Business & Innovation Magazine - Issue 02 July 2017

Editor-in-Chief

Nicky Godding

Tel: 07966 510401

nicky.godding@nkmedia.co.uk

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Kirsty Muir Tel: 07971 912020

kirsty.muir@nkmedia.co.uk

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Since our first issue we’ve been out every week across the region. Hundreds came to our launch parties in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire and we’ve been invited to a wide variety of events and showcases. Meeting, mixing and introducing businesses to each other is what we do best. People do business with people. And as we’re a new business, it’s important for us to introduce ourselves and ask how we can help, through NK Media and Business & Innovation Magazine.

We’re now working on our next initiative: Manufacturing Live which will take place at Cheltenham Racecourse on September 28th. Engineering and manufacturing companies can find out more information by emailing us at events@nkmedia.co.uk.We are already busy working on our invitation list.

Engineering can be just as creative as work from the world’s most inspiring artists. Finding solutions to problems is also best done together rather than in isolation. Manufacturing Live will draw manufacturing and engineering companies together to share ideas. We’ve also got some great demonstrations lined up.

We hope that our 60 Top Innovations feature in this issue will inspire you. There is so much entrepreneurialism across the region. What I found most interesting during my research is that there are as many small companies as large solving real world problems now. And that should give us all hope for the future.

Advertising, sponsorship and event enquiries please contact:

We visit businesses in towns across our region. First up: Cirencester

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In the headlines

From the Stock Exchanges’ top 1000 inspiring companies to a steampunk photo shoot.

Meet the boss: L3 TRL Technology

Nicky Godding talks to Greg Roberts, CEO at L3 TRL Technology, on cyber security and defence

The Report: Skills Shortage

One of the most worrying employer issues, we look at key sectors of concern

Regional

Including coverage of our three launch parties across the region. Were you there?

Meet the boss: Gymshark

Nicky Godding talks to Steve Hewitt, CEO at online activewear retailer Gymshark

Wine, rugby, travel and beer: We showcase some of the finer, fun things in life

DOWNTOWN

Our new feature visits business in towns across our region. First up: Cirencester

We

to Live

We

Let’s

Work

60 innovations from across the region, which could change the world

REGION CELEBRATES INSPIRING Companies

Dozens of companies across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and North Wiltshire have been named in the London Stock Exchange’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’, a celebration of some of the fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK and Europe.

As well as identifying 1000 companies, the London Stock Exchange’s annual report examines the opportunities and challenges facing SMEs and looks at the sectors and trends that will shape the future of the British and European economies.

Ironman strengthens occupier mix at Milton Park

In the headlines

The company behind the world’s toughest one-day triathlon challenge has made its home at Milton Park, Oxfordshire’s biggest business and science park. With offices across the globe covering events in the rest of Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Asia and Africa, the US-born business moved to Milton Park following a quadrupling of UK participants in the past four years. The move will help facilitate its ambitions to expand further into the endurance sector with new events being developed.

MEPC has also announced that work has started on site at the 7.6 acre Park Drive East. This is one of Oxfordshire’s largest speculative office and laboratory developments.

From Worcester-based engineering company Calder Ltd to Oxfordshire electronic engineers Lucy Group Ltd, and from waste management company MJ Church at Chippenham to construction company KW Bell Group in Gloucestershire, along with dozens across all sectors, this region’s companies are setting the national standard for ambition and growth.

Ian Calder-Potts, Director at Calder Ltd, said: “What a privilege, not only to be included in the 2017 edition of ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’, but to be invited to the London Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world.”

Xavier Rolet, Chief Executive of the London Stock Exchange Group said: “Four years on, LSEG’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report continues to highlight the dynamic, entrepreneurial and ambitious businesses across the country that are boosting UK productivity, driving economic growth and creating jobs. The strength and diversity of these companies is readily apparent with a broad mix of UK regions and sectors represented. These companies are the heart of an ‘anti-fragile’ economy: more robust; flexible and less prone to boom and bust. We must ensure we continue doing all we can to support high growth potential businesses like these.”

Design company shining bright

In the headlines

D2M Innovation, the Cheltenham company helping entrepreneurs to develop, prototype, manufacture and protect new concepts has been working with start-up company Lambert and Barclay to design a new footwear accessory. The Equerry Premier Shoe Shiner promises to make it easier to give shoes the ultimate shine.

“Equerry has two objectives: to give shoes a mirror-like shine, fast, and to provide a superb gift,” said Phil Staunton, Managing Director of D2M Innovation, which is responsible for product development.

Equerry is the world’s first USB rechargeable shoe shining device with inbuilt polish reservoir. The handheld shoe polisher has a specially patented British design.

Groomed to perfection

In the headlines

A new luxury men’s brand born out of Cheltenham is now being stocked across the world. Hawkins and Brimble was founded in 2016. The products are formulated using natural ingredients. Hawkins & Brimble is more than just a collection of grooming essentials, says the company. It’s helping to revive traditional barber rituals that inspire pride in masculine traditions.The brand has launched in Waitrose stores across the UK and it’s already online in Boots and Holland & Barrett, among other online retailers. The company was born out of Spark Brands, an award-winning Gloucestershire based brand owner and distributor which supplies leading food and beauty retailers across the globe.

Steampunk in the Cotswolds

In the headlines

High-end floristry business Elitonia Ltd has brought together the extraordinary worlds of steampunk and distilling.

Elitonia is based in Gloucestershire and London. Its unique concept, ‘The Gin Maid’, celebrates an amazing floral photoshoot by Chris Boulton, at Cotswolds Distillery near Shipston on Stour, Warwickshire.

Toni Ryder, Elitonia’s New York-born Managing Director, said: “I was inspired to mix flowers and steampunk by seeing the copper gin stills at the distillery.

“The rich colours of the stills, our flowers and model Ash Millman’s red

hair combine to emphasise the exceptional quality of our offerings and products.”

The official launch of Cotswolds Distillery ‘Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky’ happens this October.

Elitonia has also just joined Cotswolds Distillery in becoming a Rock the Cotswolds ‘Rocker’.

A Rock the Cotswolds ‘Rocker’ is a person, place, event, activity, business or charity showcasing Cotswolds entrepreneurialism and vibrancy.

Visit www.rockthecotswolds.com for a full list of the latest Rockers.

Chalking it up to experience

In the headlines

This magazine celebrates the biggest, the newest and sometimes the smallest companies, because from little acorns..., so when we heard about a unique new business, we had to share it.

The Cotswold Chalkboard has been handlettering its way across the Five Valleys and beyond since the beginning of 2017.

It’s run by Joanna Fallon, a talented Stroudbased artist and graphic designer, who creates stand-out signage for businesses, events and individuals who knows that when it comes to visual impact, it pays to look awesome rather than average.

£15 million investment in future technologies

In the headlines

Innovative businesses across the UK have received a £15 million boost through a UK Government competition. This is to identify and invest in new technologies with the potential to unlock billions of pounds of value to UK industry, and help disrupt existing markets.

Eighty high-growth potential projects have been awarded funding. One of these is Archangel Aerospace based at Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire.

Archangel will develop an ultralightweight laser receiver terminal to bring vast amounts of data from satellites in a low orbit down to earth quickly and reliably. This will vastly improve the scope and quality of services provided by earth observation and scientific satellites.

Paul Mason, Emerging and Enabling Technologies Director at Innovate UK, said: “The quality and breadth of applications for this competition was excellent.”

Going where few have gone before

In the headlines

For customers in remote locations, sending and receiving parcels can be very expensive.

So one Harwell Campus-based company is participating in a pioneering European Space Agency co-sponsored project to use Remotely Piloted Aircraft System/ Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone) technology to deploy un-manned parcel

Renishaw sets sights high for world record attempt

In the headlines

Gloucestershire advanced manufacturing company, Renishaw participated in a successful world record attempt for the largest number of hot air balloons to cross the English Channel.

In April, 82 balloons launched from Lydden Hill Race Circuit, Canterbury before heading to the White Cliffs of Dover and over the English Channel, finally landing in Calais, France. This attempt breaks the previous record of 49 balloons, set exactly six years before.

The record attempt was organised by Berkeley-based aerial marketing specialist, Exclusive Ballooning, and sponsored by Stonehouse-based recruitment processing outsourcing specialists Datum RPO. Led by Datum RPO’s bespoke balloon, piloted by company director James Strickland, the balloons travelled over the world’s busiest shipping lane, spanning 35km of water.

Pilots from ten different countries participated in the event, previously postponed due to unfit weather conditions. The tracks and images from the day will now be submitted to Guinness World Records for official ratification.

Renishaw has been working with Exclusive Ballooning since 2012, and its balloon is a well-known sight in the Gloucestershire skies and at the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. G-RENI is unique in that it flies with a bespoke adapted basket, which can accommodate wheelchair passengers.

delivery services. The company, Huduma, undertakes emerging technology projects. The drone service will operate between fixed arrive and departure points, and is on track for completion within 36 months. The project incorporates a feasibility study into the use of remotely piloted systems in parcel delivery, culminating in a live demonstration.

This is not the first participation in the Guinness World Records for Renishaw, which was featured in 2015 for manufacturing the world’s first 3D printed titanium alloy bike frame. Renishaw is also contributing engineering expertise to the Bloodhound SSC project, which aims to break the world land speed record (see our Skills report in this issue).

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L3 TRL: of the

In the vanguard UK’S DEFENCE CAPABILITY

The discreet and sensitive nature of L3 TRL Technology’s work means it can’t always shout loud about its huge success. We reveal as much as we’re allowed

By Nicky Godding

A major global cyber-attack this May, which threatened 47 NHS Trusts across the UK and countless corporations globally, got us all thinking yet again about our national vulnerabilities.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, launched last October, hit the ground running but countless organisations have been quietly working for years protecting and mitigating cyber threats to essential national infrastructure.

L3 TRL Technology, based at Tewkesbury, is one of the UK’s most successful cyber and electronic warfare companies. It designs, develops and delivers advanced electronic systems for the protection of people, infrastructure and assets.

I met L3 TRL’s Chief Executive Greg Roberts the week after the May cyber-attack, and it was naturally at the top of our conversation.

“What do we mean by ‘critical national infrastructure’?” he asks. “Certainly, our transport and communications networks, healthcare systems and the Bank of England – but does that also stretch to retailers such as John Lewis? Tesco’s?”

Should retailers be considered part of our national infrastructure? Maybe not, but if people can’t buy food and essential items, daily lives are disrupted. It’s an ongoing debate in which L3 TRL, along with the wider cyber industry, is involved: Where does Government responsibility end and personal responsibility begin?

A national treasure

L3 TRL works at the heart of our country’s infrastructure. It partners with civil and defence organisations, defending against evolving and emerging threats worldwide and is considered by many within the industry a ‘national treasure’ for its work in these sectors. It provides government with the capability to protect and encrypt data in transit, data ‘at rest’ (ie stored data, including in the cloud), and mobile data. Its electronic defence products help keep our national protection forces safe out in the field through intelligence gathering, and from attacks by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The company is a huge success story for the region, turning over around £60 million last year and exporting to over 24 coalition countries.

FACTS ON GREG ROBERTS 04

However, there was a difficult period between 2014 and 2015 before Greg arrived, where L3 TRL had to adapt following the military withdrawal from the Gulf and Afghanistan conflicts.

In just two years Greg has turned L3 TRL from decline to growth. Orders have increased by 40%, employee numbers have risen to over 320 and the company is recruiting.

L3 TRL’s US parent company, L3 Technologies which has its headquarters in New York, is encouraging its UK business in organic growth and strategic acquisition. TRL invests up to 10% of turnover in research & development and recently acquired Australian company Micreo, which designs and produces wearable protection, complementing L3 TRL’s current product range. It has also taken responsibility for another Australian business as part of a wider re-organisation in L3’s global corporation.

How has the company achieved such a rapid about-face? That’s down to Greg, who has considerable form in corporate turnaround. Greg says the key is ensuring he is clear about his vision with people, and matching that up with their expertise.

Listen very carefully

L3 TRL is a successful business on the lookout for skilled and talented people so it must be frustrating for the team that they can’t talk freely about what the company does. Everyone is hugely security conscious (I’m asked to leave my mobile phone and voice recorder in my car. It’s like

a parent being asked to abandon a baby. Thank heavens for my shorthand skills).

L3 TRL supports recruitment into the cyber industry and runs its own inhouse talent management programme, Cerebrum, which was recently shortlisted for a national HR award.

The company is particularly proud of one of its university graduates who, at just 22, is advising Her Majesty’s Government. “She’s one example of the incredibly intelligent employees at TRL and we’re delighted to be able to give her such an opportunity,” says Greg.

L3 TRL is a member of the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst programme, boosting the cyber skills capabilities of the UK’s current and future workforce. This offers bursaries of £4,000, paid work placements and employment on graduation to talented students.

A decisive career

Greg Roberts left school at 16 years old with few qualifications or career ideas. He undertook a four-year engineering apprenticeship and joined a company which made artificial limbs, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles. Having completed an HNC, he moved to a small subsea acoustics business later bought out by UK engineering company Ferranti.

In the early 1990s Ferranti merged its subsea business with Marconi and a few years’ later the company became Thales Underwater Systems.

QUICK FACTS

There are not enough young people choosing a career in cyber security, but Greg is positive: “The quality of emerging talent we see is excellent,” he says.

L3 TRL is a member of the 5% Club, which has over 150 UK companies all wanting to make a difference to the UK’s global prosperity by focussing on technical skills to drive innovation.

Other members include Gloucestershirebased Renishaw (a founder member), Malvern-based Qinetiq and electrical contractors Clarkson Evans.

L3 TRL’s people are important to Greg.

“It’s about celebrating diversity, creating an environment and culture where we inspire each other,” he says.

“I’m happier, more engaged and energised today than I was when I joined L3 TRL. Retirement? Not on my agenda. I love what I do.”

L3 TRL is a UK-based business which designs, develops and delivers advanced electronic systems for the protection of people, infrastructure and assets.

Founded as Telemetrix Research Ltd in 1983, the company was acquired by Richtec in 1988 and floated on the AIM in 2004. In 2006 it was acquired by US-based L3 Technologies, one of the world’s most successful providers of communication and electronic systems for military, homeland security and the commercial sector. It is now a whollyowned but autonomous subsidiary of L3.

Established:

Head office:

Group Revenue:

Employees:

Greg discovered a talent for business development. He was also quick to accept advice and support.

“One boss was a WW2 Lancaster aircraft bomber. The only time he told me off was for not making a decision when he wasn’t there.”

You don’t ignore lessons from men who’ve got split-second, life-anddeath experience.

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the global defence industry faced a decade of decline. However, Greg had risen to become Sales & Marketing Director for Thales Underwater Systems.

“In 2000 we were bidding for three key defence programmes, and I was asked

1983 Tewkesbury £60 million 320

to win one, or two if I could.” He won all three, securing £300 million worth of business, a huge coup for a British company.

His career at Thales went global and for the next seven years, he worked first in Nice then Paris, France.

Returning to the UK he took control of another Thales company. Loss-making when he joined, he turned it into a £90 million turnover company in five years. Throughout all this, he also found time to complete an MBA.

Greg spent over 25 years with Thales before moving, first to Northrop Grumman then avionics company Curtiss-Wright before being headhunted to his current role at L3 TRL.

“I’m happier, more engaged and energised today than I was when I joined L3 TRL. Retirement? Not on my agenda. I love what I do.”

L3 TRL

GLOUCESTERSHIRE: FUTURE-PROOFED

We know tomorrow’s Gloucestershire will be built by sharp minds and skilled hands.

That’s why we’re working with South Gloucestershire & Stroud College and investing £5 million into the GREEN Skills Project, turning a former nuclear site at Berkeley into an advanced educational facility that will train thousands of people for careers in engineering, construction and cyber security.

Now that’s powerful thinking.

Find out more at gfirstlep.com/projects

Berkeley Green

The SKILLS ISSUE

ENGINEERING

Entry into engineering degree courses needs a radical overhaul with less emphasis

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), in partnership with the Engineering Professors’ Council, is bringing together engineering experts and higher education leaders from across the globe to see how our higher education sector can learn from the world’s institutions who have adopted pioneering approaches within their engineering degree courses.

IET President, Professor Jeremy Watson CBE, said: “There is an urgent need

It’s a topic uniting every sector of the business community: poor skills. The UK’s lack of engineers has been an issue for years, but other areas are struggling too, particularly cyber security; professional services and construction. The Government is helping, but most say not enough. And there is the thorny

issue of what Brexit might mean for immigration. Real concerns are rippling through the scientific community of a post Brexit brain drain as overseas talent returns home to avoid the uncertainties over their legal status.

We look across three key sectors across the region to find ideas to inspire.

to get more young people studying engineering, but we’re currently excluding vast numbers of students because they have not formally studied maths and physics.”

This is an outdated view, he feels. “We’re not saying these subjects aren’t important but engineering is about solving creative challenges so we must also harness students’ creativity.”

West Midlands Engineering Technology Group Managing Director Martin Doyle, says it’s too easy to blame the UK Government for the lack of workers coming through the system.

“We prefer to take a more proactive approach, looking at ways in which we can help to boost the pipeline of future engineers. Promoting apprenticeships and telling young people about the opportunities and exciting careers they provide is one part of the mix.”

Other engineering companies are also looking at alternative ways to solve the problem. Neill Brodey is Managing Director of Banbury-based Norbar Torque Tools Ltd.

He said: “Given the lack of available skills in North Oxfordshire to support our growth plans, our strategy is to invest in automation of repetitive tasks. This will free our existing staff to add value in

the areas where people still outperform machines. One example is adding collaborative robots, sometimes called ‘cobots’, into production lines alongside operators. A second example is using automated software to manage routine tasks, freeing up customer-facing staff to speak to customers.”

One consequence of Norbar’s strategy is that it will need a significant proportion of employees to learn new skills so they can interact with the physical and software based machines. Neill adds: “The world is changing and we have a choice. We can struggle on in the old ways or we can invest in both human skills and automation. It’s an easy choice for me.”

Bloodhound project inspires next generation engineers

Global engineering technology company, Renishaw, hosted over 150 primary school students for an education day on the Bloodhound SSC, a supersonic car that aims to break the 1000 mph land speed record. The students visited Renishaw’s Gloucestershire headquarters to see a full-scale model of the supersonic car and participate in hands-on activities.

on maths and physics and a greater focus on creativity.

We can’t go relying on the rest of the world to power our economy. Britain needs to skill up, and fast.

“It’s too easy to blame the UK Government for the lack of workers coming through the system.”

Martin Doyle, West Midlands Engineering Technology Group

CYBER SECURITY AND DIGITAL SKILLS

The media spotlight on cyber security has boosted awareness of the sector, but according to global job site, Indeed, it’s too soon to say whether this represents a turnaround for global cyber security hiring. Severe cyber security skills shortages persist in every country, with Israel and UK worst affected. Only in the US and Canada does the supply of job seekers exceed employer demand by 50%.

For professionals, this imbalance between supply and demand means strong job prospects and high salaries, although even then barriers to entry remain, according to Indeed’s research. Cyber security is a demanding profession and many employers ask for advanced certifications. Experts also need to be able to demonstrate an understanding of risk and how their businesses operate.

What can be done to help close the skills gap?

According to Russell Haworth, Chief Executive Officer at Oxford-based Nominet, the official registry for .UK domain names, parents are failing to recognise the importance of digital skills for their children, especially their daughters. “Even if our children don’t seek roles specifically within the IT and technology sectors, digital skills will be paramount in everything they may do. Even today, 90% of occupations require digital competencies, including programming,” he said.

“The Bloodhound SSC is an incredibly exciting and engaging project,” explained Simon Biggs, Education Liaison Officer at Renishaw. “It is important to open young people’s eyes to innovative projects to increase enthusiasm towards STEM subjects and draw a link back to the school curriculum.”

One possible approach would be to view the problem from a different angle, says Indeed. Some cyber security experts argue that treating cyber security as a specialisation within the computing field, rather than as a standalone discipline is a mistake. Instead, by developing programmes within organisations that identify qualified professionals and offer them training, employers will be able to make inroads into the supply-demand gap.

CONSTRUCTION

Expanding our construction workforce

British construction must recruit over 400,000 people every year between now and 2021, that’s one worker every 77 seconds, if it is to create the homes and infrastructure the nation needs. That’s according to infrastructure research company Arcadis. This skills gulf could see the earnings of tradespeople sky-rocketing, leading to the rise of the MINTED workforce — the Most in Need Trades Earning Double, says the company.

The greatest need is for carpenters and joiners. Plumbers, electricians and bricklayers are also in high demand. Meanwhile, the report identifies a need for over 7,400 civil engineers and 7,300 quantity surveyors.

Many companies, including L3 TRL Technology, (see our interview with Greg Roberts in this issue), are encouraging young people into the sector. L3 TRL is a member of the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst programme, designed to boost the cyber skills capabilities of the UK’s current and future workforce. This offers bursaries of £4,000, paid work placements and employment on graduation to talented students.

Outside London and the South East, the highest skills requirement is in the East of England and the South West, where more than 43,000 and 41,000 additional workers respectively are needed to meet projected regional housing and infrastructure requirements. These figures are independent of any Brexit impact, which is likely to further increase the strain.

We need more construction students. In 2016, Gloucestershire College bought a house for construction and building services students as part of their training. Following the success of the first GC House renovation project, the college is now working on a second property.

James Bryce, Arcadis’ Director of Workforce Planning, said: “What we have is not a skills gap; it is a skills gulf. Construction employment is already down 15% on 2008 and, if we don’t have the right people to build the homes and infrastructure we need, the UK is going to struggle.”

The Report

Primary school pupils see the Bloodhound at Renishaw

SGS BERKELEY GREEN – OPEN FOR BUSINESS FROM SEPTEMBER 2017!

George Ridd, site director at South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College’s new Berkeley Campus, tells us how the college is engaging with local businesses:

SGS College is a key player in developing the Gloucestershire Science and Technology Park at Berkeley and has invested over 30 million in conjunction with a range of employer partners to make the concept a reality.

From September 2017, SGS will be offering a large range of engineering courses from the purpose built John Huggett Engineering Hall for learners aged 16+. The College are moving the Engineering facility from Stroud to Berkeley to meet the growing demand for courses, as this now far exceeds our current capacity. We will also offer Engineering and Cyber Technology study programmes to learners from ages 14-18 at our new University Technical College (UTC); the UTC currently being oversubscribed with 20% of applicants being female.

Following Government driven reviews of the Education sector, employers are being encouraged to take a far more active role in the development of apprenticeship programmes and SGS are working closely with regional businesses to support this activity and meet their needs.

We work with over a thousand companies and many actively support the curriculum delivery through a host of activities ranging from guest speaking, contributing resources or providing work placements, which are invaluable in helping learners experience the world of work as part of their studies.

Additionally, we have a network of employer ambassadors that we work with who provide us with additional support. The ambassadors will deliver ‘toolbox talks’ with learners to discuss the industry and the skills / experience that employers are looking for. Some also like to judge competitions and give out prizes, such as our ‘most improved plumber of the month’ award. We are extremely indebted to them for this support, offering publicity and marketing support where we can.

Our latest development is entitled Internships. This has been set up in direct response to concerns that companies raised with us about learners going onto apprenticeship programmes.

Entry onto an apprenticeship programme can be a big step for learners who may not have worked in the trade previously. The internship programme allows learners and employers to work closely together for 6 months prior to the apprenticeship to ensure that both are aware of their obligations. The learner will come in to the college for three days a week, whilst completing two days a week work experience at the company. It lets the individual see if they like the idea of going into that industry and employers get to see if they’d make a potential apprentice – it’s about upskilling learners.

We welcome employers talking to us about their training needs, which might include other forms of courses ranging from safety training, manual handling, and business skills. Each customer is treated on an individual basis and our Business Solutions team are available to discuss your requirements and take you through the process.

Our new campus at Berkeley will enable us to engage with a wider body of employers because we’re offering a wider curriculum. And it enables us to develop facilities that are more bespoke. If an employer wanted to make a particular kind of widget, for example, we could do it at Berkeley. We’ve got so much work and parking space on the campus that it enables us to develop pretty much anything that’s supported by a business case.

The best way to get started with all of this is to speak to us – you can knock on our door, tell us what you want and we’ll then endeavour to work with you on a one-to-one level to address your needs. We welcome all enquiries, from wanting an apprentice, to supporting in identifying how you can develop your business.

To find out more about training provision at Berkeley Green or get involved with the project, please email sgsberekleygreen@sgscol.ac.uk or call 01453 761 131.

GIN helps Gloucestershire companies break into high growth markets

As the UK’s ongoing trading relationship with Europe remains blurred with Brexit negotiations barely starting, Business West, the largest international trade organisation in the South West, has launched a new drive for Gloucestershire companies to break into the markets of China, India, Latin America and South East Asia.

Business West, which represents the Department for International Trade in the South West region, called a team of export specialists to a special meeting of Business West’s Gloucestershire International Network (GIN) to help companies drive into these high growth markets.

Shozey Jafferi, Business West’s South East Asia expert said there are 625 million people in the ASEAN block, 100 million more than in the European Union and double the numbers of the USA.

Ameeta Virk is Business West’s India trade specialist. She said: “By 2022, India will surpass China in world population - it currently has the world’s largest youth

population with 500 million people under the age of 24.

“This segment of the population is aspirational, they have money and they demand quality goods.”

According to Jonathan Smith, Business West’s China expert: “There are huge opportunities in China and there are many companies which go into the market and get burnt.

“Don’t be put off, proceed with confidence and caution.”

Nailsworth-based Fluid Transfer International is a leading manufacturer of aviation, marine and ground refuelling equipment to commercial and defence markets worldwide.

Under its Managing Director John Little, the Queen’s Award winning company now exports to 90 countries across the world.

John started going on trade missions 25 years ago. He said: “You have to see for yourself, you cannot do this remotely.

In any one year exports can represent over 75% of Fluid Transfer’s sales. We can no longer be reliant on the UK market or our defence related business, where spend has reduced significantly in recent years”

“Growth continues in the Middle East, but more so in Far East markets, where air passenger numbers have grown at faster than elsewhere globally.

“The investment in new infrastructure, replacement modern fleets of the latest aircraft, has to be matched with more and better ground support equipment, which is pushing up our sales to the region.”

WMB Logistics based in Gloucester has been shortlisted for Team of the Year at the Motor Transport Awards 2017.

The national awards will take place in London on 5th July and will see WMB go up against Bibby Distribution, Hermes and Pall-Ex for the coveted trophy.

Paul Lusty, WMB Director said: “Making it on to the shortlist is recognition of our team’s hard work.”

WMB logistics was founded in 2007 by directors Paul Lusty and Tony Davis. The business first began transporting motorcycles, designing its own cradling system for safely and securely carrying bikes.The business has developed into a complete logistics and transport company, working from its base in Gloucester, with clients around the world.

This segment of the population is aspirational—they have money and they demand quality goods.

WMB Logistics directors Paul Lusty and Tony Davis (seated)

A PLACE FOR AGRITECH INNOVATORS TO GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY

Farm491, from the Royal Agricultural University, provides high-spec facilities created to foster entrepreneurship, ideas generation and collaboration – it includes 491 hectares of farmland for research and testing.

Farm491 is offering workshop space and so much more at Harnhill Manor Farm: affordable and durable working environments aimed to assist agritech innovators grow their businesses while putting their products to the test.

Farm491 members have access to business support and a knowledge network that includes farmers, investors and expert advisers, as well as open access to farming data. Members can test, refine and grow their propositions.

This pioneering new initiative will create a vibrant incubation environment with the potential to influence and benefit the wider agritech and food production industries.

We plan to assist over 55 new agritech companies and help them create over 200 new jobs over the next five years.

We want to help innovators convert their ideas into reality and support their growth by providing offices, workshops and expert advice.

WORKSHOP AND COLLABORATIVE WORKING SPACE FROM ONLY £6,000 per annum

GlosBiz celebrates 50th anniversary

Five years of networking breakfasts and lunches promoted via the #GlosBiz hashtag on Twitter were celebrated in May.

Executive coach, Adrian Malpass, first sent out the #GlosBiz hashtag six years ago. The hashtag took off and resulted in successful monthly meets across the Cotswolds, with alternate monthly soldout breakfasts at Ellenborough Park and lunches at the Mayflower.

It all came about thanks to a lucky fluke, according to Adrian. “I simply typed the hashtag #GlosBiz in a tweet. It was hardly likely to be ground-breaking; the term had just come about in my mind as a straightforward way of highlighting local business.

“My tweet went something like: ‘If we all spend just £1 per week with a local

#GlosBiz instead of a supermarket, imagine the difference it would make’.”

Adrian followed up with ‘Use the #GlosBiz tag to raise awareness of local business. Pls RT’.

The tag spread across Gloucestershire. Within 24 hours it had reached New York and was indexing on Google, and within 48 hours local PR people were using it. Other ‘biz’ tags were created for other areas across the UK, and the whole idea of a ‘biz’ tag took on a life of its own.

GlosBiz now reaches over 1.3million unique users every week, and is the leading local business tag in the region. The GlosBiz® entity connects over 9,000 businesses in the county, and reaches over 20,000 Gloucestershire business people.

New businesses launch to support … new businesses

With more than 13 years running a successful bookkeeping business, Kim Aiken of Pink Lime Business Services is no stranger to running a tight ship.

Having worked with small business owners, sole traders and charities for more than a decade, she understands the finances of businesses and the needs of business owners. “It comes down to trust; knowing that a task or set of tasks will be completed accurately and efficiently, and for a fixed, monthly fee,” she says. “Cash flow can make or break a small

On track for success with lawyers’ support

Harrison Clark Rickerbys Partner Alison Scott has helped the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR). complete a successful share offer to raise funds to extend the line from Laverton in Gloucestershire to Broadway in Worcestershire. The railway raised £1.33 million, £80,000 more than their £1.25 million target.

“GWSR is set up as a plc, so they are subject to much greater scrutiny and are under greater obligations than other companies,” Alison said, “and that includes ensuring that absolutely everything included in the share prospectus can be proved to exist as described. I had to walk the line with Chris Bristow, checking that the track, the cuttings and embankments and even the points were as we had said they were.”

The money will help pay for work needed on the Broadway embankment, but although that will cost more than originally estimated, GWSR is confident that its target opening date for the extension of the end of March next year will be met.

This was the second share offer that Alison and her team have handled for the GWSR, to support their volunteer-led work.

The new extension will take the line to Broadway for the first time since 1960, and will include a restored station at Broadway and considerable earthworks along the line of the track.

business, so being able to nail down costs in advance is a real benefit, and something that all of Pink Lime’s clients appreciate.”

Whistance Hillman Creative is also working to help small businesses. A new creative marketing company based in Malmesbury, it has been launched by Natalie Whistance to specialise in small business growth by providing expertise in strategy, branding, social media, copywriting, design and photography

www.pinklimebiz.co.uk

www.whistancehillmancreative.co.uk

The railway, which has more than 100,000 visitors a year, is staffed almost entirely by more than 900 volunteers.

Alison Scott with Chris Bristow at Toddington

Glos Biz networking

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BUSINESS

Having

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Gaudio celebrates success at Awards’ Awards

Tewkesbury-based awards design and manufacturing company Gaudio received its own accolade recently at the inaugural Awards’ Awards, in London.

The event is the first to recognise the best awards initiatives and ceremonies.

Gaudio was nominated in the category of ‘Best Awards Supplier’

Managing Director Adam Hutchinson said: “We were honoured to receive the bronze award alongside Cheerful Twentyfirst and Hawthorn, which took gold and silver respectively.”

Cheerful Twentyfirst is a leading supplier of live events services, while Hawthorn is a technical event production company.

“To be selected alongside such prestigious suppliers to the awards and events industry is a real endorsement from our peers of the effort we put in every day to provide high-quality, beautifully-finished bespoke awards,” said Adam.

Adam is most proud of creating some of Formula 1’s trophies, but his team’s favourite is the famous BBC MasterChef trophy, which Gaudio also designed.

large

Cotswold business technology company, PSU Technology Group (PSU), has unveiled striking new display signs to the outside of its Cheltenham HQ, printed and installed by neighbours, The Bigger Printing Company.

The new designs, easily spotted by traffic on the Tewkesbury Road, showcase PSU’s expertise and capability for supporting IT Managed Services & Mitel Phone Systems, as well as the next wave of technology advancements in areas such as mobile services and IoT (Internet of Things). They are the latest in a long line of initiatives for the technology firm, which celebrated its 30th birthday last year.

British close protection now available in France Simplicity smashes £100 million mark

Stonehouse-based Intelligent Protection International Limited, which provides close protection bodyguards and executive protection, has been granted Conseil National des Activités Privées de Sécurité (CNAPS) status, as a company in France. CEO, Alex Bomberg, said: “This has enabled us to be the only British company licensed for close protection activities in France. We can now carry out the next stage of our project to recruit French former military and police and expand into other French-speaking countries.”

Group Managing Director of Intelligent Protection International, George Foster, added: “This puts us in a very different category from the rest of sector’s competition and underpins our international status to legally provide close protection services in France.”

Recruitment finance and back office provider Simplicity has hit £100 million in turnover.

Managing Director, David Thornhill said: “Everyone has worked so hard this year to get the company through the £100 million finish line. This year we will hopefully see sales grow further, especially once we launch our innovative on-line recruitment work flow solution in the summer.”

From its base in Mitcheldean, Simplicity works with clients across the UK, but is proud to be part of the Gloucestershire community: The company sponsors Gloucester Rugby and provides ongoing support to Milestone School, Gloucester.

The Forest of Dean-based company provides recruitment businesses with the funding and back office solutions to achieve their growth aspirations.

Earlier this year Simplicity launched a sister company: Partner Together which provides a a fixed price alternative to companies doing their own credit control.

Tech firm goes

Lewis Hamilton with the Gaudio F1 award

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Left to Right: Jonathan Viney of Partner Together, Matt Scott of Gloucester Rugby with David Thornhill, Simplicity

Business & Innovation Magazine launch at Cheltenham Racecourse

Gloucestershire businesses joined us in the panoramic suite at Cheltenham Racecource to celebrate the launch of Business & Innovation Magazine and hear from Nicky Godding and Kirsty Muir on how the magazine plans to support and showcase the business community across the region. The evening was supported by Steppes Travel, Hillside Brewery and Three Choirs Vineyard.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Nadia Shahanaz Hussain, Rob Gardiner and Bridget Cohen from Steppes Travel

Rob Lister from Lister Communications and Chris Isaac from Isaac Partnership

John Workman from BPE and Di Pitts from Handelsbanken Cirencester

Steve Barton, Aynsley Damery, Sophia Maynell & Euan Forbes from Tayabali Tomlin

Kirsty Muir, Business & Innovation Magazine with Lee Moulson from Cheltenham Racecourse

Nicky Godding of Business & Innovation Magazine with Greg Roberts, Carly Hill and Byron Price of L3 TRL Technology

Andrew Edwards from Batten & Allen and Gary Smith from Optimising IT

Tim Gofton from BPE with Nick Bracy of BroBuild

Three Choirs Vineyard wine partners at the event

Pinnacle beer made by Hillside Brewery for Business & Innovation Magazine

David Pealing from Severnprint with Karl Goodwin of Creed Foodservice and Ian Smith of Severnprint

Mark Powles and Rachel Palmer from RRA Architects with Kirsty Muir, Business & Innovation Magazine.

Robert Cutler from Cheltenham Racecourse with Simon Tothill of Robert Hitchins and Gemma Brindley of Crowe Clark Whitehill

Liz Saunders and Julian Archard from Tanners

Adrian Malpass of Building Better Business with Andy Jordan, Severnprint and Alfred Bryant and Richard Carter from NFU Mutual

James Jeffrey, Advanced Insulation with David Clift of Hazlewoods and Andrew Bennion of Advanced Insulation

John Phillips from JMP Insurance Group, Karen Organ, Cheltenham & Gloucester Hospitals Charity, Laura Nason of Cheltenham Racecourse and Michaela Cozens of GEL

Darren Stevens of Prestbury Marketing with Charlie Sharples of Gloucester Rugby, Julie Kent, Pied Piper and Jonathan Viney from Simplicity

Simon McKeag and Bruce Fenley of ASH Chartered Surveyors

Mark Price from Vitruvius with Debra Drew of Fabric Architecture and Stewart Barnes of QuoLux

Oli Christie, Rock the Cotswolds and Ian Mean of Business West and Nick Christie of Jump 7

THE GLOBAL BRAND GYMSHARK TALKING ABOUT everyone’s

Gymshark is the UK’s most ambitious new gym wear brand and it’s taking the industry by storm.

By Nicky Godding

Fasten your seatbelt. This is retail for the 21st century. You won’t find Gymshark on the high street, unless someone’s wearing it. You won’t find it on soulless edge-of-town retail parks either. The only place you can buy Gymshark now is online. This brand sells direct to the consumer, with a shop window on social media: Lots and lots on social media.

Gymshark is the UK’s fastest growing brand and it’s based at Redditch in Worcestershire. Launched five years’ ago by Ben Francis, just 19 at the time, it’s now generating annual sales of over £13 million with projected sales of £40 million this year - and £80 million the year after. Crazy? I know.

It’s an incredible story. In 2012 fitness fanatic Ben started making and selling gymwear with his university friends. They felt there was no sportswear which reflected their personalities, so they did it themselves, spending hours on a sewing machine and screen printer. And boy did they hit a rich seam of demand.

As a teenager, Ben had built websites (his first fully functioning website sold license plates), then he moved on to computer development, creating fitness apps. So Gymshark’s website was born. Sending their products to YouTube fitness stars they admired, they quickly learned the benefits of online influencer marketing, which remains the company’s fundamental marketing strategy today.

In three years’ Gymshark was achieving a turnover of £4 million, but success was catching up with them and there were issues with product and on time delivery. As CEO Steve Hewitt, who joined the business in 2015, explains: “99.9% of people of their age and experience would have failed, but Ben was determined. He also understands his consumer inside out. He is that consumer and lives the brand, but at that age you don’t know what you don’t know. I came into the business to add structure and experience.”

Steve asked Ben: Do you want to be a lifestyle brand in Bromsgrove, or do you want to become a global player? “Ben said he wanted to impact and inspire as many people as possible, so that’s what we’re going out of our way to do.”

Athleisure: the fastest growing retail trend in the world

Gymshark’s roots are in the gym, but it’s now developed into athleisure, or activewear, probably the fastest growing retail trend in the world. The company’s target market is those aged between 18-25, whose lives revolve around fitness, fashion and music.

“Our overarching focus, full stop, is to understand the 18-25 age group in our sector better than any brand in the world,” says Steve. “The way we do that is by being content-led.” For the Millennial generation, it’s all about the experience and emotion.

“Price matters but more importantly it’s about being part of something. Our followers are very loyal, but they can also be very fickle. If we can’t be bothered, or seem to be taking our success and customers for granted. They’ll be quick to call us out.”

It’s easy to do that on social media. Gymshark knows its room for error is very small, but Steve’s view is that if you look after the brand and its community, the numbers look after themselves – if you have commercial common sense.

Gymshark also pulls in 14 year olds, its customers of the future. “They are our Young Sharks, our next point of entry,” says Steve. And of course, there are the 35-44 year olds fitness enthusiasts.

90% of the brand’s consumer interaction comes through Instagram. As I’m writing this, Gymshark has 1.4 million Instagram followers and a total of 3.6 million across all social platforms. They have a great customer care team who are fast to respond to any enquiries.

Gymshark

QUICK FACTS

Gymshark is a fitness apparel and accessories brand, manufacturer and on line retailer. It is currently the fastest growing retail brand in the UK, supported by over three million highly engaged social media followers and customers in 131 countries.

Established:

Head office:

2012 Redditch 105

(projected £40 million in 2017)

A brand for Millennials

Gymshark

Gymshark is a Millennials business.

“We say that our legacy is not our bank balance. We want to make a difference in people’s lives,” says Steve. This might sound trite, a bit bleeding heart – but he means it.

Ben says he would rather know he’s affected people’s lives positively rather than having £1 million in the bank or a Lamborghini.

Steve adds: “Ben’s really humble. He could go on any holiday or drive any car he wants. But as a Board we have gone out of our way to ensure he stays real. And he’s up for that.”

Gymshark sees itself as aspirational and affordable.

The high-quality photography, the videography filmed across the globe and the carefully-chosen brand ambassadors deliver the first, the second is delivered by its ‘direct to consumer’ model, cutting away retail outlets which need their own margins. Manufacturing is done in the Far East but the company is hoping to move some to Turkey and Portugal. It would love to have some manufacturing in the UK if it can find the right sourcing partner and is putting significant money into research and development (“Art plus science equals wonder”, says Steve).

Visionary ambition

Gymshark

Steve is fizzing with ambition: “We have one chance. We want to make awesome product. We want to have owned IP.

“We are visionary in building a cult community, we want to be visionary in other areas too: wearable tech is on our radar. We want to get closer to our consumer.”

The vision also involves physical retail, but on Gymshark’s terms. “We want to take the brand to key cities across the globe.

“We did Mercer St, Manhattan, New York, just up from Lululemon and Nike Lab. Two hours before we opened a pop up store, there was a queue four blocks long. London is next.”

If the global opportunity for Gymshark is 10/10, Steve says the brand is currently at 2/10.

There is phenomenal growth potential, but Steve, Ben and their fellow directors are adamant the business mustn’t be complacent.

“When we launched our flex leggings this year we sold out of a large quantity with a proposed four week cover in 11 minutes.

“We had teams high fiving but we said, let’s look at categories that are not growing as fast and put as much focus into those.”

Steve Hewitt grew up in the North East of England. Following a degree in sports business at Manchester he headed stateside to work, ending up running the commercial side of Adidas’ Reebok brand (softening his Geordie accent so they could understand him).

He headed up Reebok’s commercial interests in Europe. “Big numbers, a lot of travel, a lot of pressure. I left for one reason only, my wife and I had a little daughter and I was doing around 300,000 air miles a year. It was a work/ family lifestyle decision. I wanted to see my kids as they grew up.”

He was head-hunted to run Hartlebury-based Tiger Turf, which makes artificial grass for sporting and other markets. When he arrived, it was turning over £3 million a year. He helped take it to £25 million turnover in three years, after which it got sold to a Dutch consortium.

He met Gymshark when he was doing consultancy work with SMEs in the area, and the rest is history in the making.

Steve Hewitt with Gymshark founder Ben Francis

Australia and Canada are growing markets - Gymshark is switching on its Australian online store in July. A French online store opens in October, followed by Russia, India, Japan and South America.

Women’s apparel represented 9% of the business two years ago, this has now risen to 65%. “We have to stay relevant,” says Steve. “Being relevant to an 18-25 year old in a few years will be different from what it is now. It’s not going to be easy, but we’re up for the challenge.”

There is no exit plan. “None whatsoever. Our view is keep on doing what we’re doing and keep it fun.”

£13 million in 2016

At 60% of sales, the United States is Gymshark’s biggest market. The UK comes in second at 25%, followed by the EU at 15%.

From QinetiQ

Worcestershire’s growing workforce skills is just one of the key factors enabling local businesses to innovate…

Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s 2017 report shows that Worcestershire has once again achieved the strongest growth nationally in higher level workforce skills, between 2010-15. The county has talent on its doorstep thanks to the combination of an existing local pool of talent, top performing schools and colleges as well as a number of nearby world class universities, 10 within an hour’s drive. In fact, there are 172,350 students that attend these ten universities, which includes one of the UK’s fastest growing universities, the University of Worcester.

High-value technology employment is particularly strong in the county with proportionately more employees in Worcestershire than in the West Midlands or England. Not only is Worcestershire’s workforce highly skilled, it is also incredibly productive. ONS figures show that the county achieved the highest growth in productivity in England, between 2010 and 2015. The quality of Worcestershire’s workforce is what makes the county stand out to investors, and with more than 911,000 people living in Worcester’s recruitment catchment area, there is a highly accessible talent pool available for businesses that are looking to grow.

The county also offers businesses high quality transport connectivity thanks to ease of motorway access via both M5 and M42 between the Midlands and the South West. Better road and rail connections mean faster access to more customers and easier commutes for workforces and Birmingham Airport,

which is on the county’s doorstep, offers flights to more than 100 international locations. Worcestershire also has a fantastic digital infrastructure with over 92% of business and residential premises in the county able to access high-speed fibre Broadband. Steve Borwell-Fox, Managing Director of local cyber security business Borwell, highlighted some of Worcestershire’s strengths:

growth potential that is available to them. With so many growing businesses already located in the county, Worcestershire boasts large commercial development ‘gamechanger’ sites that are the focus of investment and development activity for business expansion – these include the £90m Redditch Eastern Gateway; £120m Worcester Six and Growth Corridor; South Kidderminster Enterprise Park and Malvern Hills Science Park.

www.wlep.co.uk

Borwell

With excellent development and employment sites, as well as professional business support and expertise, Worcestershire companies have the opportunity to scale up their business and achieve their ambitions. Technation’s 2017 report found that cyber businesses’ second most valued advantage of working in Worcestershire is the fantastic sector

For more information on the support available to investors, contact the Invest in Worcestershire team enquiries@investinworcestershire.com or 01905 676658

The Invest in Worcestershire team has recently launched a Soft Landing Programme to promote exclusive offers to expanding and new investors within the county. This bespoke red-carpet service consists of discounted professional services from local Worcestershire based businesses, together with related grant funding support. The programme provides investors with discounted access to industry & market research, commercial property search, hosted site visits, links to academia, recruitment support, planning, regulatory services, supply chains and networks. Investors will also receive access to a portfolio of advisory services, discounted consultancy and financial review, discounted desk space and 1 year of free membership to the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.

With the support of the Invest in Worcestershire team and Worcestershire LEP the wide variety of services included in the Soft Landing Programme, will offer investors the perfect opportunity to grow the innovative businesses of the future, in Worcestershire.

www.investinworcestershire.com

to Gtech and GKN, Worcestershire is home to internationally-recognised innovative businesses that have chosen to locate their headquarters in the county.

“Worcestershire’s exceptional local skills base and ideal central location makes the area a world class location for expanding businesses. We have been able to start up and grow a highly successful cyber security company in Worcestershire, thanks to the county’s fantastic digital infrastructure and accessible business support.”

Steve Borwell-Fox

Strictly

Worcestershire raises £37,000 for cancer charities

Two county prostate cancer charities received a £37,000 boost from this year’s Strictly Worcestershire, which wowed a sell-out audience of 750 at the Chateau Impney, Droitwich.

The dance spectacular, hosted by TV and radio presenter Adrian Chiles, was won by Fiona Watson who works at Worcestershire County Cricket Club and Jon Bell of 3D Systems. Their samba and American smooth routines impressed the judging panel comprising Lord Digby Jones, broadcaster Bob Warman, dancer/choreographer Katie Love and choreographer Jennifer Bennett Price.

Sponsored by Droitwich-based creative experience agency DRP and A1 Recruitment Solutions in Worcester, the event was held in aid of the £1.6 million Rory the Robot Appeal and the Worcestershire Prostate Cancer Awareness Group.

Eight brave couples from the Worcestershire business community strutted their stuff in a bid to lift the glitterball trophy.

Audience vote winners Lauren Baker and Ryan Shemwell of Green Lighting

in Worcester, were named runners-up following a dance off, and Charlotte Page and George Pickard from Andrew Grant Country Homes completed the top three.

To open the show 2016 champions Ben Mannion, of Hewett Recruitment and his wife Geraldine Mannion of AMCO Services International reprised their winning tango.

Co-producer Julia Williams said: “Everyone associated with the event helped to create the most successful Strictly Worcestershire since its debut in 2014.”

Other contestants included Sarah Preece of Professional Call Minders in Worcester and Nick Griffiths who works for Worcestershire Council Council; Rachel

Open GI acquires TGSL Group

Worcester-based Open GI, a leading technology partner to general insurance brokers in the UK and Irish markets, has acquired Transactor Global Solutions Ltd (TGSL Group) valued at £40 million.

Established in 2003, TGSL offers an advanced policy administration and ratings platform. Open GI’s Group CEO, Chris Guillaume, said: “I am delighted that TGSL is joining our group. With the acquisition of Powerplace in 2013, and now TGSL we are demonstrating our strong commitment to expanding and

deepening our investment in technology, and supporting the evolving landscape of the general insurance market.”

TGSL Group’s CEO, Ray Vincent, added: “I am extremely proud to have built TGSL Group to the business it is today. I believe that the timing for this deal is right and Open GI represents the perfect longterm home for TGSL.”

Once the acquisition completes it will see employees at TGSL, across its UK offices and locations in Poland and Macedonia, become part of the Open GI Group.

and Paul Andrews who work for Lavender Beauty and AMCO Services International, respectively. Anita Gatehouse of Cre8 Wealth Management and lawyer Derek Simmons; Andy and Karen Haynes of PropertyHere, Kidderminster, and Tracy Lowe of Lowe’s Solicitor’s with Anthony Lowe, barrister.

Top Worcestershire firm going for awards treble

An award-winning firm of chartered financial planners is aiming for the treble at this year’s National Retirement Planner Awards. Worcester firm McCarthy Taylor has again been recognised for its excellence in providing financial advice to indivduals and companies.

McCarthy Taylor has been shortlisted in the ‘Best Individual Pension Advice (West Midlands)’ category and ‘Best Corporate Pensions Advice Firm’ nationally.

The company was named as winner at the awards in 2015 and 2016.

It’s been a successful first half of the year for McCarthy Taylor, with the opening of a new office in Cheltenham and an increase in clients from across the UK seeking advice and investment management services.

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Jennifer Bennett Price, Bob Warman, Adrian Chiles, Katie Love and Lord Digby Jones

Business & Innovation Magazine launch at Three Counties Showground

Worcestershire businesses joined us to celebrate the launch of Business & Innovation Magazine and hear from Nicky Godding, Editor on how the magazine plans to support and showcase the business community across Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and the West Midlands. Guests also heard from Dr Adrian Burden with an update on the Malvern Festival of Innovation and from Steve Borwell-Fox of Borwell on Cyber support available for Worcestershire businesses.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Laura Blyth of Worcestershire County Council and Stephen Wright from National Cyber Skills Centre.

Paul Pickford from Gtech with Nicky Godding, Business & Innovation Magazine

Kirsty Muir from Business & Innovation Magazine with Colin Robertson, of Metrasens Ltd and Jenny Rohde of Jones Newton

Bob Murdoch from Worcester Bosch Group with Chris and Teresa Green of Chris Green Media

Dr Adrian Burden of Malvern Festival of Innovation with John Workman from BPE and Matt Wistow from Talbots Law.

Chris Harris from Basepoint Business Centres with Stuart Bass of Andrew Grant Sales & Lettings and Richard Williams of Co-Working Locations

Shahla Syed of Whatley Weston & Fox, Kirsty Muir of Business & Innovation Magazine, Sophie Howard of Crowthers Chartered Accountants, and Clare Regan, Whatley Weston & Fox.

Professor Colin O’Halloran of D-RisQ, Suzanne Hall-Gibbins, Circle 2 Success, John Workman of BPE Solicitors and Nick Tudor from D-RisQ

Chris Plank from Gtech with Chris O’Donnell of Malvern Hills District Council, Tony O’Donnell of The Smart Actuator Company and Steve Borwell-Fox from Borwell

Jason Lane from McCarthy & Taylor with Rachel Kent of Three Counties Showground

Family-run ice cream company planning to expand after receiving £11K grant

A family-run ice cream company based in Worcestershire has secured a £11,660 grant that will allow it to quadruple production and take on two new workers.

Spot Loggins was founded in 2004 and produces luxury ice cream using organic milk from the 800-acre Bretforton House Farm.

It is the latest recipient of a grant from the Worcestershire Leader Programme. Leader is part of the Rural Development Programme for England and is delivered locally by Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Local Action Group on behalf of Defra.

Spot Loggins can now buy a new ice cream machine, an aging vat to store the mix before production, and a large storage container freezer.

The farm in the village of Bretforton in the Vale of Evesham has been run by the Appleby family for nearly 60 years.

All the ice cream is made from the farm’s milk and the flavourings are natural and sourced locally as far as possible.

They produce a range of 16 flavours throughout the year in three different

Select Research launches revolutionary new health app in America

sizes. Customers include The National Trust, English Heritage, farm shops, local supermarkets, theatres, restaurants and pubs.

Phoebe Appleby from Spot Loggins said: “This funding also enables us to create at least two new full times jobs.

“We will be able to reduce our overheads which will free up more money to invest in growing the business. We will also have more time available to approach more customers to increase turnover.”

Jill Hall, Chair of the Local Action Group, added: “Leader is all about helping the county’s rural small businesses to grow. “Many business owners have great ideas and the commitment to take their business to the next stage but lack the financial resources to make their plans and dreams a reality.”

The project has received funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development under the Rural Development Programme for England. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the Managing Authority for the Rural Development Programme for England.

Bromsgrove District Housing Trust ‘best place to work’

Bromsgrove District Housing Trust topped a national list of the UK’s Best Workplaces, after being ranked first in the category for companies with 50-499 employees, by management consultancy Great Place to Work.

This is the second year the Trust has entered the annual Best Workplaces, which recognises high trust and high engagement workplace cultures.

The Trust came 7th in 2016.

Mike Brown, Chief Executive of Bromsgrove District Housing Trust said: “I am delighted and humbled by this recognition. We take pride in our culture, and place huge value on employee happiness, welfare and general wellbeing.

To be ranked first in our category is a real honour, particularly as employee feedback is a significant part of the judging.”

Select Research has launched a newlydeveloped Body Volume Indicator (BVI)™ application in America (see our 60 Top Innovations feature).

The Malvern Hills Science Parkbased business revealed its Body Volume Indicator tablet application as a modern day measurement of body composition and weight distribution, following a 10-year collaboration with Mayo Clinic experts and support from the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The product draws on 10 years of rigorous research. Now BVI, calculated as a ratio between total volume and abdominal volume, can be used as a supplement to the current measurement standard of BMI, which is based solely on height and weight. BVI is considered a more precise means of estimating weight distribution and the fat around the organs, which is not visible to the human eye.

The medical and professional community is now being invited to contribute to the continued development of BVI by downloading and using the application with their patients and clients.

Richard Barnes, CEO of Select Research, said: “The idea for BVI was born out of the realisation that using external measurements was just one piece of the puzzle and rather than just accepting this as the standard, we needed to measure internal factors as well.”

Gary Woodman, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, added:

“It is fantastic to see that Select Research has been able to launch such a revolutionary innovation in the health industry, one which has the potential to be used around the world.”

The BVI Pro app is now available to download on iPads via the App Store.

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Regional Round Up

Phoebe Appleby and David Ambridge, Spot Loggins

Bruton Knowles celebrates launch of new Worcester office

The team at Bruton Knowles hosted guests at Worcestershire County Cricket Club to celebrate the launch of their new Worcester office. As well as enjoying networking and drinks in the sun, guests heard Bruton Knowles plans for the new Worcester office and how they will be supporting the wider business community across Worcestershire.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Angharad Llewellyn from Royal Agricultural University with Bill Simms of Bruton Knowles, Denise Llewellyn of HSBC and Matthew Peters of Bruton Knowles

Kirsten Bridgewater and Helen Gough from mfg solicitors

Maqadas Ali and Wayne Thomas from Thomas Guise with Rob Sherrey from Sherrey & Associates

Adam Rock from Bruton Knowles with Ben Mannion of Hewett Recruitment, Kathy Leather of KL Consulting and Steve Lloyd from Crown Enterprises

Andrew Hall from Crowd Property with Harry Breakwell of Bruton Knowles

Patrick Downes and Ian Pitt of Bruton Knowles with Keith Blizzard of Harrison Clark Rickerbys

Patrick Downes and Lance Turner from Bruton Knowles with James Geary Randall & Payne

May Dudley of Bruton Knowles with Caroline Irvine from Shakespeare Martineau and Nicole Hudyba of Bruton Knowles

Debbie Ward of Clugston Construction with Isla Buchanan of ESP Enigma and Christine Sims from 3Sixty Advisory

James Syree of Ballard Dale Syree Watson and Gary Rouse from BDO

Laura Bligh from Headturner Search with Jim Stevenson of Jelf Group, Sam Turner of Headturner Search and Tony Gibb of Thursfields Solicitors

Stagecoach moves into £multi-million bus depot

Stagecoach Midlands has moved to a brand new multi-million pound bus depot at Trident Park, Warwick.

The new £5million facility was built by Deeley Construction, as a result of partnership working between Warwickshire District Council, AC Lloyd, Waterloo Housing and Stagecoach Midlands. The new site will accommodate 88 buses, 140 drivers plus 30 engineering and admin staff.

Over three million miles will be covered annually by buses operating from the depot. Services will cover cities, towns and villages from Evesham and Redditch, to Banbury, Chipping Norton and Coventry.

Stagecoach Midlands Managing Director, Steve Burd said: “The new facility has been built to high environmental standards and provides improved engineering facilities.”

Philip Clarke, Project Manager at Warwick District Council said: “We have worked closely with Stagecoach and its partners over several years to relocate the depot. This has allowed the area around Leamington station to be regenerated.”

Telecoms company Optilan secures secondary MBO

Coventry-based telecoms and security systems company Optilan has undergone a secondary management buy-out by Blue Water Energy, following the exit of NVM Private Equity. NVM first supported Optilan in a £18 million management buy-out in 2008. Since then, under NVM’s ownership, Optilan has developed its technical capability and international footprint, opening operations in the Middle East, Azerbaijan, India and Turkey. Optilan’s expertise in integrated telecoms and security systems has allowed expansion in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

City Electrical Factors light up City of Culture bid

The UK’s largest electrical wholesaler and supplier has opened its latest branch in its home city.

City Electrical Factors, founded in 1951, now has more than 400 branches across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Australia and the US.

It has just located its latest outlet in Lythalls Lane in Coventry, and is celebrating by sponsoring Coventry’s City of Culture Bid.

The firm, which has headquarters at

Kenilworth and employs more than 6,000 staff, has become a Bid Development sponsor.

To mark the new branch, and the bid backing, Laura McMillan, manager of the Coventry City of Culture Trust was invited to perform the opening honours. City of Culture is a competition run by the Department of Culture Media and Sport every four years. Previous winners are Derry/Londonderry in 2013 and Hull who have their year in 2017.

XLR Executive Jet Centres acquires corporate jet centre

XLR, part of the Stratford-based Rigby Group, is expanding its operations following the acquisition of the Marshall’s 24/7 corporate aviation facilities at Birmingham Airport.

The executive aviation specialist is now poised for significant growth as it prepares to engage with a range of new markets and opportunities from one of the UK’s busiest executive flight destinations.

The deal places the company at the heart of a round-the-clock operation with multiple connecting customer flights linking New York, Delhi, UAE and Qatar.

XLR is part of Rigby Group’s aviation

division, which already runs two successful executive jet centres at Coventry and Exeter. Earlier this year it revealed its intention to expand operations across the UK.

Rigby Group founder and Chairman Sir Peter Rigby said: “The establishment of a new XLR Jet Centre at Birmingham Airport marks a huge step forward in our plans for the company, placing its operations at the heart of one of the UK’s busiest and most accessible airports. It opens up significant opportunities in domestic executive travel, as well as servicing the growing market across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.”

Regional Round Up

Regional Round Up

Regional Round Up

Regional Round Up

Neil Long, CEF; Laura McMillan, Coventry City of Culture Trust, Tim Hartlett, Russell Sinnett of CEF

Business & Innovation Magazine

Oxfordshire launch at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Oxfordshire business leaders joined us to celebrate the launch of Business & Innovation Magazine at our networking drinks event held at the stunning Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. On a warm sunny evening guests enjoyed drinks in the sunshine within the walled garden of the hotel’s private hospitality suite, La Belle Époque, as well as hearing from Nicky Godding and Kirsty Muir on the magazines plans to support the Oxfordshire business community.

Sue Staunton from James Cowper Kreston with Simon Bassett of Royds Withy King

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Chris Walkingshaw from Prodrive and John Wilkinson from HSBC

Bradley Smith and Clayton Sullivan-Webb from Grundon with Stewart Benger CQR Ltd

Nicky Godding, Business & Innovation Magazine with Craig Wilson from Williams F1

The Hummingbird worlds lightest weight bike manufactured at ProDrive in Banbury

Frank Nigriello from Unipart with Timon Colegrove of Hunts and Neill Brodey from Norbar Torque Tools

Steve Wilkinson from Tibbetts Group with Peter O’Connell and Sarah Gardener from Shaw Gibbs

Denise Blackwell from NatWest with Robert Pinheiro from Royds Withy King and Fiona Smart from Harwell Campus

Business & Innovation Magazine launch beer by Hillside Brewery

Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Lorna d’Arch Smith from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons with Andrew Fraser Greenwood of Scott Fraser

Sam Jones from BGI UK Commercial and Peter Craciun from Prodrive’s, Hummingbird Bikes

Paul Mabbutt from Jennings and Mark Meeson from Bidwells

Sophie McWilliams from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and David Sershall from Beard Construction

Jan-Paul Kroese, General Manager at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, welcoming guests

Paul Holloway of Holloway Construction with Victoria Edmunds from Data Plastics and Gaenor Howells of Oxis Energy

Kirsty Muir, Business & Innovation Magazine with Angela Hobbs from Triteq

Andrew Hammond from Oxford Products with Steve Wilkinson of Tibbetts Group and Paul Lowe of Oxfordshire Business Awards

Simon Bassett from Royds Withy King with Lorna Watson of Shaw Gibbs and Philip Bond from Handelsbanken Oxford Parkway

Simon Gray from Oxford University Innovation and Hugh Reid from Stackhouse Poland

Edward Collett of Abingdon & Witney College with Jane Ward Cherwell Business Awards and Paul Lowe Oxfordshire Business Awards

Oxfordshire launches green paper on innovation

Leaders from across Oxfordshire have set out a vision for the future prosperity of the region.

A green paper which looks ahead 20 years and questions how the county can build on its status as one of the UK and Europe’s leading engines of innovation has been launched. It explores the contribution the region makes to the UK, and offers a vision of life in the county in 2035. The document also addresses some of the challenges to this vision that can be addressed by key organisations working together, as well as outlining how other interested parties can have their say.

Signatories to the document, including leading figures from local government, education, health, science, enterprise and innovation, hope the paper will stimulate discussion about the future of the region.

Professor Ian Walmsley, Pro-ViceChancellor (Research and Innovation) at Oxford University, said: “Economic development and quality of life are key aspirations for the county in the next 10 to 20 years.”

Oxford best place to start a business

Oxford has been crowned the best place for budding entrepreneurs to start a business in the UK. The .UK Domain’s national analysis of demand for local services versus supply reveals the cities where consumer demand, from grocery stores to hairdressers, is not being met.

The analysis covers 59 of the UK’s biggest cities and identifies where the opportunities are for new business owners to harness online interest in their trade.

While Oxford tops the list, untapped potential exists all over the country. For example, The .UK Domain reveals Cambridge residents are crying out for more cafés, but in Aberdeen locals are desperate to lift dumbbells with personal trainers.

“There is a lot of focus on infrastructure and that is a key enabler. There are also a wide variety of businesses across the region, from the Thames Valley to Banbury and a key issue is how to work together properly to make innovative change happen.”

The green paper was prepared following a series of scenario planning sessions where external advisers such as former MP David Willetts and businessman Lord Paul Drayson contributed.

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Innovation has been at the heart of Oxfordshire’s business success and we recognise the value it plays in developing business growth across sectors from

Begbroke Science Park, which supports innovation, is owned and managed by Oxford University

social enterprise and the environment to advanced engineering and life sciences. The Oxfordshire Green Paper sets the context for the development of an Oxfordshire Innovation Strategy to help shape our future economic growth.”

Professor Ian Walmsley added: “I am very positive about Oxfordshire’s future growth. It is not without its challenges but there is an impetus to solve them. There is a great appetite for starting companies and being involved in things that change the world.

“The UK’s ability to continue to generate ideas that will change the world relies on people. As a nation, we need to welcome people who can contribute to that, from Europe and across the world.”

Seacourt wins top European sustainability award

Regional Round Up

Oxford-based printing company Seacourt has received the EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Standard Award) 2017, the highest possible accolade for an environmentally responsible business.

Seacourt, which also has three Queen’s Awards for transformative, environmentally responsible innovation, was one of three firms selected by EMAS from over 4,000 registered companies across 11 countries. The judges also recognised Seacourt for its innovative printing technology, a nonpolluting process which eliminates the use of chemicals.

Gareth Dinnage, Seacourt’s Managing Director, said: “Any firm that is serious about its environmental impact knows that EMAS is the ‘Gold Standard.’

“We are incredibly proud to receive such recognition: for 17 years we have met the high standards necessary to achieve EMAS accreditation, and in doing so we have transformed Seacourt from a resource-intensive, polluting printer to one that has zero impact on the environment.”

He added: “The circular economy is the future for sustainable business and we will continue to innovate to maintain our lead in environmental excellence.”

Founded in Oxford in 1946, in 1999 Seacourt world’s adopted waterless, nonpolluting printing, and in 2009 became the world’s first zero-waste company: everything it prints either ends up as a finished printed product or is re-used, re-purposed or recycled.

Regional Round Up

A New, Very Large Challenger Bank is here…

With an investment of over £200 million building new UK Headquarters in Birmingham, an aim to be the Bank of Choice by 2020, and award-winning products and services, HSBC UK is set to make waves in the Corporate market as a very large challenger bank.

HSBC UK has a deep-rooted UK heritage going back to 1836. It also has a desire to grow market share, currently smaller than its partgovernment or formerly government owned competitors.

With such heritage, why do we call ourselves new? After the global economic crisis, the UK government introduced rules to protect the economy and taxpayers, in case something similar happens again. This means all clearing banks, including HSBC, are separating their retail and corporate/commercial banking divisions from their wholesale and investment operations, hence the birth of our new, but familiar bankHSBC UK.

This will occur well ahead of the January 2019 deadline and as the UK is a home, key strategic market to the HSBC Group, £19 billion of capital will be deployed to HSBC UK for growth, and it will continue to make corporate banking simple, safe and sustainable.

HSBC’s Corporate and Business Banking Teams have seen their balance sheets grow hugely as we continue to acquire business and fund growing existing customers. New customers are attracted by our excellent credit standing, award winning services and products, and best-in-class Relationship Directors.

Notable local corporate transactions include a £67 million bilateral facility to support the high acquisition-led growth of an animal healthcare operator, numerous renewable energy project financing, bespoke support to one of the country’s most innovative games

developers, and funding to the education sector.

As a relationship bank, we aim to make it simple for customers and provide appropriate facilities to support business aspirations for the long term. This winning formula seems to be working as locally we are recognised as “Bank of the Year” in the 2017 Thames Valley Deal Awards.

Within the Oxford Office we are mandated to look after businesses which generate up to £350m of turnover, so there is a wide variety of customer needs to service. Our team of highly experienced Relationship Directors is second to none and we’ve welcomed a couple of new Relationship Directors to the team too: Hayley Dicks joined the Corporate Team in September 2016 and James Bennett joined the Business Banking Team last month.

Over the last year or so businesses have had to operate within very interesting times, not least caused by the effect of 2016’s referendum, the US elections, and more recently UK elections. Relationship Directors are expected to discuss how customers will navigate through this and how they can utilise innovation and investment to achieve their aspirations. In our experience, despite uncertain times, business owners appear pragmatic about the UK’s prospects and growth is on the agenda, with many developing new product, expanding their UK customer bases, or reaching out to new markets overseas.

We listen and learnt from our customers through hosting a number of events for our Oxford Corporate community. In April (just after Article 50 was signed) we held an economic breakfast seminar at Harwell Campus and a lunch at the De Vere Oxford Thames involving our UK Head of Economics Mark Berrisford-Smith. These were well attended by many local businesses and created thought-provoking dialogue. We’ve recently completed our annual coorganised Economic Question Time at the Said Business School and are looking forward to planning more events soon.

Lastly, we wish Nicky and Kirsty every success with their new business venture and look forward to working with them going forward.

If you wish to engage with an innovative very large, new challenger bank now please don’t hesitate to contact us.

John Wilkinson, Corporate Banking

E: johnwilkinson@hsbc.com

M: 07795 013513

Ian Nash, Business Banking

E: ian.a.nash@hsbc.com

M: 07468 703372

John Wilkinson, Deputy Area Director, Corporate Banking, Thames Valley

Commander Tim Peake “joins”

the latest Oxford Cyber Security Cluster meeting at Harwell

The latest Oxford Cyber Security Cluster event looking at how SMEs across Oxfordshire approach cyber security was hosted in the ESA (European Space Agency) building at Harwell Campus. Welcomed by Alan Brunstrom of ESA, Oxfordshire business leaders then heard from guest speakers including, Nicola Blackwood, former MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, Detective Sergeant Sally Russell from Thames Valley Police, Sue Staunton of James Cowper Kreston, Neil Britten from Vistage and Stewart Benger from CQR on behalf of the Cluster who examined the challenges for SMEs in making sure that cyber security is and remains firmly on the board agenda.

For more information on the Oxfordshire Cyber Cluster visit www.oxcyber.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Neil Britten of Vistage with Paulette Elliot of Huduma Ltd

Vince Warrington from Protective Intelligence with Angus Horner of Harwell Campus

George Kay from Matthew Comfort with Nick King, Vale 4 Business, Sue Staunton, James Cowper Kreston and Antonia Jenkinson from Satellite Applications Catapult

ESA - European Space Agency Headquarters at Harwell

Julie Smith of Historic Futures with Sam Jones and Nick Elwell of BGI UK

George Balmer from Satellite Applications Catapult, Mike Wilmot Dear, Whitehelm Network Security, Sally Russell of Thames Valley Police and Robin Kennedy Knowledge Transfer Network

Neil Britten, Vistage, Sue Staunton, James Cowper Kreston, Nicola Blackwood, former MP for Oxford West & Abingdon, Detective Sergeant Sally Russell, Thames Valley Police, Stewart Benger, CQR & Oxfordshire Cyber Cluster and Alan Brunstrom of ESA

Oxfordshire awards season in full swing

Triple success for Huffkins at West Oxfordshire Business Awards

Regional Round Up

Family-owned bakery and tea rooms, Huffkins, scooped three awards at West Oxfordshire Business Awards (WOBAs) picking up the West Oxfordshire Business of the Year Award, the Leisure & Tourism Award and Employer of the Year Award.

The independent bakery has achieved a far greater reach than its five Cotswold based tea-rooms would suggest, with over 14,000 cream teas exported to Japan, and selling a range of baked goods in Royal Heritage Palaces and Fortnum & Mason.

Huffkins’ online sales have also increased by 200% and further growth markets have been identified in the US and Europe, where there is a strong demand for quintessentially Cotswold and British cakes.

Lorna Bennett-Murdoch, Baking Manager at Huffkins, said: “Topsy Taee, who owns the business, has been an inspiration to all

the Huffkins team and we feel to proud to accept these awards on her behalf. We don’t do too badly for what started out as a little tea room in the Cotswolds.”

Other WOBA winners included: The Curiosity Box – winner of the Innovation Award, a monthly science subscription service for a box containing fun experiments for children. The Rooflight Company won the Marketing Excellence Award for a new product launch campaign aimed at architects.

Tickittyboo, a children’s boutique based in Chipping Norton, won the Micro Business Award.

Vivian Woodell of The Phone Co-op was named Business Person of the Year. He said: “I’m delighted to accept the award on behalf of everyone who has worked to make The Phone Co-op a success.”

Oxford Metrics reports revenue rise of 17%

Regional Round Up

International softwear company Oxford Metrics has reported a 17% rise in Group revenue to £12.9 million, a record first half performance for the six months to March 2017. Yotta software revenue rose 15%. Yotta applies technology to advance infrastructure management.

Cherwell Awards celebrate business

Regional Round Up

The sixth Cherwell Business Awards celebrated the success and entrepreneurship of local business people. Savoir Fare, a Bicester-based café serving hand-baked breads and artisan coffee won two awards: New Business of the Year and Micro Business of the Year.

Bloxham-based Shared Beauty Secrets won Small Business of the Year, and Established Business of the Year went to family business John Nicholls Ltd. This company has a network of nine building materials, plumbing and heating branches throughout Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, employing approximately 100 people, with a turnover in excess of £26 million.

Roofing contractors Hawkins Group won Employer of the Year and Ethos Technology Ltd, a distributor specialising in the delivery of next generation technologies, won the Innovation and Creativity Award.

Business Person of the Year went to Chris Maynard of Castle Minibus who provides minibuses just for schools.

Vicon revenue was up 15% year on year. Vicon is a global leader in motion capture camera technology.

Nick Bolton, Chief Executive Officer said: “We have accelerated investment in our development teams and expanded our international sales channels.”

(W)BAs))

Winners of the 2017 WOBAS

Cherwell Award winners celebrate

Gigaclear

secures £111 million further investment

Abingdon-based Gigaclear has secured investment of £111 million to continue its rapid growth and build new full fibre broadband networks across rural Britain. This will enable a significant acceleration in the build rate of ultrafast Fibre-to-thePremises (FTTP) networks across multiple counties and will creation new jobs at its Abingdon headquarters. The funding has been raised from existing shareholders and one new institutional investor.

In recent months, Gigaclear has won significant tenders to deliver its broadband network to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Northamptonshire through the Government-backed Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme. The new investment will fund the first stage of these new networks, along with other commercial network build projects.

Existing shareholders Infracapital and Woodford Investment Management have committed to investing £60 million and £15 million respectively with other shareholders contributing a further £1 million.

PMI RailPen, the Railways Pension Scheme is investing £35 million in the company.

Matthew Hare, Chief Executive at Gigaclear, said: “Full fibre is the future. This latest round of investment will enable Gigaclear to step up our speed of network delivery and signals the confidence investors have in our continued expansion and success.”

Paul Bishop, Investment Director at Railpen, said: “We see the partnership with Gigaclear as a natural fit that will allow us to generate strong returns over time and fulfil our mission to pay members’ pensions securely, affordably and sustainably.”

New Business Centre for Witney

A new business centre in Witney welcomed two occupiers within days of opening its doors.

Hexagon Business Centres has launched the serviced office suite at Elmfield, Woodgreen, a building owned by West Oxfordshire District Council. The 3,500 sq ft centre provides flexible accommodation offering room for firms to grow.

The first tenants to move in are Coaching Impact and Independent Opinion Research Network.

The new centre is in a three-storey Victorian house vacated by council staff

following efficiency savings, including shared services with other authorities.

The building now provide soffices suitable for just one person to larger suites for up to 20 people.

Tenants are offered simple monthly terms including superfast broadband and hosted communications. The centre will provide homes for up to 10 businesses supporting about 50 jobs and has free parking and an on-site café.

Michele Lodge, centre manager of Hexagon Business Centres, said: “This is our third business centre in Witney, which

TechPixies help more women into work

Award-winning social enterprise, TechPixies, has beaten its crowdfunding target to help more Oxfordshire mums return to work.

The TechPixies crowdfunding campaign raised £7,097 to provide training courses for women to learn new digital skills, thanks to a donation of £2,500 from FiDUS Power near Newbury, which took the campaign over its £5,000 target.

The business launched in 2015 after winning a support contract from the Government Equalities Office. Last year TechPixies founder, Joy Foster, was highly commended by Social Enterprise UK. This year TechPixies won a ‘Grow it’ award from UnLtd and is now scaling up to reach 100 women in the next 12 months.

illustrates the demand for such office space amongst West Oxfordshire’s thriving business community.”

Regional Round Up

Regional Round Up

Regional Round Up

Matthew Hare, CEO Gigaclear

Hexagon's Michele Lodge with Will Barton of West Oxfordshire District Council

Vanessa Eadington (FiDUS), Joy Foster (TechPixies) and Wendy Hart (Grant Thornton)

Supporting Businesses in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds

“Steve handles the pressure of our annual audit deadlines so we can focus on world-class engineering” Andy Clark. LTI Metaltech. Abingdon.

“Sarah helps us with our quarterly VAT returns so we can focus on our customers’ MOTs” Tracey Adams. KJs Garage. Witney.

“Lorna takes care of our corporate tax planning so we can focus on our clients’ building projects” Paul Dixon. Lawrence Baker. Eynsham.

We provide a wide range of accounting, financial and business services to individuals and their businesses

From concept to creation

Our students can create a prototype on the same day it was designed.

www.abingdon-witney.ac.uk

With our 3D printers we can create a prototype faster than ever. Together with our state-of-the-art engineering workshops, hi-tech computing suites and expert staff, we are helping to develop the skills of the future with the students of today.

• Apprenticeships - helping to recruit future talent or develop existing staff

• HNCs/HNDs - industry-led higher level vocational qualifications

• Foundation Degrees - gaining university level qualifications alongside work

To find out how Abingdon & Witney College can help your business, book your free consultation now on: 01235 216 216 or email: apprenticeships@abingdon-witney.ac.uk

Royalty opens Witney campus

A visit from HRH The Duke of Gloucester marked the official opening of Abingdon & Witney College’s Witney Campus.

His first stop was to the Construction Skills Centre where the Duke saw soldering and other techniques in action.

Rob Cotter, a 17-year-old student from Wantage studying Level 1 Plumbing, who won the Level 1 Plumbing Student of the Year award, said:

“I felt very privileged to meet the Duke. We showed him soldering and other

pipework skills and he seemed impressed by the Centre.”

The Duke also witnessed scientific experiments in the on-site laboratory, including DNA testing. He was filmed by Level 2 Media students and by the time he reached the media suite, the students had created a short film to show him.

Abingdon & Witney College Principal, Di Batchelor, said: “We were honoured to have his Royal Highness officially open this campus in the presence of people who helped design, fund, build and are creating a community around it.”

Oxfordshire looks beyond the General Election

On the eve of the 2017 General Election, 150 professionals packed into the Saïd Business School to hear a panel of Oxfordshire professionals quizzed by the audience on topics from what Brexit could mean to the UK economy to how Oxfordshire plans to support its SMEs. The annual event, hosted by Royds Withy King, Shaw Gibbs and HSBC, is now in its fourth year and Mark BerrisfordSmith, Head of Economics for HSBC UK Commercial Banking delivered his annual update. “The global economy is faring better than last year,” he said, but warned that investment spending here is flat thanks to concerns over Brexit.

While it’s likely business has benefitted from the falling pound, he said, it’s not clear of the true impact. Inflation is rising and he predicts that earnings will not go above inflation for a while. However: “The

Playing around with Oxford

Finalists in a global competition to create a more ‘connected and collaborative Oxford’ will be announced this month.

The Smart Oxford Playable City Commission challenged creative people from around the world to produce an idea that puts people and play at the heart of Oxford.

Smart Oxford will work with Playable City, an organisation supported by the British Council, to choose a project that will capture the imagination of those who live, visit and work in and around Oxford. Applicants from across the globe were invited to respond to the theme of the ‘shared city’. The winner will be awarded £30,000 to develop their idea.

economy will slow, but it’s not likely to fall off a cliff.” However, whatever the politicians say, markets want a soft Brexit, he added.

Nicola Blackwood, who was standing to retain her seat as MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, chaired the panel session, which included Jens Tholstrup, Managing Director, OION & Senior Adviser, Oxford Economics, Richard Venables, Director at VSL and Partners, Angus Horner, Director at Harwell and Matt Perkins, CEO, Oxford University Innovation.

Matt Perkins from Oxford University Innovation gave succinct advice on how Oxfordshire can support its small and medium-sized enterprises:

“We generate a huge number of SMEs. My advice would be make sure of your business’s purpose. Take advantage of any capital and funding available to you, which will help get you over the valley of death from the first research idea to something that investors are willing to put money into, and manage your cashflow carefully.”

Regional Round Up

Regional Round Up

HRH The Duke of Gloucester practices his plumbing skills

Regional Round Up

Oxfordshire business leaders turn out for annual Oxfordshire Economic Question Time

Oxfordshire business leaders put their questions to a panel of experts at the 2017 Oxfordshire Economic Question Time event with the keynote address led by highly-acclaimed economist and public speaker, Mark BerrisfordSmith Head of Economics at UK Commercial Banking, HSBC. Held at the Saïd Business School and hosted by Royds Withy King, Shaw Gibbs and HSBC Bank, the annual event chaired by Nicola Blackwood saw an exciting new business panel of local business chiefs this year, with Mark Berrisford Smith being joined by Jens Tholstrup, senior adviser at Oxford Economics, Richard Venables, director at VSL and Partners, Angus Horner, director at Harwell, and Matt Perkins, CEO at Oxford University Innovation.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Olivia Lane-Nott from Spacecraft Consulting with Vicky Thompson from Paul Basham Associates

Dr Roger Mould of HSBC, with Paul Robinson of Ability Matters, Ed Gibson of Shaw Gibbs and Tom Gilman from Royds Withy King

Darius Hodges of Bidwells LLP with Duncan Rogers from Harwell and Mark Meeson from Bidwells LLP

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire LEP taking part in the audience debate

Daniel Kitchen from St James’ Place with Chris Morris of NGI Finance, Peter O’Connell from Shaw Gibbs and Grey Bayes-Brown of Oxford University Innovation

Saïd Business School, Oxford

Nicola Blackwood former MP for Oxford West and Abingdon chair of Oxfordshire EQT

Lorna Watson from Shaw Gibbs, Martin Urquart of Brightborough Captial with David Cooper and Jan Losch, Savills

Question Time panel, Jens Tholstrup, senior adviser at Oxford Economics Mark Berrisford Smith, Head of Economics at HSBC UK Commercial Banking, Matt Perkins, CEO at Oxford University Innovation, Angus Horner, director at Harwell, and Richard Venables, director at VSL and Partners

Matt Perkins, CEO Oxford University Innovation

Tim Norris Jones of NJ Commercial with David Lane of Royds Withy King and Ned Wells from Zanzi Digg

Nicky Godding, Editor of Business & Innovation Magazine with a panel question

Alan Lamb from Promethean Particles with Bill Smith of STL Communications and David Bryon from First Light Fusion

Angus Horner, Director, Harwell Campus

Hayley Dicks, Dr Roger Mould, Tanja Sunajko-Melling, Zia Hemat, Urszula Gunn-Carter and Alexis Hardey from HSBC

Gary Hamilton from Shaw Gibbs with Tim Reid of Royds Withy King, Adrian Henderson of Oxford City Council and Rachel McCarthy of Royds Withy King

Angus Horner from Harwell with Robert Pinheiro from Royds Withy King and Jens Tholstrup from Oxford Economics

Richard Venables, Director, VSL and Partners Jens Tholstrup, managing director at OION and senior adviser at Oxford Economics

Simon Bassett from Royds Withy King with David Williams of Bidwells LLP and Nigel Tipple from Oxfordshire LEP

The Big Event Hosted by Tayabali Tomlin

Entrepreneurs and business leaders attended the Tayabali Tomlin business growth conference held at Cheltenham Racecourse. The event gave companies an insight on how to rise above the competition, grow and be more profitable. Speaker line-up included Daniel Priestley, successful entrepreneur and international speaker along with bestselling author, Nigel Botterill, founder of Entrepreneurs Circle, one of the most sought-after business growth experts in the UK, who gave thought-provoking and effective business learning tools and systems to help business owners grow and increase profits.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

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

Please contact

Ceri McQueen and Euan Forbes from Tayabali Tomlin

Josh Frape from Rugby Players Association and David Oliver of BCMS

Kirsty Muir from Business & Innovation Magazine with Adrian Cannon from Taylor & Fletcher

Richard Russell & Darren Putt from Motus Training

The Tayabali Tomlin Big Event at Cheltenham Racecourse

Aynsley Damery and Sophia Maynell from Tayabali Tomlin

Tom Farner and Michael Venn from Crugo

Tom Hayman-Joyce from Hayman Joyce with George Tatham-Losh of Move Sales & Lettings

Rob Bell and Gemma Heath from Lloyds Bank with Ian Heather of HRML and Matthew Harvey from Taylor & Fletcher

WORK LIVE TO

Summer is here. Abandon your ties, suits and sensible shoes. Now is the time to enjoy life. And boy do we need a little frivolity in our lives at the moment.

This month we start on the edge of Gloucester and end up in Alaska, via Twickenham.

Most of all we give you reasons to live life to the full.

The Hillside’s alive with the taste of craft beer

Work to Live

The future for the UK’s beer industry has never been rosier. There are more craft and family breweries across the country now than there have been for years.

And they’re giving our national brewing behemoths a run for their money.

So why should you choose local craft beer?

Simple, they’re always brewed with passion and a knowledge of what local communities like to drink.

Hillside Brewery, based at Longhope, between Ross on Wye and Gloucester is a perfect example. It was established in 2014 with a simple mission statement: to create a brewery that is part of the local community.

Founded by father and son combo Peter and Paul Williamson, it didn’t take long for the locals to try their brew out, and tell their friends. Someone told us too, so this magazine was delighted when they offered to brew us a special beer for our launch.

Hillside Brewery, at Hollybush Farm sits within 40 acres of rolling farmland, including upland hills and valleys, wooded copses and breath-taking views. Visitors asked how this could be combined with the excellent beer and so Hillside Brewery has revealed itself as a destination and venue.

The Williamson’s have opened a fantastic large new events barn which offers facilities for private and corporate events.

They host everything from training days and events to birthday parties, christenings - even dog shows. Of particular interest to Business & Innovation magazine is their focus on professionally-run corporate events. Feedback from those who have attended has been excellent.

But at the core of what they do is beer, and the love that goes into making it. There is an ongoing debate on the definition of craft beer. Paul explains: “It’s craft beer when you can phone up or drop by and talk to the person who brewed it.”

What makes Hillside Brewery beer unique? Paul would say that it’s the quality of the

“Classic ales are brewed all year around. Craft ales change and we can use seasonal and new ingredients to introduce new tastes and flavours. It’s great being able to challenge our drinkers.”

ingredients he uses and the clear water drawn from deep inside the hills behind the brewery.

Hillside Brewery brews classic ales and craft specials. It also makes cider and lager. “Classic ales are brewed all year around. Craft ales change and we can use seasonal and other ingredients to introduce new tastes and flavours. It’s great being able to challenge our drinkers.”

Try for yourself. It’s open from Monday-Friday from 9.00am-5.00pm. www.hillsidebrewery.com

association with Steppes Travel

Paul Williamson of HIllside Brewery

Kodiak Island, Alaska bears its soul

The float plane roars and the pilot eases back on the throttle. The immensity of the scenery below unfolds. Primordial nature. Wilderness. Muted hues. We are flying over Kodiak Island, Alaska’s emerald isle. The name conjures up images of mystery, grandeur and power. At the heart of that mystique is the mighty Kodiak Bear that I had come to see.

The Kodiak Bear is touted as the world’s largest carnivore. The reality is that they are omnivores and spend more time eating grass, plants and berries than meat.

Jen my guide, an Alaskan ranger, asks: “Do you want to go for a walk?” I reply with an emphatic yes as she beaches the boat and we head out into bear country.

There is evidence of bears. Scat of varying sizes and consistency. Large paw prints. The size of the claw marks is worrying. The detritus of salmon – bones, scales, entrails, heads. Jen is armed. She carries a twelve-gauge pump-action shotgun which has “A whole lot of lead. Quite some stopping power.”

We sit on a steep bank on the side of the River Thumb. The river gurgles noisily downstream as huge red salmon struggle upstream. For some it is too much and they seek respite on the edges of the river where the flow is less strong. The solitude and silence are striking, broken only by the head-turning splash of salmon. No bears. Bears have no schedule and so we decide to make our own and walk further upstream to Lake Thumb. We work through long grasses, fireweed, Cottonwood trees, willow and undergrowth. A mosaic of colour. Jen doesn’t want to surprise a bear so she quietly claps her hands and talks to anything that might be out there, “Hey bear.”

That’s the great thing about walking around the corner in a truly out-of-the-way place such as this: you never know what’s going to ambush you. Suddenly the ground reverberates and we see a bear break cover in a lolling run. The tension is broken by the wailing cry of a fox that to my untutored ear sounded like a bird.

A young sub-adult catches a salmon and lands it on the river back opposite us. He pins it to the ground with his right paw. He tears it, eats the skin and moves on.

He stops just a few feet short of us. We stand still, very still, so very still. The intensity of the instance is tangible. It is not a time for photography. It is a moment to be enjoyed and experienced.

There is total silence apart from the heavy soughing breathing of the bear. It observes me at close quarters with curiosity. I look back in awed fascination. Jen remains calm. She talks quietly and soothingly to the bear, using her tone of voice to control its movements. The bear listens to her. Reassured he begins chewing on a log and then rubbing his neck on the log with obvious glee.

The intelligence of a bear falls somewhere between that of an exceptionally smart dog and a primate. As with humans, the intelligence of a bear varies by individual and is dependent on its life experiences. In front of me is a curious, intelligent bear that defies its reputation.

www.steppestravel.co.uk

Ian Coley wins best UK gun shop

Work to Live

Ian Coley Sporting, based near Cheltenham, has been voted the ‘Nation’s Favourite Gun Shop’ after winning ‘Best UK Gun Shop’ for the past two years running in separate national awards. It was voted the best UK gun shop in The Shooting Industry Awards, and Favourite Gun Shop by the readers of Clay Shooting Magazine.

Kodiak island

A Kodiak bear

Justin Wateridge of Steppes Travel goes bear watching on Kodiak Island, Alaska.

The Raymond Blanc Gardening School launches this July

July 2017 heralds the launch of The Raymond Blanc Gardening School at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons –the first of its kind in the UK.

The school promises to combine the passion the team at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons share for the love of gardening, with the desire to pass on best kept secrets to their guests.

Welcome to our British Summer

Ben Hawker, wine expert on behalf of Three Choirs Vineyard at Newent discusses what we should be drinking this summer.

At Three Choirs Vineyard we feel this is going to be the best British Summer we’ve ever experienced.

So what are we going to drink? Sparkling wine of course. With the ever-improving quality in English sparkling wine, it makes sense to focus on what we’re growing on our doorstep.

We have a similar climate to that of Champagne, France. And Taittinger, one of Champagne’s leading producers, has invested millions in planting up to 69

hectares of vines here in England. Not to mention we have the same varietals being grown and we are using the same method as in champagne (methode traditionelle). Where do those bubbles come from?

Sparkling wine goes through the same initial fermentation as all still wines. The difference is what happens next, sugar is added along with yeast to create a secondary fermentation. While the yeast consumes the sugar, it creates carbon dioxide as a by-product. The fermenting wine is placed into bottle and sealed with a crown cap (like that used for a bottle of beer). This inevitably contains the bubbles of C02 which increase as the fermentation progresses.

The wine is left on its lees for a minimum of nine months, the longer it is left in contact with the dead yeast cells the more complex the sparkling wine becomes, creating those famous aromas of bread, brioche and biscuit. Once ready for drinking, the bottles are placed upside down into a chiller and the top is frozen. Then the top is popped off and quickly sealed with a cork, ready to enjoy.

Three Choirs Vineyard fizz works as a perfect aperitif, and with a wide range of dishes such as shellfish, seafood, salads, antipasti, and my favourite, for when those BBQs are going, hot dogs.

www.three-choirs-vineyards.co.uk

The kitchen garden’s magnificent two-acres of vegetables and herbs produce over 90 types of vegetables and 70 herbs. It was the inspiration for the first ever hotel gardening school.

Head gardener Anne Marie Owens, who has worked at the hotel for over 30 years, will lead the courses, which will include Seasonal Vegetable Growing, Micro Greens, Orchard, Understanding Your Soil and Growing Organic.

There will also be courses run by specialist growers and experts who have consulted with Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons over the years.

Courses aim to cover topics such as herbs for their medicinal properties, fruit tree pruning and gardening for children. Guests joining the courses will be based in the Hartley Botanic Glasshouse in the Heritage Garden.

One-day courses will run from 9.00am to 3.30pm with refreshments throughout and a working lunch. Half day courses will also be available.

There will be up to three day-courses each week throughout July until October, with additional courses built into the winter calendar.

A one-day course will cost from £185.00 per person, including tuition, morning tea on arrival and a working lunch.

www.belmond.com/le-manoir-auxquat-saisons-oxfordshire

In association with Steppes Travel

Raymond Blanc in the Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons garden

It’s all kicking off at Twickenham this Autumn

Work to Live

England will welcome Southern Hemisphere giants to Twickenham for three hotly anticipated International Test Matches this Autumn. We are delighted to be able to offer our readers a 10% discount to experience the England v Australia match at the Autumn Internationals, in VIP style through Eventmasters’ official corporate Twickenham hospitality packages. Contact Event Masters and QUOTE: BIM.

The Autumn Internationals are one of the major highlights of the international rugby calendar. England’s opening fixture of the Old Mutual Wealth Autumn Internationals

sees them take on Argentina on Saturday 11th November. In the second game of the series, England will meet Australia on Saturday 18th November, and in the final International, England will welcome Samoa to Twickenham. Corporate packages at Twickenham provide a fantastic match-day experience with VIP hospitality. Alongside a four-course lunch, complimentary bar and official RFU match tickets, guests can enjoy listening to rugby legend guest speakers.

www.eventmasters.co.uk/rugbyhospitality/twickenham-hospitality/ autumn-internationals.html

Ladies night supports Charlie Sharples’ testimonial year

Work to Live

Charlie Sharples has devoted his entire professional rugby career to Gloucester Rugby. He played well over 200 matches for Gloucester and scored nearly 80 tries, earning his place as a fans’ favourite.

To celebrate this achievement, a committee of Gloucestershire business people, including Business & Innovation Magazine’s Commercial Director Kirsty Muir; is organising Charlie’s Testimonial Year.

New RAU wine receives international recognition

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) has launched its very own white wine, Cotswold Hills Dry White 2016. It’s already won a Bronze Award in the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2017, which received entries from over 80 countries worldwide and is judged by a panel of wine experts.

Cotswold Hills white wine is 12% alcohol and is available from the RAU shop – on campus and online at shop.rac.ac.uk.

The University took over the tenancy of a 2.6 hectare vineyard near Down Ampney, Cirencester in Spring 2016 from Farmcare Trading Ltd. The large plot encompasses 40 rows of vines, most of which are the Ortega grape variety with two rows each of Seyval Blanc, Bacchus, and Chardonnay.

In October 2016, the ripe grapes were handpicked by RAU students, and transported to the winery near Shepton Mallet, where they were crushed and vinified by RAU alumnus Steve Brooksbank. Over the winter, the wine was clarified, fined, and filtered before being bottled.

One of the highlight events is the Charlie Sharples Ladies Night, being held in the Gold Cup Suite at Cheltenham Racecourse on Friday 28th July.

With a champagne reception, two-course dinner, disco and Gloucester Rugby players providing a table drinks service, the evening will also see the hotly anticipated launch of the Charlie Sharples Testimonial Calendar and a few other surprises. To reserve tickets: www.charliesharples.co.uk

CIRENCESTER DOWNTOWN

A centre for the wool trade for hundreds of years, Cirencester remains a wolf in sheep’s clothing, thanks to some pretty meaty businesses.

We take a walk on the wild side

Proud to support Cirencester businesses and the local community

With a population of around 20,000, Cirencester is a thriving retail and tourist centre, but there are also dozens of successful businesses on its trading estates and parks that wrap around the town, and professional offices all providing employment and driving the local economy.

www.handelsbanken.co.uk/cirencester www.tanners.co.uk

CIRENCESTER: A day in the life

From early in the morning to late in the evening, people are building their lives and careers in Cirencester, and some businesses are using it as a launch pad for global domination.

Would you like to sponsor a DownTown feature on your town?

Please contact

kirsty.muir@nkmedia.co.uk

5.30am

The Summer sun might just be rising but the multi-award winning Cirencester CrossFit gym on the Love Lane estate is one of several town gyms welcoming its first session. Led by CrossFit Games Regionals athlete and coach David Long, the gym’s membership spans solicitors, accountants, decorators, mountain climbers, even Olympic athletes. If everyone wasn’t concentrating on the workout, it could provide better networking than any local business club.

7.30am

On Fridays, family butcher Jesse Smith fires up a big pan outside its Love Lane butcher, deli and coffee shop to sell delicious bacon baps to local workers.

8.30am

The only traffic jam in Cirencester is caused by workers queueing for the underground car park at St James Place, the town’s biggest employer. When the car park is full, worker bees from SJP stealthily colonize the town’s public car parks, causing regular complaint letters to local paper, The Wilts & Glos Standard.

www.tanners.co.uk

10.30am

Coffee shops proliferate, including many independents. From Jack’s coffee shop’s table of Alice-in-Wonderland cakes, next to the award-winning Corinium Museum, to Mosaic Café in the Woolmarket at the other end of town, where a tiny kitchen produces the most fabulous scones.

11.30am

Cirencester’s biggest trading estate: Love Lane, isn’t just busy with delivery lorries. An Italian artisan ice cream parlour, Dolcetti, sits next to a huge builder’s merchants, which is just up the road from a world-leader in orthopaedic innovation, Corin Group.

1pm

Accountants, lawyers, marketers and creatives (there are lots of them in Cirencester) swarm into town searching for lunch in the form of ciabattas or soushi (this is Cirencester, forget the prawn sandwiches). Some head to café bars such as Somewhere Else, others for a quick pint in The Crown, or the Golden Cross on the chi-chi Black Jack Street.

3pm

Free parking from 3pm. Cotswold Borough Council has cancelled parking charges from mid-afternoon. And townspeople have been quick to take advantage. Cirencester is buzzing.

The town’s offices and factories disgorge their professionals, from estate agents to financial planners, engineers to IT experts. Some loiter in the pubs and bars, from The Fleece to The King’s Head, or eat at the celebrated Made by Bob, before heading home.

5.30pm

www.handelsbanken.co.uk/cirencester

There are dozens of amazing businesses in Cirencester. All contributing to a vibrant and active business community.

Cirencester is the headquarters of Rock the Cotswolds, the campaign which challenges perceptions of the Cotswolds as traditional.

It showcases the surprising and successful people and businesses, events, venues and activities located here. Several are based in and around Cirencester from mobile games design company Neon Play and suit maker to the stars, Barrington Ayre, to an exciting new skincare brand, ANI Skincare and the cool Decimal Skate Store.

Havas helia UK, part of the global Havas Network which uses data, technology and creativity to build global brands is also located in Cirencester, attracting some of the most creative people in the UK. We namecheck a real cross section of businesses and organisations.

St James’s Place Wealth Management

A FTSE 100 company with £79.8 billion of client funds under management - and a very smart new HQ.

Employees: 900+

Money.co.uk

An independent comparison site created by money experts to help make financial decisions simple. Established in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Chris Morling and with undeniably the UK’s quirkiest offices.

Employees: 56

Walter Bull

A 202-year old family jewellery business originally established in London in 1815, later moving to Cirencester via Sussex in 1960. The business is run by Walter Bull’s great, great grandson James Gegg.

Employees: 9

McGills

No nonsense accountants serving Cirencester and the surrounding area. Looking after sole traders to multimillion pound SMEs, the company operates from central town offices, and has the huge benefit of a client car park.

Employees: 24+

Batten & Allen

Global designer and manufacturer of high quality precision stampings and metal pressings for electrical, electronic, medical, automotive, telecommunication and solar energy industries.

Employees: 100+

Corin Group

A technology innovation company which provides enabling technologies to orthopaedic surgeons worldwide.

Employees: 240+

Mitsubishi

Established as The Colt Car Company in 1974 to import Mitsubishi cars, the company was bought by Mitsubishi Motors in 2008. In 2014 Mitsubishi launched Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, now the UK’s best-selling plug-in hybrid vehicle, says the company.

Employees: 200+

New Brewery Arts

Cultural art space in Cirencester, home to a retail shop selling exceptional items from talented local craftspeople, a coffee shop, art gallery and studios offering space to artisans. New Brewery Arts offers a full schedule of art and craft workshops and last year opened brand new overnight accommodation in its old Barrel Store.

Farm491

Farm491 (part of Cirencester’s Royal Agricultural University) offers space, support and networking opportunities for innovators to grow their businesses by applying technology to agriculture.

www.tanners.co.uk

www.handelsbanken.co.uk/cirencester

St James’s Place HQ

Money.co.uk

Jesse Smith beefs up business

Last year, Cirencester’s oldest butchers shop, Jesse Smith, which has sold prime meat from its Black Jack Street shop since 1808, took the bull by the horns and opened an urban farm shop on Love Lane, offering a full butchery counter, delicatessen, fruit, vegetables and a coffee shop. It proves that even a traditional butchers shop can embrace innovation.

Inside the new shop, a vast glass picture window showcases meat carcasses hanging from the ceiling. Much of Jesse Smith’s meat is free range and reared locally, and the butchers know the provenance of everything they sell.

The business has been owned by the Hawes family since 1952. Richard Hawes is the boss and business expansion has taken place under his guidance along with, more recently, his twin sons, David and John. The business runs five butchers’ shops: two in Cirencester, another in Tetbury and two trading under the W J Castle name in Burford and Northleach. It also runs a catering and meat processing business, for which it has just won an award.

This family want everyone to love meat. So early on a Friday morning, Jesse Smith chefs fire up a big pan in its Love Lane car park to produce the town’s freshest bacon baps for local workers.

If Cirencester was a famous person, who might it be? Di Pitts, Branch Manager of the new branch of local relationship Bank Handelsbanken on Love Lane, says Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Why? “Cirencester is a traditional town on the surface, it’s not complacent or complicated, but underneath there is a distinct sense of adventure, and a willingness to try something new.”

Tanners Solicitors has grown up with Cirencester. Founded by Nick Tanner in 1986, the firm is actively broadening its areas of expertise to meet the needs of the wider business community while continuing to provide a tailored and personal service to its bedrock of private clients. Liz Saunders recently joined Tanners from one of the county’s leading commercial law firms, having identified the opportunities in the town. “Thousands of new houses are planned and the town has many long established businesses which are being joined by start ups,” she says. “There is a great vibe and sense of optimism in the town. Cirencester really is the heart of the Cotswolds.”

www.tanners.co.uk

www.handelsbanken.co.uk/cirencester

Di Pitts, Branch Manager at Handelsbanken Cirencester with Liz Saunders, Partner at Tanners Solicitors

“Cirencester is not complacent or complicated, but underneath there is a distinct sense of adventure, and a willingness to try something new.”

What does a coalition mean for UK employment?

So what will a coalition mean for employers and employees this time around?

In2010, the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition’s fundamental employment law change was an agreement to extend flexible working; both agreed to the policy, which saw all workers given the right to demand flexible working, not just carers and parents Aside from this, Conservative policies dominated heavily, with promotion of equal pay, and a review of public sector pay to ensure that the highest paid were not earning more than 20 times the salary of the lowest paid Other changes included an amalgamation of all welfare-to-work schemes, and an increase to the national minimum wage (NMW); the Lib Dems hoped to see the NMW extended to 16 year olds, but this did not become coalition policy Fast forward to now and at the time of writing, Theresa May is still pressing forward with a view to a coalition with the DUP in Northern Ireland, meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn is hopeful of another election in the coming months and is also preparing an alternative option for Government The two offer very different approaches to future governance including of course employment law Subject to any coalition concessions, Labour

stands to abolish zero hours contract, is committed to companies employing British workers first, and also seeks to safeguard workers’ rights handed down from the EU. Their triumph will also see an increase in the minimum wage and scrappage of the public-sector pay cap Despite positive reactions, many businesses are concerned by rising costs in a time of uncertainty, further exacerbated by potential changes wrought through Brexit

The Conservative Policies meanwhile are more subtle and less far reaching, with effort and energy being placed on a smooth, beneficial Brexit rather than significant national reforms As the most likely to form a Government in the coming weeks, the Party may find their progress hindered by a likely short term in Government, and may also face challenge on their manifesto promises from the DUP Changes not already in the pipeline include more detailed reporting on not just the gender pay gap, but also on companies’ ethnicity pay gap, measures to protect pensions, and improved worker representation on company boards.

Abi Howell, Co-Director of Truly Tailored Recruitment comments

“Whatever your political views, or how you voted, it is obvious that there will be very different changes wrought to employment law, depending on the party that gets in What is most concerning for businesses is whether these changes are necessary and long-lasting, or will create further uncertainty at a time when things are already turbulent Our hope is for some stability for employers, to allow them time and reason to employ, and help trade our way to a positive future for all ” positive future for all ”

Howell Director

Abi

CAREER AHEAD

01

Following ten years at Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, 13 years working for Business Link and seven years at a manufacturing company, Sharon Smith has taken over as Chief Executive at the Chamber.

02

OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION APPOINTS COO

Oxford University Innovation, the research commercialisation company of Oxford University, has named its new Chief Operating Officer: Dr Adam Stoten, the current Head of Technology Transfer Life Sciences at OUI.

FOLK2FOLK

ANNOUNCES NEW HIRES TO SPUR

GROWTH

05

Mark Wood, formerly Reuters PLC Board member and Chair & CEO of ITN, has been appointed Chair of Nominet. Mark is currently Chair of educational content Knowledge Motion, advisor to Ascension Ventures, and sits on PwC’s Advisory Board and the Board of Citywire.

06

GBE Converge has appointed Ian Phelps as Group Operations Director. Ian is a career professional in the fire, security and IT industry that includes over 16 years’ experience at board director level.

Worcester-based Yamazaki Mazak has appointed Richard Smith as European Group Managing Director. He takes over from Marcus Burton who will remain with the company as a Non-Executive. Richard will have responsibility for Mazak’s operations in Europe.

03 01

04

Harrison Clark Rickerbys has five new Partners. Construction and engineering expert Lucinda Baker, employment and education specialist Emilie Darwin, Elaine Fisher, Director of HCR sister company Eagle HR, Commercial property expert Claire Leyshon, and Jenny Raymond in commercial litigation.

07 04 05 06 07 CAREER AHEAD 03

Is your Customer Wi-Fi performing?

At Cotswold IT we are focusing on Wi-Fi solutions this month, delivering tailored packages to our clients, maximising Wi-Fi coverage for their workforce and customers.

Wi-Fi has become as important as transport, so much so, most public transport is attaching Wi-Fi to it’s services. We improve these solutions to maximise the potential of Wi-Fi coverage, keeping our clients ahead of the game. We deliver a full range of solutions from high end brands

like Cisco and Meraki, down to more budget friendly solutions like UniFy and Rukus technology. We will setup the solution for you and you don’t have to pay for the hardware... that’s right, no hardware fees... (Installation fee’s may apply though, depending on the solution)

International recognition for Blake Morgan

Legal & Financial

Oxford law firm Blake Morgan has been recognised for its contribution to law on the world stage with an honour bestowed at the annual conference of one of the biggest international legal alliances.

The firm was presented with a Founder Member award at the 36th International Conference of the TAGLaw network at a ceremony in Paris.

Blake Morgan was a founder member of TAGLaw when it began in 1998, and has remained in the network as it has grown to become one of the five largest legal alliances in the world, with more than 290 members in over 100 countries.

Jill Bainbridge, a litigation Partner and intellectual property specialist at

Templewood Group bought by South African company

Legal & Financial

Templewood group of companies based at Cheltenham, has sold a majority stake in its business to Excellerate, a South African company involved in security, cleaning and related industries.

Templewood provides services such as cleaning and security to blue chip organisations. It also provides emergency response officer accredited training to manage incidents such as major terrorist attacks, for the securities industry, and for organisations catering for large public gatherings.

The acquisition is Excellerate’s first in the UK and the partnership marks its intention to develop a major presence through organic growth and by acquisition; Harvey Soning, founder of Templewood, retains a significant stake and will remain its Chairman.

Excellerate currently operates across 14 countries in Africa and the Middle East.

Under Excellerate’s majority ownership, the business in the UK will continue to operate under the Templewood brand.

Gordon Hulley, CEO of Excellerate, said: “The UK is a highly attractive market for Excellerate. Despite Brexit, Excellerate is confident in investing in this industry in the UK, facilities will always need to be maintained, cleaned and protected.

“We recognise the significant value of entering a market with a partner that is already well-known and highly regarded in its region. We look forward to working with Harvey and his team to build our business in the UK.”

Harvey added: “This partnership marks a combination of Templewood’s exceptional reputation for quality, and its knowledge of the cleaning and security industry in the UK, with Excellerate’s scale, experience and world-class technology and highly efficient processes.”

Blake Morgan, is co-chair of TAGLaw’s Intellectual Property Committee. She said: “Blake Morgan is very proud to have played a key part in TAGLaw since its inception, and to have seen it grow into a strong and influential alliance of law firms around the globe.

“The network enables us to secure advice and assistance for clients around the world from locally respected advisers with whom we have a strong relationship.”

Talash Hotels Group snaps up new hotel

Legal & Financial

Leamington Spa-based Talash Hotel Group has snapped up Risley Hall Hotel in Derbyshire from a guide price of £1.45 million, in a deal backed by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The three storey property dates from the 16th Century and offers 35 bedrooms and associated facilities, including a spa.

Talash is run by brothers Ravi and Sanjay Kathuria.

The Group also owns and operates the Best Western Barons Court Hotel in Walsall, Best Western Falstaff Hotel in Leamington Spa, The Allesley Hotel in Coventry, Honiley Court Hotel in Warwick and the Chimney House Hotel in Cheshire.

It is the second acquisition backed by RBS and made by Talash in a year.

Innovating the way

This means improving every aspect of business; such as marketing, operations, customer service, management, culture and brand. Innovation in business is ultimately about creating and adding value, and enhancing the customer experience.

As CEO of Tayabali Tomlin, I was lucky enough to be invited to Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island to speak to a group of entrepreneurs from around the world on scaling profitably. I also participated in workshops with Virgin Unite to help create a new and innovative youth movement to solve some of the world’s most meaningful problems. Thankfully, I spent some time with Sir Richard to understand how Virgin innovates and does business.

and it’s just too difficult. It’s important to break the problem down into bite-size chunks, then tackle each, one by one. The cumulative effect of complementary solutions often means you end up with a better result.

4. Get everyone involved

Innovation is for everyone. Usually, the best ideas come from those at the frontline, who have the most experience of your products and services. Don’t surround yourself with like-minded ‘yes’ people, but those that will passionately disagree. Engage your entire team, but look to other stakeholders and those outside your industry. Most importantly, have fun!

5. Create a culture of innovation

Culture is critical to creating a successful and scalable business. It epitomises what you do and who you are. As the business grows, culture often falls under stress. A compelling vision and engaging core values are vital. Embedding and fostering a culture of innovation throughout the organisation is key to success.

Here are 5 ways Virgin drives innovation

1. Understand your customer

Few companies truly understand their customers, their needs and what they value. And with traditional surveys rarely being effective, we need to come up with more innovative ways of observing how customers interact with us, our products and our services. Our teams should be involved, actively listening and observing. Virgin runs numerous workshops and customer advisory boards to understand their customers.

2. Surround yourself with a great team

From the outset, Sir Richard employed the very best and prides himself on being the dumbest person in the room. Find passionate people who believe that they can change the world - they are generally the ones who do. Look for those willing to stick their necks out, seek solutions and be the change they want to create.

3. Simplify the problem

The business world is exceedingly complex. Often we attempt to solve a large problem

We are proud that Tayabali Tomlin, a firm of accountants that specialises in helping owner-managed businesses of all sizes to grow profitably, has been named as one of the World’s Most Inspiring Accountants, and last year was awarded the Best Advisers to Small Business in the UK. As a firm we have also been awarded the Most Innovative Accountancy Firm in the UK for the past three years for the way we do business, especially for innovation in brand, culture and technology. We help businesses stand out from the crowd, create a better experience, and gain outstanding results for our clients.

For information on how Tayabali Tomlin can help your business contact the team on 01242 583 772 www.tayabalitomlin.com @tayabalitomlin

Many people think about innovation solely in terms of advances in science, new technology or products, however, innovation is also about improving the way you do business…

Aynsley Damery, CEO, Tayabali Tomlin with Sir Richard Branson on Necker Island

BPE advises property group on major UK development scheme

Legal & Financial

The commercial property team at Gloucestershire-based law firm, BPE Solicitors, has advised Capital Land Property Group Ltd on securing land at New Eastern Villages development scheme in Swindon.

Capital Land Property Group, with offices in Swindon and London, specialises in strategic land development and represents established landowners and organisations around the UK.

BPE Partner Tim Williams led the deal, which saw the group acquire a further 84 acres of key development land included within the Swindon Local Plan, to provide housing, a retail park and business centre.

Tim said: “This project is the largest urban development in the UK and perfectly demonstrates the dynamic and innovative culture that Capital has worked hard to build.”

The Capital Land Property Group has already secured 200 acres of land, currently in planning, for a mixed residential scheme. The additional landholding increases the company’s overall controlling interests in the total development to around one third.

Brethertons top choice in Private Rented Sector

Legal & Financial

Oxfordshire-based Brethertons has been judged as the top legal services provider in the country for the private rented sector.

The firm was announced as the winner of the Legal Services Award at the inaugural Private Rented Sector Awards 2017.

Head of Practice Area for Dispute Resolution, Fiona Hewitt said: “Brethertons is forming a formidable reputation in the private rented sector, an increasingly complex area of law.”

Secondary MBO for Weird Fish

Total Capital Partners has funded a secondary MBO of Cheltenhamheadquartered fast-growing, lifestyle leisure brand Weird Fish Ltd, from Piper, a leading specialist investor in consumer brands. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Total Capital will provide a mix of equity and debt funding to Weird Fish and will hold a 70% stake alongside management who are reinvesting in the business.

The Weird Fish brand sits within the rapidly growing lifestyle segment of the clothing market, which is forecast to grow at around 7% per annum to almost £4 billion by 2020.

Weird Fish sells through wholesale, retail and online operations, with 12 stores and 13 concessions based in popular

Whitley Stimpson supports Friends Against Scams

Legal & Financial

Independent accountancy practice Whitley Stimpson, is supporting the Friends Against Scams sessions taking place in Oxford this summer.

Run by Oxfordshire Trading Standards as part of a bigger national campaign, Friends Against Scams aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams.

Friends Against Scams are hosting two awareness sessions in Oxford on July 27th at the Unipart Conference Centre.

UK holiday destinations. The business generated revenues of over £18 million in 2016, a 25% increase in just two years. With Total Capital’s support, Weird Fish intends to build on the recent success of its brand, with online being the fastest area of growth. It will also open new stores in selected UK holiday locations and further expand its product range.

John Stockton, Managing Director of Weird Fish, said: “This secondary buyout marks the next stage in our development and it was therefore important to us that Total Capital could tailor their financing package to our specific needs, creating the right capital structure to support our future growth plans.”

Piper most recently exited the Bristolheadquartered café-bar chain Loungers and invested in two further brands – the Flat Iron steak restaurant group and Pet Food UK, the company behind the Barking Heads, Meowing Heads and AATU brands.

The sessions are 45 minutes long, free to attend, and are suitable for anyone.

Last year, Owen Kyffin, Director at Whitley Stimpson turned detective to investigate a cyber fraud attempt against one of his clients, and was able to save him from a potential scam.

Anybody can join Friends Against Scams. Online learning is available through the website, and the free face-to-face awareness raising sessions are being rolled out nationally.

Owen said: “Cyber thieves are using more advanced methods to con business people. If anyone is still in doubt they can always ring their accountant.”

Weird Fish to grow

“We’re supporting British manufacturing by helping to drive sales around the world. We help UK businesses connect with each other, enabling them to form strategic partnerships and share knowledge.”

Chris Isaac, Director

Branding

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MARKETING & GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURERS & ENGINEERS

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info@isaacpartnership.co.uk www.isaacpartnership.co.uk

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The Isaac Partnership is a creative, brand-led, full service design and marketing agency, delivering projects both digitally and in print. Engineering and science are in our DNA as an agency with over 20 years experience in building strong identities and delivering technical innovations for our clients around the globe. From customers making new nano materials, to those dealing with tons of overclad welded pipeline, we understand our clients’ needs and, most importantly, the needs of their target audience.

Strategic Partners of:

You make it, we’ll market it...

TOP INNOVATIONS 60

From battery technology to potential cures for cancer; autonomous vehicles to recyclable wrapping paper impregnated with seeds. This list is packed with knowledge, creative thinking and ambition to make our world a better place.

Sir James Dyson’s iconic hairdryer adorns the front cover of our magazine with good reason. He is the UK’s most famous British inventor in a generation and he invests in British engineering talent. But there are other regional rising stars. Steve Lindsay of Lontra, near Leamington Spa, was named a 2017 finalist in the European Inventor Award for his blade compressor, the only Brit on the shortlist. Nick Grey of Worcester’s GTech is expanding his product range from domestic equipment into exciting new areas. Wiltshire-based Tom Lawton’s inventions make the world safer, and more fun. There are few women in our list. We wish there were more.

We’ve included several innovations from Oxford University Innovation (OUI), which manages the university’s technology transfer and consulting activities.

Innovation means turning research from the world’s top ranked university into reality, says OUI. While some research exists purely to enhance our knowledge of ourselves and the world we live in, other research can have tangible results that, properly exploited, can be massively

beneficial to society. And with much university research being taxpayer funded, these institutions must give something back for the investment received.

We spread the net far and wide for innovations to feature in this list. It didn’t take long to compile. In fact, we could have doubled the number.

But bringing innovations to commercial reality requires patience. Long development times means companies need the right kind of capital, people and supporting ecosystem to thrive, which Oxford University and other similar organisations across the region can help secure.

Advanced cancer therapeutics, autonomous vehicles, a universal flu vaccine; these are the tip of the iceberg of what is being turned into real-world technologies in this region, creating high tech UK companies essential to keep our competitive edge in the modern world.

Bringing innovation to life is just the start. Successful commercialisation must deliver essential return on investment, for the innovator and financial backers.

Gloucestershire-based marketing agency

The Isaac Partnership works with some of the most successful engineering and manufacturing companies. Creative Director Chris Isaac, said: “A new product, especially if it’s aimed at disrupting the market, must have creative and strategic marketing to raise awareness amongst its target audience. Even innovations providing a creative solution to an identified problem need strong marketing to be seen in the right places. We believe that manufacturing and engineering innovation is key to Britain’s future, post-

Dyson

The unique Dyson hairdryer

The Dyson hairdryer uses a fast but focused airflow, is engineered for balance in the hand and intelligently controls the temperature to help protect hair from extreme heat damage.

Sir James Dyson, Chairman Wiltshire

www.dyson.com

Brexit.” The Isaac Partnership has just become a strategic partner with the UK Government’s ‘Made in Britain’ campaign. One innovation we loved for its practicality but discovered too late to include, is Project Apollo. This is a bed bug detector being developed for the hotel industry by Insect Research Systems, a UK space technology company based at Harwell Campus near Oxford.

This list represents ambition, hope and commitment, all of which the UK needs now more than it has done in decades.

You innovate, we create the marketing strategy

www.isaacpartnership.co.uk

CONSUMER

Liha Beauty

Beauty products

Natural, 100% vegan, cruelty-free beauty products, free from parabens, SLS and chemicals.

Liha Okunniwa & Abi Oyepitan, Creative Directors Gloucestershire

www.lihabeauty.co.uk

Kohler Mira Ltd

Mira Flight Safe anti-slip shower trays

Mira Flight Safe, the anti-slip version of Mira Showers’s Flight Low shower tray, was developed in response to market demands for bathroom products that deliver multi-generational bathroom installations.

Liz Hazeldene, Managing Director

Gloucestershire

www.mirashowers.com

Rebellion Developments

Tom Lawton

Million Mile Light

This battery-free safety light turns movement into light to keep you safe when the sun goes down. For runners, hikers, dog walkers or walking the kids to school.

Tom Lawton, Inventor Wiltshire

www.batteryfree.co.uk

Green Gourmet

UK Red Tractor portion controlled chicken breast fillet serving the school meals industry

Recognising the need for consistently sized, ethically sourced chicken portions for schools, Green Gourmet identified a part of the chicken breast that could be used to provide the required protein.

Adam Starkey, CEO

Gloucestershire

www.greengourmet.co.uk

Zegami Image search software

The next evolution of image search, Zegami allows you to not only store your pictures and data, but to actively sort them by any tag or data point you attach to them.

Sam Conway, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.zegami.com

Neon Play

Traffic Panic Boom Town

Neon Play’s biggest ever game, Boom Town is a fun city building game from the Traffic Panic series that has had 20 million downloads and one billion game plays worldwide.

Oli Christie, CEO

Gloucestershire

www.neonplay.com

SLG Beauty

COLAB Dry Shampoo.

An award winning dry shampoo innovation with a breakthrough “invisible” formula. It is distributed in 26 countries and has sold more than one million units since launch in 2015.

Miles Dunkley, CEO

Gloucestershire

Battlezone, a virtual reality reboot of the classic 1980 tanker battle. Leading independent game developer and comic book publisher. Battlezone launched alongside PlayStation VR in October 2016 with immersive VR cockpit, fully realised tank combat and standout four-player co-op.

Chris Kingsley, Owner

Oxfordshire

www.rebellion.co.uk

You forge, we form the packaging design

www.slguk.com

Million Mile Light

BEAF Edens Paper

BEAF created Eden’s paper to reduce the amount of wrapping paper that goes to waste. It has seeds in, so once the gift is unwrapped the paper can be planted.

Nikolas Venios, Managing Director

Gloucestershire

www.beaf.com

Covatic New platform to individualise media viewing

Launched in April, Covatic draws on numerous media outlets to provide one bespoke channel for the user, filled with their favourite programmes and news, with adverts tailored to them.

Nick Pinks, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.covatic.com

Robert Welch Designs Ltd

Knife block with integrated sharpening and storage

A unique storage block, with sharpener and integrated magnets. Powerful Neodymium magnets protect the knives’ fine cutting edge by suspending them in six individual slots.

Rupert and Alice Welch, Directors

Gloucestershire

www.robertwelch.com

DB11

A showcase for many of Aston Martin’s new techologies, including a patented aeroblade technology.

Dr Andy Palmer, President & CEO

Warwickshire

www.astonmartin.com

Oxbotica Autonomous vehicles

The UK’s leading autonomous vehicle company, this Oxford University spinout is trialling its vehicles on the roads between Oxford and London.

Dr Graeme Smith, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.oxbotica.com

Jaguar Land Rover Ingenium engine

At the heart of JLR’s low-emissions strategy, a new four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine design at JLR’s Gaydon Warwickshire facility, now in production in the West Midlands.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO

Warwickshire

www.jaguarlandrover.com

Aston Martin Lagonda

JLR’s Ingenium engine

We create new products & improve existing ones

Working with start-ups, universities, SME’s, corporates and investors. Individuals with bright ideas and companies researching new markets. Our experience in the strictly regulated medical environment ensures we work at the highest level and our processes are supported by ISO9001,14001 and 13485.

Talk to us today

+44

1488 684554

Vivarail

Class 230

Battery powered demonstrator test train, powered by two battery modules, a train to work equally well for operators and passengers.

Adrian Shooter, CEO

Warwickshire

www.vivarail.co.uk

Aeristech

High speed electric supercharger providing low-down power thrust

Aeristech can mechanically decouple turbine from compressor and transfer power between them through an electrical connection, improving aerodynamic and combustion efficiency, and transient response of fossil fuelled engines.

Richard Wall, CEO

Warwickshire

www.aeristech.co.uk

Dymag

Carbon fibre wheels

First company in the world to manufacture carbon fibre wheels for motorcycles and high performance cars.

Chris Shelley, CEO

Wiltshire

www.dymag.com

Vaccitech

Universal flu vaccine

Oxford spinout Vaccitech is working on a universal flu vaccine, protecting people not only from regular flu, but offshoots such as swine and bird flu.

Coachbuilt GB Ltd

Independence vehicle incorporating the unique healthcare needs of the individual disabled customer

Specialising in the design and manufacture of wheelchair accessible motorhome and caravans, both new and pre-owned, built to order to meet exact requirements.

Jeff Bull, Managing Director

Warwickshire

www.coachbuiltgb.co.uk

Karus Therapeutics

Innovative cancer medicines that directly target tumour growth and indirectly trigger an immunotherapeutic anti-tumour response

A new class of oral, small molecule drugs, being developed with combined targeted and immunotherapeutic modes of action.

Dr Simon Kerry, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.karustherapeutics.com

Professor Adrian Hill, Founder

Oxfordshire

www.vaccitech.co.uk

SEND

Isansys Lifecare Isansys Patient Status Engine

The Patient Status Engine is a Class IIa, CE Marked, patient monitoring platform that continuously and wirelessly captures, collects, and analyses patient physiological data.

Keith Erry, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.isansys.com

System for Electronic Notification and Documentation

Originally developed at Oxford University Hospitals, the SEND platform is revolutionising how vital signs are monitored, and is currently being rolled out across the NHS.

Peter Watkinson, Project Lead

Oxfordshire

www.send-system.co.uk

Aeristech electric supercharger

Dymag carbon fibre wheels

Investing in innovation from Oxford

Oxford University generates the largest volume of worldleading research in the UK*, supported by more research income than any other UK university.

Inven�ons and discoveries arising from Oxford University research are commercialised for the benefit of wider society and the UK economy by Oxford University Innova�on, which is dedicated to providing access to Oxford’s technology and exper�se.

With 24 spinout companies formed last year alone there are many opportuni�es for investors to par�cipate in these new ventures. Tax-efficient investment is available through the University of Oxford Innova�on Fund, managed by Parkwalk Advisors.

Find out more at parkwalkadvisors.com/pw_uoif/ or innova�on.ox.ac.uk

*Research Excellence Framework, 2014

This financial promo�on has been approved by Parkwalk Advisors. Inves�ng in unquoted early stage companies carries a high degree of risk and investors may not receive back any of the money invested. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances and may be subject to change.

Torc2

Medical splints and casts

A unique low-melt compound for manufacturing a range of medical devices utilising a specially adapted 3D printer. The system is protected by UK and International Patent Application.

Gary Blundell, CEO

Warwickshire

www.torc2.com

Owen Mumford

Unifine Pentips Plus

Injection pen needle designed for diabetics to make pen needle change easier, safer and more convenient.

Jarl Severn, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.owenmumford.com

Renishaw plc

ADEPT

OxSight Smart Glasses

Using augmented reality, OxSight is developing smart glasses for the visually impaired which can help people recognise and navigate objects in their environment.

Dr Rakesh Roshan, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.smartspecs.co

iOx Therapeutics

Next generation of cancer treatment

One of the immunotherapy companies working on the next generation of cancer treatment, iOx is using the body’s own immune system as a weapon against cancer.

Dr Declan Doogan, Chairman

Oxfordshire

Select Research Body Volume Indicator

A modern day measurement of body composition and weight distribution.

Richard Barnes, CEO

Worcestershire

www.bodyvolume.com

BUSINESS SERVICES

Bybox Holdings

Stockonnect™

Smartphone app and Bluetooth app box combine enabling businesses to better manage delivery of parts to large sites and reduce stock loss.

Stuart Miller, Co Founder & CEO

Oxfordshire

www.bybox.com

Nominet

Turing Network Analytics

Hiding in vast quantities of DNS data are the signatures of events critical to business, but to get to them you need the ultimate number cruncher. Turing is a DNS visualisation and analysis tool.

Russell Haworth, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.nominet.uk

Titania Ltd

Nipper Studio.

ADEPT software, for the rapid design of bespoke metal 3D printed craniomaxillofacial implants, can overcome current cost and efficiency barriers, enabling the widespread use of 3D printing for reconstructive surgery.

Sir David McMurtry, Chairman & Chief Executive

Gloucestershire

www.renishaw.com

A thorough, fast and cost-effective way of auditing computer networks from cyber security and defence specialists.

Ian Whiting, CEO

Worcestershire

www.titania.com

You engineer, we craft marketing campaigns

Renishaw‘s ADEPT

OxSight Smart Glasses

and technology site in the UK

Harwell Campus has been leading the way in innovation for over 75 years and is located south of Oxford, near Didcot and Abingdon. The campus envisions growing into one of the top science and technology sites in the world, building on its reputation as the UK’s No. 1 national science facility.

Over 5,500 people contribute to the vibrant, fast-growing community which houses over £2 billion of scientific equipment and is home to over 200 diverse organisations that are working to solve some of the biggest problems faced by mankind including an ageing population, healthcare, disease control, space discovery and applications, climate change, cleaner, greener energy and new advanced materials.

University students, entrepreneurs, companies, researchers and scientists work together inside a unique array of world-class science facilities, conducting cutting-edge research. These include

the Diamond Light Source synchrotron, which harnesses the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists can use to study anything from fossils to jet engines, viruses to vaccines. The work of these facilities is paving the way for the ever-growing capabilities Harwell Campus has to offer.

Harwell benefits from a county that has the most educated workforce in the UK, with individuals joining an international group of scientists from around the globe, alongside academia, commercial organisations and investors.

Companies such as Oxsybio, that research 3D cell printing, started life at the nearby University of Oxford, the world’s No. 1 ranked university, with a strong reputation for life sciences. They join many other diverse and innovative companies that are located at the 710-acre campus.

Harwell is adopting a ‘cluster’ strategy to attract and nurture organisations

belonging to the Space, HealthTec and EnergyTec sectors. Significant numbers of Harwell employees already work within these sectors and by working together in an inter-disciplinary way at Harwell, these clusters become a huge cauldron for innovation.

Throughout the year, Harwell hosts a number of events and networking opportunities, to facilitate valuable interaction. For organisations wishing to join a rich ecosystem of R&D-focused multinationals, as well as small and medium sized hi-tech businesses in what is a truly collaborative environment, Harwell is the ideal place to land. The campus offers a broad range of office, R&D and laboratory accommodation and will soon be offering hundreds of new homes to add to its credentials as a world class business location.

Enquiries:

+44 (0)1235 250 091

Harwell Campus is the leading science, innovation

Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire

Sesui Ltd

iPlatform

Cloud-based contact centre which works across any type of infrastructure with all types of phone line (analogue, IP, digital and mobile).

Lee Bryant, Managing Director

Oxfordshire

www.sesui.com

PROPERTY SERVICES

Dutypoint Water pump systems for high rise developments

Helps deliver perfect water pressure even if the mains water pressure is not much more than a dribble. Designed as prepackaged systems that can be assembled off-site, saving time and money.

Robert Freeman, Director Gloucestershire

www.dutypoint.com

Adey Professional Heating Solutions

MC1+ Protector and MC3+ Cleaner

Innovative range of high performance chemicals designed to transform heating system cleaning, maintenance and protection.

John Vaughan, Chief Executive, Gloucestershire

www.adey.com

ZapGo

The Zap&Go

Prototype portable charger which uses graphene supercapacitors, enabling smartphones to be charged in five minutes.

Stephen Voller, Founder & CEO

Oxfordshire

www.zapgo.com

Tidal Lagoon Power

Harnessing the power of our tides

Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon will be the world’s first tidal lagoon power plant.

Mark Shorrock, Chief Executive

Gloucestershire

www.tidallagoonpower.com

Lontra Blade Compressor

Revolutionary new air and gas compressor designs, offering a greener solution to traditional compression technology, and can deliver energy savings of more than 20%.

Steve Lindsay, CEO

Warwickshire

www.lontra.co.uk

Lti Metaltech

Tokamak ST40 fusion reactor

ST40 fusion reactor using tokamak technologies that could harness the same amount of heat as produced by the sun within a vessel, producing an unlimited supply of clean energy.

Edgar Rayner, Technical Director

Oxfordshire

www.lti-metaltech.com

Project Eric Solar Power Project

ERIC: Energy Resources for Integrated Communities – is a research and demonstration project part funded by the Government via Innovate UK, based in the Rose Hill estate in East Oxford.

Nicole Lazarus, Oxfordshire Programme Manager

Oxfordshire

www.bioregional.com

OXIS Energy

Li-S chemistry

One of the few companies in the world to develop all three cell components: The cathode, anode and electrolyte. This constitutes a major technological advantage in the market.

Huw Hampson-Jones, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.oxisenergy.com

Steve Linday & Lontra’s blade compressor

Lti Metaltech

BEAF (Before & After) is an innovation agency. We work with businesses and entrepreneurs to make the difference between a smart idea in someone’s head and a living, breathing product or service.

THE

Design & Develop - We take your idea and design and develop the new product, service or brand to be launched.

Market Research - Our Insight Strategists carry out market research to ensure feasibility & advise on suggested improvements.

Marketing & Sales - We get your product in front of customers, be it via digital, print, social media, content creation, PR or lead generation.

Idea Generation - Need more ideas? Innovation Workshops can deliver fresh thinking and approaches to solve your challenges.

Phone: 01242 715 483 | www.beaf.com/info |

2017

Keystone Law is a national law firm that delivers local solutions to individuals, companies and public bodies. With an award winning business model, we embrace modern working practices and clever technology so our solicitors can work closely with clients.

AN EXTREMELY FOCUSED, HANDS-ON AND PERSONALISED SERVICE

Legal 500 2017

JON CLOSE

Construction & Engineering

m +44 (0)7725 242 570

e jon.close@keystonelaw.co.uk

MATT TOM

Employment & Exit Strategy

m +44 (0)7931 717 358

e matt.tom@keystonelaw.co.uk

www.keystonelaw.co.uk

SIMON HOPEWELL

Banking & Finance

m +44 (0)7969 115 653

e simon.hopewell@keystonelaw.co.uk

STEPHEN YOUNG

Corporate & Insolvency

m +44 (0)7779 128 538

e stephen.young@keystonelaw.co.uk

UK’S “BEST LEGAL ADVISER” LEGAL WEEK

Faradair

BEHA - Bio-Electric-Hybrid-Aircraft

A six-seat aircraft with a hybrid propulsion system.

Neil Cloughley, Founder & MD

Gloucestershire

www.faradair.com

PEDAL POWER

Gtech

eScent mountain bike

Electroflight

Electroflight P1e

The single-seat Electroflight P1e aircraft, designed to demonstrate the advantages of pure electric flight and set new world records for an electric powered aircraft.

Roger Targett, Founder & CEO

Gloucestershire

www.electro-flight.com

Mountain bike with a high torque 36v motor governed by a built-in computer which will smoothly adjust the power if the going gets tough. Shimano Deore gears and a powerful 36v lithium-ion battery. The Gtech bikes weights in at 19kg.

Nick Grey, Founder & CEO

Worcestershire

www.gtech.co.uk

Tomcat SNI Ltd

Tomcat Bullet

Low sitting trike offering innovative features, including a swivel seat for easy access, full adjustment while the rider stays seated, carer supervision of steering and braking and conversion to a biketowed trailer.

Bob Griffin Founder & CEO

Gloucestershire

www.tomcatspecialneeds.com

Prodrive

Hummingbird Bike

The world’s lightest folding bike. A lightweight carbon composite frame brings the weight in at just 6.9kg. With a unique and simple folding mechanism.

Dave Richards, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.prodrive.com

BEHA - Bio-Electric-Hybrid-Aircraft

Electroflight P1e

Hummingbird Bike

Arc Energy Resources Ltd

Computer controlled welding system

An in-house manufactured, multi-process system capable of welding in any position, benefiting from computer controlled parameter management and process data acquisition, providing bespoke benefit to Arc Energy’s cladding process.

Andrew Robinson, Managing Director

Gloucestershire

www.arcenergy.co.uk

Omnitrack Engineering

Omnitrack 9270 ball transfer unit

Developed with CERN Geneva pushing the limitations of physics inside the Hadron collider. The unit carries loads of up to 9400kg and still glides effortlessly in any direction and orientation.

John Cabrini-Dale, Director

Gloucestershire

www.omnitrack.com

Morgan Advanced Materials

Ceramic products P-57 and P-59

New materials for the aerospace market generating exceptionally fine cross-sections in aerofoil and turbine blade casting, while offering enhanced surface finish.

Pete Raby, CEO

Worcestershire

www.morganadvancedmaterials.com

Advanced Insulation

ContraTherm C25

A subsea insulation system that provides flow assurance of the produced oil from the seabed to the rig above the surface of the water.

Andrew Bennion, Managing Director

Gloucestershire

www.aisplc.com

P2i

Nano-coating technology

Global leaders in liquid repellent nanotechnology, providing the highest levels of liquid repellency in the market, helping improve durability and reliability in a wide range of applications.

Ady Moores, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.P2i.com

Smart Acutuator Company

Electric actuator

Innovative electric actuator with improved energy efficiency and programmable features.

Tony O’Donnell, CEO

Worcestershire

www.smartact.co.uk

Versarien

Graphene applications

Producers of graphene for a range of applications including carbon fibre composites strengthening, batteries/ supercapacitors and printable electronics. Certified material by National Graphene Institute and Cambridge University.

Neill Ricketts, CEO

Gloucestershire

www.versarien.com

MISCELLANEOUS MARVELS

Flexmort Products Ltd Flexible mortuary systems

Design and manufacture of innovative mobile mortuary cooling systems and accessories used across the globe.

Simon Rothwell, CEO

Gloucestershire

www.flexmort.com

Metrasens Cellsense Plus

The world’s leading prison contraband detector. Set up in 15 seconds, it takes security beyond the checkpoint, and detects the smallest cellphones: whether they are switch on or off, or are in pieces.

Dr Simon Goodyear, CEO

Warwickshire

www.metrasens.com

LIFE LIFE: A serious game for saving lives

An Oxford University’s social enterprise, LIFE is helping developing nations with a smartphone app designed to instruct in life-saving techniques. LIFE recently partnered HTC to bring the project into virtual reality.

Mike English, Founder

Oxfordshire

www.oxreach.hubbub.net/p/ LIFEproject

HR Wallingford Fast flow facility

One of the world’s largest marine test facilities, this unique 75 metre long dual channel flume delivers world-leading wave, current and sediment modelling for subsea, coastal, estuarine and fluvial engineering projects.

Dr Bruce Tomlinson, Chief Executive Officer

Oxfordshire

www.hrwallingford.com

Oxford Space Systems AstroTube boom

A novel flexi composite boom system is the longest boom system ever deployed and retracted from a satellite the size of a shoe box.

Mike Lawton, Founder & CEO

Oxfordshire

www.oxfordspacesystems.com

Diffblue

Automation of traditional coding tasks

One of the most intensive aspects of coding is finding errors. This Oxford spinout is helping tech firms overcome the problem with an AI capable of spotting and rewriting bad code.

Daniel Kroening, CEO

Oxfordshire

www.diffblue.com

Lister Shearing Ltd  Lister FUSION

Completely new from the motor to the outer grip. This shearing hand piece is fully serviceable, dual speed, with a new dual fan motor and free running bearings allowing for cool use even in the toughest conditions.

Mark Grant, Managing Director

Gloucestershire

www.lister-shearing.com

HR Wallingford Fast flow facility

The Lister Fusion

INNOVATION THE NATION

Britain is listed at number three in the Global Innovation 2016 Index, behind only Switzerland and Sweden, and as a country, we’ve historically been a nation of innovators. Riyaz Jariwalla, Partner at BPE Solicitors looks at the importance of protecting innovations.

According to a study by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Britain in the modern era is responsible for producing 55% of all the world’s ‘significant inventions’. Second on the list is America with 22%. Britain has produced twice as many significant inventions as any other country and more than every other country combined. But there are notable times when these innovations have not benefitted from the right protection.

Protection, Protection, Protection

Innovation

History is littered with examples of those who have innovated, pioneered and broken new ground, only to fail to protect their work and then see someone else profit. British engineer Oliver Heaviside devised a method of boosting telephone signals while at the same time eliminating distortion. Believed to be impossible, his innovation made long distance communication by telephone a reality. Unfortunately, he

didn’t apply for a patent; AT&T did. It had nothing to do with the discovery, but filed the first patent. AT&T did offer to buy the complete rights from Heaviside, but he refused unless he was given full recognition. It is now one of the largest corporations in the world, currently valued by Forbes at $200 billion, and Oliver Heaviside didn’t profit at all from his most lucrative invention.

Technology Enabled

Innovation

With the advancements of technology, including the speed at which sophisticated scanners and 3D printers are now able to reproduce or imitate an original product, infringers are finding new ways to copy, imitate and ride the coat tails of successful brand owners and their products. As a result, cases of infringement of intellectual property rights through counterfeit goods are at a high.

How To Fight Counterfeits

Innovation

Preparation

Register all trade names, brands and logos as trademarks, all unique and novel shapes or designs as registered designs and inventions as patents. Then make sure all paperwork is securely stored.

Professional advice

This should be sought in advance to ensure you do everything by the book. In particular, advice on obtaining legal expenses insurance which can provide you with a war chest for policing and protecting your intellectual property rights.

Protect

1 2 3 4 5 You innovate, we create the marketing strategy

Being granted trademarks, registered designs and patents is a great start –but it’s important to record them with UK Customs who have the power to stop, search, monitor and examine consignments entering the UK which they suspect may be counterfeit.

Protect again

By mirroring your IP rights in countries well-known for the manufacture of counterfeit goods, (such as the Far East) you can have greater options for border protection of goods leaving those territories destined for the UK or EU.

Product recognition

By implementing control mechanisms such as holograms, markings, tracers and microchips, it will be much harder for a counterfeiter to pass off their products as your own.

Those companies who specialise in advanced engineering, such as automotive, aviation and complex component manufacture, have to operate to a high performance level. Demonstrating the quality systems and controls in place is key to reducing insurance risk and, in turn, premiums. A full understanding of the business sector and end use is vital to make sure they receive the right protection. At JMP we visit your premises and spend time learning and understanding your business. By studying our findings we can access the most appropriate insurance markets and determine which is the most complete cover at the most cost effective price.

Each business is different, that is why we work in PARTNERSHIP with our clients so we get to know and understand each business. By going the extra mile we are then best placed to offer the most effective insurance solutions at the right price.

Whichever type of engineering business you operate, we have the solution for your insurance needs.

Group HES wins £2 million deal at Airbus testing facility

Manufacturing

Group HES, the Innsworth-based engineering company at Gloucester, has landed a record deal with construction company Galliford Try to supply four large ring mains at the new Airbus Wing Integration Centre (AWIC) in Filton.

The AWIC facility will be a development and testing centre for wing innovation in aircraft, as well for other large structural aircraft parts. Airbus will also open the facility up to other companies and universities, with its innovative, highly flexible and easily adaptable environment.

£4.25 Million funding for battery and autonomous vehicle research at WMG

Manufacturing

WMG at the University of Warwick has won Government research funding totalling of £4.25 million to be split between a battery research and an autonomous vehicle research project.

The first project at WMG covered by this announcement is led by BMW Group to design and develop power dense batteries in the UK, one of key steps needed for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

The company has secured the contract to supply, build and install the hydraulic ring main system with four rings, to power the machinery in the new AWIC centre. The project involves system design, manufacture of hydraulic power packs, electrical and control panels, on-site installation and commissioning, including over one kilometre of pipework.

Group HES will be investing £150,000 in special purpose machinery to end-form large bore high pressure pipes, to offer up to 10” pipework. This will expand its abilities for future projects that require larger bore pipework.

Glide Technologies raises £3.2 million

Manufacturing

Glide Technologies, the pharmaceutical development and device company, successfully completed a funding round totalling £3.2 million earlier this year. The fundraising was supported by existing investors.

The company, based at Milton Park, Abingdon, will use the funds to complete Phase I clinical trials of its novel solid dose formulation of teriparatide (parathyroid hormone) during 2017. These trials follow Glide’s successful teriparatide SDI® pre clinical proof-of-concept study. Teriparatide is approved for use in the treatment of osteoporosis and accounts for global sales of over $1.3 billion.

James Otter, Glide Technologies’ CEO, said: “This new fundraising enables us to progress the clinical development of our pipeline as we move towards our goal of creating a patient-centric delivery platform integrating formulation science and device engineering.”

Membrane manufacturer expands after major backing

Manufacturing

WMG has received a grant of £3.8 million for its part in the project, which will bring together BMW, WMG at the University of Warwick and Delta Motorsport.

The second project is CAPRI led by a consortium spearheaded by Aecom, a global company which designs, builds, finances and operates infrastructure assets. Aecom has secured funding from Innovate UK and the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to deliver an on-road mobility service pilot using connected and autonomous vehicles. The pilot project includes the design, development and testing of new autonomous and connected PODs.

A high-tech Warwickshire manufacturing firm, which makes ultra-thin membranes, is expanding after receiving major backing from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking and the University of Warwick Science Park.

Silson, based at Insight Park in Southam, has invested around £1 million in its future growth over the past two years by moving to the new base and purchasing advanced machinery.

Silson is aiming to expand and recruiting new staff. It is also looking to start working on new applications for graphene.

Is the manufacturing industry reaping the rewards of the new ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards?

With the recent release of the ISO 9001 Quality Management standard and the subsequent Aerospace and Defence AS9100D version, there seems to be a lot of confusion in how to implement and execute within the local manufacturing industry…

This has not come as a surprise to James Henning, a consultant and director at Apex Business Improvement Solutions, an organisation that specialises in improving businesses in the manufacturing sector. With a long career in aerospace manufacturing he said, “I remember the chaos and confusion from the release of the AS9100 Rev C, back in 2009, businesses and certifying bodies were consistently disagreeing with the ambiguous interpretation of the respective standards, this ultimately led to delays and higher costs in certification, a by-product of which meant a lot of SME’s had the attitude of just doing enough to scrape past and not capitalise on what the standard had originally been intended to produce.”

“Since the last major revision of ISO 9001 back in the year 2000, the manufacturing industry has evolved in leaps and bounds, and with what some are calling the second industrial revolution in the IT and communications sectors” James adds “The latest version of ISO 9001 had been referenced as a “game changer”, designed with the needs of modern businesses in mind. Its more flexible and agile, it brings a approach designed to enhance customer satisfaction right at the heart of the organisation, complementing business strategy and helping an organisation to enhance its performance and achieve its aims. With a focus on leadership and risk-based thinking , it subsequently fosters a culture of improvement, these are the core values that we at Apex have ingrained into all our client’s operations”

What have been some of the common concerns that have resulted from the updated standards?

Establishing the context of the organisation has been a shared challenge. Apex

Consultants have been facilitating SWOT analysis’ with client management, and the majority have resulted in the Apex team working with clients, taking the identified threats and weaknesses and actually turning them into tangible opportunities.

So where does Apex fit in with the certifications?

Apex offer a number of solutions to fit client needs, from day consultations to the other end of the spectrum, whereby Apex project manage the entire process. This includes modifying and simplifying the businesses QMS, providing training, scheduling and performing the internal audits and driving any corrective actions to full closure, as well as hosting the registrar’s surveillance assessment, ultimately gaining certification on behalf of the client. This approach relieves clients of the burden of trying to juggle maintaining operational activities in parallel with defining and implementing the changes.

Many see ISO as nothing more than a necessary obligation, but with Apex’s assistance, the endeavour can be the vehicle that provides refinement and enhancement of existing systems improving productivity and profits. Correctly implemented these enhancements offer a chance to seek out new areas of revenue and reinforce a brand identity in an increasingly competitive and unstable market.

Vladimir Broz, Dowty Propellers Management

“Apex has provided, mentoring and coaching across all our functions at all organisational levels, bringing clarity to complex issues, removing frustration and enabling organisational excellence. This approach truly leads to our businesses advantage resulting in meeting Dowty business objectives and an increase in customer and employee satisfaction”

P2i earns £10 million investment

Manufacturing

Waterproofing technology firm P2i, based at Milton Park, Abingdon, has sealed a £10 million investment deal with Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank to further its ambitions with Far East smartphone manufacturers.

P2i’s patented liquid-resistant coating (one of our 60 Top Innovations in this issue) aims to eliminate damage by liquid.

According to research analysts, IDC, It is estimated that globally, 900,000 smartphones are affected by liquid damage every year.

The waterproofing firm is already seen as a major player, having protected 175 million phones. P2i’s protection has been a hit, says the company’s Founder and technical chief Dr Stephen Coulson, because it can be delivered on a massscale, its technology sitting at the heart of the production process. P2i, which employs 148 people, has also developed a next-generation protection scheduled for roll-out next year.

Originally a Ministry of Defence spinout 13 years’ ago, when P2i’s technology started as a way to protect soldiers’ uniforms from chemical attacks, the company now has 123 patents and became profitable in 2016.

Prima Dental completes £5 million investment

Manufacturing

Award-winning dental manufacturer Prima Dental says it’s all set to see a 40% increase in production thanks to a £5 million investment programme at its Gloucester production base.

Solving real world problems.

New R&D competition tasks innovators with solving real-world challenges

A new initiative launched by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVMC) is seeking innovative UK small and medium enterprises whose technology can be adapted and commercialised to solve societal and industry challenges in sectors new to the company.

The Horizontal Innovation Programme, which promotes the transfer of technology from one sector to another, offers UK SMEs access to advanced technology support to enable their innovation or product to be commercialised and help solve problems in one of seven sector categories: healthcare, agri-tech, energy, food and drink, transport, construction and nuclear.

The winner in each category will be awarded up to £50,000 worth of applied R&D support to help adapt and scale up their innovation to for use in one of the seven challenge sectors.

This new Horizontal Innovation Programme builds on the success of its inaugural year in 2016, when the IET teamed up with the Manufacturing

The company manufacturers, packages and exports dental drills and quality dental products to over 90 countries from its purpose-built facility at Waterwells Business Park in Quedgeley.

Prima Dental’s latest investment programme included the installation of new machinery and equipment, together with the recruitment and training of new staff, bringing total employee numbers up to 180.

Technology Centre to call for UK SMEs to solve a real-life healthcare issue. Warwickshire-based 3P innovation, a growing, high technology business was awarded £35,000 for their idea to repurpose a simple ketchup and mayonnaise sauce ‘squeezy’ bottle technology to help solve the problem of catheter associated urinary tract infections in UK hospitals.

IET President Jeremy Watson CBE, said: “The UK is internationally renowned for its creativity, research and innovation, but often technologies or processes can get locked into one sector or industry. We want to break down barriers to sharing ideas to enable innovations to be used where they are needed, and not just in the sector in which they are created.

To be considered for the programme, SMEs should submit a proposal that demonstrates how their technology solution can be used and commercialised to solve a real-life issue in one of the seven sectors. Applications are open until 31 July 2017.

www.theiet.org/horizontal-innovation

This investment means Prima Dental can increase production to nearly 30 million units over the next year.

Prima Dental’s Group Managing Director Richard Muller said: “We are now operating at full capacity across our plant. The plan requires new production space and we are now starting to seek suitable sites to build an additional production facility.”

Photography courtesy of High Value Manufacturing Catapult, based at Solihull

addressing the skills shortage MANUFACTURING:

Chris Mould is a Partner in national audit, tax and advisory firm Crowe Clark Whitehill’s Cheltenham office. He specialises in corporate audit and advisory work with particular knowledge and expertise of the manufacturing sector.

Triggering Article 50 has intensified media speculation about what will happen to UK businesses when we leave the EU. The reality is that no-one knows what the shape of the marketplace will be until deals are agreed.

In the meantime, it is important that the big issue in manufacturing is not swept under the carpet. Whatever the future marketplace looks like, manufacturing businesses will not be able to capitalise on it without a skilled workforce. Manufacturers I have spoken to are desperate to attract the younger generation to a career opportunity many overlook.

Local manufacturers have highly valued, skilled technicians on whom they rely, most of them belonging to the older generation. What happens when the experienced, skilled workers retire? Essential manufacturing skills need to be passed on and retained.

For most of the last 20 years, the UK education system has promoted the advantages of a university education and the attraction of working in service or leisure industries. The importance of manufacturing and engineering skills has been overlooked to such an extent that the new skilled workers needed right now do not exist in sufficient numbers.

T Levels:

The new technical A Levels

Manufacturing

The new £500 million a year investment in T-levels announced in the spring budget gives hope for the future. T-levels will be offered from age 16 and aim to be equivalent to A-levels specifically focussed on vocational technical skills. Fifteen T-level courses will be offered initially. They are expected to include construction, engineering, manufacturing, transport and logistics. The courses will include core subjects such as English and Maths and are expected to require a three-month work placement.

This is great news for the manufacturing and engineering sector as it plans for the mid 2020s, but it doesn’t address the problem faced now. T-levels will not be offered until 2019/20. The problem remains: how to address the skills shortage in the sector over the six to eight years before T-level qualified students start to look for work.

But some students leaving full time education at 18 or 19 could already have the right skills and sufficient interest to get involved in manufacturing, and they don’t have to complete a traditional degree level course to do so.

The government recently introduced the apprenticeship levy to encourage manufacturing and engineering businesses to take on apprentices. While the largest companies are attracting apprentices, smaller specialist firms still desperately need to attract their share of the talent.

Manufacturers: Go back to school

Manufacturing

So what can be done? Communicating the satisfaction of contributing to creating something useful has been overlooked in the drive to encourage students to go to university. There is a positive message which needs to be shared with schools and colleges. Businesses in the manufacturing and engineering sectors need people who are skilled in making things and enjoy it.

Manufacturing businesses need to forge better links with schools and technical colleges. They need to make themselves known as employers with opportunities for students, and provide mentors who can pass on their enthusiasm.

The satisfaction to be had from working in the sector, and being at the forefront of new ideas and new products needs to be shouted from the rooftops. After all, not everyone wants to sit at a desk all day.

CREATING SPACE FOR INNOVATION & COLLABORATION IN OXFORDSHIRE

10m sqft

Volume of science related real estate we currently advise on

No 1

Real estate advisor to the Science & Tecnology sectors

Creating a dynamic environment for driving open innovation and collaboration, with flexible buildings and tenure agreements, as well as social meeting places to facilitate networking are of paramount importance for science and technology businesses.

Bidwells is the Number One real estate advisor to the Science and Technology sector in the UK, currently advising on over 10m sq ft across the Oxford-Cambridge-London ‘Golden Triangle’ – more than any other surveying practice.

This includes Trinity College, the owners of Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge Biomedical Campus and Harwell Campus, Oxford, as well as Imperial College, London, Innovate UK and University of Cambridge.

In Oxfordshire – which is ranked the second most vibrant economy behind Cambridge – Bidwells has approximately 1.5m sq ft in the pipeline of new development serving science and technology Current schemes include:

David Williams

Partner, Business Space Agency

Harwell Campus

www.harwellcampus.com

A Science campus of global significance, with an illustrious history of over 60 years in science innovation

• A masterplan to deliver over 1m sq ft of new labs, R&D and offices plus hundreds of new homes

• Development under way in 2017 for new and expanding organisations:

– Quad One: 27,000 sq ft new Grade A office & labs

– HQ Building: 45,000 sq ft office & labs

– Zephyr Buildng: 60,000 sq ft new R&D, offices and labs

– Various Design & Build for bespoke occupiers

Oxford Technology Park

www.oxfordtechnologypark.com

Oxford’s new 400,000 sq ft Technology Park, adjacent to London Oxford Airport, accessible to Oxford city, A34 and Parkway station

• R&D, office and hi tech buildings from 10,000 sq ft

• Infrastructure work starting imminently

Grove Business Park

www.grovebusinesspark.com

32 acre Park in the high growth Science Vale, on the edge of Wantage

• Planning consent for 217,000 sq ft, creating 400,000 sq ft in total when built out

For further information contact David Williams

01865 592632 | david.williams@bidwells.co.uk

• 85,000 sq ft of speculative new development and refurbishment scheduled by end of 2018

RAF Bicester buildings shortlisted for Award

A stunning restoration of 15 derelict wartime buildings at the former RAF Bicester Bomber Command base in Bedfordshire, has been shortlisted for a Constructing Excellence Award.

The restoration project, carried out by Oxford-based Beard Construction for the base’s new owners Bicester Heritage, is one of five finalists in the running for best Preservation and Rejuvenation project in London and the South East.

The award recognises excellence in the repair, re-use and revitalisation of historic buildings, sites and places in the region. The winner will be announced on 29 June.

The 348-acre site has been transformed into the UK’s first park for the restoration, storage and enjoyment of vintage and classic cars, motorcycles and aeroplanes.

Howbery named Business Park of the Year

Commercial Property

Howbery Business Park has been named Business Park of the Year in the 2017 Thames Valley Property Awards. Dr Bruce Tomlinson, Chief Executive of HR Wallingford Ltd, which owns Howbery Business Park, said: “Howbery Park has developed into a successful business park, and we have continued that expansion with a strong focus on sustainability. All new builds are designed to meet stringent environmental criteria.”

Boston House Business Centre opens at Wantage

Commercial Property

Local businesses and guests celebrated the opening of newly refurbished serviced offices at Boston House Business Centre, Grove Business Park near Wantage.

The new facility provides flexible office space to businesses in the area. The centre is home to approximately 30 existing companies, employing around 90 people.

Boston House can now support a further 35 companies.

David Hill, Director of Grove Business Park Ltd said: “Boston House is located within the area known as Science Vale UK. We believe the creation of high quality serviced offices in the region is essential to keep up with the current demand.”

According to figures released by StartUp Britain, the campaign group for entrepreneurs, there were 719 new companies created in the Vale of White Horse alone, compared to 983 in Oxford in 2016 and 2017 is expected to be another record-breaking year.

Adjacent to the River Thames at Wallingford, Howbery is the UK’s first solar-powered business park, and generates about a quarter of its energy needs from the adjacent solar farm. Tenants include small and family-run enterprises to corporate tenants such as the Environment Agency. Amenities include conferencing facilities, restaurant, gym, sports and social club - even use of a Howbery-owned boat for trips along the River Thames. In recent years, the park has established two new bee colonies, and has created allotments for use by park staff.

Howbery Business Park has planning permission to develop a further 74,000 sq ft of new office space.

Phase Two at Carterton industrial scheme launched

Commercial Property

Phase Two of Three Michaels Yard industrial and warehouse development in Carterton has opened.

The high-specification industrial scheme provides 15,000 sq ft across ten units of accommodation and is notably the first new industrial scheme in West Oxfordshire to be completed in nearly a decade.

The first of the six units of Phase Two is already occupied by One Planets Consultants Ltd, specialists in renewable energy technologies.

Three Michaels Yard is on the established Carterton Industrial Estate, accessed from Black Bourton Road, and provides the only Grade A industrial and warehouse accommodation in the area.

Mark Baxter, Paul Middleton, and Donna Bowles, of Howbery Park with Dr Bruce Tomlinson CEO at HR Wallingford, and BBC Presenter, John Inverdale

Grove Business Park, Wantage

Commercial Property

Garage acquisition fuels regeneration mission

Commercial Property

White Commercial Surveyors assisted by Rapleys have sold Antelope Garage, a 0.9 acre site at Banbury, to Cherwell District Council.

The site will be developed by the council as part of its long-term vision to redevelop and transform Banbury’s canal side into a hive of mixed new development.

Cherwell District Council purchased the brownfield site for £2.15 million.

Adrian Colwell, Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy at Cherwell District Council, said: “This marks the first step towards transforming that whole area into a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses. We are already working to deliver a new cinema, restaurants and supermarket further along the towpath as part of the Castle Quay 2 development.”

Bacterial and viral experts move to Langford Locks

Commercial Property

Commercial property specialists VSL & Partners have agreed a letting at Langford Locks, Kidlington to The Native Antigen Company (NAC) which specialises in the development and manufacture of viral and bacterial antigens.

NAC’s antigens are used by pharmaceutical companies worldwide in vaccine research for viruses like Zika, and by in vitro diagnostic manufacturers preparing tests to identify infections in patients.

VSL & Partners agreed a 10-year lease on 5,000 sq ft of office accommodation at Langford Locks.

Richard Venables, Director at VSL & Partners said: “This deal further underlines the continued demand within the technology and innovation sector, which is the real driver of the Oxfordshire economy at present.”

DCS Group makes a move to Banbury

Health and beauty company DCS Group has moved from its previous base at Stratford-upon-Avon to new premises at Banbury.

Denys Shortt OBE, Chief Executive, said:

“We are delighted that over 95% of our 200 staff have come with us to Banbury. It is a new era in DCS’s story of growth” The Banbury headquarters is a £12 million investment for DCS and covers a 25-acre industrial site.

DCS completed its 23rd year of growth with sales of £212 million in 2016. The company hopes to achieve £222 million sales this year.

New Jennings development opens for European business

Two European businesses have moved to Monument Business Park at Chalgrove, south of Oxford.

Austrian-owned company Knapp UK, a supplier of logistics automation systems and software to clients such as John Lewis, M&S and Boots, has become one of the first businesses to lease space at the Jennings-owned Hampden Field development, alongside German drug regulatory company Eudrac.

Craig Rollason, Managing Director, Knapp UK, said: “Brexit is expected to result in labour shortages in manual warehouses. This could increase the need for automated systems which, in addition to e-commerce, will be a key driver for flexible automated systems for many of Knapp’s retail clients.”

Eudrac’s Managing Director, Carole Pugh, added: “Additional consultancy services will be provided by Eudrac to help our UK and European pharmaceutical clients negotiate their way through new post-Brexit regulations to ensure they are legally compliant when operating in Europe.”

Knapp UK has signed a ten-year lease on an 8,000 sq ft office, with Eudrac taking a 2,500 sq ft office for a five-year period. The new, two-storey 13,000 sq ft building was completed in December 2016 and has just one high-end office suite available.

Hampden Field is part of a phased development that will see a total of four new buildings developed at Monument Business Park.

Monument Business Park, Craig Rollason of Knapp, Sarah Eadle and Paul Mabbutt of Jennings and Carole Pugh of Eudrac

Commercial Property

Commercial Property

Bruton Knowles extends its support across the region…

Property consultancy Bruton Knowles has appointed Peter Hadley as partner and head of professional services at its office in Worcester

Peter has more than 30 years’ experience in the commercial property and professional services sectors, having previously worked at Jones Lang LaSalle, KPMG and Aberdeen Asset Management.

He was also regional managing director for healthcare investor and developer Assura Group Plc for more than six years, establishing a £300 million property investment portfolio across England and Wales.

Peter established his own real estate consulting business in 2012 to provide strategic property advice to executive boards in the public and private sectors, including the NHS. His extensive experience in investment and advisory roles across the

fund and asset management sectors will provide a platform for structuring and delivering property transactions and strategic consultancy advice for existing and new Bruton Knowles clients.

Peter’s appointment is the second in recent months for Bruton Knowles’ Worcester office, Ian Pitt, Partner at Bruton Knowles said:

“We are delighted to have Peter on board at a time when we are gaining real traction in Worcester and the surrounding regions. With his wealth of experience and specialist capabilities in sectors such as healthcare, this high-profile appointment will

bolster our client service for the Worcester office and across the Bruton Knowles network.”

Peter said: “This is an excellent time to be joining Bruton Knowles. The business is enjoying significant growth, demonstrated by the opening of the Worcester office – its 13th in the UK – earlier this year. “There are real opportunities to grow Bruton Knowles’ client base and capability into new sectors and service lines using the highly professional teams across its national network of offices.”

Bruton Knowles cheer ‘wider implications’ of Forest Green’s promotion

three seasons and this year also sponsored player Christian Doidge, one the team’s Wembley goal heroes.

Angus Taylor, Head of Bruton Knowles’ commercial team, said:

their case for improvements both on and off the pitch.”

Forest Green Rovers’ promotion to the Football League underlines the Nailsworth-based team’s need for a brand-new stadium and improved facilities.

That’s according to commercial property specialists Bruton Knowles - who have supported the team throughout the last

“We are really proud not just of the team but also the immense ambition behind their success. Dale Vince has set his sights high but has shown with great determination that if you don’t at first success, try try again.”

“Forest Green’s promotion to the football League will add impetus to Ecotricity’s hugely ambitious plans for the team’s Nailsworth HQ, and supports

For help with all your property matters email Angus Taylor on angus.taylor@brutonknowles.co.uk or call 0845 200 6489

After losing out to Grimsby last season, Forest Green ensured their promotion with three first half goals with Bruton Knowles sponsored player Christian Doidge grabbing one of them. The team’s achievement will provide a welcome boost to Ecotricity’s vision of a Gateway to Stroud incorporating an Eco Park Green Technology Hub, road improvements to the A419 from J13 of the M5 and a new all-wood stadium for Forest Green Rovers.

Ecotricity has applied to Stroud District Council for outline planning permission for the development and has high hopes this will be granted. Angus Taylor said: “If approved, the plans could be a game changer not just for Forest Green and Nailsworth but for the whole of Gloucestershire. We are absolutely delighted for the team and the club and are right behind their vision of operating a local football team on a national stage without compromising their environmental credentials.

Lance Turner, Peter Hadley and Ian Pitt from Bruton Knowles Worcester office

Glass Machinery Solutions opens new showroom

Cathedral Square shapes up

Commercial Property

The £20 million Cathedral Square scheme at Worcester has been handed over to tenants for fit out, ahead of the grand opening on 29 July.

Matthew Meaden of project investors Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund, said: “This redevelopment brings 10,000 sq m of floor space back into use, redefines Worcester’s retail and leisure pitch and brings much needed regeneration to this part of the city centre. We are delighted to be handing over the space to tenants and are looking forward to seeing the completed scheme come together.”

Cathedral Square is over 95% let and

First occupants sought for Rugby’s new restaurant quarter

Commercial Property

The first tenants are being sought for a new restaurant complex being launched in Rugby.

Chapel Street Dining, a multi-millionpound complex located in the former Swan Centre, is set to open for business this summer, and developers Caracal Properties have instructed Harris Lamb to market the restaurant hub to potential occupiers.

Harris Lamb Head of Retail, David Walton, said: “This is an opportunity for established restaurant operators to secure a presence at a high profile, new dining destination.

has attracted new retail brands to the city. David Blake, Managing Director at Worcester City Council added: “The new look Cathedral Square will bring a big boost to our city centre economy, creating great jobs and helping our vibrant city to attract more visitors and shoppers.”

The new line up at Cathedral Square includes Ask, All Bar One, Byron Hamburgers, Cosy Club, Miller and Carter, Fitness4Less, Yo Sushi!, Kung Fu, Starbucks and Wilko.

Cathedral Square includes a new public square, jointly funded by Worcestershire County Council, Worcester City Council and the Worcestershire LEP.

Rugby-based Glass Machinery Solutions Ltd (GMS), which distributes hi-tech glass processing machines, spare parts and consumables in the UK and Ireland, has moved to larger premises.

Thanks to £240,000 funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial, GMS has opened a new showroom & technology centre.

Founded in 2010 by Richard Gerrard and Paul Goodman, GMS is an official distributor for leading global brands. Paul Goodman, Director, said: “We believe GMS can capitalise on the strong momentum it has developed, particularly as demand for our services is at a record high.

Raphael Reith, Relationship Director, Santander Corporate & Commercial, said: “We’re delighted to be able to support Richard, Paul and the rest of the GMS team as they look to invest in the business. What is very exciting is the focus on opening up their facilities via the showroom to the public and showcasing their excellence.”

Mixed use scheme sells in Bromsgrove

Commercial Property

“Planning consent has been obtained for the restaurant quarter, and we’re able to be flexible with the size and layout of the four outlets to meet the needs of the successful occupiers.

Chapel Street Dining faces the newly opened World of Rugby Hall of Fame Exhibition and Museum.

David added: “This is a significant investment into the town and has been met with huge enthusiasm by the local authority, Rugby First and residents.”

A mixed-use office and retail scheme in the centre of Bromsgrove has been sold, in a deal worth £1.3 million, to Birmingham & Regional Properties.

Grosvenor House is a 10,148 sq ft purpose-built parade of four ground floor shop units with first and second floor office accommodation, car parking and loading facilities.

The sale was completed by commercial property consultancy GJS Dillon, on behalf of a private client.

Commercial Property

Axiom Centre sold for new homes

Commercial Property

A Cheltenham eyesore has finally been sold having stood empty for more than a decade following a deal brokered by Bruton Knowles.

The building on Winchcombe Street, built in around 1900, was closed in 2000 leaving the period building to deteriorate. It has now been bought by a Cheltenham developer.

William Matthews from Bruton Knowles’ Gloucester office said: “The site has been sold with outline planning consent for 11 residential units and one retail unit. We were determined to see the property brought back to the public realm, providing the modern apartments the town is crying out for.”

Building starts on new Forest of Dean college campus

Commercial Property

Building work has started on a new campus for Gloucestershire College in Cinderford’s Northern Quarter, following completion of the land transfer between the College, Forestry Commission and Forest of Dean District Council.

The purpose-built Forest of Dean Campus will be located on brownfield land next to Steam Mills Lake and is expected to be completed in time to welcome students in September 2018. Roberts Limbrick Architects of Gloucester have designed the centre for post-16 education, with Barnwood Construction responsible for the build.

The college expects to welcome students in time for the new academic year in September 2018.

Gloucester’s Blackfriars regeneration finally under way

A £135 million master plan for the regeneration of Blackfriars, which received Government go-ahead earlier this year is now powering ahead.

The project includes University of Gloucestershire student accommodation, new homes and retail alongside Gloucester Docks.

Development company Cityheart is building additional accommodation for 295 student beds in Gloucester.

The project will support the University of Gloucestershire’s plans to relocate its Business School from Cheltenham to Gloucester.

The accommodation will be provided in a mix of townhouses, cluster flats and studio bedrooms across four blocks, together with ancillary supporting areas. A newly laid out car park with entrance from Barbican Way will provide a total of 93 additional spaces for public use.

Phase one of the £17 million project is on site. The £22.3 million phase two is anticipated on site in the Summer of 2018.

At nearby Bakers Quay, Rokeby Developments has started on the four acre site next to Gloucester Docks to implement a £55 million regeneration. The main contractor on the project is Gloucesterbased Barnwood Construction.

The site, which has been vacant for over 10 years, includes three listed 19th-century warehouses next to the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. One of the buildings, Provender Mill, will

be converted into residential apartments. On the other side of the development is Peel Developments’ Gloucester Quays outlet centre.

The new leisure scheme is fully pre-let to national tenants Premier Inn, Brewers Fayre and Costa Coffee.

Elsewhere in Gloucester, regeneration across the city is gathering momentum again, after stuttering to a near complete halt for a decade.

Work has already begun on building a £7.5 million bus station in the heart of the city centre and long-term empty sites like the former Kwik Save in Northgate Street/ Black Dog Way are on the verge of being transformed.

Cllr Paul James, Leader of Gloucester City Council and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economy, said: “We have been working with Rokeby for some time now to deliver the Bakers Quay scheme.

“It is highly complex and the commitment the developer has shown to the City has been fantastic. There have been many challenges along the way, not least of which was the fire at Provender Mill [in 2015], but Rokeby have stuck with it, showing great confidence in the city and its future.”

Adrian Goodall, Director at Rokeby Merchant Developments, said: “We hope to have the first phase of development, including the hotel and 46 apartments in Provender Mill, complete in late summer next year.”

Commercial Property

CGI of Bakers Quay, Gloucester

Constructing Excellence Gloucestershire Annual Conference

Constructing Excellence

Gloucestershire’s annual conference was held at Gloucester Rugby Club. With the theme ‘Building Links with Sport’ guests heard speakers exploring the links between construction and sport. Speaker line-up included, Stephen Limbrick, Joint Managing Director, Roberts Limbrick, Helen Taylor, Ambassador at Ecotricity, Alex Gidman, former Gloucestershire cricketer and Stephen Vaughan, CEO Gloucester Rugby. The committee thanked Andy Metcalfe as he handed over as the chair of Constructing Excellence Gloucestershire reins to Kevin Harris.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Rob Lacey

Ben Woodgate from Midas with George Dale of BPE and Andrew Smith of ‎Gardiner & Theobald LLP

Steve Long of CDM with Andy Metcalfe from Speller Metcalfe and Steve Lomax from Stride Treglown

Graham Jackson from BDM Interiors with Robert Walder of Quattro Design and Owen Claridge from 79 Group

Bethan Rees from Abbey Business Group with Jonathan White of Roberts Limbrick and Richard Hastings of Abbey Business Group

CE Gloucestershire board, Mark Price, Vitruvius, Kevin Harris, 79 Group and Anna Wood, BPE

Speakers, Stephen Limbrick, Roberts Limbrick, Alex Gidman, Kevin Harris CE Glos, Helen Taylor, Ecotricity and Stephen Vaughan, Gloucester Rugby Club

Andy Hugginson from EG Carter with Andrew Moon of The P & M Group and Michael Carter of EG Carter

Packed annual CE Gloucestershire conference in the 1873 suite at Gloucester Rugby

Warwickshire Property Forum launches in Gloucestershire

Commercial Property

Warwickshire Property Forum, a regular networking event which brings together property and construction professionals together with associated trades, businesses and experts, has launched in Gloucestershire.

The Gloucestershire launch event took place at The Ox in Cheltenham and saw a substantial turnout from the county’s property professionals.

Eco Park drive for Gloucestershire as centre for green business innovation

Commercial Property

Ecotricity’s vision for a new Eco Park in Stroud could spearhead a transformation for Gloucestershire to become a centre for green business innovation.

The green energy company’s vision of a gateway to Stroud incorporates an Eco Park Green Technology Hub and a new Forest Green Rovers football all-wood stadium linked, through road improvements, to the A419 from J13 of the M5.

Ecotricity has applied to Stroud District Council for outline planning permission for the development.

According to Angus Taylor, Head of Commercial at Bruton Knowles’ Gloucester office: “At stake is a 100 acre sports and green technology centre with a further 50 acres dedicated to new sporting facilities, including the football stadium for Forest Green Rovers and the promise of up to 4,000 new jobs for the region.

“The Eco Park would help redefine the county’s commercial landscape, bringing new build commercial stock to the market and improve the local infrastructure.”

Book suppliers begin new chapter at Mill Place

Commercial Property

In one of the biggest warehouse deals so far this year, online book suppliers Reuseabook has secured 75,000 sq ft of warehouse space at Mill Place in Gloucester from developer Robert Hitchins.

Bruton Knowles and Alder King acted as joint letting agents for Robert Hitchins.

Robert Smith from Bruton Knowles’ Gloucester office said the major deal involved no fewer than 260 tons of books being transported by 18 articulated lorry trips and 105 van journeys with 20 removal people over eight days.

Healthcare operators expand into Tewkesbury office space

Commercial Property

Healthcare RM, which specialises in integrated health services for corporate organisations, has taken approximately 9,300 sq ft on a 10 year lease at Ashvale 2 near Tewkesbury, following a deal brokered jointly by Bruton Knowles and John Ryde Commercial.

The group delivers integrated health management support for major employers. Healthcare RM has relocated from elsewhere in the town.

Alan Gellatly, General Manager of Healthcare RM said: “We have secured new high profile contracts and it was essential we remained in Tewkesbury but close to the motorway network.”

He added: “The region has also benefitted from the surge in internet shopping leading to increased demand for storage and distribution facilities with good transport connections.”

Reuseabook was founded in 2008 by husband and wife team Ami Baker and Rob Hollier who were aiming to reduce the number of books sent to landfill every year. The company now employs 35 staff and sell pre-used books all over the world.

New healthcare centre in Gloucester finally gets planning permission

Commercial Property

A new healthcare centre for Kingsway on the outskirts of Gloucester has taken a major step forward after planning permission was granted by Gloucester City Council.

Rosebank Health has an agreement to buy the brownfield site south of Rudloe Drive from developers Robert Hitchins Ltd and proposes to build an 11,668 sq ft state-of-the-art healthcare centre to serve thousands of patients.

Building is set to begin this year and will bring a significant piece of the Kingsway infrastructure to fruition.

Reuseabook Director Ami Baker

Employee ownership gloucester business into new era powers

The John Lewis Partnership is the UK’s largest example of worker co-ownership. Staff own the business, and from the boss to the Saturday shelf-stacker, everyone receives the same percentage pay-out based on company results.

Now Severn, one of the UK’s top ten green printers (which also prints this magazine), is setting a similar example.

Gloucester-based Severnprint was established in 1977 by Ken Pealing. Ken’s three sons, Simon, David and Nigel joined the business a few years later.

David Pealing explains the background: “Severnprint provided a customer focussed printing service in an industry dominated then by craft print companies supplying print on their own terms, rather than when the customer needed it.”

Ken Pealing and his wife Doris worked together in the business. “They’d always been careful with resources and hated waste,” says David. “It was their approach to reducing, reusing and recycling which drove our environmental improvement.” In recent years the company has brought its initiatives under the control of formal environmental management systems, ISO14001 and the coveted EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Standard). In 2013 it rebranded as Severn to reflect its widening range of print-related services.

In 2014, Severn received an unsolicited approach by a potential buyer. “It was clear the company wanted the business as a way of raising finance, and Severn and its employees would have faced uncertain futures,” explains David.

They rejected the approach, but it kickstarted a discussion on succession planning.

What was needed was a business model which included the interests of the employees, most of them long serving. It also needed the flexibility to allow for a sudden departure of a family member

should they fall ill, die or retire. The solution seemed to lie in employee ownership.

Moving the business to employee ownership took about 18 months, this included a ballot of all employees. The result was an overwhelming yes to the plan.

The process also had to allow the business to development. Shares had to be transfered to a new Employee Trust, which has the ultimate control.

Recruiting the right managing director was crucial to steer the business forward. “We were very fortunate to welcome Ian Smith to the business as our new managing director,” adds David.

Recruited from a senior role within a large printing corporation, Ian has already made many positive improvements.

How have things changed since April?

“The atmosphere is very different, the realisation of the responsibilities and possibilities are just beginning to be felt,”

Young Adult Carer Futures business networking event

Gloucestershire Young Carers charity brought business leaders face to face with young carers to talk about careers and education recently. Midcounties Coop, Lloyds Banking and G E Aviation were among the companies represented. Around 40 young people attended with questions on careers, and stories of the personal challenges they face juggling education, job seeking and training with their caring roles.

Young carer Kieran, said: “It was a fun and exciting way to find out about different careers and jobs from people in the business.”

David says. “We are getting the trustee board in place and the employee board members are being elected.”

Severn is keen to share its experience with other businesses. “I have never felt more positive about the future of Severn,” he adds. “Ian has affirmed what a great company this is and has exciting plans to build different parts of the business. There is a buzz and a renewed determination from everyone to build further on 40 years of achievement.

“And I’m hoping to continue at Severn for as long as the company wants me.”

Oxford funding network celebrates 10 years

The Funding Network Oxford held its annual crowdfunding event recently in support of four local social change projects: Windrush Bike Project, SAFE (tackling youth crime and bullying), The Porch which helps the homeless and vulnerable develop employability skills and Home-Start Oxford, supporting positive parenting.

Since 2008, the network has raised almost £36,000.

The audience heard a short pitch from each of these projects, followed by a live crowdfunding session during which audience members pledged their support.

Trusted Proof of Presence

Provides trusted proof that a person was at a given location at specific times, allowing for various time and location events.

Trusted Proof of Compliance

Allows you to demonstrate that you have complied with all relevant legislation and regulations ensuring a safe environment.

Key and Asset Management

Improving the management of keys and assets via an efficient, secure process which allows you to manage the retrieval of assets and demonstrate the professionalism of your processes and systems.

Trusted Proof of ID

Is a secure ID card system, which cannot be copied or cloned, allowing for absolute verification of an individual’s identity.

Lone Worker Safety

Helps ensure the safety of employees when working alone, allowing them to record and monitor their movements.