BUSINESS INSIDER
FANTASTIC FOUR Our pick of the most exciting, intriguing or important local business stories right now
SMALL DIFFERENCES “Lay, lady, lay/Lay across my big organic ‘Topsham’”
COTTONING ON
Philippa Rutherford
Exeter BID is calling on city residents to support Small Business Saturday on 3 December. The annual, grassroots, not-for-profit campaign shines a spotlight on small, independent businesses in communities across the country and encourages people up and down the country to go out and show their support for them. Last year’s Small Business Saturday saw an estimated £623 million spent with small businesses across the UK on the day, up £119 million on the previous year, and an increase in spending of 24%. Says Philippa Rutherford, Exeter BID board director and owner of Mantis
in Gandy Street: “Small businesses are important because they provide excellent knowledge, products and services with a friendly smile! “Small Business Saturday is a great initiative because it highlights small shops and businesses which can often be forgotten next to the big corporate names, and considering that the combined turnover of SME’s in the UK amounted to £1.8 trillion in 2016, they are also vital for a healthy UK economy”. For more: smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com, exeterbid.co.uk
Pioneering local husband-and-wife team Mark and Liz Dowen have developed the only truly chemical free mattress in the UK using an innovative natural material called Cottonsafe. A blend of organic cotton and pure Dartmoor sheep’s wool, Cottonsafe is 100% natural, biodegradable, sustainable and completely chemical-free and combines the natural and warm properties of wool, with the perfect absorbency of cotton to keep you cool, to aid a restful night’s sleep. The pair, who have a showroom and factory at Woodbury, near Exeter, have now developed a wide range of Cottonsafe mattresses, handsewn using flax and with fire safety woven in and surpassing all the UK’s stringent furniture fire regulations. In keeping with the local theme, they have named their mattresses after well-known local towns, such as ‘The Topsham’ and ‘The Budleigh’. “We are developing the fabric further,” says Liz, “and are looking to launch a new range of sofas in 2017.” For more: cottonsafenaturalmattress.co.uk
MOVERS, SHAKERS, ETC Gilbert Stephens have appointed Jamilah Pringle to associate solicitor within their busy private client legal team to advise on all aspects of private client work including wills, inheritance tax planning, Powers of Attorney, Deputyships and estate administrations. Jamilah qualified as a solicitor in 2007 and joined Gilbert Stephens at the beginning of June 2014. . . Clive Hetherington joins Foot Anstey as an advisor to the firm, particularly focused on the banking and financial services sector. Clive joins from Lloyds Banking Group where he was Regional Director Mid Markets for the South West. . . Trowers & Hamlins has expanded its litigation team with the hire of senior associate Kathryn Insall (pictured) in its Exeter office. Kathryn joins from Clyde & Co and brings nine years of experience in trial, arbitration and mediation, particularly across the aviation and aerospace sectors. 78 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk