Business & Innovation Magazine - Issue 12 March 2019

MILES DUNKLEY, SLG BEAUTY NICOLA WHITING, TITANIA

Editor-in-Chief

Nicky Godding

Tel: 07966 510401

nicky.godding@nkmedia.co.uk

Commercial Director

Kirsty Muir

Tel: 07971 912020

kirsty.muir@nkmedia.co.uk

Chairman, NK Media Ltd

James Palmer

Regional Account & Events Manager

Rosemary Henderson

Tel: 07889 227432

rosemary.henderson@nkmedia.co.uk

Marketing & Events Co-ordinator

Lizi Clapham

Tel: 07955 855817

lizi.clapham@nkmedia.co.uk

Customer Services enquiries@nkmedia.co.uk

Accounts accounts@nkmedia.co.uk

Magazine Design

Brace Creative Agency www.brace.co.uk

Magazine Printers

The Manson Group www.mansongroup.co.uk

Chief Photographer

Rob Lacey www.roblaceyphotographer.co.uk

Contributing Editor

Anita Syvret www.syvretmedia.co.uk

Contributing Writer

Ian Mean

Sub Editor

Joyce Matthews

Nicky Godding Editor-in-Chief

Brexit looms this month.

As we go to print, many of our MPs are still deciding who to support. One MP I spoke to in January said that businesses are not telling the government what they want. I found that very surprising. Most business organisations (the CBI, Federation of Small Businesses, Institute of Directors et al) have been clear for months: whatever you decide, decide quickly then get on with it.

The trouble is, many MPs don’t seem to have heeded that view. The Chancellor of The Exchequer, Philip Hammond, when he came to open the new University of Gloucestershire Business School in February, says he know what businesses want: Certainty.

Yes! Please, please keep reminding your colleagues.

I hope that by the time you are reading this, our MPs will finally have decided to work together for the good of the country.

As always, in this magazine we reveal the positives. And in this issue, there are lots. Our skills feature includes an inspiring visit to Blenheim Palace where the most traditional of British organisations is setting the standard for holistic skills development.

I also met Clare Marchant, the Chief Executive of UCAS, the UK’s university admissions service, who wants to list advanced apprenticeships on their site to make them easier to find.

We showcase fantastic small and medium-sized businesses in our SME feature and our big interviews with Miles Dunkley of SLG Beauty and Nicola Whiting of Titania reveal that whatever business sector you are in, creativity in the workplace makes recruitment and retention easier, and going to work more enjoyable for everyone.

Business & Innovation Magazine is a bi-monthly magazine published by NK Media Ltd. Our readers are business owners, senior executives, key influencers, entrepreneurs, innovators and those working in further and higher education, and government departments. Any opinions expressed by those quoted in this magazine are their own and do not necessarily represent or reflect those of Business & Innovation Magazine, or of NK Media Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form of advertising or promotion without the written permission of the Editor-in-Chief or Commercial Director.

ISSN 2514 - 7609

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HEADLINES

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

IN THE SHOWCASE

FOREST OF DEAN WITNEY WORCESTER CITY

P92

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SPIN-OUT SPECIAL

SPOTLIGHT ON LEADERS

P85

P10

MILES DUNKLEY OF SLG BEAUTY, ON CREATIVITY

SPOTLIGHT ON MANUFACTURING

P89

meet Clare Marchant of UCAS

OF GREEN FUEL TECHNOLOGIES VIVARAIL SPEARHEADS DEVELOPMENT

Take a free ride across the Severn Bridges

Drivers are now travelling for free across both the Prince of Wales and original Severn Crossing for the first time in 52 years.

Tolls have been charged since the first Severn Crossing opened in 1966 and the final driver to pay to cross over from England to Wales was the Welsh Secretary, Alun Cairns.

The Road Haulage Association cautiously welcomed the Government’s decsion, but issued a warning.

RHA chief executive, Richard Burnett said: “Removing the tolls will be a tremendous boost to businesses which use these major routes.

“However, the increase in traffic will inevitably put more strain on the road network. If the infrastructure can’t cope then the benefits will be offset by the increase in congestion.”

According to Savills estate agents, Forest of Dean house prices have risen by approximately 10.5 per cent, more than almost anywhere else in the UK. Experts think this could be down to pent-up demand from Bristol workers seeking more affordable housing than their city can provide.

Stratford-upon-Avon train designer and manufacturer Vivarail has revealed new visuals for its hydrogen train showing how its unique modular design will deliver more seats for passengers as well as emission-free travel.

Vivarail says that it is the only train manufacturer with a fully approved base train to work from. The hydrogen train will follow the design of the Transport for Wales fleet with two driving motor cars powered by Hoppecke batteries, the only difference being that, instead of a diesel generator beneath the intermediate car, the hydrogen train will have two carriages housing the fuel cells and hydrogen tanks.

Unlike other trains, the Vivarail Class 230s will store all the equipment beneath the floor, making a much more streamlined and efficient vehicle able to carry more passengers and deliver faster journey times.

“Vivarail is the only train manufacturer to have built and run a pure battery train which launched in October 2018, carrying passengers on the Scottish heritage Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway”

Vivarail is the only train manufacturer to have built and run a pure battery train which launched in October 2018, carrying passengers on the Scottish heritage Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway.

Good Energy supplies Chippenham Town with 100 per cent renewable power

Chippenham Town Football Club has switched to 100 per cent renewable power, supplied by Good Energy.

The deal covers the team’s 3,000 capacity stadium in Hardenhuish Park for 33 months, the longest such agreement Good Energy has signed.

Chippenham-based Good Energy will provide around 50,000 kilowatt hours of clean electricity each year. This is an estimated carbon dioxide saving of 17,500 kilogrammes, equivalent to a

new car driving from London to Beijing 13 times.

Good Energy, which also sponsors Chippenham Rugby Club, has also submitted plans to build a new purposebuilt, sustainable headquarters near the train station.

Chippenham Town’s Chairman, Neil Blackmore, said: “We are committed to our community. That means looking after our environment and supporting local businesses through using them as

MBO for innovation management company

SQW Group, the company behind Oxford Innovation which helps support scale-up SMEs, has been acquired by its management in a deal led by CEO David Crichton-Miller.

Comprising SQW, Oxford Innovation, Oxford Innovation Services and Oxford Investment Opportunities Network, the Group’s origins are in Britain’s two ancient university cities: Oxford, through Oxford Trust founders, Martin and Audrey Wood, and Cambridge, through SQW’s work in producing The Cambridge Phenomenon.

It now employs more than 250 people across London, Oxford and Edinburgh and is the leading innovation centre operator in the UK. It provides business support to more than 4,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses each year, helping to raise early stage investment capital and providing consultancy to local and national policy makers.

David Crichton-Miller said: “This transaction will enable the Group to continue driving revenues through expansion and the development of new markets that build on our expertise in enabling accelerated, sustainable growth in SMEs. Sir Michael Lyons will remain as chairman of the new company.

Power of sport helps kick-off pioneering cancer research

Footballers, farmers and cricketers have helped fund new research to diagnose cancer faster.

A pioneering new study is under way at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital looking at using fibre optic light to detect thyroid cancer, potentially giving an instant diagnosis for patients.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust research team has previously demonstrated it is possible to tell the difference between healthy and cancerous tissue by measuring the light emitted when a low power laser is shone upon the tissue.

This new study will develop the diagnostic technique further and has the potential to benefit patients with suspected thyroid cancer. It is also hoped this technique could then be used to help assist in the diagnosis of breast and other cancers in the future.

It was made possible thanks to £12,000 given to FOCUS, the charitable fund for the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre.

Dr Dudgeon said the team will hopefully be able to diagnose in under five seconds, compared to the current time of up to three days.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals’ research teams are currently running more than 100 clinical research trials.

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club raised £6,000 towards the study at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival and the other £6,000 came from Growers United FC (GUFC).

“We are a collective of UK growers who organise sporting events to unite and support communities and, above all, give back by raising funds for local and national charities”

Growers United uses sport to bring together people in different communities working in food and agriculture in the Vale of Evesham. Every year they raise tens of thousands of pounds for charity.

suppliers, wherever possible. We’re delighted to partner Good Energy and grateful for their support in making us a really sustainable organisation.”

Good Energy Director, Randall Bowen, said: “Chippenham is leading the way in switching to clean energy.”

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Alex Dudgeon, who has been working alongside head and neck surgeon Mr Charlie Hall to prepare for the start of the trial, said: “With early detection a key factor in the successful treatment of cancer, this technique has real potential to improve the speed of diagnosis and treatment for future cancer patients.”

Bal Padda from GUFC said: “We are a collective of UK growers who organise sporting events to unite and support communities and, above all, give back by raising funds for local and national charities. We are only too pleased to be able to help this amazing charity and that our donation is going to fund this pioneering cancer research.”

Chippenham Town Football Club

Dr Alex Dudgeon

WORCESTERSHIRE CONSORTIUM SWITCHES ON BRITAIN’S FIRST 5G FACTORY TRIAL

The UK’s first live 5G factory trials have begun in Worcester, in a landmark step towards the creation of smart factories in Britain.

The trials mark the first time that British industry has deployed this next-generation technology and it is set to completely transform the way the sector operates. 5G refers to fifth generation mobile networks which will be considerably faster than previous generations.

In a huge step on the UK’s journey towards Industry 4.0 (where computers are connected and can communicate to make decisions without human involvement), 5G will allow manufacturers to test the potential of 5G investments – from factory floor production, reconfiguration and real-time analysis, to steering a machine’s movements from a remote location.

World-leading engineering company Worcester Bosch is testing 5G for improved factory output. Multinational defence company QinetiQ has been designing security into the network and applications known as “security by design.”

£20k start-up investment up for grabs

Young entrepreneurs are being given the chance to kick-start their business ideas with a five-figure investment.

The Baldwins KickStart Young Entrepreneur Awards are open to 18 to 25-year-olds in England, Scotland and Wales. The competition is entering its seventh year and has seen £180,000 invested in start-up businesses since 2013.

The award winner will be given a £10,000 grant along with £10,000 worth of mentoring and business advice. Two runners-up will each receive £5,000 worth of mentoring and business advice.

Last year saw Michael Harkins scoop the top prize for his idea of a shell-shaped

swimming aid that sits on a child’s back, enabling users to swim freely without the need for armbands and handheld floats.

David Baldwin, Board Director at accountants Baldwins, which has offices across the region, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for young people who have just started a business or are looking to turn their idea into a reality.”

“Last year’s winner, Michael Harkins, spotted an issue with existing swimming apparatus while going about his daily routine as a swimming instructor. His product is now on the market.

“The uncertainty originating from Brexit provides a challenging environment for

Leading global manufacturer Yamazaki Mazak is also using 5G at its Worcester facility to conduct trials that will demonstrate how 5G can be used to enhance factory productivity.

Mark Stansfeld, Chair of the Worcestershire 5G Testbed and Trials, and also Chair of Worcestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Going live with the UK’s first 5G factory trials marks a monumental step in delivering the vision of the Worcestershire 5G testbed to increase UK productivity. We are proud of the collaboration between all consortium members in making this happen.”

existing businesses, let alone those just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey, so providing young business people with the right guidance is important now more than ever.”

The deadline to apply for the Baldwins KickStart Young Entrepreneur Awards is August 31.

“Going live with the UK’s first 5G factory trials marks a monumental step in delivering the vision of the Worcestershire 5G testbed”

The Worcester Bosch Factory in Worcester

Michael Harkins scooped last year’s Baldwins KickStart Young Entrepreneur Awards

SLG’S GLOBAL AMBITION IS A BEAUTY

International cosmetic brand creator and owner SLG is flying high, and its new Cheltenham HQ is a sight to behold

By Nicky Godding

Miles Dunkley, CEO SLG Beauty

SLG Beauty moves into its new studios and workspace in The Brewery Quarter, Cheltenham this month

Global beauty brand company SLG has turned what could have been run-of-the mill offices into a creative and inspirational space which it hopes will drive further creative growth.

The move cements a major intensification of its business ambition. Once a family business, established in 1985, successfully and contentedly designing and manufacturing beauty brands badged “own label” by major retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, it has left contract manufacturing and private labels far behind.

The company, which turned over £38 million in 2017 and has 120 employees, now works with international fashion brands such as Superdry, Missguided and Laura Ashley and millennial vloggers such as Zoella. It also owns the UK’s fastest-growing (and also now States-side) men’s hair styling brand Johnny’s Chop Shop.

Chief Executive, Miles Dunkley, says the business is now focussed on creating and scaling amazing brands that are either owned by SLG or tied into a strategic licensing partnership. “Essentially, we have replaced the largely commodity private label business we once had with far more dynamic and globally scalable brand assets,” he says. “As a result we have greater control of the brand’s destiny and can generate potentially very valuable IP.”

Licenced to thrill

SLG collaborates with well-known fashion and lifestyle brands under licence. This relationship works well for both sides. “We manage the design and development process of the brand and products and, crucially, determine

how it is best positioned within the beauty sector,” explains Miles. “Our skill is to marry up brand with market gap opportunity and execute the concept with creativity, precision and commercial viability.”

Barber range is no Johnny-come-lately

Working in collaboration with well-known brands has been a great success for the company, but it didn’t fulfil Miles’s ambition to develop his company’s own brand assets.

He put that right in 2016, with the launch of Johnny’s Chop Shop – his über cool barber shop and male grooming brand that fuses 1960s retro style with modernday hair trends.

Currently there are Johnny’s Chop Shops in Marshall Street (off Carnaby Street), London and a concession in Topman’s flagship store at Oxford Circus.

SLG recently signed deals with Topshop for two more concessions, at Westfield Stratford and in its Westminster store. Miles says that the chain may open up around 10 barbers in total.

The Marshall street shop in particular is becoming well known on social media. “We cut the hair of some well-known You Tubers such as Marcus Butler and celebrities like Freddie Flintoff. It is a media showcase for the brand.”

SLG has no plans for Johnny’s Chop Shop to become a major high street retail chain but having strategically placed outlets around London gives the product range vital barbering provenance, says Miles.

He first noticed the barber trend emerging around three or four years ago.

“I was watching my sons styling their hair. They really didn’t want to go to a regular hairdresser. Instead they wanted to go to an indie barbershop where the atmosphere was edgy and cool.”

He’d hit on a global phenomenon. This January, Johnny’s Chop Shop products launched in 3,500 Walmart shops in the USA and are already in Russia, South Korea and 10 other countries.

After just two years the brand has a retail value of around £6 million.

Recently, Miles signed the lease for the first Johnny’s Chop Shop barber shop in America, in one of the hottest retail sites in New York, in the hip Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, across the East River from Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

It will be next door neighbour to the fashion and skate brand Supreme, the most in-demand Generation Z fashion brand in the world (though you might not have heard of it unless you’re male and aged 14-35 years, or the parent of one).

“To be neighbours to a phenomenon like Supreme is a great brand adjacency for us,” says Miles.

“Johnny’s Chop Shop barber shops are now in London and New York and our products are sold all over the world.”

Like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, one of the UK’s fastest-growing beauty and male grooming brand companies has broken out from its former funky subterranean studios and flown into an incredible new urban space at the Brewery Quarter in Cheltenham.

SLG Beauty

“We manage the design and development process of the brand and the products and, crucially, determine how it is best positioned within the beauty sector”

SLG Beauty

The “freeway” at SLG Beauty’s new studios and workspace in Cheltenham

With its barber brand growing globally, SLG has more new brands in incubation. The company’s most natural audience is Generation Z and millennials, says Miles, those born from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s.

“We are highly design-geared and fashionorientated, and we’ve found that this particularly creative approach works well with Generation Z customers.”

Glance upwards, above Urban Outfitters, as you stroll through Cheltenham’s newest retail and entertainment quarter and you might catch sight of SLG’s funky new working space.

The company’s new lab and studios at The Brewery feels like it could be a cavernous loft in Manhattan’s fashionable TriBeCa neighbourhood in New York.

“We’d been looking for fresh accommodation for some time,” explains Miles. “We couldn’t find anywhere to buy.

“I particularly wanted a city centre location and open plan space which is almost impossible. But Kurt Wyman, my commercial property agent and friend, came upon The Brewery.”

Miles says his jaw hit the ground when he walked into the huge, open space. The landlord was about to apply a standard fit-out – plastered walls, raised floor and suspended ceilings. “I said. Stop! Leave it to us, we want the raw, urban space.”

The new offices cover 27,000sq ft of which SLG is taking around 21,000sq ft. It will sub-let the remaining space.

“This workspace has become the most incredible opportunity to narrate SLG’s design-led approach and create something remarkable,” says Miles.

I’ve visited creative offices spaces before and sometimes wonder why so much money is invested in them. So I ask.

SLG Beauty turns concrete into class

“There is often a complacent approach to the creation of work environments by businesses owners,” says Miles. “The easy and usually uninspiring “standard” fit-out is often the default when, with vision, investment and belief, something more inspiring can be created.

to imagine an insurance firm having a fluorescent orange slide linking the claims team with the underwriting department. “But it is important to create as inspiring an environment as possible for our staff.”

It’s not just the physical environment, he says forcefully. “You need a great culture too. In fact, that comes first. We’ve always aimed to be dynamic, creative and friendly.

“Creativity has driven our business to where it is now, which brings me back to our office. Give people somewhere fabulous to work and they’re more likely to thrive and that’s great for the company.”

Miles commissioned local graffiti artists to paint some of the walls and ceilings. The space also showcases neon pop-art and provides social hubs, a kitchen bar, hammocks, shower rooms and designer bathrooms with GHD hair straighteners and Dyson hairdryers.

“If you believe that a company’s most important asset is your staff, then it’s a no-brainer. You make the investment. I want my team to feel proud of their company, to show it off to friends and family, and to love being here.

“A company like ours thrives on creativity. If you can immerse your staff in a sense of design, style and cool, then your creative ideology naturally embeds. It’s an investment in our brand values. And it’s not just our staff. Customers, suppliers, associates – all who visit us feel it too.”

A bold approach like this is not necessarily going to be suitable for more conservative businesses, Miles admits, “It’s difficult

The boardroom has a graffiti fresco ceiling and there’s an event space which can accommodate around 120 people, with a vast media wall. Miles hopes to offer this as a venue – perhaps hosting fringe events during the Cheltenham Festivals.

A central “freeway” runs through the office on which staff might be seen skateboarding and the whole space is remarkably close to his original design concept of early 2018.

“We first took our staff to visit last summer. We projected our design visuals for the space on to the walls. There was quite a cheer and an emotional reaction when they saw them. It was then I realised that we were doing the right thing.”

SLG Beauty

“Creativity has been the engine that has driven our business to where it is now, which brings me back to our office. Give people somewhere fabulous to work and they’re more likely to thrive and that’s great for the company”

“We are highly designgeared and fashionorientated, and we’ve found that this particularly creative approach works well with Generation Z customers”

The break out space in SLG’s new Cheltenham studios

REGIONAL ROUND-UP COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE

First hour-long flight for hydrogen unmanned aerial vehicle

ALL FUN AND GAMES AT LEAMINGTON SPA’S INTERACTIVE FUTURES FESTIVAL

Gamers descended on Leamington Spa for the first event of its kind in the town.

The inaugural “Interactive Futures” Games Festival took place last month, bringing the UK and international games industry to the town for a three-day festival of games, culture and creativity.

The main conference offered a showcase for the latest developments and opportunities in this fast-growing sector. Local independent studios and students were also able to get their games or animations in front of the audience of professionals.

Figures released from The Entertainment Retailer’s Association show that UK sales of games have now eclipsed that of both music and video combined.

In 2018, game sales reached a record £3.86 billon across physical and digital, an increase of more than nine per cent on the previous year, and now represent more than 50 per cent of the entertainment retail market. In comparison, physical and digital sales for music and video achieved £1.33 billion and £2.34 billion respectively.

Digital games sales were the key driver of growth, increasing by 12.5 per cent. Physical sales saw a small decline of 2.8 per cent. Overall, the UK games market has now more than doubled since 2007.

A project to develop a hydrogen fuel cell-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), has beaten its original test flight target of 60 minutes with a five kilogram payload, setting a new benchmark in the commercial UAV industry.

Project RACHEL, supported by Innovate UK, is led by Coventry engineering company Productiv on behalf of the UK’s leading UAV filming specialists BATCAM.

Successful completion of the project will bring major benefits for those involved in commercial UAV usage, in sectors such as mining, agriculture, surveying and monitoring, security and emergency services, said the company.

Loughborough-based Intelligent Energy has completed the integration work and BATCAM, based at Waltham Abbey, has advised on design requirements, project targets and has piloted the test flights.

Productiv’s role includes programme management, business model planning, design for manufacture and supply chain optimisation, with the aim of having all components sourced within the UK.

Jonathan Reed of Productiv said:

Following this first festival, the dates for the 2020 Interactive Futures festival have been confirmed as January 30-February 1 next year.

Coventry and Warwickshire has a globally significant gaming cluster and is one of the largest in the UK. The “Silicon Spa” cluster employs more than 2,000 skilled people in games development, equating to over 10 per cent of the UK total.

The cluster is anchored in the heart of Royal Leamington Spa and stretches out to the surrounding areas of Southam and Warwick, with key industry gaming companies including Codemasters, SEGA and Ubisoft.

Currently there are more than 30 studios operating from within the Silicon Spa area and over 45 across the area of Coventry and Warwickshire.

“Operators need longer flight times than can be delivered with batteries and are seeking alternative power sources with higher power density.

“Hydrogen power has huge potential and we anticipate a significant growth in the market for hydrogenpowered UAVs in the next few years.”

“Coventry and Warwickshire has a globally significant gaming cluster which is one of the largest in the UK”

Regional round-up

Visitors to the Interactive Futures conference at Leamington Spa

NEW WARWICKSHIRE HQ FOR COMPULSIVE HOARDING ENTERPRISE

A pioneering social enterprise for compulsive hoarders has moved into its first offices after outgrowing its home headquarters.

Enabling Spaces was established in 2017 by specialist occupational therapists Yvonne Singleton and Jo Dowdeswell, after a hoarding service they had piloted with a social housing landlord in Coventry folded due to funding.

They have developed a new way of tackling hoarding, using their occupational therapy skills to take a psychological as well as practical approach.

A year after launching the community interest company from their homes, and faced with an increasing waiting list of referrals, they have moved to the Rural Innovation Centre at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire.

Midcounties Co-op signs up 700,000th member

The Midcounties Co-operative, which has its headquarters at Warwick Technology Park, has signed up its 700,000th member. The milestone represents a 22 per cent increase in Midcounties’ membership in three years.

Phil Ponsonby, Midcounties Co-operative Chief Executive, said: “Every new member grows our ability to support our local community and champion the issues that we know are important to them.”

The 700,000th member, Tom Waggett, is a new customer for Co-op Energy, the UK-wide utilities business operated by Midcounties.

To mark the milestone, and the Society’s commitment to local sourcing and efficient energy use, Mr Waggett was presented

They are contracted with Coventry City Council and NHS Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group to support individuals in the city who hoard, and take private referrals as well.

Compulsive hoarding is now a recognised mental health problem, according to the NHS and Mind, the mental health charity. A hoarding disorder is where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner, usually resulting in unmanageable amounts of clutter. The items can be of little or no monetary value.

Compulsive hoarding is now a recognised mental health problem, according to the NHS and Mind, the mental health charity

Liz Burkinshaw, manager of the Rural Innovation Centre, said: “The Centre is designed to provide the environment for small enterprises to grow and we look forward to supporting Enabling Spaces in expanding a much-needed service.”

Warwick firm lands bumper order

A Warwick recruitment company has started the year with one of its largest assignments, just months after launching an international arm.

Apex Recruitment, which specialises in the automotive, engineering and advanced manufacturing sectors, started to work in Sweden last year and has now agreed a deal to recruit 100 software experts for the country’s largest consultancy company.

with a gift hamper, containing local produce from Midcounties’ “Best of Our Counties” range, and an energysaving pack.

Midcounties was voted Leading Co-op of the Year 2018 by Co-operatives UK and was recently awarded a five-star rating in Business in the Community’s Corporate Responsibility Index.

Sigma, which employs more than 3,000 staff across a range of disciplines in IT and software, has turned to the UK to find new staff for permanent roles at its headquarters in Gothenburg.

It hopes to fill the roles by the summer and is using Apex partly due to the Midlands’ high level of skills in software.

Lee Franklin, Member Benefits Manager at The Midcounties Co-operative Tom Waggett and Amy Collins, Assistant manager at Gillingham Coop Travel

Jo Dowdeswell (Enabling Spaces), Amy Rogers (Rural Innovation Centre), Yvonne Singleton (Enabling Spaces) and Liz Burkinshaw (Rural Innovation Centre)

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THE ROBOTS ARE TAKING OVER, AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Two Gloucestershire companies are independently developing robotics technology, one to support the elderly, the other to help the young.

Service Robotics Ltd, based in Cheltenham, is working with computer technologists at the University of Gloucestershire to develop healthcare robots to monitor and assist the daily life of the elderly.

Ohbot Ltd, set up by Stroud-based Dan Warner and Matt Walker in 2015, is a small robot designed to engage children in computer science in a fun and creative way.

Service Robotics’s AI-driven robot is aimed at helping the elderly by combining a friendly service agent which provides live video support on the robot screen via simple voice command. The GenieConnect robot will answer questions and provides personalised content and reminders using Artificial Intelligence and knowledge of the user.

Zayd Dawood, Academic Course Leader in Digital Media and Web at the University of Gloucestershire has been consulting with Service Robotics Ltd on software strategy and acting as an academic adviser on the project.

Rob Parkes, Co-Founder of Services Robotics Limited, said: “GenieConnect was created from a combination of our experience in digital services, our engineering background and our experience with family members struggling to transition into living independently.

We have received a lot of help from the university, not only from Zayd in software design and strategy, but Jessica Reid, lecturer in graphic design, along with marketing support from MBA students.”

The Ohbot, designed by Dan Warner and Matt Walker, has human features and movement to help children engage with trying to programme the robot to talk.

There are now more than 3,000 Ohbots in 39 countries helping children learn to code and they have appeared in films for the BBC, collaborations with Microsoft and installations and workshops at the London Science Museum.

In 2017, the business began working with the Department of International Trade to help increase its exports and expand its international presence.

The department introduced the business to potential buyers and provided financial support to help Ohbot exhibit globally.

Now the team is crowdfunding for Picoh, a half-sized sibling for Ohbot. The first Picohs will be shipped in May if the team reach their £30,000 target.

Dan and Matt say that every Picoh is unique to its owner and can convey a range of emotions and display faces and animations with pixel technology.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Procook acquires Steamer Trading

Regional round-up

Leading UK cookware and kitchen retailer ProCook, which has its headquarters in Gloucester, has bought 27 of the 38 Steamer Trading stores, after the speciality kitchenware retailer went into administration in January.

The acquisition also includes the e-commerce business and the head office team.

Daniel O’Neill, owner of ProCook said: “We see this as a fantastic opportunity for Steamer Trading and ProCook to grow both brands. Our focus will continue to be on providing excellent value for money, great service and innovative highquality homewares.”

He added: “We are very excited about the future, although because of high rent and rates and the current retail climate, we had to make the decision not to take on all the stores. However, we will endeavour to fill all vacancies across our stores by transferring people from closing stores.

Clare Burgess, who was previously the Trading Director of Steamer Trading, will now head up the Steamer Trading Cookshop brand.

Steamer Stores in Bath, Bristol, Cirencester, Hereford, Thame and Witney will remain open.

The Ohbot’s half pint sibling Picoh which is undergoing crowdfunding

Steamer Trading store

i2i Recruitment expands its unique offering across the UK with Search and Selection

The largest independent recruitment consultancy in the Cheltenham and South West area, i2i Recruitment Consultancy Limited, has announced the launch of a new nationwide recruitment service for businesses and professionals, i2i Search and Selection Limited.

i2i Recruitment specialises in commercial office staff, both permanent and temporary, and i2i Search and Selection compliments this by providing a national service to source candidates in technical and management roles.

With the UK skills shortage making it harder than ever for businesses to source and engage the best quality talent for their vacancies, i2i Recruitment and i2i Search and Selection review over 1,000 CVs and meet with 350 potential candidates each week. The firm has filled more than 80 permanent roles and 5,000 temporary worker hours in January alone.

David started recruiting nearly 20 years ago after gaining factory experience with Northern Foods and Mars across quality, production and supply chain roles. As a recruiter, he has worked with a broad spectrum of blue chip, SME and start-up businesses to source key skills.

Taking a dynamic personal approach, i2i Recruitment and i2i Search and Selection appreciates that behind every CV is a person and behind each job spec sits a business with individual needs. This has become a major company philosophy due to its success for both clients and candidates alike.

To achieve this personal approach, both i2i Recruitment and i2i Search and Selection become an extension of their client’s business. This is done by reducing risk, investing in recruitment and protecting the customer brand. Marketing the customer to the consultancies extensive employment talent pool provides the ultimate shortlist of candidates.

“We all share the same values and beliefs about how people should be treated, doing the best job we can every day and doing business in the right way. Together we knew an expansion of services across the UK, using our brilliant 20-point recruitment plan, made complete sense. After all, it has served i2i perfectly for 14 years so far.”

David Woodward, Director i2i Search and Selection

It is this focus on a consultancy-based service for both candidates and employers that has led to an impressive 2:1 interview to placement ratio, helping job seekers secure the role of their dreams.

For more information on how David and i2i Search and Selection can help your business recruit the best candidates, contact him today:

David Woodward T: 01242 771 021

David@i2irecruitment.co.uk

i2i Search and Selection have already had great success

A good example of this is their work with healthcare rm’s CEO, Pamela Gellatly.

healthcare rm was set up in 2000 with a unique proposition and insight – delivering business healthcare solutions, integrating health at a personal and organisational level. They establish the most effective clinical or non-clinical interventions that resolve heath issues in the long term rather than promote a particular treatment pathway.

Pamela identified the need for a Data Scientist with a specific skill set and health care experience. i2i Search and Selection focussed on the essential criteria a candidate would need to fulfil the scope of the role and shortlisted a single candidate. The successful candidate joined the business and the recruitment process was completed within a week. Although these processes tend to take longer, we are always thorough and efficient!

Six figure sum lights up fire and security business

Cheltenham-based A&E Fire & Security has secured six-figure funding from HSBC UK to invest in new technology to help the company achieve environmental goals.

New customer relationship management software has enabled the business to digitise and create an online platform for its services, limiting paper use and boosting its green credentials. A&E Fire & Security will also use the funding to develop a digital-based employee training programme.

Lynn de Backer, Finance Manager at A&E Fire Equipment, said: “Our motivation as a company is one of environmental sustainability, and the addition of the CRM software will not only help us to become more environmentally-friendly, but has made our processes more streamlined and cost-efficient.”

A&E Fire Equipment Ltd, established in 1965, supplies fire and security equipment and offers fire safety and maintenance training.

David Butler, HSBC UK’s Area Director for Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, said: “We’re pleased to have supported Lynn and the team in paving their way to environmental sustainability.”

MIDCOUNTIES CO-OP BUYS FOUR COTSWOLDS WARNER BUDGENS STORES

The UK’s largest independent Co-operative has agreed a deal to buy four Warner’s Budgens food stores, a deal that will complete this summer.

Midcounties Co-operative has supermarkets and convenience stores across a number of counties and the acquisition of the Budgens stores will strengthen its presence in the area.

The four stores are in Bidford-on-Avon, Broadway, Moreton-in-Marsh and Winchcombe. These are currently owned and operated by independent retailer Guy Warner who, under the terms of the deal, will retain freehold ownership of the four properties.

Guy, who opened his first supermarket in Broadway in 2006, said the sale to Midcounties Co-operative was a vote of confidence in the success of the Warner’s Budgens brand which has just notched up its two best years of sales

Tape adhesive business celebrates 40 years in business

A leading distributor for global adhesive tape manufacturer Tesa, is celebrating 40 years in business.

South Western Specialised Tapes, which started life in a double garage attached to the family home of Peter and Kay Holmes in a small hamlet in Oxfordshire, quickly grew and moved to an industrial unit in Witney, Oxfordshire.

After Peter’s unexpected death in 1986, Kay ran the business alone until her son-in-law Howard Burr, joined as Sales Manager in 1995.

The business relocated again to accomodate growth, moving first to Gloucester and then Cirencester.

South Western Specialised Tapes is now a major supplier of tapes to

“This latest purchase will help strengthen our relationships with local producers, allowing us to continue to develop and grow our Best of our Counties range of locally-produced food and drink”

since its launch in 2006. It also gives him the opportunity to invest in new sites and develop his existing petrol forecourt businesses where the Warner’s Budgens brand will continue.

Phil Ponsonby, Group Chief Executive of The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “This latest purchase will help strengthen our relationships with local producers, allowing us to continue to develop and grow our Best of our Counties range of locallyproduced food and drink. We will also offer an increased range of own-brand products to provide even more choice for shoppers.”

sectors including automotive, industrial, communications, construction and signage, and has also opened a label printing division.

Warner Budgens Store in Moreton-in-Marsh

Howard Burr, Managing Director at South West Tapes

It’s complicated, but not to us…

We create and deliver straightforward digital solutions to everyday problems faced by companies throughout the UK. From custom software and app development to web design and digital strategy, we can help.

We live in an age where digital technologies have become embedded into the very fabric of what modern marketing solutions are. With a small but highly experienced team, we create innovative digital solutions for a wide variety of clients ranging from start-ups to internationally recognised brands.

Our journey began when Alex Clough, Managing Director started the business. With a handful of talented individuals, who had collectively worked in other design and digital agencies, we began plugging the gaps that others couldn’t. We realised that there was a real need for people with sound technical expertise, who could create things that other, traditional design agencies simply couldn’t.

Starting as a small web development team, over the last decade our team has grown into a successful digital agency that is constantly evolving, especially in recent years with our growing product development business. Through our multi-skilled in-house team, we help clients work out exactly what technology they need in order

to make their business operate more effectively. Developing products that solve a client’s problem, without all the sales jargon, is what’s helped grow our reputation for having an open and honest scientific approach.

“We pride ourselves in being a creative and technical development agency, that help to bring real tangible benefits to day-to-day operations, with custom software applications that give our clients the ‘digital edge’”

We take the time to assess clients’ operational challenges and analyse their daily business processes. Through this evaluation we develop creative and technical solutions to make their lives a lot easier and improve their customers' experience. Bespoke web and mobile app development, e-commerce platforms, stock management software, online ordering systems, as well as managing technical integrations are just some of the things our customers benefit from.

Based in Cheltenham, we have a passion for software. Typically, this is the kind of custom software that runs your business and frees you to focus on growing relationships with your customers. Working for companies throughout the UK and abroad, we love learning about your challenges and working with you to develop business software from scratch based on your business sector and needs. Our ethos is to help companies to fully explore business goals, aims and digital objectives…and well just make things that bit less complicated.

There are always ideas brewing in the 16i office

We’ve got fresh coffee and decades of digital experience for anyone who’d like to visit. We love sharing our knowledge and ideas, so if you have a project you’d like help with, come in for a chat with us about ideas and solutions that can help your business.

Greater heights for new city climbing centre

Plans have been announced for a new climbing and adventure centre in Gloucester, which is aiming to be one of the best in the UK.

Adventure Activity Company, the company behind the project, said it hopes to release more details of the exact location of the new venue as it nears a date for its planning application. The new site is scheduled to open in 2020.

Although sites were looked at across the Midlands and the South West, the owners were keen to remain in Gloucestershire. They currently run the very successful Warehouse Climbing Centre in Gloucester.

Microbiology boss receives award for contribution to food industry

Dr Roy Betts, Head of Microbiology at the Chipping Campden-based food analysis and testing organisation Campden BRI, has been acknowledged for his contribution to the food industry. He won a top award from the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology. The Dorothy Cullinane Award recognises excellence in food safety, hygiene and technology.

Roy was appointed to the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food in 2011 and leads a 45-strong team as head of food microbiology at Campden BRI. He is the overall manager of all Campden BRI UK Accreditation Service microbiology testing.

ROOFTOP COMMERCIAL SCALE SOLAR POWER STILL PROFITABLE

Award-winning solar electricity company, Mypower, which installed a 150-panel solar PV array on Gloucester Cathedral in 2016, says the closure of the feed-in tariff subsidy scheme to new entrants at the end of this month is not bad news.

Mypower, based at Toddington near Cheltenham, has supplied solar PV systems to commercial companies since 2010, and believes that removing the feed-in tariffs will create a marketdriven demand for solar PV systems to benefit customers’ profit margins as well as tackling climate change.

Ben Harrison, Managing Partner at Mypower, said: “Ending feed-in tariffs removes reliance on government policy.

“Previously there was uncertainty about how government policy would change the tariffs, along with widespread negativity in the marketplace reacting to announcements over the years. These helped dissuade many from considering solar power at all.”

Mypower believes that subsidies made Solar PV commercially attractive, increasing demand which increased volume of sales, stimulating more investment into research and development. Solar systems are now 50

per cent more efficient than 10 years ago and the company says that a 50kW solar PV system that would have cost £130,000 in 2009 now costs under £40,000.

Ben says that commercial-scale solar power can now compete on the free market as it offers electricity at around 70 per cent cheaper than grid-supplied electricity, adds certainty to energy prices for 25 years and reduces companies’ carbon dioxide emissions.

“Commercial-scale solar power can now compete on the free market as it offers electricity at around 70 per cent cheaper than grid-supplied electricity, adds certainty to energy prices for 25 years and reduces companies’ carbon dioxide emissions”

However, what is needed now, he says, is a subsidy system for batteries as limitations to their storage capacity is the next barrier to maximising the potential of renewable energy.

Dedicated research and development, and volume sales, are needed to make the same dramatic leaps forward in battery technology as for solar electricity over the past decade.

The Dean of Gloucester blessed the cathedral’s solar arrays in 2016

Dr Roy Betts, Head of Microbiology at Campden BRI receives his award

Hazlewoods named top corporate finance adviser in the South West

Hazlewoods is delighted to announce that they have taken the top spot in the latest Experian M&A league tables as the most active corporate finance team in the South West.

With 209 deals completed in 2018, a number of which were in the South West region, Hazlewoods is number one in the latest report.

“The volume of completed deals shows that the market is holding up well against a backdrop of uncertainty around the nature and timing of Britain’s departure from the EU. Current signs are that business activity is set to continue, with the number of enquiries indicating that 2019 will be another strong year”

Paul Fussell Corporate Finance Partner

In the 12 months to 31 December 2018, Hazlewoods Corporate Finance team advised on mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts, fundraising and due diligence deals with a combined value of £851 million, generating

another record-breaking year as the firm enters its 100th year in business.

Despite continued economic and political uncertainty, Hazlewoods experienced an increase in both the volume and value of deals on the previous year, demonstrating strength in the South West market.

The success has led to an expansion of the Corporate Finance team to 30, including six partners. Hazlewoods Corporate Finance team provides bespoke, specialist advice on a wide range of transactions.

If you are considering making an acquisition, selling your business or refinancing, please contact Paul Fussell on 01242 680000 paul.fussell@hazlewoods.co.uk

www.hazlewoods.co.uk

Hazlewoods has offices in Staverton and Cheltenham, with more than 300 staff who provide multidiscipline services to a broad range of clients, from sole traders to blue-chip multinationals, private investors to public institutions. Hazlewoods is one of the UK’s Top 30 independent Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, according to Accountancy Age 2018.

The dedicated Corporate Finance team has extensive experience in:

 Due diligence

 Acquisition advisory

 Business valuations

 Sale mandates

 Management buyouts

 Fundraising

MOTORCYCLE FIRM REVS UP EXPANSION PLANS

Stroud-based Roadrunner Motorcycles Ltd has ambitious growth plans to create jobs after a major funding injection.

The motorcycle supply and maintenance firm has used £225,000 of funding from NatWest to acquire its headquarters on the town’s Fromeside Industrial Estate, increase its workforce and purchase additional workspace.

Roadrunner also plans to double the size of its showroom and garage space.

Established in 2007, the motorbike retailer provides servicing and MOTs, as well as a hub for motorbike enthusiasts.

BPE acts for Parlane International in share sale to Gallery Direct

Top 200 law firm BPE Solicitors has acted for Bourton-on-the-Water based interior design wholesaler, Parlane International Ltd on its recent share sale to Gallery Direct for an undisclosed sum.

Parlane International, one of the UK’s top interior companies, has been designing and supplying home accessories for the last 48 years. The company also has an international reach with a Spanish subsidiary company, along with a worldwide network of stockists.

The share sale will enable Gallery Direct to expand its existing home accessories collection and complete interiors offering.

The deal saw Gallery Direct acquire all of Parlane International, including its subsidiary companies, but excluding the

Roadrunner Director Lawrence Butcher, said: “Buying our premises means we can free up cash flow and divert it into expanding the business.”

The deal was referred by B2B Commercial Mortgages and NatWest Broker Development Manager, Andre Parcian, who supported the deal activity alongside NatWest Relationship Manager Annette Shinner.

Annette, said: “Lawrence and the team at Roadrunner are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their field of work and it’s been a pleasure helping them.”

Let’s Grow! Feeding into food and farming

Gloucestershire needs a food strategy that grows its economy and improves its health with a mix of affordable and niche produce.

That’s according to experts in the agri-food, supply chain, rural economy and retail fields who met at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) to look at the issues. The event was called Let’s Grow: The Future of Rural Business and Communities in Gloucestershire workshop.

The aim of the event, organised by the GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership’s Agrifood and Rural Business Group, was to understand the value of the region’s rural economy and boost the promotion and purchase of locallyproduced food.

Professor Joanna Price, Vice-Chancellor of the RAU, said that better data was urgently needed on the significant economic contribution of food, farming and rural business in the county. That evidence would then feed into the county’s local Industrial Strategy to secure long-term investment and growth in the rural economy.

company’s Cirencester retail shop on Dyer Street which will be retained by the previous owners and has been renamed as The Cotswold General Store.

BPE’s Corporate team, led by Dale Williams and Kathryn Broughton, oversaw the sale.

The 70-strong gathering came up with a range of pressing issues and recommendations for consideration.

Agricultural consultant Martin Collinson’s initial report findings are expected to be published at the end of this month.

Regional round-up

Roadrunner Motorcycles Fromeside showroom

RAU Vice-Chancellor Jo Price addresses food and farming conference

Parlane goods

2019: THE YEAR OF THE FOREST

By Ian Mean, Director of

Forest of Dean Entrepreneurs

Forest of Dean Entrepreneurs is an independent voluntary project supporting small and start-up businesses in the Forest of Dean through a range of different services. Whether you are already trading, just thinking about the possibility of starting your own business or are just about to launch but want some advice or reassurance, the organisation may be able to help.

Following a pilot project in 2011-12, a range of organisations came together voluntarily as a steering group to keep Forest of Dean Entrepreneurs going including Skills to Go, Adult Education Gloucestershire and local entrepreneurs. As originally intended, increasingly businesses that benefited from the project have joined the steering group.

www.fodentrepreneurs.co.uk

Without doubt, this is going to be the year of the Forest of Dean.

The feeling of optimism among Forest businesses is palpable—you can almost touch it.

That is not just because the lifting of the tolls on the Severn Bridges is now providing the Forest with an unequalled opportunity to expand its business.

In my view, the key is the political will that really is driving progress in a part of Gloucestershire which was often seen as a backwater of progress.

It is the politicians of all parties who have really got their act together and now have the opportunity to make this lovely part of the county a veritable powerhouse for economic growth.

I recently spoke to a stakeholders meeting of the Forest Economic Partnership (FEP) and said that I believed they had some great plans but they simply had to shout about them a lot more.

Immediately after that meeting, I received an invitation to talk to the Forest Cabinet of councillors to amplify my thoughts, which I did.

I have to say I found their enthusiasm to grow the Forest as a business hub really invigorating.

Rarely, have I come across such enthusiasm and drive from councillors to encourage business and investment in the Forest.

Coinciding with the lifting of the tolls, the councillors have been active in developing their relationship with Monmouthshire County Council and the Welsh government.

The benefits to grow these business links in the Forest with South Wales are obvious.

The Forest has a great workforce with a reputation for hard work and it’s a lovely place to live, with good house prices.

The FEP plans I have seen are excellent but there must be a concerted drive to increase investment in the area.

The Forest has previously thought small. It must now start to think big about business.

There has never been a better time for the Forest of Dean to show that it really is open for business.

“The Forest has a great workforce with a reputation for hard work and it’s a lovely place to live, with good house prices”

Business West in Gloucestershire.

Forest-of-Dean Uncovered

Lucozade Ribena Suntory’s £13 million investment is vote of confidence in Forest

Plans unveiled by Lucozade Ribena Suntory to invest £13 million in its Coleford factory have been welcomed by the MP for the Forest of Dean.

Conservative Mark Harper said it was a “large vote of confidence” in the area and for those who lived and worked there.

The Japanese company, Suntory Food and Beverage, is installing a new high-speed bottle filler at its base that will produce 1.3 million bottles a day. About £10 million will be spent on the new equipment, with a further £3 million going to local contractors to build and install supporting infrastructure for the new line.

The new line will be staffed by employees trained through the company’s use of the apprenticeship levy.

Installation will begin this spring and it is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.

Chris Kane, supply chain operations director at Lucozade Ribena Suntory, said: “We see our Coleford facility as the heartbeat of our UK operations and we are proud that it is one of the most

College drives Northern Quarter regeneration

The new £16 million Gloucestershire College campus in the Forest opened last September.

The campus forms a major part of the Cinderford Northern Quarter regeneration project, which started in 2006 with a report setting out a 10-year vision for the future of the town. The key opportunity for regeneration was identified in the Business Plan as the “Northern Quarter”.

Councillors now hope that this significant investment will act as a catalyst for future private investment in an area which has relied heavily on tourism over the last few decades.

Gloucester surveyor Kurt Wyman thinks the Forest has a lot to offer business. “I first started working as a surveyor 20 years ago. Back then there were a lot of vacant industrial units in the Forest, but there aren’t many now. This highlights

how much things are moving on, although we shouldn’t get carried away. Land values and rentals still do lag behind other areas of the county.”

The dropping of the bridge tolls is a big factor. “There is a lot of house building going on in Lydney and people who would have previously settled for living on the outskirts of Bristol are now looking at buying in the Forest of Dean,” he added.

While some of these new residents will be commuting into Bristol, others may welcome working for a local company.

This is why a number of companies, including All Fleet Services and worktop manufacturer Direct Online Services, have moved to the Forest. All Fleet has moved from Gloucester to Vantage Point Business Village at Micheldean, and Direct Online Services has taken space at Cinderford.

efficient factories across the globe.

“Our parent company, Suntory Beverage & Food, recognises this status and its £13 million investment is a vote of confidence in our UK and Gloucestershire operations, ensuring Coleford continues to be a best-in class site for years to come.”

“Vantage Point Business Village has done a great job in getting and keeping companies,” says Kurt.

“While much of the industrial accommodation there, and indeed across the Forest, has over recent years been taken up, there is still office space available at Vantage Point which offers major occupiers a very real and economical alternative to Gloucester, Cheltenham or even Bristol.”

“We see our Coleford factory as the heartbeat of our UK operations and we are proud that it is one of the most efficient factories across the globe”

Vantage Point Business Village, Mitcheldean

Coleford

HAT’S OFF TO WITNEY

WEST OXFORDSHIRE’S BUSIEST MARKET TOWN

The first wonderful thing for shoppers about Witney town centre, is that there’s free parking. The second is that there’s plenty of reasons to shop here.

Debenhams, M&S and New Look all have sizeable stores in the Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre (and a cinema complex too), a bonus for a town with a moderate population of around 27,500. At the other end of town is the Woolgate Shopping Centre, which hosts a Waitrose, WH Smith and many others.

“Witney sits in a lovely part of England, but it has an industrial heart. A lot of residents work in the town and that’s why there are no vacant shops on the high street, which has a great mix of independent and national retailers”

And there are other well-known retail brands such as Jack Wills, Hobbs and Fat Face interspersed with lovely local independent stores such as the Witney Sewing and Knitting Centre, Jason’s Flowers and Witney Lighting – which throws a warm glow across the High Street when we visit on a rainy Saturday. Is Jason’s Flowers related to Jason

Hydraulics just outside the town on Burford Road? Perhaps not. Both are independent businesses (Jason’s Flowers has another shop in Oxford). Jason Hydraulics is a manufacturing business which has specialised in hydraulics technologies for more than 45 years.

Back to the town centre. The Cotswold’s best-loved bakers, Huffkins, was bursting at the seams. And there’s the fabulous UE Coffee Roasters at the other end of the High Street. This is a true artisan handcrafted coffee roastery. Its mission is to make authentic artisan coffee accessible to everyone and its coffee is absolutely delicious.

David Cook, Abingdon and Witney Branch Manager for Handelsbanken, said: “Witney sits in a lovely part of England, but it has an industrial heart.

“A lot of residents work in the town and that’s why there are no vacant shops on the high street, which has a great mix of independent and national retailers.”

And the town’s success can only continue. West Oxfordshire District Council says that 4,700 houses need to be built in and around Witney by 2031, and new primary and secondary schools are planned, along with increased commercial space.

Blanket coverage for Witney

As with other Cotswold towns, Witney’s wool and woollen cloth industry was hugely important. From the 17th century, the town became increasingly famous for its woollen blankets. Before duvets became ubiquitous, most people of a certain age will remember the softness of a Witney blanket on their bed, tucked snugly under the counterpane but above the bedsheet.

For hundreds of years, the blankets were exported all over the world but it was the increase in the use of duvets and installation of central heating which did for them. The last mill closed in 2002.

David added: “Witney is quietly getting on with business, thanks to a wide range of new companies which have successfully replaced the town’s traditional blanket industry.”

Jason’s Flowers

Manufacturing businesses are thriving

Bartington Instruments designs, manufactures and exports magnetic field sensors from its Thorney Leys Business Park site, while Selectronic specialises in the design, development and supply of optoelectronics (electronic display products) from its Book End site.

Meech International, on Range Road, has been established since 1907 and is now one of the world’s leading manufacturers of static control, compressed air technology and web cleaning systems.

ICE Oxford, in Station Lane, was founded in 2004 to design and manufacture specialist ultra-low temperature equipment for the cryogenic research community. Since then the company has become a leading supplier of custom design, high performance cryogenic systems to scientific and cryogenics research groups across the world.

Other major employers include Abbott Diabetes Care Ltd which designs, develops and manufactures glucose monitoring systems and test strips. The company, which employs more than 500 people and is recruiting for more, is the largest private employer in the town.

Beadlight, in Station Lane, manufactures LED lights using its patented “Beadlight diffusion”. In 1997 Beadlight designed the first LED reading light for a commercial airliner (Virgin Atlantic).

Beware of hobgoblins

Hobgoblin is the best-known beer brewed by Witney’s 177-year-old Wychwood Brewery at Eagle Maltings in the town. While we urge you to taste the beer, take a look at the brewery’s fantasy-driven website too. It is inspired by the legends surrounding the ancient Wychwood Forest.

On the industrial parks which surround Witney are some major businesses and employers, as well as space for new businesses, including at the Witney Business and Innovation Centre on Windrush Business Park and Hexagon Business Centre in Station Lane.

One of the most recognised regional transport and delivery companies, Chris Hayter (Transport) Ltd, has its headquarters at Curbridge Business Park. Established in 1964, it is a family-owned storage and distribution business covering the UK. It has more than 130 vehicles and 350,000sq ft of warehousing space across its Oxford, Manchester and Skelmersdale depots.

Stewart Milne Timber Systems, is next door. The UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of timber frames for construction, it specialises in offsite

construction for sectors including private housing, affordable housing, student accommodation, medical facilities, hotels and education.

The company hosts tours at its Witney factory to show clients how offsite construction works and owns the UK’s first timber frame Building Information Modelling (BIM) library.

Aston and James, led by Managing Director Darren Aston, is based at Nimrod Business Park. His business supplies everything for the office, from stationery to furniture, technology and facilities management.

Oxford Products also has its headquarters in Witney, on De Havilland Way. The company is a leading global supplier of motorcycle and bicycle products, many of which are designed in-house by a team of enthusiasts and skilled technicians.

There’s a lot more to Witney than the town centre

Witney Uncovered

Stewart Milne Timber Systems

Medical communications agency taps into “hotbed of Oxfordshire talent”

IF YOU WANT TO GET AHEAD, GET A HAT

One of Britain’s greatest hat makers, Christys’, has its headquarters in Witney. Official helmet manufacturer of the UK Police Force for two centuries, through its sister brand CW Headdress, Christys’ calls itself the Godfather of British hat making – not least since its Homburg hat was worn by Marlon Brando’s Don Corleone. The creativity of Christys’ is recognisable throughout cinema, fashion, music and politics, with wearers from Winston Churchill to Kate Moss, Indiana Jones to Brad Pitt, Will.I.Am, Cara Delevingne and Justin Timberlake.

Christys’ has four retail stores, two in London, one at Bluewater in Kent and a factory outlet at Witney.

The company designs and manufactures its hats in Witney, and all type of helmets too, from police, military, and corporate headwear. It also designs for air stewards, security guards and chauffeurs.

New freehold development in Witney taking shape

Work has started on a major new commercial development in West Oxfordshire.

Stanley Court in Richard Jones Road, Witney will comprise 34 self-contained industrial/warehouse units ranging from 1,026sq ft to 2,237sq ft. The project is being developed by Glenmore.

The site is next to a new road junction

giving direct access to the A40. Parking will also be provided.

Duncan May, Associate Director of joint property agents VSL, said: “This is the only freehold commercial property opportunity currently available in Witney and demand is expected to be high from expanding companies and established small businesses.”

Household retail brands pick Witney as home

Despite being called Whittard of Chelsea, this much-loved retailer of speciality tea, coffees and cocoas, has its headquarters in Witney.

The business, which launched in London in 1886, is now based at Windrush Park

following relocation after being purchased by EPIC private equity in 2008. There are Whittard stores across the UK and it also serves a global market from its ecommerce platform and wholesales and franchise distribution.

A medical communications agency based in Cheshire has set up a satellite office at the Witney Business & Innovation Centre (BIC) to tap into a “hotbed of medical writing talent” in the Oxfordshire area.

Director, Dr Elena Mills, who grew up in the Witney area, is heading the new branch of Helios Medical Communications at the Windrush Park Road Centre.

Together with Scientific Services Director, Elizabeth Southey, the pair are looking forward to recruiting new employees and expanding the business.

Since launching in 2015, Helios Medical Communications has recruited medical writers, project managers and support staff to work for their Cheshire team based at Alderley Park near Macclesfield.

Their work involves helping global pharmaceutical companies to communicate new clinical trial data about medications and devices to doctors.

Elena said: “It’s the perfect location for a growing business. We know Oxfordshire is a hotbed of medical writing and project management talent and we are looking forward to working with and recruiting the “best of the best” in this area.”

Whittard teas

Witney Uncovered

SUPPLYING EGGS IS NOBLE OCCUPATION

The leading supplier of eggs to major UK retailers is Noble Foods, which owns and packs the iconic Happy Egg Co. range, Britain’s number one free range brand, at its Standlake site, just outside Witney.

The company will celebrate its centenary in 2020 and has introduced a number of ranges over the decades, launching the Big & Fresh range in 2002 and following that with a number of product launches, including the Happy Egg Co. (in 2009), Heritage Breeds speciality range (in 2017), Purely Organic eggs (in 2018) and most recently Freshlay, a range of free range eggs with a darker, golden yolk, this January.

Last year Noble Foods transformed the entire Happy Egg Co. range to offer eggs that are richer in vitamin D versus standard eggs.

The company collaborated with Newcastle University and animal nutrition company DSM to naturally enhance the daily diets

in hens after it was found that they rapidly absorbed vitamin D which was passed on to the eggs they lay.

Sales of the Happy Egg Co. range exceed £73 million and to extend the reach of the message around the importance of vitamin D, the company is partnering with the National Schools Partnership and Park Run events.

“Noble Foods continues to innovate and last year it transformed the entire Happy Egg Co. range to offer eggs that are richer in vitamin D versus standard eggs”

In addition to its portfolio of leading egg ranges, Noble Foods also owns the premium UK dessert brand, Gü Puds.

Audley Travel flying high

Our of the UK’s best-known bespoke travel consultancies has its headquarters at Witney.

“In the 2017 Telegraph Travel Awards the company was named Best Tour Operator”

Founded in 1991 by Craig Burkinshaw, who spent time after university guiding his own small group tours around Vietnam, the company grew fast and now offers travel and holidays across the world.

In 2016 Audley Travel, now based at New Mill Lane in the town and owned by private equity firm 3i, celebrated its 20th anniversary by being voted Best Luxury Tour Operator by readers of the Times and Sunday Times. In the 2017 Telegraph Travel Awards the company was named Best Tour Operator.

In September last year former Tui UK & Ireland Managing Director Nick Longman joined Audley Travel as Chief Operating Officer. He was made Chief Executive in January.

Data Plastics celebrates 10 years of the Tangle Teezer

Witney

Data Plastics, based in Station Lane, Witney, takes ideas and turns them in to products. The company designs, tools, manufactures, assembles and packs millions of moulded plastic parts for UK and worldwide customers.

Uncovered

One of its most successful products is the Tangle Teezer, a revolutionary hairdetangling brush designed by inventor Shaun Pulfrey who was rejected by Dragons’ Den investors.

He had the last laugh as his product has made millions of pounds across the world, thanks to support from Data Plastics, which helped Shaun develop the Tangle Teezer for the mass market.

Data Plastics has now been manufacturing Tangle Teezers at its Witney plant for 10 years.

The team at Data Plastics continues to work with inventors and entrepreneurs, helping them bring their products to market.

The company says: “Working together can be crucial at an early stage – understanding a design and its functionality are key elements.

“3D printing technology offers an entrepreneur a cost-effective, low-risk route to market; samples can be produced and tested to see if an idea works before conventional mass production.”

Tangle Teezer

Noble Foods’ impressive site at Standlake

Royds Withy King Looks to the Year Ahead in Oxford

More than 150 people gathered at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for the Royds Withy King Year Ahead event. Simon Bassett, Regional Lead Partner in the Oxford office welcomed guests and outlined some of the biggest changes and challenges on the horizon. Dr Laura Toogood, founder of Fieldmaster Group, gave an insightful speech on managing reputation in the digital age. Aeron Buchanan, executive vice-president of Web3 Foundation, discussed the latest developments in blockchain technology.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB LACEY

Royds Withy King Year Ahead at Ashmolean Museum

Luke Nelson from 3PB Barristers and Philip Campbell from MEPC Milton Park

Jennifer Sampson from Royds Withy King with Mark Nicholls from Tectona Partnership and Graham Beith from Handelsbanken Oxford West

David Cook from Handelsbanken Abingdon and Daniel Weston from Matthews Comfort

Mike Foster from Oxford Innovation and Richard Marsh from RCM Consulting

Aeron Buchannan from Web3 Foundation with Dr Laura Toogood from Fieldmaster Group and Simon Bassett from Royds Withy King

Ronald Peet from Royds Withy King with Simon McConnell from Carter Jonas and Zoe White from Savills

Victoria Gray from Caristo Diagnostics with Andrew Matthews from NatWest and Iain Butler from Royds Withy King

Kate Benefer from Royds Withy King with Debbie Austin from Wellers and Mark Spolander from Modus Group

Nicky Godding from Business & Innovation

with Trevor French from Barclays and Kirsty Muir from Business & Innovation

Robert Pinheiro from Royds Withy King and Nicola Cale from The Silverlining Charity

Jason McGuigan from Critchleys with Iain McKenzie from Indigo Michael

Charlotte O’Driscoll from Royds Withy King with Giles Lawton from Strutt Parker

Damian Morley from Brewin Dolphin and Clifford Brown from Shaw Gibbs

Caroline Pearce from Clydesdale Bank with Graham Street from Royds Withy King, Henrik Kock from Clydesdale Bank and Lucy Nash from Royds Withy King

Mike Edward and Sue Staunton from James Cowper Kreston and Steve Bateman from Santander

Stephen Bennington from Krino Partners with Dr Deborah Spencer from University of Oxford and David Williams from Bidwells

Nick Streeter from SpecialEffect with Nick Jones and Roz Wright from Focus Oxford Risk Management

The Oxford team at leading IP firm Mathys & Squire hosted their new office launch party at Milton Park Innovation Centre.

Home to academics, entrepreneurs, growing businesses and established ventures, Oxford has long been an industry hotbed for start-ups, founders and global brands, generating innovation across industries such as automotive, design, manufacturing, chemistry, technology, pharma and life sciences.

When the breakfast baps had finally been cleared away, and the coffee pots drained, our guests left with many commenting on what a brilliant networking event our launch had been. Whilst an opportunity to introduce ourselves and our firm, as well as offering early morning sustenance to our new neighbours, it actually became a hive of business activity between newlyintroduced individuals from different types of businesses and organisations.

It is especially apt that our launch party is covered in this edition of the Business & Innovation magazine, with a key feature on SMEs. One of the reasons we are so excited about opening our Oxfordshire office is the vast amount of research and development that is going on in this region and the huge emphasis here on start-ups and SMEs.

It can be especially important for smaller businesses, to have the right intellectual property strategy in place from the earliest possible stages, and the collaborative approach we favour, is

Mathys & Squire has arrived in Oxfordshire

key to formulating an IP strategy that grows and develops with the business. In addition, with Alex Tame heading up Coller IP, based in our Oxfordshire office, means we can offer that much needed complementary strategic IP management advisory and IP valuation services at the right time.

The Oxfordshire team is led by myself, Vicki Strachan along with Grace MasonJarrett, Rhianna Faye, Peter Mansfield and Sally Ball, as well as Alex Tame from our sister firm Coller IP. The team worked tirelessly leading up to the launch, to ensure that all of our clients and contacts were invited. On the day, we were also joined by clients, partners guests and colleagues from our other offices around the country and together we ensured that those who attended were made welcome and maximised their time at the event. As a result of our combined

efforts, a large number of business cards were exchanged and several people were still deep in conversation at the end of the event. This just demonstrates that as a firm, we really mean it when we say we “take a collaborative approach” to our work, and I was never more proud to be a part of the Mathys & Squire team. Widely known for its innovation, we are thrilled to be based at Milton Park, and look forward to meeting many of you in the coming months.

As Business & Innovation readers, you can take advantage of a free IP consultation for your business or, if you would like to find out more about how Mathys & Squire and Coller IP can help your business, please contact Vicki Strachan on vjstrachan@mathys-squire.com

Milton Park Innovation Centre 174 Brook Drive, Milton Park, Oxfordshire OX14 4SE

T: 01865 546 155

Mathys & Squire is a full service, Legal 500 top tier intellectual property (IP) firm with offices around the UK and Europe. We pride ourselves on building close and long-standing relationships with our clients and delivering outstanding service. We believe that effective systems for protecting intellectual property (IP) are essential so that innovators can be properly rewarded. Our clients become successful by recognising the opportunities and risks of IP and following a well thought out IP strategy. We become part of that success by developing excellence; instilling a culture of creativity, innovation and adding value for all our clients. mathys-squire.com

Coller IP is an intellectual property consultancy who specialise in working with businesses to help maximise the value of their IP, implement effective IP strategies and offer best practice in building and developing IP portfolios. The team take a commercial and analytical approach when working with businesses to help them drive more value from their intangible assets. collerip.com

The Oxfordshire Team:

Harwell Campus, the major UK science and innovation hub, has revealed the impressive progress of its EnergyTec Cluster since its launch last May. The cluster now includes 35 industry, academic and public organisations working on the campus, collectively employing around 900 people. A further 26 companies, which started off in Harwell’s Space or HealthTec Clusters, have also refocused on the energy sector as a major market for their innovative technologies.

The technologies emerging from these 61 organisations, which include energy storage, battery technologies and carbon neutral alternatives to fossil fuels, will influence every aspect of life across work, travel and recreation, improving the environment and developing sustainable alternatives for the future.

Harwell Campus, which in total hosts 200 organisations employing 5,500 people, focuses on successfully commercialising scientific research and new technologies through clusters in the major markets of space, health and energy.

Strong sales for Airbus Helicopters

Airbus Helicopters delivered 356 rotorcraft and logged gross orders for 413 helicopters in 2018. The company is the world’s largest helicopter manufacturer and the company’s site at Oxford Airport is Britain’s civil helicopter hub.

The company also booked 148 orders for light twin-engine helicopters of the H135/H145 family and secured 15 orders for the next-generation H160. At the end of last year, the overall pipeline increased to 717 helicopters.

THE WOOD CENTRE FOR INNOVATION BAGS HIGH-TECH TENANTS

Three Oxfordshire businesses have signed up to rent space in the new Wood Centre for Innovation (WCFI), a stunning new campus based in 15 acres of woodland close to the A40 at Headington Quarry, Oxfordsurprisingly close to the city centre.

The three companies are Triteq, a medical product design and development consultancy, Ultromics, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to build diagnostic aids for cardiovascular diseases, and Scout Health, a new app that links you directly with a health adviser.

The companies will move into the new centre when it opens next month.

Currently under construction, WCFI will offer 25,000sq ft of new office space for science and tech start-up and grow-on companies at the site, known as Stansfeld Park.

Angela Hobbs, Managing Director of Triteq said: “Working at WCFI means we’ll become part of a community of businesses working within the science and technology sectors.”

Ross Upton, CEO of Ultromics, said: “This is the ideal building for us as we wanted to be located among other science and technology companies. It’s also a stone’s throw from the John Radcliffe Hospital and Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility, where much of our research takes place.”

The new centre is owned by The Oxford Trust, an independent trust established in 1985 by Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood, who set up Oxford Instruments, Oxford University’s first spin-out. The Trust’s mission is to facilitate science, technology, engineering and mathematics study and application.

The Wood Centre, which will be managed by Oxford Innovation, also has meeting rooms for up to 20 people, a 120-seater auditorium, video and conferencing facilities, an on-site café and an outdoor eating area.

The building will be managed by Centre Director Mike Foster.

Jo Stevens, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation said: “This will be a magnificent facility for Oxford, which will further bolster the city’s credentials as a leader in science and technology.”

Steve Burgess, CEO of The Oxford Trust, added: “The Trust’s mission is to support science and enterprise and we are looking forward to seeing a real hub of cutting-edge science and tech businesses at Stansfeld Park.”

Harwell EnergyTec cluster makes impressive progress

“Working at WCFI means we’ll become part of a community of businesses working within the science and technology sectors”

A CGI of the soon-to-open Wood Centre at Headington Quarry

AI company reveals new deals as it reports interim results

DEVELOPER HOPES FOR SWIFT RETURN

An Oxford developer has built special accommodation into his latest property development in a bid to attract some special guests.

Robin Swailes has included four bespoke bird boxes into a mixed-use property on the city’s Hythe Bridge Street.

It is hoped the boxes, designed in-house at Robin’s offices in Jericho, will attract swifts when they migrate back to the UK in the summer.

The boxes were inspired by the Oxford Swift City project, a two-year scheme aimed at raising awareness of the birds whose breeding population fell by 51 per cent in the UK from 1995 to 2015.

Robin, director of Robin Swailes Design & Development, said: “We commissioned a special report from the Wildlife Trust to examine how we could incorporate more biodiversity into our projects as we are a prolific city centre developer.”

The Oxford Swift City project is a twoyear scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and co-ordinated by the

RSPB. It seeks to improve the outlook for swifts in Oxford by raising local awareness of the birds’ plight and the actions people can take to help them.

Colin Wilkinson, Senior Conservation Planner at the RSPB, said: “These swift boxes are a unique and novel design and we look forward to seeing swifts take up residence in them.”

The swift boxes are on the property at 46 Hythe Bridge Street which combines an apartment on the first floor with commercial premises below.

Robin said he hoped to continue to add wildlife-friendly features to future developments including beehives and bat boxes.

French patisserie comes to Bicester via London

The cafe chain Patisserie Valerie may be having well-documented problems, but Maître Choux, the world’s first choux pastry specialist patisserie, is going for growth and has opened its first location outside London at Bicester Village.

The newest addition to the Maître Choux group follows the opening of the King’s

Road location in late 2018. It also has patisseries in South Kensington, Soho and at Fortnum and Mason.

Maître Choux’s modern version of a French patisserie at Bicester Village will have outdoor seating and feature a flower wall at the back of the shop. It will offer seasonal specials and its well-known crafted

Medical artificial intelligence firm Sensyne Health announced a “strong” set of maiden interim results and a number of deals with medical and data institutions in the UK and US.

Oxford-based Sensyne Health, led by biotech entrepreneur Lord Paul Drayson, uses artificial intelligence algorithms developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust to analyse and interpret anonymised patient data in collaboration with its NHS Trust partners.

The company acts as a docking station between pharmaceutical companies and NHS Trusts; no data is sold nor is any ownership or control of data transferred to the company or its pharmaceutical collaborators. The financial returns generated by Sensyne are shared with its NHS Trust partners via equity ownership in the company and a share of royalties.

While Sensyne reported increased operating losses of £10.3 million for the six months to October 31, 2018, Lord Drayson said: “I am pleased to report strong progress by Sensyne Health in our first reporting period as a public company, achieving a number of important milestones.”

eclairs, such as Persian Pistachio and Gold Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate, as well as its range of choux and chouquettes.

“These swift boxes are a unique and novel design and we look forward to seeing swifts take up residence in them”

Robin

Maître Choux Patisserie

As Bluestream Recruitment celebrates 10 years in the recruitment industry, Managing Director, Belinda Elliott, explains how their determination to not be ‘just another’ recruitment agency has attributed to their success.

Bluestream Recruitment has seen a lot of change in the last decade, both within its own business and across the recruitment industry in general. But what hasn’t changed is its business ethos ‘to be the best’ instead of the biggest, whilst staying true to its core values of honesty, transparency and respect.

Belinda Elliott, the driving force behind Bluestream Recruitment, started the business in 2009 from a small office in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, specialising in Office Support and Publishing recruitment.

As the publishing industry embraced new, digital technology the type of vacancies they were receiving changed too and the business became more involved in technical recruitment. With the relocation of offices to Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire in 2011, Bluestream Recruitment began supporting the Space, Satellite Communications and Energy sectors with technical recruitment.

Perfectly situated between new and exciting start-up companies and large blue-chip companies, Bluestream Recruitment has branched out and now specialises in four sectors including Engineering, IT/Technical, Office Support, and Sales & Marketing.

Over the past 10 years Bluestream Recruitment has witnessed significant changes in the recruitment industry. Companies are now experiencing a candidate-driven market due to a shortage of skilled employees. Competition for talent is fierce, with many business vying for the same candidates, allowing job seekers to name their terms and command more money!

Celebrating 10 years of matching exceptional talent with extraordinary careers…

A growing trend for more values-driven business models is also having a massive impact on recruitment.

Attitudes to work are changing as employees want to feel that they, and the company they work for, are making a difference. To recruit and retain the best talent, companies must promote their core values and ethical policies to both existing and prospective employees.

“We take the time to develop long term relationships with both our clients and candidates. We do not waste clients’ time and resources on unnecessary CVs or interviews. “We believe clients use us because we attentively listen to their individual needs, and although we can draw upon wide catchment areas of potential candidates we always ensure that we present only the most suitable candidates for consideration.”

Belinda Elliott, Managing Director, Bluestream Recruitment

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

Atlas Centre Harwell Campus, Fermi Ave, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QS

Tel : 01235 567 350

Despite a decade of uncertainty and challenging times across many aspects of business, Bluestream Recruitment has gone from strength to strength.

Bluestream Recruitment takes its commitment to local businesses one step further and proudly hosts HR related workshops and events, keeping employers up-to-date with the latest employment law and new enterprises.

Bluestream Recruitment also passionately supports its local community in South Oxfordshire through organising the annual Full STEAM Ahead Family Fun Day with partners Bright Sparks Science. Now in its fifth year, the science, technology, engineering, arts and math’s themed event celebrates local community links, whilst inspiring the next generation through highlighting Harwell Campus’ inspiring sciences. A not-for-profit event, all proceeds go to Helen & Douglas House along with Be Free YC, a local charity that supports young carers in Oxfordshire.

With the EnergyTec and Space clusters at Harwell recently reporting growth of 17% and 19% respectively in the last year, 2019 looks set to be an exciting and busy year for Bluestream Recruitment as they celebrate their 10th anniversary.

NEW BUSINESS HELP TAKE PRESSURE OFF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS

A young entrepreneur on a mission to support her fellow females in business has launched a new service to help female entrepreneurs boost lead generation through social media.

Lucy Crane, 29, from Oxfordshire has developed a bespoke networking and lead generating strategy service for female entrepreneurs.

Small business owners spend on average between six and 10 hours a week marketing their companies via social media, yet, almost two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt there was no evidence that their social media strategy was having a positive effect.

To help, Lucy has launched an online course for Facebook that helps female

FOCUS Oxford adopts SpecialEffect as charity partner

Following its support for the Witneybased technology charity SpecialEffect over the last few years through the hugely successful charitable Twin Town Challenge, Oxford-based risk management business, FOCUS, has now created a direct charity partnership.

Nick Jones, Managing Director of FOCUS said: “Both we and SpecialEffect have our roots firmly embedded in the local area but our services extend far beyond the county borders. We are proud to support such a forward-thinking and innovative cause that does so much to bring joy and inclusion to some of the UK’s most severely disabled people.”

Founder and CEO of SpecialEffect, Dr Mick Donegan, said “We’ve been lucky

entrepreneurs understand social media networking systems better.

Lucy says: “I was very aware of how entrepreneurs were being taught complicated systems for lead generation. This was causing slow and inconsistent results, a lack of belief and desperation for clients. Lead generation is the blood of any business, but I saw entrepreneurs spending hours hustling on social

media achieving little result. They needed a simple, easy to implement and proven system.”

Lucy says her service takes the pressure off female business owners who are feeling the pressure of having to be ‘digitally available’ all the time.

By networking on their behalf Lucy adds she can help them reduce their stress.

enough to benefit from FOCUS’s support of the Twin Town Challenge for a number of years and the fact that Nick and the team have chosen us as their charity shows how local businesses continue to support the work we do.”

The partnership will see FOCUS offer volunteer days, take on challenge events and offer donations to SpecialEffect through specific insurance products. And staff are once again looking forward to being part of Twin Town Challenge 2020

in aid of SpecialEffect as well as other fundraising initiatives.

In 2016 and 2018 Oxfordshire’s Twin Town Challenge saw staff from county businesses drive 100 cars, each costing no more than £500, from Oxford to Le Touquet and back over a weekend, competing in challenges along the way. All money raised has gone to SpecialEffect. It is hoped that the Twin Town Challenge will take place again next year.

Lucy Crane of Bespoke Networking

FOCUS Oxford Risk Management celebrated its charity partnership with SpecialEffect

“I was very aware of how entrepreneurs were being taught complicated systems for lead generation causing slow and inconsistent results, a lack of belief and a desperation for clients”

Business & Innovation Magazine

Oxfordshire business drinks at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Senior directors from the Oxfordshire business community were invited to join Business & Innovation Magazine in celebration of the publication's growth, meet their investor and Chairman, and hear their plans to expand the magazine across Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CARL HEWLETT

Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Dr John Neill from Unipart plc and Nicky Godding from Business & Innovation Magazine

Angela Hobbs from Triteq with, Sophie Perrett from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Samantha Sanders-Clarke from Triteq

Paddy Gregan from BrookStreet des Roches with Dr Deborah Spencer from University of Oxfordshire and Peter O’Connell from Shawgibbs

Orchid Sky prepared and served by Exquisite Cocktails

Dom Roche from Exquisite Cocktails and Tom Godding, RAF

Alex Stewart from the Bessemer Society and Mike Surrey from Gigaclear plc

Dr Tom Shannon from Oxford Metrics with Simon Staples from Blake Morgan and Mike Foster from Oxford Innovation

Simon Bassett and Robert Pinheiro from Royds Withy King

Mark Beard from Beard Construction and Simon Scott-White from Charles Stanley

Bradley Smith from Grundon with Kirsty Muir from Business & Innovation Magazine and Clayton Sullivan-Webb from Grundon

Stuart Crook and Simon Smith from Wellers with Mike Hawkins and Paul Jackson from Hawkins Group

Kate Benefer from Royds Withy King and Belinda Elliott from Bluestream Recruitment

Piers Scrimshaw-Wright from Oxfordshire Science Park and Jennifer Tonner from BGI Insurance

Dr John Neill from Unipart plc and Phil Southall from The Oxford Bus Company

Grace Mason-Jarrett and Vicki Strachan from Mathys & Squire LLP

Craig Marshall from Organox and Karim Sekkat from Oxford Engineering

Amanda Simons from J A Kemp and Rob Millar from Williams Advanced Engineering

Joanne and James Palmer from 9 Group

Julia Iball from University of Oxfordshire and Gianluca Pisanello from First Light Fusion

Cliff Dare from Harwell with David Williams from Bidwells

David Cook from Handelsbanken in Abingdon and Andy Cowie from James Cowper Kreston

IT ASSET DISPOSAL BUSINESS WISETEK OPENS IN READING

Wisetek Solutions UK Ltd which undertakes advanced IT asset disposal, data destruction, technology reuse and manufacturing services, has opened an operations centre in Reading.

The company, which has its headquarters in Ireland, will initially hire 10 employees this year, with numbers expected to grow.

Sean Sheehan, Chief Executive at Wisetek, said: “London is the second most connected place for technology in the world after Silicon Valley, and the UK technology sector is growing almost three times as fast as the overall economy.

“Wisetek’s expansion into the United Kingdom is a strategic decision to bring our unique data destruction and IT asset disposal operations to Britain’s thriving tech industry and business community.”

Paul Britton, CEO at Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, added: “Working

in collaboration with the Department for International Trade, we were pleased to help Wisetek with access to sector experts, support and regional networks.”

Dennis Frize, an experienced IT asset end-of-life solutions architect, will head the organisation as Managing Director of Wisetek UK.

As well as its facilities in Cork and Dublin, the company has a strong presence in the United States, Thailand and the Middle East.

Global fashion ambassadors team up with art materials company

Daler-Rowney, the 230-year old art brand which has its headquarters at Bracknell, has appointed British fashion designers VIN + OMI as its global ambassadors.

VIN + OMI are international pioneers in sustainable fashion whose work has been worn by Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Debbie Harry and Michelle Obama. The role marks three years of a fashion and art collaboration between the two brands, based around the VIN + OMI

underground fashion shows during London Fashion Week.

The new role will see VIN + OMI giving seminars and exploring new ways of working in art and fashion. There will be an exploration of eco-sustainable projects.

VIN + OMI said: “Working with DalerRowney has helped us achieve new ways of working and introduced a range of artists into our practice. Their open-minded approach gives us room for exploration.”

REGIONAL ROUND-UP THAMES VALLEY

Reading develops a magnetic personality

An analysis by property consultancy Vail Williams has revealed more companies relocating towards the centre of Reading.

Companies operating in the pharmaceutical and telecoms sectors are generally consolidating space with each move, while professional services appear to be growing their space.

Virgin Media intends to relocate to 120,000 sq ft on Green Park – 14 miles from Hook, and life sciences research consultancy Iqvia is moving three miles to the north to Reading town centre.

Bayer has relocated from Newbury, Sanofi is moving from Maidenhead and Guildford, and SSE is moving from from Basingstoke and Thatcham.

And the list goes on, says Vail Williams: Becton Dickinson; Thales; Hammerson; Objective Corporation; KPMG; Ericsson; Pepsico; Huawei; Capita; BDO; Moore Stephens are all in Reading.

The town has attracted more than 5,000 new employees from the wider Thames Valley region and according to Tech Nation, the city is a digital tech hotspot with over eight times the average UK concentration of tech companies.

Dennis Frize, Wisetek UK Managing Director, Deirdre McPartlin, UK Head of Enterprise Ireland, Cllr John Kaiser, The Mayor of Wokingham and Sean Sheehan, Wisetek CEO

Regional round-up

Daler-Rowney turned over around £39 million in 2017.

“Working in collaboration with the Department for International Trade, we were pleased to help Wisetek with access to sector experts, support and regional networks”

About Superfast Worcestershire

Superfast Worcestershire is working to improve the broadband infrastructure in Worcestershire and we’re very excited to have secured funding from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The money, together with funding from Worcestershire County Council, UK Government and Openreach, has enabled us to extend the network with a particular focus on delivering broadband connections to businesses.

Open for Business is a key priority for Worcestershire County Council and we recognise that an upgrade to broadband really can be a game-changer for businesses as Ken Wigfield, Federation of Small Businesses reiterated when we spoke with him:

Broadband Boost for Worcestershire Businesses

A Business Broadband Success Story What about your business?

In July 2018, the Superfast Worcestershire team delivered ultrafast broadband to Upton Warren and we spoke to Emma Moffett about the positive impact this has had on her business: Manor Hill House, where they host exclusive events from weddings to conferences.

“Communication is key to delivering perfect events for our guests – we have to liaise on every detail between suppliers and guests from menu choices to decoration to music. Prior to the summer, we were working with poor speeds of less than 2Mbps, which was incredibly frustrating and sapped time from our busy days.”

“The improved ultrafast speeds have been fantastic. It has allowed us to be more efficient – we can quickly share photos and videos to update our website and we can now allow our guests, particularly for conferences, access to high speed broadband, which makes our site more accessible.”

Don’t forget that to take advantage of infrastructure upgrades, you will need to upgrade to a superfast broadband package through your chosen Internet Service Provider.

Check if you’re business is included in our deployment plans here: www.superfastworcestershire.com/ #where-when

If you’re not currently included in our future plans or want to upgrade your existing slower speeds, you’ll be excited to read about the Gigabit Voucher scheme, launched in 2018.

Gigabit vouchers can be used by businesses and surrounding communities towards the installation cost of a gigabit capable (ultrafast) connection. If you are an SME and meet the eligibility criteria, you can apply for up to £2,500.

You can either do this as an individual business or as part of a group project – each eligible business within the area can claim up to £2,500 and residents included can also claim £500 per premises.

Manor Hill House, Upton Warren

“Fast and reliable broadband is so important, particularly in rural Worcestershire: it opens up opportunities for small businesses to grow and compete in a global market, generating income and job opportunities within the county.”

Ken Wigfield, Federation of Small Businesses

Can industrial cadets help conquer the skills shortage?

Yamazaki Mazak, a leading global manufacturer of machine tools, and one of Worcester’s biggest employers, has found that a national employment scheme it introduced in 2013 is helping generate more applications for its apprenticeships.

COLLINS AEROSPACE ROLLS OUT RED CARPET FOR HRH THE PRINCESS ROYAL

Local dignitaries joined employees of Collins Aerospace in Malvern to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on her visit to the company.

Jim Pawson, Collins Aerospaces’ Managing Director in Malvern, along with other team members, demonstrated their latest intelligence networking systems, provided a brief history on the UK RAF RAPTOR reconnaissance system and gave The Princess Royal a tour of the purposebuilt facility. She also met many of the employees and unveiled a special plaque made to commemorate her visit.

“We were honoured and very excited by her visit,” said Jim. “She recognised that our important work often goes unnoticed. She also thanked the team for their continued commitment and innovation,” he added.

“We were honoured and very excited by her visit, she recognised that our important work often goes unnoticed. She also thanked the team for their continued commitment and innovation”

The 80-member Malvern team is part of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance & Space Solutions business within Mission Systems, Collins Aerospace.

The Malvern business designs, builds and supports operational level systems and software for multisource data acquisition, management and exploitation.

The company joined the Industrial Cadets scheme, whose patron is Prince Charles, to attract younger people to work for the company.

The scheme sees manufacturers providing a work experience programme for 11-19 year-olds. Mazak’s scheme is for predominately Year 10 students (ages 14 to 15).

The scheme is separate to Mazak’s apprenticeship programme, but has helped generate more applications. Mazak takes on 17-20 apprentices a year from a pool of around 160 applicants, compared to the three or four the company took on just a few years ago.

The Industrial Cadet scheme was launched in 2010 following a visit by Prince Charles to Tata Steel in Teesside during which he said he’d like to see manufacturing companies do more to engage with young people, to raise awareness of industry and job opportunities. Tata Steel launched a pilot project and Industrial Cadets was the name proposed by the Prince.

Solid start to Redditch-based Solid State’s revenues and profits

Solid State plc, the Redditch-based London Stock Exchange-listed manufacturer and specialist design-in distributor to the electronics industry, expects revenues for the year ending March 2019 to be above current guidance, and profits significantly ahead.

Last year, the company posted revenues of £46.3 million.

It said that strong demand seen in the first half of the year within its Value Added Distribution division continued into the second half and shipment of its

new power packs for an industrial smart warehousing contract have been strong.

Gary Marsh, Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted with the Group’s strategic progress, delivering significant growth and improvement in profitability.”

Jim Pawson presenting the RAPTOR 10K commemorative book to HRH The Princess Royal

CITY BAR AND RESTAURANT CHANGES HANDS

Thursfields Solicitors has helped a prominent Worcester bar and restaurant change to new ownership.

The Worcester office of the regional law firm helped Catering Group (Midlands) Ltd, owned by Louise and Nicholas Fenton, acquire Primo Bar and Dining from the Cokaj family who founded the popular venue in February, 2016.

The couple already own and run Bromsgrove-based Fire Safe Services Ltd and have already diversified into property, opening two luxury apartments for short term rental in Worcester under the trading name Boutique Suites last year.

There are plans to expand the scope and

offering at Primo during this year. Louise said: “Our business, Fire Safe Services, has been established for more than 15 years and has a good management team in place. This has given us the scope to step to look for further business opportunities.”

The Thursfields’ team was led by corporate senior associate Tim Edwards.

Tim said: “Primo Bar and Dining is well placed to take advantage of the recently redeveloped Cathedral Plaza retail mall which is something of a shopping magnet in this part of the city.”

Kate Walton of agents Hallmarks acted for the sellers.

FinditinWorcestershire talks technology opportunities

More than 70 businesses from across the county attended a breakfast event highlighting next generation technology opportunities helped by Worcestershire County Council and FinditinWorcestershire, which supports county businesses.

The event attracted companies interested in finding out about the opportunities that will come from 5G capability, the much faster generation mobile network.

Keynote speakers from QintetiQ and Worcester Bosch highlighted the importance of cyber security and the advancements of the Worcestershire 5G Testbed Consortium.

Malvern-based, QinetiQ, which has 35 sites across the UK and employees more than 750 people in Worcestershire alone, is working closely with businesses to help them understand the huge benefits that will come from 5G.

Andrew Bentley, Technical Engineering Manager at Worcester Bosch discussed the rapid development of the connection of people and things and how Bosch’s internet of things will play a key industry role.

He said: “The Industry 4.0 role at Worcester Bosch is simple, we want to make simple things smarter, to allow people, products and processes to interact with each other seamlessly.”

Worcestershire to

night

Worcestershire’s annual charity dance spectacular will return to the Chateau Impney in Droitwich Spa on Thursday, May 23.

Organised by Worcestershire Ambassadors, Strictly Worcestershire will raise funds for mental health charities based in the county. Last year’s show raised £32,000 for St Richard’s Hospice and Rory the Robot Appeal.

Eight contestant couples will strut their stuff in a bid to lift the prized glitterball trophy in front of a 750-strong corporate audience.

Casting their eye over the performances will be the judging panel including former trade minister Lord Digby Jones, veteran broadcaster Bob Warman, dancer/choreographer Katie Love and choreographer Jennifer Bennett Price.

Alan Dedicoat, the voice of TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, and BBC Hereford and Worcester breakfast show presenter Elliott Webb will return as announcer and MC respectively.

Event partners are drp, Andrew Grant, Lowe’s Solicitors and Greenworks Solutions.

Tables and individual tickets are available from the event’s website: www.strictlyworcestershire.co.uk

Regional round-up

sparkle at county’s most glamorous

Lisa Kemp, Stewart Coles, Tim Edwards of Thursfields Solicitors with Louise Fenton of Primo Bar and Dining

Strictly Worcestershire 2018 winners Dawn Owen and Gareth Keyte

PRACTICAL CYBER PROTECTION:

Tips and Tricks to keep your Business Safe

Friday 29th March 2019

8.30am – 1.30pm

Are you keen to keep your business safe from financial demands, data loss and expensive downtime that costs you money and hampers your reputation?

If so, this is the event for you and IT’S FREE

For more Information and to book visit:

www.businesseventsworcestershire.com/events-search/details/?id=80

Meet the experts from a range of specialist areas and have your questions answered

Jargon free and highly interactive

Setting the Scene From a Recent Cyber Fraud Attack: By Allan

Maund, Dains Forensic Accountancy

Social Engineering:

Phishing for People by Steve Borwell, Borwell

A Cyber Journey – The Recovery:

By Paul Colwell, OGL Computer

The Ballroom, Chateau Impney, Droitwich Find out more at

Practical Steps through the Cyber and GDPR Jungle: By Peter Loomes, Sandettie Limited

Cyber Crime needs Proactive Policing: By James Squires, Cyber Protect Officer, West Mercia & Warwickshire Police

Ask the Experts

Networking lunch included

Expansion in the bag for Jutexpo

Market-leading reusable bag supplier Jutexpo has expanded into new headquarters to help meet growing demand for its environmentally-friendly, ethical products.

The company has moved to larger premises at Lauriston Business and Technology Park, Salford Priors, Worcestershire.

Sam Turner, Compliance Director at Jutexpo, said that the expansion has increased the company’s total UK storage space to 26,000sq ft.

That is made up of 14,000sq ft at its new base to support the company’s fastmoving goods, adding to the 12,000sq ft it has at its facility close to Felixstowe, which services core lines.

There is also space to further expand warehousing and office space to meet future demand.

Sam added: “We had been at our previous location for around 10 years and it became increasingly obvious that we needed to move to maintain the quality of service which our customers expect and respond to increasing demand for our products.”

This move was partially funded by HSBC UK as part of a wider £400,000 EFG (Enterprise Finance Guarantee) loan to also support a product development programme and wider business growth.

UNIVERSITY GRADUATE HELPS LAUNCH MUSICAL APP

A University of Worcester graduate has helped launch a new app designed to motivate children to practise their musical instruments and improve their performance.

Christopher Lopez, who graduated with an MBA in November, is the Customer Marketing Manager for tech start-up business, nSpireMe.

The company has created the Let’s Play Violin app and Christopher has been working to raise awareness of the app on a global scale, in addition to UK sales.

Christopher, 24, said: “As it has launched internationally, the most incredible thing is seeing teachers or parents in countries like Bermuda and Bolivia download our app.”

Christopher was headhunted for the role on a professional networking website. The small business is based at Forward Partners, in London, a venture capital

“As it has launched internationally, the most incredible thing is seeing teachers or parents in countries like Bermuda and Bolivia download our app”

firm that invests and supports tech startups. Christopher works alongside the founder Stuart Barr, whose background includes work with artists such as Elton John, Dame Shirley Bassey, Andrea Bocelli, Sting and Paloma Faith.

Christopher completed an undergraduate degree at Worcester in English, Drama and Performance. He was then an intern at the PR firm Bell Pottinger where he got hands-on experience with internationallyrecognised brands, like Qatar Airways.

He also gained intern experience at an e-commerce snack company, ChewyMoon, which evolved into a Social Media Manager role. It was these experiences that prompted him to take up the MBA course.

McCarthy Taylor acquired by Canadian financial services firm

Worcester financial advisory firm, McCarthy Taylor Ltd has been scooped up by Toronto-based Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management.

McCarthy Taylor was founded in 1998 as an independent financial advisory firm with chartered financial planners serving clients across the Midlands. The firm

provides bespoke financial planning and discretionary investment management, and manages client assets of approximately £171 million.

David Esfandi, Chief Executive Officer of Canaccord UK said: “The acquisition of McCarthy Taylor represents an opportunity to expand our Midlands presence and

creates a regional financial planning centre of excellence, which will be fully supported by our broader UK team.”

Paul Taylor, Founder, CEO and majority shareholder of McCarthy Taylor will continue to be actively involved in the business to help ease the transition to Canaccord.

New musical app from nSpireMe

WORCESTER’S BID FOR A THRIVING CITY CENTRE ECONOMY

For more than a decade, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) across the UK have driven increased investment in city centres and other commercial or industrial areas.

Between 2015-2020 Worcester BID is investing more than £2 million on initiatives to support businesses in the city. This funding allows for the delivery of projects that the businesses have said they want.

The shared objective is to boost the profile of Worcester to benefit all businesses, from retail to professional, encourage more visitors and shoppers, and create a vibrant and economically successful city community for workers, shoppers, residents and visitors. And it’s working. In 2018, in partnership with the city, Worcester BID launched a national press campaign to raise its profile. The proof has now been reported in increased seasonal City footfall.

BIDS are partnerships between local authorities and local businesses intended to provide additional services or improvements to a specified area. There are now more than 300 BIDs across the UK and Worcester BID has been in operation since April 2010.

Worcester BID is a not-for-profit organisation with the aim of improving the trading conditions for the businesses which contribute a BID levy. In 2015 businesses voted to maintain a BID for another five-year period, until March 2020.

Worcester bucks national retail trends as visitor numbers rise

Worcester high street bucked national trends last Christmas, boasting increased footfall when most cities continued to see a significant decline.

Worcester enjoyed a rise of 0.3 per cent compared to 2017, while cities across the country saw visitor numbers drop by minus 3.2 per cent on average.

Visitor numbers peaked at nearly 2.4 million during December, thanks to Worcester BID’s “Christmas in Worcester”

marketing campaign. This included a pull-out in The Times rolled out in conjunction with partners Crowngate Shopping Centre, Cathedral Square and Worcester City Council.

The campaign included late-night shopping and free and discounted parking.

Phoebe Dawson is Chief Executive of Worcester BID said: “A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to market the city and its businesses locally and nationally, and

it’s incredibly rewarding to see these efforts reflected in the independent statistics. Much of the city’s recent success can be attributed to the strong working relationship between Worcester BID and its major partners.”

The BID team also launched a new consumer magazine, which now has a reach across five counties. The quarterly Worc Social magazine offers local businesses the opportunity to promote themselves to a wider audience.

CULTURAL CITY HISTORIC HEART

BID provides critical liaison when city faces disruption

Worcester BID has also supported businesses when the city faced lesswelcome visitors. Last year the English Defence League, a national far-right campaigning organisation, held two marches in Worcester, in July and August, to protest against plans to build a large mosque in the city.

While peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right in this country, there were concerns that the march could cause disruption. Worcester BID managed the situation on behalf of local businesses, liaising with West Mercia Police, the City Council and others before and during the marches. This included visiting

Bishop Fleming celebrates 100 years in business

Accountancy firm Bishop Fleming is celebrating its centenary year in 2019 with the launch of a 12-month campaign bringing together firm-wide, regional, sector, client and employee activities.

Managing partner, Andrew Sandiford, said: “Our centenary is not simply about a birthday or looking backwards, but rather an opportunity to position our business for the future.

“We are a forward-thinking relationshipled business and that’s why we’re launching a centenary campaign to reflect the importance of relationships to our business: It’s what we bring together, that sets us apart.”

At the heart of Bishop Fleming’s campaign will be the launch of a number

“We are a forward-thinking relationship-led business and that’s why we’re launching a centenary campaign to reflect the importance of relationships to our business: It’s what we bring together, that sets us apart”

of new partnerships, projects, events and activities throughout 2019.

Chairman Ian Smith added: “We are committed to supporting the regions, communities and clients that sustain us. So, it is entirely fitting in our centenary year that our people have pledged to raise £100,000 for charities across the South West and into the Midlands.”

businesses on the march route to keep them informed of the situation.

West Mercia Police Chief Superintendent Mark Travis said: “The professionalism and hard work of our partners such as Worcester BID who liaised with the traders in the city, and our nationwide forces who helped with providing mounted resources and additional officers, ensured minimum disruption.”

The government’s High Streets Minister Jake Berry MP said: “BIDs have a proven track record of upgrading commercial areas to enable business owners and entrepreneurs in our town centres and high streets to thrive.”

Managing Partner Andrew Sandiford with Chairman Ian Smith

Worcester Uncovered

Worcester Uncovered

New funding for Worcester Severn bridges?

Worcestershire County Council is proposing to invest millions of pounds into tackling congestion, improving town centres and upgrading railway stations across the county. The capital investments have been announced as part of the council’s proposed budget for the next financial year.

Proposals include £2.5 million for town centre improvements including in Worcester. It is proposed that the council’s programme to relieve congestion will be extended with an additional £5 million to be spent over the next three years.

Other proposed capital investments include £4 million to build a new footbridge across the River Severn in north Worcester and to refurbish Sabrina Bridge in the city to support walking and cycling. An additional £5 million is to be invested into the upgrading of railway stations.

£3 million funding will transform arches

Worcester is to receive £3 million from the Cultural Development Fund to help transform the city’a railway arches into a major new cultural destination for the city.

It will follow the line of the Victorian arches from Foregate Street railway station to The Hive and the River Severn.

This successful bid was co-ordinated by Worcester Cultural Partnership. led by Worcester City Council, with support from partners including the University of Worcester and The Hive.

THE HIVE

The Hive in Worcester, which opened in 2012, is Europe’s first and only joint university and public library.

The stunning, landmark building in the heart of the city was the vision of Worcestershire County Council and the University of Worcester and has gone on to be the eighth most visited library in the country. It has also been given the royal seal of approval by Her Majesty The Queen.

The Hive, home to the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service, also boasts a packed programme of regular events for residents.

And there are special events including author talks, workshops for families and art exhibitions.

The Hive also offers a rich variety of resources for University of Worcester students and researchers.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “The Hive is so much more than a library. It’s such a unique building to look at and is a well-loved landmark in our city.

“It’s a combined facility for the whole community to use.”

By 2018 The Hive had attracted five million visitors, with around 2,252 people visiting daily. It has one of the largest children’s libraries in the country.

The Hive’s prime position in the heart of Worcester means it is an engaging space for local and national businesses to use.

The Business Centre provides specialist e-resources, desk space and meeting rooms with audio visual equipment.

The Business Centre is open from 8.30am until 10pm every day and is the ideal venue for meetings and collaborative working. It is fast positioning itself as a high-quality hub of resources and events.

An active member of the Worcester BID, The Hive regularly hosts workshops and courses to support local businesses.

Networking breakfasts, talks and live streaming webinars from some of the country’s biggest entrepreneurs have proved to be extremely popular.

CULTURAL CITY HISTORIC HEART

Social housing and care provider picks Worcester for HQ

Leading social housing and care provider Sanctuary Group is a major employer in Worcester.

Located in the heart of the city on Castle Street, the Group employs around 1,500 people across the county and more than 13,000 nationwide who share the organisation’s values –quality, sustainability, ambition, diversity and integrity.

Formed in 1969, Sanctuary has grown steadily over its 50 years and its ambition to continue that journey was underlined in 2002 when the Group relocated its corporate services to the city. Recognising the value of Worcester’s central location, proximity to the motorway network and cost-effective office space were fundamental to the move from its original home in Hertford.

Since that time, the Group has not only increased its office space and recruited more staff in the city, it has invested widely

in the development of new homes in line with its social purpose – providing housing and care to those in need.

Developments including the Group’s £22 million Sanctuary Grove care scheme in St John’s (a 60-bed care home, 60-bed extra care scheme and 40 apartments and bungalows) have provided major

investment in the city, valuable training and employment opportunities, as well as new homes.

Sanctuary’s roots in Worcester provide further benefits to the city. Local charities, including the city’s foodbank and Onside Independent Advocacy, have benefited from staff fundraising and employee volunteering activities. Strategic partnerships have also been formed with local organisations such as the University of Worcester, schools and colleges.

With over 1,300 homes in Worcestershire, and more than 100,000 across England and Scotland, the Group has the perfect foundations in the city to continue to grow and deliver high quality services for all its customers.

A great place to live and work: Worcester’s ambition is good for business

Worcester should be proud of its ambition, according to Charlotte Thornton-Smith, partner at legal firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys, and head of the firm’s Worcester office.

“The richness of its history and culture blends very well with the many innovative businesses which have chosen to locate themselves here,” she said.

“When Charles Harrison started his legal practice here in 1904 right up to the

latest development at Cathedral Square which includes our new offices, our commitment to Worcester was reflected

in our decision in 2017 to expand and invest in the city rather than moving out of town. Worcester offers our employees a great place to live and work.”

“We take real pleasure in being able to play our part in the community,” added Charlotte.

“Our charitable trust raises money for Worcestershire charities and our employees are involved in any number of other good causes.”

“We take real pleasure in being able to play our part in the community. Our charitable trust raises money for Worcestershire charities and our employees are involved in any number of other good causes”

“Recognising the value of Worcester’s central location, proximity to the motorway network and cost-effective office space were fundamental to the move from its original home in Hertford”

“We will change the world. We will make people more secure. We will help businesses unlock their capability because they won’t be worrying so much about someone stealing their intellectual property”

TITANIA

A STAND-OUT BUSINESS

DRIVING THE WORLD’S CYBER SECURITY

If you want to make the world safer and enjoy your job at the same time, forget any ambitions to be Superman or Wonderwoman, Lycra can be so uncomfortable. Titania is a much better place to be.

By Nicky Godding

Nicola Whiting, Chief Strategy Officer at Titania

So it is with Titania, the Worcester-based cyber security business which is making the world a safer place.

The company’s Chief Strategy Officer is Nicola Whiting who has helped to lead Titania from an ambitious cyber start-up to a multi-million-pound, awardwinning business.

She says: “We will change the world. We will make people more secure. We will help businesses unlock their capability because they won’t be worrying so much about someone stealing their intellectual property.

“We will see that cyber criminals have to work a darn sight harder if they think they have any chance of stealing information. We will move the balance of technology back to the good guys.”

These claims are more than substantiated. Titania now employs a team of more than 50, exports to around 95 countries and its software is present in the computer systems of every industry sector. Ninety per cent of its business is from overseas.

Cyber security is a growing industry. There is also a worrying skills gap. While artificial intelligence is one tool for speeding up the diagnosis of flaws in a computer system, it cannot be done without the oversight of human experts who don’t just think in ones and zeros but can marry analytic skills with the uniquely human traits of creativity and lateral thinking.

Nipping problems in the bud

Titania

Titania was founded in 2006 by Nicola’s husband Ian, a highly experienced ethical hacker. He worked with some of the biggest companies around the world, finding and flagging up flaws in their computer security systems, but it was hugely labour-intensive work.

Ian recognised that part of what he did could be automated, but no one had yet been able to achieve this. It took him three years to write and test the software, working from home in the evenings, while he continued with the day job.

Titania’s core product launched in 2009. Called Nipper Studio, it is a cute name for some serious cyber software which carries a lot of bite.

Having won a Queen’s Award for innovation in 2017, Titania is now internationally recognised for the quality of its work, which has in turn helped it attract talent. It is now pulling in senior cyber security experts who have worked with some of the world’s biggest security companies – quite a coup for a company which currently turns over around £5 million annually.

Titania has greater ambitions. It is working with some of the world’s biggest technology companies, which in turn have close working relationships with the USA and UK governments.

They are intent on solving the problem of how to automate security at this level, make autonomous mitigation a reality, and developing self-healing systems to take the pressure off our core defenders.

“We have and are working with the right people at the right time, solving the right problems and we have the right technology to help,” says Nicola.

Software doesn’t solve problems. People do

Titania’s success is based on its people. Company founder Ian, Nicola’s husband, is as passionate as she is to respect and support them, provide a

Nipper Studio takes the guess work out of the labour-intensive process of auditing a company’s cyber security systems. What could take an expert consultant weeks to achieve, now takes a fraction of the time. Ian’s software intelligently automates the process, allowing organisations to streamline their cyber security workload at a time when the threat continues to grow and there is an increasing shortfall of skills cyber experts.

Today the company has multiple tools for all areas of network assessment. Nipper Studio provides vulnerability and mitigation information for network infrastructure (firewalls, switches and routers) and Paws Studio does the same for endpoints (such as laptops, workstations and servers). They both help find and fix security gaps fast, before they can be exploited by hackers.

Titania has also developed an easyto-use risk assessment tool for small businesses. SMEs are not the company’s core market, but the team wanted to help, so they produced a free tool to help smaller companies secure and protect themselves as they grow. It incorporates 21 key security checks, 17 of which are from the Government’s Cyber Essentials programme.

Titania’s systems currently serves around 16.5 million end users.

In a world full of uncertainty, clarity, ambition and strong ethics makes a business stand out as a great place to work and where good things can happen.

Titania

Titania’s top floor staff space at its Worcester headquarters

working environment in which they feel comfortable and thrive, and offer them proper career development.

On the outside, the company’s head office is an unremarkable 1960s office building. Inside it is being transformed –not into a playground (Titania’s people are not primary age after all), but into a cool space where creative thought is more likely to thrive, and collaborative working is encouraged. The top floor of the building, which has views across the historic city of Worcester, has been given over to the staff.

It feels a bit studenty, but not grungy. There’s an open plan kitchen, a games room (with a sound system hidden in a life-sized Dalek) and squashy sofas. “We invited suggestions on what they wanted, and we are all enjoying the results,” says Nicola.

Companies such as Titania have to develop a point of difference to attract talent, and millennials and Generation Z’ers (those born after 1981), come to interview with a very different mindset than that of earlier generations.

“Most of the people we have working with us didn’t just take the role offered, or accept that they must prove themselves before they could even think about promotion or development,”

“We see ourselves as more of a zebra, we’re black and white but we are a real animal. We weren’t prepared to move forward until we’d scaled our processes and prepared the team to be able to do so successfully”

explains Nicola. “They wanted to know at interview, even before they’d got the job, how we were going to support their personal career progression.”

Rather than seeing this as the arrogance of an unproven candidate, Nicola takes such an approach as a compliment. “If you interpret that differently, it means they already see a future with us.

“Every one of our team is motivated and a self-learner. They want to know what our strategy is and when we presented it, they wanted to understand and plan how

they were all going to personally make it happen.”

Titania has huge ambitions and Nicola acknowledges it won’t be just Ian and hers.

“I think our team will outstrip where we can take this business. Our goal is to replace ourselves when the time is right and make room for the next generation.

“We have the capability of being a UK unicorn (a privately held startup company valued at more than £1 billion), but we want a sustainable business – and some unicorn companies are not built on the bedrock they need.

“We see ourselves as more of a zebra, we’re black and white but we are a real animal. We weren’t prepared to move forward until we’d scaled our processes and prepared the team to be able to do so successfully.”

The power of giving back drives fulfilment and success

Titania

As Chief Strategy Officer, Nicola carries the responsibility of not only looking at the future but planning how to get there and building the company’s capability in order to achieve that.

As an individual, she believes strongly in the power of giving back, putting others’ interests first and seeking to add value to the lives of those around her. This perspective is evident throughout our discussion and it’s clear that she seeks to live by her beliefs both in the business and in her personal life.

“At work I am responsible for holding us

all to our corporate values, making sure we don’t lose sight of that vision as we concentrate on our day-to-day responsibilities,” she says.

“I do believe that you should do what you say you will do. Trust is one of the most essential things in our industry. It’s easy to lose and very hard to regain. Part of that is making sure the ethics and ethos of the company is maintained as we grow. And the rapidity at which we are growing means that everything has to be in place from the interview process onwards.

“We believe strongly in the power of the team. An individual could be the most amazing salesperson in the world, but if they are not supporting the rest of their team, the damage to everyone else could be higher than any revenue they have secured.

“We are a technology, growth-led business but the way we achieve our aims is through people. We don’t even use the word staff, because mentally that frames a them and us. That’s not who we are –Titania believes in one team, a team of Titan and together we will change the world.”

Work, rest and play at Titania

RECRUITING TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEURS

Co-located with one of the UK’s first 5G testbeds, BetaDen is an accelerator providing a revolutionary platform for businesses and entrepreneurs to develop future-tech.

Following the launch of cohort 1, BetaDen is now recruiting for the next cohort, due to begin late summer 2019. Entrepreneurs will thrive in this unique supportive, commercial environment. Enhanced with a range of innovation specialists, free office space and proof of concept grant, BetaDen provides the ideal Launchpad for technology entrepreneurs.

TECH TALKS:

DRIVING INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN WORCESTERSHIRE

Thursday 28th March, 5pm-7pm Malvern Hills Science Park

SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES

Join

Date: Thursday 28th March

Location: Malvern Hills Science Park

The BetaDen team alongside guest speakers from QinetiQ will host a security focused tech talk.

To book on to our TECH TALKS, please give the team a call on 01905 672 700 or visit

www.Beta-Den.com/Events

Cyber-Security. A catalyst for business growth…

For many IT professionals and business leaders, Cyber-Security can seem overwhelming. The consequences of a breach are damaging, and a business must remain agile, efficient, and provide flexibility to employees while defending their data, assets, staff, and integrity.

The digital world has changed how people consume IT, re-defining what a business can achieve and deliver to its customers. The evolving world of cloud services and device mobility has created a huge security problem for IT teams. As technology evolves, so have the threats and cyberattacks that are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and frequent.

The potential attack surface has expanded - it’s no longer just the company firewall and devices within the company office, it is now any device in any location. The old adage of “you are only as secure as your weakest link” is still true today.

The reality is that all organisations, not just those in the headlines, face the same security challenges every day, albeit not with the same resources to protect themselves. Security tools are evolving and improving all the time, with intelligent automation helping to alleviate the strain on IT created by the sheer volume of malicious traffic.

Yet, even with all this automation, you still need skilled humans to interpret some of this data and make sensible decisions. For

most businesses, it’s a complex and costly uphill challenge to employ those skilled people and resources and stay protected.

As a leading Cyber-Security and IT solutions company, Axonex, solve these challenges through 24x7 Managed IT and Cyber Security services. Axonex take responsibility for the overall cyber strategy and capabilities of their customers, enabling them to focus on what’s important – achieving their goals, fostering innovation, and creating a secure platform for growth. It’s critical that as a business grows, as new technologies become available, and as the threat landscape changes, that IT adapts accordingly. Through Lifecycle management, Axonex ensures that all IT processes and technologies remain in line with the business ambitions.

Headquartered in Cheltenham, Axonex leverage 15 years expertise in the IT industry, with founder Andrew Peters-Smith, ex-GCHQ, at the helm as Managing Director.

In 2018 Axonex achieved recorded record growth, securing contracts with both global and local businesses.

With a success built on its advanced technical and commercial capabilities, Axonex in 2017 achieved Cisco Gold Partner status placing them as a UK leader in IT services. Axonex continues to expand its capabilities, with new offices housing an in-house Security Operations Centre (SOC) and Network Operations Centre (NOC) following a significant investment. Hiring skilled employees, investing in management tools, training, and expertise has been critical to delivering expert consultancy and trusted services.

With dedicated teams covering all areas of IT, from Data Centre, Cloud, Collaboration, and Networking, Axonex integrate Security throughout all layers of the business.

Put simply, it’s all connected. From the end user, to the desktop, to the network. Effective Cyber-Security requires an integrated approach across people, processes, and technologies.

Don’t hold back on your business ambitions. Managed Cyber-Security Services will release you to focus on innovation.

Andrew Peters-Smith , MD, Axonex

‘We aim to be a trusted advisor, helping our customers reach their target level of Cyber-Security maturity. To get them there, we consult, design, adopt, manage, and continually improve IT solutions to deliver a better customer experience’’

Andrew Peters-Smith Managing Director, Axonex

Cheltenham to host National Cyber Awards

Cheltenham is to host the National Cyber Awards 2019, on April 10 at The Manor by the Lake Hotel.

NEW INDUSTRY DAY FOR 2019 DEFENCE EXPO

One of the region’s leading exhibitions for the defence and security industry is working with The Ministry of Defence to deliver a special event.

The Three Counties Defence and Security Expo, 3CDSE, which will take place on July 16-17 at The Three Counties Showground in Malvern, will coincide with an MoD Industry Day.

This is the first time that the exhibition has worked with The Ministry of Defence. Previous shows welcomed more than 100 exhibitors and 1,000 delegates including those working in command, control, communications and computers information systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and cyber security.

The Industry Day will share the work of The Special Projects Programme Delivery Group which is responsible for the procurement and support of equipment. It will include presentations from the teams’ specialist portfolios and allow for smaller breakout sessions for more detailed discussions with MoD staff.

A 3CDSE Networking & Innovation Dinner will take place on July 16 at Eastnor Castle in Ledbury.

Brigadier Robin Anderton-Brown, Head of the Special Projects Capability Branch within Joint Forces Command said: “The MoD Industry Day and innovation-themed dinner provide an excellent opportunity to highlight Joint Forces Command’s (JFC) leading role in delivering advantage for the Joint Force and how innovative technologies, solutions and approaches are being embraced to deliver battle-winning capabilities.”

Richard Morgan, Partner and Head of Defence, Security and the Forces Team at law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys, and lead for 3CDSE said: “This expo apart is at the heart of the industry it is seeking to serve, being based in the Three Counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, a hub of innovation from Special Forces in Hereford and GCHQ in Cheltenham to QinetiQ in Malvern.”

University cyber centre helps retrain military personnel

The University of Gloucestershire’s Cyber Centre, known as C11, has been selected by Crucial Academy to run courses for service personnel looking to move into cyber security, as part of the Ministry of Defence resettlement programme.

The courses will run from this month at the C11 facility in Berkeley and will be available for existing service personnel and selected civilians looking to further their career in cyber security.

Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Head of the university’s School of Business and Technology, said: “I am very pleased to provide a secure conference space which complements the specific cyber areas that the university is working on.”

George Carlo, Chief Operating Officer of Brighton-based Crucial Academy, said: “Crucial are delighted to use the state-ofthe-art facilities at C11. We see this as a huge step forward in our expansion.”

The awards will showcase the achievements within the cyber and digital sector and recognise excellence in innovation and artificial intelligence, policing and law enforcement, education, business and personal safety.

The awards are being sponsored by BAE Systems. Julian Cracknell, Managing Director. BAE Systems Applied Intelligence said: “These awards will recognise not just the best talent and products but also the unsung cyber heroes.”

GCHQ launches search for young female cyber security stars

Teenage girls from across the UK are being invited to pit their tech skills against one another in a GCHQ competition to find the best and brightest candidates to protect the nation from future cyber-attacks.

The CyberFirst Girls Competition, set up by Cheltenham’s GCHQ’s new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), has been launched to help demolish barriers preventing women from joining the fight against online crime.

Only 10 per cent of the global cyber workforce are female, meaning millions of British women may be missing out on a career in which they could excel.

GCHQ Director Robert Hannigan said: “I work alongside some truly brilliant women who help protect the UK from all manner of online threats. The CyberFirst Girls Competition provides a great opportunity to use new skills.”

Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme

In 2018, the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme was launched with a total pot of £67m funding available for businesses and surrounding communities to boost their broadband connection with a gigabit-capable connection (1,000Mbps.)

Eligible businesses can each claim up to £2,500 and residents can claim £500 towards the cost of connection as part of a group project, so long as there is 1 business for every 10 residential properties.

To date, over half the pot has already been claimed so hurry if you want to get involved.

Reasons to apply for a gigabit voucher today:

 There’s a new technology I want to try to grow my business, but my broadband speeds aren’t fast enough to cope with it now

 I waste a lot of time waiting for files to upload or updates to my website to go live

 I want to be able to connect to colleagues, customers and suppliers via video calls to cut down on travel time and expense but my connection isn’t reliable

 I have a leased line but it’s very expensive

 My business and surrounding community have very poor speeds and aren’t currently included in any funded or commercial infrastructure plans

Moorcrofts LLP advises on restructuring of the Harlow Group

Legal & Financial

Thames Valley Corporate Law Firm, Moorcrofts has advised the Harlow Group on a corporate restructuring.

INTERPRETATION PROVIDER SECURES SIGNIFICANT MIDVEN INVESTMENT

A specialist in high-quality communication support services for the deaf and hard of hearing has secured significant investment from venture capital firm Midven. Redditch-based Sign Solutions provides interpretation services for deaf people.

Its innovative video interpreting service has improved the accessibility and financial viability of interpretation for deaf people, by providing qualified British sign language (BSL) interpreters online, enabling organisations to communicate in person or over the phone via an online BSL video interpreter.

Sign Solutions now wants to conquer the rapidly growing video interpreting market. With Midven’s investment, the company can create seven jobs with further plans to invest in developing its service.

Midven was appointed last March to manage the £35 million equity portion of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). The MEIF is a collaboration between the British Business Bank and 10 Midlands-based Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

MEIF provides more than £250 million of investment to boost small and medium business growth in the Midlands.

Sign Solutions has a number of new commercial opportunities available which will have both financially and socially positive rewards. One example is focused on making retail shopping and dining out more accessible for deaf customers and meeting the ondemand communication requirements of deaf employees.

National law firm Knights buys BrookStreet

One of the UK’s fastest-growing legal and professional services businesses has made its fourth acquisition since listing on the London Stock Exchange last year, with the exchange of contracts to acquire BrookStreet, one of Oxfordshire’s leading independent law firms.

Founded in 1994, BrookStreet has grown to become one of the leading commercial law firms in the region with a particularly strong reputation nationally for its real estate practice. Its 45 fee earners will be

integrated into Knights’ existing Oxford office, taking the total fee earners in Oxford to more than 140. The total number of fee earners across Knights’ eight offices will be in excess of 530.

For the financial year ended March 31, 2018, BrookStreet delivered revenue of £7.2 million.

Knights will purchase BrookStreet from its existing equity partners for a total of up to £10 million. Completion is expected to take place next month.

The Harlow Group provides precision sheet metalwork, fabrications and 3-D-printed additive components. The company currently employs more than 130 people in the UK, with customers including General Electric, Lotus Cars, Raytheon and Sony.

Worcester law firm merges with London practice

Worcester law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys (HCR) has merged with London-based Sprecher Grier.

HCR is a full service firm with eight offices across the country. Sprecher Grier has a significant restructuring and insolvency presence in London.

Sam Payne, head of HCR’s R&I team, said; “This merger will significantly boost the continued growth of HCR’s London office and bring together two firms with excellent reputations.”

BPE acts for Location Sciences Group in raising £2.95million

Cheltenham-based Top 200 law firm BPE Solicitors has acted for Londonbased location data intelligence company, Location Sciences Group, helping them to raise £2.95 million through an equity share offering on the AIM stock market.

Location Sciences provide mobile location intelligence technologies and solutions. The company use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to ensure accurate location software for apps and advertisements.

Ryan Cartwright, Senior Manager, UK Network, British Business Bank, Karen Nicholson, Head Interpretor, Sign Solutions, Roger Wood, Director, Midven, Clare Vale, MD, Sign Solutions, Sean Nicholson, Non-Executive Director, Sign Solutions

Corporate events that get attention…

Cocktail events and portable bar services that excite, engage and deliver the WOW factor

Exquisite Cocktails specialise in tailored bar services for any business occasion. Whether you need us for a private party, product launch or corporate event our portable bar hire services come complete with some of the best bartenders, mixologists and flairers to entertain your guests.

WORK LIVE TO

Soho House founder launches new diner concept in Oxfordshire

The founder and CEO of the iconic Soho House brand, Nick Jones, has launched a new roadside motel concept.

Mollie’s Motel & Diner, part of Quentin Restaurants and Soho House & Co, has opened its doors in Buckland, on the main road between Swindon and Oxford.

Inspired by the classic American diner, Mollie’s is a motel, diner and drive-thru, and is the first in a series of openings the company is planning on roadsides and city centres across the UK.

The motel has 79 bedrooms by Soho House Design. All have king-size beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, high-pressure rainforest showers and Cowshed products in the bathrooms.

Guests have tea and filter coffee on the house, a space to work or relax and access to wi-fi and charging points. Everyday essentials, from snacks to beauty and skincare are also available to buy.

Reservations can only be made through the Mollie’s app or website. The app will also be used for guests to check-in and out, order food and unlock their rooms with keyless entry, and for diners to book tables and place takeaway orders.

Nick said: “It’s been a long-standing passion project of mine to have a go at reinventing the British roadside experience. From opening Cafe Boheme in 1992, to Babington and Soho Farmhouse, I like looking at how we can change the way things are done and improve them for the customer. My aim with the first Mollie’s Motel & Diner is to offer affordable style for everyone to eat, drink and sleep over.

“I want this to be the blueprint for the future of Soho House; using technology to create an even more streamlined experience, from the moment you book right through to closing your door for the night.”

Top Indian restaurant relocates into Cheltenham hotel

Prithvi, one of the region’s most successful restaurants which serves classic Indian food with a modern twist, has relocated from its original venue on the Bath Road in Cheltenham to No38 The Park, owned by The Lucky Onion Group.

Prithvi launched in February, 2012 and has gone on to win many awards. No. 38 is a boutique destination which combines the services of a hotel with the luxury of home.

Lucky Onion owner, local entrepreneur and Superdry co-founder Julian Dunkerton,

Former Lucky Onion director snaps up third pub in new venture

Former Lucky Onion group co-founder Sam Pearman has added the Swan at Ascott-under-Wychwood, near Chipping Norton to his new Country Creatures venture, following a deal brokered by Colliers International.

The pretty Cotswolds pub has 65 covers, a function room and eight letting rooms.

Sam and Georgie Pearman’s Country Creatures venture also operates The Talbot in Malton, Yorkshire and The Chequers at Churchill near Chipping Norton.

They are looking to develop Country Creatures into a group of inns and hotels.

said: “I have always been a fan of Prithvi’s exceptional cuisine and I am thrilled to be able to bring such refined cooking to No38. Cheltenham will continue to become synonymous with architecture, culture and food.”

Owner of Prithvi, Jay Rahman, said: “Cheltenham has always been Prithvi’s home. The opportunity to share in such beautiful surroundings will open the door to those further afield and ensures we continue to provide absolutely exceptional reinvented dishes that are all worth a special journey.”

The first Mollie’s Motel & Diner, at Buckland

Jay Rahman with restaurant manager Jorge Nunes

It’s a family business! …by Peter Roper

and friends

The Family Business Practice Book held its annual Charity event at Hogarth’s Stone Manor in Kidderminster in support of its Charity Partner, Edwards Trust. The event, now in its fourth year, was also the showcase for a book launch. The first Family Business Practice Book was published in collaboration with a number of the practices members and best-selling author Peter Roper, the Family Business Man. With co-sponsorship from FBC Manby Bowdler and Hayward Wright Accountants, this book has already received high praise as an excellent read for anyone wishing to improve their family business.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB LACEY

Would you like to feature your business event, launch or party in our business events section?

Harj Sandher from Midlands Business Awards and Rosemary Henderson from Business & Innovation Magazine

Nadia Davies and Mani Dhillion from Solihull College & University Centre

Peter Roper, The Family Business Man

Jess Deadman and Alistair Hayward from Hayward Wright

Sevvy Hasan from King Will’s Wills Ltd

Alan Sibley from Premier Asset Finance

Robert Elliot from Hogarths Stone Manor

Richard Brown from IM9ACT

Katie Meads and Neil Lloyd from FBC Manby Bowdler

Tracey Davis from Sterling Network Groups

Oxford Community Foundation raises £76,000 for homeless

UK PREMIERE OF KENYAN ART SHOW

Work by young artists from Africa’s largest urban slum went on display at a Cheltenham gallery. It was support the Uweza Foundation, which helps develop the talents of young people in Kibera, a suburb of the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The UK premiere of the Fikiria exhibition featured work from Kiberan artists aged between 13 and 26.

The event was supported by accountants Smith & Williamson. Partner Louise Somerset said: “Children in Kibera face major challenges so we were delighted to be able to support the Fikiria Exhibition.”

The event was sponsored by accountancy, investment management and tax group Smith & Williamson, along with Steppes Travel, Willans Solicitors and Roots & Wings Organics.

Commercial launches DONation Programme

Cheltenham-based office and IT support supplies company Commercial has launched the DONation programme, helping tap into employees’ competitive spirit while reducing their environmental impact. It’s an interactive pledging platform that combines education and motivation to help employees and the business meet sustainability objectives.

Six teams across the business are making small lifestyle changes, each of which has a carbon saving attached to it. Team

members makes one or more pledges for two months and also priority pledges. These include a commitment to drive more efficiently and get more miles out of the tank and to avoid extra packaging with reusable containers. Another pledge is fitting home radiators with reflective foil to save energy.

Commercial has been taking action to reduce emissions for nearly 12 years, achieving significant reduction in its carbon footprint.

Dallas Burston Polo Club names Shakespeare Hospice as charity partner

Dallas Burston Polo Club, the entertainment and events hub based in Southam, has announced a charity partnership with South Warwickshire and North Cotswolds based organisation, The Shakespeare Hospice.

The hospice, in Stratford-upon-Avon, supports young people and adults with a life-limiting illness.

The hospice will benefit from a donation of profits at major events and will have

representatives on site, raising funds and awareness. The Shakespeare Hospice will be the exclusive beneficiary for the majority of the polo club’s events this year.

Angie Arnold, Chief Executive of The Shakespeare Hospice, said “Our relationship with Dallas Burston Polo Club, whilst in its infancy, is very exciting. We really appreciate their support and are looking forward to working with the team this year.”

Oxford Community Foundation’s (OCF) festive appeal to help homeless people in the city raised £38,000 for Oxford Poverty Action Trust (OxPAT), to be matched pound for pound by the foundation.

The total of £76,000 will be distributed between nine different delivery partners which provide support with physical and mental health issues, access to benefits and accommodation, workplace skills and more.

Oxford has one of the worst rough sleeping and homelessness problems in the UK.

Paul Roberts, Chief Executive of one of the beneficiary organisations, Aspire Oxford, said the funding was vital to help organisations “collectively respond to Oxfordshire’s growing homeless crisis”.

Jayne Woodley, Chief Executive at Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), said: “This partnership is linking up charities, businesses, councils, the police and the universities to come up with a city-wide response to homelessness.”

AFH staff select Mind as their 2019 charity

Staff at Bromsgrove-based national finance group AFH are raising money for national mental health charity Mind this year.

The group has around 900 staff across the UK, including Bromsgrove, Birmingham, Kidderminster, Droitwich, Wolverhampton and Stourbridge.

Mind provides advice and support to help those experiencing mental health problems.

Louise Somerset and Tom Gauterin of Smith & Williamson with Hannah Wall of Willans Solicitors

GB Solutions’ specialist Tech recruitment desk expands into Bristol and the South West

GB Solutions headquartered in Gloucestershire, have long been known as the region’s specialist IT recruiter. Having successfully run an IT recruitment desk in Bristol, Joe has joined GB Solutions to develop and expand their Tech sector. Joe has a good grasp of the client base in the region and a detailed knowledge of the local market, understanding where the best talent is to be found and which skill sets are in demand.

The pace of change in the Tech market is like no other. On one hand there are operational hardware, network and support roles and GB supply contractors for project work such as major migration projects. Equally the sector has seen massive demand driven by Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cyber, Digital applications and E-commerce. Joe prides himself on his knowledge of: Agile, Scrum, Angular JS, Amazon Web Service and Microsoft Azure, C#, Python and

SQL, researching new technologies as they come along.

Working in tandem with GB Marketing for front end work and integrating that with CRM systems for direct mail campaigns, GB cover the full spectrum of digital roles on a permanent, interim or contract basis.

More change in the sector is inevitable. The new Cyber Park in the shadow of GCHQ along with the unrelenting growth of this sector, brings a wealth of talent to the area, looking for career opportunities along the M5 and M4 corridors.

As we look to the future, GB Tech under the GB Solutions umbrella, works with many local groups in schools and colleges to raise awareness of STEM, opening up Tech career opportunities to school leavers and graduates.

“Skill shortage is the key issue in the IT sector. The candidates are out there and clients come to me to access my talent pool and source the expertise they need”

Joe Lyons, Senior Consultant GB Solutions

For more information on how Joe can help you with your IT and Technical recruiting please contact him or chat with him directly on LinkedIn!

Joe Lyons – Senior Consultant

DD: 01452 429908

Email: joe@gbsolutions.co.uk

Joe Lyons moves from Bristol to grow the Tech desk for GB Solutions

CAREER AHEAD

NEW

FOR BROMSGROVE DISTRICT HOUSING TRUST

Bromsgrove District Housing Trust has appointed Abi Holland as Director of Finance, following the promotion of the company’s former Director of Finance, Mark Robertson, to Chief Executive earlier this year. Abi was previously Financial Controller at one of the largest employers in Worcestershire, Kanes Foods in Evesham.

WASDELL EXPANDS TEAM OF PHARMACEUTICAL EXPERTS

Swindon-based Wasdell Packaging has expanded its team with the appointment of Nick Evelegh-Taylor and Lucia Dalvit. Wasdell provides audit and testing to release pharmaceutical products to the UK and European markets. The team works with the products manufactured by Wasdell, as well as those manufactured across the globe and received by the company, to ensure that they comply with their specification and have been manufactured and packaged according to Good Manufacturing Practice.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE LANDS AT BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT

Birmingham Airport has appointed Nick Barton as Chief Executive. From 2014-2018 Nick was Chief Executive of London Luton Airport. Nick will be rolling out a £500 million programme to upgrade and expand its terminal capacity, aircraft stands and support facilities.

Susanne

been appointed as an associate solicitor at the leading Midlands law firm’s Kidderminster office, joining from Greens Solicitors in Birmingham. Eilidh Rose (right) has joined Thursfields as a solicitor at the Birmingham and Solihull offices, recruited from the specialist family law firm Benussi & Co.

RENISHAW MANAGER APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF MANUFACTURING COMMITTEE

Stewart Lane, Corporate Manager at Gloucestershire-based engineering company Renishaw, has been selected as chairman of CECIMO’s new Additive Manufacturing (AM) Committee. CECIMO is the European trade body that represents national associations of machine tool builders and related manufacturing technologies.

06

NEW HIRE FOR OXFORD WEALTH MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Wealth manager Charles Stanley has expanded its Oxford office with a raft of new hires. Ian Brookes has just joined as a Financial Planner from Critchley’s Financial Planning, where he worked for 16 years. Prior to that, he worked at Misys IFA Services/Sesame Network.

07

INDUSTRY VETERAN TAKES ON NATIONAL ROLE

Worcester-based Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers has announced a new role for industry veteran Simon Egerton, who has been promoted to the National Sales position. Duncan Sutcliffe, director, Sutcliffe & Co, said: “Simon has built up a fantastic reputation within the insurance industry so it made perfect sense to put him in charge of National Sales. His passion for insurance and desire to help others explains why he is so respected by his peers.”

Leach (pictured left with Shane Miller, director of the Family Team at Thursfield, centre) has

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE APPOINTS PENN AS PRESIDENT

David Penn, of Bromwich Hardy, has been appointed president of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, Sydney Penn, who was president of the junior chamber in Coventry in the 1930s.

FORMER BANKER JOINS BALDWINS TO SUPPORT GROWTH

A fast-growing business advisory firm has strengthened its banking and finance team to meet increasing demand. Baldwins, a CogitalGroup company, has appointed experienced banker Stephen Cridland as the new banking and finance director for the firm’s offices in their South West region, including Bromyard Road in Worcester, High Street in Evesham, and Broad Street in Pershore.

ECCLESIASTICAL APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN

Ecclesiastical Insurance, which has its headquarters in Gloucester, has appointed David Henderson as its new Chairman with effect from March 19. David has been a Non-Executive Director at the specialist financial services company since April, 2016. He succeeds John Hylands, who is stepping down from the Board after 11 years.

HOT NEW POST FOR BOB AT OAKLAND

Multi-temperature supply chain operator Oakland International has appointed Bob Richards to the post of General Manager at its Redditch facility. Bob previously held senior and director roles at several blue-chip organisations including PHS, Bidvest Logistics and Christian Salvesen.

MID-MARKET

BUSINESSES

TARGETED BY HSBC UK’S HEAD OF CORPORATE

HSBC UK has appointed Daniel Felton as Head of Corporate Banking for the South West and Wales as part of its drive to support mid-market businesses across the region. Daniel will work with businesses with a turnover of between £7.5 million and £350 million. Based in Bristol four Area Directors will report to him, including from Avon, Gloucester and Wiltshire.

BALDWINS PROMOTES LONG-SERVING STAFF

Cheltenham-based business advisory firm has promoted two long-serving staff following a stellar year of growth. Baldwins (formerly known as Davies Mayers Barnett), have promoted Rob Cook from Director of Corporate Services to Partner, while Karen Hopkins (pictured) has been made Director of Business Services.

SOLICITORS RETURN TO BPE

Top 200 law firm, BPE Solicitors, has welcomed back two of its solicitors as senior associates. Laura Pitcher joins the commercial property team from Charles Russell Speechlys and Adam Kean returns to the corporate team from TLT in Bristol.

INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS EXPANDS ITS TEAM

GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEP SKILLS UP

18 14 16

Rob Jenkins is the Head of Education and Skills at Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). This newly-created role will support the development of the county’s local industrial strategy. Rob will also support the career development of Gloucestershire’s young people.

17

SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL APPOINTS BBC EXECUTIVE AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Sara Beck has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Sara joins after a 28-year career at the BBC, where she was most recently Director of BBC Monitoring.

E

G CARTER WELCOMES EIGHT ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS

Gloucester-based construction company E G Carter & Co Ltd has appointed Ashley Baker, Phillip Barnes, Peter Blanch, Mark Harries, Thomas Jones, Chris Nicks, Alan Pearson and Mat Vye as its first Associate Director appointments.

15 14 16 15

E G Carter is a fourth-generation family owned and managed business. The fourth generation are establishing themselves in the business and the Carter family is committed to maintaining their ownership of the company in the long term.

These new associate directors have a wealth of construction experience and a combined service to the company approaching 150 years which will help the business realise its vision through to its 100th anniversary in 2045.

WHY SMES ARE SO IMPORTANT

With a combined annual turnover of £2 trillion, it’s not difficult to understand why small and mediumsized businesses are essential to the UK economy.

But too often the voice of these “small” businesses goes unheard against the country’s vociferous 8,000 large businesses, which account for 40 per cent of the UK’s employment and 48 per cent of turnover.

SMES. The facts

 Small businesses accounted for more than 99 per cent of all private sector businesses at the start of 2018.

 Total SME employment was 16.3 million; 60 per cent of all private sector employment in the UK.

 The combined annual turnover of SMEs was £2.0 trillion, 52 per cent of all private sector turnover.

But the phrase “small and medium-sized business” is a misnomer. Some of them are of a considerable size, and they come from every industrial sector.

The official classification of SMEs breaks down their sizes into: micro-businesses (those employing fewer than 10 employees and turning over less than £2 million), small businesses (which employ fewer than 50 and turn over less than £10 million) and medium-sized businesses, employing between 10-250 and turning over less than £50 million).

But if your business turns over anything from £30 to £50 million you might be a bit peeved to be dismissed as mediumsized. Others agree and the EU is consulting on the definition. Whether in or out of Europe, it’s fair to assume that the UK will take notice if the definition is changed.

More worrying is that at the beginning of 2018, there were 27,000 fewer private sector businesses than the previous year. On the upside, there are still 2.2 million more businesses in the UK than in 2000.

Ryan Hancock is a director at Hazlewoods accountants and works with SMEs every week. He said: “Contrary to the fact that there are now fewer private sector businesses than in 2017, we have not seen a noticeable increase in the number of business failures, indeed most of our clients have thrived in the current climate. The British tendency to ‘Carry on Regardless’ could well be a factor but we equally recognise that there may be challenging times ahead.

“The contraction in the number of businesses may represent a slowing down of start-ups launching, which may have fallen below the number of underlying business exits for the first time in quite a while.

“This is understandable in this time of uncertainty where the business community in Britain holds its breath, waiting for a clear understanding of the direction of travel after Brexit.

“What is clear is that business in Britain remains robust and with the right support will remain strong.”

Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the UK’s economy, and their influence shouldn’t be underestimated.

MORE THAN 1,000 BUSINESSES LAUNCH IN UK EVERY DAY

More than 1,000 businesses are launched every day in Britain and this country is ranked as one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business.

A survey conducted by Oxford Economics for American Express, published last year, shows the world’s SMEs are optimistic and are resolutely focusing on unlocking growth opportunities.

The survey also revealed that there is a surprisingly large increase in UK SME confidence, perhaps demonstrating a healthy interest in global markets after Brexit.

But SMEs face ongoing competitive threats from both larger and smaller companies, says the survey.

Many larger companies are using the latest technologies and techniques, such as social media analytics, agile project

management, cloud computing or collaborative workspaces, to create the customer intimacy, creativity, flexibility, and responsiveness that SMEs have long considered their key strengths.

Almost three-quarters of SMEs questioned for the Oxford Economic survey said that competition from large companies is intensifying. At the same time they face the threat of disruption from new entrants.

The survey offers some helpful advice: SMEs should keep close to customers and understand their changing demands.

They also need to look for opportunities in new markets.

The survey encourages SMEs to invest in the latest technologies to help them take and implement decisions quickly.

Larger companies are seeking to replicate small company benefits. But employees of SMEs have the advantage of being close to decision-making and access to a good workplace culture. However, bosses need to embrace training and longer-term career development which is increasingly important to employees.

The big challenge for many SMEs is adapting as they scale, while keeping the elements that helped them prosper in the first place.

More structure, process and professionalism may be needed, but such changes should be implemented in ways that amplify this sector’s traditional strengths.

Small businesses, going from start-up to growing up

As a start-up business grows, a new mindset is needed. Gone are the heady days when commitment and enthusiasm were enough to sustain you to happily work around the clock.

Along came staff, premises, growing expectations and financial commitments.

This pressure can get to many small business owners. Systems and processes have to be implemented, taking the founder’s time away from why they set up the business in the first place.

Last year we interviewed Craig Petersen, the founder and Chief Executive of Future Advanced Manufacturing in Gloucester, and he described the growing pains better than anyone else.

“There comes a point in every business when you hit a lump. For us it was around the £7 million turnover. All of a sudden you have to expand your senior management team, overheads and support staff to manage the sheer volume of work.

“You’re in this lump, spending extra money on overheads, which have grown tenfold and revenue is only growing organically. Then you come out on the other side. Your senior management team are effective, the revenue has grown to where it can absorb the additional overheads and is starting to appear back on the bottom line.

“There are no real business models I’ve seen for SMEs that really explain that. You just have to keep the faith when you’re in the middle of the lump.”

“The UK is ranked as one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business”

Desire for flexibility drives many micro businesses

Don’t underestimate the value and ambition of micro businesses. There are 5.5 million of them in the UK. Traditionally we may think of them as plumbers or hairdressers, builders, mechanics or independent architects, designers, artists or lawyers.

But things are changing. Millennials and Generation Z-ers are no longer always looking for that monthly salary payslip. They want flexibility, the chance to work, or not work when it suits them. They’re motived more by life experience opportunities than by climbing the corporate ladder. That means they’re

willing to put in long hours, take on multiple projects or work from their laptops anywhere in the world.

And millennials are leading the pack in many of the new digital sectors. A key one for this region is cyber security.

Thanks to the honeypot of GCHQ in Cheltenham, and with Malvern leading the UK in numbers of cyber security businesses located there, hundreds of clever young technology experts are going to business in this region, quietly establishing their businesses from small office units, or their own homes.

Medium-sized businesses, not quite big enough

By any other criteria, a business turning over between £10- £50 million would be considered large. But not according to the official UK and European Union definition, which lumps them alongside their smaller business counterparts.

Wallingford-based MMR Research Worldwide is part of the privately-owned MMR Group.

This market research agency business was founded in 1989 by David Thomson, a visiting professor in sensory and consumer science at Reading University, with his wife, Teresa Church.

Based in Oxfordshire and now with offices in six countries, it helps companies such as GSK, Unilever and Heinz to develop new products in response to consumer tastes.

According to Oxford-based research company Fast Track, which has created a network of the UK’s top private companies through its rankings in The Sunday Times, MMR’s international sales hit£31.1 million in 2017, boosted by US growth, on total sales of more than£44 million.

Few would consider this an SME.

Have SMEs lost their ambition?

A survey by Enterprise Research, which supports UK SMEs, has revealed that in 2017, 62 per cent of SMEs indicated that they planned to increase the turnover of their business during the next three years, the lowest figure since the survey began in 2007.

At the same time SME’s willingness to seek external finance has also fallen consistently since 2010.

But in another survey, this time from Oxford-based business energy supplier, Opus Energy, UK SMEs are still hoping to grow their headcount by an average of 21 per cent over the next 12 months.

The UK needs high growth firms, those which have achieved average growth of either sales or employment of 20 per cent per annum for the last three years.

“Sixty two per cent of SMEs indicated that they planned to grow the turnover of their business over the next three years, the lowest figure since 2007”

In 2017 there were around 11,000 such firms in the UK, accounting for around six per cent of the eligible population of SMEs.

Worcestershire-born online sportswear phenomenon Gymshark is one company bucking the trend. Founded in 2012 by student Ben Francis, the on-line retailer now has more than 1.2 million customers. It relocated to Solihull thanks to rapid expansion, and expects to top £100 million turnover for 2018.

GCHQ in Cheltenham is a honeypot around which cyber security SMES want to locate

ON ITS GROWTH AMBITIONS

You can’t really get more traditional than an independent builder’s merchant.

Paul Bence, Managing Director of Cheltenham-based Bence, said: “We are a 165-year-old family business, where knowing and understanding your customers is a real advantage. It’s not just about price or stock, it’s about people and we are rooted in the local community.”

And Bence is ambitious. Paul doesn’t feel threatened by national merchants such as Travis Perkins or Jewsons. “We know our price point is good and that our service is personal.

“We are a builders’ merchants. We don’t do anything complicated, but we have to juggle our stock. Our buying power is strong. It helps that I am the trading director of an independent buying group which has a £1.8 billion turnover.”

A good thing, as Paul admits the biggest issue for his business, as with so many others, is having to compete on price. Another issue can be the family. “The upside to being an SME family business is being well-established in the local community, which is always a big benefit

– especially in a sector such as ours. The downside is that sometimes, the family politics can get in the way. But we are managing that and are now intent on growth.”

Around 20 years ago the company launched Obsidian, an upmarket bespoke kitchen and bathroom retail business. The brand bumbled along for a few years but when Paul joined the business in 2002, he saw its potential.

But Bence Builders Merchants hasn’t been left behind. Last November the company opened its fourth premises, selling predominantly roofing supplies, from the refurbished former Renault and Nissan showrooms at Kingsditch, Cheltenham.

“Our roofing material business attracts roofers from across Gloucestershire and surrounding counties. It’s a multi-million pound business in its own right,” said Paul.

This followed the opening of its second mixed-merchant branch, just outside Bourton-on-the-Water earlier in the year. In Bourton, Bence also has an established decorating centre, selling up-market brands such as Farrow and Ball, and Little Greene.

“It’s really difficult selling kitchens and bathrooms well. You need a good designer who is also good at sales. It took us a while, but we finally found some really good people who look after our clients, and as most of our sales come from personal referrals, this is really important.”

Obsidian has two retail outlets, in Cheltenham and Bourton-on-the-Water.

Paul took over as Managing Director in 2010. Since then the business has grown turnover from £10 million to £24 million. “My mission is to grow the business to 10 branches and £50 million in 10 years,” he added.

Bence is currently looking at growth opportunities in Oxfordshire and Swindon.

Right: Paul Bence with Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk at the opening of Bence Roofing Supplies last November at Kingsditch Industrial Estate, Cheltenham

“We know our price point is good and that our service is personal”

BENCE IS RAISING THE ROOF

Hazlewoods Director Ryan Hancock and Senior Manager James Whittaker

say that the appetite of mainstream investors for SMEs continues to be strong.

“We cannot help but feel that the increased nervousness around growth and investing for SMEs is fuelled by the noise surrounding Brexit and the future of the British economy. In reality, financial support is more readily available to SMEs than ever before, corporation tax has been on its way down for years and the appetite of mainstream investors continues to be strong.

“We are continuing to see considerable support for innovation by SMEs in the form of R&D tax credits and incentives. Figures released by HMRC last September reported that the total support delivered to SMEs through R&D tax credits for 201617 was £1.8 billion, as compared to £1.6 billion for large companies.

“The overwhelming majority of R&D claims come from the manufacturing, professional, scientific and technical and information and communication sectors.

“However, those businesses which recognise that the tax support is focused at ‘on the ground’ activities and not purely high-tech development can reap considerable benefits.

“As a firm, we are helping to increase the number of SMEs with R&D incentives. Last year, we helped companies report R&D expenditure of £40 million, giving tax savings of more than £5 million.

MORE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR SMES THAN EVER BEFORE

“The recent increase to the annual investment allowance from £200,000 to £1 million per year for 2019 and 2020 demonstrates the government’s willingness to promote investment into UK businesses and make the UK an attractive proposition for investors based outside this country.

“There is no doubt that the improved access to global markets through advances in communications, IT, and logistics has meant that international trade has been embraced by far more UK businesses than ever before and has become an integral part of UK trading activities. How existing and new businesses tap into those markets, particularly within Europe, today, may look very different tomorrow.

“At a time where work/life balance is important, no one wants to find

themselves struggling to make a business work after the proverbial rug has been pulled from under them. You could therefore forgive any new and enthusiastic entrepreneur, or even a more experienced businessperson, for biding their time and delaying their next business venture until they have more certainty of what the future holds.

“We have been working within our international network, HLB International, to address some client concerns over Brexit. There are already plenty of real issues out there for established businesses and contingency plans are either already in place or advancing so that the transition, in whatever form that takes, will be as painless as possible.”

“Regardless of your political point of view, it is an exciting time to be in business.”

“We have been working within our international network, HLB International, to address some client concerns over Brexit”

Hazlewoods Director Ryan Hancock, and Senior Manager James Whittaker

TeamSport revs up for growth

Fun-loving Brits are thought to have spent £129 billion on leisure activities last year, a 17 per cent increase on five years ago.

And this is predicted to rise. By 2020 the population is forecast to spend £141 billion on enjoying themselves.

When everything can be done digitally, more people want experiences. Activities such as trampolining and outdoor assault courses to virtual reality theme park rides, are becoming more attractive.

Indoor go-karting is a perennial favourite, and the most successful company (outstripping its closest competitor fourfold), is TeamSport, which operates 32 venues across the UK, including in Bristol, Coventry and Reading.

founder of the high street computer games retailer GAME.

By 2017 the business had expanded to 24 tracks and was sold again, this time to Duke Street Investments.

The company is now supporting TeamSport’s ambition to double the number of sites, drive growth by investing in sales and marketing and pursue international growth into Europe.

It is also becoming a more sustainable activity. A number of TeamSport venues have electric go-karts, which are just as fast as the traditional karts, with the same acceleration, says Mark.

Managing growth from start-up to major player

The company, which turns over around £33 million annually, launched in 1992 and a major issue to manage early on, according to Director of Sales and Marketing, Mark Brayford, was access to expansion capital.

Opening go-karting tracks is fairly capital intensive, and founder Paul Wrightman spent a significant amount of his time seeking capital to fund expansion.

Private equity was quick to spot the opportunity and in 2013, when TeamSport had eight venues, the company underwent a management buyout, with investment from Connection Capital and Neil Taylor, co-

One of TeamSport’s biggest challenges as it grows (it now employs around 800 full and part-time staff), is to maintain the culture that made it so popular in the beginning.

“We are customer-facing,” says Mark. “My advice to any small or medium-sized business as they grow is: don’t forget the culture that made you successful. Reinforce it all the time in all your communications and recruitment processes.

“Our growing pains were most acute when the business was growing very quickly,” he added. “Businesses have to plan ahead. What resources are needed? What infrastructure is required to sustain the

rate of growth of the business. Do we need more people in to make the boat go faster – and usually the answer to that is yes, sooner rather than later.”

Growing leisure experience market

The leisure experience market is growing. “We live in a digital age and with so many of our interactions no longer face to face, there is a trend to enjoy a real experience with friends, families or colleagues,” says Mark.

That’s backed up by consumer research company Mintel. “Consumers are actively seeking the “new” and they’re willing to pay for it,” said Zameira Hersi, Mintel Leisure Analyst.

“Activities which encourage them to step outside of their comfort zones and exert themselves both mentally and physically will appeal.”

With so many new experiences available to thrill-seeking consumers, TeamSport is working to raise the profile of the established, but still hugely popular, activity.

“Indoor go-karting is a fantastic experience,” adds Mark. “It’s fun and adrenalin-fuelled. Our venues are all finished to a high standard, with multi-level tracks and offering food and drink on site. It is ideal for all the family and there aren’t many leisure experiences where parents can race alongside their kids.”

“We live in a digital age and with so many of our interactions no longer being face to face, there is a trend to enjoy a real experience with friends, families or colleagues”

SME Showcase

TeamSport

SME Showcase

SME Showcase

FIVE-STAR LUXURY FOR PAMPERED CARS

Windrush Car Storage grew out of a true passion. Launched by Tim Earnshaw 15 years ago, the company stores and cares for 200 classic cars in the Cotswolds and 150 in London.

If car storage warehouses were given hotel star ratings, then Windrush would be five stars – think The Ned in London, Dormy House in Worcestershire, or Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.

Tim’s love of classic cars started when he was 11 years old. At 14 he began a six-year project to build a Morgan car, reverse engineering it by studying online videos and books. It still has pride of place in his garage.

When he went to university, his precious Morgan was parked in a barn on the family farm, but when he returned, it was regularly covered in dust, or with a few chips which had flown in its direction. So he renovated some unused buildings

on the farm to create a secure, controlled environment. “It was like a man cave for my car and only I had the key,” he said.

After university, while working in facilities and hospitality with Ferrari in Formula 1, Tim set up a sideline business storing cars for others.

Tim and his team treat every car as if it was their own. Storing your classic car with Windrush won’t be the cheapest, but it is the best, he says. “We offer one level of service. It’s the Windrush service or nothing. From valeting, storing the cars in controlled conditions to battery charging and everything else.”

Windrush Car Storage turns over £1.5 million annually and meets the internationally recognised ISO9001 quality standard. It employs 12 people, each with their own speciality, from car detailing, transport to communications with clients.

“Our challenge is that we are the industry benchmark of quality. If we don’t continue to meet and exceed our own standards, it would be easy to fail as there is an increasing level of competition in our sector. We stick to the programme, listen carefully to what our clients want and trim our sails accordingly.”

Cyber SME attracts interest from all “Five Eyes” countries

Amiosec specialises in research and rapid product development in secure communications, network defence, cyber security and deployed capability.

The Tewkesbury business focuses on the use of new and emerging technologies to provide infrastructure research, architectural design and rapid prototyping through to bespoke product and support.

It was established in 2014 by Mark Hutchings and Adrian Cunningham, both of whom had previously held senior management positions with a large USAowned technology company.

“We felt there was a real need for a business to offer bespoke research and

rapid product development, particularly in the areas of secure mobility products and services. We wanted to respond quickly and efficiently to customers,” explains Mark.

Amiosec has been cash generative since launch. The business now employs almost 30 people and works primarily with UK government customers. However, its products and services are receiving wider interest from other international governments in the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance: namely the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

The company’s growth (forecast turnover for the year to March 2019 is around £3.5 million) has far outstripped expectations.

Mark believes this is due to his team’s technical expertise and reputation for responsiveness and delivery, but recruitment is a constant challenge.

“We often look for scarce skill sets in a very competitive market, so we have dedicated internal resources to drive our recruitment programme, and our engineers play an active role wherever possible.

“We operate in a heavily regulated industry which is subject to fast technological change. This creates unique challenges that affect technical performance, cost and speed to market. On the positive side, these same challenges provide an exciting proposition for our engineers, and create high barriers to entry for others.”

Windrush Cars storage hangar

Alpha Colour Printers targets greetings card market for growth

In 2017, the UK public spent a whopping £1.7 billion on greeting cards.

And around 22 million of these greeting cards were printed by Gloucester-based Alpha Colour Printers.

Now led by 28-year old Managing Director Amy Williams, the business was started 40 years ago by her father Jeffery, a wellknown local Gloucester DJ known as Jeff Troy. Jeff completed his City and Guilds in printing and used his DJ’ing money to buy a printing press which he operated from his dad’s garage on Reservoir Road.

Fast forward four decades and the business is now based in two purpose-built factories at Quedgeley.

Alpha Colour Printers entered into the greetings card market 20 years ago. Its customers include major publishers such as The Great British Card Company and Cherry Orchard, as well as bespoke packaging companies.

“Our equipment includes five foiling and embossing machines, along with flitter machines (which put glitter on the cards), tipping-in machines and an automated bagging machine which enables us to do all our finishing in-house,” Amy explains.

Alpha Colour Printers also prints commercial work for many local organisations, including Gloucestershire NHS Trust.

Amy joined the business two years ago. With a degree in accounting and financial management she worked as a financial analyst at GE Aviation in Caerphilly which put her through her ACCA chartership. “I always thought I’d work

for the family business one day and when the opportunity arose to move back, I was excited.”

Jeff retired as managing director six months ago to become Chairman. His wife Maggie is still fully involved in the business. Alpha Colour Printers employs around 40 people, which rises to 48 or so during the peak season. “We start printing Christmas cards in March, which is when we employ additional staff to resource our busiest time of the year,” says Amy.

The UK greetings card market is growing. The vast majority are still bought in bricks-and-mortar stores, rather than online, and they remain a highly-profitable product for the one in six retail outlets which sells them.

“We have a wide range of expertise among our staff,” says Amy. “They are all very loyal. Tracy Knox has worked here for 35 years. She changed my nappy as a baby and now she’s working with me. Yes, it sometimes gets stressful because we work

to short lead times, but we always deliver quality to our customers.”

One challenge for this multi-million-pound business is to meet increasing demands to be more sustainable. “We had the UK’s first registered Heidelberg carbon neutral press,” says Amy. “We invested £16,000 in planting trees in Togo, West Africa, which offset the carbon production, and can also apply a carbon neutral logo to printed items – this has proved very popular for our environmentally-conscious customers.”

Retailers are increasingly demanding their suppliers be more sustainable, asking their suppliers to “go naked”, using no plastic.

“Retailers want to eliminate excessive packaging, and are calling on suppliers to use recycled, recyclable, reusable or compostable materials,” explains Amy. “We have been testing biodegradable packaging and flitter to help reduce our plastic consumption.”

Another challenge is recruitment. “Not many people coming out of education think about a career in print, so we have developed internal training to equip our staff with the best skills,” says Amy. “Quite a few temporary staff have moved full-time over the years. One young man who came as temporary is now full time in charge of our automated bagging machine, and we have several others in training across the business.”

Amy and Maggie Williams

“Retailers want to eliminate excessive packaging, and are calling on suppliers to use recycled, recyclable, reusable or compostable materials”

THE MEAN VIEW

By Ian Mean

Small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of our economy.

And SMEs in the UK employ around 59 per cent of the workforce in this country and contribute something like 51 per cent of the nation’s GDP.

So, against this national picture, it is not surprising that the majority of businesses across the region are small - employing up to nine people.

Take Gloucestershire as an example. There are around 28,295 businesses in the county supporting a well-qualified and highly skilled workforce of about 289,400 people.

Putting the importance of SMEs into perspective, the number of larger businesses employing 250 plus people is just 100, equating to 0.4 per cent.

Gloucestershire is where Sir Frank Whittle’s jet engine was developed and many of these small businesses have been integral to the county’s reputation for cutting edge precision engineering.

Manufacturing has declined, but there are still many SMEs delivering world-class engineering, particularly for aerospace companies like Airbus.

Perhaps you might be surprised to know that health services and hospitals now employ the largest number of people in Gloucestershire.

I am very much a follower of former Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s mantra of encouraging what he called: “the march of the makers”.

A lot of these SMEs still make things,

Ian Mean

that’s how this county became a world leader in precision manufacturing.

And while world competition has made many of our small companies uncompetitive, we must ensure that we do everything we can to help and encourage their birth and survival.

It is easy to ignore SMEs. Many are working all the hours God sends.

Many have little time to train an apprentice and many are unable to grasp the bigger picture.

Enterprise Partnerships to produce over the next year.

I make no excuses for quoting Professor John Oliver in his foreward to LEADing Small Business (a real bible for SMEs coauthored by Stewart Barnes, founder and managing director of QuoLux):

“Running a successful small-medium enterprise (SME) is no picnic. For those in charge it can be a hostile and often lonely environment.

“Surviving and staying afloat is challenging enough. The marketplace presents difficulties and opportunities that may lead to growth where growth in turn demands change. Change too early and you could end up with excessive overhead and waste. Change too late and you risk losing competitiveness.”

I believe SMEs are our forgotten army.

When the government can stop arguing about Brexit, they need to urgently look at supporting our small businesses far more.

And I believe this support should be a key plank of the local Industrial Strategies which the government has asked all Local

Ian Mean is Gloucestershire Director of Business West, and a former regional newspaper editor.

He is an honorary vice-president of Gloucestershire College and has an honorary doctorate of philosophy from the University of Gloucestershire for supporting business in the county.

Ian is also chairman of the Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust Organ Donation Committee and a board member of Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, championing small and medium-sized businesses.

“Running a successful small-medium enterprise (SME) is no picnic. For those in charge it can be a hostile and often lonely environment”

THE AGE OF FLEXIBILITY

Birth rates and life expectancy statistics probably don’t feature on many business plans. But changing demographics are presenting real challenges for businesses in the region. By 2020, the UK will have the lowest number of 18-year-olds in a generation. This scarce resource of young people has consequences as employers compete for talent. While it will pick up again by 2030, there are already gaping holes within our region. For instance, every year Gloucestershire loses 400 more young people than it attracts.

In contrast, the same county is projected to be home to 79,000 more 65+ year olds by 2039. These two extremes are not limited to Gloucestershire, but present challenges for thriving SMEs throughout the region when recruiting, retaining and managing diverse demographic shifts in an ageing workforce.

Conversations about age

How old is too old to be working? There’s no such thing as reaching retirement age, in law since the default retirement age was abolished in 2011. This often surprises clients, who may find themselves subject to a claim when an employee feels aggrieved if asked whether it’s time they retired.

A common client question is how should they approach difficult conversations with employees, and this is where having clear policies in place will help. Businesses could consider implementing their own retirement age, with the correct legal advice. Planning and preparation helps mitigate potential surprises or difficult conversations further down the line when contracts come under scrutiny.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission Code states that employers should “promote inter-generational fairness and dignity.” Examples include promoting access to employment to younger people and facilitating the participation of older workers in the workforce.

An ageing population coupled with a lack of young people presents challenges for the region, not least in managing our workforces. Heyma Holmes, Partner at BPE Solicitors, considers how SMEs should be looking to policy to ensure they can be truly flexible while remaining the right side of employment law.

Balance is crucial and, while this can sometimes be difficult, it’s important that businesses are compliant but also flexible. If you don’t have an HR department, someone will need to take ownership and this is where training becomes essential to ensure your business is fully up to date with policy changes.

Apprenticeship considerations

When it comes to attracting a new generation of talent, apprenticeships are increasingly common, offering excellent opportunities for learning while working. I seeing an ever-growing number of apprenticeship contracts land on my desk, when questions arise about terms agreed if the apprenticeship were to end for some unforeseen reason.

Restrictive covenants must be carefully considered at the start. This is especially relevant in the context of fixed-term contracts, in case issues arise down the line and you need to let someone go.

Retaining good people

Whether starting out, or in older age, skilled employees are great assets and there are lots of ways to boost

retention. Contractual perks are an important consideration, helping incentivise employees to join the firm and encouraging them to stay. This doesn’t just have to be linked to money, given the emphasis people place on the working environment, and could relate more to wellbeing.

Gone are the days when flexible working only related to working mothers. It’s now a staple part of the conversation around the working environment and has a contractual implication.

It’s not a case of one size fits all, so will be nuanced depending on the employee. Consideration will need to be given to this when the contract is drawn up.

The challenges our region faces posed by an ageing population coupled with a lack of young people need to be understood and addressed.

Ensuring you have the right legal advice is a big part of this which will give you exactly the right combination of compliance and flexibility to ensure growth.

www.bpe.co.uk

Heyma Holmes, Partner at BPE Solicitors

“The Equality and Human Rights Commission Code states that employers should promote intergenerational fairness and dignity”

TEE’ING OFF FOR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

This month’s Spotlight on Leaders asks manufacturing bosses to discuss how good leadership is boosting their business.

David Funnell Managing Director, Stewart Golf

David Funnell is Managing Director at Gloucester-based Stewart Golf, which designs and manufactures electronic golf trollies. The company, which expects to turn over in excess of £3 million in 2019, exports its unique trollies all over the world and will begin a major marketing campaign in the USA later this year.

“Despite all the debate around Brexit, we have continued to see growth,” says David. “The only real challenge we are currently experiencing is the supply of raw materials for our trollies, which we make in Gloucester, and the pace of change in the electronics industry.”

Much of Stewart Golf’s raw material comes from China which has introduced a raft of new environmental laws, pushing up the company’s costs.

“The electronics industry is fast-paced,” explains David. “We design our trollies based on the latest technology, but the industry often comes up with a newer, “better” version, which means we need to reconfigure our designs to accommodate them. This is time-consuming as all products need to be thoroughly retested.”

Stewart Golf moved into a new 10,000sq ft factory last summer and the company plans to almost double in size by

to take more responsibility in the growth of the business. They came up with a set of values and now we only employ on those values”

2020. David says this couldn’t have been achieved without the management training both he, and Stewart Golf CEO, Mark Stewart, have undergone.

“I am currently going through the QuoLux LEAD training. It has really improved our planning. Our business plan was previously largely financial. Now it is more strategic and includes all

facets of the business, from operations to marketing. Our business culture is more integrated. That wasn’t always the case and wouldn’t have happened without good leadership coaching.”

David cites the masterclasses as being particularly helpful. “One class gave real insight into how to present our case better to be attractive to external funders.”

Another key area of insight came in the human resource side. “We have encouraged our staff to take more responsibility in the growth of the business.

“They came up with a set of values and now we only employ on those values. As a result, we’ve got a better team than we’ve ever had. The atmosphere is great.”

David Funnell with a Stewart Golf buggy

“We have encouraged our staff

MANAGEMENT CONFIDENCE DRIVES AGGRESSIVE GROWTH FOR GALEBREAKER

Jeremy Scudamore

Managing Director, Galebreaker Group

Jeremy Scudamore is Managing Director of the Galebreaker Group in Ledbury. The company is celebrating 35 years in business this year.

Galebreaker designs and manufactures ventilation and weather protection systems for agricultural buildings, windshields for air-cooled condensers, wind and heat shields for the oil and gas industry and industrial partitioning.

Born out of a family business, Galebreaker is now turning over more than £7 million and exports around 66 per cent of its products overseas, predominantly to Western Europe, the USA and Canada.

“I grew up in the agricultural community and while I was never a farmer, I did work on farms,” says Jeremy.

“We had various farming-related businesses and having worked in some of them, I finally ended up running this one.”

Jeremy saw opportunities to expand and moved the business into the power

generation, oil and gas sectors. “Our USA business in particular is taking off and we’re now cherry-picking work in Russia and the Ukraine and may well expand there,” he says. “To be a successful exporter, you have to get stuck into each market in order to service and support it properly. Our UK business is growing, but we also see larger markets across the water.”

Galebreaker wasn’t always quite so forward-thinking. In 2014 Jeremy began to feel the business was stagnating. “We had been doing some strategy and business planning, but I wanted to get back to basics. I decided to study the QuoLux LEAD course and it gave me the

“I grew up in the farming community and while I was never a farmer, I did work on farms, We had various farming-related businesses and having worked in some of them, I finally ended up running this one”

knowledge and confidence to really push this business aggressively.

“One of the most important things I learned from LEAD is that business leaders have got similar problems and we all have self-doubt. Understanding this is key to overcoming it and learning that you’re not alone.”

Jeremy is a strong advocate for the training he received. “We have grown 50 per cent since I did it. Among many things, it taught me to concentrate on what I am good at and do more of it. And spend money on getting a good team of people around you in order to plan a strategy and implement it.”

Jeremy Scudamore, Managing Director, Galebreaker Group

Galebreaker designs and manufactures ventilation and weather protection systems for agricultural and other industrial buildings

Are leaders born, or can good leadership and management skills be acquired through good training?

David Funnell: “The type of people who want to be leaders are born. They instinctively go to the front. But I do believe they get better with coaching and those more hesitant can be coached to get to that position. An analogy is a good rugby player who becomes world-class because of coaching.”

Jeremy Scudamore: “Good leadership is common sense. If you have common sense, training to give you pointers and the confidence to go with your instinct, that is all you need.”

What are the top issues manufacturers are likely to face in 2019?

David: “I am not afraid of Brexit and never have been. We import and export all over the world and I know how things move in and out of the country. Everything is already logged, recorded and reported. That is how we maintain a secure island. When a lorry drives through the border it’s already been checked and there is a lot of unnecessary scaremongering going on at the moment. It needs to stop.

“My main fear is that we won’t leave the EU, which would result in longer term uncertainty, and uncertainty causes recession. Fluctuating exchange rates are an issue. I like free trade, everyone does, but I acknowledge that we can lose more on the exchange rate overnight than I can on a two or three per cent export tariff.”

Jeremy: “I am not worried about Brexit because I think it will make manufacturers more innovative. I think the biggest challenge is getting it across the line so that we can be allowed to be entrepreneurial.

“Manufacturers also need to know how to move their businesses on to accommodate the ‘new Britain.’ There will be obstacles that we have to step over in order to progress.

“Our components come from the UK, Europe and Canada and this year we are focusing particularly on our purchase and supply chain strategies, to manage tariffs and be more innovative.”

Winning ambitions

Stewart Barnes, Managing Director, QuoLux

How can we make our businesses irresistible to customers?

A leader may hold big ambitions for their business; they see its potential whether that’s for innovation, profitable growth or market leadership. However, in the pursuit of these ambitions it’s often the case that operational blockages, bottlenecks and other constraints seem to get in the way. These might be tangible such as physical capacity limitations, or less obvious such as taken-for-granted assumptions about what is feasible.

Here are three steps that may help on the path to achieving such aspirations:

1. Be clear about your ambition

What matters most to you? Some examples might be making a lot of money, exploiting an invention, building a reputation, making a parent proud and/or leaving a mark of some kind for others to follow.

2. Analyse what’s holding you back

It is not always obvious what the key operational constraint is but knowing what’s most important to your customers (their orderwinning criteria) is an essential pre-requisite. It’s surprising how often businesses make assumptions about this, rather than asking and analysing responses. Not knowing order-winning criteria can lead to poor use of physical and intellectual capacity, dissipated energy, low morale, high costs and an inadequate service quality. Not all segments of your market will have the same order-winning criteria, so being analytical will mean you can focus on the areas with the greatest potential.

3. Be focused

Having identified your core constraint to deliver order-winning criteria, make this the focus of any action you take. Management effort should focus on how to make more effective use of a bottleneck resource such as a very knowledgeable person. In a manufacturing business, the core constraint to deliver an order-winning speed criterion might be an existing critical machine, so schedule that first and subordinate other machines to this capacity-limiting machine.

By channelling your energy in a focused way instead of spreading it out thinly across several areas, employees get to know where priorities for improvement should be.

Put simply, have a dream, identify the dream-winning criteria, the operational constraint and make best use of your resources to deliver top performance on the constraint. The result? A business that’s irresistible to customers and your ambitions fulfilled.

Stewart Barnes, Managing Director, QuoLux

A “lease” (also known as Contract Hire) gives you the ability to drive a brand-new vehicle over a set period of time, and pay monthly for it –think of this like renting it long term. When you are finished, you hand it back, and we replace it with a new vehicle of your choice. When you choose your next one, your needs or usage requirements may have changed, so we always talk about this when it’s time to renew.

This is a new concept to a lot of drivers, because many people would have traditionally bought their vehicle by using savings, or used other forms of finance, such as hire

So, What exactly is leasing?

purchase. You would often be stuck with high depreciation, unknown maintenance, repair, and running costs, let alone having to spend a lot of time trawling around showrooms, finding the best deal, and of course dealing with car salesmen! Leasing is a simpler, cheaper alternative, and a more modern approach to motoring.

With leasing most elements are pre-set, so you can generally determine exactly how much you’re going to spend before you even receive the vehicle, and budget accordingly. Your payments are based on how many miles you

For further information please contact David Middleton on 0800 781 0124 | 07825 986892 or email info@thevehiclenetwork.co.uk www.thevehiclenetwork.co.uk

do, the vehicle you choose, and the level of included maintenance you require. From us, you will always receive a full manufacturers warranty, road tax, and breakdown cover, and we can include all of your service, tyre, and maintenance costs if you prefer.

All of our packages are tailored to suit you. From choosing the car, the budget, the package, and the paperwork, we look after all of this for you. We even deliver your new car to you free of charge, and arrange collection when you are finished. You don’t even need to leave the house.

There are handy guides to both personal and business leases on our website, but let me explain some of the basic principles.

I hope you found this useful, I’m David Middleton from The Vehicle Network, your next vehicle made simple.

SPOTLIGHT ON MANUFACTURING

PREPARING YOUR MANUFACTURING BUSINESS FOR BREXIT

The final terms under which the UK will exit the European Union are still not known at the time of writing. However manufacturers who import or export (or have plans to), need to have a contingency plan to cater for whatever might happen in the future.

As the UK member firm of Crowe Global, the eighth largest accounting network across the world, we work with clients and prospects to develop such contingency plans, be it from a solely UK perspective, or whether European or global considerations also need to be taken into account.

From a purely business point of view, a regime that allows cross-border duty free trade, together with minimal paperwork, is desirable for many manufacturing organisations, but an agreement that permits this with the EU could carry with it terms that restrict the government’s ability to enter trading agreements with the rest of the world.

Therefore, for businesses that buy products within the EU and sell within the EU, there may be merit in establishing an EU subsidiary.

We are seeing a growing number of businesses looking to establish an EU subsidiary to export into, allowing them to keep the regulatory requirements “inhouse” while maintaining a clean “inside EU” customer relationship.

Other organisations are also actively looking into “customs warehousing”. This

allows traders to store goods with duty or import VAT suspended, but authorisation is required by HMRC.

For importers from the EU, there could well be the need to pay VAT and duty at port of entry “up front”, post Brexit, and this could affect cashflow. It could also affect pricing structures for sale of products in the future. The effect could be significant and might require detailed planning from those who import regularly.

The administrative costs of dealing with transactions outside the UK are likely to increase and we are seeing many businesses who only deal within the EU having to source expertise and manpower to process import/export documentation.

Mention of paperwork brings us on to one area you could address now.

Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status is an internationally recognised marker that your company’s international supply chains are secure, and your customs controls and procedures are efficient and compliant.

The main benefits of AEO status are access to simplified customs procedures, smoother and possibly quicker progress for your shipments through customs import procedures. It may be that you can be seen as a preferred supplier in tender processes.

AEO is available to UK businesses today, but take-up has been slow because there are not sufficient incentives to make it

attractive, but that will change when the UK leaves the EU.

Post-Brexit, the government will seek to obtain mutual recognition of AEOs with the rest of the world. Closer to home, the Brexit white paper indicates a new “trusted trader” scheme could be agreed with the EU. This would allow traders to pay the correct tariff without then having to apply for a refund. It is reasonable to expect the application requirements for AEO and trusted trader status will be broadly similar, although it will be important to monitor developments in this area.

As a result, it is likely a company with AEO will have an advantage over a company that does not – whatever the form of the UK’s trade arrangements with the EU post-Brexit. The same consideration will also apply for goods moving into the EU from the UK. AEO should assist UK businesses with selling and moving goods into the EU.

We recommend you start the preparation and application processes now to avoid getting stuck in a queue, particularly as HMRC is likely to see a dramatic increase in applications as Brexit approaches.

For all the issues highlighted above, Crowe can help and guide you through the processes. If you would like to talk through your options, please contact me via chris.mould@crowe.co.uk, or call 01242 234421

Chris Mould is Audit and Assurance Partner in the Cheltenham office of national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm, Crowe UK. Chris Mould, Partner, Crowe UK

FORMER JAGUAR PLANT DEVELOPED INTO NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY

A Coventry manufacturer has unveiled its new £10 million headquarters on the site of Jaguar Cars’ former Browns Lane plant.

The Expert Group’s new 75,000sq ft design and manufacturing facility in Lyons Park will allow it to expand its workforce by 40 in the coming months.

Managing Dierctor Angelo Luciano, who bought Expert Tooling & Automation in 1998, started his career with Jaguar Cars in 1986.

He said: “When I was 22 I worked at Jaguar Cars in Castle Bromwich and visited the Browns Lane site often, so it seems fitting that Expert Tooling & Automation has become the final company to move to the site of its former factory.

“We’re developing technologies for lightweight electric vehicles including new joining methods for mixed materials used vehicle body structures consisting of composites and aluminium. We’re also

involved in the design and manufacturing of battery production lines.

Human collaborative robots will become more mainstream in the industrial automation sector, added Angelo. “With the expected changes in the employment market and the increased demand for further automation, these robots are designed to work alongside humans without the restriction of safety guards.”

Expert was the first company to install a human collaborative robot at Jaguar Land Rover in 2017. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street officially opened the new facility.

World-leading technology drives Gloucester engineering company growth

A Gloucester engineering company is behind some of the world’s leading technology.

Hydraproducts provided the power pack to operate a number of cylinders to mimic a boat in a storm during the filming of the Alice in Wonderland movie sequel, Through the Looking Glass, which was shot in Gloucester Docks.

Hydraproducts was launched by Ben Lee 16 years ago. It now has an annual turnover of £2.7 million, up 20 per cent on last year. More than a quarter of the hydraulic power packs the company designs and produces are exported.

Early in his career, Ben worked for some well-established engineering firms but recognised the potential demand for bespoke power packs. Initially, he

designed and produced the hydraulic packs to power the lifts which enabled disabled people to access ambulances.

Ben now heads a 17-strong team at the company’s headquarters at Tuffley Trading Estate, Gloucester.

The company’s products also enable crews to winch up deep sea divers and operate lifts for the handling of materials, injection moulding machinery and bailers.

More recently, Hydraproducts’ power packs have been used to power the formidable “cheese wedge” road blocks and hydraulically operated bollards aimed at helping to deter terrorists.

Ben Lee said: “We have a fantastic, hardworking team with years of hydraulic knowledge and experience.”

“We’re developing technologies for lightweight electric vehicles including new joining methods for mixed materials used vehicle body structures consisting of composites and aluminium”

Angelo Luciano (The Expert Group) with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street. Back, from left, David Robinson (RBS), Paula Deas (Coventry and Warwickshire LEP) and Gerald Gannaway (Frontier Development Capital)

The Hydraproducts team

Tyre scanner set for national roll-out after £1 million investment

An Oxfordshire company which has developed an innovative tool to check the safety of vehicle tyres, has secured £1 million funding to help it move into the global automotive aftersales market.

Sigmavision has secured funding from the MEIF Proof-of-Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund managed by Mercia Fund managers.

The company, which is based in Cherwell Valley, has developed a handheld scanner which slides along the surface of tyres and uses 3D scanning technology to accurately measure tread depth and tyre wear. The

TreadReader scanner can be used on vehicles of all types and eliminates the errors associated with manual dip gauges. The company also developed drive-over ramps incorporating the same technology.

Dr Andrew Pryce, Sigmavision’s Managing Director, said: “3D tyre measurement offers major benefits for the global automotive aftermarket and our aim is to make it the industry standard.

“The funding will allow us to rapidly scale production capacity, set up a global sales and aftersales department and accelerate product development.”

Material world: work completes on 3D printing factory

Materials Solutions, a Siemens business and additive manufacturing specialist, has opened a new 3D printing factory at the Worcester Six Business Park.

The new 4,500sq metres facility, which was fitted out by Malvern-based building contractor Speller Metcalfe, represents a £27 million investment, and will allow Materials Solutions to double its capacity of 3D-printers to more than 50. It is also expected to create around 50 new jobs.

Zero emissions plane targets record speed of more than 300 mph

Rolls-Royce is working with Gloucesterbased Electroflight and Kidlington’s YASA Motors on a highly specialised challenge to build the world’s fastest all-electric aircraft.

This zero-emissions plane is expected to make a run for the record books with a target speed of more than 300 mph.

The team of British engineers and designers are setting out to make history.

YASA was founded on the principle that small, light electric motors would play a growing role in meeting strict global emissions targets and the requirement for greater efficiency through electrification.

Gloucestershire Airport-based Electroflight designs revolutionary, high performance, electric sport aircraft to

push the boundaries of electric-powered aviation taking advantage of the latest battery and electric motor technology.

Together, the companies are building a high-performance electric aeroplane unlike anything the world has seen, scheduled to take to the skies in 2020.

This run for the record books is no stunt. It’s part of a Rolls-Royce initiative called ACCEL – short for “Accelerating the Electrification of Flight” intended to pioneer a third wave of aviation.

ACCEL is partly-funded by the UK government. Matheu Parr, ACCEL Project Manager for Rolls-Royce, said: “This plane will be powered by a stateof-the-art electrical system and the most powerful battery ever built for flight.”

Speller Metcalfe Regional Director, Rob Lashford said: “We have transformed an existing unit into a high-performance factory facility. This has been designed to increase productivity and flexibility that will allow the business room to grow and adapt within the fast-paced manufacturing industry.”

Phil Hatherley, General Manager at Materials Solutions, said: “We have ambitious plans to industrialise the additive manufacturing process and moving to the new Worcester Six facility is the first step to making that happen.”

“We have ambitious plans to industrialise the additive manufacturing process and moving to the new Worcester Six facility is the first step to making that happen”

Bill Yost of Mercia, Sigmavision’s Managing Director Dr Andrew Pryce and Sales Director Chris Coyle

Siemen’s new 3D facility at Worcester Six

SPIN-OUT BUSINESSES HELP DRIVE GROWTH OF UK INNOVATION

Spin-out businesses are successfully exploiting some of the worldleading research and development being carried out by UK university students, former students and staff.

There have been some incredible success stories. NaturalMotion is the most successful spin-out company to emerge from Oxford University, from its Department of Zoology.

Founder, Torsten Reil, studied computer simulations of human nervous systems as a student to understand how they controlled movement. His programmes used genetic algorithms which enabled animations to

respond to their virtual environment. As they did so, they evolved their own way of moving, resulting in realistic simulations of human and animal movement.

Torsten realised that these programmes could be used to improve animation in films and computer games – both huge global markets.

In 2001 NaturalMotion received seed funding of £25,000 from the university. Just six years later, by 2007, the company had launched Morpheme, the first

graphically authorable animation engine. It is now the most widely used engine in the console and PC games industry.

The company released Backbreaker: Tackle Alley, which went on to be downloaded more than seven million times. Many more globally successful games followed.

In 2014, NaturalMotion was bought by American games developer Zynga for $527 million and continues to develop games at its studios in London and Brighton.

Spin-out success across the region’s universities

Oxford University Innovation broke its spin-out creation record last year, adding 24 new companies in 2018 based on Oxford University research. The companies raised a collective £546.9 million in 2018.

The University of Warwick spun out eight companies in 2017-18. Quentin Compton-Bishop, CEO of Warwick Ventures, the university’s research commercialisation office, said: “Warwick spin-outs now total 30 active companies. Together they raised over £27 million in investment and grant funding and employ more than 230 people.”

Not all spin-outs are commercial. Warwick helped start two social enterprises with healthcare missions and Warwick Ventures is investing more resources to support creative ideas of the Arts and Social Sciences Faculties. Oxford is also now supporting social enterprise spin-outs.

According to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA), which is based in Cheltenham, in 201617 there were six spin-outs from Oxford Brookes University and nine from the Royal Agricultural University at Cirencester. The University of Worcester reported 19 and Coventry University announced 36.

Spinning out an idea into a successful business can be tough says Jonathan Harris, Editor of Young Company Finance. Jonathan analyses the UK spin-out sector and says that they are at a low level compared to what they could be.

He said: “Not all spin-outs are successful. Getting an idea to market is seldom easy and the person with the idea is not always the one who can successfully take that idea to market. An academic with a bright idea won’t always cut it.”

A major issue for start-up spin-outs is space – or the lack of it, according to Peter Wilder, a partner at property consutancy Bidwells.

He said: “There is no pipeline commercial space coming through in Oxford City centre, where the young bright people working for start-ups often want to be. And the chances are that a start-up spin-out will grow at pace and the space it occupies needs to accommodate that.”

Start-up spin-out companies often want to be close to their university research and development roots, before moving out to one of the city’s growing science parks such as Harwell or Begbroke.

Peter has been seconded to Oxford Science and Innovation to help build a pipeline of space which the city’s spin-out companies desperately need.

Prof David Haddleton and CEO Nigel Davis of Medherent analysing spin-out company Medherent’s patches

Oxford sustainable fuels give value to plastic waste

The total amount of plastic produced annually is now roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity. Currently, only around nine per cent of the world’s plastic is recycled due to complexity of sorting, separating and cleaning for the recycling process.

With daily shocking headlines on the increasing mountains of plastic waste, a technological solution to create fuel from plastic has now been developed by Oxford Sustainable Fuels (OSF).

Spun out from Oxford University in 2017, the company is founded on inventions within the university’s inorganic chemistry department by Dr Tiancun Xiao, Professor Peter Edwards and Dr Zhaoxi Zhang.

3D printed bike helmets boost safety

The world’s first custom-made 3D printed cycle helmet that could help save lives has been developed by engineer Jamie Cook.

The idea for the Hexo helmet was born while he was studying at University College London. It was developed under the supervision of leading material scientist Prof Mark Miodownik. When Jamie continued his studies at Oxford University he carried on with his research.

“Cellular structures have the highest crush strength to weight ratio. That’s a great mechanical property when you’re trying to make a bicycle helmet, which needs to be both safe and lightweight.”

Expanded polystyrene foam which has conventionally been used in bike helmets wasn’t designed for curved surfaces such as a human head, explained Jamie.

“We need to design for the head’s unique curvature. The only way to make a curved honeycomb structure without distorting the mechanical properties is by 3D printing.”

The exact fit is achieved through mobile scanning technology and the helmets,

OSF’s technology processes takes waste plastic, tyres or biomass and converts them to oil in a pyrolysis plant. It combines them with blending agents in a catalytic upgrading process to produce chemicals and fuel blending components for gasoline and diesel fuels.

The OSF process is able to handle mixed plastic, making the challenge of sorting and separation unnecessary.

Dr Tiancun Xiao, CEO of Oxford Sustainable Fuels, said: “It is our aim to become a key element of the circular economy by enabling the economic transformation of waste to valuable and needed products.

The Oxford-based company, which was spun out from the University by Oxford University Innovation, the institution’s research commercialisation arm, raised £1 million in seed investment from the investment arm of GEM, a Shenzhenbased waste recycling firm. This seed investment is being used to develop and scale up the technology to a pre-pilot plant scale. The company plans to have begun deploying its technology against plastic waste within five years.

which retail at £349 each, are made in the UK with extra strength from the honeycomb structure.

“Our honeycomb structure has a high crush strength to weight ratio which delivers 68 per cent more energy efficiency to make helmets that are much safer,” he said. “What we’re developing now is a real synergy between material science, manufacturing and technology coming together to unlock things that were never possible before.”

The Hexo helmet’s internal structure is made from Polyamide 11, a material that conducts heat eight times better than foam. Once that heat escapes, it’s vented out by cool air channelled beneath the

outer shell. The helmet’s inner shell is made from renewable raw materials, using only oil from castor beans.

Hexo is currently focusing on making the best road cycling helmet possible but is also exploring other protective headgear sectors including motorsports, snow-sports and equestrian. Hexo has so far raised £1.3 million in investment funding.

A Hexo Helment

Georgie Smithwick, Jamie Cook and Henry Neilson of Hexo Helmets

HEARTFELT DISCOVERY COULD SAVE LIVES

Every year, more than 100,000 people die from a heart attack or related stroke in the UK alone, and heart disease and stroke remain the two biggest overall causes of death worldwide.

In late 2018, Caristo Diagnostics, an Oxford University spin-out company, launched to commercialise a new coronary CT image analysis technology that can flag patients at risk of deadly heart attacks years before they occur.

Caristo’s technology, developed as part of a research collaboration led by Oxford University academics, is based on the discovery that the fat tissue surrounding the coronary arteries senses the presence of inflammation in the coronary artery.

This change can be detected by analysis of routine coronary CT angiograms (CCTA) using Caristo’s technology, producing a new measure called the Fat Attenuation Index (FAI) which accurately quantifies the extent of inflammation in the coronary arteries supplying the heart.

With Caristo’s technology, clinicians would be able to identify early those people who are at risk of having a heart attack and help them take preventative steps, such as lifestyle modification and initiating preventive medication, before it strikes.

Caristo Diagnostics has raised £2 million in seed financing, in a round backed by a consortium of investors, including Oxford Technology Investment Fund, Longwall Ventures and Oxford Sciences Innovation.

The funding will be used together with a recently-awarded Innovate UK grant for £1.9 million, to further develop and then deploy Caristo’s underpinning technology.

Professor Charalambos Antoniades, Professor at the Oxford University Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Founder of Caristo Diagnostics, said: “For the first time we have a set of biomarkers, derived from a routine test used anyway as part of everyday clinical

practice, that measures what we call ‘the residual cardiovascular risk’, currently missed by all risk scores and non-invasive tests. Knowing who is at high risk for a heart attack could allow us to intervene early enough to prevent it. I expect these biomarkers to become essential part of standard coronary CT angiography reporting in the coming years.”

Dr Victoria Sanchez, Senior Licensing and Ventures Manager at Oxford University Innovation, added: “Caristo turns the battle against heart disease from reactive to preventative, increasing the chances of avoiding a fatal cardiac incident and saving billions in cardiac care while being relatively inexpensive for hospitals to implement.”

“Caristo turns the battle against heart disease from reactive to preventative, increasing the chances of avoiding a fatal cardiac incident and saving billions in cardiac care while being relatively inexpensive for hospitals to implement”

Over the years Oxfordshire has become one of the leading hubs for technological innovation and its growth and development have been supported by investment by successive UK Governments. This has manifested itself in investment and support for key research institutions such as Brookes and Oxford Universities, the Science and Technology Facilities Council and sites at Harwell and Culham. Over the last few years there has also been the establishment of the Faraday Institute; the Diamond Light Source; the National Fusion tech platform; the National Satellite testing facility; the Rosalind Franklin Institute; the Satellite Applications Catapult and most recently, the Vaccine Manufacturing Centre.

These facilities coupled with good communications and a highly skilled workforce have led to Oxfordshire being an attractive location for technology based businesses to be based with expertise developed in:

 Materials science

 Life science and digital health

 Fusion science

 Satellite and space

 Autonomous vehicles

Not only do companies gravitate to the county to drive forward their technologies but many businesses are started every year from within the area, commercialising technological developments originating from within the county’s research institutions. The University of Oxford alone spun out over 20 such companies in 2018. Of key importance to the capacity to generate such businesses is the availability of investment and Oxfordshire has been highly successful in attracting investment into these companies not only

For more information contact Sue Staunton | 01865 861 166

Spinning out innovation…

from UK based investors but also from overseas with key investment coming in from the US and the Far East in particular. Particularly transformative in terms of funding for spinouts has been the Oxford Sciences Innovation plc fund which raised some £600million. This fund has invested in over 50 spinouts since its first investment in 2015.

The success of the growth in the scale of Oxfordshire spinouts over recent years, however, leads to further demands if such companies are to continue to prosper within, and benefit the local economy of, Oxfordshire. With our spinout clients we are seeing that these typically centre around two key needs the continued supply of employees to help the business grow and physical space for growth.

Although many spinouts in their early years may outsource many of their activities, nevertheless if they are to grow there usually comes a time when the company will bring work back in-house and will, therefore, need appropriately skilled employees. At the moment these are coming either from the research institutions outlined above; from people being recruited from outside the area – including many from overseas or from those who are already based within Oxfordshire moving from one tech based company to another. Because of the typically very specific skills that are required from these employees it is usual that terms being offered are based on global rates rather than local ones, particularly for the more senior and influential appointments.

Once started, the majority of the businesses have tended to stay in the area as they grow and develop, moving from innovation centres to science parks such as the Oxford Science Park, Begbroke or Milton Park. The increased availability of investment however over the last few years has meant that the more successful spinouts have grown rapidly and need increased space more rapidly than such businesses would have done previously. This could potentially form a constraint to the increasing success of the county’s commercialisation of its technology if facilities cannot be built quickly enough. This is emphasised by the building being carried out at Milton Park, Harwell and the Oxford Science Park, all of which have a number of new facilities.

So spinouts in Oxfordshire are prospering but we have to ensure that as they expand the county retains the ability to support that growth – by ensuring the area continues to be attractive for the sort of workforce required and that the specialist facilities required by spinouts continue be provided in sufficient scale.

Sue Staunton is a partner at James Cowper Kreston and head of the firm’s specialist technology team. Sue and the team work closely with spinouts from research institutions across the country including Oxford and Cambridge Universities; Imperial; UCL and Warwick. The team currently advise over 100 such entities and their founders at all stages from initial set up through to IPO.

www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk

Sue Staunton, Partner, James Cowper Kreston

A key driver of economic growth in the UK has been its innovation and technology base. Whilst the growth has been nationwide, nonetheless there are higher concentrations of technology in particular locations.

Two new senior appointments for Immunocore

Science & Tech

Oxford University spin-out company, Immunocore, a T Cell Receptor biotechnology company focused on delivering therapies that have the potential to transform the lives of people with serious diseases, has named Bahija Jallal as Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Board.

With more than 25 years of international leadership experience within the pharmaceutical industry, Bahija joined Immunocore from AstraZeneca, where she was President of MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, and a member of the senior executive team.

David Berman has also been named as Immunocore’s new Head of Research and Development.

David joined Immunocore last September to commecialise the company’s product, IMCgp100, and progress Immunocore’s growing pipeline through clinical development.

The company, which has its headquarters at Milton Park in Oxfordshire, was established in 1999 as Avidex by Dr Bent Jakobsen as a spin-out company from his research into T cell receptors at the University of Oxford.

In 2006 the company was acquired by a German company but two years later, with the help of private investment, the technology was brought back inhouse with the founding of two sister companies, Immunocore focusing on soluble TCR technology and Adaptimmune, focusing on cellular TCR therapy.

Immunocore’s partners include Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune (AstraZeneca), Lilly, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

TECH START-UPS SELECTED FOR NATIONAL GROWTH PROGRAMME

Three tech start-ups from across the region are among 30 companies that have been selected for a prestigious growth programme.

The companies are Oxford spin-out company Oxehealth, a digital care assistant that allows clinicians and carers to monitor patients remotely, Open Cosmos, a space exploration company and OvuSense developed by Fertility Focus, which predicts ovulation 24 hours in advance, doubling the chance of pregnancy for each reproductive cycle.

The companies have been chosen to participate in the Tech Nation Upscale programme and will be coached over the next six months by some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs and company founders.

Oxehealth was founded by the Head of Engineering at Oxford University, Professor Lionel Tarassenko and is part-owned by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Open Cosmos is based at Harwell Campus. Between them, Oxehealth and Open Cosmos employ 41 people and have raised £188 million.

“Oxehealth is now contracted to over 16 per cent of English Mental Health Trusts as well as customers in police, prison and care home sectors. We also have a budding business in Sweden”

Hugh Lloyd-Jukes, Chief Executive at Oxehealth, said: “Oxehealth is now contracted to over 16 per cent of English Mental Health Trusts and has customers in police, prison and care home sectors. We also have a budding business in Sweden.”

The technology behind Ovusense was developed by Dr Andy Butterworth and Professor Toby Knowles, from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Bristol and has since been licenced by the university to its spin-out company Fertility Focus. The company is now based at Warwick Innovation Centre.

The Upscale programme got under way by bringing all the companies together at the Farncombe Estate near Broadway. It is designed to help fast-growth tech companies to successfully navigate the challenges of growing to the next stage.

Winners of the 2019 Tech Nation programme

Working with University Intellectual Property…

Patent Attorney Amanda

Simons

The number of spin outs from UK Universities has been on the up in recent years. Oxford University alone spun out a record 24 companies in 2018, attracting over £500m in external investment over the course of the year. There is real excellence in the technology being created in our region and a real drive to bring this technology into real life products and services.

Many of these collaborations with academia or spinouts are based on IP. Most experience some friction around IP. A few fail because of IP. Avoid disappointment by taking a long view, having realistic expectations and being flexible.

DO – be realistic. Bear in mind that a University-originating IP portfolio may not have been developed with the luxury of ample resources and a clear commercial focus. Before you came on board, hard decisions may already have been taken about costs, territorial coverage and maintenance, or to accommodate a need to publish. It may be that not everything patentable has been covered by an application or that patents have been granted with claims not ideal for you. You will have to live with the legacy of these choices so make sure you understand what you are taking on.

DON’T – worry about changing the direction of travel. Universities and their scientists will have different priorities from

yours. Understand their viewpoints but form your own too. IP can often be more flexible than you think. You may well be able to rely on the most useful nuggets from their IP at the outset, and then build on it yourself.

DO – your homework. Check how rights to out-licence flowed from the scientists to the University or its spinout. Check that there are no missing inventors from other institutions that may co-own the IP. Check that there are no existing agreements that conflict with yours. Loose ends are not uncommon but the earlier ownership is established, the easier it is to access any rights that may lie elsewhere.

DON’T – think it is always all about patents. Sometimes the opportunity to build relationships and tap into knowhow and future developments matters more in the end.

DO – look to the future. New inventions may well arise in the University lab you are dealing with. Do you have an automatic option on those or do you need to agree access to them separately? Make an agreement about the handling of any future joint inventions between your personnel and the University’s too.

DON’T – ignore third party IP threats. The University or spinout may have mapped these partially but probably not in full. Freedom to operate analysis is costly

and the University’s goal is to get the project moving on a tight pre-commercial budget. Freedom to operate is often given only a minor role by tech transfer offices, especially as at such an early stage, they may not be aware of exactly where the technology will be taken. But you will bear the greater risk and will have particular commercial goals in mind, so do your own FTO analysis too.

DO – remember why you came here in the first place. It’s not a perfect world but you do have access to the best minds and most disruptive technologies!

So don’t let the IP be a reason for failure in your own venture. IP should not be a bar to a successful collaboration. With the right approach to the IP, and a willingness to be flexible, IP portfolios can be adapted, and built on, to suit your changing needs as you take any new venture forwards!

Amanda Simons, Partner, J A Kemp

of J A Kemp’s Oxford office offers some do’s and don’ts for businesses regarding collaborations that rely on University IP

LATENT LOGIC BUILDING AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS THAT BEHAVE LIKE HUMANS

Autonomous vehicles need to be tested in simulation before trying them on real roads. For these simulations to be lifelike, they must include humans displaying realistic behaviour in addition to simulating the road environment accurately.

A company founded in 2017 has developed “imitation learning” techniques which it says will allow robots to solve complex tasks by learning from demonstrations collected from real-life examples of natural human behaviour.

framework to certify a self-driving car as safe.

It is applying in-house developed computer vision to video data from traffic cameras, drone footage, and soon, from on-car cameras.

Its Computer Vision detects and classifies road users, tracks their motion, and maps it from the pixelspace of the video into a position in the real three-dimensional world.

Rather than hard-coding a specific set of behaviours, Latent Logic applies machine learning to create agents that develop their own behaviours based on how humans actually behave.

Unlike traditional machine learning, such as reinforcement learning, which uses a hand-crafted “reward signal” to train the machine, Latent Logic’s models learn by imitating the behaviour of an expert.

Warwick spin-out company Medherant is developing therapeutic skin patches

Medherant, a clinical-stage company, spun out from the University of Warwick, is developing treatments for a variety of conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, using its novel transdermal drug delivery technology, the TEPI Patch.

There is considerable interest in the delivery of drugs through the skin to overcome some of the disadvantages of taking pills, such as spikes in drug levels that can lead to side-effects. Patches are also a more convenient way to deliver drugs through the skin, than gels and creams and provide better dose control.

The company was founded by Professor David Haddleton and the University of Warwick using its expertise in bioadhesives and polymer chemistry.

“Medherant has an exclusive worldwide licence to a novel, revolutionary, pressure sensitive adhesive developed by Bostik”

Medherant has an exclusive worldwide licence to a novel, pressure sensitive adhesive developed by Bostik. The drug to be delivered is mixed with the adhesive.

Oxford-based Latent Logic has targeted the autonomous vehicle sector where it feels it can speed up the development of autonomous control systems, test their performance and safety through simulated test cases with realistic human behaviour.

The company has raised capital from Oxford Capital and Oxford Sciences Innovation and won two grants from Innovate UK to develop a simulation

Removing a manually-programmed reward from the learning process allows the models to learn natural behaviour, rather than finding behaviours that might be better at maximising their particular reward but are nonetheless different from how a human would behave, says the company. It adds: "Using Imitation Learning lets us create realistic rather than perfect behaviour models.”

Last year Medherant successfully completed its first clinical studies, conducted with its Ibuprofen TEPI Patch.

This year Medherant will be developing a pipeline of TEPI Patch products, one for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and two patches to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

“The company has raised capital from Oxford Capital and Oxford Sciences Innovation and won two grants from Innovate UK to develop a simulation framework to certify a self-driving car as safe”

Latent Logic’s simulation testing

Supporting the commercialisation of world-class ideas from the University of Oxford…

Over the last six months the Corporate team at Royds Withy King in Oxford have successfully completed a number of transactions in the life sciences and technology sectors, including providing support to a variety of Oxford University spin-out companies backed by Oxford Sciences Innovation.

The Oxford based innovation-focussed team at Royds Withy King, led by Iain Butler, are well versed in supporting businesses at all stages of the corporate lifecycle from pre-revenue start-up to exit via sale or IPO. Supporting the ongoing investment and the commercialisation of world-class ideas from the University of Oxford requires pragmatic legal support combined with an understanding of the framework required by institutional investors and educational institutions.

The team includes specialist employment, dispute resolution, technology / IP and

“Working with early stage spinout companies brings a variety of challenges. Financial constraints mean that transparent pricing is incredibly important, along with genuine accessibility to local based, experienced lawyers, so founders can ‘get off the marks’ and move on to what is really important, developing their ideas and driving growth”

corporate lawyers, who have particular experience working with the founders and management teams of various technology and tech-enabled businesses on their initial funding rounds.

Iain added “There is no shortage of intellectual capital in Oxford. Our

priority, as part of the community of legal and professional advisers operating in this space, is efficiently delivering successful transactions in the market and continuing to boost the profile of the Oxfordshire region.”

The team also delivers a full range of corporate transactions (including mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements and group restructurings, joint ventures and private equity transactions) and, following the merger with City-based firm Royds in 2016, is regularly working on large complex corporate transactions.

If you would like to speak to Iain to find out more you can contact him on:

T: 01865 268 666

iain.butler@roydswithyking.com

Iain Butler Royds Withy King

OXFORD NANOPORE TECHNOLOGIES SECURES FURTHER £50 MILLION INVESTMENT

Unicorn company, Oxford Nanopore, which was spun out of Oxford University, has secured investment of £50 million from US biotech giant Amgen.

Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing technology uses nanopores (microscopic-sized holes made by proteins within a synthetic membrane) with electronics to perform real-time sequencing of DNA and RNA.

The technology ranges from pocket-sized to benchtop devices and can sequence very long fragments of DNA or RNA.

“The study of human genetics continues to uncover insights into diseases,” said Kári Stefánsson, founder of deCODE Genetics, a global leader in analysing and

understanding the human genome. “Oxford Nanopore’s long-read sequencing capability creates a window into parts of the genome that have been out of reach.

"It is also giving us a much better handle on structural variants that confer risk of a wide variety of diseases.

"We have used Oxford Nanopore technology to sequence several hundred human genomes and continue to see the promise of this emerging technology.”

Gordon Sanghera, Chief Executive of Oxford Nanopore, said: “Amgen is a biotechnology pioneer which has demonstrated what can be achieved for society through innovation and a deep understanding of genetics.”

Oxford University spins out first social enterprise

Science & Tech

Oxford University’s first social enterprise, sOPHIa Oxford Ltd, has been spun out from the Department of International Development.

Like traditional businesses social enterprises aim to make a profit then reinvest or donate them to create positive social change.

The team in the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, led by Sabina Alkire, has developed a poverty index, which measures poverty and provides workable solutions to eliminate it.

Interface Polymers set to transform plastics recycling

A business set up less than three years ago with the help of a start-up programme for university researchers is poised to transform a wide range of plastic products with its technology.

Warwick University spin-out Interface Polymers’ has developed Polarfin, a technology that modifies the surface of commonly used plastics so that mixed plastic waste can be recycled into useful products.

It works by allowing adhesion between otherwise incompatible materials and has applications in packaging, crop protection and construction.

The technology was developed at the University of Warwick by the company’s founders, Dr Christopher Kay and Professor Peter Scott.

The company will be providing an accreditation service to businesses, which will begin in Central America, with plans to expand across the world.

Dr Mark Mann, Senior Licensing & Ventures Manager at Oxford University Innovation, said: “This is the first of many social enterprise spin-outs. We already have over 20 in the pipeline and we’re looking forward to helping Oxford maximise its positive impact by rolling out its great ideas for solving social and environmental problems across the world.”

Christopher, having just completed a PhD based on the research, applied to Innovate UK’s innovation to commercialisation (ICURe) scheme with the aim of exploring its commercial viability.

The ICURe programme helps university research teams with commercially viable ideas to validate them in the marketplace.

It is run by SETsquared Partnership and Innovate UK and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Oxford Nanopore

SKILLS BOOST INDUSTRY & THE UK ECONOMY

Of more than 20,000 primary school children asked to draw the job they wanted to do when they grow up, more than a third based their careers aspirations on someone they knew with nearly half being influenced by TV, film and radio.

The findings, from a report by UK charity Education and Employers and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), also highlighted how gender stereotyping exists from the age of seven. More than four times the number of boys wanted to become engineers compared to girls, with nearly double the number of boys aspiring to become scientists.

It’s easier to educate students for our past, rather than their future, says the Education and Employers charity, but the right skills can empower people and communities to take charge of their future, and education must be prepared to change with the new technology.

Students will need skills for future job markets, and they also need to know where there are jobs and training opportunities available.

Employers sometimes blame schools for not producing young people with the life skills they need. But we have found many enlightened companies engaging with young people early, and there are numerous examples of forward-thinking employers across our region.

“A growing number of firms realise that the skills of its workforce lie not just in technical or professional expertise, but in the ability to think critically and analytically”

However, skills development shouldn’t stop when the next generation leaves education, whether at 18 or after university. In the 21st century, a job is no longer for life and in the growing “gig economy”, we all need to build our skills set throughout our careers.

More business people are choosing workbased learning. One company championing this is leadership development and strategy specialists QuoLux, based in Gloucester.

Rachael Ramos, Director, said: “More firms realise that the skills of its workforce

lie not just in technical or professional expertise, but in the ability to think critically and analytically. That’s one of the great benefits to be derived from academic study. However, academia can seem far removed from the realities of the business environment.”

The growing demand for software developers, cyber expertise, engineers and construction skills are well documented. But there are skills shortages in professions such as law and accountancy too.

While it’s inevitable that AI – artificial intelligence – will be deployed (to a greater or lesser extent) in many areas, and could significantly boost UK productivity, the algorithm hasn’t yet been discovered that possesses critical soft skills such as creativity and enthusiasm, from which new ideas and entrepreneurship are born.

Our feature celebrates where industry collaboration with education is helping businesses grow, and who is offering apprenticeships and other training and development opportunities.

Every business, in every sector, needs more skilled people, and companies say that finding the skilled people they need to help their businesses grow is getting harder.

DRIVING APPRENTICESHIPS THROUGH THE UK’S UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS SYSTEM

Applying for a higher education university place in the UK is relatively simple: applications are funnelled through the University and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS), which has its headquarters in Cheltenham.

But what if it could do the same for apprenticeships? Currently there is no one-stop-shop for the listing of available apprenticeships in the UK. The existing system is confusing for students, their parents, employers and schools.

UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant wants to widen the services UCAS offers to those seeking apprenticeships.

“At the moment alongside our core offer on admissions, we offer basic advice on what a higher apprenticeship is and a search tool, but we want to work closer with employers,” she says.

UCAS is launching a pilot scheme with BuildUK, a leading representative organisation for the UK construction industry. Working with employers it will examine how it could launch a full set of UCAS holds a vast mass of data, and it’s not afraid to use it. “We know yearon-year who is coming through the university application process, what is driving their choices, what their choices are, and we have the opportunity to survey the students for around two years before they move on in their careers, says UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant.”

admissions through to apprenticeships. “There is a misconception that UCAS is just an application process,” says Clare. “But we offer a whole wraparound of information and advice for those seeking higher education and we would like to extend that to higher level apprenticeships.

Inspiring Construction is a joint campaign between Build UK and the Construction Industry Training Board, launched in September 2017 to inspire the next generation to choose a career in construction.

During a talk, given by Build UK’s Chief Executive when launching the campaign, one of the students expressed an interest a quantity surveying degree apprenticeship, so Build UK began trying to match him with an employer.

But the process was frustrating for the student, and Build UK saw how this could be putting off potential applicants from completing the apprenticeship application forms.

“We have a lot of platforms where we engage with people, from our contact centre to our social media team. We want to be able to deploy these more effectively for the benefit of a much wider group looking for a greater variety of study opportunities, from 17-18 year olds, to mature and international students and businesses.”

Build UK says the industry needed a gateway for students to apply for apprenticeships. UCAS makes it simple for students to apply in one central place to go to university, and to help solve the industry skills shortage, the construction industry needs to make it easier to access the full pool of individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in construction.

Build UK and UCAS are now working together to develop a portal and hope to build a system that works for the entire industry.

Using data to drive future training and skills provision

improve their links with businesses and help young people improve their choices at ages 17-18. We can provide county, even city-specific data,” she says. “Both parties need to do more, but businesses need to lead the conversation.

“Mark is helping to drive that engagement through Giff Gaff and also through his LEP,” said Clare.

This data helps government decision making, and Clare, who moved to UCAS in 2017 from her previous role as Chief Executive at Worcestershire County Council, wants to offer it more widely to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across the UK.

“We want to offer LEPs across the country data analysis that might help

“Our research shows which subjects are, or are not, being applied for. This then throws ups questions, such as “is that engineering course being promoted right.” I see us being a transparent sharer of analysis to inform public debate.”

One company working with UCAS commercially is the mobile telephone network Giff Gaff. It’s Chairman is Mark Stansfeld, who handily happens to be Chairman of Worcestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership. Giff Gaff sees the benefit of engaging with education.

Clare also chairs Gloucestershire’s Employment and Skills Board. “I am positive about the widening access to higher education. Unlike when I went to university in the 1990s, there are now more choices including different sorts of universities and a plethora of courses. Application rates are good and international students value the UK’s world-class education. We should be so proud of this.

“I feel slightly less positive about how easy it is for 17 and18-year olds to discover alternatives to higher education. UCAS’s challenge is to spread the good stuff we do with core undergraduate admissions to students seeking apprenticeships.”

“We want to offer LEPs across the country data analysis that might help improve their links with businesses and help young people improve their choices at ages 17-18”

Degree apprenticeships can pay off for a wider section of society

The Apprenticeship Levy might be criticised by some, but it has encouraged HR leaders to make new kinds of career pathways part of their recruitment strategy and it’s paying off, according to Sue Parr, Business Development Director for WMG, at the University of Warwick.

“Many companies have been encouraged to look at how they can make sound and strategic use of their levy fund to develop existing staff and attract bright young people to the organisation,” she said.

Studying isn’t for everyone, she admits. Even with the requirement for apprentices to have 20 per cent of time off their job; there is still a lot for them to do. However, for those who like a more practical approach to learning and the opportunity to develop their careers from

the beginning, degree apprenticeship programmes do work well, she adds.

Degree apprenticeship programmes are being developed by all the region’s universities with many professional bodies working in partnership with businesses. They combine working with studying parttime at university.

Helen Hall, UK Recruitment and Partnerships Director at Oxford Brookes University, said: “Our degree apprenticeships, in collaboration with employers, are popular alternative routes into higher education.

“We provide a range of opportunities, including through our Associate College Partnerships across the region, for employers to access Oxford Brookes

degrees and foundation degrees through an apprenticeship.”

The university has introduced Senior Leader Degree Apprenticeships which include completion of an MBA and complements existing examples such as the Nursing Associate apprenticeships. Helen reports a cohort of 100 this year helping to bridge the NHS skills gap.

Oxford Brookes has welcomed employees from leading architecture firms to study for an Architect Degree Apprenticeship. Oxford Brookes is one of just five UK universities to offer up to the level seven degree apprenticeship, the equivalent of a Master’s degree. It has been developed as part of a new initiative for architecture education offering an alternative, socially inclusive route into the profession.

“I am positive about the widening access to higher education. Unlike when I went to university in the 1990s, there are many more choices including different sorts of universities and a plethora of courses”

Clare Marchant, Chief Executive, UCAS

Working in partnership with business…

A key goal for the University is to build partnerships, which create opportunity, innovation and mutual benefit to support the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the region. The university’s bite-size training programmes, higher apprenticeships and traditional university degrees are helping companies to create more business opportunities and innovations through upskilling their current employee base and help prepare tomorrow’s workforce.

Helping businesses become more productive and competitive

Boosting skills is only part of the reason that businesses are increasingly wanting to work with The University of Gloucestershire. The university has a wealth of expertise and intellectual capital to help businesses become more productive and competitive. Its experts are supporting companies in many ways, from advising on how to make their HR procedures more efficient, improving productivity, keeping safe online and undertaking research and analysis.

The University’s School of Business and Technology is better prepared than at any time to work with the Gloucestershire business community. It is working proactively to get rid of the barriers that prevent academics and businesses working closely together and is aiming to be the anchor in the business community, to become known as the “School for Business.”

Listening to what businesses want

Key to identifying the courses businesses want is listening to their needs. This is done through formal channels, such as its business advisory boards, but is

also achieved through a continuous engagement with the wider business community. The university’s new Engineering Technologies subject area (to be launched this coming September) was developed after detailed consultation with local engineering companies.

The partnership does not end there. Businesses are invited to participate in the delivery of the curriculum through providing real life scenarios for students to work on, through guest lectures and internships. The university remains focused on delivering the courses that help produce the graduates that industry needs.

The engagement with local businesses takes many forms, because different companies have tailored specific needs. For example, some companies sponsor final year students to carry out their final year project within their business environment, giving them the opportunity to work closely with their potential future employees. Others offer placement/ internships or fund apprenticeship places.

The university also facilitates round table discussions on issues that matter to the county, and organise masterclasses and provide, through its academics, a knowledge-base that can help businesses better face specific challenges.

Higher level degree apprenticeships put businesses at the heart of education

Higher level degree apprenticeships help businesses influence the learning programme at each step of the journey. Apprentices gain a university degree in a field that is prescribed by a standard developed by industry. It’s a great example of how universities and employers work closely together to develop the workforce

needed by the business. It should be part of the workforce development programme of each levy-paying employer.

Driving cyber skills

Developing much-needed cyber skills is an area of excellence for the University of Gloucestershire. The cyber threat landscape keeps changing and so must our preparedness. Listening to businesses and applying that knowledge to design courses, in collaboration with some leading security firms, including Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and the NCSC, The University of Gloucestershire is one of the first universities in the UK to start offering a degree apprenticeship in Cyber Security Professional.

Its graduates are landing top jobs in companies such as Raytheon, government agencies, IBM, Microsoft and the National Computer Centre. Its graduate employability in this area is the highest possible (100 per cent) with more than 70 per cent of graduates in cyber-related courses choosing to stay in Gloucestershire.

My message to the business community is “Let’s work together on the issues that matter most to the business community in Gloucestershire. We are open for business so try us if you haven’t yet done so!”

For more information on how we can. Help your business contact us at: Tel: 01242 715400

Email business@glos.ac.uk www.glos.ac.uk/business

Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Head of School of Business and Technology at The University of Gloucestershire, explains how the University is successfully building partnerships with the business community to support the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the region

Future proof your business

If you’ve been thinking about management development for your company but haven’t decided on its content or shape, read on, because NOW is a particularly good time to be considering one.

Companies with effective leadership throughout their structures tend to separate themselves from the rest. In every department and every team, they have leaders who provide clear direction, set standards and motivate their staff to achieve. They are comfortable managing good performance alongside under-performance and hold difficult conversations when needed and are creative when it comes to building their team. These leaders, confident in their own abilities, contribute to quality and continuous improvement.

So why is now a good time?

Quite simply, because of the apprenticeship revolution that’s going on across the land and the quality, flexibility and funding support that goes with them. Look at the three programmes listed on the right. Two are in leadership and management and one is in project management, and all three of them comprise robust, sustained, professional standard development and recognition.

They are open to your existing staff, cover the vast majority of job roles and

levels (including speciality roles) and are suitable for the newly promoted or experienced manager, as long as there is room to stretch them to improved performance levels.

The programmes comprise significant development across a number of leadership areas.

These include leadership skills, people management, communications and relationship building, project and operations management, finance appreciation, problem-solving, emotional intelligence and much more…and they focus on practical development to help create confident leaders in the workplace.

Ranging from 12-18 month’s long, the programmes have an average attendance of around 1.5 days per month.

Learners receive regular contact from their tutors, assessors and GEL staff, as well as accessing materials through a dedicated web-portal.

All programmes have natural progression routes to higher levels and come with professional membership on achievement.

We can deliver bespoke solutions inhouse to your company too, and these programmes can include your processes and procedures, your policies, cultures and protocols, as well as your aspirations and growth plans. They are a blend between taught sessions, online learning, self studies and coaching, and can be scheduled to suit your timeframes.

Finally, they’re all paid for!

If you are a levy-paying organisation, then these programmes are essentially paidfor from your apprenticeship account. If you have used your account for other apprentices, then these programmes are supported by 90% funding from the Government. If you are non-levy, these programmes are essentially 90% funded.

Where next?

If you feel you could make use of these professional programmes to boost the leadership performance across your organisation, contact us and we’ll help you design and deliver an effective programme.

DIGITAL SKILLS BOOST FOR THE UK

The Institute of Coding (IoC), launched last year, has has helped more than 5,000 people to sign up for university technology courses. The consortium of more than 60 universities, businesses and industry experts initially received £20 million to tackle the UK’s digital skills gap and has now secured a further £2.3 million.

£420,000 of this extra funding has been allocated to Coventry University and its industry partners to develop an online pilot site, to signpost learners to Institute of Coding courses and opportunities.

Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Head of the School of Business and Computing at the University of Gloucestershire, a member of the consortium, said:

“Many businesses were new to the apprenticeship market and we worked with them to understand their business needs and support them in finding suitable candidates”

“Coding is fast becoming the most indemand skill across industry.

“This university already offers successful cyber security education and has established strong links to businesses in the sector.”

Heart of Worcestershire College students get industry insights

Heart of Worcestershire College students got to learn more about their chosen industry recently from games writer, Tony Jeffree.

Tony gained his screenwriting degree from the University of Worcester and is a lead writer on an indie game he wrote and created with gaming

company, Far Few Giants and an, as yet, unannounced action game for Playstation VR.

Games Design and Digital Media Lecturer Peter Tierney said: “Tony gave our learners an insight into how to make contacts and get a foot in the door of the video games industry.”

Worcester IT Training Provider LMPQ, has seen a rise in demand for apprentices in digital skills.

Sarah Stilliard, Consultant at LMPQ, said: “2019 is an exciting time for apprenticeships as the small employer contribution halves from 10 to five per cent in April, along with a rise in the apprenticeship minimum wage.

“This will encourage employers to engage with apprenticeships and more candidates to apply.”

£20 million to boost creative industries across England

Spotlight On Skills

More than £20 million is being pumped into the UK’s creative industries to help inspire and attract new talent, scale up existing businesses, boost skills and provide education.

The package of support announced by Creative Industries Minister Margot James, will help to increase the diversity of the sector’s workforce and maintain the future pipeline of creative talent in an industry that now contributes more than £100 billion to the UK economy.

This new funding follows the publication of the Creative Industries Sector Deal earlier this year.

Heart of Worcestershire College students meet games writer Tony Jeffree

LMPQ has seen a rise in demand for apprentices in response to the digital skills shortage

SPOTLIGHT ON SKILLS

UKAEA WORKS WITH COVENTRY’S ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TRAINING CENTRE TO BOOST SKILLS

A training centre that will equip up to 350 apprentices every year with in-demand technical skills is taking shape at Culham Science Centre near Abingdon.

Oxfordshire Advanced Skills (OAS) is a partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to increase the number of trained technicians.

The 3,800sq metre OAS centre at UKAEA’s Culham site will welcome its first intake of apprentices this September.

OAS has been training apprentices for two years in an existing facility at Culham. The number of trainees has increased to almost 80 and there are now 16 partner employers on board, including Veolia Oxford Technologies, Oxford Instruments, Polar Technology, Valeofoods, Abbott and the Satellite Applications Catapult.

Apprentice training at the new centre will be provided by the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre near Coventry, which has an impressive track record in teaching core engineering skills and advanced manufacturing techniques.

“Oxfordshire is one of Europe’s biggest areas for science and technology, and the number of people employed in these industries is four times the national average”

David Martin, the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s Chief Operating Officer, himself a former apprentice and the driving force behind OAS, said: “Oxfordshire is one of Europe’s biggest areas for science and technology, and the number of people employed in these industries is four times the national average. We can only sustain this success if we have more skilled young people coming through.”

Helen Johnson, Head of Apprenticeship and Graduate Schemes at STFC added: “This expansion of what OAS is able to offer engineering and technology apprentices is fantastic news for STFC and the many partner organisations we work with.”

Primary school children encouraged to think like engineers

Global engineering technologies company Renishaw is aiming to inspire the next generation of engineers by sponsoring local not-for-profit company, STEMworks to help improve science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) engagement in primary schools across Gloucestershire.

STEMworks will run workshops with children aged nine to eleven where they will talk about what engineers do and encourage the children to think like engineers by participating in a K’NEX competition to boost their problemsolving and teamwork skills by following a technical brief.

Partnership between MIRA Technology Park and universities drives automotive skills

MIRA Technology Institute (MTI), a unique partnership between North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, engineering and testing company HORIBA MIRA and Coventry Loughborough and Leicester universities, opened its doors at MIRA Technology Park near Nuneaton last September.

The institute was created to satisfy an increasing demand for the specialist skills needed in the global automotive sector, with a focus on the growth of new and disruptive technologies.

The Institute sits among a raft of companies leading the charge on the next generation of automotive engineering.

MIRA Technology Park is an automotive technology cluster hosting research and development teams from global automotive companies.

CGI of the Oxfordshire Advanced Skills centre which will open to students in September this year

The MIRA Technology Institute at Nuneaton

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FROM THE MOST TRADITIONAL BUSINESS

Nominate the most strategic and innovative businesses you know, and I’ll bet you’d tip companies such as Apple or Dyson.

“Landed estates such as Blenheim are pretty unique. First and foremost, we are a commercial enterprise. All we do is deploy capital for profit”

And, you’d be right. But we could add Blenheim Palace to that list too. Because Oxfordshire’s most visited tourist attraction, a 300-year-old World Heritage site, is looking as far forward as it can back and deploying its considerable resources into training and skills for future generations.

In 2017 the Palace committed to training 100 apprentices in life-changing skills. It currently has 11 young people studying a range of skills to become everything from shepherds, gamekeepers, digital marketers, foresters and chefs to working in human resources, retail and operations.

And there are more apprenticeships in different departments to come.

Dominic Hare is its Chief Executive. “Landed estates such as Blenheim are pretty unique. First and foremost, we are a commercial enterprise. All we do is deploy capital for profit.”

But unlike commercial companies, such as Dyson (which in January announced its intention to relocate its Wiltshire head

office to Singapore), Blenheim can never leave its spot on the planet.

“We asked ourselves what is our place in the world? We want to be a purpose-led business, to enhance the lives of local people and to share and protect this place. We are in the fortunate position of being able to invest for the very long-term in the area, confident that we will be around to benefit in a way that a commercial enterprise can’t,” he explains.

Blenheim Palace’s successful shepherd apprentice Tom Pritchard-Pitts

Apprenticeships drive Blenheim’s growth ambitions

The new commitment to apprenticeships feeds directly into Blenheim’s wider holistic strategy to treble its contribution to the local economy within 10 years, build 300 “truly affordable homes” for local people and grow the visitor attraction to 1.2 million visitors.

The Palace employs more than 400 people, with numbers rising during peak seasons, and it supports around 2,000 jobs in the local area.

Megan Carter is Blenheim’s Human Resources Manager. “Our apprentices programme includes a pre-employment workshop before they start. We focus on teaching them life skills which they may not have learned at school.

“We also deliver a careers workshop, which includes how to write a CV and interview skills to help them get a fulltime job. And throughout their training they have mentors and buddies.

“The apprentices are invited to attend the many wellbeing initiatives we provide to all staff, such as yoga, mindfulness and stress management. Mental health is a key focus for many organisations. At Blenheim, our staff happiness and wellbeing is of the utmost importance to us,” she added.

This work isn’t being done in a vacuum. Blenheim is in talks with The Eden Project in Cornwall, which gives its apprentices an annual problem-solving challenge.

“Our apprentices programme includes a pre-employment workshop before they start. We focus on teaching them life skills which they may not have learned at school”

Dominic said: “We would like to bring both sets of apprentices together, even swapping them maybe, to give them experience in other locations.”

What Dominic and his team are realising is that there is much more payback in its apprenticeship programme than they first realised. “There is such spirit and the teams around them blossom when apprentices are around.

“Offering apprenticeships injects a younger perspective and it’s this mix of ages and

enthusiasms which is exciting,” he says. However, despite the focus on apprenticeships, the established workforce isn’t being left behind, said Megan.

“We offer leadership training and have more young graduates working for us than ever before. We are discussing a piece of strategy work with two of them which will help us help them – and it will look great on their CVs when they want to move on.”

Blenheim also runs courses on assertiveness, and dealing with difficult situations to help develop employee confidence and the training is offered to all its staff.

The Palace works predominantly with Abingdon and Witney College and Activate, which delivers the theory side for many of its apprentices, and also Sparshot College near Winchester for more specialised rural apprenticeships. It is also working with a college in London which does drama-based apprenticeships for those on its customer-service programme.

Blenheim’s work experience programme builds community relations

Blenheim’s well-established work experience programme has already signed up 50 young people this year.

Chief Executive Dominic Hare, said: “Many of the young people come back to

work seasonally before moving on in their careers. It helps cement our links with local schools and the community.”

Blenheim believes that Woodstock and the area around the Palace can be a viable

place for young people to live, with the Palace offering skilled and valuable jobs.

Through its substantial “very affordable” house-building scheme, it will also be able to provide homes they can afford to live in.

Blenheim Palace HR Manager Megan Carter with apprentice Laura Edminson

Bespoke Apprenticeships with Solutions at Heart of Worcestershire College

HoW College provides vocational, technical and professional courses, access programmes, apprenticeships, degrees, foundation degrees, HNDs, HNCs, NVQs...

WHY CHOOSE US AS A PROVIDER?

Solutions are Heart of Worcestershire College’s (HoW College) dedicated apprenticeship team, offering up-to-date, flexible training opportunities to help your business succeed.

Their vision is to provide a complete training solution that will help your business develop its workforce in order to keep up with a globally competitive market.

They can support you with the recruitment of apprentices, run bespoke training courses for your workforce or conduct a skills analysis to help maximise your business potential.

They are a trusted organisation with a tested reputation for providing training to a wide range of local, regional and national employers. This includes companies such

as Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT), Worcester Bosch, The Works, Valeo and Severn Valley Railway.

Talking about the College as a provider, Severn Valley Railway’s Human Resource Manager, Jane Preece said:

“HoW College have supported us with apprenticeships in engineering, finance and management. As a heritage railway, our apprentices must appreciate modern working methods whilst applying these in workshops, using traditional machinery and in imperial measurements. The quality of teaching, pastoral support to learners and administrative support has been excellent.”

Jane Preece, Human Resources Manager

WHY HIRE AN APPRENTICE?

Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way for any business to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce.

Recent surveys have shown that 89% of apprentice employers say they make their businesses more productive with the average ‘completer’ increasing productivity by £214 per week.

Solutions help to support your recruitment of enthusiastic apprentices and assist you through every step of the process. The team offer a free vacancy matching and recruitment service as well as a suitability interview, which ensures that candidates are ready to take on an apprenticeship.

NEW FOR 2019

Solutions specialise in creating bespoke training packages designed around your company’s needs.

This year, they have launched a range of new apprenticeship standards in response to local demand; including Infrastructure Technician, Digital Marketer, Human Resource Support and Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician (Light Vehicle).

These standards combine theory with practical application, including offthe-job training, equipping learners with the skills and knowledge to succeed in their chosen sector.

Katie Harris, who works in the Communications and Participation department at the University of Worcester, said: “I chose to do my Digital Marketing Apprenticeship through HoW College as they’re an established provider. I believe it’s important to get a qualification from a credible source in order to enhance my CV in the future. During my apprenticeship I hope to expand my knowledge of commonly used marketing tools such as Google Analytics and put what I have learnt into practice in my workplace.”

THE WORKSHOP

The Workshop is HoW College’s one-stop shop for your business solutions. Based in the College’s All Saints’ Building, Worcester, the newly refurbished hub showcases current apprenticeship vacancies and provides a warm, welcoming space for candidate suitability interviews.

The area provides an intimate and professional environment ideal for meetings, small conferences and consultations. The space is available

INTRODUCING CODE

Solutions have access to a wide range of resources and expertise. The College has recently opened its state-of-the-art Centre of Digital Engineering (CODE) at its St Andrew’s Building, following investment from the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The campus features a Virtual Reality Studio, equipped with both virtual and augmented reality headsets and a Data Centre, supported by its partner, Simply Hosting.

These facilities will provide a modern learning environment for day-release apprentices, who are currently completing an apprenticeship standard or framework in the IT sector.

for employers who are advertising roles through the College. For more information please contact the Solutions team directly.

GET IN TOUCH:

For more information about how Solutions can meet your business needs email solutions@howcollege.ac.uk or call 01905 743435.

www.howcollege.ac.uk

VISIT HEART OF WORCESTERSHIRE COLLEGE

FIRST AID

A range of regulated and non-regulated courses that are designed to provide the necessary skills for learners to deal with causalities in a safe, effective and prompt manner.

FIRST AID FOR MENTAL HEALTH SAFEGUARDING

One in four people in the UK will have a mental health problem at some point and you could make a real difference by becoming a First Aider for Mental Health.

CONTACT US TODAY:

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Managing Director

T: 07792 983755

E: info@hunt-training.co.uk

In order to safeguard and protect persons from abuse or neglect we need to learn how to identify vulnerable individuals and take necessary steps to stop abuse and neglect.

MANUAL HANDLING

Personal injuries resulting from incorrect manual handling in the workplace accounts for over one million working days lost per year, as well as the pain and suffering experienced.

www.hunt-training.co.uk

£10M FUNDING TO BUILD A NEW DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP CENTRE

WMG, at the University of Warwick, is building a £10 million Degree Apprenticeship Centre for the high value manufacturing sector.

The centre will offer courses essential to the effective development of advanced engineering and manufacturing companies, and will open later this year.

As the first part of a future Degree Apprenticeship complex on the University of Warwick campus, the

centre will be training students in a range of degree apprenticeships.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman of WMG, said: “Young people are our future and we need to provide them with opportunities to support our manufacturing base.

“The centre will support school leavers and apprentices, looking to progress from Level 4 and 5 qualifications to degree level.”

KTPs drive UK innovation

Businesses can now apply for a share of up to £40 million to take part in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP).

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships can help a company innovate by harnessing a highly-qualified graduate. The programme aims to promote competitiveness and productivity in a business by bringing in new knowledge and skills.

The government will invest up to £25 million to expand the KTP scheme. This will create places for more than 200 additional graduates and academics with relevant skills in highly innovative firms over the coming years.

KTPs are designed to help businesses to turn academic insight into viable products and services, leading to growth and future development. They can either build on an existing relationship with an academic partner, or be a completely new collaboration with a university, college or research and technology organisation.

Digital partnership aims to level up West Midlands skills

Tech giants Amazon and Cisco are among the members of the new West Midlands Digital Skills Partnership.

The partnership brings together tech firms, businesses, universities, colleges and training providers from the region, and wants to find ways to improve local people’s digital skills and qualifications.

Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, attended the inaugural meeting of the partnership at Coventry College.

The Mayor said: “The West Midlands is the place to be for digital. We’ve got the fastest-growing digital sector outside London, we will act as the UK’s testbed for ultra-fast 5G internet, and we have ambitious plans to double our digital industry’s economic output over the next decade. To do that, we need a pipeline of

skilled, qualified digital staff: and we want those staff to come from the West Midlands.

The Digital Skills Partnership will take a very local view, said Andy, developing training provision and new career pathways across the West Midlands.

“It will make suggestions to improve how we recruit and retain the skilled digital staff we need, and ultimately help double the size of our digital economy to create a sustainable £9 billion industry for the future.”

It is estimated the West Midlands will need as many as 29,000 more skilled digital workers over the next 10 years.

The partnership has been organised by the West Midlands Combined Authority

(WMCA) to address that challenge and help link local people to training and opportunities in the region’s booming digital industry – a sector which grew by over 33 per cent between 2011 and 2015 and could contribute £8.9 billion to the West Midlands economy by 2030.

The partnership will also help to define the region’s digital strategy, including a £5 million package for digital training.

It will include representatives from Amazon, Cisco, PwC, Fujitsu, Coventry University, the NHS, Walsall College and the WMCA.

Some employers have already pledged to support the partnership, including CapGemini, which will introduce its coding re-training programme in the West Midlands.

The core Infrastructure for many supermarkets is increasingly their website shopping cart, less so their out of town buildings.

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40-YEAR-OLD MOTHER PUTS MATERNITY LEAVE TO GOOD USE

While getting ready to welcome her second child, Emi Darnton re-trained and qualified in skills that would enable her to set up in business for herself.

The 40-year-old mother of two, who lives in Moreton-in-Marsh, had worked in a variety of roles, including her husband’s, business, High Road Balloons, which runs the Virgin Hot Air Balloon franchise for the West Midlands.

“I decided that the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers’ (ICB) qualification was best for me and was looking for a recommended training provider on a distance learning basis.”

Emi studied through Ideal Schools, which offers home study in bookkeeping and accounting. Last April she because a fellow of the ICB.

Emi who has been running her business, I Love Admin, since 2016, looks after clients’ accounting and other business records. “I have a full complement of clients and life is a balancing act between keeping their records up-to-date and my two children, with work often being done between drop-offs and pick-ups as well as looking after the admin and finances of my husband’s ballooning business,” she said.

Employers pledge support to boost workplace diversity

Some of the West Midlands biggest employers have pledged their support to tackle the lack of diversity at the top of major companies and public bodies.

The Pledge is the result of a hard-hitting report, Leaders Like You, published by the independent West Midlands Leadership Commission, which focused on the experiences of black and ethnic minority communities, women, the LGBT community, disabled people and lower social economic groups such as white, working class boys. The WMCA is now aiming for 1,000 organisations to sign up to the Pledge.

Other organisations are also helping widen workplace diversity. The GEM (Going the Extra Mile) project, funded by the European Social Fund and National Lottery, aims to support more than 1,000 people in Gloucestershire who are facing barriers to work.

GEM is a partnership of more than 50 community-based organisations including National Star, the Nelson Trust, Caring for Communities and People (CCP) and Young Gloucestershire.

It works with participants to help boost their confidence and skills by providing access to a range of training and personal development.

Melanie Brackstone, Retail Director at Specsavers in Cheltenham, said: “If you leave pre-conceived ideas aside, it is a revelation to see the positive impact GEM participants can have, not only on the morale of the business but also on the bottom line.”

The number of students studying Business and Administration has grown seven per cent over the last decade. According to UCAS, 69,995 people were accepted on to Business Studies courses in 2018 (up from 67,845 in 2017).

It is the most popular subject, ahead of Nursing, Biological Sciences, Creative Art and Design and Social Studies.

Spotlight On Skills

Around 427,000 female professionals currently on a career break want to return to work, according to a report by accountants PwC, and three in five professional women returning to work are likely to move into lower-skilled or lower-paid roles.

But businesses can help combat negative bias towards CV gaps, increasing the availability of part-time and flexible opportunities and helping women transition back to work.

One company helping to support women back into work is Oxfordshirebased Tech Pixies.

James was a GEM participant and now works as a lab assistant at Specsavers. He said: “The GEM project has really helped me. It’s nice that someone can see beyond the disability and that’s all people like us need.”

It was launched by Joy Foster in 2015 as a pilot project funded by Better Broadband for Oxfordshire and the Oxfordshire County Council. The business has now expanded into London, launched online courses and raised more than £100,000 in femaleled investment.

“If you leave pre-conceived ideas aside, it is a revelation to see the positive impact GEM participants can have, not only on the morale of the business but also on the bottom line”

Nearly half a million women want to go back to work

Emi Darnton

BROMFORD COMPLETES MERGER WITH SEVERN VALE HOUSING

Housing associations Bromford and Severn Vale have merged, creating a new 44,000-home landlord.

The new organisation, which retains the Bromford name, provides homes to more than 100,000 customers, employs 1,800 staff and has a turnover of £270 million.

Over the next decade it plans to deliver one of the largest housing association-led housebuilding programmes with a planned investment of more than £1.5 billion in 14,000 new homes across the Midlands and South West.

Chief Executive Robert Nettleton said: “The combined financial strength of our new organisation gives us a great foundation enabling us to build more new homes, invest more in people and create the best organisation in the area that we operate.

Work begins on speculative office space at Green Park

Work has started on 228,000 sq ft of speculative office space at Green Park Business Park in Reading.

Two new buildings of 114,000 sq ft each at 400 and 450 Longwater Avenue will have five storeys of Grade A space, overlooking Longwater Lake.

The development is the first substantial new scheme to be launched at Green Park since it opened almost 20 years ago and the first since a new masterplan for the park’s growth was agreed by Reading Borough Council in 2016. Completion of the work is due in August 2020.

Duncan Campbell, director at Campbell Gordon which, along with Cushman & Wakefield, acts for Green Park, said:

“There remains a real shortage of quality, affordable housing across our operating area. But by pooling our

resources we can make a real difference by building even more new homes than we would have been able to build individually. This year we’ll build more than 1,200 homes and plan to increase that in the years ahead.”

The merger follows Bromford and Merlin joining forces in 2018. It means that Bromford now owns more than 21,000 homes in Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, making it the largest housing provider in the area.

“These new buildings will be exceptional. They will deliver column-free space and with a fantastic floor-to-ceiling height of three metres. There is nothing else of this size, quality and type being built in the south-east outside of London.

“Green Park continues to be a magnet for businesses to relocate to from all over the region and having these new buildings will allow us to continue to grow the park, the local economy and create more jobs.”

“The combined financial strength of our new organisation gives us a great foundation enabling us to build more new homes and invest more in people”

Chief Executive of Bromford, Robert Nettleton

Work has started on new office space at Green Park, Reading

Science and technology take-up rockets in Oxfordshire

Market activity in the Oxfordshire commercial property sector has been dominated by science and technology in the last year, according to a new report.

The annual review by VSL & Partners Oxfordshire says that office and industrial take-up both declined in 2018 by 35 per cent which is just below the five-year average. Supply of available buildings in Oxfordshire dropped marginally with a reasonable level of new-build stock entering the market to balance the figures.

Richard Venables, director at VSL, said: “The most striking change is the amount of space taken up by the science and technology sector in the industrial sector which has increased from 23 per cent in 2017 (266,000sq ft) to 65 per cent a year later. In the office sector this has remained steady at around 65 per cent.

“These figures show the importance of this sector but also how science can adapt to all types of property. Industrial units often provide a more flexible and cost-effective solution allowing for an easier fit-out.

Hitchins submits planning application for Lidl store in Kingsway

A planning application has been submitted for a new Lidl store in Kingsway, Gloucester.

The proposals are being put forward to Gloucester City Council by planning consultants DPP Planning on behalf of Gloucestershire developer Robert Hitchins Ltd.

The multi-million pound investment by Robert Hitchins and Lidl UK will see the construction of a sustainable store with a net sales area of 1,325sq metres, creating up to 40 new jobs on a site in Newhaven Road, next to Avionics House.

The proposed supermarket will add to Lidl’s portfolio of 730 stores in the UK. It

“Many of the technology spin-out companies want to stay in the centre of Oxford for access to university departments and employees.

“We are now finding that they are prepared to look further afield to the ring road and beyond. This is dictated by the fact that there simply isn’t the stock available in the centre of Oxford and any new schemes are some years away.”

The report adds that the co-working revolution has gathered momentum in many cities but Oxford has not picked up on this trend yet, with a lack of city centre stock limiting growth.

Looking ahead to 2019, the hi-tech momentum is expected to carry on with take-up exceeding 2018 and rents continuing to rise.

Three occupiers target Arrow Park in the heart of Motorsport Valley

Three new occupiers have taken 50,000sq ft of industrial accommodation at Arrow Park in Brackley in just one month.

New Generation Couriers Logistics Ltd has taken 29,189 sq ft for its parcel delivery service which will house 3,000 fully racked out pallet locations for storage and fulfilment. The site will also support NGC’s growth as a Palletforce member.

British Tour Car Racing has taken 9,958sq ft as a base for its new racing team. And Saddlery Brands International has taken 9,972sq ft for storage and distribution of its equestrian products.

Arrow Park, owned by Patrizia, is set in a new 25-acre commercial area including a proposed Sainsbury’s, a healthcare campus and a Marston’s hotel and restaurant. It fronts the A43 and is close to the Silverstone GP circuit, J10 of the M40 and J15 of the M1.

will also form part of its plans to open up to 50 new stores a year.

After a public consultation in the local area, more than 82 per cent said they supported the development in principle.

Senior Development Manager for Robert Hitchins, Michael Plimmer, said: “We are really encouraged by the reaction to our plans for the new store which we feel will provide residents with more choice and variety on their doorstep.”

Luke Le Brun, Asset Manager for Patrizia, said: “To secure 50,000sq ft of lettings in just one month is testament to the quality of the space on offer at Arrow Park and its strategic location.”

Patrizia was advised by Colliers International, White Commercial Surveyors and Brown & Co.

Managing Director at White Commercial Surveyors, Chris White, said: “This region, synonymous with automotive technology excellence, continues to thrive.”

“Many of the technology spin-out companies want to stay in the centre of Oxford for access to university departments and employees”

Commercial Property

An architect’s impression of the new Lidl store at Kingsway

NGC has taken 29,000sq ft at Arrow Park

OXENWOOD SNAPS UP GODIVA 170 IN £8.5M DEAL

A large-scale distribution unit in Coventry has been sold in an £8.5 million deal to a property investor.

Godiva 170, a 171,513sq ft unit at Blue Ribbon Park off the A444, has been sold by property agency Fisher German to Oxenwood Real Estate, a Londonbased property investor with a growing portfolio of real estate assets across the UK and Europe.

The building is a large logistics warehouse and is Oxenwood’s first purchase in Coventry.

The company intends to complete a full refurbishment before placing the property on the market to let. Stewart Little, co-founder of Oxenwood, said:

GJS Dillon helps Worcester companies expand into sought-after office space

Worcestershire commercial property consultancy and Chartered Surveyors GJS Dillon has helped two growing companies expand into quality office space in and around Worcester.

Fancy Dress Worldwide took a new five-year lease on 1,178sq ft at recently refurbished Marmion House in Copenhagen Street, Worcester at a guide rent of £8 per square foot.

The move to Marmion House is an expansion for Fancy Dress Worldwide which already has a unit on Shrub Hill Trading Estate in Worcester. In 2018 it successfully raised £271,000 in a crowdfunding investment scheme as part of its expansion plans which include

“Godiva 170 is an excellent valueadd opportunity. It is well located in an area where logistics demand is strong and we believe will be attractive to occupiers.

“The refurbishment plans are well under way and we expect the building to be ready to let in May.”

Rob Champion, of Fisher German, added: “We had very strong interest in the building from the moment it became available. The majority was from investors and owner-occupiers wanting to buy, given its first-class location, the limited availability of vacant freehold opportunities and the strength of demand for industrial and logistics assets generally.”

Growing Greenplant branches out into Banbury

White Commercial Surveyors have sold a unit at Banbury opposite J11 of the M40 to plant, tool and event hire company Greenplant Ltd.

The expanding company, established in 2001, has its HQ at a purposebuilt 10,000 sq ft property in Wheatley, Oxfordshire which houses a showroom, warehouse, workshop and an extensive yard.

Its expansion to Unit 3, Wildmere Close, Banbury provides additional business opportunities in a region which is experiencing growth in both residential and commercial building and development. The company has taken on three new members of staff in Banbury to add to the 14 based in Wheatley.

White Commercial Surveyors advised a private individual in the sale.

Robert Hutton, Director of Greenplant Ltd, said: “It’s an exciting time for the business and we are extremely pleased to be growing!”

Harvey White, Commercial Property Negotiator at White Commercial Surveyors, said: “The uncertainty caused by Brexit does not appear to have affected the demand for industrial accommodation in this growth region.”

selling through Amazon and exporting its costumes to the USA.

Advanced NDT Ltd took a five-year lease on 1,122sq ft at the Elgar Business Centre in Moseley Road, Hallow, four miles west of Worcester, at an annual guide rent of £12,000. The firm, established in 1993, offers a range of Non-Destructive Testing Products.

Mike Pritchard, Commercial Negotiator at GJS Dillon, acted on behalf of the

two investors. “These two office lettings underscore the fact that well-presented, good quality office space is highly sought-after wherever it is located in Worcestershire,” he said.

“We continue to work closely with Worcestershire LEP, Worcestershire County Council, landowners, developers and fellow professionals to tackle the issue of the shortage of small and mediumsized office suites and industrial units in Worcester and across the county.”

Marmion House, Worcester

ASH Chartered Surveyors celebrate 30th Anniversary

Founded in 1989, the practice is run by its four partners, Pollyanne Schreuder, Simon McKeag, Alastair Mylechreest, and Bruce Fenley. ASH is widely known for providing expert property advice to clients across Gloucestershire and the South West.

Originally solely based in Gloucester covering mainly the Gloucestershire area, the firm has grown significantly over the years. Following the acquisition of Horsleys in 2013, ASH acquired a Cheltenham office and the subsequent acquisition of SPA Chartered Surveyors further increased the firm’s prominence in Cheltenham, where they now undertake both residential and commercial management, commercial agency and provide professional advice.

The property market has changed considerably over the last 30 years with a particular focus now on digital marketing and the importance of an effective website and online offering for agency instructions. As a practice, ASH have continued to constantly strive to improve what they do and combine the highest standard of professionalism. With a solid market knowledge and a sharp commercial

edge, the principle of providing personal expertise still remains a major part of the practice’s ethos.

Back in 1989 the firm was founded by Catherine Alexander, Christopher Soane and Pollyanne Schreuder (nee Herring) initially trading as ASH & Co, survived the 1990’s recession and grew stronger. The contacts and reputation that Polly and Chris built in the early years enabled ASH to grow from a solid base.

up in Gloucestershire and has a strong interest in promoting the success of the County as a business location.

With a wealth of experience in both commercial and residential, Pollyanne now oversees both commercial and residential management, undertakes valuation work, particularly development and feasibility studies, and provides professional advice to clients, including rent reviews, lease renewals and strategic property advice.

Simon McKeag joined ASH as a Graduate Surveyor in 2000, becoming a Partner in 2009 and he now heads up the Agency Department, primarily dealing with the acquisition and disposal of commercial properties across the County.

Founding partner Pollyanne Schreuder was originally the agency, development and investment Partner, having previous experience with the development of major business parks and also management and professional work relating to shopping centres, offices and industrial. Pollyanne was born and grew

Independent property practice ASH have now been a leading firm of Chartered Surveyors in Gloucestershire for 30 years.

Bruce

Fenley, Pollyanne Schreuder, Simon McKeag and Alastair Mylechreest

“We provide a Partner led service to our clients with a high level of expertise overseeing our individual instructions”

Pollyanne Schreuder, Partner ASH Chartered Surveyors

“At ASH we have always strived to maintain the local service and in-depth knowledge that we feel gives us an advantage over competitors”

Simon McKeag, Partner ASH Chartered Surveyors

Since Simon has been with the firm, he has seen significant changes in the sector he works due to the evolution of the digital era and, like most industries, is now required to act/respond at an increasingly faster pace. The availability of an effective online offering is vital for agency instructions and we ensure that the website and other platforms available to us are updated on a regular basis.

Partner in 2015. Alastair is increasingly involved in commercial management instructions for a variety of private clients and public sector bodies whilst also undertaking valuations, lease renewals, rent reviews and other professional work.

market. Despite the crunch, which had a marked impact on surveying, with fewer graduates entering the profession, the impact of which is still noticeable, ASH are proud to have good staff retention and career progression they are able to offer. The Partners at ASH believe it is important to provide opportunities to graduates and provide support throughout their development as ultimately it is the next generation who will be required to take the business forward.

Bruce Fenley joined ASH as a Partner in 2015 with over 25 years’ experience in the property business within the County and is currently responsible for the Professional Department, in particular valuations, rent reviews and lease consultancy.

Alastair Mylechreest joined ASH in 1996 having trained in London, becoming

The credit crunch in 2008 saw the number of small practices diminish and ASH has adapted its business model to provide a more secure position in the

The firm’s success over 30 years follows a commitment to provide a professional, personal service to their clients, ensuring the advice is appropriate to their needs. ASH are looking forward to sustaining their position as one of the key commercial surveying practices in the county and continuing to grow from two stable bases in Gloucester and Cheltenham taking ASH into the next era.

“Specialist local knowledge is key to the provision of accurate expert advice”

“Changes in the commercial property market have seen shorter leases and a growth in local pension fund investors. ASH has changed with the market and grown the management department in response to this”

Bruce Fenley, Partner ASH Chartered Surveyors

Alastair Mylechreest, Partner ASH Chartered Surveyors

Roberts Limbrick host New Year Drinks Party

The Directors at Roberts Limbrick architects hosted their annual client drinks party at their head office in Gloucester. Attended by many of the firm's clients and professional contacts, guests beat the January blues with drinks and networking.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ROB LACEY

Would you like to feature your business event, launch or party in our business events section?

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Joe Roberts, David Billingham, Paul Gooderson, Peter Newth, Philip Dryden and Wayne Organ from Roberts Limbrick

Adrian Rowley from Alder King with Richard Crabb from tph Chartered Surveyors and Simon Carey from Barnwood Construction

Matthew Leach from Beard and Ian Rollinson from Simpson associates

Adam Welland from Barnwood Construction and John Jones from Robert Hitchins

Jeff Roberts from Roberts Limbrick with Julia Atkinson from Severn Vale School, Dean Watson from Wakemans and Brian Morman from Brunsdons Financial Planning

Scott Winnard from Bruton Knowles and Nigel Jobson from Maybe*

Simon McKeag from ASH and Adrian Rowley from Alder King

Jason Smith from Marketing Gloucester with Kirsty Muir from Business & Innovation Magazine, Paul James from Gloucester City Council, Joe Roberts from Roberts Limbrick and Anita Syvret from Syvret Media

Steve Smith from Gleeds and Richard Jones from Formal Investments

Anna Wood from BPE with Neil Evans from Arup and Heyma Holmes from BPE

Chris Knight from Longfield Hospice with Roman Cooper from Allcooper and Nicholas Upton from Nicholas Upton & Partners

TOPPING OUT AT THE POST HOUSE IS A FIRST-CLASS MILESTONE

The topping out ceremony of the refurbished Post House, one of Gloucester’s landmark commercial buildings has taken place.

The former sorting office in Eastern Avenue is being transformed by construction company EG Carter & Co Ltd to provide 48 one and twobedroom apartments.

Cllr Paul James, Leader of Gloucester City Council and cabinet member for Regeneration and Economy, was the guest of honour at the ceremony, along with Cllr Lise Noakes.

Built in the 1950s, the Post House is arranged in an L-shape with two wings either side of the central Art Deco style stairwell and atrium which is being retained to provide a stylish entrance.

Development partners County to County Property Group and Elevate Property Group announced that 75 per cent of the 32 one bedroom and 16 two-bedroom apartments were reserved off-plan by January, with prices ranging from £108,000£185,000. The refurbishment is due to be finished by June.

MD of County to County, Thomas Waldron, said buyers liked the quality of the finish and specification offered. “The Post House is set to create a really vibrant community of young people, all enjoying moving into their first property,” he said.

Thomas Jones, Associate Director at EG Carter & Co Ltd, said: “The development will be a great asset for first-time buyers and we are looking forward to the result.”

Velocity construction continues at speed

The 20-acre Velocity-42 business park in Redditch is on course to complete by the second quarter of 2019, with steel frames now rapidly being clad on four of the five units being constructed on the development.

Velocity42 will offer 330,000sq ft across five units on the Park Farm industrial estate, and the first 45,500 sq ft of space was taken last October, even before the contractors started work.

Richard-James Moore, Director of property consultancy JLL who specialises

in the logistics and warehousing sectors, reports that interest is high from potential tenants; from both local companies and regional operators looking to satisfy the demand from the online retail sector.

He said: “Our research shows that while there’s been a slowdown in demand for the giant distribution centres the opposite is true for units of less than 100,000 sq ft.

“Regardless of the future direction or shape of our economy, SMEs will still be its major driving force and they’ll still be expanding and creating employment.”

Hearthstone announces £17.9 million deal with housebuilders

The private equity fund of Hearthstone Investment Management Limited which specialises in residential property, has bought 81 houses for a total of £17.9 million from two major housebuilders.

In a multi-site deal with Linden Homes, Hearthstone Residential Fund 1 (HRF1), has agreed to purchase 72 two, three and four-bedroom houses scheduled to be completed this year.

The new-build homes are in Exeter, Bicester, Rugby and Pontefract, all towns with good infrastructure and transport connections, and strong local economies.

John Coles, Asset Manager of Hearthstone Investment Management, said: “This is the largest deal HRF1 has completed to date with a single housebuilder. This significant purchase of houses across several sites is consistent with the fund’s regional diversification strategy to the different regions across the UK.”

HRF1 is buying a further nine threebedroom houses in Derbyshire from Ashberry Homes.

Richard Otten, Partner at Asset Management at Hearthstone, said: “We are now working with six major housebuilders across the UK. It has been a core part of our strategy to source good quality houses in suburban regional areas that offer sustainable employment opportunities.”

Thomas Jones (EG Carter), Lesley Nunn (Hamptons International), Thomas Waldron (County to County Property Group), Mark Dix (EG Carter). Cllr Paul James (Gloucester City Council Leader), Cllr Lise Noakes, Ian Beevor (EG Carter)

Commercial Property

Hearthstone is investing in 81 homes for £17.9 million

Pauline Quirke Academy brings theatrical magic to Bond’s Mill

Acting school The Pauline Quirke Academy has moved into new premises at Bond’s Mill in Stonehouse – along with Aladdin and his flying carpet.

Marie Stimson-Machers has run the Stroud academy with husband Chris from their home in Stroud for more than six years.

They decided it was time to shift the admin out of their bedroom and garage and take a three-year lease on Suite 2 of The Counting House on the business estate owned by Robert Hitchins Ltd.

“We had so much stuff – including a stage cow and two coffins in the garage. But we couldn’t find an office to fall in love with,” said Marie.

“Then we found the Counting House. We’ve jazzed it up with an Aladdin and a flying carpet. It’s perfect.”

Helen Hawke from Robert Hitchins Ltd was pleased to welcome PQA to Bond’s Mill which is situated alongside the Stroudwater Canal in a mix of refurbished Victorian mill buildings and modern commercial premises.

“An admin office for a drama academy is a first for Bond’s Mill. It’s great to have such a variety of companies on one business estate,” she said.

With 50 tenants, Bond’s Mill accommodates many start-ups as well as established companies such as UK Power Solutions, Green Gourmet, Omega Resource, Biocensus and BPE Solicitors.

3P INNOVATION MOVES INTO £4 MILLION BASE IN WARWICK

Design and manufacturing company 3P Innovation has moved into a new £4 million base in Warwick.

The engineering and process automation company has invested in a 30,000 sq ft purpose-built site at Tournament Fields Business Park, which is more than twice the size of its previous home in Welton Road.

As part of the move, 3P Innovation worked with the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP Growth Hub and Coventry City Council to access grantfunding to make the new building as environmentally-friendly as possible.

The move represents a major step for the company, which started out from a bedroom in 2006 and now works with top 10 pharmaceutical, medical device, confectionery, personal care and household goods companies worldwide. It offers a wide range of multi-purpose

“We had outgrown our previous site and had started to flatline due to space limits after growing every year from 2006 to 2016. The move has given everyone in the company a boost”

technologies and machine platforms as well as custom automation methods to fit any project.

Director Dr Geoff Vernon said: “We had outgrown our previous site and had started to flatline due to space limits after growing every year from 2006 to 2016. The move has given everyone in the company a boost.”

The business has worked with the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP Growth Hub’s account manager Jaymie Thakordas throughout the move, who will continue to advise them.

Expanding exhibition experts Modex head to Thorpe Way

International exhibitions and events company Modex has moved into new premises on the Thorpe Way Industrial Estate in Banbury.

The new premises give the company more storage space and the capacity to grow as well as access to the M40 and good road and rail networks. The move comes when Modex, with 20 years’ experience, is strengthening its position in the event and exhibitions sector.

Director Martin Coomber said: “Last year we built more than 6,500 sq metres of stands in more than 40 venues for more than 500 clients. In 2019 business is forecast to grow more quickly than ever so it made sense to make a move now.”

Commercial Property Negotiator at White Commercial Surveyors, Chris White, added: “This letting continues the trend in demand for industrial accommodation in Central England.”

Commercial Property

Tom Meredith (3P Innovation), Jaymie Thakordas (CW LEP Growth Hub) and Geoff Vernon (3P Innovation)

Helen Hawke from Robert Hitchins (right) with Marie and Chris Stimson-Machers at Bond’s Mill

PROPERTY

DEVELOPMENT

Leading property development and investment business Gallagher Estates has been renamed as part of its integration into the housing association and residential developer L&Q.

The Warwick-based business will be known as L&Q Estates.

The company, one of the largest strategic land businesses in the UK, was acquired by L&Q in 2017.

It has sold more than 5,500 plots since its acquisition and controls land capable of delivering 46,500 new homes, mainly in the South and South Midlands.

Gallagher promotes sites through the planning process, from pre-allocation to securing planning consents, before delivering serviced land to the market.

This move will enable L&Q to assume the role of “master developer”, boosting its ability to work strategically with local authorities and other partners as it accelerates development towards 10,000 new homes a year.

Over the next 10 years, L&Q intends to respond to the housing crisis by building or funding 60,000 new homes, and enabling the delivery of a further 40,000 new homes.

L&Q Estates will have a key role in achieving this ambition, through the supply of land to both L&Q to build out itself, and to new and existing third party PLC and SME housebuilders across the country.

Jane Harrison (Liberty Property Trust), Gary Woodman (Worcestershire LEP), Cllr Dr Ken Pollock, Mark Pettitt (Kimal), Cllr Richard Morris, Gerard Ludlow (Stoford)

KIMAL PREPARES TO MOVE INTO £13M UNIT AT WORCESTER SIX

Kimal, a leading manufacturer and supplier of products for the healthcare sector, is on a high after taking delivery of its new £13 million headquarters at Worcester Six.

Stoford Developments delivered the design-and-build of the 140,000sq ft unit and achieved practical completion on time and budget.

Kimal is moving 77 staff from Droitwich to Worcester Six. It is retaining two other centres in Bromsgrove and Uxbridge for a further 250 staff.

Gerard Ludlow, director at Stoford Developments, said: “This is another milestone in the progress of Worcester Six. The calibre of tenants demonstrates that this is a world-class location for hightech and innovative businesses.”

Alan Press, Chairman of Kimal, said: “This is our seventh logistics site in Worcestershire, having outgrown the previous six over the last 28 years, and is a testament to the continued success of the Kimal team.”

Real estate company Liberty Property Trust acquired the building last year from Stoford Developments, the third industrial unit in its Worcester Six portfolio.

“It’s great to see this hugely successful Worcestershire company expand into this business park. We are seeing more local firms expanding than ever before and new businesses making the move to Worcestershire, both helping to keep our economy thriving”

Worcestershire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure, Cllr Ken Pollock, said: “It’s great to see this hugely successful Worcestershire company expand into this business park. More local firms are expanding and new businesses are making the move to Worcestershire.”

Once fully developed, Worcester Six will provide 1.5 million sq ft of accommodation. Other tenants are Siemens, Spire Healthcare and Kohler Mira.

Nunnery Park reaches full capacity for St Modwen

Developer and regeneration specialist St Modwen has reached full occupancy at its Nunnery Park development in Worcester and plans to add new units.

New tenant, Auto Support Ltd, an expanding breakdown recovery service, has taken a 10-year lease on 17,000 sq ft across two units at the 20-acre development. A leading distribution company has also taken

Nunnery Park, between J6 and J7 of the M5, is home to a strong profile of warehousing businesses, trade counters and leisure companies, including UK Storage and Edmundson Electrical which moved into the business park in 2018. It is also home to Kentucky Fried Chicken and pub operator Greene King.

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