commerce recently emphasised the relationship between employees’ wellbeing and business productivity.

Tracy Cross, a family mediator and collaborative family lawyer at Coventry law firm Band Hatton Button and a member of family law not-for-profit group Resolution, who commissioned the research, said the report raises awareness of the effect that family breakdowns have on all walks of life.

“It can be easy to forget that sometimes things going on outside of work have a profound effect on what happens within it, as these figures show,” Tracy said.

“With workers across Britain seeing a notable impact on productivity, taking sick leave, or even leaving their jobs altogether, divorce and separation is an issue that bosses need to take seriously and look out for the warning signs.

“There are 7,235 small businesses in Coventry, with less than 50 employees, so losing just one member of staff, even for a short amount of time, can have a huge impact on productivity, and on the other people that work there.

“Divorce is a really stressful thing to go through – but there is a better way to deal with it. Resolution members in Coventry help people manage their separation in a way that minimises conflict, focuses on the needs of any children they might have, and helps them avoid court if they can.

“Divorce and separation affects a huge number of people – 73 per cent of people in the West Midlands have been through a split themselves, or know someone who has.

“So if someone you know at work is separating from their spouse or partner, encourage them to speak to a resolution expert, and take advantage of free information available to them.

Separation is tough, but there is a better way.”

16

Social media minefield calls for clarity from employers Social media can still be a minefield for business, Amrit Samra, a solicitor in the dispute resolution team at Stratfordupon-Avon lawyers Lodders, has warned.

Employers, she cautioned, should draw up a clear social media policy and make sure staff are fully aware of it.

Her comments follow two very different employment tribunal outcomes. In the case of Preece v JD Wetherspoons plc, it was held that a pub manager was fairly dismissed for making derogatory comments about customers on Facebook while at work and in defiance of laid down policy.

It was found that despite the employee’s belief about the privacy of her communications, the activities were in the public domain.

While she had a right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as incorporated under the Human Rights Act 1998, the action taken by the employer was justified because of the reputational damage it could cause.

However, in the case of Whitham v Club 24 Ltd the ruling was that dismissal is likely to be unfair unless the employer can show actual damage, or the serious risk of potential harm, to the business.

Mrs Whitham worked as a team leader at Club 24, which provides customer services for the Volkswagen group.

After a hard day at work, she posted derogatory comments about work colleagues and the company.

When her line manager found out from two of her Facebook “friends” who were also Club 24 employees, he commenced disciplinary proceedings and Mrs Whitham was subsequently dismissed for putting the firm’s reputation at risk in a way which could have harmed its relationship with Volkswagen.

However, the employment tribunal judged the comments to be relatively mild and held that dismissing her fell outside the band of reasonable responses open to the employer in the circumstances.

No mention had been made by Mrs Whitham of Volkswagen, nor was any evidence produced to show that Club 24’s relationship with its important client had been harmed in any way. Club 24 were also criticised for failing to consider demotion as an alternative to dismissal.

Mrs Samra said: “Many employers feel they are tip-toeing over hot coals when it comes to dealing with social media, as these contrasting cases show.

“It can be hard to quantify to what extent an employee is in the wrong and how much damage it might do to the company. In addition a view has to be taken as to whether action against the person concerned would breach their privacy rights.”

She said companies needed to put in place a clear social media policy, make sure the workforce understood it and give examples of behaviour which would be considered gross misconduct.

“Where an incident comes up the investigation into what went on needs to be thorough and the employer should consider carefully whether the particular comments were relatively innocuous and said in the heat of the moment, worthy only of a ticking off or formal warning, or were so harmful to the company’s reputation, and clearly proven to be, that dismissal was justified.

“These are rarely black and white issues and firms must be seen to have acted fairly,” she said.

Award for law firm Willsons Solicitors in Nuneaton were named Oak FM Business of the Year for Hinckley and Nuneaton.

At an awards ceremony at the Hinckley Island Hotel, Willsons were presented with the award in front of more than 450 business people.

Guest speakers on the night were MPs Marcus Jones and David Treddinick, who addressed the audience before the ceremony began.

Lorraine Phimister, a partner at Willsons, collected the award on behalf of the firm, and said “It was an absolutely amazing night and a real honour to receive the award and title of Business of the Year.

“I accepted the award on behalf of all of our staff who are so dedicated and driven by what they do.

“They are an amazing team. We also want to thank the local community of Nuneaton and Hinckley for giving us the honour of representing them through some often really challenging times.”

Feldon Dunsmore Solicitors eyes rapid growth These are exciting times for Commercial Property law firm, Feldon Dunsmore Solicitors.

The new firm was started in January of 2014 by Partners Steven Petty and Paul Harrison. Paul is from Northampton and continues to service many clients in that area.

They have already outgrown their previous offices and have just moved into new premises at Binley Business Park in Coventry.

Steve said: “It has been pretty non-stop since January and it became clear that we were going to need to move to larger premises to accommodate our growth.”

Paul Harrison adds , “We were keen to stay on Binley Business Park as it is a great location and there are a lot of similar-minded businesses here. Moving into a building alongside North Rae Sanders felt like the natural thing to do.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Legal & Finance

On top of the world

Matthew Allen (right) is congratulated by David Baldwin, a partner at Baldwins Accountants

A young accountant from Nuneaton is on top of the world after proving he is an expert on taxation.

Matthew Allen, who works at Baldwins Accountants in Binley Road, Binley, Coventry, beat a staggering 5,000 students from across the globe to secure the highest mark in one of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants’ Professional Level exams.

The 23-year-old achieved 92 per cent in the Advanced Taxation P6 paper which

was among 11 exams Matthew has passed to become a qualified accountant.

The paper involves candidates proving they have the knowledge and skills to give professional advice to businesses and individuals on the impact of major taxes on their financial decisions and situations.

Matthew said: “I was shocked to find out I had received the highest mark in the world in this particular exam.

“It was an exam I enjoyed because first of all it focused on tax but secondly because

it largely centred on advisory work. Good tax planning advice can make an enormous difference and is a ‘value added’ service that our clients really appreciate.

“I joined Baldwins directly from school and they have been really supportive throughout, not only in providing a good study package, based on courses at Kaplan Finance College in Birmingham, but also in ensuring that the level of responsibility and type of work that I have been given has progressed as my technical knowledge developed.

“Taxation is the area of public practice in which I may well decide to specialise. It will, however, probably mean further study and exams in order to become a Chartered Tax Advisor.”

John Edwards, a partner at Baldwins Accountants in Coventry, said that Baldwins is proud of Matthew’s achievement.

He said: “To have achieved the best mark in the world is a fantastic achievement by Matthew and much as we would like to take some credit for it, it is really a mark of Matthew’s aptitude for the subject and a just reward for all the hours of studying that he has already invested in his career.

“As far as I am aware he is the first person in the company’s history to have accomplished the feat but I hope that he will not be the last. I am sure that whatever direction Matthew decides to take his career, he will continue to do it with the dedication and good nature he has shown to date.”

Rebrand announced for Coventry insurance broker

Accountants’ Quiz Night helps charity Warwickshire-based accountancy firm Burgis & Bullock held its 10th annual quiz night to help raise funding for a local charity.

Burgis & Bullock, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, who have offices in Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby, Leicester and London, hosted the night at The Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

The event, which raised £1,200 for WAYC (Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs) in Leamington Spa, attracted more than 250 guests, including a large number of the firm’s clients, local banking and solicitor contacts and prospective clients.

Cath Errington, Fundraising and Marketing Manager at WAYC said: “This is our 60th anniversary, and to celebrate we launched a campaign to create a fund to support young people who are particularly disadvantaged.”

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Coventry-based commercial insurance broker The Oval Group has announced a rebrand following its recent acquisition

by Arthur J. Gallagher.

The Oval branch on Queen Victoria Road has changed to the Arthur J. Gallagher brand, fully aligning the two businesses with a common identity as they seek to build on their combined success, which has created a top three UK commercial retail insurance broker.

The rebrand of Oval follows the transition of Giles Insurance Brokers in Coventry to the Arthur J. Gallagher brand, which took place following the acquisition of Giles by the insurance broker in 2013.

Arthur J. Gallagher in Coventry now employs 28 people across two offices on Queen

Victoria Road and Binley Business Park and specialises in tailored insurance solutions across a range of sectors, with particular specialisms in life science, technology and motor trade.

Arthur J. Gallagher’s £199 million acquisition of Oval in April 2014 marked a transformational deal that radically expanded its UK geographic footprint, bringing into the fold 20 new regional branch locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, taking it into at least 10 new geographic territories and establishing it as the largest commercial insurance broker in several cities.

Peter Matthews, Regional Managing Director for the Midlands, said: “Following the acquisition, our top priority was delivering a successful integration of the two businesses with minimum interruption to our valued customers.

“We’re delighted to announce the completed rebrand of Oval to Arthur J. Gallagher across the UK. For our customers in Coventry, it is very much business as usual.”

Two festive events staged by Coventry and Leamington-based Harrison Beale & Owen (HB&O) have helped to raise over £1,500 for charity.

About 120 people attended a special theatrical performance of critically acclaimed play The Ladykillers at the Priory Theatre in Kenilworth.

And another large group attended Hen Lane Social Club in Beacon Road to watch A Coventry and Warwickshire firm of accountants and financial advisors have HB&O’s tax manager Mark Johnson turn up the tunes and perform with his covers dished out a double dose of entertainment to raise money for charity. band Rewind.

Events raise charity cash

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To BACS or not to BACS Processing your payroll may be one thing, particularly now with Real Time Information (RTI) in force, but making sure your employees actually get paid on time, every time is key to ensuring happy, motivated staff.

But what happens when things go wrong and someone accidently forgets or the person responsible suddenly goes off sick or is holiday and there is no one available to make the payment?

The result usually is unhappy, demotivated employees – not ideal for any business.

Solihull and Coventry based Prime Accountants Group have the solution which will prevent you never being in this situation. As an accredited BACS bureau, Prime can make payments to employees as part of the payroll service provided.

Similarly, Prime can make the necessary payments to HMRC in respect of PAYE contributions too.

Jamie Skelding, Director responsible for Payroll said: “Being an accredited BACS bureau puts us in a unique position – many local firms of our size can process client’s payrolls for them, but then hand the payment side back to the client to deal with.”

“In our view, by offering clients the BACS facility, we are delivering an entire payroll solution rather than just a payroll processing facility.”

“Many clients just want to concentrate on running and growing the business, rather than getting caught up in all the admin – this is just something else we can take care of for them and they are safe in the knowledge that its done and they can forget about it.”

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Accessing client’s bank accounts directly, four senior key personnel at Prime have responsibility for making payments on behalf of clients to employees and suppliers and as a firm, we are subject to regular audits by BACS themselves and stringent controls and processes have to be demonstrated continually.

17

News

Support for school in Kenya

Children from Kenya thank everyone who took part in the On Your Bike challenge at the Ricoh Arena A new secondary school will be opening in Kenya thanks to the pedal power of cyclists in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Ricoh Arena head of sales Angela Perkins was the driving force behind the On Your Bike challenge when cyclists took part in a 24-hour challenge at the award-winning venue to raise funds for the Memusi Foundation.

Teams made-up of cycling clubs, businesses and charities along with individual cyclists cycled 1km each on static bikes to raise £30,000 to help the charity establish the only secondary school within a 200-mile radius of the southern Kenyan town of Magadi.

Angela has returned from another volunteering trip to Kenya where the classrooms are currently being built.

She said: “It is incredible to watch the school come to life thanks to the fantastic efforts of all the cyclists who took part in the challenge.

“The Kenyan government has agreed to build the foundations of the secondary school next door to the Memusi Foundation’s primary school and the money we raised will pay for the equipment needed for the classrooms such as chairs, tables, pens, pencils and stationery along with school uniforms, teachers’ salaries and accommodation for two teachers.

“The school will accommodate 150 students aged from 14 to 17 and it will have electricity. The whole region doesn’t have electricity but it will be installed in the next two months and another first for the school is that they will have computers thanks to our fundraising efforts.”

Angela also held an eye clinic during her nineday visit after receiving basic training from her optician.

“I took 500 pairs of glasses after we raised money among staff at the Ricoh Arena because on my last trip to Kenya I realised that no-one in Magadi had had their eyes tested,” she said.

“We held a Great Memusi Bake Off and myself, business development manager Jenni Ford and sales executive Simon Goroll completed a 10km Halloween sponsored walk around Coventry and one of the chattiest members of staff, sales and events apprentice Shakeela Cumberbatch – no relation to the Sherlock Holmes actor! – collected £143 by keeping quiet for eight hours.

“One man walked 160km to attend and he cried when he put his glasses on because he could see to read the Bible again, and we also had a 100-year-old man come along.

“We gave away 350 pairs of glasses so the eye clinic was a big success.

“I’m going back to Kenya in April to lead a team of volunteers and it will be fascinating to see the secondary school progressing.

“None of this would have been possible without the generous efforts of everyone involved and their hard work is going to make a huge difference to the lives of this generation and current generations of schoolchildren in this particular part Angela Perkins with of Kenya.” one of the children

School leavers chosen from more than 500 applicants Joshua Cound from Redditch and Sam Laverton from Solihull have been selected from over 500 applications by the Brokerbility Academy to undertake a 12-15 month apprenticeship for a career in insurance.

The Brokerbility Academy is an innovative and unique approach to attracting talented people of all ages into the insurance profession, launched by regional independent broking group, Brokerbiity.

Joshua who attended Trinity Sixth Form Centre, and Sam who attended Solihull School, both applied through the Brokerbility Academy website earlier this year. Following successful psychometric tests, they were then invited to attend face to face interviews with local broker Morrison Insurance Solutions who recommended him for the apprenticeship.

Joshua and Sam joined other successful apprentices at the Brokerbility Academy inaugural two day induction event which was held in London.

Trade body makes the move

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18

A national trade body for the sports and play industries is moving its head office to a new location within Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.

The Federation of Sports and Play Associations (FSPA) has been based at Stoneleigh Park since 1994 and is relocating to more modern office space on the estate from where it can better serve its members.

The FSPA will transfer into its new home within the Rural Innovation Centre on Monday, December 1.

The FSPA is a not-for-profit organisation representing and promoting the interests of 15 trade associations and around 500 member companies within the UK sports and play sectors.

It promotes the benefits of physical activity, including health, leadership, productivity and innovation, and runs workshops and think tanks for its members, which have recently been hosted by Nike and Baroness Tanni GreyThompson.

FSPA managing director Jane Montgomery said the move to within a stone’s throw of its home of 20 years meant that all eight staff would remain as part of the team.

“The new location is ideal from the perspective of both our staff and our members,” said Jane.

“We have a light and attractive new office appointed to a high standard and set within the professional environment of the Rural Innovation Centre, with access to in-house conference facilities and ultra-fast broadband.

“As a national federation serving members throughout the UK, the location of our head office is important. Being central and so accessible to major motorway networks was a big factor in us staying within Stoneleigh Park.”

Formed in 1919, the FSPA is regarded as the voice of the nation’s sports and play sectors, and is actively involved in lobbying and liaising with the government and in Europe on issues affecting its members.

From its new base, a main objective for next year will be working towards retaining its UK Trade and Investment ‘Trade Challenge Partner’ status, which will enable it to continue to represent small and medium companies at international exhibitions.

The Rural Innovation Centre is part of the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network (RGN), funded by DEFRA and led by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The building, opened in September 2013, was refurbished by LaSalle Investment Management as part of its on-going revitalisation of Stoneleigh Park.

Liz Burkinshaw, manager of the Rural Innovation Centre, said: “Stoneleigh Park has been home to the FSPA for 20 years and so its move into the Rural Innovation Centre marks an exciting new chapter in its history.

“We are delighted to be able to provide the FSPA with the right environment to accommodate its needs going forward in serving the sports and play industries within the UK.”

Liz Burkinshaw and Jane Montgomery at the Rural Innovation Centre.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Property

New residential centre being created

David Penn, second from the right, at the launch of work at Beada House

A new residential centre for supported living is being created in Warwickshire following a £2.5 million investment.

Altrincham-based HB Villages has purchased Beada House, on Newtown Road, from Warwickshire County Council, which was advised by commercial property agents Shortland Penn + Moore.

HB Villages, which was advised by

Corporate Property Partners, has been successful with a planning application to extend and change the use of the property from offices to residential.

That will mean a total of 16 supported living units will be available for vulnerable adults with enduring mental health needs with a target of August 2015 for the opening date.

Lodders is the driving force behind brace of property deals

The real estate team at Lodders Solicitors has advised on two significant commercial deals.

Communications and infrastructure were key to both deals with both businesses citing proximity to the national motorway network as major factors in their decision to relocate.

Lodders partner Paul Mourton acted for quoted property company St Modwen when specialist car storage company Ecurie Esprit agreed a five year lease on a 10,665 sq ft unit on the Meon Vale Business Park at Stratford-upon-Avon, part of the 470 acre former Ministry of Defence site.

Quality accommodation and access to the M40, M42 and M5 motorways were significant factors in closing the deal.

The story for Hinton Properties is similar with the business making the decision to relocate from Warwick to 1,850 sq ft at Reims House, Bromsgrove, on a five year lease.

Paul Mourton said: “In both cases, ease of access to the motorway network and their advisers was a significant factor in the decision to relocate.”

Hitting the airwaves

A student from Coventry and Warwickshire who first hit the airwaves at the age of 13 is helping enthusiasts worldwide to follow in his tracks of launching their own internet radio stations.

Within just over a year of cofounding an online radio platform called SHOUTca.st, 17-year-old Aaron Gregory has helped to set up 2,500 internet stations.

The platform, which provides streaming services for internet radio stations, has now moved into the Rural Innovation Centre at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire to help expand.

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Aaron is also basing his own internet radio station Hit1FM from there, broadcasting to around 1,000 listeners a day with a target audience of 16 to 24-year-olds in the local area.

Aaron is studying at Warwickshire College and lives in Coventry.

David Penn, managing director of Shortland Penn + Moore, said it was a positive move.

He said: “We were instructed by Warwickshire County Council to find a buyer for Beada House – a well-known office property in Bedworth.

“There was strong interest but HB Villages was very keen to secure the purchase to create a new supported living residential centre.

“We are delighted to assist the council in the sale of the property and all parties are pleased to see that it will be put to such good use.”

Malcolm Brymer, of Corporate Property Partners, said: “It’s a good deal all round and will see a much-needed facility provided for the North of Warwickshire.

“With the extension and the fit-out, HB Villages is looking to have it up and running

by August next year.”

Jonathan Wrigley, managing director of HB Villages, said: “This new development will promote personalisation for vulnerable adults in the Bedworth and Nuneaton area.

It will give them the choice to live where they want to, independently and in a safe environment.”

Phi Lighting lets premium space on Kineton Business Park Phi Lighting has taken a 6,000 sq. ft. warehouse and office building at Brook Business Park marketed by Drake Howard Property and Brown & Co. The Kineton business park has proved to be a popular rural destination for businesses, with high specification buildings near the Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin plants as well as the M40 motorway.

Phi Lighting has been engaged in the design, development, manufacture and sale of highquality, design-led lighting products and systems since 2003.

The move to 9 Brook Business Park is the result of continuing growth for the company.

Investment in ‘commercial property is essential’ Phi Lighting has taken a 6,000 sq. ft. warehouse and office building A leading Midlands legal figure has underlined that continued investment in commercial property sites is essential if the economic recovery in Coventry and Warwickshire is to be long term.

Philip Costigan, senior partner at Band Hatton Button on Warwick Road, used the company’s annual commercial property event to highlight the need for continued growth in Coventry and Warwickshire.

More than 150 people including professionals, service providers and clients descended on St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry for the annual Band Hatton Button Commercial Property Buffet.

Representative from the legal, property, financial and public sectors gathered to discuss the past 12 months and what the future holds for the commercial property market in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Philip Costigan, senior partner at Band Hatton Button on Warwick Road, said: “Our annual buffet was a great success and we were very pleased with the turn-out.

“There is no doubt that we have witnessed a resurgence in the sector over the last 12 months and Coventry and Warwickshire has many reasons to remain optimistic.

“Coventry and Warwickshire was named as the most successful area outside of London in attracting inward investment and there is a real sense of an opportunity for growth.

“There has to be a supply of suitable sites to allow companies to relocate and expand, and that has to be followed by investment. There is a feeling that Coventry and Warwickshire is very much on the up because of number of factors - but that can change if investment stalls.”

Headquarters’ keys handed over

Keys to the new £5 million headquarters at Stoneleigh Park of a national organisation for farmers and growers have been handed over.

The home for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) brings its six divisions, previously housed in three separate buildings on the Warwickshire estate, under one roof for the first time.

LaSalle Investment Management, which manages the Stoneleigh Park estate, created the landmark building for leasing to AHDB, which employs 325 staff on site.

The 35,000 sq ft development marks a significant step in LaSalle’s transformation of Stoneleigh Park into a centre of agricultural excellence and in AHDB’s continuing drive to be a more effective organisation.

AHDB is a statutory levy body, funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain, which focuses on improving the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of agriculture and horticulture sectors.

The two-storey building has been designed to reflect AHDB’s needs and complement the rural setting with the use of local and natural materials.

Work started in May 2013 on the first major new building to be constructed on Stoneleigh Park in a decade.

AHDB Chief Executive Tom Taylor has overseen the project which has been completed on schedule, and ahead of him moving on from the organisation at the end of November.

He said: “The building makes a real statement and will enable a modern way of working with colleagues from the same functions, rather than the same divisions, seated together in an open plan environment.

“It will bring a completely different culture to the organisation with more cross sector working which will make AHDB more effective in delivering greater benefits to its levy payers.”

Each wing of the building is colour themed on a season to reflect the weather dependence of the sectors served by AHDB. Images of farm animals, crops and plants, and industry-related quotations decorate the work spaces.

The open plan work spaces are complemented by team and meeting rooms, and breakout areas with booth seating. There is also a boardroom, open plan reception featuring a living birch screen, library and mezzanine dining area.

The construction of the building was completed in the spring and the internal fit-out was undertaken by Overbury during the summer under the direction of architects Consarc.

Chris Mitchell, Associate Director at LaSalle Investment Management, said: “AHDB is a prestigious public sector occupier linking many arms of the agricultural industry. They are one of the anchors of Stoneleigh Park and we are proud to be able to accommodate them in an excellent new building that perfectly fits the way they want to work, but is also flexible enough to adapt to future change.

“For LaSalle this is one of the most substantial steps yet in building out a 15-year masterplan that will turn Stoneleigh Park into an internationally-renowned agricultural science park and centre of excellence."

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Speeding up Coventry’s growth Greg Mesch may have learned much of what he knows building up a string of businesses over three decades in business – but the fundamentals underpinning all that success came from a different and a more homely source.

“ I had no plans to be entrepreneurial at all, in fact I probably saw myself working for IBM but I got involved in computers in High School. There was a Teletype machine in school and I can remember asking the teacher what it was.”

Mesch was the youngest of five boys, all competitive and all sporty.

“To be honest that probably says more about who I have turned out to be than anything else,” he says.

“Growing up in Colorado we were very sporty and always outside. As the youngest, I became very accustomed to being beaten up and you had to get up and push forward.

“The more you were told you couldn’t do something, the more you wanted to prove that you could. I am pretty much still of that way of thinking.”

A career at the forefront of telecommunications has seen him work in the States, Ireland, Holland and the UK. His latest venture - CityFibre - is making big waves in the market and is the company behind the Coventry CORE, the pure fibre network which will make Coventry one of the best digitally connected cities in the UK. It is building on a fibre network installed by Coventry City Council, by rolling it out to business across the city and giving them gigabit connection speeds up to one hundred times faster than the UK’s average.

Coventry is not alone – CityFibre now operates seven large metropolitan fibre networks addressing more than 2 million people and 57,000 businesses.

In November, it announced a deal with EE and Three UK to provide connections to mobile masts owned by the two network operators.

The deal will allow those operators to improve network performance capabilities as well as offering long term cost efficiency.

And all this from a company just celebrating its fourth anniversary.

Telecoms, and especially fibre, might seem a new industry, but Mesch touched his toe into the sector while still at school – not that he knew where it would lead.

He said: “I had no plans to be entrepreneurial at all, in fact I probably saw myself working for IBM but I got involved in computers in High School.

There was a Teletype machine in school and I can remember asking the teacher what it was.

“You could type basic code on it and from nowhere I became infatuated and that was basically it, I was off and running.

Working Day Greg Mesch starts the day by walking his children to school in North London before heading to the CityFibre head offices in Covent Garden for 8.30am.

“If you asked me my profession, I would say salesman. I do like selling services which can solve problems as well as building the team and the business.

That roughly sums up what I do.

“I have found in my time in Europe that the word ‘salesman’ has more negative

20

connotations than it does in the US, but most of us are selling something.”

“Finance is a key area for me.

I have a Masters in finance so I have responsibility for the raising of the finance. We have raised nearly £50 million for CityFibre so far.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Greg Mesch “But in the universities then there were no standalone computer science degrees, you had to do a maths degree with a minor in computer science.

I struggled through the maths and then took every computer science course I could. I barely passed maths but did well in the computer courses.”

He worked in the first Apple store to the west of the Mississippi, and began to programme products for customers who had a specific need.

That talent was spotted by a customer who asked if he could design and programme a computer to monitor oil and gas wells.

“With all the naivety and confidence of youth, I said of ‘of course I can’.

He introduced me to four guys who needed that service and within a fortnight I had quit my job and I joined them.”

The firm was funded by a regional oil company who then sold it on to another firm to form its communications and controls division.

While the computers worked well, extracting the data out of the oilfields was a problem which needed solving.

The solution was Mesch’s next firm, Nova-Net Communications.

Like many young firms in new industries it needed some serious funding, and that exposed Mesch, then still only 26, to the world of venture capital. He raised $12 million which allowed Nova-Net to build a satellite communication which allowed real time data.

But the big breakthrough was the fact that Mesch managed to obtain a by-pass licence from the giant AT&T which dominated the market. It was that, as much as the technology, that allowed Mesch to sell the firm for $32 million after five years and also spread his reputation across this side of the Atlantic.

Leading Irish businessman Denis O’Brien had realised the potential of telecommunications as markets deregulated but needed licences to make his business, Esat, a major

player. Mesch was the man who could get them.

“The initial agreement was for me to work for 30 days so I grabbed by golf clubs and off I went,” he said. “I left five years later with some great experiences and an Irish wife.”

The company also transformed the already wealthy O’Brien into a billionaire when it was sold.

That partnership scored again when Mesch invested with O’Brien in Dutchbased Versatel which built local access fibre works in three countries.

It also grew through acquisition and after four years it was sold for $2 billion.

He returned to the US working in venture capital and company turnaround, but it was not really where his heart lay.

“I spent five years doing that but I did not really find it much fun. They were not my companies, they were not founded on a single vision and you did not spend time building up a team.

“I enjoy that aspect of a business.

I love creating a plan and a team and building them up.”

His last stop of that phase of his career was with Eunetworks, an international fibre network operator.

Reinvigorating his interest in and evangelism of digital connectivity to underpin economic growth, he seized an opportunity to set up his own infrastructure business – CityFibre focusing on the UK’s second tier cities.

“We knew that networks had not been built out in the second tier UK cities because of the timing of the dotcom collapse. It was largely devoid of fibre partly because of that timing and partly because of the way the utility companies were liberalised.

“Aberdeen, for example, did not have a cable network. It is one of the UK’s wealthiest cities which produces 27 per cent of Scotland’s GDP, and there was not a network outside the monopoly provider.

“CityFibre builds networks which

address all a city’s digital needs. We don’t just build for business, we connect the public sector, the schools, hospitals, mobile sites, and even the traffic lights!.

“In Coventry, the Council had installed the network to serve their needs but we have repurposed it and are expanding its reach. There is 180km of network in the city, which is phenomenal.

“That dense a network presents great opportunities, because we are within 200m of probably 80 to 90 per cent of all businesses in the city.

“What the council did was fantastic – but the way the market is in the UK, the only way to do it was to do it themselves, which says a lot. There was a need and the city pushed ahead,

but what we could bring was allowing it to fulfil its potential and at the same time allow businesses to take a massive step forward.

“It can be argued that the second tier cities need better communications than London because they need to compete. We are delivering that and I think it is critical to the UK economy.

“Through our fibre network, the city and the businesses community will derive real competitive advantage.

“Data will only keep growing. Just look at business needs and mobile needs, they have grown at a phenomenal rate. That growth will continue and the Coventry CORE will allow businesses to future proof themselves.”

Biography: Greg Mesch Birthplace: Denver School: Thomas Jefferson High School University: University of Colorado, University of Denver Married: To Niamh.

Children: Three, two girls and a boy. Born in Ireland, Holland and the US!

Hobbies:

Favourite book: Film: Car:

Gadget:

Sports, especially skiing and road cycling Atlas Shrugged Saving Private Ryan Volvo estate – for children and sports equipment The bike computer

“Like many young firms in new industries it needed some serious funding, and that exposed Mesch, then still only 26, to the world of venture capital. He raised $12 million which allowed Nova-Net to build a satellite communication which allowed real time data.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Business Debate

‘Be careful what you wish for’ in devolution debate

Pictured (left to right): Jonathan Browning, Mark Pawsey, Patrick Burns, Larry Coltman, Louise Bennett

Businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire have been urged to think carefully about what outcomes they want from devolved powers from central Government before nailing their colours to any geographical mast.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce organised a ‘Big Business Debate’ at the Ricoh Arena to discuss the new ‘devolved’ landscape that is being pushed by Westminster.

The event was hosted by BBC Political Editor for the Midlands Patrick Burns and included Chamber chief executive Louise Bennett, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Jonathan Browning, MP Mark Pawsey and businessman Larry Coltman on the panel.

More than 100 business people from across Coventry and Warwickshire attended with representation from local authorities around the region.

Patrick Burns set the background of the debate after Louise Bennett opened the event by saying whatever the outcome, business should always have a voice.

Jonathon Browning

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Louise Bennett

She said: “There are lots of questions and we must ask if Coventry and Warwickshire is strong enough to be one of the economic powerhouses being talked about by central Government?

“The statistics suggest that, as a region, we don’t punch our weight when it comes to leveraging in funding but does that mean we join other areas? Does it mean we make a knee-jerk decision before the next election?

“The majority of businesses will say that they want more decisions made locally but we have to work out who will be making the decisions and where business will have a voice – because that will be vital. “The strategy for what this area needs to grow must be set out before the structure that delivers it is decided but we want to take both Coventry and Warwickshire with us.

“What are the enablers that will get the economy moving? For example, skills, infrastructure and transport – we need to know the best way to draw down investment into these areas.”

Points from the floor centred round a range of issues from speed of decisionmaking, the equality of any regional partnerships and the wider transport network.

A show of hands indicated, anecdotally, that businesses in the area would be willing to work within a larger ‘powerhouse’ combined authority if it helped to meet wider economic needs.

Mark Pawsey said: “These are difficult decisions but Combined Authorities across the country have got to come together and put a case to Government on how they intend to succeed. This isn’t party political as there is agreement on this from all the main parties.

“Some relationships between authorities may not yet be in place but they will have to be bullet proof before the Government is willing to devolve powers and the process really must begin now. It’s important to take the emotion out of it and see that the aim of the game is growth for this region.”

Larry Coltman added: “There is a lot of talk about Greater Manchester but they already had a regional identity before this debate and that is a hurdle we must get over if Combined Authorities are to work here – or elsewhere in the country.

“What we really need to know is what money will we get for this area and what will we spend it on? The old West Midlands Council got a lot of bad press but it actually did a lot of good around Birmingham Airport and other areas of infrastructure.

“There is a lot to think about because not only is there the West Midlands to consider – Coventry and Warwickshire is in the perfect place to connect to the South East.”

Jonathan Browning emphasised the message that the debate should not distract from delivering on-going projects.

He said: “There are too many open questions and not enough specifics on the alternatives, so it is impossible for business to make any firm choices until that becomes clearer.

“However, it is also key that business makes its views known, so that an educated and representative choice can be made at the right time.

“This is clearly a major move but we must not fall into the trap of debating the hypothetical future possibilities for months and years at the expense of our current priorities.

“Uncertainly is the enemy of investment, so this debate must not be allowed to get in the way of continued growth.”

Patrick Burns

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Football club looks to work with business community

Peter Deeley (left) with Steve Waggott

Coventry City chief executive Steve Waggott has told the region’s business community he will ‘not let them down’ if they back the club’s drive for success.

Steve was invited to speak to a group of businesses at the offices of the Deeley Group in the city and presented his vision for the club as part of the local community.

The Sky Blues’ CEO, who won national praise for the community project he installed during his time at Charlton Athletic, wants to implement a similar model across Coventry and Warwickshire.

That includes the club not only playing an active role in football and coaching but also in education, social inclusion, health and fitness as well as business.

Charity funding boost for new healthy heart programme in Coventry A new healthy lifestyle initiative being run by Coventry University in collaboration with a women’s centre in the city has received a boost with news of major funding from a national charity.

The Healthy Heart programme, jointly administered by University researchers and FWT – A Centre for Women (Foleshill Women’s Training Ltd), aims to improve the health of female Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups in the Foleshill area of Coventry and has just been awarded almost £10,000 from Heart Research UK. The funding will support 30 women on three eight-week healthy heart programmes running consecutively at FWT (10 women on each course), the first of which started on Thursday 30 October.

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Steve said that the club had been too inward facing for too long and it was time to reach out to the community.

He said: “It’s my view that the football club should be at the heart of the community and a successful football club can bring huge benefits to the city – both socially and economically.

“Swansea City were a kick of a football away from dropping out of the Football League – they are now established in the Premier League and their value to the city in terms of the additional business their success brings is estimated at £50million a year.

“I understand the issues that have surrounded the club and there is no doubt

that the past 18 months have been difficult but I think this goes before that – I think the club has been too inward facing at times and has had different strands all working towards the same goal but not under one umbrella.

“We are starting to change that and we are re-engaging with everyone and the business community is key to that. There is a great deal that we want to do and it is going to require a lot of hard work but I think if people look at my track record, they will see that I will not rest until we get there.

“I want businesses and the whole community of Coventry and Warwickshire to know that if they support me on this, I will not let them down.”

Steve said he believed the club would be at the Ricoh Arena for the next four to five years but underlined the need, under rules governing how much football clubs can spend on players, for the club to generate revenue 365 days a year from its stadium.

“The simplest way of looking at it is that I can give 60p in every £1 we generate to Steven Pressley to put on the pitch,” he said.

“So we have to maximise our revenue streams in order to put the best team on the pitch because the success of the first team in 90 minutes on a Saturday shapes the 90 hours of work we do the following week.”

Peter Deeley, of the Deeley Group, said it had proved to be a worthwhile event.

He said: “I think everyone in the room appreciated Steve’s honesty and openness.

As businesses, we recognise that there have been issues around the football club but I also see the power of good football can do for a community and for its youngsters and we have to play a part in that.”

Apprentice of the year is named A young Coventry lifeguard is celebrating after being named Apprentice of the Year by her former college.

Louise Kingsbeer received the title after completing a one-year apprenticeship programme with Coventry Sports Foundation at the Alan Higgs Centre on Allard Way. The 20-year-old, who has always had a keen interest in sport, completed an NVQ Active IQ level two qualification in Operational Services where she was responsible for helping to support the dayto-day running of the centre.

Louise impressed the foundation so much that they offered her a full-time position at the Alan Higgs centre two months before she was set to complete her placement.

She was nominated for Apprentice of the Year by her former tutors at Henley College Coventry on Henley Road and overcame strong competition from more than 200 hopefuls.

Fee Smith, centre manager at Centre AT7 on Bell Green Road, said Louise demonstrated great aptitude to the role.

Chris Phillips, an NVQ sports assessor at Henley College Coventry, supported Louise throughout her placement.

(From left to right) Louise Kingsbeer with Fee Smith (Coventry Sports Foundation) and Chris Phillips (Henley College Coventry)

“Apprentice of the Year is awarded every year to a student who has achieved great results and excelled whilst undertaking a placement,” he said.

To find out more information about apprenticeship opportunities with Coventry Sports Foundation please contact Laura Williams ljwilliams@covsf.com or call 02476 308250

Coventry SME wins regional funding to develop automotive systems A Coventry company has been awarded funding from an initiative managed by Birmingham City Council.

Induction Technology Group, who design and manufacture air filter systems for race and road cars, have been granted funding through the Council’s Business Innovation Programme (BIP), which promotes innovation across the West Midlands by helping SMEs to grow through investment and job creation.

Funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and managed by Birmingham City Council, the £8.7m programme offers match-funded grants of up to £30,000 to SMEs employing up to 249 staff throughout Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as the wider region including Staffordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire and the West Midlands.

The grant is aimed at B2B companies who are involved in environment and energy technologies, rail, IT and digital, digital media, medical technologies, aerospace, business and professional services, building technologies, food and drink, advanced materials and manufacturing.

Induction Technology Group is using its funding to invest in new equipment to manufacture advanced plastic injectionmoulded air boxes for the automotive industry, a project which will revolutionise the firm’s product portfolio and strengthen their global position in the marketplace.

The firm was founded in 1986 and employs 14 full-time and four part-time staff at its self-built premises in Siskin Drive. It operates around the world, supplying 45 distributors in 29 global territories, as well as managing 200 UK accounts.

Jonathan Douglas, Managing Director at Induction Technology Group, said: “We’re thrilled to have been awarded this funding as it is a vital component in our ongoing growth and global success.”

Birmingham City Council is now urging other SMEs across Coventry and Warwickshire from eligible cluster groups to apply for funding before February 2015. For more information, visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/bip

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Area Focus: Coventry

Are you properly covered?

When it comes to business insurance, making sure you’re adequately covered for is not always as straightforward as many people think. Without regular policy reviews, any shortfalls are often only identified when a claim is made.

Having the right cover doesn’t just protect you from legal claims, it can make the difference between your business being able to cope with a disaster or being forced to close.

Whether you’re taking out business insurance for the first time, or you already have insurance in place, a thorough risk assessment is recommended. Working with an assessor who offers a face-to-face, personal service is imperative to ensuring that you get the right level of cover. They need to properly understand your business if they’re going to be able to spot all of the potential risks.

Business insurance isn’t just about public liability or professional indemnity policies either. From risk assessment and strategy and disaster planning to dispute resolution and alternative risk transfer, there are many ways you can protect yourself and your business At The Wigley Group, identifying and protecting our customers against risk is our primary goal. Our in-house expert, ACII Chartered Insurance Practitioner, Maurice Adams, works closely with our insurance partners, Thompson & Co. By getting to know your business in-depth, drawing on years of experience and knowledge, we spot the risks that a broker giving you a quote over the phone couldn’t begin to imagine.

For more information about how The Wigley Group can help you with your business insurance needs, call Maurice Adams on 02476 224 600. www.thewigleygroup.com.

Company celebrates their 50th anniversary A leading Coventry property and risk management firm went back to its roots to celebrate 50 years in business.

The Wigley Group marked the major milestone by hosting a champagne buffet at its headquarters at The Cobalt Centre on Middlemarch Business Park.

Guests were greeted by a 1952 Ferguson tractor - a tribute to the firm’s origins as an agricultural plant hire company.

The Wigley Group, which was established

by John Wigley in 1964, has since evolved to offer a wide range of property services including developing, owning, insuring, maintaining and managing commercial properties across the region.

Rob Wigley and James Davies, who are now at the helm of the family business, said they are proud of the firm’s longstanding history and are already looking ahead to the next 50 years.

Rob said: “It is a great achievement for us to be able to celebrate our 50th anniversary. It was all started by my dad who was a farmer in Barby. He began to hire out his agricultural equipment and then this developed into a larger plant hire business.

“The company then moved into road building and civil work which has naturally evolved over time with the firm expanding its portfolio to offer a comprehensive commercial property package.

“The growth and development of the company has very much been steered by the hard work and dedication of the Wigley Group team.

“We pride ourselves on adhering to three key principles hard work, loyalty and trust.

We have a strong reputation for providing high-quality services and always look to establish strong relationships with everyone we work with.

“As a group, we continue to develop and

expand both our portfolio and team. We now own several industrial estates - mostly in Coventry - and we are currently creating a new trade park alongside the A444 in the north of the city. We also recently bought the Aston Expressway Business Park in Birmingham.

“We have high hopes for the future and we are already making plans for the next 50 years with some exciting projects and ventures in the pipeline.”

(From left to right) Rob Wigley (The Wigley Group) with Peter Burns (President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce) and James Davies (The Wigley Group)

Leigh Christou Accountants Celebrate Team Expansion

From left to right they are: Concepcion Alfeiran, Alan Robinson, Ruth McCutchion and Sundeep Sangha

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Coventry based Leigh Christou Chartered Certified Accountants are pleased to announce they have taken on four new members of staff as they looks to expand and continually improve the services they offer to clients.

Joining the firm are Alan Robinson, Ruth McCutchion, Sundeep Sangha and Concepcion Alfeiran.

33 year-old Ruth, a qualified Chartered Certified Accountant, joins the firm after 14 years in practice bringing a wealth of experience in statutory and specialist audits as well as tax,

working with a variety of clients, including individuals and corporate clients.

Alan has a 32 year career in accountancy having started in the profession in 1982, he brings with him extensive practice background and works with a variety of corporate clients and specialist company secretarial areas.

20 year-old graduate trainee Sundeep joins the firm after graduating from the University of Wolverhampton in 2014 with a first class honors degree in accounting and finance and is currently studying for his ACCA qualification.

Concepcion joins us from a local practice and brings with her a very wide range of experience covering all aspects of accounting, tax, payroll and vat and is also studying for her ACCA qualification.

Chris Christou Senior partner at Leigh Christou, said: “We are pleased to welcome Alan, Ruth, Sundeep and Concepcion to the firm who will bring a depth of skills and expertise. The further additions to the team are a confirmation of our commitment to offer our clients the very best possible advice and levels of service, as the practice continues to expand’’

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Inspirational fundraiser receives posthumous honorary degree Stephen Sutton MBE, the teenager who raised £5 million for the Teenage Cancer Trust after a four-year battle with cancer, has been posthumously awarded an honorary degree by Coventry University.

The Burntwood-born charity activist, who died in May, received an honorary doctorate of science in recognition of his outstanding contribution to highlighting the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer.

In September, the Teenage Cancer Trust announced that £1.2 million from the funds Stephen raised will be invested to support vital research and – in recognition of his ambition to pursue a medical career – to create 50 scholarships in Stephen’s name for professionals to undertake training on Coventry University’s postgraduate certificate in Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Care.

Ken Loach

Stephen’s honorary degree was awarded in a ceremony at Coventry Cathedral, in the same week that film director Ken Loach and Archbishop of Canterbury the Very Revd Justin Welby also received honorary doctorates.

Nuneaton-born Ken Loach is globally renowned for his gritty, hard-hitting style of cinema which explores class society in the UK and received an honorary doctorate of arts in recognition of his contribution to the British film industry.

Archbishop Welby was recognised for his longstanding commitment to peace and reconciliation, particularly the strong collaborations developed with African churches to support them in dealing with inter-ethnic violence.

Justin King CBE, former CEO of Sainsbury’s, Jimmy Doherty, TV farmer and former Coventry PhD student, and Siobhan Davies CBE, renowned dance choreographer, also received honorary degrees.

The awards were be made alongside around 7,000 graduands of Coventry University.

John Latham, vice-chancellor of Coventry University, said: “Our honorary graduates have all excelled in or contributed to their respective fields in a way that deserves the utmost respect and admiration so it is a pleasure to be commending them alongside our own graduands. I hope our students will be inspired by the passion and perseverance of these individuals as they embark on their own careers.

Stephen Sutton

“Stephen’s commendation is particularly fitting, not only in light of his wish to pursue a medical career, but also coming soon after the Teenage Cancer Trust announced it would be using part of the money he raised to fund scholarships for professionals to train at Coventry University. We’re delighted to be supporting Stephen’s legacy in this way.”

Stephen’s mother, Jane Sutton, said: “It was a wonderful surprise when I heard the news about the posthumous honorary degree. To be awarded an honorary doctorate of science is especially fitting for Stephen as he had planned to go to university to study medicine.

“He decided he wanted to be a doctor from the moment he started to spend time in hospital when he was 15. He really wanted to help others and make a difference and I know he was capable of achieving whatever he set out to do.

“Although it was not how he originally intended, he still made that difference.

His accomplishments have benefited humanity and his legacy will help others now and in the future. I feel incredibly proud that Stephen's achievements are to be recognised in this way by Coventry University and I know he would feel the same about the honorary degree and the scholarships that have been set up in his name.”

App points the way to a great night out

Two former Coventry University students have launched a free app to help friends plan their night out in the city and provide venues with the most effective platform to showcase their events and promotions.

Ben Tayton and Alex Dresch have created “Onitt” to highlight the best events, drinks deals and promotions taking place at venues across Coventry by downloading the information from the constantly updated app.

The 23-year-olds, who graduated in product design in 2013, received a £6,000 Business Innovation grant which was secured with help from the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub to turn their business idea into reality.

Since the app was unveiled in September, it has had 1,000 users and plans are already underway to add new features by the end of the year.

Ben said the idea behind the Onitt app was to have all the information in one place for mates to plan a night out in the city.

“We’re working directly with venues which allows us to provide details of events and deals so there is everything from which artists and DJs are playing to drinks and food offers,” he said.

“We like to think of it as the modern equivalent of giving out flyers on the street and there has been a great deal of interest from venues since they are able to upload their own information.

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“With this initial version we decided to concentrate on Coventry but in the future we’re looking at major university cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Cardiff and Newcastle.”

Alex said the Business Innovation grant had helped pay for outsourcing the backend coding and he and Ben had concentrated on the design of the app.

He said: “We are working on this full-time now and we're really pleased with the response we've had from users and venues.

“The most difficult aspect so far was coming up with the name. It took us five months!

We thought it would be easy but we rejected lots of ideas before we took inspiration from one of our mates who uses the phrase ‘Are you on it?!’ and ‘Let's get on it’ before he goes on a night out.

“This app is the beginning since it’s the most basic variation. We want to further develop the app to make it slicker and more interactive for our users in the future.

“It’s the first time we have run a business and the advice, support and grant we have had from the Growth Hub has been extremely useful.”

Craig Humphrey, managing director of the Growth Hub, said grants of between £2,500 and £5,000 were available to SMEs across Coventry and Warwickshire.

He said: “Grants are available to help SMEs, like Ben and Alex, with a range of support from developing new products, processes or services to technical consultancy.

“The application process is quick and simple and we are here to provide advice and support every step of the way.

“The Onitt app is a great way for friends to discover all the best events, promotions and deals in the city.”

The Onitt app can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

25

Area Focus: Coventry

Company accelerates growth

From brink to boom

A Coventry aerospace company – described as an engineer’s paradise – that was rescued from the brink two years ago is now jetting towards growth.

CFS Aero, which is based within a stone’s throw of Coventry Airport, was bought from liquidators by business partners Jon Freedman and David Newhouse in 2012.

The 25-year-old firm was struggling with its business model of refurbishing and overhauling engines and propellers on a range of aircraft, predominantly on behalf of flying enthusiasts.

But after funding through AMSCI (Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative) to the tune of almost £1million and assistance from the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, CFS Aero is expecting to double staff numbers from 30 to 70 over the next two to three years by offering new products and services to open up a wider customer base.

The company bringing ultra-fast internet speeds to businesses in Coventry is accelerating its own growth in the city.

CityFibre, the company bringing the gigabit speed Coventry CORE network to Coventry, has taken on an office in the heart of the city centre.

The move into The Quadrant, Warwick Road, also accommodates two key additions to the Coventry CORE team as it gears up for the first businesses in the city to connect to the network.

Chris Bryan has been appointed network planner and will be joined by Arran Payne in the role of project supervisor.

City development manager Andrew Starnes, who heads up the Coventry CORE team, said the move and the appointments were a significant step in the development of the network.

“We are putting down roots in the heart of the city centre and strengthening our team as we prepare for the Coventry CORE network to start going live to the city’s business community,” he said.

More than 300 businesses have so far registered their interest in connecting to Coventry CORE, which will enable internet speeds up to 100 times faster than the UK average and transform the city into one of the most digitally advanced locations in the world.

Companies can register their no-obligation interest at www.coventrycore.com

University’s ‘Edible Campus’ gets special recognition from national scheme

Jon and David bought the firm with a plan of stripping the assets and moving it elsewhere but they fell in love with what they found.

The AMSCI funding has helped to pay for the internal construction work needed for CFS Aero to move into a production line of remanufacturing turbine engines for aircraft.

It is also helping to fund an extensive training programme for the company that is committed to bringing through the next generation of engineers as apprentices.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub has also assisted the company in taking on two graduates from Coventry University and has helped it to join the Coventry and Warwickshire Aerospace Forum (CWAF), which is expanding the firm’s horizons.

26

Top tips for getting the best results from social media In this day and age every business and consumer alike wants to or already is using social media. But do you really know how to get the best results from social media for your business? Here are five top tips to get you started: •

Direct your traffic

Your social media activity needs to have objectives just like any other marketing activity. Having more likes and followers than a competitor does not add any value if those connections are not actually interacting with you. Regularly direct people to your company website or blog and monitor the traffic.

Jon said: “The company has always had highly skilled staff and they were undertaking extremely technical work but the problem was there was very little margin in the previous business model and so it fell on hard times.

“It couldn’t survive because it was charging less per hour than a car mechanic would and yet the quality checks and paper work that went with it was probably tenfold.”

(Left to right): Andrew Starnes, Chris Bryan and Brett Marshall, from the Coventry CORE team, at The Quadrant

•

Listen to your audience

Think about what your audience wants to hear and not just what you want to say on social media. Your consumers are interested in your field, so be a valuable and interesting source for them by listening and responding to the feedback you are receiving.

•

A recently-created garden space at Coventry University’s city centre campus has received a Special Award for Innovation from the Green Flag Award Scheme, which is run by leading environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

The university’s ‘Edible Campus’ is one of just nine inspirational parks and green areas in the UK - and the only university space - to achieve the award, which is presented to Green Flag Award or Community Award winning sites that show that they have made changes which have brought outstanding benefits to both their site and the local community.

The Edible Campus was created to make use of an underused part of the university grounds, which now boasts nectar rich plants as well as recognisable and less common vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers.

Following the Green Flag Award judges visit to the Edible Campus, Stephen Beasley, the University’s

Grounds and Distribution manager, said: “We’re delighted to see our ‘Edible Campus’ being recognised nationally by the Green Flag Award Scheme.

“While we work hard to ensure that we have the best learning facilities at our university we also believe it’s important to create a pleasant environment for all those who come here. That was the thinking was behind the creation of our Edible Campus and we’re really pleased to see that it’s proved popular with students, staff and visitors alike.”

Paul Todd, Green Flag Award Scheme manager said: “Congratulations to everyone involved in the Edible Campus, a worthy winner of the Special Innovation Award.

“Research has proved that quality parks and green spaces play a vital role within their local communities.

Coventry University’s Edible Campus is a perfect example of how our green spaces can positively contribute to the local environment and bring the community together.”

Make a plan

Highlight the goals you want to achieve through your social media marketing. The best way to start planning is setting targets. For example, you may aim to create two Twitter posts per day and engage with at least two companies per day.

•

Leave room for spontaneity

As much as we advise being organised, remember there may be breaking or time sensitive news that would be of interest to your followers. Monitor what conversations are happening the you could get involved in.

•

Measurement

An invaluable tip is to measure the impact of your social media content by examining analytics. This can identify popular content, the best times to post and much more. This shows how your social media is performing and what you are getting out of it, so you can plan the next step.

Author: Rosie Evans, Rev Marketing, www.rev.marketing.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Mid Warks

Marco Pierre White to open restaurant

The Godfather of modern cooking, Marco Pierre White, is to open a restaurant in Kenilworth.

Located in the Holiday Inn, KenilworthWarwick on Abbey End, the new restaurant will be a Marco’s New York Italian. With 114 covers, the venue is expected to open in March and will serve Marco’s take on American-Italian food.

News on the restaurant’s opening follows a deal between Black & White Franchising and the hotel’s owner, Khanna Enterprises (Kenilworth) Limited which will run the new restaurant under a franchise agreement.

Work is now under way to convert the existing restaurant and bar areas.

Visitors will be able to choose from a selection of fresh pastas, steaks, seafood, burgers and handmade pizzas while the restaurant will replicate the hustle and bustle of a classic New York Italian restaurant, appealing to those looking for a relaxed, fun place to eat that has the added attraction of having the provenance of Marco Pierre White.

David Myskow, General Manager at the hotel said: “This announcement is great news and will strengthen the appeal of the hotel.

“The hotel is well located for those visiting the NEC or travelling from Birmingham International Airport. Close proximity to Warwick, Coventry, Leamington, and Stratford

upon Avon also makes the venue ideal for business travellers and tourists visiting the area.

“The presence of a Marco Pierre White restaurant will bring an exciting vibe to the hotel and will sit well with those looking to do business in a relaxed setting as well as visitors taking in the many attractions that are on our doorstep.”

Black and White Franchising has partnered with Marco Pierre White to roll out two of his restaurant brands: Steakhouse Bar & Grill and Marco’s New York Italian.

OwnerandChairman,NickTaplin,commented onthisnewdeal:“Theideabehindthisrestaurant is to create an environment where people can sit andenjoytheirlife,wheredinerscanhaveagood timeandenjoytraditionalItalianfavouritesatany time of the day.

“This new restaurant is all about providing a place where people can go for some good, wholesome food and a nice bottle of wine in a relaxed, affordable and friendly setting.

Claim a free Document Management Consultation worth more than £300 Box-it Central is offering companies in Coventry and Warwickshire a free Document Management Consultation worth up to £325.

The company based near Leamington Spa is the local branch of the awardwinning Box-it UK group of document management specialists providing physical, digital and hybrid solutions.

onsite for many businesses represents dead space. Then, there is the problem of integrating management of physical and digital archives. Finding the right solution is not always easy, and without good advice, can be a costly mistake.

Consultations consist of a free evaluation of a company’s current document management and recommendations for improved processes for compliance and general business/archiving efficiencies. Where appropriate, Box-it will offer free trials and even pilot schemes.

“While offering physical archive storage, we also have an increasing demand for our digitisation service. We can scan on demand, or take on volume scanning projects where we scan to disks enabling companies to self-manage electronic archives. We also offer digital and hybrid document management delivered through our cloud based Omnidox platform, securely hosted in the UK, with powerful search, retrieval and reporting functionality.”

Sales Director Emlyn Evans of Box-it Central said: “Storing paper archives

For further information visit www.boxit-central.co.uk

Seeking breakthrough growth?

Every hour of every day there are important decisions to be made and opportunities to explore that make the best of a company’s people and its commercial prospects. Those who are capable of making the right calls, for the right reasons, will see their business thrive - and enjoy the ride. And those who don’t very probably won’t.

Business Doctors do things differently, turning the focus back firmly on you, the leader in the hot seat. If they can truly help you, they know the business will thrive. It’s a belief and principle that guided Matthew Levington and Rod Davies when they founded Business Doctors back in 2004 and it still guides them today.

BusinessDoctorsisabusinesssupportnetwork, dedicated to helping small and medium sized businesses to achieve their vision.

Their service is geared to driving business growth, from strategies for sales and boosting profits to advice for effective people management, accessing finance and acquiring other businesses. Business Doctors delivers business support with a difference.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Unlike traditional consultants, every single Business Doctor is a no-nonsense, commercially-minded doer who is committed to helping businesses across the board to up their game.

Demand for business support is at an all time high as businesses that have weathered the recession are now looking to grow and are seeking help.

Business Doctors has experienced steady growth over the last 10 years and during this time they have helped transform hundreds of businesses.

Businesses seeking support can now benefit from the vast experience and insights of more than 40 Business Doctors throughout the UK. Experiences that have been captured in their new business book, Breaking Big, which was launched earlier this year.

Order books at record levels, says booming technology firm

A Nuneaton company which delivers innovative, cost-saving software solutions has reported order levels higher than at any time in its 12 year history.

Gemba Solutions - which has received investment through venture capital specialists Midven - says trading is at record levels, and is predicting continued growth in 2015.

The company, based at Eliot Park Innovation Centre, in Nuneaton, provides production management systems which increase capacity whilst cutting labour and energy costs.

The firm has added a major UK defence contractor as well as several significant overseas clients in the last few months.

Leamington Company set to expand after Midven investment

A Leamington Spa-based company which providessoftwareanddevelopmentservices to a number of top brands has secured total investmentofalmost£700,000fromventure capital specialist Midven.

Webmoco Limited, based on Warwick Street, combines IT expertise with an understanding of brand development – and has developed a SaaS product to provide an electronic based reporting system across multiple platforms.

Established in 2010 by Matthew Pearson and Carl Berisford-Murray, Webmoco provides web design and development, mobile application development and software and e-commerce solutions.

Amongst its clients are H Samuel, the Royal Horticultural Society and the RSPCA. The Company has also developed a new innovative software platform which improves, analyses and mobilises the reporting process for organisations with multiple layers of management and complex business processes.

Midven’s Exceed Fund will invest £680,000 over three tranches to help the Company continue its product development as well as providing further growth capital.

Co-founder Mr Pearson said: “Though we have made substantial progress in developing the software product, we are now keen to move at a pace which suits our ambitions, and this funding is necessary to help us do that. The software platform has many benefits improving efficiency and transparency, and can be used across all devices and is intended to replace paperbased systems.

“Any organisation where reporting plays an important role will find this product attractive. Reporting, assessment and inspection tasks can be assigned to any user at any level, and can be tracked and managed at all stages by each level of the business. This allows field staff to complete reporting tasks from any smartphone, tablet or desktop device enabling onsite and real time recording of images, audio, mapping, geo-location and other important data and subsequent workflow triggers.”

Midven Investment Executive John Slaughter said: “Webmoco has been making excellent progress with the software product and it is now gaining traction. It is highly scalable and the target market is significantly large, we are confident they will realise the potential and rapidly grow the business. ” Midven is a leading venture capital fund manager that provides investment for small, high-growth businesses across a range of sectors in the West Midlands.

27

Area Focus: North Warks

It’s the year of the cloud

Reasons to be cheerful

Paul Carvell, North Warwickshire Branch chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

The end of the year is fast approaching and I believe it’s been a positive 12 months for this area.

In general, economic conditions continue to pick up and there was some very good news recently that unemployment is falling rapidly across our region.

Of course, there are many reasons for this but businesses do deserve great credit for the way that, on the back of a pretty grim recent past, they are taking the bold decision to invest and take on new staff.

In this area, we have seen the recent announcement that Aldi and Ocado are creating hundreds of new jobs and that is very welcome news and will hopefully help to continue the trend of falling unemployment.

It is great to see national names of this ilk investing in the north of Warwickshire and seeing the true benefits of being based in this wonderful area.

Ever since I became chair of this branch, I’ve said that it’s vital that we accentuate the positives of being based in this area and make sure we shout about the things we have going for us.

But it’s even better when companies do that job for us by investing and creating jobs here.

On another note, I was truly inspired by the Chamber’s annual conference and, particularly, the keynote speech from John Timpson.

His presentation was based purely on common sense and how he has applied that to his approach in business. It has clearly been a successful policy.

One of thrusts behind his speech was how the customer must always come first and that true service to the customer isn’t set by process but by people. Therefore, it’s imperative that the right people are employed within your organisation and that you give them the trust and the power to make decisions that will ultimately serve the customer.

It was very simple but made perfect sense.

Business is very much based on the trust of others and even the most process-driven business has to put its faith in its people, suppliers and clients.

To that end, the Chamber remains a very trusted ‘member’ of any company’s team because the advice and support it can offer can truly add value to any business.

Whether it’s international trade or finding out about any grants that can be accessed, the Chamber is there to help.

And as we approach a new year, I’d advise any local company to get in touch and find out how they can support your business.

28

Urfaan Azhar & Chris Roche of ACUTEC

A leading Midlands IT expert says 2015 will be the year of the cloud.

Chris Roche, Managing director of Coleshillbased ACUTEC, was one of the guests at Microsoft’s ‘Future Decoded’ event at the ExCeL Centre in London where the next generation of IT innovations were discussed and how they will be adopted by business.

The event featured keynote speeches from Sir Bob Geldof, businessman Martin Sorrell and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and the overriding message from the event was that the future of IT is mobile – and that means the cloud will become increasingly important.

Chris said that, until recently, many businesses had heard of the cloud but were not sure of its meaning or how it could benefit them.

He said: “In the IT sector, we’ve known about the cloud for many years but to a lot of companies it was a meaningless or confusing term. It is basically where data, files and information are stored on remote servers and can be accessed from a PC, laptop, tablet or phone from anywhere where there is an internet connection.

“So instead of having a physical server in your office, you access everything via the web – that’s the cloud. Anyone who uses a Hotmail email address, is using the cloud. Those emails can be accessed from anywhere and don’t have to be stored on a personal device.

“For businesses, this is just an extension of that. It would be all of your documents, files and emails stored in this way.

“The Future Decoded event really brought home the rise of remote and mobile working

and, therefore, the benefits of being able to get to information anywhere, any time. The cloud really is the only way to make that possible and Microsoft’s Office 365 solution will be the option many businesses choose – especially SMEs. “The one question some businesses have is around security and whether their information is safe on a remote server ‘in the cloud’. During the event there was the opportunity to speak to the National Security Council of the UK and they have now moved all of their information onto a cloud-based server.

“The message, therefore, is that if the cloud is secure enough for a public body that has the strictest security levels, then it is secure enough for businesses.

“So we believe that 2015 will really see more and more companies moving across to cloud-based solutions because they can see the benefits and the reality of mobile and remote working.”

Sir Bob Geldof

Company finds new home Coventry company has expanded into a new home as it continues to keep the world of entertainment and events turning.

The Revolving Stage Company does, as a famous commercial once said, exactly what it says on the tin. It manufacturers and hires out revolving stages for music, theatre and corporate events.

Famous names to have stood on the company’s stages reads like a who’s who of rock and pop – from Lady Gaga to the Foo Fighters and from Girls Aloud to the Arctic Monkeys.

The firm, which has moved onto the Bayton Road Industrial Estate, has also provided stages for events such as the Live 8 concerts as well as being a regular supplier to ITV shows such as the X Factor.

The company’s success has now led to clients requesting static staging too and the launch of the new REVdeck staging, which is also available for hire at local conferences, exhibitions and events.

That meant for bigger premises were required for the firm which was established

by Paul Hulston, who had a background in set design, in 2001.

Paula Nodwell, of the Revolving Stage Company, said the company had received support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce She said: “It all started when Paul was asked if he could provide a revolving stage for a TV show that he was already designing a set for.

“When he researched it, he saw there was very little out there so decided to make one himself. Like so many other successful businesses, that was the catalyst to branch into a new area and it has been very successful.

“Almost everyone will have seen one of our stages in action – they just won’t know it’s us.

John Legend played the piano on our stage on the X Factor recently and we’ve supplied many of the world’s biggest acts, as well as working with businesses on corporate events.

“As well as having a very strong market in the UK, we export too – Norway, France and Dubai are just three examples.

“The growth and the development of our REVdeck range meant we had to find new premises. We originally contacted the Chamber to see if there was any grant support available to help the move but we were too late for a certain pool of funding.

However, Helena Bassett – a Chamber adviser – was really helpful with a range of advice and support.

“We are already looking to alter the property slightly to create even more space for our

stages and Helena is looking into the possibility of us applying for a grant to help support that work.”

Helena Bassett, of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Very often businesses get in touch with us because they want to find out about grants.

We are, of course, able to point companies towards the right pots of funding and assist in applying but, actually, the Chamber can do much more than that.

“We offer advice and support on anything from business contacts to finding new markets and, time and again, businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire benefit from that help.

“It’s great to work with a firm such as the Revolving Stage Company who are a great example of one of the hidden gems we have here in this region.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: South Warks

Welcombe Hotel offers ‘brain food’ for delegates

The Welcombe Hotel in Stratford-uponAvon has developed a new range of conference lunches designed around “brain food” to help keep delegates productive for after lunch sessions.

The new Executive Chef, Gary Lissemore, has created an inspired lunch menu with fresh fish, salads, superfoods and fruits to ensure delegates feel wide awake and stimulated.

The hotel is also including a range of superfoods in all their meetings rooms such as blueberries, raw broccoli, oats and

walnut pieces in addition to boiled sweets and water. The superfoods are not only known to lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer but they also help put people in better moods.

Shaun Van Looy, General Manager at The Welcombe Hotel, said: “We are delighted to offer a new range of lunches and superfoods designed to help delegates stay motivated, productive and enthused for the entirety of their meetings”.

Set within 157 acres just outside Stratfordupon-Avon, the 4 star Welcombe Hotel is

one of the leading luxury country house hotels in the Heart of England. Dating back to 1866, the Jacobean-style house offers 78 stylish en-suite bedrooms and a 2 star AA rosette rated restaurant. With 11 conference and banqueting suites, an 18 hole championship golf course and luxury Spa, the hotel is an impressive venue for residential, meetings, team building, incentive and private hospitality events.

For more information please visit the official website at www.menzieshotels.co.uk.

Welcombe Hotel shortlisted in Pride of Stratford Awards The Welcombe Hotel Spa & Golf Club is a finalist in the Touch FM Pride of Stratford Awards.

It has been shortlisted in the Hospitality Business of the Year category and will find out if it has won at a gala dinner on Friday 13 February at the Holiday Inn in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The awards, which are in their fourth year, celebrate the best achievements in business and the community across the District.

In the presence of the 'who's who' of Stratford-upon-Avon, the swan awards are given out to the best businesses, individuals and organisations in 13 different categories.

Shaun Van Looy, General Manager at The Welcombe Hotel, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be nominated as a finalist in these awards which is testament to the exemplary high standards and commitment to excellence we maintain.

We look forward to hearing the results of the awards in February.”

Set within a private estate of 157 acres, the 4 star Welcombe Hotel Spa & Golf Club is acknowledged as one of the leading luxury country house hotels in the Heart of England, located on the outskirts of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Hotel and school work together The Welcombe Hotel and Welcombe Hills School in Stratford-upon-Avon are working together on a number of joint projects and initiatives.

Through opportunities provided by the Hotel, the aim is to encourage the students to develop skills essential for the work place and their future.

The first project took place on Monday 6 October when the students helped remove the summer bedding plants and replanted with winter bedding.

Future projects will include the students working with the Welcombe Spa beauty therapists in learning how to apply manicures and make-up.

Learning these skills will be particularly useful for students with sensory needs and those with low self-esteem.

Another initiative was for the Hotel Chef to bake a cake for the School’s Christmas fayre with a demonstration and talk to the students about his training and job. In return the students will produce some art work using mosaics, mirrors

and ceramic tiles for the Hotel to display on the walls around the gardens.

Suzanne Draper, Sales Manager at The Welcombe Hotel, said: “We are both delighted and excited to work together to develop a series of projects that will benefit both the Hotel and School”.

Jayne Barnes, 14-19 Manager at the Welcombe Hill School said: “Work based challenges within the garden, hotel and staff in supporting school events will provide life skills for the students and introduce them to new activities and personal challenges. The staff at the Hotel are encouraging, caring and thoughtful in their approach and work with the students. The enthusiasm and ideas generated by this joint project will make a difference to the student’s education now and will enhance their plans for the future”.

For more information please visit the official website at www.menzieshotels.co.uk

A micro enterprise with big ideas for the space sector Creative Robotics Ltd, a micro enterprise in Stratford Upon Avon is the latest company to join the space race thanks to a small grant from the UK Space Agency.

The NSTP-2 Grant for “Building Massive Structures in Orbit” will be used to develop a concept for robotic devices that automatically create large structures in space, laying the groundwork for human exploration.

Dr Bill Bigge, of Creative Robotics Ltd, said: “When engineers and science fiction writers

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

imagine creating large habitats in space they often conceive of it in a similar way to terrestrial buildings, where crews of space suited builders and sophisticated robots make large structures from precisely engineered components ferried to orbit from the ground.

“We imagined a different approach, partly inspired by natures own builders and partly by advances in 3D printing, where a simple machine could be sent into earth orbit where it forms a protective, air tight shell around itself in preparation for human occupation.

“This grant gives us an opportunity to develop this concept into a disruptive technology for the future of human space exploration” The grant was applied for under the National Space Technology Program (NSTP-2) and the Centre for Earth Observation Instrumentation Grants for Exploratory Ideas funding call, and is administered by the University of Leicester.

29

Area Focus: Rugby

A positive outlook

Company diversifies into new markets with UK launch of flooring range

Jim Griffin, chair of the Rugby branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Another year starts to draw to a close and, from a business point of view, I think this area will look upon it as one that has been quietly positive.

And, after the past few years, that’s exactly what we have needed – a chance for our economy to grow steadily on the back of one of the most difficult periods our businesses and individuals have ever faced.

From a Chamber perspective, members have been in a confident mood throughout the year as our quarterly economic surveys have shown and that shows no sign of abating as we look ahead to 2015.

Those figures are being borne out in terms of the growing economy and the fall in unemployment but we are keen, as a Chamber, to guard against any complacency among decision makers.

The Government, the Bank of England and any other body which helps to set the conditions must continue to make sure that we have the best possible environment for businesses to grow and expand their workforce.

With an Autumn Statement coming up ahead of a General Election next year, businesses will want to know that they will benefit rather than be penalised if they create jobs and wealth that can be invested back into public services through taxes.

So while the statistics at the time of writing are very positive, we would urge that whoever wins the Election next May they look to create the most business friendly environment they possibly can.

As a business owner myself, I would also urge fellow companies in this area to make sure they are doing all they can to make the most of the opportunities that are out there for them.

Perhaps the Christmas period could be a chance to reflect on where you may be able to grow the business in the New Year and, indeed, if there is any help out there to do so.

All too often, we are so busy running our businesses that we don’t take the time to plan and think about the opportunities and options available.

To that end, I would definitely speak to the Chamber to tap into the help it can give. If you are planning to export, the international trade team is second to none in helping companies find new markets.

Only recently, there was a positive story in this very newspaper about two companies based in Rugby that are exporting all over the world and both have been given help by the UKTI team at the Chamber.

But it’s not just exporting that can lead to growth – it’s important to cultivate local business leads too and, again, there is no better organisation to work with than the Chamber from that point of view.

So if your business does wind down at all in the lead up to and during Christmas, use that time for well-earned break but also take the time to think about how you can use your Chamber to help you grow your business next year.

30

A Warwickshire based manufacturer well known within the automotive industry for making thermal and acoustic insulation materials has extended its range of products to diversify into the flooring market.

The Rugby-based Autins Group, which is comprised of UK operation Automotive Insulations and sister companies Scandins in Sweden and Rheinland Insulations (RI) in Germany, is launching the Decibex brand on the UK market for the first time.

Decibex flooring products have been on sale on the continent from the Autins Group since early 2014.

Autins is best known for developing, manufacturing and testing lightweight acoustic and thermal insulation materials for use in a range of applications, but largely used by the automotive industry.

When the company set up Scandins in Sweden and RI in Germany, this enabled the group to extend its product range and diversify into different sectors, with the flooring market a natural extension to their work in the field of materials.

The Decibex brand includes a range of premium underlay products for laminated, parquet, vinyl and hard wood flooring.

Supplied from the Autins’ German and

Swedish sites, many products in the range have been awarded the German U Mark standard and the French A+ standard which qualifies them for sale across Europe.

The first UK customer to come on board is a global flooring manufacturer, selling a projected minimum volume of 45,000m² per year. Autins are also targeting the UK DIY market and the company is in talks with a nationwide DIY chain.

“We are delighted with the way that Decibex has been received so far in the UK,” said MD of The Autins Group, Jim Griffin. ”The product is currently unfamiliar to British consumers, but we anticipate that this will soon change. Our vision is to have this premium range of underlays available in large UK retailers across the UK.” Whilst Decibex products have been part of the Autins UK portfolio for some time, the company has created a new brand image for the UK launch. All product information, including data sheets, test reports, labelled samples and band rolls with specific barcodes are now available in English, German and Swedish. The products have also been fully tested and certified through an accredited underlay testing company (TFi GmbH).

The Autins Group is based at Central Point One near Junction 1 of the M6. The company has experienced rapid growth over the past three years and operates a 24 hour day to meet rising demand from the vehicle industry.

Dream comes true for Paul A former mechanic is living his dream of a career in engineering a decade after leaving school without the qualifications he needed to follow the traditional university route into the industry.

Paul Price, aged 27, from Rugby, Warwickshire, has been taken on in the design team of world-class engineering company Penso after completing a foundation year in engineering at Coventry University College (CUC).

Paul, who left school at the age of 16, is now studying part-time for a degree in combined engineering at CUC whilst employed at the Coventry-based company, which works with some of the world’s most prestigious vehicle brands.

He said: “Within two years of enrolling at CUC, I am effectively working as a graduate design engineer with an internationallyrenowned company and studying for a degree. It’s hard to believe how far I have come in such a short space of time.

“After leaving school, I trained to be a mechanic and worked my way up to workshop manager but felt I had reached a ceiling and wanted more of a career than a job. I thought about engineering but didn’t have the qualifications for a degree course and needed to do a foundation year first.

“With my full-time job as a mechanic, I couldn’t study during working hours but CUC enabled me to fit my studies around my work and home life which made it

manageable. They also gave me the confidence and belief that I could do it.”

Towards the end of his foundation year, Paul speculatively handed in his CV to Penso and was offered an administrative role which gave him an insight into the industry. Upon gaining his qualification, he was moved over to the design team.

He said: “I’m really enjoying it and my ambition is to become a senior designer with the company and to take my studies to a master’s degree so that I can achieve my full potential.”

CUC, a subsidiary of Coventry University, was opened as a new concept in higher education in September 2012 by providing innovative ways for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn.

John Dishman, director and CEO at CUC, said: “Paul is a fantastic result of what we set out to achieve with CUC – to give people an alternative, flexible and affordable route to higher education that fits around their lifestyle and needs.

“Having completed his foundation year, Paul has been able to progress onto his chosen degree with us and taken his first step on the career ladder with a worldclass engineering company here in Coventry.”

Penso employs around 190 staff at its headquarters in Woodhams Road and earlier this year announced plans to almost double its workforce to build on its rapid

expansion and cement its position as a leading development engineering company across Europe.

Paul Higginson, chief engineer of design at Penso, said: “Paul has been a breath of fresh air within the design team at Penso.

His initial work experience as a mechanic, complemented by his foundation certificate has empowered him to change his career.

“Engineering resource demand is currently at a premium and Paul has enabled us to identify a pool of untapped potential engineers who can follow his roadmap to success.’’ www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Rugby

Project seeks help to chart company’s history A unique business archives project giving an insight into how a Rugby-based engineering firm pioneered the manufacture of steam engines and turbines all over the world has reached its halfway point.

The Willans & Robinson records at Warwickshire County Record Office show how Willans engines were helping to generate almost 70% of the UKs electricity in the late 19th century.

It was the first major engineering company to move to Rugby and make use of its good transport links and a workforce skilled in manufacture and power generation because of the area’s association with the railway industry.

Rivals British-Thomson Houston (BTH) quickly followed and both firms were part of the GEC group in 1968. The site, called the Willans Works, is now the thermal power division for Alstom.

The documents highlight the importance of such firms to Rugby as major employers and the survival of the records is a historical reminder of their activities, especially when sites such as the former BTH works in Rugby are re-developed for other uses and in danger of being forgotten. It is also shows the county’s industrial history and support of engineering companies.

Co-founder Peter Willans invented the central-valve steam engine that led to the firm’s initial success and the need for a larger site at Rugby in 1897. The company began at Thames Ditton, Surrey in 1880 building engines for steamboats but branched out into other areas of power generation – the reason why this project is called ‘Boaters and Bright Sparks’.

The records date from the 1880s to 2000 and include thousands of negatives and prints that are being looked at by volunteers, who are also helping with

Rugby in 2015 a chance for your business to be involved In 2015 the World Cup comes to England and the birthplace of the game will be looking to celebrate its role in shaping the sport’s history.

technical drawings, sales contracts and staff and apprentice records.

Some of the people uncovered include apprentice Geoffrey de Havilland, who went on to become a famous aircraft engineer and aviation trailblazer, and another apprentice Baron William de Ropp, who worked at Willans before joining the RAF in 1914. He later became a spy for MI6 during the Second World War. Further records were transferred by Alstom in 2014 and links have also been made with other organisations holding Willans records such as Rugby Art Gallery & Museum and Rugby Library.

Further donations are needed to continue work after the project has finished and half of the initial target of £3,000 has been raised so far.

If readers would like to make a donation to the project, please send a cheque made payable to Warwickshire County Council to: Warwickshire County Record Office, Priory Park, Warwick, CV34 4JS or email recordoffice@warwickshire.gov.uk to find out more.

If you have an interesting story. memory or photograph to share about Willans or Warwickshire's heritage please visit www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk.

You can also go to the Record Office and register for free use of the collections, and its website, www.heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk /warwickshire-county-record-office gives details of opening times and registration requirements.

Training provider get Ofsted boost

TQ Training, a training provider based just outside Rugby and a member of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, have been given a boost as a result of their recent inspection by Ofsted. They are now classed as a Good provider with outstanding features. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

sponsored column

Although based locally, TQ deliver nationally and have large national employers on their books as well as smaller local and regional ones.

They deliver Apprenticeships and standalone qualifications in the workplace as well as programmes to help the unemployed find work.

Ofsted inspectors found TQ’s teaching and learning to be “of the highest quality” and extent to which the company meets local and regional needs was graded as “outstanding”.

TQ’s managing director Dr Mike Motley an ex-apprentice himself, said that the 60 staff, 2,500 students and hundreds of employers, many of whom were engaged in the gruelling inspection process, are justifiably proud of the result.

He said: “It means that we will be able to market ourselves as one of the best training providers in the country and open up our programmes to an even wider audience than was previously possible.”

This successful result follows a recent Government report on sustainable outcomes from training providers and

colleges which, at 89% of its students with sustainable outcomes, placed TQ Training in the top 10% of providers nationally.

Sustainable outcomes include progression while in work, progression into employment or progression to a higher level qualification. Ofsted found that “the majority of (TQ’s) management apprentices are in responsible positions or have gained promotion in the workplace”.

One of the current Government priorities is to raise the levels of literacy and numeracy of the population. Often an issue with these subjects combined with work based qualifications, such as within an Apprenticeship, is the challenge to make them relevant.

Ofsted inspectors found that TQ’s “assessors and tutors skilfully link English and mathematics to vocational subjects and, as a consequence, learners use these very effectively in their daily work”.

Motley says “our performance as a training provider in this respect is second to none.

Our success rate on our stand alone Functional Skills for literacy and numeracy is 97% and this is to over 2,500 students”.

From September, 20 teams from around the world will compete for rugby’s most coveted prize, The Webb Ellis Cup. During the tournament, a festival will take place in the town where it all began, including art, culture, entertainment and music whilst recognising the area’s heritage.

Even though the Rugby is not hosting any games, the tournament organisers have given it a similar status as the venues which will welcome international teams and visitors.

Main routes in Rugby will be dressed in official tournament branding and some of the gateways will be given a new look.

A town centre location will be used to host a rugby village – a hub for activity and a place where like-minded fans can watch games on a big screen.

On non-match days, community groups and businesses are being encouraged to think about what events they could deliver in the space to support the festival.

This is a great opportunity to promote your organisation and help Rugby make the most of its unique history.

If you would like to find out more about Rugby’s plans for 2015 or would like to be involved, please contact Michael Beirne on 01788 533734 or email michael.beirne@rugby.gov.uk.

31

News

Getting in the swing

Investment continues for West Midland’s small businesses Small businesses in the West Midlands could be set to invest almost £8.5bn into the UK economy in the next 12 months as confidence grows in Britain as a good place to do business.

According to research by Yorkshire Bank, nearly two-thirds (63%) of small business owners and senior decision makers in the West Midlands believe the UK economy will grow in the next 12 months.

The West Midland’s population of 379,000 SMEs are set to match that confidence with their own investment plans with more than three-quarters (76%) set to invest. Key areas such as new equipment, staff training and increased marketing top the investment priority list.

The research suggests each small business, on average, plans to invest 9% of its turnover.

This equates to £29,387 per small business according to the latest official statistics of the UK’s SME population**.

However, some reservations around economic conditions and potential barriers to growth still linger, with one in five (19%) believing a lack of available finance could be restricting investment intentions, and around one in four believing the Government have a bigger role to play in supporting SME growth.

Brian Colquhoun, Regional Director for Business and Private Banking at Yorkshire Bank in the West Midlands, said: “Changes in economic conditions will be felt more acutely by smaller businesses, but they are also quicker to adapt and take decisions to invest in growth opportunities such as taking on more staff, buying new equipment or developing new products and services.

“Our research suggests that small businesses feel favourable economic conditions are providing them with the confidence to invest and exploit growth opportunities.

“More people are employed by smaller businesses than any other sector of the economy, so a thriving SME community is vital to wider economic growth. Small business owners need to feel confident that the investment they make in their businesses will generate a return and be the catalyst for further growth.”

32

Coventry and Warwickshire businesses went a fairway to raise over £3,000 for charity.

More than 40 people swung into action at Harrison Beale & Owen’s (HB&O) annual charity golf day at Kenilworth Golf Club in Warwickshire.

The event was held to raise money for Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice in Coventry and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Service.

Both were named as HB&O’s nominated charities for 2014 and the proceeds raised will be split equally between them.

During the event, guests were also treated to a breakfast reception, followed by an evening meal and raffle. Prizes were also awarded for nearest the pin and longest drive.

Rob Kendall, director of HB&O which has offices in Coventry and Leamington, said: “Once again we were delighted with the turn out for our annual charity golf day.

“The event was a great success – the sun was shining and everyone really got into the spirit of the game.

“Companies were also able to sponsor holes throughout the tournament which really helped to boost the amount of money we raised for the two charities and we would like to thank participants for their generosity.

“It is really important for us to support local charities and we hope the £3,110 raised will help to ensure that they are both able to provide the best possible service within the community.”

(From left to right) Carl Edmonds (Edmonds Jewellers), Rob Edmonds (Altimus), Mike Quinn (Miromedia), Rob Kendall (HB&O).

Product tested at Pinewood Studios

It was a blustery day at Pinewood Studios when the Comms Cube team arrived to test a new product that can deliver satellite and mobile broadband globally.

The aim of the test was confirm how long it would take to arrive, set up, test the product and have it all packed up. The team were aiming for 15 minutes set up time and 15 minutes pack up time.

The product is Comms Cube Satellite, a simple to use broadband solution with high performance WiFi and networking ports. Comms Cube Satellite is a complete networking solution that is completely mobile. The addition of a versatile Satellite option makes Comms Cube a powerful versatile (world wide) communications solution.

A mobile broadband solution that can provision high bandwidth in most countries around the world.

The test results: Comms Cube was provisioned within 3 minutes with the Satellite antenna taking an additional 8 minutes to set up.

The total set up time for Comms Cube Satellite being 11 minutes.

Louise Bunting of JLIT, one of the inventors of Comms Cube, said: “We believe this is a world first, setting up mobile and satellite communications is normally very complicated.

Comms Cube Satellite makes it easy, we have specifically designed the product to be simple to set up and use. Unpack, power up, lock to the satellite and you have instant broadband. All in 11 mins.”

Paul Maloney, of ARC Ltd based at Pinewood Studios, said: “We enjoyed watching the team test the solution, I didn’t believe a single person could set up a complete networking solution in 11 minutes. Flexible broadband access is something of great interest to ARC, the unexpected bonus of testing at Pinewood was that several other companies have since shown interest. We are looking at Comms Cube Satellite as a shared solution.”

New ‘revolutionary retail experience’ app launched A new app aimed at ‘revolutionising the retail experience’ for Bestway and Batleys cash and carry customers has been launched.

Developed by Leamington-based mobile communications company RNF Digital Innovation for the Bestway Group, the free app is available to existing Bestway and Batleys customers for use on iPad and iPhone devices.

All customers using any of the 62 Bestway and Batleys depots across the UK will be able to download the app now from the i-tunes store.

The app has an array of features including detailed product information and price updates on up to 20,000 products, the ability to list and access favourite products and the use of a barcode scanner to enable quick processing.

Mask-arade announce new faces Mask-arade has launched three new faces in association with Rubie’s Masquerade from the Warner Brother’s Batman franchise The Dark Knight Trilogy.

The masks show Batman, Catwoman and the Joker and Ray Duffy, Licensing Director at Mask-arade, said: “We have long wanted to produce The Dark Knight character masks and we are thrilled to launch these standout items.

Unlike previous superhero masks, the Maskarade designs capture the real likeness of the actors.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Business Direct

is sponsored by HB&O

Mobility & the Cloud: A Gathering Storm The goal for public sector organisations today could not be clearer: with budget restrictions paramount, institutions around the UK have embarked on a massive drive for efficiency gains, seeking to reduce costs, boost productivity, and find smarter, more flexible ways of delivering frontline services.

Undoubtedly, Cloud computing has a significant role to play in that process particularly in its ability to create workforce mobility. In tried and trusted systems it has the power to enhance staff efficiency, streamline procedural administration and enable key team members to operate in an environment where work is something you do rather than somewhere you go.

Driving down costs, reducing the requirement for real estate and offering technical departments a flexible, proven solution to key problems, the right Cloud can help public sector bodies meet many of their most pressing organisational goals.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

It should be the perfect storm, yet recent fundamental changes in the accreditation scheme for new Cloud solutions have left many organisations uncertain of how to assess the credibility and security of the range of new services now hitting the market.

In such a scenario there can be only one solution. Public sector departments needan approach with no question marks over it - a guaranteed solution that will not only work safely, securely, and reliably, but will deliver genuine business value at the same time.

SCC has watched the secure remote access market develop and mature rapidly for most of the past 15 years.

In the past it was enough to provide access to organisational systems at set times and set places. No longer. Mobile users today demand ubiquitous access to their data from any mobile device and expect it to work regardless of connection quality, and IT departments are increasingly under pressure to make it happen.

In this shifting mobility landscape, CTO’s face a number of significant challenges.

While the ability to work anytime, anywhere from any device can deliver increased collaboration, greater productivity and improved flexibility for employees, for many organisations, concerns around the expense and difficulty of implementing remote working practices remain.

End-user-driven connectivity in a cloud infrastructure can often lead to degraded service and minimised benefits when organisations rely on mobile workers to manually establish connectivity. In turn, unbudgeted access costs and security holes only exacerbate the problem when mobile employees make expensive and unsecured connectivity choices from the field.

Delivering the greatest degree of flexibility to the mobile workforce depends on providing easy access to Cloud-based data and applications from anywhere at any time.

Today, users travel between various locations during the course of a workday – switching between a multitude of public, private, wired and wireless networks in order to gain access to corporate applications. This user-driven process requires mobile workers to manually select and connect to the best available network in a given location.

Leaving the connectivity process to endusers creates confusion around what network to select, what policies to apply and a series of how-to questions that often result in support calls to IT. While staff are trying to figure out how to get connected or gain support from their IT help desk, they are losing productivity.

Today’s mobile workers typically access Cloud-based data and applications through various technologies like Wi-Fi and 3G either while on the road or working from remote locations such as hotels or home offices.

Unless this connectivity is carefully monitored and controlled, the cost of connecting mobile workers to Cloud-based environments has the potential to significantly offset the efficiencies you expect to gain from the cloud-computing environment.

In many cases these costs are unnecessary, for example paying for LAN or Wi-Fi fees when a mobile worker is in an area covered by their existing 3G subscription, using 3G when roaming internationally or using 3G when a free or low-cost Wi-Fi or LAN alternative is available.

Despite many organisations having invested in a portfolio of end-point security solutions and corporate VPNs, data compromise is still a risk because of a variety of threats that stem from network bridging, visits to malicious web sites, downloads of malicious software, and use of open and unencrypted networks.

These threats persist despite existing security solutions when the process of connecting to wired and wireless networks is a manual, user-driven process.

Bridging the uncertainty of the disaggregated service approach currently being adopted across the Public Sector, SCC has been at the forefront of the Government’s G-Cloud strategy and since its inception.

SCC was the UK’s first Pan-Government Accredited Cloud provider.

Secured by design, and built under CESG’s exhaustive scrutiny, SCC’s Sentinel platform has evolved to meet all of the challenges public sector organisations face when adopting mobility and the Cloud - offering a variety of solutions to the challenges posed by an increasing mobile workforce.

33

Business Direct: Commercial Property

Demand is high for quality “Permitted development and a more flexible approach by the planning departments has seen a number of notable office buildings being sold and converted”

New Business Park success story for ehB Commercial in 2014 Simon Hain and Nicholas Evans

As 2014 draws to a close we are pleased to report that there has been green shoots of recovery in the South Warwickshire commercial property market. However, this is coupled with a sense of some stagnation.

A AV

Two speculative business park schemes aimed at SMEs and starter businesses have gone very well, reinforcing this firm’s strong advice that was given to developers to proceed. The now completed Trident Park, on Tachbrook Park, Warwick saw

A C Lloyd Holdings build out and sell fourteen new units off plan. Within a period of twelve months the high quality units are up and buyers have already started to take occupation. Purchasers have been a mixture of both investors and owner occupiers.

In a similar vein, St George’s Business Park in central Warwick is now under construction. ehB Commercial are pleased to report that six out of eleven units are under offer, three of which have exchanged contracts, five sold to owner occupiers.

Completion of this business park is expected in early 2015.

Both schemes have demonstrated the demand for good quality business units within our region.

The recent changes to planning law has resulted in significant interest in the change of use of office buildings to residential houses and/or apartments.

Permitted development and a more flexible approach by the planning departments has seen a number of notable office buildings being sold and converted, for example Spitfire Properties conversion of Villiers House in Leamington Spa, part of the site of the former landmark “Clarendon Hotel” to 40 luxury apartments (all now sold).

On a smaller scale the conversion of a redundant modern office building, Wharf Court, in Warwick, situated adjacent to moorings on the Grand Union Canal.

Both schemes are being advised by ehB. A lack of supply in all commercial sectors of the South Warwickshire property market coupled with a cautious and sparse numbers of tenants has created a rather stagnant lease market. An upturn in tenant numbers is likely to lead to growth in rents and hopefully some new speculative developments for 2015.

OW N BLE A L I 11 Units For Sale 3 Units Reserved 3 Units SOLD

QUALITY WAREHOUSE FACILITY WELLESBOURNE, WARWICKSHIRE

TO LET ON NEW LEASE 10,213 sq ft (950 sq m) with 7.2m to eaves and 2 roller doors.

Offices of 613 sq ft and Palisade compound.

Contact Simon Hain at ehB Commercial 01926 880431

New Quality Industrial/ Warehouse Units COMPLETION SPRING 2015

2,099 to 15,892 Sq ft

Contact: Simon Hain 01926 880431

(195 to 1,477 Sq m) www.stgeorgesbusinesspark.com www.cw-chamber.co.uk

35

Business Direct: Commercial Property

Europark Industrial Estate, Rugby attracts another prestigious tenant Elecomm Ltd, a Sheffield based business, are taking a new five year lease on a 6,000 sq ft unit on the estate. They will join other tenants on the popular industrial estate which include The Kelly Group, One Subsea (UK) Ltd, Morgan Sindall, KJ Transport and Panic Transport (contracts) Ltd. Europark, located on the A5 minutes from the M1, M6 and A14 at Cathorpe Interchange, is Rugby’s premier out of town industrial estate.

It comprises approximately 175,000 sq ft of modern industrial, office accommodation and yard space on a 26 acre site.

Christopher Utley of Richard Utley Ltd, the landlords at Europark Industrial Estate commented, “Europark’s ability to attract global businesses such as One Subsea (UK) Ltd along with leading regionally based businesses such as Elecomm Ltd, demonstrates its appeal. We are fortunate to have such a great mix of tenants at Europark and are delighted that Elecomm Ltd have chosen Europark for their new premises.”

Christopher Utley of Europark and Russell Webster, General Manager Midlands of Elecomm Ltd.

Chris Thomas Joint MD of Elecomm commented, “We at Elecomm are delighted to have selected

Europark as the base for our Midlands and Southern operation. Although we have units nationwide the location and size of this unit made it an easy choice to support our continued growth in this part of the country.”

Paul Mansell Joint MD of Elecomm commented, “Elecomm signing up to a unit of this size for the period we have is a demonstration of our commitment to continue with our growth plans, we are very pleased with the unit and continue to be excited about the future for our company.”

2015 is set to be a busy year at Europark with a number of projects in the pipeline.

Christopher Utley commented, “During the course of 2014 we noticed a definite increase in the number of active property requirements.

Although businesses are still nervous they are now more willing to make commitments that will allow their businesses to grow. It is our intention to facilitate this in Rugby and accordingly we are working on a number of projects to cater for the freehold and leasehold market which are very exciting.”

Commercial Property Solutions At Europark our aim is to maximise your productivity and profit through a seamless property experience.

How? •

Location - Direct access from the A5, minutes away from the M1, junctions 18 & 19, the M6 at junction 1 and the A14 Catthorpe Interchange.

•

Description - Attractively landscaped environment.

•

Accommodation - A range of modern industrial and office units from 5,000 - 50,000 sq ft, external yard space and Build to suit development opportunities available.

•

Management - The landlord manages the estate onsite thereby providing occupiers with direct access to decision makers.

•

36

Rates - Competitive rent and service charge.

Call Christopher Utley on 01788 860724 to discuss your requirements.

Europark Industrial Estate

Europark.co.uk

A5, Watling Street, Rugby CV23 0AL

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

37

Business Direct: Venue Hire

We listen, We care, We deliver!

All our fully accessible rooms, provide natural daylight, LCD projectors, built in screens and temperature controls. Ideal space to create, inspire, and celebrate achievements.

The Grace Room:

Our main auditorium is an impressive room.

• Acoustically designed • 650 theatre or 300 cabaret style seating capacity • 572.67 metres square - without pillars • 5,000 lumen LCD projector • 12 Ft Screen • Full Public Address control with technical support • Ground floor access from car park • Stage and ambient computer controlled lighting • Car Parking on site

We look forward to hosting your event and working with you to ensure a successful memorable experience.

Please contact Lee Hart info@thewelcomecentre.co.uk for a quotation.

We welcome the opportunity to show you around and discuss your event in more detail.

www.thewelcomecentre.co.uk

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LOCATION FILMING, THEATRE PRODUCTIONS CONCERTS, DANCES AND POP GIGS www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Business Direct: Training Services

Choosing the right external training providers for Coventry & Warwickshire Businesses Ten Killer Questions With their recent very successful outcome from their Ofsted inspection (report published 7th November 2014), TQ Workforce Development Ltd, a national training provider based just outside Rugby, feel that they are well placed to either deliver on behalf of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber business members or give good advice on how to select an alternative training provider for those programmes which they do not deliver.

You as employers need to ensure that you are getting the best return on your investment from training programmes. TQ have found that great training should energise and inspire trainees in addition to providing skills and knowledge that they need to do their jobs successfully which, in turn, will make their employers stronger and more competitive.

There is a lot of hype in the claims of training providers and colleges but, at the end of the day, your people need to be more effective in their jobs as a result of the training.

Left to right stood : Dr Mike Motley (managing director), Charlie Butler (apprentice), Elaine Green (apprentice) Left to right seated : Ricky Matthews (apprentice), Melanie Murdock (Director of Operations and Quality)

The following ten questions will help ensure that you realise the full benefit that you should expect from your investment in training:

1

How can I be sure your training will increase my staff’s productivity?

The effectiveness of the providers’ training programmes is paramount. At TQ Workforce Development their programmes have proven highly effective in preparing individuals for their job and enhancing their prospects. Recent data produced by the government (BIS) shows that TQ provides 89% sustainable outcomes for its students.

A figure far higher than any college and easily places them in the top 10% of providers nationally.

2

How do you measure increased productivity?

An important question to ask providers and a challenge to answer. TQ contact their students three months after completion of their programme in order to gain a considered view, not one influenced by a post-course “high” as happens with surveys (“happy sheets”) administered immediately on completion of a course.

3

How do you measure customer satisfaction?

Training providers and colleges will tell you that they are good but it is the feedback from customers that really counts. Always check how thoroughly a provider obtains customer feedback. As a result of an annual employer survey, TQ’s employers “comment very favourably on the company’s flexibility and responsiveness in meeting their needs” - Ofsted 2014

4

How often do you update your course content to ensure relevancy?

Many providers and colleges offer very dated course content that has little chance of support today’s, least of all tomorrow’s skills needs. At TQ, Ofsted recently found that the extent to which the company has “planned, established and managed curriculum and learning programmes to meet local and regional needs is outstanding”

5

Who writes your content?

It is worth considering whether course material is off-the-shelf or can be tailored to meet your needs. At TQ, the emphasis is to work with employers to ensure the training programmes meets their needs as fully as possible within constraints of qualifications, where applicable.

6

Do you keep your training environment and training methodologies current with and relevant to today’s realworld workplace?

Training should be applied to real-world problems that you as employers face.

At TQ, a great deal of effort is placed on ensuring relevance both for vocational skills aspects and in the integration of literacy and numeracy where applicable.

Ofsted, in its recent report, noted that TQ’s students “use English and maths very effectively in their daily work”. All of their delivery staff are sector competent first and trainers second – proudly maintaining their standing as dual professionals, relevant in the sector they operate not just in education and training.

Below are ten killer questions for you to ask training providers so that you can have some assurance of choosing the right one for you.

7

Are your courses eligible for certification towards a qualification?

Part of providing your staff with the best possible training is also giving them the opportunity to achieve their educational goals and further their careers.

Ensure that your provider is not only successful in supporting students to achieve but also can produce a progression pathway for your employees.

Ofsted noted of TQ that not only are “success rates high” but also that “a significant proportion (of students) progress to higher-level qualifications” and “the majority of management apprentices have gained promotion in the workplace”

8

What are your instructors’ qualifications and how are instructors trained and evaluated?

Always ask your provider for information on the qualifications and experience of training staff. It is well worth checking on detail as, all too often, training staff have little up-to-date competence in the workplace and their qualifications are dated.

Ofsted’s comments about TQ’s staff was that “teaching and learning are of the highest quality” as a result of “wellestablished performance management procedures”.

Ofsted also noted that TQ’s staff are “drawing on their good industrial knowledge to broaden the awareness of learners by providing relevant examples and scenarios from the workplace”.

This cannot be achieved if college or providers’ staff do not keep themselves updated.

9

Can you develop a scalable training programme, regardless of the size of the employer?

A training programme with a regional or national footprint is not for the faint hearted training provider. Colleges tend to serve a very local community whereas private providers can be much more wide-ranging, flexible and responsive. TQ, for instance, has the flexibility of delivery staff and infrastructure in place to deliver consistent results in all locations across many skills.

10

Can you guarantee satisfaction?

Always ask how the training provider monitors satisfaction and what it does when things need to improve.

At TQ, they monitor satisfaction of students and employers and feed this into a selfassessment and quality improvement process which Ofsted found to be “inclusive, rigorous and accurate” and which have been used to “achieve rapid improvement in overall quality of provision”.

TQ Workforce Development Ltd provides training locally, regionally and nationally both for those in work (including apprenticeships) and for the unemployed. It provides quality training for many hundreds of businesses, large and small, in Business Administration, Customer Service, Team Leading and Management."

To contact TQ about any of your training needs please contact them on 01788 892050 or email them at info@tqtraining.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

39

News

Dream Catchers Do you remember that nightmare moment when you really felt afraid, vulnerable, lost and alone?

I do and I woke up when I met my first guide dog Quill and realised I could live the rest of my life without sight! I now have third dog Eddie and work as The Volunteering Consultant at Guide Dogs National Breeding Centre in Bishops Tachbrook, Leamington Spa. Nicola Jones and Caroline Habberley are two of our media assistant volunteers and dream catchers, as editors of our NBC Newshound magazine. They are both living out a childhood dream; Nicola by looking after one of our guide dog mums and Caroline, by co-producing the NBC Newshound magazine of volunteers’ stories.

Both feel passionate and excited about their roles; relishing The buzz of capturing and celebrating the enriching and transforming potential of others, who are also living a dream of volunteering with Guide Dogs.

Nicola and Caroline continue to blossom with confidence, relishing the feeling of being connected to The Guide Dogs Family. They understand the independence and reassurance we feel as guide dog owners; exchanging the coldness of past loss for the warmth and vitality of future hope and friendship!

“The best thing was, when we first met, we just absolutely clicked and got on!”

“We come from the same direction; we think very similarly about how we feel about Guide Dogs and how we feel about people and how people should be treated, or about their stories and how that need to be told.

“We seem to be on the same page every time.” (Nicola) “We both write in the same way and come from the same angle without planning it!”

(Caroline).

To find out more about The NBC Newshound, or support us, please E-mail john.garrett@guidedogs.org.uk, or call 0845 372 7432.

National client attracted to new trade park

Left to right: Steve Jagger (JLL), Councillor Kevin Maton, Rob Wigley (Wigley Group), James Brookes (Bromwich Hardy), James Davies (Wigley Group), Mike Vining (Vining Management)

Work is set to start on a new trade park in Coventry which has already attracted its first national client – the UK’s biggest kitchen retailer.

Magnet has taken up the first unit at the brand new Vantage Park in the north of the city, just off the A444.

Vantage Park is being developed by Wigley Contracts (Barby) which has been behind the major regeneration of the former Albert Herbert engineering site.

The new park will feature four units from 4,000 sq ft to 12,000 sq ft – totalling 25,000 sq ft – and is aimed at trade products and services available to the public.

Magnet is the first company to sign up, opting to move into a new 12,000 sq ft purpose-built unit. Its new base will incorporate a kitchen showroom, trade counter, warehouse, offices and parking.

Mike Vining from Vining Management Ltd and Development Consultant for Wigley said: “This will be a very beneficial development for the area which has undergone considerable regeneration in recent years.

“It is fantastic to be able to welcome a firm of Magnet’s stature to the new trade park. It will provide them with a suitable showcase in this area of the city with very good transport links and car parking.

They will also be a flagship operator which will help us attract other leading tenants.

“The improvements to the A444 have transformed the links from the city to the north of the city and this development uses that location to the full.”

Andy Cartlidge, head of group property and store development at Magnet, said: "We are delighted to be included in this development in such a prominent and busy location, and this will be a flagship store for us in the Midlands.”

The new trade park is the latest of several developments in the area from The Wigley Group.

It created a new northern hub for Royal Mail and sold land to Lidl for a new store, while the Signal Box pub was opened in the summer – all located on the A444 between the Gallagher Retail Park and Foleshill Road roundabouts.

James Davies, of The Wigley Group, added: “We have been developing in this area of Coventry since the mid-1980s, after gaining planning permission for Gallagher Retail Park, and have played a leading role in its regeneration. This new park is another major landmark for the area.

“We are a Coventry-based company who invest for the long-term, and that commitment has certainly allowed us to take a strategic view on the regeneration of the area.”

Construction is expected to last until next summer, and Councillor Kevin Maton, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment, was invited to see the work start.

Vantage Park is being marketed by Bromwich Hardy and Jones Lang LaSalle.

Show proves popular with visitors and exhibitors

A specialist trade show for the hire industry has sold out three months before it will take centre stage at the Ricoh Arena..

A total of 150 exhibitors have snapped up the available space in the Jaguar Exhibition Hall, Legends Lounge and atrium at the Executive Hire Show 2015 on Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12.

The Executive Hire Show is the national show for companies however large or small who are involved in the tools, plant and equipment hire sector.

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Show director Robert Aplin said the show – which is returning to the Ricoh Arena for the ninth successive year – already has 60 per cent of space pre-booked for 2016!

He said: “Exhibitors travel from all over the UK to take part in the Executive Hire Show and we are on course to set new records once again in 2015.

“Last year we had a record 1,908 visitors and 148 exhibitors but we are confident of beating those because of the response we have already had.

“To have sold out exhibitor space three months before the event takes place is extremely satisfying and underlines that this is a show which people in the industry are keen to attend and that the economy is showing signs of recovery.

“Our figures show that 26 exhibitors have attended all our nine shows at the Ricoh Arena and this year we will have 20 newcomers which shows the hire market is feeling optimistic about future business prospects.

“It has become the leading show in the industry to attend which is reflected in the companies who exhibit and the visitor numbers which steadily increase each year.”

He added: “The Ricoh Arena is very much the home of the Executive Hire Show. Our exhibitors and visitors enjoy returning because of its facilities, its location in the middle of the UK and the professionalism and help we receive from the Ricoh team in growing our show each year.”

Chris Owen, senior events manager at the Ricoh Arena, said the Passionate Hirer Awards would also be presented during the Executive Hire Party in the middle part of the show.

“The growth of the Executive Hire Show year-on-year is testament to the enthusiasm and hard work of Robert and his team to make it such a success,” he said.

“To have sold out its exhibitor space three months ahead of the show and to have such a high number of repeat bookings already for 2016 is fantastic.

“We have the capacity and facilities at the Ricoh Arena for show organisers to extend their events here and I am sure the Executive Hire Show 2015 will set new records once again.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Respected Professor joins firm’s new crowd safety team

A Coventry training provider has appointed a respected industry expert who will help lead its new crowd safety division.

Crowd science and risk analysis specialist Professor Keith Still has joined eResponse Recruitment and will develop the training side of the firm’s newly launched crowd safety department alongside head of the department, Andy Hollinson.

The new department is dedicated solely to crowd safety management and includes a bespoke consultancy service. It will also offer a variety of recognised qualifications.

With more than 25 years’ experience, Professor Still has advised event organisers on a host of high profile occasions including 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Sydney and London

Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

During his career Professor Still has also advised the Saudi Arabian government, worked with UK government departments and with Manchester City and Manchester United football clubs.

The 55-year-old crowd science lecturer, who is also the Professor of Crowd Science at Manchester Metropolitan University, will now be in charge of delivering training for eResponse’s clients on a variety of safetyrelated topics.

Paul Alekna, managing director of eResponse, said: “Crowd safety at any event is of huge importance and the new department will play a vital role in all crowdrelated advice and training.

“To have someone like Keith working in the new team is fantastic and a big coup for us. He has exceptional credentials in the industry and with Andy, we have two people who can deliver first class training and advice on all aspects of event safety and security.

“Together they are already making a great contribution and are giving clients the essential skills for managing major events.

Adding Keith to the team really does take the new department to a different level.”

Professor Keith Still, added: “I have been fortunate to be involved in crowd safety management for events across the world for the past 25 years. Now as part of the team at eResponse I am keen to pass that knowledge and experience on to clients in a whole host of different industries.

“It’s an exciting time for the firm and with Andy, I look forward to playing my part in developing and driving forward the new division.”

As part of eResponse’s new crowd safety division a dedicated website has been developed. It can be accessed through www.crowdsafetytraining.com eResponse has a branch in Coventry and a new training centre in Rugby. They also have offices in Redditch, Kidderminster and Worcester.

The firm was established by brothers Paul and Joe Alekna in 2003 and has gone on to employ over 80 people. This year it was placed at number 45 in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.

Competition success for Physics students Fourteen upcoming female scientists have won an all-expenses paid trip to Grenoble in France.

The competition, managed by the University of Warwick and the XMaS project, was aimed at female AS Level Physics students.

Rivals were asked to demonstrate their understanding of science in a written assessment.

The winning students from Cardinal Newman Preston, King Edward VI College Nuneaton, King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy, King Henry VIII School, Rugby High School for Girls, West Coventry Sixth Form will be heading to France at Easter.

The four-day tour of Grenoble will give the winning students the opportunity to see what life is like as an international scientist.

The trip includes a visit to the Institut Laue-Langevin, the flagship centre for neutron science. They will also visit the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the most powerful synchrotron radiation source in Europe.

Growth fund supports next stage in development A Coventry manufacturing company, celebrating its 30th anniversary, has expanded and created new jobs after receiving a grant from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

Foleshill Metal Finishing in Bayton Road, Exhall, is renowned across the UK and Europe as a leading provider of powder coating, e-coat and metal finishing services for products ranging from cars to office furniture.

The business was awarded £75,000 from the RGF, which was approved by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), which has been spent on buying a second ecoat paint plant.

Eleven new jobs have been created for plant operators to add to its previous 14 employees with a night shift now in operation.

Tony Minhas, who has been managing director at Foleshill Metal Finishing since 1991, said plans are also in the pipeline to extend its premises to cope with a demand for its services.

“The e-coat paint plant is a water-based wet process so it is environmentally friendly and energy efficient,” he said.

“It took three months to install the machine and it means we can coat products much more quickly and take on more orders from our customers. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“We were previously running at 80-90 per cent capacity and receiving the Regional Growth Fund grant means we expect our turnover to increase by 40 per cent and provide a better and more efficient service to our customers.

“Early next year we aim to start building a 12,000 sq ft warehouse because we have a shortage of space.

“We have been here since the company was established in 1984 by my father, Karnail, with six staff and there has been steady growth over the last 30 years.”

Paint and plant quality engineer Robert Danks has been recruited as an apprentice after Foleshill Metal Finishing developed links with Henley College in Coventry.

Tony added: “Robert is the first apprentice we have taken on for a long time. It can sometimes be difficult to get staff who are committed, understand our processes and stay a long time but we have been very fortunate with our workforce.”

Cllr Kevin Maton, Coventry City Council CabinetMemberforBusiness,Enterpriseand Employment and CWLEP board member, saidtheRGFinitiativewasdesignedtosupport businesses and create jobs.

He said: “This company is showing what can be done with the right level of support.

They employ skilled people and demand for their services is rising which is fantastic news for them and for the skilled people they employ.

From the left, Rob Bent (Coventry City Council), Tony Minhas (Foleshill Metal Finishing), Cllr Kevin Maton (Coventry City Council) and Aran Scotchford (Foleshill Metal Finishing)

“Foleshill Metal Finishing is thriving in its 30th anniversary year and installing a second e-coat paint plant has enabled the company to nearly double its workforce.

“It was really interesting to watch the

paint plant in operation and hear about the different stages involved.

“After receiving the RGF grant, the company is not standing still and already has planning permission to extend its facilities next year.”

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News

Companies show their worth College director shares stage with Lord Young Marla Nelson, Director of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Warwickshire College, has represented the further education sector on a panel discussion on social entrepreneurship at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

Marla shared the stage with Lord Young and the new Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson MP. Also on the panel was Anisa Haghdadi Bem, Founder & CEO of Beatfreeks, who has been a social entrepreneur since the age of 15 and is passionate about engaging and empowering youth through arts, skills training, leadership and enterprise.

The panel discussed social entrepreneurship apprenticeships at the fringe event which was organised by social entrepreneur network UnLtd in association with the Social Economy Alliance.

The event was aimed at promoting social entrepreneurship as a career option and as a potential route out of unemployment, and Marla, who is Director of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at the college, was able to explore the challenges and opportunities for this approach from the further education perspective.

Five Coventry and Warwickshire companies showcased new products at one of the UK’s leading engineering shows.

Penso, the Envisage Group, AP Racing, Ricardo UK and MIRA were invited to the Advanced Engineering Show 2014 at the NEC by the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub. The Growth Hub, which was established by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), is focused on providing a wide range of support and advice to businesses of all sizes in all sectors across the area.

Coventry-based Penso launched its carbon fibre tailgate, Envisage unveiled a unique hand-crafted boot lid skin and AP Racing showed its new aluminium brake calipers.

Leamington-based Ricardo UK showcased the latest generation of their high-speed flywheel energy storage technology and MIRA in Nuneaton brought along a bespoke battery system for commercial electric vehicles.

Craig Humphrey, Managing Director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, said it had been extremely worthwhile to attend the two-day show.

“The Advanced Engineering Show is one of the key UK shows for advanced manufacturing and engineering,” he said.

“We had the opportunity to talk to potential inward investors to Coventry and Warwickshire to encourage them to join the supply chain and promote the companies already located here as well as the services offered by the Growth Hub. “We asked Penso, Envisage, AP Racing, Ricardo and MIRA along and they revealed some of the exciting and cutting-edge products that they have been working on.

“We wanted to put our Growth Hub on the map in the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry as part of our long-term goal to encourage firms to do business with each other, to locate here and to become part of a supply chain which is an integral part of the sector in the UK. “All the Growth Hub account managers attended which meant we had the opportunity to talk to potential businesses because although this event was centred on advanced manufacturing and engineering, we are here to provide advice and help to firms in all sectors.”

Cllr Kevin Maton, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment and CWLEP board member, said: “I was really impressed by the whole show and by the Coventry and Warwickshire companies in particular.

They were very skilfully demonstrating their advanced manufacturing expertise to the show’s visitors and every one I spoke to was in the process of recruiting skilled workers.”

Club reaches out to the next generation Coventry City Football Club are launching a new scheme to help attract the next generation of players and supporters.

Chief executive Steve Waggott has unveiled the Active Ambassadors initiative to give local businesses the chance to play an integral role in the future development of the club.

The initiative, which will work alongside Sky Blues in the Community, the Supporters Consultative Group, Sky Blues Trust and the Former Players’ Association, will have a primary focus of helping Steven Pressley and Neil MacFarlane draft new players (aged between 17 and 20) into the development squad.

But Steve also wants Active Ambassadors to help raise the positive profile of the club and work with him, and other partners, in attracting more supporters to the club – especially youngsters.

The fee to become an Active Ambassador is £10,000 per year – with firms signing up for three year stints – and there is already strong interest from business people in the city.

Steve said: “I am really excited by this initiative. We know there is a desire out there among business people in the city to really get on board and support the club and Active Ambassadors is a way of doing that.

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“This is more than just sponsorship. It’s about becoming embedded within the club and, just as the name suggests, being an ambassador for Coventry City Football Club out there in the community – particularly the business community.

“There are different strands to the work we do in the community and I want the Active Ambassadors to see everything we do so they can help to bring in other businesses and supporters. It’s going to be a real partnership effort.

“What is vitally important for business people to know is that the money from this scheme will be ring-fenced for Steven and Neil to identify talent for the development squad to feed through to the first team.

“This is an opportunity for business people in the city to play a real part in helping to fulfil the aspirations of the manager and we already have some strong interest in the initiative.”

Active Ambassadors will also receive two seats in the Directors’ Box, pre-match meals in the Board Room, post-match hospitality in the Board Room, an annual dinner with CCFC Board and First Team Management, a VIP car park space and listing in the matchday programme.

Anyone interested in becoming an Active Ambassador should contact Steve Waggott at steve.waggott@ccfc.co.uk or call 024 7621 7671. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Taking the tough decisions A prominent businesswoman has spoken of the ‘best worst decisions’ that need to be made in business at a networking event held by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Joy Seppala, founder and chief executive of SISU Capital, which owns Coventry City Football Club, was invited to address the latest Women In Business event sponsored by the Holiday Inn Kenilworth.

The American businesswoman, who has been based in London for the last 20 years, gave an insight into her career - from her childhood ambition to be a business owner to the challenges of being the boss.

“I think that sometimes in business you have to make the best worst decision.

When you are faced with a lot of bad things, you try to make the best worst decision because one needs to be made,” Ms. Seppala told the XX-strong audience of local businesswomen.

“In the case of Coventry City Football Club, we found it on an unviable and unsustainable footing and that needed to be addressed which meant unpopular but necessary decisions to build new and solid foundations.

“Hopefully sooner rather than later, people will see the strides that have been made because of those decisions that had to be made.”

Ms Seppala carved out her career in the tough financial district of Wall Street, moving into the male-dominated world

“I think that sometimes in business you have to make the best worst decision. When you are faced with a lot of bad things, you try to make the best worst decision because one needs to be made.” of mergers and acquisitions before progressing into distressed investing and corporate restructuring.

It was when she was transferred to London to head up the investment side of a large banking business that she recognised the opportunity to fulfil the lifelong dream of owning her own business and, in 1998, established SISU Capital, a value driven investment fund.

Ms Seppala said that belief and vision was the key to success for women running their own businesses and attracting investment.

“I think that really knowing where your business can go and what value there can be is really what compels people to invest.

It’s understanding your business, your product, your marketing, your strategy and where your vision is in five or ten years from now,” she said.

“I think that one of the most important things as a woman is really to know who you are and believing in that. I think that

often women do under-estimate their own potential and their own power and abilities, and I think that you have to believe in you.”

Peter Burns MBE, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, thanked Ms Seppala for being guest speaker at the Women In Business event.

He said: “As a prominent businesswoman with interests in the Coventry and Warwickshire area, Ms Seppala was invited to talk about her journey in business which gave a fascinating glimpse into the world of finance.

“She spoke openly about her experiences both as a business owner and a businesswoman which were of great interest to the audience and I am sure that many will have taken on board the general advice she was happy to share in relation to their own businesses.”

For more information, visit www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Travel Agent arranges India Cycle Challenge Balsall Common based travel agent, The Leisure Traveller has announced the launch of the Myton Hospice, Cycle India Challenge, raising money and awareness of Myton Hospice.

Lynne Tucker, director at The Leisure Traveller, had the idea of arranging the trip after returning from a cycling challenge around the Northern State of Rajasthan, where she raised over £2000 for the Hospice.

Participants will be taking on the challenge in October 2015, to cycle 400km, in just five days around the state of Kerala, in southern India.

So if you would like to take part in the adventure of a lifetime, whilst raising money for such a great cause, please contact Lynne at The Leisure Traveller….places are limited so don’t leave it too late that you miss out!

Double celebration for Lee A leading events entrepreneur has been shortlisted for two major awards at a ceremony in early 2015 after being recognised at a national event.

Lee Thomas, the managing director of Midlands-based events staffing company Aesthetics Events Staff, is a finalist in the Midlands Business Person of the Year at the Midlands Business Awards.

Her firm, which she established from a bedroom in 1996, has also been shortlisted in the Service Provider of the Year (above £1m turnover) at the same event.

It comes after Lee was highlycommended at the 32nd annual Business Woman of the Year awards held in Birmingham.

The company, which is based at Electric Wharf in Coventry, now has more than 12,000 staff on its books worldwide and works for a range of businesses, venues and events – including Wembley Stadium, UEFA, Wimbledon, Silverstone, Volvo, Samsung, Bentley, Fiat, General Motors and the Ford and VW Group.

And Lee is keeping her fingers crossed for success and hopes to inspire other women and girls to set up in business.

She said: “I have never entered awards for personal glory – I want other people to see that if I am able to achieve success in business, they can too.

“For many years, I never really wanted to promote the success of the company but I spoke at a Prince’s Trust event to a group of young girls and realised that there were very few role models with my type of background.

“I am came from a working class background and had to work for every www.cw-chamber.co.uk

penny in order to establish Aesthetics and make it a success. We are now working for some of the biggest brands, venues and sporting events on the planet.

“When I started the company, I knew there was great potential and with the help of a great team around me, we have grown to become one of the biggest companies in our sector.

“I am thrilled that our efforts are being recognised in this way and if it inspires just one person to believe in themselves and set-up their own business, then it’s been worth it.”

The winners of the ninth annual Midlands Business Awards will be announced at a ceremony at the Birmingham Metropole on February 20.

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President & People

Inspired by a sense of community First of all I would like to wish you a happy new year and that 2015 will be a good year for you and your businesses.

On the 3rd of November I represented the Chamber and attended a Coventry Partnership meeting about `Growing the City and Tackling Poverty’. A number of topics were discussed - Active Citizens and Stronger Communities looked at how we can get people more involved in their local communities to the benefit of all.

New Communities into the City discussed how new communities such as asylum seekers could integrate into society. Two other areas were Raising Incomes and Financial Inclusion and Getting People into good jobs.

On the 4th November I had the pleasure to attend another of our Women in Business events at the Holiday Inn Kenilworth. The guest speaker was Joy Seppala who is the Founder and CEO of SISU Capital. Joy gave us a very interesting talk about how she started in business and how she went about starting her own company. Joy was happy to talk about the Coventry City Football Club and inspired the delegates with her business tips and insights in the question and answer session.

On the 5th November I had the opportunity to attend the Dean’s Breakfast meeting with a number of our key stakeholders. The discussion centred around the image of Coventry both from within the city and nationally and how by working together we could improve that.

We discussed Peace and Reconciliation and what the Peace Prize means to the City and how the city centre was improving and was becoming a place where people now come and meet up. A representative from Severn Trent spoke about the integration of their workforce when they relocated to Coventry from Birmingham and the changes made to their workforce perceptions of Coventry.

On the 12th November Pauline and I were guests at a Civic Dinner hosted by the Lord Mayor of Coventry Councillor Hazel Noonan in the Guild Hall of St. Mary.

The event was to welcome His Excellency Dr Ion Jinga, Ambassador of Romania to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Sir Peter Rigby gave a very interesting talk about his business dealings with Romania, he employs some 1000 people there in his IT business. We also heard about the large number of Romanian students at both Coventry and Warwick Universities and other initiatives within the city. This was followed by a speech by the Ambassador.

Major players join Charterhouse Board Two new trustees have joined the Board of the charity behind the restoration of Coventry’s Charterhouse.

The new board members are Louise Bennett, the Chief Executive of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, and Jamie Magraw, the Finance Director of Roc Energy.

The expansion of the board reflects the growth of the charity and the need for more expertise and resource as its projects progress towards delivery.

One of the major tasks for the new trustees will be to increase the profile of the charity within the business community and to set up a fundraising group for major donors within the sub-region.

Ian Harrabin, Chairman of Charterhouse Coventry Preservation Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Louise and Jamie to the Board. Each has different skills that will be essential to the charity as we proceed towards implementing the 70 acre Heritage Park proposals.

“We are starting work on the £250,000 first phase of works in the next few weeks which involve the repair and reconstruction of monastic walls dating back to the 1300s and a survey of the wall paintings to guide future restoration. Both are of national significance.

“It is important that we have the people in place for proper governance and fund raising early on. Both new trustees are a welcome addition to the Board and increase our expertise.”

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Louise Bennett said: “Colonel Wyley, who bequeathed the Charterhouse to the people of Coventry, was one of the founding members of the Chamber and was one of the city’s greatest philanthropists.

“I have been very excited by the proposals which will finally put the Colonel’s vision for Charterhouse into practice.

“I have been involved in the project from the early days and see the potential for great benefit to the city’s image and its businesses as well as being a fantastic community resource.

“The completed vision will be an exceptional asset to Coventry with conference and restaurant facilities in an outstanding country house setting. Part of my role is to increase the linkages to local companies in Coventry and Warwickshire to involve them in the project.”

Jamie Magraw said: “Having taken a major role in the financial governance of the Olympics, I am very excited to be able to put this expertise into practice to deliver something for my home city.

“I am also quite a history buff and this city has so much history that has been forgotten but can play a major part in Coventry’s regeneration.

“The city has the potential to become City of Culture in 2021 and making the most of our 1,000 years of history will be a key part in the success of the bid. These are exciting times for Coventry.”

On the 18th November I was invited to visit member company M-Tec Group at Siskin Drive Coventry. M-Tec use stateof-the-art software to design automotive interiors and exteriors and are a company at the forefront of what they do. They also do a lot with young people in work experience placements and graduate development programmes, another great company in our region leading the way.

On the 25th November I was invited to attend the 50th anniversary celebration at the Wigley Group. The company started out as an agricultural plant hire firm to now being a company developing, owning, insuring and managing commercial property.

On the 27th November we attended the British Chamber of Commerce annual Business Awards Dinner at the Pavilion at the Tower of London to support Tim Goodbody our regional entrepreneur of the year winner. This was a great event supported by chambers from all over the country and lots of regional finalists.

Friday 5th December The Leader of Coventry City Council, Councillor Ann Lucas OBE invited me to attend a supper to talk about the possibility of Coventry putting in a bid to be the City of culture and how we would go about gathering all the information of all the great things about our City both past and present,

Peter Burns MBE

and what we could expect as a legacy for the future. A steering group will be set up to ensure the bid will be City lead and not Council lead.

On Saturday the 6th of December I was invited to open the Coleshill Craft and Food Fair at their Town Hall. This event was held to support the national campaign to promote small businesses and was organised by volunteers in the town, two Business women in particular Barbara and Rose who are determined to help all businesses grow strong alongside a thriving community. I was really pleased to see such a great spirit that existed between every one and I wish them well for the future as I believe it is their intention to do four a year one for each season.

Peer praise for Lodders partners who excel Law firm Lodders Solicitors has received a series of commendations in the latest Legal 500, the industry’s guide to the legal profession.

The 2014 edition continues to praise the firm in three specific areas – agriculture and estates, private client and real estate.

Lodders’ private client team, described as “helpful, with excellent technical knowledge”, is rated as Tier 1. The firm has a focus on clients with assets ranging from £5 million to £10 million.

Senior partner Martin Green, partners Stephen Brignull and Helen Rowett are recommended and partner Louise Igoe is noted for her speed of response and sympathetic Martin Green approach.

Also rated in Tier 1, the agriculture and estates team, headed

by David Lodder, is commended as “exceptionally good”, with praise for its “excellent service quality and attention to detail”.

And in another rapidly growing area of the firm’s expertise, the real estate team is rated Tier 2 and Legal 500 notes that Lodders remains active in high value transactions.

Partner Mark Lee advised Gort Properties on its purchase of a £16.5 million property

portfolio and acted for Wayland Properties on its sale of three car dealerships.

Partner Nick East, who heads the real estate team, is described as “very experienced”.

Managing Helen Rowett partner Rod Bird said: “This is a very heartening acknowledgement of our work and experience in depth by our peers and we welcome such positive comments.

“While it is pleasing to see David Lodder, Martin Green, Stephen Brignull, Helen Rowett, Louise Igoe, Mark Lee and Nick East singled out for praise, the challenge now is for others in the firm to step up to the plate.

“Lodders has an exceptional stream of talent on tap and we would hope to see many more of our colleagues recognised in future editions of Legal 500.”

Stephen Brignull

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

New challenge for partners

Stratford Town Trust is a grant-giving charity dedicated to supporting local people and community projects, and since 2001 has given out around £1m each year to local good causes, community projects and initiatives that have made Stratford-uponAvon a better place to live, work and study.

Richard said: “I am delighted to support the Stratford Town Trust and the work that it does. I live in Stratford and it is important to me to invest my time to support the town and the local community.”

A Warwickshire solicitors’ managing partner and senior partner have become trustees of two of Stratford-upon-Avon’s most renowned charities reflecting their strong commitment to the town.

Wright Hassall’s managing partner Richard Lane has been appointed as a trustee to the Stratford Town Trust, while senior partner Nick Abell has also been appointed as a trustee of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is the world’s leading charity in promoting the works, life and times of William Shakespeare.

The trust cares for and manages the five Shakespeare Houses and Gardens in Stratford upon Avon that form an iconic destination for attracting visitors from around the world as well as one of the world’s largest archives and libraries related to Shakespeare.

Nick, who is also on the board of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “I am really honoured to be appointed as a trustee for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

“As a Stratfordian, I am keen to support the Trust in the valuable and important work it does in caring for the heritage sites and promoting Shakespeare’s life and works.

My role as trustee gives me a fantastic opportunity to do this.”

The appointments of Richard Lane and Nick Abell to their new trustee roles reflects Wright Hassall’s active community presence across Warwickshire.

Wright Hassall’s Head of Agriculture Paul Rice has recently become chairman of the Warwickshire CLA and Lucie Byron, a commercial property expert with law firm Wright Hassall, has also joined the board of trustees of the Heart of England Community Foundation which is dedicated to supporting community based action across the Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull region.

Welcome to our new Board Members Tracey Hudson Tracey Hudson joined our Board last month and brings a wealth of experience working with small and medium sized companies across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Tracey started The HR Dept (South Warwickshire) in 2005. She employs a committed team and has become a successful HR outsourcing company.

Her business provides HR support to a number of our members and other local businesses.

Tracey is delighted to join the Board of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and is excited about supporting the development of the Chamber and, in particular, promoting the services of the Chamber to her local clients and contacts.

Stephen Hynes, DipM, MA, MBA Stephen Hynes originally studied Engineering at Coventry before beginning his early engineering career with Bendix.

His career quickly evolved into sales and marketing and has subsequently held senior Commercial and Marketing posts for both SMEs and large blue chip organisations within the automotive, logistics, off-highway and professional service industries.

After 10 years at Caterpillar, Stephen was appointed as the Marketing Director of Ultraseal International, which is a locally based manufacturer of impregnation

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

chemicals and vacuum impregnation process equipment to the global automotive industry and are an award winning exporter.

Ultraseal is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce and Stephen is actively involved in using the Chamber’s services for export advice, government funding and attending local business practice courses. It is hoped that by being deeply involved in the Chamber that Stephen can bring this international and export experience for the benefit of the other Chamber members.

New Tax Director for SFB

A local firm of chartered accountants, business advisers and wealth managers has strengthened their tax department with the appointment of Rachel Horner as their new Tax Director.

Rachel, who has over 15 years experience advising both UK and international businesses has recently joined The SFB Group, which incorporates Stewart, Fletcher & Barrett chartered accountants.

Rachel trained with a Big 4 firm, has worked in industry for a FTSE100 international hotel group and has run her own tax advisory business, which means that she has a strong understanding of the requirements and challenges faced by business owners and entrepreneurs.

As a Chartered Tax Adviser, Rachel has particular knowledge of complex corporation tax issues, including acquisitions, disposals, research and development and Patent Box. Rachel has a strong reputation for advising clients on tax planning issues and supports them to mitigate their tax liabilities.

Paul Carvell, SFB Managing Director, said “We are delighted to welcome Rachel on board. Rachel’s tax experience and knowledge makes her a significant asset to the SFB team.”

Rachel added: “The SFB Group is a forward thinking firm and I am really looking forward to helping them expand the tax services offered to clients and local businesses.”

The SFB Group provides a wide range of services including accountancy, wealth management, corporate finance, business advice and marketing services.

In addition to the firm’s head office in Nuneaton, SFB also has offices in Coventry & Hinckley.

For further information visit www.sfb.uk.com.

45

New Members & Training Dates

Welcome to new members 3D Technology Unit 4B, Warwick Innovation Centre Gullours Hill, Warwick, CV34 6UW 01926 623 122 alan.rock@shipstonconsulting.com

Linseal International Ltd 11-13 The Green, Bilton, RUGBY. CV22 7LZ 01788 814334 thomas@linseal.com www.linseal.com

Alan Atherton Fire Safety Fox Dell, Croft Road, Bedworth. CV12 0AS 07746 519 588 alan@industrysupplies.co.uk

LTD Online Ltd The Business Resource Network 53 Whateley's Drive, Kenilworth. CV8 2GY 01926 864 528 john@ltdonline.co.uk www.ltdonline.com

Bounceroos Bouncy Castles 6 Court Leet, Binley Woods, Coventry.

CV3 2JR 07702 549727 colin@bounceroos-bouncycastles.co.uk www.bounceroos-bouncycastles.co.uk

Tantamount Ltd Coventry University Technology Park, Puma Way. COVENTRY CV1 2TT 07986 613437 gwyneth@tantamount.com

Ramada Hotel Solihull The Square, Solihull. B913R 0121 711 2121 sm@ramadasolihullhotel.co.uk www.ramadasolihullhotel.co.uk

The Box Factory Limited Unit 2 Caswell Road, LEAMINGTON SPA, CV35 1QD kerry@boxfactory.co.uk www.boxfactory.co.uk

Parkwood Consultancy Services Ltd Avenue J, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

CV8 2LG 01789 450 085 simon.hewitt@parkwoodconsultancy.co.uk www.parwoodconsultancy.co.uk

Region Services Ltd Unit 3, Fullwood Close, Aldermans Green Industrial Estate, COVENTRY. CV2 2SS roger.mathers@rslkiosks.co.uk

The Varsity Gibbett Hill Road, Coventry, CV4 7AJ 02476 695998 varsity.warwick@stonegatepubs.com ww.varsitycoventry.co.uk

CWT Training Dates 2015

January

Odin Engineering Unit 4, Fullwood Close, Aldermans Green Industrial Estate, COVENTRY. CV2 2SS www.odinengineering.co.uk

Duration

Business Doctors 6 Eathorpe Way, Fosse Way, Leamington Spa. CV33 9DX 08452 415 074 paulwalker@businessdoctors.co.uk www.businessdoctors.co.uk/coventry

Poseidon Consultants Ltd Barton, Moorings House, Barton Moorings, Welford Road, BARTON. B50 4NP mark@poscol.com

Strategic Business Development & Support Ltd 122 Heathcote Road, Whitnash, Leamington Spa, CV31 2LZ 07753 116722 adrian@sbdands.co.ukwww.sbdands.co.uk

Callidus One Orchard Lodge, Duck Lane,Welford on Avon. CV37 8QD 01789 750120 sheelagh.rose@btconnect.com www.callidus-one.co.uk

Customer Service Essentials

1/2

14

Account Management NEW

ColourCraftCov Limited Unit 2 Burnsall Road, Canley, Coventry, CV5 6BU 024 7669 1031 admin@colourcraftcov.co.uk www.colourcraftcov.co.uk

1/2

14

Microsoft Excel - Basic to Intermediate

1

14

Managing Change in the Workplace

1

20

Making Business Decisions

1

21

Professional Telephone Techniques

1/2

29

Business Email Writing

1/2

29

Effective Communication

1/2

Conducting Team Briefing / Buzz Meetings

1/2

3

Building the Team NEW

1/2

10

Conveyor Services UK Ltd 14 Furrow Close, RUGBY. CV21 3FF www.conveyorservicesuk.co.uk

Motivating the Team

Daly Engineering Services Ltd Falkland House ,Falkland Close, Coventry.

CV4 8AG 02476 465281 ray.jackman@dalyltd.com www.dalyltd.com DYP Associates 6 Francis Drive, Cawston, Rugby, CV22 7FS 7885436881 karenpow311@gmail.com www.dypassociates.co.uk Formation Media Ltd 7 Smith St, 1st floor, Warwick. CV34 4JA 01926 298777 emma@formationdesigners.co.uk www.formationdesigners.co.uk Hybrid Arts Norton Hall, Spencer Yard, Spencer Street, Leamington Spa. CV31 3SY 01926 886188 becrandle@hybridarts.co.uk www.hybridarts.co.uk

46

3

1/2

10

Microsoft Excel- Intermediate to Advanced

1

11

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

1

12

Setting Goals & Targets NEW

1/2

17

Training & Coaching the Team NEW

1/2

17

Project Management

March

Balanced Scorecard Institute 26 Solent Drive, COVENTRY, CV2 2RG peter@bsci.co.uk www.blancedscorecardinstitute.org

Northgate Vehicle Hire Ltd Unit 2c Grovelands Industrial Estate Longford Road, Coventry. CV7 9NE 01325 467 558 shaun.stephens@northgatevehiclehire.co.uk www.northgatevehiclehire.co.uk

Perfecting Workplace English 31 Dunley Road, Stourport On Severn, Worcester, DY13 0AY 01299 829676 melodie@perfectingworkplaceenglish.co.uk www.perfectingworkplaceenglish.co.uk

Silk House Design Ltd 3 The Wheatsheaf Courtyard, Market Bosworth, CV13 0LF 01455 290 830 rachael@silkhousedesign.co.uk www.silkhousedesign.co.uk

February

AR HR Consult 21 Best Avenue, Kenilworth, CV8 2TN 01926 857 098 angela.roberts@outlook.com

Pera Technology Pera Technology Park, Nottingham Road, MELTON MOWBRAY. LE13 0PB www.peratechnology.com

1

18

NEW Managing Difficult People

1/2

24

Understanding Discipline in the Workplace

1/2

24

Understanding Budgets NEW

1/2

3

Problem Solving Skills NEW

1/2

3

Marketing and Promoting your Business

1

4

Google Analytics

1

5

Communicating Assertively

1/2

6

Complaint Handling NEW

1/2

6

Level 3 Award in Education & Training (City & Guilds) NEW

6

9.16.30

Microsoft Excel Advanced Plus

1

11

Telesales - Getting Results

1

12

Emergency First Aid in the Workplace (EFAW) HSE Approved

1

13

Health & Safety in the Workplace (CIEH Accredited Level 2 Award )

1

23

Understanding Export and Import Procedures

1

24

Appraising People & Performance

1

25 www.cw-chamber.co.uk

1964

Est.