The Business Magazine SE - January 2024 Edition

JANUARY 2024

south east & oxfordshire

INSIDE:

FACES OF THE FUTURE APPRENTICESHIPS REPORT TECH PANEL SOLENT 250 COOL CO-WORKING SPACES Regional Round-ups Career Ahead Round Table Reports Deals Manufacturing Real Estate

JANUARY | LAUNCHPAD

A TIME TO PAUSE AND REFLECT Our mission to champion regional business will accelerate in 2024 The Christmas and New Year break was a time to pause, look back – but more importantly look forward.

At The Business Magazine, we were able to reflect on a year which saw our publication cement itself back into the region’s business community following a pause due to Covid.

Website traffic to The Business Magazine has more than doubled over the past 12 months and 2023 also saw us launch a locally-focused business news website in Hampshire following our acquisition of Dorset Biz News in January last year.

Our roundtable programme continues to go from strength to strength and the power of the format, in bringing people together in a vibrant forum, can be seen in our latest reports in this issue. One focused on construction produced in partnership with law firm Herrington Carmichael, and the other on life sciences in partnership with law firm Freeths and Milton Park, one of the UK’s largest business parks.

November also saw the launch of the first Hampshire Business Awards with almost 500 people attending our gala awards at Farnborough International Exhibition

and Conference Centre to celebrate the achievements of the county’s businesses.

Our South West edition has also expanded its editorial coverage with an enhanced focus on Bristol where we have also increased our circulation reach.

Like any business, however, there is no option to stand still, and we have ambitious plans for the next 12 months which will see us continue to champion regional business.

Quarter one will see the launch of a new property podcast, bringing the region’s property industry together to debate the topics sparking conversation and debate.

NOVEMBER

Our deals coverage is also being refreshed with a new deals portal launching on The Business Magazine website that will celebrate and promote the latest transactions across the region.

Our events team will continue to deliver best-in-class events and have exciting plans for the upcoming year.

I wish all our readers a Happy New Year and, as always, our door is always open should you have business success stories to share.

2023

south east & oxford shire

INS IDE :

BU IL DI NG FOR TH E FU TU RE R.I.P LEPS – WHAT’S REGI ONAL BUSI NESS NEXT FOR SUPP ORT 10 COOL SPIN -OUT COM PANI ES NEED TO KNOW : EDGE COM PUTI NG CELE BRAT ING 30 YEAR BUSI NESS MAG AZIN E S OF THE Skills Deals Science & Techn ology Manufacturing

Stephen Emerson Managing Editor stephen.emerson@thebusinessmagazine.co.uk

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10 FRONT COVER FEATURE: FACES OF 2024

20 AMBITIOUS LEADERS MARK CONSTANTINE, LUSH

28 REGIONAL FOCUS

06 IN THE HEADLINES

REGIONAL FOCUS

PLATFORMS

Highlighting some of the biggest business issues from across 28 Thames Valley 31 Solent & South Coast 35 Surrey, Kent & Sussex 37 Oxfordshire

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Deals Career Ahead Tech Panel Manufacturing Real Estate

JANUARY 2024 | CONTENTS

IN THE HEADLINES

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FRONT COVER FEATURE: FACES OF 2024

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We introduce you to some of the most exciting business people who we think will be making a splash this year

Ambitious Leader: Mark Constantine, Lush

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Lush is the poster-brand for ethical Cosmetics. We meet the man behind it

69 APPRENTICESHIPS

Round Table

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Tech disruption of the construction industry offers opportunities says Herrington Carmichael tech panel

Regional Round-up

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Business news from across the Thames Valley, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, the Solent and South Coast

Deals

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We report on the biggest financial and legal deals across the region

Thames Valley Deals Awards

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We reveal the winners and pictures from the night

Career Ahead

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Hampshire Business Awards

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We reveal the winners of our new Hampshire Business Awards

Tech Panel

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Our panel introduces the tech companies which they think have a bright future

Manufacturing

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Lush rejects mass automation on the factor for real people

89 10 COOL CO-WORKING SPACES

Solent 250 Awards

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We showcase the winners and pictures from the night

FEATURE: APPRENTICESHIPS NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK RUNS FROM 5-11 FEBRUARY. WE LOOK AT WHAT’S ON OFFER ACROSS THE REGION

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Round Table

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We meet some of the region’s most exciting life sciences companies and discuss the future for the sector

Real Estate

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10 Cool Co-Working Spaces

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IN THE HEADLINES

Former army commando’s CBD oil business now worth £5m A former army commando and boyband star living in Lymington, Hampshire, has created a company selling CBD oil which is now worth £5 million.

Farard Darver, 45, founded Wimbornebased Healthcare International Research in 2019. He says he has turned down substantial offers for the company and received backing from businessman Sir Ian Prosser and ex-Ruffer Investment director and partner Tim Youngman.

But the firm’s story starts when Farard suffered a leg injury after his vehicle hit a Taliban trap during an operational tour of Afghanistan.

He underwent three operations on his left leg, culminating in a total hip replacement. He tried everything to manage the pain, finally discovering CBD. “Getting injured in Afghanistan thwarted my ambition of joining the special forces but I used the tools the army gave me to plan the business and launch it,” said Darver.

“My best friend suggested trying CBD oil. He was living in the Czech Republic where the healing effects of CBD were discovered in 1955 and it was really good.

“Although I stayed in the army, after the first two operations I was never the same and after using CBD I decided I had to leave and set up my own business – the CBD was that good.

“Before I left I did my research and prepared as much as I could, then invested everything I had. I even sold an Indian ring and bracelet my father had given me for my 18th and 21st birthdays.

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Eight historic windmills currently owned by Kent County Council may find a new owner in the coming months as the council looks to find alternative arrangements for the Windmills’ ownership.

Farard with his Hempe and Mother Sage products

“They are absorbed through the skin via transdermal penetration; this is what makes them unique. There is no need to swallow anything – just rub it on to your skin.

“The products are formulated at molecular level by Czech scientists. They are unique and have won many awards.”

His company sells two brands, HEMPE for health and wellness and MotherSage for beauty and skincare.

“The HEMPE products provide natural relief for sore muscles, joints and inflamed skin.

And the MotherSage range does amazing things for general skincare,” he added.

Farard is the son of an Indian airline pilot and moved to Ireland aged 11 when his father became one of Ryanair’s first flyers.

After school he sang with boybands Men2B and Area 4, supporting Westlife and other Irish stars – even hitting the charts.

He moved back to England and worked as a solo artist before deciding to make a big career change and ended up going to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

“My house was at risk and I had a wife and two children and then, just as I launched the business, Covid came.”

He was commissioned into the Royal Logistic Corps and ultimately became a Green Beret Commando.

Farard said the products became “really popular because they are natural, and unlike other CBD oils you don’t ingest them”.

CBD is a chemical found in the cannabis plant but without the psychoactive THC element.

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Kent County Council looking to sell historic windmills

The council said: “Due to ongoing financial challenges faced by the council, we are looking at where savings can be made. One possibility is to find alternative arrangements for the ownership and/or financial responsibility for the windmills.”

While no decisions have yet been made, if the move is given the goahead it would achieve a saving of about £800,000 up until 2029.

The windmills under consideration are Chillenden Mill, Union Mill, Herne Mill, Drapers Mill, Meopham Mill, Davison’s Mill, West Kingsdown Mill and Stocks Mill.

The county council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for Environment, Tony Hills, said: “We are proposing to change the ownership arrangements of the eight windmills currently owned by the council, which would allow us to contribute towards closing our budget gap.

“This would allow us to make a reduction in our day-to-day spending on towards running costs and maintenance for the windmills. No final decisions will be made until all views collected are reviewed.”

IN THE HEADLINES

CGI of Oxford North’s unique new cycle pavilion

Timber cycle pavilion at Oxford North gets go-ahead from city council A unique timber cycle pavilion is to be built at Oxford North – the £700 million innovation district currently being developed on 64 acres of land next to Oxford’s Wolvercote roundabout.

Oxford City Council has approved plans for the scheme, which were designed

by Fletcher Priest Architects on behalf of Oxford North Ventures, the joint venture company of Thomas White Oxford.

The two-story building has been inspired

David Camp, chief executive officer of Stanhope, said: “Our project is focused on transforming travel habits and making cycling more convenient and sustainable for those working and visiting the district.

Philip Pryke, senior associate at Fletcher Priest Architects added: “It is about ensuring the building is visible and accessible from all sides meaning that, along with the A40 and A44 cycle improvements, the decision to cycle to and from Oxford North will be as easy as possible.”

“We have located the pavilion at the masterplan’s heart to celebrate the bicycle as a mode of sustainable transport.”

The Oxford North project will deliver one million sq ft of new labs and workspaces including a new innovation centre, and 480 new homes.

by wheel spokes and will sit alongside the planned Red Hall and central park.

Thames Valley Assembly event hears from political heavyweights The Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce held a political question time-style event as part of its Thames Valley Assembly project.

The event was attended by parliamentarians Lord David Blunkett, Theresa May and Catherine Bearder.

The assembly, being promoted by the Chamber, is a new initiative to strengthen the regional voice of business and help future proof the competitive edge of the business community at a time of significant political and technological change.

Held at the University of Reading, the event was co-hosted by Pro-Vice Chancellor Robert Van de Noort.

It includes employers and anchor institutions such as leading universities and healthcare providers, reflecting a diverse crosssection of the regions’ economy.

The focus was on the future competitiveness of the Thames Valley and saw a capacity audience from the Chamber’s Business Alliance, the Thames Valley Assembly members and students from the university.

Paul Britton, CEO, at the Thames

Valley Chamber of Commerce, said: “I was delighted to introduce the new Parliamentary Question Time and such a remarkably experienced panel. Through events like these, our goal is to ensure a broad range of local businesses from micro to multinationals are engaged and applying their industry experience to decisions that will be made about our business environment.

“Our Chamber is in a unique position to provide that breadth of engagement, and only strengthened through working with a respected anchor institution such as the University of Reading.”

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IN THE HEADLINES

The electric waste collection vehicle in front of Highclere Castle, a Grundon customer

Grundon in UK first as it launches all-electric waste vehicle Waste management company Grundon has launched the first Scania all-electric commercial trade waste collection vehicle in the UK.

our drivers, customers and the planet,” said John Stephens, Grundon’s logistics general manager.

Costing half a million pounds, the vehicle will serve Reading and Newbury businesses and be based at Grundon’s operation at Beenham, between the two towns.

“This puts us in pole position as more towns and cities move towards adopting low emission zones; it is also a big step forward in helping local businesses to achieve sustainability targets by reducing carbon emissions through net zero waste collections.”

“We’re aiming to deliver a greener, cleaner collection fleet which is better for

During 2023, the company has invested

£5 million in its fleet as part of its commitment to achieve net zero.

Three repowered electric waste collection vehicles, converted from existing diesel vehicles, were unveiled last year.

A further two all-electric vehicles have now joined the fleet, taking the total to six, while a further investment of £6.5 million will see that figure at least doubled this year.

Business booming for Surrey-based Natural Baby Shower “We can deliver most items the next day if they are ordered by 4pm,” said Vaughan.

Business is booming at Natural Baby Shower, the eco-friendly nursery goods company. This year turnover expected to be more than £30 million this year compared to £16 million in 2020.

The Bracknell business was started by couple Clifton Vaughan and Victoria Hampson 18 years ago after they couldn’t source sustainable natural baby products for their children in the UK. Sales have grown 75 per cent in the last three years alone and the firm has more than doubled its staff to 75.

Clifton said: “We have just moved into a new warehouse in Bracknell that is big enough for us to triple our sales and still not move,” he said.

“Running a business can have an

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“I have been with Brightpearl for 10 years and it gives me accurate figures on my orders, financials and stock.

Clifton Vaughan and Victoria Hampson

impact on the natural environment so we ship in as few deliveries as possible, only use sustainable materials and source products with lifespans that go the distance.”

The company has now brought in software automation from Brightpearl and Inventory Planner for its ordering and stock control.

“We then push all that data into the Inventory Planner software so that we can generate accurate information on the stock we require in future.

“It means our whole sales process is automated through these two key pieces of software.”

As well as the successful website which generates 95 per cent of sales, the couple, who live in Ottershaw, also run a babycare shop in Bagshot.

FACES OF 2024

FACES OF THE FUTURE

Entrepreneurs across the region are hoping this year their idea could be the one everyone talks about

By Nicky Godding and Daniel Face

When we talk about entrepreneurs, names that trip easily off the tongue include Sir Richard Branson, Sir James Dyson and Dale Vince. But Sir James is 76, Sir Richard is 73 and Dale, 62.

We’re not being ageist – we’d be stupid not to acknowledge that just one day in the company of any of them could teach us more than a year on an entrepreneurship course – our point is since they came to our notice in the 1980s – the business landscape has changed almost beyond recognition.

So who’s in the running for the-most-talkedabout-entrepreneur for the 2020s?

We can think of a few. Stephen Fitzpatrick, 46, established Ovo Energy in 2009 buying and selling electricity to domestic homes.

Seventeen years later, as if establishing one of the UK’s most successful energy suppliers wasn’t enough, he set up Vertical Aerospace in Bristol to revolutionise urban air mobility and electrify air travel.

He now wants to build the most advanced electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft – and has gained support from across the industry.

Then there’s Ben Francis. This 31-year-old from the Midlands is co-founder of athleisure brand Gymshark, which he established in 2012 with Lewis Morgan while they were still at university. Ben is now CEO of the £350 million turnover Solihull brand.

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Stephen Bartlett, 31, who moved with his family from Botswana to Plymouth when he was two, founded a social media company which sold for millions. He then became a Dragon on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den and more recently he has set up the successful podcast, Diary of a CEO. Spot something? They’re all men. There are entrepreneurial women of course – Victoria Beckham, 49, is now known as much for her successful fashion brand as for being a Spice Girl.

Dame Sharon White, 56, is the boss at John Lewis and Karren Brady, 54, was the managing director of Birmingham City Football Club before becoming Sir Alan Sugar’s aide in BBC’s The Apprentice.

Female entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds experience the biggest barriers to success, but location is an important factor, irrespective of ethnicity and gender.

Greater London is the toughest place to be an entrepreneur, while entrepreneurs in the South East and North East see most success, according to research.

What do you need to succeed in business? Vision, creativity, decisiveness, resourcefulness, persistence – but most of all you need to have an idea and really believe in it – and in yourself.

Our feature showcases entrepreneurs from across the region, who are making it happen.

Mike Allender and Gina Felce, Roblox

Mike and Gina make games for Roblox – but their sights are set on the metaverse A 16-year career in gaming has taken Mike Allender across the world, from Cambridge to Barcelona to India, then back to the UK for a job with King (think Candy Crush). He later moved into consulting, where he met Georgina Felce.

Gina is relatively new to the industry, having started off in costume for TV and film. She enjoyed a three-year stint at a small games studio before the parent company pulled the plug, and she found herself at a crossroads. But Mike had a plan.

A recent contract with an American client saw him working within the virtual world of Roblox, and he immediately recognised the potential. In fact, a small handful of dedicated studios had already sprung up in the States to develop games specifically for the platform.

And so it was that in January 2021, Mike and Gina got together to co-found their Bournemouth studio Talewind. Things quickly took off with an initial $800,000 investment round, and the following year they launched their first game, Breezy Bay, to great reception.

It wasn’t a solo effort. The pair have assembled a small, fully remote team of artists and developers who each enjoy a four-day working week, with none of the intensive ‘crunch’ periods which often plague the industry.

Although Roblox has so far been Talewind’s bread and butter, Mike and Gina won’t be tied down if they sense a change in the wind. Their ambition is to become ‘the leading content creator for metaverse platforms’ – whether that be Roblox, their latest venture in The Sandbox, or something entirely new.

FACES OF 2024

Existing skincare products weren’t cutting it for Sian, so she’s made her own For any entrepreneur who pours their life and soul into a new venture, their business is their baby. Nobody knows that better than Sian Louise.

for their skin ailments. But because the ingredients I was using were the best I could find and all organic, I knew it would cost me a lot of money.”

Before the first Covid lockdown, she’d undergone two rounds of IVF and endured two heart-breaking miscarriages. All the while, the treatment was playing havoc on her skin, leaving her plagued by adult acne and in need of a good skincare routine.

But nothing was working.

Money which she’d been saving for a third round of IVF, but which she instead decided to pour into a new business, Obvs Skincare (Organic, Biodegradable, Vegan, Sustainable).

So Sian got to work, channelling her MSc and weeks of research into a formula which would actually do the job. After plenty of trial and error at her Hampshire home lab, the Intensive Skin Recovery Cream was born. Sian’s acne cleared up within a week.

Sian Louise, Obvs Skincare

“That’s really when it caught on”, she said.

“All my friends and family wanted to try it

From the get-go, Sian was anxious to avoid greenwashing. She secured certifications from the Soil Association, Vegan Society and Cruelty Free International – all before launching – and her shea butter is sourced from a women’s institute in Ghana.

Obvs Skincare is now stocked in Superdrug and recently launched in the EU through a third party. Sian’s next stop is the US – “I just need to get a few more ducks in a row!”

Pallavi’s homewares honour people and planet, just as her mother once did Growing up in the green foothills of the Himalayas, Pallavi Ghosh was always taught to cherish nature. Her mother, Madhu, was a trailblazer in sustainable living, ever reusing and recycling.

But it was Madhu’s passion for handcrafted, artisan goods which really shone through – and which Pallavi would carry with her to London as she embarked on a career in luxury hotels, surrounded by artisan decor.

“She always had an eye for treasures”, Pallavi recalled.

“She was very tactile, judging the quality of materials by touching. ‘Look Pallavi!’ she’d say with joy. It used to pinch her that she didn’t have the money to decorate her home in the way she dreamed of.”

Before long, Pallavi had started her own family in Milton Keynes and settled into a steady career in finance. That was, until

Pallavi Ghosh, Anav Home

the country was plunged into lockdown.

Suddenly the home was a much greater space in everybody’s lives, and it got Pallavi thinking.

Her business, Anav, launched online in April 2021, selling natural homewares according to the 3Ps – Product, People, Planet. Pallavi champions handcrafted goods and the artisans who create them, ensuring that they use 100 per cent natural and sustainable

materials in all aspects of the design process. Just as Madhu taught her.

She’s since become an ambassador for the British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme, through which she secured a £19,000 loan to buy stock and cover warehouse expenses for Anav.

“I hope to show people that it’s never too late to chase your dream.”

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FACES OF 2024

Alexandra Auger, The Juice Executive

Luke Chapman, Earth Broadband

Among industry dinosaurs, Luke’s green broadband package is a breath of fresh air Luke Chapman hasn’t always had his sights set on growing his own business.

After falling in with the wrong crowd at school, he dropped out of mainstream education and received a disappointing set of GCSE results – four Fs and an E.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME – JUST ASK JUICE GURU ALEX Over the past nine years, Alexandra Auger has grown The Juice Executive from a small operation in her parents’ garage to a leading brand in the world of cold pressed juice.

Plenty of things have changed since 2014. The award-winning business is now based in a purpose-built facility in the Kent countryside, with Alex leading a team of around 20 staff. They’ve also added smoothies and dairy-free, nutbased ‘mylks’ to the menu.

But many members of that growing team were some of the first people to join the company, and many of the juices pressed to this day stay true to Alex’s original blends. If it ain’t broke...

Of course, change didn’t come overnight. The first milestone for Juice Executive came in 2015 with a move

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to a small production unit in Chatham, which remains part of the current site.

Alex took on her first employees and found her first white label clients.

That same year saw the launch of THINK Press, a direct-to-consumer brand of organic, blast-frozen juices.

It was only in the midst of the pandemic that Alex bit the (nutri) bullet and invested £125,000 in what would become the company’s new Lordswood home.

Juice Executive is fresh off an acquisition by London-based Nurture Brands, but it’s business as usual, Alex assures. She’s sticking around as MD of the company which, in all the most important ways, still resembles that small garage operation of almost a decade before.

“I was convinced that the exam paper represented my future”, Luke recalled. “I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that if I stuffed this up, that was it, my life would be ruined. I just wanted to cry.”

Over the next few years, he dabbled in various trades – plastering, telesales – but it was a trip across Indonesia, where he saw the devastating effects of climate change and plastic pollution on the local wildlife, that set him on a new path.

Luke had always been interested in tech, so combining that with a new-found passion for climate action, he set up Earth Broadband in April 2022.

The pitch is simple. “Every month we use our customers’ money for good, planting five trees and removing a pound of plastic from the ocean” – all at no extra cost.

It’s already proven a popular model not only with eco-conscious consumers, but also those who are simply fed up with the usual industry suspects and their confusing, expensive broadband packages.

With a small but growing team behind him and a recent £300,000 crowdfunding campaign under his belt, Luke is now looking to target the B2B market and help businesses meet their net zero goals.

FACES OF 2024 Dr Alison Callwood has dedicated more than 20 years to academia, working her way up to a senior lectureship in midwifery at the University of Surrey.

While she still holds that post to this day, it’s no longer her sole focus.

Dr Alison Callwood, Sammi-Select

Throughout her career, Alison had identified major shortcomings in the traditional interview process. Not only is the typical approach slow and cumbersome, it also introduces a great deal of bias, particularly against neurodivergent candidates.

By 2020, it was time to act. For Alison, that meant “totally stepping outside my comfort zone, leaving my secure bubble in healthcare education” – and founding Sammi-Select as a spin-out from the university.

ALISON IS TURNING THE TRADITIONAL INTERVIEW ON ITS HEAD WITH A QUICKER, FAIRER ALTERNATIVE

Her proprietary model works through the industryproven Multiple Mini Interview method. Recruiters record and upload their questions, then candidates submit their answers asynchronously at a time and place convenient to them. Information is fed back with an AI-assisted evaluation.

Sammi-Select saves around 70 per cent of the hours spent on a traditional interview process. That soon proved a major selling point for the business as the pandemic brought about an explosion in the online recruitment space – not to mention several grants through Innovate UK. For Alison, though, it’s all about encouraging a diverse and inclusive workforce by fixing the problem at its source. “This work is not a luxury. It’s vital.”

Joanne’s game-changing tech balances screen time with physical activity Joanne Redmile enjoyed a highly active upbringing. By the age of 18, she’d represented her native Zimbabwe in rowing, squash and sailing. But when she moved to the UK she realised just how expensive and inaccessible sport can be for some youngsters.

Joanne’s husband Brian built an initial prototype bike for the approval of their son, Christian, before the couple turned to keen gamer and cyclist Michael O’Driscoll at Aetha Design to flesh out the model.

How do many of them choose to occupy their time instead? In front of a screen. So be it, thought Joanne – but what if that didn’t mean hours sitting about on the sofa?

The potential is enormous – the bike can be made compatible with top games like Forza Horizon, Need for Speed and the F1 series, and with the backing of a £50,000 grant from Innovate UK, Joanne is taking her prototype on the road for gamers to try out first-hand (or feet first).

Enter TurboGaming, the Bournemouth business behind a pedal-powered games controller bringing a healthy dose of exercise to the usual sedentary gaming experience.

“I’m passionate about changing our culture’s relationship with gaming”, she said. “It doesn’t have to be ‘the enemy’ that drives a wedge through happy families.

Joanne Redmile, TurboGaming

“With the right controller, gaming can be an entirely guilt-free activity offering both mental stimulation and physical challenge.”

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FACES OF 2024

Kathyrn Burn, Pyjamily

Ben Towers, Towers Design

Ben has been his own boss for more than half his life.

And he’s only 25 Kent-born Ben Towers may be the youngest entry in this lineup, but he could have landed a spot as early as 2011. That’s when he launched digital media agency Towers Design, a move to formalise the freelance web design he’d been doing for friends and family at £50 apiece.

By the time Ben made his exit at the age of 18 – securing a multi-million-pound merger – he’d scaled up the business to a team of 26 and worked with brands like Pot Noodle, Virgin Racing and Amazon.

So what next? Some consulting here (GSK, national government), some angel investments there (PRESS London, MiiCare), but after a few years, it was time for a new venture.

Ben co-founded Happl, formerly Tahora, with Mike Rose in January 2020. The business aims to consolidate all facets of employee benefits and engagement on one platform, saving companies time and money.

“As we move to international remote workforces, admin and compliance often limit the effectiveness of how we’re engaging our teams”, Ben explained.

“Happl is the inclusive tool we wished we had at our old companies, helping increase personalisation whilst decreasing admin.”

Ben has also signed up with Founders Pledge, committing a portion of proceeds from any future exit to social causes, and delivers the odd keynote speech sharing his story as a young entrepreneur.

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WHY STOP AT CHRISTMAS? KATHRYN’S MATCHING PYJAMA BRAND IS NOW YEAR-ROUND Kathryn Burn will already be a familiar face to any viewers of BBC’s The Apprentice.

She made the finals in 2022, but just missed out on Lord Sugar’s investment.

By no means has that put the brakes on her business vision, which began with My Christmas Pyjamas – matching PJs for the festive season.

whole family in matching pyjamas. Six weeks later, we went live.”

From there, it was constant expansion.

What about pets? Kathryn began stocking pyjamas for dogs. Why stop at just Christmas? The brand grew a year-round offshoot, Pyjamily.

“It was August 2018”, said Kathryn. “I was living in Sydney and I’d planned to go back home for Christmas. I was on the phone to my Mum and said, ‘we should all get matching pyjamas’, but I didn’t know where I could get them from.

Kathryn is back in the UK with the business operating out of a dedicated fulfilment centre in Swindon. The festive period alone generates a six-figure turnover, and in 2022, My Christmas Pyjamas sparked up a partnership with Hilton London Metropole.

“I worked day and night trying to find patterns and prints that I loved, and soon became obsessed with the idea of the

She’s also converted her TV stardom into a healthy social media following and taken up motivational speaking to inspire others.

Will Arinze, The Drone Rules

FACES OF 2024

WILL HAS LOFTY AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF DRONES – AND HE’S BRINGING A WHOLE GENERATION WITH HIM Nothing can keep Will Arinze on the ground. For more than 10 years he’s immersed himself in the world of aviation, whether running flight simulations or joining an organisation for students to get handson with space exploration.

One day, Will may be consulting for big players in the unmanned aerial systems industry – the next, he’ll be heading off to classrooms across Oxfordshire and beyond to help inspire the engineers and enthusiasts of tomorrow.

Not long out of university, Will joined Thales, working his way up to the role of sales engineer. But in 2021, he decided to go it alone and launch The Drone Rules, educating anyone who will listen on the ins and outs of drones.

That usually involves teaching youngsters to build, code and operate drones, but lately he’s added another layer to his STEM education offering.

Together with co-author and illustrator

Bryanna Clare, Will was able to realise an idea he’d been tinkering with for the past five years – a fictional city supported by a fleet of friendly drones, where ‘Paw Patrol meets Pixar’s Cars’.

The pair launched Ruby Rescue and the Big Fire on their Drone City Books imprint last October.

He now has plans to share the stories of Señor Secure, Phoebe Photo and Scotty Rocket in the months to come.

Rohan and Akshay see the world differently. Now their customers can too While shopping online has become an ever more attractive prospect, one advantage which brick-and-mortar stores have always maintained over digital retailers is the ability for customers to try on their products.

It may be a long time before technology can hope to truly replicate that experience – though Brighton entrepreneurs Rohan Satpute and Akshay Saswade aren’t far off with their remote sales business, Sprie.

The AI-powered online platform allows users to see products in 3D. So what? It’s been done before, usually in the form of a 360-degree spin. But those are notoriously expensive to produce, say the co-founders, delivering a static and uninspiring customer experience.

Sprie is all about interactivity. Customers can rotate, zoom, and most importantly, try on products in real time using augmented reality. It’s an ideal solution for headwear and eyewear, the two categories currently supported by the platform.

Both hailing from Pune, India, Rohan and Akshay have already

Rohan Satpute and Akshay Saswade, Sprie

secured contracts with some of the world’s leading luxury eyewear brands.

The figures they bring to the table are certainly impressive. Sprie boasts 70 per cent cheaper prototype costs, 38 per cent higher order value and a whopping 90 per cent reduction in returns from unhappy customers.

And investors clearly agree, as the pair managed to secure £300,000 through a funding round in early 2023.

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FACES OF 2024

Sarah and Mattias Wernér, Husmus

Sean Dickinson, Unicard

Riding the wave of success

NOBODY LIKES INSURANCE – BUT SARAH HAS A SOLUTION FOR LANDLORD AND TENANT Sarah Wernér has always been an overachiever. She was head girl at school, studied at a top London university and rose up the corporate ladder. None of that could prepare her for the challenge of starting her own business.

But start one she has, and it’s Bracknellbased Husmus – home and rental insurance driven by a bespoke behavioural algorithm, which draws upon user data like Open Banking to provide landlords with the ideal tenant.

That’s good news for both parties, as it allows tenants to bypass all the added security costs associated with renting – from deposits to advance payments.

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If anyone should know, it’s Sarah and her husband and co-founder Mattias. They’ve been on both sides of the coin and realised the typical renting experience is no smoother for landlords than it is for their tenants.

Sarah said: “Nobody likes buying and interacting with insurance – you don’t get great experiences. And that’s what we’re looking to change. We’re trying to remove the initial bias that people may have against people just because they don’t know them.”

It’s an idea which has already impressed investors at South East Angels, encouraging Sarah to champion other underrepresented founders looking to pitch their own ideas to business leaders.

Sean Dickinson was appointed CEO at Unicard, the Wimbornebased smart ticketing and payment provider to the public transport sector in 2020.

The company was established in 2000 as Smart Cities, a European project managed by Schlumberger with the goal of introducing a single, all-access smartcard to Southampton.

Three years later it was acquired

by Peter Verrept who created Unicard. In 2022 Innovate UK awarded funding to Unicard to develop Smart Ticketing Broker, to help it develop a solution enabling seamless travel and payments, at the best price, for an estimated 1.5 million UK bus passengers every day.

Sean previously held senior roles at Ericsson and Synchronoss Technologies and is now driving expansion of the business. In August the company announced it had bought Ecebs from global payments company Visa. Unicard said that Ecebs’ contactless EMV solution, which allows passengers to tap in and out using a payment card, will significantly enhance its capabilities.

FACES OF 2024 Nicolas Gillanders, South Coast Insulation Services

WARMING TO HIS INDUSTRY, NICOLAS GILLANDERS IS ON THE ACQUISITION TRAIL In 2018, Nicolas Gillanders bought the company where he trained as a cavity wall and loft insulation installer. Now South Coast Insulation Services is on the acquisition trail. In May it bought the Gloucestershire-based Cotswold Energy Group.

Today the Southampton business has profits of nearly £9 million and employs 220 people, working to improve energy efficiency in social housing and private properties across the UK. Nicolas is also designing and developing two eco-friendly, affordable homes in Hampshire and says that maintaining a consistent and forward-thinking UK energy efficiency policy is key to the country’s decarbonisation plans.

Writing on the Open Access Government website, he urges the government to learn from past mistakes and seize new opportunities.

“Green mortgages offer a significant opportunity for consumers to access energy-efficient upgrades affordably.

With zero per cent interest options, homeowners can make upgrades without taking a hit in their monthly mortgage costs.”

There must be a data-driven approach to guide performance effectively, he says.

“If this is done correctly, it can accelerate energy efficiency efforts, with quantitative data playing a pivotal role in shaping informed policy decisions and encouraging consumer adoption. Specifically, advocating for smart meter data to be publicly available is essential. With 20 million potential smart meters in the UK, the data can be leveraged to help the energy efficiency industry target properties that most need support.”

Fostering cross-industry cooperation can act as a vital catalyst he says. The alignment of assessors, brokers/lenders, installers, and consumers throughout the retrofitting and energy efficiency installation process is important in effectively driving transformative change.

“And instead of gradually introducing stricter PAS standards (PAS - Publicly Available Specification is a fast-track standardisation document) which could significantly impact the well-being of homeowners and occupants, we should instead implement measures that remove obstacles to the widespread and affordable adoption of energy-efficient upgrades.”

Illness gives Bal the time to dream up his business ambition When an injury left Bal Sandher bedridden for six months in 2008, the 22-year-old biomedical science graduate decided to fulfil a lifelong ambition of starting a business. “I had nothing but time, so I taught myself everything, from building a website to marketing,” he said. He sourced a popular hangover cure from Ireland and began selling it online.

One product swiftly became 50 and Bal pivoted the business to become a contract manufacturer of sports supplements and nutrition.

Nutra Direct is now a £20 million turnover business, manufacturing a wide range of supplements, with gummies, plant-based meat, and international expansion coming this year.

In 2020 the company moved into new, purpose-built 40,000 sq ft premises in Rochester, Kent. Another 35,000 sq ft facility followed in 2022, with new manufacturing avenues such as Vitamin Gummies and Chocolates.

Bal was recently named in LDC’s 50 Most Ambitious Business People of 2023.

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

PASSING ON THE BUSINESS GENE When you run a family business, legacy planning will be a recurring theme throughout your entrepreneurial journey. Here we take a look at how you can prepare the next generation when ceding control of the family business and the tax implications of transferring your assets.

One of the key benefits of having a succession plan in place is that it helps to ensure a smooth transition of wealth and assets to future generations.

A well-crafted plan can help to minimise conflicts among siblings and other family members and ensure the family business or assets are passed on in a way that is fair and equitable to everyone involved.

Another important aspect of succession planning for families is preparing the next generation for their role as stewards of the family’s wealth and assets. This process can include providing education and training on financial management, as well as fostering the development of important skills such as leadership, teamwork, and decision-making.

By preparing the next generation for their role in managing the family business or assets, parents can increase the chances of success and ensure their legacy lives on.

BENEFITS OF LONG-TERM PLANNING

Long-term succession planning provides

many benefits. One of the main advantages is that it gives the next generation ample time to acquire the necessary management skills and for you to evaluate their performance.

You will have the opportunity to guide and mentor them throughout the process and determine if they are ready or not to engage and take an active interest in an entrepreneurial legacy.

Another benefit of succession planning is that it empowers family members and other stakeholders to make knowledgeable choices regarding their future within the company.

Planning a successful business succession can take years, so it’s never too early to start thinking about the handing over process.

SG Kleinwort Hambros’ Wealth Planners and our Trust company are well aware of the dynamics of this stage of the entrepreneur journey. SG Kleinwort Hambros does not provide tax advice but

jeremy.hill@kleinworthambros.com 020 7597 3445

would work with tax and legal specialists to consider shareholder structuring, longterm incentive plans, family investment companies, trusts etc….

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION FOR SUCCESSION?

If you’re a business founder or owner, at some point you will pass the control of your business to the next generation.

Ultimately you may hope that your children will one day take over and the earlier you can start planning for that transition, the better.

A common approach is to have children work in different areas of the business to familiarise themselves with its operations.

Young children can learn a lot by example.

Taking them along to work and introducing them to people who help run your company, can give them a feel of how things work.

Older children can play a more active

PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

role. You can take them to events or get them to do tasks in the company such as assisting you with computer work.

As they get older, you can give more responsibilities and include them in leadership meetings. Once they develop an interest in a particular role or department, their role can grow into a formal internship in which they learn about the business and careers available.

Getting children involved in this way can give them valuable insight into the history of the business and how it is run.

Moving family members through the different levels of the organisation gives them a chance to learn about the different areas of the business. This approach not only helps them learn about the technicalities of the business but also gives them valuable management experience.

TAX IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSFERRING YOUR BUSINESS

Succession planning is important because it tackles any legal and potential tax issues before they become problems.

Before you pass your business on, you’ll have to decide how you want this to be done. Are you planning to give it away entirely, partially or will your children be buying it? If they are acquiring some or all the shares of the business, will they need to secure financing?

If you’re looking to pass down your business to your children, one way you can do this is by transferring share ownership to them.

However, there may be capital gains tax (CGT) and inheritance tax (IHT) consequences on any such transfer.

One potential way of managing such a transfer might be to consider putting the company shares into a Trust and hold over any capital gains at the point of transfer so they are not immediately payable (should you and your business qualify for this relief). The Trust will have to pay tax on the gains when any eventual sale completes, but the original owner might not have to pay anything at all. The timing and nature of the business are crucial and so advice should be sought.

If you pass on your business to your children, you can protect your spouse through alternative suitable investment, pension, and life insurance arrangements.

Jeremy Hill, Senior Private Banker at SG Kleinwort Hambros, says: “We understand that private businesses are different from other types of companies. Roles and relationships can be complex, yet every founder is passionately focused on the legacy they have created and see themselves as the steward for future generations.”

Whichever route you decide to take, the SG Kleinwort Hambros Wealth Planning team can help you take control of your future.

We will partner with you, legal, tax and accounting experts, and can also introduce you to our carefully selected network of professionals to explore:

Ownership – creating different share classes and applying different voting rights can help family members exit the business when they think the time is right.

Corporate governance – making sure you have a clear system of rules, practices, and processes by which your company is directed and controlled.

Values – setting out ways to align your family values with your company’s purpose, including your approach to sustainability.

We can also help prepare the next generation through initiatives such as our Finance Academy that aims to give our clients ‘children a clear understanding of the financial industry and the chance to make the most of their wealth and the opportunities available to them.

FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER. 1. A well-crafted succession plan can help to minimise conflicts

among siblings and other family members.

2. If you want your children to take over, the earlier you start

planning, the better.

3. Getting your children to work in the business while they are

young can help them learn about how it works.

4. Succession planning can help tackle tax issues before they

become a problem.

5. One way you can pass down your business to your children

by transferring share ownership over to them.

SG Kleinwort Hambros does not provide tax advice. The level of taxation depends on individual circumstances and such levels and bases of taxation can change. You should seek professional tax advice to understand any applicable tax consequences.

MORE INFORMATION:

The Wealth Chat

A well-planned business exit

To read more entrepreneur articles or to listen to The Entrepreneurs Chat podcasts, scan the QR code.

For more information Contact Jeremy Hill SG Kleinwort Hambros, Newbury Office jeremy.hill@kleinworthambros.com 020 7597 3445 SG Kleinwort Hambros Bank Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. The company is incorporated in England & Wales under number 964058 with registered office at One Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 4SG

AMBITIOUS LEADERS

LUSH Mark Constantine

MARK’S LUSH

AMBITIONS SMELL GOOD

Lush is the poster-brand for ethical cosmetic manufacture and ethical business. We meet co-founder and CEO Mark Constantine

by Nicky Godding, Editor

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AMBITIOUS LEADERS

You can’t miss a Lush shop on the high street – the smell of its cosmetic and beauty products burst out from the doorways like fireworks on the fifth of November, and gazing too long at the day-glo colours of its unique bath bombs (each one made by hand), could send you cross-eyed.

There are nearly 1,000 Lush stores worldwide and its biggest to date opened in Glasgow in December.

It was The Body Shop which pioneered ethical beauty in the UK in the 1980s with its smelly (in a good way) and colourful unguents in their refillable plastic bottles lined up on rustic wooden shelves.

The brand lost its way in the mid 2000s after a surprise sale by its founder, Anita Roddick, to L’Oreal and two subsequent sales since then (most recently in November when it was sold on to investment company Aurelius Group which hopes to “re-energise an iconic global beauty brand …”).

I don’t really rate its chances because for the last 20 years or so its ethically and socially responsible successor, which has more personality and authenticity, has been Poole-based Lush Cosmetics, still owned and led by its founders – one of which is its charismatic CEO who also drives product development, Mark Constantine (his wife Mo is also a founder).

Mark knew Anita well because he made products for The Body Shop. That was before he set up another company, Cosmetics to Go, a successful mail order business which grew faster than it should – and went bankrupt in 1994.

However, from its ashes arose Lush a year later, using the more than a decade’s worth of experience of its founders and which has since grown into a global cosmetic brand with an annual turnover of more than £650 million.

It manufactures in Poole and has a further six manufacturing facilities around the world – in Canada, Japan, Croatia, Germany and Australia – plus smaller “fresh” kitchens in an additional fourteen locations globally.

Lush also has eight spas across the UK – with more to follow. It has also opened its first hairdressing salon in Brighton – a new initiative which has been a few years in the planning. The first Lush HairLab offers botanical hair washing, herbal head spa experiences, hair cuts, henna and styling.

Making a stand on ethical and social issues Lush is very public about its ethical credentials, investing in sustainable practices, employing people in its manufacturing facilities rather than in a lot of automation, and committing significant sums to reducing, reusing or recycling excess products.

Mark also doesn’t drive, preferring to cycle to work in Poole (he lives nearby).

The company isn’t afraid of making a stand of social issues too and came off social media in 2021. Mark rails against the evils of platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

“Do you understand how many people commit suicide,” he says as we meet at Lush’s Poole HQ. “It’s the number one cause of death in Britain in people under 35 and social media contributes to it. We don’t need to contribute to that.”

But doesn’t it affect sales? “Probably. We don’t know how much money we would have made if we’d been on social media, and we’ll never know.

“But we read the data, talked to people and came off.”

The company also caused controversy in 2018 when it campaigned against undercover police operations.

“We supported women who had unwittingly slept with undercover policemen and had their children. We got pilloried but were supported by the then shadow chancellor John McDonnell.

“As an entrepreneur, I was far too busy striving and achieving and all the rest of it. But he gave me a salient lesson in solidarity which I appreciated and haven’t forgotten.”

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AMBITIOUS LEADERS

Lush’s customers recognise and buy into its authenticity. No brand is perfect – but Lush goes further than any other I know in this respect, and these days consumers are quick to call out a brand that falsely claims to believe something it doesn’t because it might sell more stuff.

Mark leads the company as CEO, but his happy place is in research and development, where he spends as much time as possible.

“I work with my colleagues from invention through product development to how the products will look in the stores – how we present and explain it. I hate packaging but I have been persuaded to sell shower gel because it’s important to fulfil the customer’s every need as well as encouraging them to try new products. And we have a recycling point in every store so that customers can bring back the plastic pot and get 50p off their next product.”

Keeping it fresh and exciting Most cosmetic companies use preservatives in their products. Lush’s selfpreserving products have been formulated to support the skin’s natural functions while having minimal interference. More than 90 per cent of Lush products are selfpreserving, which means that they don’t require any synthetic preservatives to keep them fresh. Formulation is key in its fresh products which have a use-by date on them and the name of the person who made each one.

Entering a Lush shop is an experience, which is carefully designed and curated at Lush’s Poole headquarters. Here Mark’s team design store layouts, from small to medium and large – and are well-prepared for him to step onto their store set designs in the factory to provide a running critique of what has been put where.

He points out to various products as we walk through. “Because we are an ethical business, our vegan friends think we’re bonkers using honey in some of our range, but it’s a natural product and we work with beekeepers who manage their bees as nature intended.”

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We pass Lush’s toothpaste range. “I’m experimenting with sleepy toothpaste, which contains a formula to aid sleep.

“We invented the shampoo bar, and we’ve probably sold more natural henna hair colour than anyone else.

“We invented the bath bomb too.” (His wife Mo was the catalyst for this, experimenting with formulas in her garden shed. The company now annually makes around 13 million bath bombs in its Poole factory).

Lush is privately-owned and thanks to its adaptable workforce and distain for widespread automation, can produce new products quickly – unlike some of the world’s biggest beauty brands.

“By the time some of our bigger rivals have caught up with us, we’re on to something else,” said Mark.

Despite being 71 years old, Mark is as ambitious for the business as when it was founded in 1995. “We probably represent around one per cent of the global beauty market, but we have a brand with huge

global recognition, and I want to continue expanding our share. Everything about the Lush model is right – we make quality goods, we don’t have to pay back investors, we have little bank borrowing and plough money back into the business and into the communities we support.”

Would he ever sell the business? “No, that’s a stupid question. We have an Employee Benefit Trust so if there is a need for us to give up shares, they go to our employees and their share will build up over time.”

When he’s not working (and having spent time with him I doubt he ever truly switches off from Lush), Mark enjoys family – he and his wife Mo have three children (two work in the business and one in an affiliated business) and 10 grandchildren. He is also a keen birdwatcher.

“I’m enjoying myself – I’m really good at what I do and want to continue researching and developing new products.”

Read our report on Lush manufacturing on pages 60 and 61.

PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

AI for SMBs The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the UK is leading to unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation among organisations. However, as with any powerful tool, it comes with its own set of risks, particularly for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). This article delves into the impact of AI on the UK industry and the potential dangers that SMBs need to be aware of.

The AI Revolution The UK’s AI market has a value of over £16.9 billion and is expected to grow to £803.7 billion by 2035.

Approximately one in six UK organisations have embraced at least one AI technology already.

AI technologies range from data management and analysis to natural language processing and generation, machine learning, AI hardware, and computer vision and image processing. We can use it in our day-to-day working environment to: 1. Automate routine tasks, freeing up valuable time for strategic planning and innovation; 2. Allow employees to focus on more fulfilling and complex aspects of their roles; 3. Spark creativity by providing unique insights and suggestions.

The Risks for SMBs Despite the numerous benefits, AI presents several risks, particularly

for SMBs. AI has officially been classified as a security threat for the first time in the National Risk Register (NRR) 2023. This classification underscores the need for SMBs to commit more resources to IT security and to stay vigilant.

AI technologies give rise to multiple security and safety challenges of varying severity and urgency.

These risks can be particularly daunting for SMBs due to: 1. Limited resources and expertise; 2. Misinformation and fears about job losses prevalent among UK SMBs; 3. Data security concerns – data protection is a significant concern for 63% of UK SMBs. Mitigating the Risks To mitigate these risks, SMBs need to invest in robust cybersecurity measures and employee training.

They should also consider partnering with IT service providers, who can offer expert guidance and

support in navigating the complex landscape of AI technologies.

The UK government and regulatory bodies need to play a proactive role in establishing clear guidelines and regulations for AI use. This will help ensure that AI technologies are developed and used responsibly, without compromising security and privacy.

Translating these guidelines and regulations into your own organisation is then a logical next step, which many businesses and public sector organisations will look to government and technology bodies to guide them with.

AI offers immense opportunities for growth and innovation, but it also presents significant risks, particularly for SMBs. By investing in cybersecurity measures and adhering to best practices, SMBs can harness the power of AI while mitigating the associated risks.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, ongoing vigilance and adaptability will be key to navigating this exciting yet challenging frontier.

Contact Aura Technology

Excellence in IT

auratechnology.com 03333 208 601 tim.walker@auratechnology.com

HERRINGTON CARMICHAEL ROUND TABLE

TECH DISRUPTION OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY OFFERS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Artificial intelligence could revolutionise industry – but checks and balances remain vital

By Stephen Emerson, Managing Editor

Roundtable Participants Moderator: Stephen Emerson, Managing Editor at The Business Magazine

Tom Lampard, Property Director, Lok’nStore Self-Storage

David Ayre, Director, architects Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt

Jason Lebidineuse, Director at architectural practice Scott Brownrigg

Will Barrett, Managing Director, Francis Construction

Cesare McArdle, Partner at Herrington Carmichael

Joseph Cutting, Principal Adviser at A4G Chartered Accountants

Alistair McArthur, Partner and Head of Employment at Herrington Carmichael

Jonny Denton, Group Sales and Land Manager, Darcliffe Homes

Ian McFadyen, Client Director, insurance brokers Verlingue

Ed Drysdale, Director TPArchitects

Melissa Magee, Managing Director at architectural practice Carless + Adams

Liz Hailey, Partner and Head of Real Estate, Herrington Carmichael Edward Jones, Legal Director at Herrington Carmichael

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Paul Nash, Construction Consultant at Jansons Property Oliver Wilson, Director at Thames Valley Surveying

HERRINGTON CARMICHAEL ROUND TABLE

David Ayre Oliver Wilson

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could transform the construction sector, however the road ahead must be carefully navigated.

This was the message from a round table hosted by Herrington Carmichael with The Business Magazine which looked at where the industry will be by 2030.

of Real Estate at Herrington Carmichael, who said it was vital that experience within the industry was protected.

Jason Lebidineuse

The discussion at the law firm’s new Farnborough office was attended by architects, developers and property agents from across the South East.

“This only comes from years of working in the industry and we have to protect this learning and knowledge alongside embracing the positives that AI can bring.”

David Ayre, Managing Director of Hampshire architects Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt, said construction was ripe for tech disruptors.

He said: “AI can have a positive impact on the planning system as the whole process needs to be streamlined, especially the automation of application validation.

Construction is probably one of the last inefficient industries, and I think we will soon see disruptors looking to change and speed the market up.”

Jason Lebidineuse, a director at Scott Brownrigg, which has offices in Guildford, said the increase in film industry construction had accelerated the pace of change in the sector and region by adapting methods of construction to be more sustainable.

“Artificial intelligence will have more impact on high tech buildings such as data centres, logistics, manufacturing and life sciences. It will help run these better, making them more efficient, with the opportunities of digital twins.

“The film industry is also driving technological changes in our built environment. We are already seeing virtual stages which means there is far less travel required by whole production teams.”

Ed Drysdale, Director of TPArchitects in Maidenhead, said technology was already improving safety in the industry through

She said: “AI can supplement and speed things up, however there is an issue around protecting knowledge that allows the output of AI to be checked, humanised and put into context.

Ed Drysdale

using data collected from wearable devices which could be processed by AI. He said: “Some companies now put wearable technology on employees which links with equipment to prevent injuries. I think the data that will emerge from the use of this technology will help make the industry safer.”

David Ayre said the construction sector’s skills base would be transformed by advancing technology.

“We will, in future, be as likely to bring programmers into our business as chartered architects because we are going to need different skills.

“With the demand for digital twins, there will be a need to generate information quicker so we will need the rights skills in the industry.”

However, notes of caution were sounded about the proliferation of AI –particularly around the protection of skills alongside the enshrinement of checks and balances.

Oliver Wilson, Director of Reading-based Thames Valley Surveying, queried AI technology oversight and warned about the risk of human checks being watered down.

He said: “The risk with this increase in data comes from who is validating it? Who is making sure that it is correct? It has to fall back to an experienced individual to review and check it is accurate and being used for the right purposes.”

The importance of human expertise was also underlined by Liz Hailey, Partner and Head

Liz Hailey

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HERRINGTON CARMICHAEL ROUNDTABLE

Jonny Denton - Country Estates

Will Barrett

Construction on front line of climate change The construction industry is on the front line against climate change and can make a seismic impact on carbon emissions during the building process and through the entities it creates.

The UK has a reputation as a world leader in sustainable technologies having made notable advances in developing smart grids, offshore wind and offering incentives for drivers to switch to electric vehicles.

Managing Director at Thatcham-based Francis Construction, Will Barrett, said: “If we sit back and rest on our laurels, then we’ll miss the opportunity.

“The United States announced its green bond investment schemes and could quickly overtake us. We need to seize the initiative and take advantage of the prime position we are in. The construction industry can play massive role in being part of the solution.”

David Ayre called for tax incentives and a change of mindset in an industry whose default was to knock down buildings and start over again.

He said: “If we are going to stand a chance of keeping global temperatures down, the whole retrofit and refurbishment agenda needs to be reviewed. There has to come a time when VAT on refurbishment is reduced to zero per cent to incentivise change.

“We also need to look at the global building stock and consider if we have come to the limit – has the world has reached its upper limit of ‘built form’. Is knocking down a building and starting again the right option?”

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Mel Magee

Jonny Denton, Group Sales and Land Manager at Reading developer Darcliffe Homes, said the market had slowed the drive towards sustainability.

“The industry has made strides in sustainability, but we are all still working out the best way to approach the issue, and until the industry has got through this experimental period of what works, it isn’t going to be a buoyant time for house building.

“Delays in the planning system will also be a major factor in the lack of activity in 2024.

“Operating costs have increased and the market has had a bit of a wobble, combine that with an interest rate hike and it is currently a perfect storm.

“Everyone wants, and is aware of the need to be green. But these methods are more costly.

“The hope is that more opportunities will open up for people in the drive for sustainability and with more trades available in the market to choose from the costs, service and knowledge should improve as a result.

“Changes to building regulations have led to all sorts of interesting discoveries for house builders in terms of cost increases. I look at a lot of sites and with the new regulations, it is difficult for developers to make them viable.”

Financial institutions, however, are driving change in the industry through their insistence on companies having strong ESG (environmental, social and governmental) credentials before lending.

Melissa Magee, director at Slough architects Carless + Adams which focuses solely on designing integrated retirement communities,

Paul Nash

supported living and care accommodation, echoed this point while also highlighting the issue of stranded assets in the care sector.

She said: “In our sector, banks are insisting upon an ESG strategy from a business.

The industry as a whole is learning to jump through hoops to make this work.

“We’ve got a massive challenge with stranded assets in the care sector A stranded asset is an old building that, if rated now, will be deemed as not fulfilling sustainability requirements.

“The challenge is funding the upgrade of these buildings so that they meet these requirements.”

Paul Nash, a construction consultant at Buckinghamshire-based Jansons Property, also pointed to how to finance the upgrade of legacy building stock.

He said: “The moment you talk to an investor, the first thing you must do is demonstrate your credentials around ESG. “The country has a major issue with the amount of existing legacy stock. The ability of this stock to achieve an E let alone a B rating is going to require massive investment.”

Planning – a hot political topic Planning looks set to be a hot topic at the next election with Labour and Conservatives both setting out their stalls on how they would reform the system to help ease the country’s chronic housing shortage and boost economic growth.

Labour has pledged to build one and a half

HERRINGTON CARMICHAEL ROUNDTABLE

Ian McFadyen

Alistair McArthur

Tom Lampard

Cesare McArdle

Joseph Cutting

million homes over the next decade and streamline the planning process, while focusing on affordable homes and new towns.

The growing skills shortage

“By 2030, the way successful construction businesses work will be very different.”

Like many industries, construction has a growing skills shortage due to an ageing workforce, Brexit-induced labour shortages and pandemic disruption.

Liz Hailey said change was becoming the new norm and companies in the sector had to adapt to a more unpredictable world.

The Conservatives also say they would make it easier to build on brownfield sites.

Property Director at Farnboroughheadquartered Lok’nStore Self-Storage, Tom Lampard, said a change of government would not necessarily result in an improvement to the planning system.

“If another government comes in, we will get another set of planning rules, but they never take away the last set, so you just get layers of bureaucracy and complexion.”

Client Director at Redhill-headquartered Verlingue, Ian McFadyen, said the fragmentation of the planning system presented a significant challenge for the construction industry.

He said: “There are 12 different regions of the UK and 12 different planning rules.

We need consistency. Even with a different government, I can’t see this changing.”

Partner at Herrington Carmichael, Cesare McArdle, who specialises in construction law, underlined the issue of inconsistency on the industry.

He said: “The number one barrier to development is the length of time it takes to get through planning.

“Different councils have different lead times but this issue is across the board.

Sustainability also presents challenges - there is a demand for car parking spaces when new offices are being built in local towns, but how do you align that with encouraging people not drive to work?”

Partner and Head of Employment Law at Herrington Carmichael, Alistair McArthur, said the industry must make itself more appealing.

“We need to recognise the skills shortage, he said. “There is new talent but it must be harnessed. The industry needs good quality people and we need to address this issue.

“We need to look at how talent is created through our schools, colleges and apprenticeships schemes. How should we encourage young people to join and develop a successful career in the sector?”

Construction sector seeing fundamental change Construction, and the wider economy, is undergoing fundamental change due to technological advancements, the need for sustainability and international pressures.

Legal Director at Herrington Carmichael, Edward Jones, said: “The advent of AI is an industrial revolution moment. We are only seeing the start of what it can do and how it will affect skills in the construction industry.

“The next two or three generations of AI and its application will be transformative. That, and other factors in the UK and Internationally, put us all in a phase of fast-paced evolution.

“We will look back at Brexit and say that was the start of a decade of significant change.

“We have rising debt levels, increased funding costs, skills shortages and sustainability issues. We also have global crises left, right and centre which impact the market. But there are opportunities and a lot to be positive about. There are risk factors that we can’t control but we can influence.

It is hard to say whether, by 2030, the impact of COVID and the subsequent rising costs will start to level out.”

Ian McFadyen said the UK construction market was still an attractive place to invest in. “There are a lot of European companies coming to the UK construction market, so I see real positives that people want to come here and work.

“I work for a French company, and I’m seeing other European companies coming into the UK. It’s important to be positive – there’s a lot happening in the sector.”

Principal Adviser at Kent-based A4G Chartered Accountants, Joseph Cutting, said that he could see increased opportunities for smaller players.

“We are seeing fewer residential developments so people are building smaller projects. The massive high-rise flats aren’t happening anymore, which could be linked to new restrictions.

People are trying to avoid larger projects so the market, from what I can see, is shifting to smaller projects and as a result smaller contractors are benefitting.”

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REGIONAL FOCUS THAMES VALLEY Stage Fifty’s Winnersh Film Studios

and facilities to bring their creative projects to life. Ultimately, it’s about giving our clients more choice on the lot.”

STAGE FIFTY ANNOUNCES KEY STUDIO EQUIPMENT PARTNERSHIP Studio operator Stage Fifty has announced a partnership with Universal Production Services.

Universal will now become the exclusive lighting and equipment supplier for all Stage Fifty studios.

Stage Fifty has UK studios in Winnersh, Farnborough and Wycombe.

CEO James Enright, said: “Our partnership with Universal Production Services is a

milestone for Stage Fifty. We’re excited to be working with such a fantastic team whose experience and knowledge align with our vision.

“Partnering with a company that is part of the iconic NBCUniversal family is truly an honour. This collaboration marks the next step in our journey to elevate the production experience for our clients. We’re committed to providing exceptional audio-visual facilities across our sites and supporting productions with cutting-edge technology, equipment,

Universal Production Services offers a large inventory of LED lighting technology and traditional lighting fixtures, along with truss, motor and other rigging equipment.

Rob Garvie, Senior Director of Universal Production Services UK, said: “Joining our industry-leading lighting & rigging equipment and expertise with Stage Fifty’s advanced facilities and forward-looking strategy will deliver a high-quality experience for the production community.”

Stage Fifty is now exploring growth opportunities across various European sites and is currently looking to develop facilities in Spain.

The company is looking at new opportunities and structuring crew incentives to attract international productions to the Valencia and Murcia regions.

Berkshire LEP hails ‘new start’ for county at annual conference Westcoast has been appointed distributor for Boom Collaboration

Westcoast seals major video conferencing supply deal Westcoast has become the official UK distributor for Texas-based video conferencing firm Boom Collaboration.

The Theale-based tech supplier will supply the complete Boom Collaboration range to more than 5,000 active trade resellers across the country and beyond.

Boom Collaboration specialises in conferencing cameras, video bars, personal devices and audio speakers Westcoast’s business manager Sam Armstrong said: “Boom Collaboration might be a relatively new conferencing name but the company has quickly built an impressive reputation and a very comprehensive product portfolio, which covers everything

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from personal workspaces to huddle rooms and large boardrooms.”

Boom Collaboration was established in 2020 by founders Fredrik Hörnkvist and Holli Hulett.

Hulett said: “We are young and fresh with new ideas, backed by years of personal experience that already makes us experts in this field. We are not afraid to stand out, be bold, brave and loud and do things a little differently. A disrupter to take on the field.

“It’s about offering the highest levels of support to resellers through the distribution channel and going the extra mile with Westcoast. We don’t want to just stay in the middle lane.”

Berkshire LEP laid out its vision for the future at its annual conference, which brought together more than 100 guests at CAMPUS Reading International. The conference also saw the launch of ‘A New Start for Berkshire’, a review of the LEP’s 2021 Recovery and Renewal Plan.

It comes after the chancellor’s decision to transfer responsibility for economic strategy to local government from April 2024 – but the LEP was keen to emphasise its continued collaboration with Berkshire’s six local authorities.

LEP Chair Bob Beveridge said: “Berkshire has maintained higher productivity per head than London.”

He put the strong performance down to the county’s knowledgebased economy, with strengths in technology, life sciences and increasingly the creative industries.

REGIONAL FOCUS THAMES VALLEY

MCLAREN’S REVS UP BID FOR SUSTAINABLE F1 CAR

McLaren will be trialling the use of recycled carbon fibre on its MCL60 Formula One racing car at this year’s US Grand Prix.

The trial is part of an effort from the team to develop a fully circular F1 car by 2030 and to help identify and test technologies that will help it reach its net zero targets.

The carbon fibre was developed in collaboration with composites organisation V Carbon.

Piers Thynne, Chief Operating Officer of the McLaren F1 Team,

said: “We’re proud to team up with V Carbon to lead the charge in sustainable materials, running with recycled carbon fibre at the Austin Grand Prix.

“V Carbon offers up to 85 per cent of carbon fibre original strength, making it strong enough for a variety of applications in F1, and beyond.”

The benefits of using recycled carbon fibre include a 90 per cent reduction in life cycle emissions compared to standard carbon fibre.

Mayor Councillor Tony Page cuts the ribbon

Artist’s Impression

HS2 viaduct milestone reached

HS2 workers have lifted the first of 72 huge beams that will support the deck of the Thame Valley Viaduct.

Open space completed at Huntley Wharf development Building works continue at pace at Berkeley’s Huntley Wharf development in Reading with the development hitting a major milestone after the completion of a public open space at the development.

Elkie Russell, Managing Director at Berkeley Homes (Oxford & Chiltern) said: “We are delighted with the progress achieved at Huntley Wharf.

“We were joined by development partners, L&Q, in welcoming The Mayor, Councillor Tony Page, members of Reading Borough Council, representatives from Reading’s Economy & Destination Agency and Huntley Wharf residents, to celebrate the opening of the new Riverside Square. It provides access to a previously inaccessible stretch of riverside, creating a new public realm.”

Engineers at the site near Aylesbury used two cranes to lift the 25 metres long beam into position on top of the viaduct supports.

In October, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled the second phase of HS2 which would run from Birmingham to Manchester due to spiralling costs. Trains will now travel on high-speed lines only between London Euston and Birmingham when the line opens between 2029 and 2033.

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

True life science innovation requires a pan-European approach Innovation should not be restricted by geographical boundaries. We must think beyond regional and national activity to overcome universal challenges — and when Europe is home to 36 of the top 100 universities in the world, greater collaboration, not competition, will ensure the global pre-eminence of the European life science sector.

Europe as the home of life sciences innovation

The importance of life sciences clusters

Life sciences innovation through European collaboration

Although many life sciences businesses choose the US as their home, global pharmaceutical companies are increasingly looking to Europe thanks to its world-class resources and talent. The continent is home to five of the world’s top ten life sciences universities, employee salaries are reasonable, and large-scale R&D projects can prove more profitable than in the US.

Narrowing down the right location in Europe can be a tricky task. From construction to day-to-day operations, having the right real estate in the right place is essential for innovation. To maximise the speed to market and success rate of innovative businesses, customer-centric real estate models are vital. Real estate organisations are now behaving more holistically and collaboratively, working with public and private sector stakeholders in policy and commercial support to drive innovation.

The value of pan-European collaboration is to create opportunities for people from different locations to meet each other, both digitally and physically, and create collaborative and symbiotic relationships.

Not only do these networks drive transparency and keep all companies at the forefront of developments, but they also push companies to be more competitive and innovate at pace. This includes evolving internal operations and standards, with greater visibility of sustainability and ways to reduce emissions shared freely to promote best practices.

Initiatives such as InvestEU’s Life Sciences Programme Loan scheme and grants of planning approval for new innovation hubs across Europe highlight government support of the sector, with world-leading pharma and biotech companies such as Novo Nordisk, Roche, Novartis, Sanofi, and GlaxoSmithKline all calling Europe home. With such abundant life sciences excellence across the continent, these businesses need infrastructure that supports their innovation and research and can open the door to further development, collaboration, and opportunities.

Beyond local life science developments, a pan-European approach can help us overcome common global challenges.

This cross-border connectivity brings together innovative minds, partners, and clients to create a space for continentwide collaboration, connecting with those further afield to unlock resources across research, knowledge, talent, and capital.

These networks serve as communities for like-minded businesses and individuals and create links between the right people, both inside and outside of building walls.

Europe is uniquely poised to accelerate innovation in life sciences. With access to top-tier talent and facilities, true value will be unlocked through an integrated scientific community that transcends national borders.

Gathering innovative businesses in builtfor-purpose flexible real estate encourages collaboration and competition. And when all locations are connected, the sector can show true progress towards shared goals and ambitions. It’s simple – international challenges require international collaboration.

kadans.com

REGIONAL FOCUS SOLENT & SOUTH COAST

Farnborough Airport

Farnborough Airport submits application to secure its future Farnborough Airport has submitted plans to Rushmoor Borough Council proposing changes to the way the Airport operates and for enhancements to its community funding programme.

According to spokespeople for the Airport, the application ‘directly reflects valuable feedback that the Airport received from residents and stakeholders’.

The airport has consulted on plans to amend its annual flight limit from 50,000 to 70,000 per year alongside other operational changes to meet the longterm market demand for business aviation connectivity from Farnborough.

With Farnborough Airport contributing £200 million to the local economy each year – supporting many thousands of jobs directly and indirectly – it sees these changes as benefical to the economic prosperity of the region.

As part of its revised plans and in a notable UK first, Farnborough Airport is proposing significant changes to its existing

Sound Insulation Grant Scheme. These amendments will offer the most generous eligibility criteria of any comparable airport noise insulation scheme in the country.

Commenting on the submission, Farnborough Airport’s Chief Executive Simon Geere said: “We have gone to great lengths to understand the opinions and priorities of local residents and stakeholders regarding our proposed changes. ‘’We are thankful to the local community for engaging in the evolution of our proposals by providing valuable feedback.

“This collaborative approach has helped us shape improvements to the final application, which has now been submitted to Rushmoor Borough Council.

“We are committed to ongoing engagement with the community, and will continue to work with residents, community representatives and elected officials in and around Farnborough as our application is considered.”

New £3m fertility clinic launch celebrated in Chandler’s Ford Hampshire-based Complete Fertility, which offers services in that county and Dorset, has relocated to a £3 million new purposebuilt facility in Chandlers Ford.

More than 100 people, including patients, their babies, and children celebrated the grand opening at a tea party event.

Children enjoyed face painting balloon modelling. There was even a visit from Mary Poppins and Burt, characters from the famous film.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the opening of our new clinic with this fun party for our

Aero engineers of the future take flight at the University of Southampton A new flight simulator has arrived at the University of Southampton to help train the next generation of aeroplane engineers.

Kitted out with 180-degree surround screens, it can be programmed to simulate all manner of different aircraft, from singleseaters all the way up to jumbo jets – each with different wing shapes and engine sizes.

The pilot can choose the terrain to fly over, the conditions they’ll face in the air, and the airports for takeoff and landing.

It’s one of six Boeing-funded simulators at the university used to teach engineering undergraduates.

Guests join together to open the new facility with Medical Director Professor Ying Cheong (centre)

special Complete family, “ said Georgina Collins, the clinic director.

“Our investment in this state-of-the-art facility demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality fertility treatment and support to our patients.

“We look forward to continuing to expand our services and help even more individuals and couples on their fertility journey.”

Beginners can get started on a simple desktop simulator to learn how the controls and systems work, before progressing on to the more advanced models.

Professor Simon Cox, Head of the Aeronautical, Astronautical and Computational Engineering Department, said: “It’s important we give our students realistic experiences of flight.

“It will inspire them and bring to life what they are learning, giving them a full understanding of the physics of different craft in flight.”

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

A SUSTAINABLE START: SAVING MONEY IN THE NEW YEAR WITH BARRATT AND DAVID WILSON HOMES IT’S A NEW YEAR AND NO DOUBT MANY OF US ARE CONTEMPLATING RESOLUTIONS – AND A FRESH START! IT’S ONE OF MANY REASONS WHY BARRATT AND DAVID WILSON HOMES WELCOME SO MANY VIEWERS OVER THE THRESHOLDS OF SHOW HOMES AT DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE PATCH. BUT, IT IS OFTEN NOT JUST A NEW HOME PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR AND IN AN EFFORT TO BEGIN THE NEW YEAR – THEY ARE LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY TOO!

MOTIVATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

In a recent survey of 2,000 people living in Hampshire, Dorset, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight, carried out by Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ Southampton division, more than half (54.18%), expressed a desire to save money on energy bills or reduce overall household expenses.

Out of those 2,000 respondents, many are making proactive changes to their lifestyles in order to reduce that cost and have instead turned to more sustainable options, including using less water (54%), purchasing energy efficient appliances (38%) and using the car less frequently (31%) – with some even switching to an Electric Vehicle (EV) in the past 18 months (12%).

The age group 45-54 is the most likely in the patch to engage in various lifestyle changes to reduce their environmental impact. They are most likely to recycle (69%), cut down their energy consumption (66%) and avoid single use plastics (45%). The Isle of Wight also came out as the area where residents were most likely to make sustainable lifestyle changes (68%).

HIGHLIGHTS FROM HAMPSHIRE

Over 60% of Hampshire residents have embraced consistent recycling practices, 57% have actively reduced energy consumption and 42% are avoiding singleuse plastics in favour of refillable containers.

ALL BARRATT AND DAVID WILSON HOMES ARE DESIGNED TO BE 64% MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND COULD SAVE UP TO £2,200 PER YEAR ON BILLS. Just 2% of respondents living in Hampshire said that they have made no lifestyle changes at all in order to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

While Hampshire residents are topping the tables, they are certainly not alone. Barratt David Wilson’s research indicates a strong correlation between financial goals and the adoption of sustainable practices, with some 54% of respondents, believing that an energy-efficient home could save them a lot in the long run.

PERCEIVED SAVINGS FROM ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOMES

This perception aligns with the offerings of housebuilders like Barratt and David Wilson Homes, whose focus on energy efficiency can translate into tangible financial benefits for its homeowners.

For example, all Barratt and David Wilson Homes are designed to be 64% more energy efficient and could save up to £2,200 per year on bills. Its homes include features like highly-efficient insulation, so it could cost

WWW.BARRATTHOMES.CO.UK AND WWW.DWH.CO.UK

panels (34%) and low-impact landscaping (25%).

Along with the findings that 74% would pay a premium for sustainable products and services, purchasing a home with sustainable features already built in provides a good compromise, because there is no expensive financial outlay for the buyer, as they are already included in the build.

DRIVING FORWARD ATTITUDES IN ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES

less to heat – and argon-filled doubleglazing, which keeps heat in and the cold out.

Barratt David Wilson Homes also use the latest technology, like ‘Smart Walls’, which incorporates heat-reflecting low-emissive technology, which helps to maximise heat inside the home and minimise cost.

Energy efficiency doesn’t just begin ‘at home’. If homebuyers choose an energyefficient home, they could be eligible for a green mortgage, which could offer more favourable interest rates, an increased loan amount or cashback.

WILLINGNESS TO INVEST IN SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS

Many respondents to Barratt David Wilson’s survey understood there was a financial commitment involved when making sustainable changes. Around 74% are even willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly or sustainable products and services, however, costs also presented themselves as a major barrier.

When it came to retrofitting renewable or sustainable energy alternatives into an existing home, 55% said cost was the main reason why they would not implement sustainable modifications to their property.

In fact, 81% of respondents agreed with the statement “sustainability features are prohibitively expensive”.

A further 23% said it was lack of knowledge and understanding of the products on the market and the technology that were a reason for not making sustainable changes.

From the number of respondents willing to invest, the perception of energy-efficient and sustainable homes was as money-saving assets. Over 53.70% of respondents believe that such homes can save them a significant amount in the long run.

Respondents also saw the investment as adding value to their homes within 5 years (90%) and in the long term they viewed that an energy efficient and sustainable home could save “a lot” of money (54%).

SUSTAINABILITY BUILT-IN

Another area that is showing change in attitudes is in motoring and as the cost of petrol and diesel increases, people are increasingly looking to save money on fuel and maintenance – which is also reflected in the closing part of Barratt’s survey.

While only 12% of respondents have purchased an electric vehicle in the last 18 months, 47% said it was likely their next vehicle will be electric.

When quizzed about motivations behind an electric vehicle purchase, 33% believed an electric vehicle would save money on fuel and maintenance in the long run. A further 29% mentioned the motivation to reduce spending on petrol or diesel.

This underscores the need for affordable sustainable options, and Barratt and David Wilson Homes, by specialising in energyefficient homes, can help address this concern.

But, while cost-savings were a motivator, a significant proportion (34%) said an electric vehicle would help them to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to lower emissions.

Property prices of new build homes with sustainable features can cost a little more – but again, according to Barratt’s survey, 64% of respondents said sustainability was “important” in their decision-making processes when choosing a homebuilder or in purchasing a new home.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes are starting to cater for this demand by integrating electric vehicle charging infrastructure into their developments.

Also, when purchasing a new home, the energy efficiency rating of the property was considered “very important” by 57% of respondents and high-efficiency insulation and windows was deemed “very important” by 60%. Respondents also prioritised water saving fixtures and appliances (46%), solar

PLAYING A PIVOTAL ROLE

While it appears that there is still some barriers concerning cost, overall the market appears to be in favour of sustainable practices, and by investing in a home with lower energy costs, homeowners can overcome this barrier and experience longterm financial savings while also contributing to a more environmentally conscious lifestyle.

ABOUT BARRATT DEVELOPMENTS PLC: Barratt and David Wilson Homes can play a pivotal role in fostering a more sustainable and economically sound future for homeowners. If you’d like to find out more about its developments in the region, head to barratthomes.co.uk and dwh.co.uk.

REGIONAL FOCUS SOLENT & SOUTH COAST Southampton Port

Solent Cluster’s sustainability drive could secure 70k jobs The Solent Cluster has launched a new report revealing that thousands of local jobs and economic growth could be delivered by its ambition to lower the region’s emissions.

More than 70,000 jobs could be secured, including the creation of 18,000 new skilled jobs, as part of a potential £11.9 billion economic boost, driven by decarbonisation in the Solent region.

The report also looked at the skills and education provision needed to enable the development of decarbonisation projects.

The Solent Cluster socioeconomic report said such a strategy could sustain 70,000 jobs in the Solent region, create a further 18,900 jobs by 2035 and secure potential investment of almost £12 billion in the region’s infrastructure and economic growth.

This would see more than £4.4 billion of potential gross value added to the economy by 2035.

The Solent region also has the capacity to potentially capture and safely store up to 10 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

SERT Training chips in to set up Retrofit Academy Hampshire to tackle growing skills demand The Retrofit Academy has moved to open its tenth UK training facility in Hampshire under the leadership of Southampton firm SERT Training.

As the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Homes Upgrade Grant drive growing demand for retrofit talent, the new centre will work to plug that gap by upskilling workforces and forging new careers.

The academy awards sector-specific AIM qualifications from levels 2 to 5, enabling graduates to take up roles

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as retrofit advisors, assessors and coordinators.

Mark Edwards, CEO of SERT Training, said: “We’re thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership with Retrofit Academy to deliver their qualifications across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

“Both our organisations share the same high standards in learner experience and content quality, so alignment has been very straightforward and a lot of fun.”

Anne-Marie Mountifield, chair of The Solent Cluster who spoke at the launch, said: “Decarbonisation will be a catalyst for transformative change as we seek to propel the region into a new era of sustainable growth. The importance of identifying the potential for thousands of new jobs and billions in investment, cannot be underestimated.”

Collection of four New Forest boutique hotels comes to market The privately owned New Forest Hotel Collection, which comprises four boutique hotels in the area, has come onto the market and is expected to appeal to a range of potential buyers, says property advisor Christie & Co. The collection - including a country house hotel, historic manor, townhouse and rural inn - in Beaulieu, Burley, Cadnam and Lyndhurst, has become available after more than 40 years in private hands as the owners now want to retire.

“The New Forest Hotel Collection has an established reputation, appealing to both leisure and corporate guests due to its location within the New Forest National Park and close to the regional centres of Southampton and Bournemouth, “ said Ed Bellfield, regional director of hotels at Christie & Co.

REGIONAL FOCUS SUSSEX, KENT & SURREY

Amazon filters has doubled its manufacturing staff and boosted capacity over recent years

Wasps buzz into Kent on hunt for new stadium Just a year after falling into administration, Wasps Rugby Club could bounce back with a move from the Midlands to Kent.

The club is in talks with Sevenoaks District Council to identify a suitable location and ensure that any development will suit the club and the local community.

Camberley’s Amazon Filters ships 100,000th unit after £1m investment

One candidate is Pedham Place on the outskirts of Swanley, which could house a stadium, training ground and hotel.

A club spokesperson said: “Building on the rich 156-year history of Wasps,

this move signifies a new chapter in the club’s journey, reaffirming its commitment to professional rugby.

Having faced significant challenges with regulation and funding, the club has persisted with its determination to revive Wasps at the highest possible level.”

Chairman and CEO Christopher Holland added that Wasps would ideally make a return in the 24/25 season, but if prudent and necessary, they would delay until 25/26.

The council said it was a once in a generation opportunity to bring sports development to the area.

Amazon Filters, which builds components for filtration systems at its Camberley factory, has made and shipped its 100,000th stainless steel cartridge housing – a milestone backed by major ongoing investments, The company, which turns over around £33 million and employs around 250 staff, has more than doubled its component manufacturing workforce over the past four years.

From left – David Greenough, NatWest; Tony Summers, Carpenter Box; Marcus Wright, NatWest; and Debbie Venn, DMH Stallard

It has also recently introduced two semiautomated CNC mills to enable more inhouse fabrication and reduce its reliance on sub-contractors.

Sussex manufacturing forum forecasts uptick in trading bolstered by AI

Managing director Neil Pizzey said: “We’ve specifically focused on strengthening our capacity for housing component manufacturing as a key part of our investment strategy.

Around one in four local manufacturers expect to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in the next 12 months to improve business operations and productivity.

“Greater in-house capacity supports our ‘quick and able’ methodology centred on fast, accurate turnaround of customer orders, whatever their size and wherever they originate in the world.”

The firm’s products are used in sectors such as oil and gas, automotive, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, chemicals and coatings, water treatment and building services.

At the same time, there is strong support across the sector to achieve net zero, with many actively pursuing measures to reduce their environmental impact.

Tony Summers, Partner and Head of Manufacturing and Engineering at Carpenter Box, said: “It’s good to see the Sussex manufacturing sector successfully addressing many of the challenges it currently faces. Recovery from Covid was stronger than expected and there is growing interest in how AI adoption could positively impact productivity.

The findings were revealed at the latest meeting of METALL (Manufacturing Engineering Technology Alliance), a forum for manufacturing, engineering and technology businesses hosted by Sussex and South East accountancy firm, Carpenter Box.

Marcus Wright, Senior Economist, at NatWest Group provided an economic overview and key trends emerging for the manufacturing sector. With inflation falling and interests rates at or approaching their peak, trading conditions for manufacturers are expected to improve, he said.

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REGIONAL FOCUS SUSSEX, KENT & SURREY

Hugo RT is designed to perform various tasks on horticulture farms

the robot vision and AI capabilities of the University of Surrey, alongside the experience of the Agri-API Centre, in coordinating and enhancing agricultural technology practices.

Farnham-based Fox Robotics is also set to collaborate with Secretts Farm – just seven miles away in Milford – as well as Lutton Farm in Peterborough and MA & MP Stockwell Barnsmuir Farm in Scotland.

FARNHAM’S FOX ROBOTICS SECURES £1M GRANT IN BID TO ‘REVOLUTIONISE FARMING PRACTICES’ Henry Acevedo founded Fox Robotics in 2017 to help make agriculture more efficient, productive and sustainable

Fox Robotics has received almost one million pounds investment in its pioneering FLEXBOT project as the team looks to refine the navigation capabilities of their multi-purpose agricultural robot Hugo RT. First prototyped by Fox Robotics founder Henry Acevedo, Hugo RT is designed to roam horticulture farms – mowing grass, transporting soil, handling delicate

seedlings and transporting produce – all without the need for human intervention.

Now with the financial backing of DEFRA via Innovate UK, the company is looking to showcase the scalability, productivity and profitability of English fruit farms with its technology in place.

The FLEXBOT project will leverage

It’s hoped that Hugo RT will be able to efficiently negotiate busy farm environments – a capability which should “prove invaluable in logistics transportation tasks within agricultural operations”, says Henry Acevedo.

“The FLEXBOT project represents a significant step forward in the evolution of agriculture, leveraging state-of-the-art robotics to address critical challenges faced by the industry,” he added.

Not only does the technology provide a reliable solution for day-to-day operations on the farm – plugging seasonal labour shortages which still plague the sector – it can also help farmers to better plan their fields and optimise the distribution of resources.

Lok’n’Store buys 3.5 acre Eastbourne site for £5.25m Lok’n’Store, the Hampshire-based provider of self storage space, has purchased a site on Birch Road in Eastbourne from Alfa Laval.

Flude Property Consultants oversaw the £5.25 million deal. Water treatment company Alfa Laval sold the site as part of a relocation and property modernisation strategy.

The property comprises 83,000 sq ft of industrial, warehouse and office buildings on a 3.48 acre site.

Lok’n’Store plans to build a self-store on part of the site, relocating its current premises in nearby Hawthorn Road.

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Flude Director, Andrew Halfacree, said: “The prominent roadside position of the property in an established retail and trade location added to its appeal. ‘’There was strong interest and 17 offers were received.

Lok’n’Store was chosen as the preferred purchaser.”

Lok’nStore Group is one of the leading companies in the fastgrowing UK self-storage market. It opened its first self-storage centre in 1995 and has grown consistently over the last 28 years, currently with 42 self-storage centres trading mainly in Southern England.

REGIONAL FOCUS OXFORDSHIRE Oxford’s famous covered market celebrates 250th anniversary this year

Reaction Engines signs agreement to drive hydrogen fuel cell technology Reaction Engines has signed a key co-operation pact that will help expand its operations.

The Abingdon-based company has agreed to collaborate with Bedfordshire-based Cranfield Aerospace Solutions to develop additional aerospace applications.

OXFORD’S HISTORIC COVERED MARKET WELCOMES NEW BUSINESSES AS IT CELEBRATES 250TH ANNIVERSARY New businesses are flocking to Oxford’s historic covered market as it celebrates its 250th anniversary.

Family-run Italian food and drink business Il Corno, local bakery Hamblin Bread (which already has a bakery on the Iffley Road), Crystal Spirit Emporium and vegan refill store OxUnBoxed have all opened in Oxford’s historic Covered Market.

And two existing shops, A Woollen Cosy Life and The Woolhound, have moved to larger units within the market.

Last year the city council approved almost £7 million of investment to revitalise the historic market and launched a trial of later opening hours.

This year also marks the 250th anniversary of The Covered Market opening as it is today. The city council, which owns and operates the market, has plans throughout the year to mark the milestone.

In 2021, the council adopted a new leasing strategy to ensure the market can continue to adapt to changing shopping habits.

The strategy puts a focus on attracting

high-quality specialist, locally-owned or independent retailers. It was also a key consideration in the council’s decision to trial extended opening hours – up to 11pm.

With four new traders and internal moves, the market’s mix of uses offers a greater selection of specialist artisan produce, cafés, bars, fashions and other goods.

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council and Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Partnerships, said: “The Covered Market has been at the heart of the city for almost 250 years and I’m so pleased that it continues to inspire and attract new businesses.

Reaction Engines provides cutting-edge thermal management solutions while Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) is renowned for its hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems for aviation.

Jenny Kavanagh, Chief Strategy Officer at Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, said: “Since our initial collaboration began in 2021, the alliance between the two companies has flourished, with Cranfield benefiting from Reaction Engine’s advanced thermal management expertise, and Reaction Engines leveraging our comprehensive route to market for the technology enabled by our integration and certification capabilities.

This latest agreement demonstrates the power of mutually beneficial collaboration and significantly expands our joint efforts to unlock new applications for our innovative hydrogen fuel cell technology.”

The collaboration was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that represents an expansion of both companies’ efforts to develop applications for their hydrogen fuel cell-based powertrain design.

“Bringing a bakery back to the market is something both locals and the council have wanted to do for a while now, so I am incredibly pleased that Hamblin Bread will join the market’s wonderful array of businesses.

Tom Burvill, Director of Applied Technologies at Reaction Engines, said: “Reaction Engines is delighted to be expanding our collaboration with Cranfield Aerospace Solutions which marks a further step forward in the development of sustainable aviation propulsion applications for our world-leading thermal management technology.

“We work hard to protect the market’s unique charm and history while ensuring it stays relevant and inviting for new generations and I’m excited to see the next chapter in its story.”

‘’This agreement builds on the close working relationship the two companies have established on Project Fresson and this establishes a firm framework to develop new uses for our game-changing technology.”

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REGIONAL FOCUS OXFORDSHIRE

Oxfordshire central to UK’s Constellation bid The UK is aiming to join Portugal and Spain with membeship of the Atlantic Constellation as part of a bid to further strengthen the UK’s national capabilities in Earth observation technology.

The UK Space Agency will provide £3 million to support the build of the new pathfinder satellite, intended to be one of the first in the constellation, with co-funding from Oxfordshirebased Open Cosmos.

The satellite, which will be built in the UK, will be of the same design and launched in the same orbital plane as three others from Portugal.

Open Cosmos recently added a further two satellite missions to its Open Constellation, successfully launched last November, and recently raised $50 million in Series B funding from leading impact investors.

OXCCU gains funding for CO2 aviation fuel trial A University of Oxford spin-out, which converts CO2 into fuels, chemicals and plastics, has won a £2.8 million government grant along with the University of Sheffield Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) and Coryton.

OXCCU will use the funds, which were granted by the government’s Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF), to demonstrate the world’s first direct carbon dioxide (CO2) hydrogenation process, turning CO2 directly into aviation fuel.

The company also secured £18 million last summer in a fund-raise led by Clean Energy Ventures.

OXCCU CEO Andrew Symes said: “We’re proud to be part of the UK’s journey to cement itself as a leader in clean aviation and to help scale world-first technologies in sustainable aviation fuel. ‘’This new investment from the AFF will be a welcome contribution to our efforts to help the industry meet the high targets it has set.”

Brainomix’s software helps to improve stroke diagnosis

Brainomix continues expansion into US healthcare market Brainomix is continuing its expansion into the US market.

The Oxford-based, AI-powered medtech solutions company has already launched its e-ASPECTS module into the American market and will now offer its Brainomix 360 platform.

Both pieces of software help with stroke treatment.

Thie Brainomix 360 platform is powered by AI algorithms that interprete brain scans to aid treatment for stroke patients.

Dr Michalis Papadakis, co-founder and CEO of Brainomix, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to introduce our Brainomix 360 platform to more and more US stroke networks, and to showcase the extensive validation of our technology, a good portion of which was conducted in the US at such institutions as the Mayo Clinic, Emory University, Mount Sinai in New York, and UCLA “As a spin-out from the University of Oxford, we have a longstanding heritage of scientific and academic excellence, which has allowed us to achieve broad success in the UK and across Europe. ‘’This includes national-level deployments of Brainomix 360 across Hungary and Wales, as well as wide-ranging roll-outs in England, Poland, Sweden, Italy and Spain.”

Henley Business Angels makes Renovos investment Five Henley Business Angels members have invested in Southampton-based Renovos Biologics Limited which uses nanotechnology to advance regenerative medicine.

Renovos Biologics Limited’s solution, Renovite, has unprecedented retention properties, allowing significant dose reduction, lower cost and improved safety of potent drugs.

The syndicate, based at Henley Business School, said that an ageing population, as well as a more active lifestyle among the younger demographics, meant the clinical need for long-term tissue regeneration is growing rapidly.

Renovite is a synthetic, biodegradable nanoclay carrier that can be used to place a wide range of pharmaceutical drugs at the site of treatment across a range of applications, from bone regeneration to wound healing and soft tissue repair.

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

Criminal liability under the Landlord and Tenant Act Until recently there had never been an attempted prosecution under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987. That has now changed, and according to B P Collins’ property disputes team, this attempted prosecution should give landlords pause for thought. Civil consequences have always been present but, criminal liability could now be a real risk for any failure to comply with the right of first refusal provisions under the 1987 Act. Where a landlord is proposing to sell their interest in a building containing flats in relation to which the qualifying criteria set out in the 1987 Act applies, the landlord must first offer their interest to the tenants before any sale to a third party takes place.

The landlord is required to serve a formal section 5 notice on the tenants informing them about the impending sale and provide time for them to consider the offer. The landlord cannot sell to another party during that time, nor offer the interest to anyone else at a price less than that proposed to the tenants or on different terms.

Are you at risk of a criminal offence?

Failing to offer the tenants a right of first refusal (without a reasonable excuse) is a criminal offence, with a potentially unlimited fine. In addition, if the landlord sells without complying with the conditions under the 1987 Act, the tenants can serve a notice on the new owner demanding details of the transaction, including the price paid. They can then take action to

force the new owner to sell to them at the price they paid.

Notable case While there are many reported decisions of tenants taking action to recover the landlord’s interest from new owners, where the landlord has breached their obligations under the 1987 Act, until recently there was no record of any case that came close to prosecution. In this inaugural case, the landlord disposed of a block of flats at an auction and the subsequent completion took place one month later. The landlord breached their obligations under the 1987 Act by failing to give the tenants the right of first refusal to purchase the interest being disposed of at auction. Consequently, the local housing authority (the body tasked with prosecuting offences of this nature) issued a summons against the landlord six months after the date of completion.

While the local housing authority sought to prosecute the landlord for their breach,

the landlord successfully argued that the summons had been issued outside of the required time limit under section 127(1) of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980 when it has to be served within six months of a summary offence being committed. In this case, the landlord successfully argued that under section 4A of the 1987 Act, the disposal took place on the date of the auction and not on the date of completion.

As such, the summons was served seven months after the offence, meaning it was out of time. The summons was withdrawn and the prosecution dropped.

While the landlord escaped prosecution, the action taken by the local housing authority should serve as a very clear reminder to landlords disposing of assets that if they fail to comply with the provisions of the 1987 Act, they could face criminal prosecution. A previously considered toothless clause has now shown that its bite is as bad as its bark.

For further information, please email enquiries@bpcollins.co.uk or call 01753 889995

bpcollins.co.uk

LATEST DEAL ACTIVITY

THE LATEST DEAL ACTIVITY ACROSS THE REGION NOVEMBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

NOVEMBER 2023 | £8.1M

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

Accountancy firm DNG Dove Naish LLP (Northamptonshire)

Machine vision company Industrial Vision Systems (Oxfordshire)

Cladding contractor Topek (Lanarkshire)

has been acquired by

Sensor firm Oxford Metrics (Oxfordshire)

Brickability Group (Berkshire)

Advisers included:

Advisers included:

NOVEMBER 2023 | £4.4BN

OCTOBER 2023 | £40.2M

Vodafone’s Spanish division (Berkshire)

Space technology firm Open Cosmos (Oxfordshire)

has been acquired by

has received Series B funding led by

Accountants Shaw Gibbs (Oxfordshire)

has been acquired by

Deutsche Numis, FTI Consulting

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

Recruitment firm Elstan HR (Kent)

Zegona Communications (London)

has been acquired by

Advisers included:

has been acquired by

BDO

Trill Impact, A&G and ETF Partners

Professional services company AAB (Aberdeenshire)

Zeus, Morgan Stanley, Robey Warshaw, Evercore, Slaughter and May, Deutsche Numis, Travers Smith LLP

Penningtons Manches Cooper

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

NOVEMBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

Compliance testing company Celnor

Legal firm Cripps (Kent)

Healthy snack company Raw Gorilla (London)

has merged with Has received investment from Private equity group Inflexion

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PDT Solicitors (West Sussex)

Advisers included:

has been acquired by

Natural food brand Whole Food Earth (Kent)

LATEST DEAL ACTIVITY

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

OCTOBER 2023 | £12.3M

NOVEMBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

Health testing platform Hutano Diagnostics (Oxfordshire)

Hall and Woodhouse’s Rio soft drinks brand (Dorset)

Accountancy firm Creaseys Group (Kent)

has been acquired by

has been acquired by

Professional services group Evelyn Partners (London)

Clinical diagnostic outfit EDX Medical Group (Cambridgeshire)

Advisers included:

has been acquired by

Brown Rudnick, Penningtons Manches Cooper, Oberon Capital

AG BARR (Lanarkshire)

Thomson Snell & Passmore, Shoosmiths LLP

OCTOBER 2023 | £65M

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

NOVEMBER | £105M

Clean energy solutions company Enviromena (Berkshire)

Learning management software provider Totara Learning Solution (East Sussex)

Gama Aviation’s American maintenance division Jet East (Hampshire)

Advisers included:

has received funding from

European tech investor Tenzing

has completed an equity raise

Advisers included:

has been acquired by

with investors Arjun Infrastructure Partners (London)

Osborne Clarke, EY, EYP, Deloitte, Baringa, Intechnica, DLA Piper, Houlihan Lokey, PwC, CTO Labs

repair specialist West Star Aviation Enterprises (United States)

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

OCTOBER 2023 | UNDISCLOSED

OCTOBER 2023 | £3.85M

Software management company RedkiteCRM (Oxfordshire)

Uncrewed Aircraft System provider Nexus Nine Ltd (Oxfordshire)

Protective packaging company B&D 2010 Group (Hampshire)

has been acquired by

Cloud services company Infinity Group (Kent)

has been acquired by

Aviation security provider Operational Solutions Ltd (Berkshire)

has been acquired by

Packaging specialist Macfarlane Group (Lanarkshire)

THEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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THAMES VALLEY DEALS AWARDS 2023

CELEBRATES REGION’S DEALMAKING EXCELLENCE

Over 300 corporate deal professionals and their guests cheered on winners in 14 categories during a packed evening of celebration.

Richard Thompson, Managing Director of The Business Magazine, began by thanking the award category sponsors for their support. They were HMT LLP, Gateley Legal, Crowe U.K. LLP, Shawbrook, ThinCats, LDC, HCR Law, BDB Pitmans, IBB Law LLP, R3vamp and BDO LLP. Host Mark Durden-Smith

Dealmakers from across the region gathered at Reading FC’s Select Car Leasing Stadium to honour outstanding achievements at the 2023 Thames Valley Deal Awards.

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He also thanked the independent judges John Buxton from Kingsworth Corporate Finance and Jeremy Hill from Kleinwort Hambros. They faced the tough task of helping to whittle down the entrants, choose the finalists and agree on the winners.

For the Corporate-to-Corporate, Small, MidRange and Large Deal of the Year awards, the judges’ choices made up 70% of the vote. On the evening, the audience vote counted for the remaining 30%.

This year, a special award was given in honour of The Business Magazine’s founder, David Murray. The first recipient was Duncan Lamb, Corporate Finance Partner at BDO LLP. Once again, the ever-popular host, TV presenter Mark Durden-Smith, returned to preside over the awards.

During the evening, guests generously donated over £3,000 to Professor Lakhoo’s Charity Foundation.

2023 THAMES VALLEY DEALS AWARDS WINNERS

NON-BANK LENDER OF THE YEAR WINNER: Thincats SPONSOR: HCR Law

PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM OF THE YEAR

CORPORATE FINANCE ADVISER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: YFM Private Equity

WINNER: Stuart Williams, James Cowper Kreston

SPONSOR: HMT LLP

SPONSOR: Gateley Legal

DUE DILIGENCE TEAM OF THE YEAR

LAWYER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Crowe U.K. LLP

WINNER: Rachel Turner, HCR Law

SPONSOR: R3vamp

SPONSOR: BDO LLP

THEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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2023 THAMES VALLEY DEALS AWARDS WINNERS

LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR WINNER: HCR Law SPONSOR: Thincats

CORPORATE FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR

CORPORATE FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEAR

WINNER: BDO LLP

HIGHLY COMMENDED: James Cowper Kreston

SPONSOR: IBB Law LLP

SPONSOR: IBB Law LLP

Dan and Jess Moore raising money for Professor Lakhoo’s Charity Foundation

BANK OF THE YEAR

YOUNG DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Shawbrook

WINNER: Jack Griggs, James Cowper Kreston

SPONSOR: HCR Law

SPONSOR: Shawbrook

Abbie Enock, widow of founder of The Business Magazine, David Murray

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2023 THAMES VALLEY DEALS AWARDS WINNERS

CORPORATE-TO-CORPORATE DEAL OF THE YEAR

SMALL DEAL OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Andigestion sale to Severn Trent Green Power

WINNER: MBO of Norwegian Log Homes

SPONSOR: BDB Pitmans

SPONSOR: LDC

MID-RANGE DEAL OF THE YEAR WINNER: Andigestion sale to Severn Trent Green Power

SPONSOR: Crowe U.K. LLP

TO READ MORE PLEASE USE THE QR CODE BELOW

LARGE DEAL OF THE YEAR

DAVID MURRAY OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION OF THE YEAR

WINNER: LDC’s exit and reinvestment in FSP

WINNER: Duncan Lamb, BDO LLP

SPONSOR: BizNews

SPONSOR: The Business Magazine

THEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CAREER AHEAD

03

Boyes Turner bolsters property division

Reading law firm Boyes Turner has boosted its real estate capabilities. The development and house building team has welcomed Lauren Ainsley, associate solicitor, and solicitor Cara Groves, while the commercial property section has hired Sarah Gibson, senior associate, Gemma Nelis, solicitor, and chartered legal executive Ricky Chahal. (from left to right: Pasqualina Marcucci has joined the residential property team as senior associate. (From left to right, Cara, Gemma, Ricky, Sarah and Lauren).

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Tokamak Energy makes director appointment

Oxford’s Tokamak Energy has appointed new director Liam Brennan to lead its superconductor magnets business. Liam has spent the last eight years at the UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which supports research in astronomy, physics, computational and space science.

New partner for Gateley Legal

Gateley Legal has appointed Andrew Keeley as a partner at its Guildford office as part of plans to bolster its construction team in the South East. Andrew spent six years working as a risk analyst for a UK bank before requalifying as a solicitor and joining Charles Russell LLP. Following the firm’s merger and rebranding to Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, he was promoted to a partner in 2019.

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04

04

Software as a Service business welcomes new CTO

Berry Recruitment adds to management team

Experienced recruiter Max Perceau has been appointed Berry’s new regional director to run the firm’s three branches in Southampton and Gosport in a move aimed at serving clients in the Solent area more efficiently and offer more potential roles to job seekers.

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TAB expands team with partner appointment Buckinghamshire-based business advisory group, The Alternative Board (TAB) Thames Valley West, has appointed Alistair Clarke as a partner (pictured left ). He joins David Abbott (right), who established the group in 2017.

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Ciphr, the Marlow-based HR software as a service provider, has hired experienced software engineering executive Andrew Stevens as its new chief technology officer after David Burns left the role in May. He joins from Checkit, which provides workflow management software and smart sensor automation for deskless workers, where he was chief technology officer for nearly three years.

CAREER AHEAD

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08 director

Thames Estuary Growth Board appoints new

International trade expert Frances Moffett-Kouadio is set to become strategic investment director at the Thames Estuary Growth Board in a bid to attract a further £2 billion of new investment to the area. Frances is currently Director Exports North America at the government’s department for business and trade, and from next month (February) will work with Kate Willard, the government-appointed Thames Estuary Envoy and Growth Board chair.

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BGF adds to Reading office

Growth capital investor BGF has strengthened its team in Reading with the appointment of accountant Harry Kernick. Harry, who has a particular focus on the technology, media and telecom industry, will be responsible for all aspects of the investment process, including identifying and assessing opportunities, managing transactions and supporting existing portfolio companies.

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Woodstock expands property team

Poole-based law firm Woodstock Legal Services continues its rapid expansion with the appointment of commercial property solicitor Orla Gilligan. Orla joins the firm having most recently worked as an Associate Solicitor and Technical Property Lawyer at Farnfields Solicitors in North Dorset.

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B P Collins promotes finance director to operations B P Collins has appointed its former finance director as operations director as the Thames Valley and London law firm continues to grow. Daniel Johnson has been with the firm for a decade and will now lead the finance, IT and facilities teams to help establish and deliver the firm’s strategic goals.

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New IT director for Shaw Gibbs

Oxfordshire’s Shaw Gibbs has promoted Mark Ferguson to the position of IT Director.

As IT Director, Mark will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Shaw Gibbs’ IT operations, including infrastructure development, cybersecurity and digital transformation initiatives which are linked to the acquisitive and organic growth of the organisation.

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New commercial director for Aura Technology

Southampton-based Aura Technology has promoted Richard Flanders to Commercial Director at the IT company from his previous position as Customer Strategy Director.

Richard’s work focuses across Aura’s entire customer base. He also works with suppliers and Aura’s Product Board to get the best solutions and services for customers.

THEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

Tailored solutions to meet your recruitment needs R3vamp, redefine recruitment by providing tailored solutions to meet your needs. As a leading recruitment partner, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional services that drive your company’s success. Our mission is to connect exceptional talent with exceptional companies.

Why Choose Us?

Our Process

1. Tailored Recruitment Solutions: We

1. Consultation – We start by

understand that every business is unique.

Our expert team customises recruitment strategies to align with your company’s culture, values, and specific hiring requirements.

2. Industry Expertise: We have experts

in Technology, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Support, HR, Procurement & Supply Chain.

3. Comprehensive Services: Retained Search – Identify and attract top-tier executives to lead your organisation towards success. Also used when recruiting multiple roles.

Permanent Recruitment – Find the right permanent talent to drive your company’s long-term growth and success.

Temporary and Interim Staffing – Quickly scale your workforce with our flexible temporary staffing solutions.

Subscription Model – Monthly subscription giving you discounts on recruitment and access to all our other services, for FREE.

4. Candidate Quality Assurance: Our

rigorous screening and evaluation processes guarantee that you receive candidates who not only meet the skill requirements but also align with your company’s values and culture.

understanding your business, culture, and specific hiring needs.

Testimonials:

screening processes, including interviews and assessments.

“I have been dealing with Nick for nearly 10 years and have found him to be polite, honest and exceptionally helpful. Always offering the most professional advice. He has placed 12 of our employees during this time and each time I have received the most exceptional service. R3vamp are not only specialists in their sector, they are specialists in recruitment”.

5. Client-Candidate Connection –

Steve, Founder/Managing Director @ Technology Company.

6. Offer Management – Working closely

“I have had the pleasure of working with R3vamp on four recruitment campaigns to date. I have found them to be: Responsive, Professional, Creative in the way they work, Customer Driven; they delivered a strong field of candidates taking account the culture of our company. They make life simple and straight forward for the hiring manager and we are delighted with the new people who we have recruited. I would definitely recommend them and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

2. Tailored Recruitment Strategy – Crafting a customised recruitment strategy that aligns with your goals.

3. Candidate Sourcing – Utilising our extensive network and advanced sourcing methods.

4. Screening and Assessment – Rigorous

Facilitating seamless connections between clients and candidates. with candidate throughout the process to ensure minimising risk of losing to another opportunity.

7. Resignation Advice – Holding

candidate’s hand through resignation and counter-offer period.

Summary: Our services go much further than recruitment and our clients have trusted us for many years, across multiple recruitment campaigns. We understand the difficulties of recruitment and are here to be an extended arm to your talent team, ensuring a smooth recruitment and retention process.

Contact Us:

Carolyn, Head of HR @ Manufacturing Company.

Info@r3vamp.co.uk I 0118 203 0885.

Contact Us: Info@r3vamp.co.uk 0118 203 0886 r3vamp.co.uk

HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS 2023 SHOWCASING THE COUNTY’S TOP ACHIEVERS companies who have entered this year’s awards. You are shining examples of the brilliant businesses that have started up here and grown, many to become global leaders.”

Entries ranged from technology companies, engineering firms and property firms to not-for-profit organisations and companies supporting their local communities.

Host Alex Jones

The inaugural Hampshire Business Awards, organised by The Business Magazine, showcased an amazing lineup of the region’s top businesses and talented people.

Nearly 500 guests descended on the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre for this prestigious first-ever event. The awards attracted a huge response, with over 260 entries and nearly 100 finalists making it onto the shortlist across 14 award categories.

Richard Thompson, Managing Director at The Business Magazine, said: “We have been truly impressed with the Hampshire

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The event partner was Hampshire County Council and the headline sponsor was Farnborough Airport.

Welcoming guests to the awards, Councillor Rob Humby, Leader of Hampshire County Council, said the event had exceeded all expectations in bringing the business community closer together.

“It makes me proud to be from this county – it shows that Hampshire is a favourite place to live, work and play.”

The award category sponsors were Hampshire County Council, Farnborough Airport, Utilita Energy, ABP Southampton, Herrington Carmichael LLP, Milestone Infrastructure, Gurkha Security Services,

Menzies LLP, Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton, FATFACE, Infinigate Cloud, Gulfstream, Hampshire BizNews and Sightline.

The Supporting Partners were nDreams, Secure and the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce. The Association Partners were the University of Winchester, Farnborough College of Technology, University of Southampton and Solent University.

Thompson thanked the independent judges who had the hard task of helping to select the finalists and then whittling them down to the winners. They were Sally-Ann Hall-Jones, Joe Jeffers, Carey Moore, Amarjit Singh and Peter Taylor.

The event was hosted by Alex Jones, one of the UK’s top TV presenters who has co-hosted The One Show, BBC One’s flagship magazine show, alongside Matt Baker, Roman Kemp, Jermaine Jenas and Ronan Keating for the past 12 years.

On the night, donations were made to two local charities: The Murray Parish Trust and Ringwood Veterans Hub.

2023 HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS

NEW BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNER: SEEDL Group SPONSOR: Barratt David Wilson Homes Southampton

EQUALITY, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY INITIATIVE AWARD WINNER: National Oceanography Centre SPONSOR: Milestone Infrastructure

Simon Geere, CEO, Farnborough Airport

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION AWARD WINNER: Kelda Showers SPONSOR: Gulfstream

Councillors Rob Humby (Leader) and Roz Chadd (Deputy Leader) of Hampshire County Council

CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY AWARD

SUSTAINABLE GREEN INVESTMENT AWARD

WINNER: Milestone Infrastructure

WINNER: Handlebar Café

SPONSOR: ABP Southampton

SPONSOR: FATFACE

THEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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2023 HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS

MADE IN HAMPSHIRE AWARD WINNER: Sugoi Campers SPONSOR: Hampshire County Council

GROWTH COMPANY OF THE YEAR

BEST PLACE TO WORK AWARD

TECH COMPANY OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Blue Angel Care

WINNER: Castle Trust Bank

WINNER: entrust IT Group

SPONSOR: Gurkha Security Services

SPONSOR: Hampshire BizNews

SPONSOR: Infinigate Cloud

NOT-FOR-PROFIT OF THE YEAR WINNER: EBP South SPONSOR: Sightline

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2023 HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS WINNERS

YOUNG BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION, TRAINING & SKILLS AWARD

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Robyn Chiedozie, The Tinker’s Granddaughter

WINNER: Dutton Gregory Solicitors

WINNER: Dariusz Motyka & Zul Mamon, Blue Angel Care

SPONSOR: Farnborough Airport

SPONSOR: Utilita Energy

SPONSOR: Herrington Carmichael

HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNER: Rocksteady Music School

SPONSOR: Menzies LLP

TO READ MORE PLEASE USE THE QR CODE BELOW

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

What are the keys to unlocking growth through strategic acquisitions?

Paul Stout, Corporate Finance Partner at PKF Francis Clark

Paul Stout, corporate finance partner at PKF Francis Clark in Southampton, explores the risks and potential rewards of growing by acquiring a competitor.

Whether driven by increasing market share, diversification or staying at the forefront of innovation, strategic acquisitions can be an enticing route to profitable growth for ambitious businesses.

However, it’s essential to weigh up some important factors when contemplating an approach to a potential target before taking the plunge.

When helping clients to identify and pursue acquisition opportunities, we often find they are motivated by a variety of common anticipated benefits: Market share: By acquiring competitors or complementary businesses, particularly those with a loyal customer base, companies can consolidate market share, gaining a competitive edge and the ability to negotiate better deals with suppliers.

Synergies and efficiency: Acquisitions can deliver synergies resulting in improved operational efficiency, such as streamlining processes and reducing duplicate functions. By combining their strengths, companies can achieve cost savings and improved productivity.

Innovation acceleration: By acquiring innovative startups or companies with cutting-edge technology, established firms can accelerate product development. An

pkf-francisclark.co.uk

acquisition can bring an influx of expertise and valuable intellectual property.

Diversification: Acquiring a company in an adjacent sector can be a shortcut to expanding into new markets and diversifying your product or service offering.

Risk mitigation: Strategic acquisitions can be a proactive way to guard against market disruptions or economic downturns by building a more resilient and diversified portfolio.

Factors to consider

While the potential benefits are clear, it’s vital to carefully assess strategic investment opportunities before making a move. Key factors we explore when helping companies to evaluate potential deals include: Alignment with business strategy: The acquiring company should have a clear understanding of how the acquisition fits into its long-term goals and contributes to its overall growth strategy. A mismatch here could lead to integration challenges, culture clashes and failure to realise expected synergies.

Financial and tax due diligence: Before proceeding with a deal, it’s essential to gain a full picture of the financial health

and liabilities of the target company, any potential risks and the tax implications of the proposed transaction.

Regulatory and legal issues: Depending on your sector, there are likely to be legal or regulatory considerations which could lead to delays and increased costs or even scupper the deal if not identified and addressed early on.

Cultural fit: The business case for a deal might be compelling, but cultural fit (or the lack of it) can make or break an acquisition. A smooth integration of management teams and employees can be difficult to achieve if your culture is alien to that of the target business.

In summary, while a strategic acquisition could be a game-changer, to ensure it delivers the anticipated benefits it’s crucial to evaluate potential opportunities thoroughly – and this is where expert advice is invaluable.

By taking the time to get to know our clients and understand their objectives, we are able to help business owners and leaders make informed decisions in line with their long-term strategic goals.

For more information, email paul.stout@pkf-francisclark.co.uk or call 02380 012894.

TECH PANEL

WHO ARE THE TECH COMPANIES OF TOMORROW? OUR EXPERTS REVEAL THEIR PICKS Our regular feature focuses on the up-and-coming technology companies that are breaking into new markets through their innovative use of technology

Expert: Jeroen Bergmann Director of Oxford Healthtech Labs

Innovators that have no experience with these regulations do not know what to do, where to start and what the next steps are.

we are facing in our food production.

The ongoing demand for meat makes this a company to watch, as it aims to tackle this head on.

RegMetrics is one of the first companies in the world that has developed an innovative online solution that can revolutionise the way innovators deal with regulations

Lumia, also based in Oxford, is aiming to unlock the full potential of next-generation AI with fully optical computing that can compute at much faster speeds and at greater scales than ever before, all while consuming far less energy than traditional electronics.

RegMetrics, based in Oxford, is changing how companies engage with medical device regulations.

Complying with these regulations is essential, as it ensures that relevant safety and performance requirements are met.

This means that no medical device can be sold without the approval of the regulatory authority.

These medical devices range from glasses, plasters and certain toothpastes all the way to surgical robots and AI-driven digital diagnostics.

Interestingly, most regulatory compliance is still paper-based which is very time-consuming and prone to mistakes.

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Ivy Farm sausage

Oxford’s Ivy Farm Technologies uses bioengineering technology to make sustainable meat and wants to become the UK’s leading producer of cultivated meat. They use breakthrough technology in their mission to lead the world in meeting the challenges of sustainable meat production in the 21st century.

It is essential that we find sustainable ways of dealing with the challenges

Britain has been at the forefront of the computer age and this company provides a promising glimpse of what might be possible in the future.

Their ideas can help meet the evergrowing demands in our digital age.

GaitQ is developing wearable medical technologies for mobility enablement in Parkinson’s.

This Oxford company provides real-world solutions to patients in an elegant and patient-centered manner. It is great to see the positive change that this technology can have on people’s quality of life.

TECH PANEL

Expert: Steve Northam Founder and CEO of Northamtec Investments & Holdings and founder and CIO of business incubation space IncuHive

Label.it

I recently met one of the founders of Southampton-based Novatura, who build bespoke web applications, while I was guest speaking at the University of Southampton to their cohort of student start-ups.

I have a passion for supporting students as they venture into the world of business and was particularly impressed with Novatura who are taking the skills in coding and web development they have, as a team of students, and launching that into the marketplace. They have already won several contracts and no doubt will rapidly grow their start-up going forward, going beyond the normal web development agency type offering.

I met one of the founders of Southampton’s Labl.it, which provides a labelling solution for commercial kitchens, at the University of Southampton. Like VapeGuardian, who have developed a system which detects vaping, I love the “spot a problem and solve it” attitude. This one is a simple issue and solved with an elegant solution. It’s often these types of tech businesses which really take off and fly.

Expert: TechSolent team

risk at sea but also creating huge cost savings in regards to onboard staffing.

Although this may be seen as “tech taking jobs” they are actually creating a whole new job growth sector with new future world jobs as remote pilots.

TechSolent aim to connect, develop and promote the technology communities within the Solent region. Contributed by

Formed in 2013, Fareham-based Beyond Encryption offers a unique proposition in the tech world that is already making waves. Focusing on the niche market of Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs), the company offers encrypted email solutions that are redefining the way sensitive financial communications are handled.

In an era where data breaches and cyber security are major concerns.

Beyond Encryption provides a muchneeded layer of security for IFAs, ensuring client data is protected.

Their USP lies in tailoring encryption technology specifically for financial communications, a critical need in the finance sector.

Tech Solent Director Phil Clark and Partnerships Manager Rich Burn

Ocean Infinity

Ocean Infinity is developing remote vessel piloting from its headquarters in Southampton. Essentially, it is pioneering technologies that enable pilots to navigate ships from anywhere in the world. This is huge in the industry in terms of managing human

As a net-zero engineering start-up, Caldera, also based in Fareham, addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time: sustainable energy solutions. Their innovative alternative

Spring Agriculture came on to my radar when visiting one of our IncuHive sites while on the hunt for space and support for their innovative start-up.

It is developing state-of-the-art machine learning linked with autonomous in-field robotics to change the face of farming, aiming to reduce the reliance on heavy machinery and agrochemicals which is helping with the push towards increased sustainability. This push seems to be something which I see crop up (no pun intended) more and more now. No doubt we will see armies of robotic machines farming the land without human intervention in the not-too-distant future.

Steve Northam is an independent judge at The Business Magazine’s South Coast Tech Awards.

to gas-powered hot water systems involves an electrically heated stone placed within a large tank.

This system, which can be charged overnight or via solar power, provides hot water throughout the day, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for households. Caldera’s unique selling point (USP) lies in its simple yet effective approach to reducing carbon footprints, making sustainable living more accessible to the average consumer.

In the realm of healthcare and wellness, Hampshire-based Paincation is a stand-out AR/VR startup. It is developing an app for headsets that offers alternative pain relief solutions and physiotherapy instructions. This approach combines the latest in AR/VR technology with healthcare, providing users with an immersive experience that can aid in pain management and physical rehabilitation. Paincation’s USP is its innovative use of AR/VR technology to address physical health issues, offering a novel and potentially more engaging alternative to traditional pain relief methods.

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MANUFACTURING Staff making bath bombs by hand

HANDMADE IN THEIR MILLIONS – LUSH PROVES IT CAN BE DONE Automation may be the way for most manufacturing companies, but not for beauty brand Lush, which prefers handmade

by Nicky Godding, editor

Automation drives down costs and helps meet staffing challenges.

But a company making handmade cosmetics can’t automate because it would have to cross “handmade” off every product description and become just another beauty manufacturer.

Lush Cosmetics, which has its headquarters and UK manufacturing facility in Poole, won’t do that.

Manufacturing director Dan Hendey

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And it can’t anyway, because as joint manufacturing directors Len Tichy and Dan Hendey point out, the company makes so many different products that a production line configured to make tens of thousands of the same thing just wouldn’t work.

Founded in 1995, Lush Cosmetics is a global cosmetic brand born in the UK with an annual turnover of more than £650 million. It employs around 660 people in its Poole factory, and more than 1,000 in the run-up to Christmas.

It is one of the town’s largest employers (ranking in the top three along with Sunseeker Yachts and the RNLI) and certainly the most colourful.

It makes around 13 million bath bombs a year in one of its manufacturing facilities it refers to as its ballistics room on the Nuffield Business Park. Here hundreds of its staff make thousands of bath bombs – in shapes from penguins, dragons and more, over three shifts seven days a week.

more than MANUFACTURING

How Lush supports ambition Dan Hendy left school at 16, more than 20 years ago, with few GCSEs to his name.

He got a job in Lush’s manufacturing production. “I went from making bath bombs to becoming a compounder, from ballistics to soaps – making the most of the opportunities as they came my way. I was always good at maths and looked at doing a management course at college but when I discussed it at work, we realised I already knew most of the course, so I continued to learn on the job, and from the people.”

Manufacturing director Len Tichy

The manufacturing team doesn’t discount automation completely. Len said: “We discuss it a lot. Can we get enough staff?

Should we automate? Where’s the value in the handmade? And we go round in this conversational circle. But someone pressing a bath bomb by hand means they all look different, and that’s the bit we want to keep.”

Dan agrees. “We have more than 70 different bath bombs. If we sold our products in a standard shape and colour – we could find a machine tomorrow. But that’s not what we do.”

Making fresh products means no stockpiling Another argument against automation exists in the company’s freshness policy.

Dan explains: “Automation is designed for bulk manufacture and seldom supports innovation. Our freshness policy means we send our products to stores and digital fulfilment within 28 days of them being made, so we can’t stockpile big batches.

Len added: “Because we operate like this, we can be responsive to customer demand. If we want to put a dragon around a bath bomb, we can do it. With machinery, you can’t achieve those intricacies.

And many ranges aren’t out for long, particularly our collaborations.”

Lush has launched eight collaborations in the last 12 months, including with Netflix’ Stranger Things drama and independent fashion brand Lazy Oaf where it handpoured checkerboard soap designs.

“Investing in machinery to do that, or to make bath bombs for the Hindu festival of Diwali for example, isn’t cost-effective.

People are the answer,” added Len.

A changing workforce means adapting working practices This strategy means that staffing is a challenge.

Dan said: “We have good relationships with local colleges but to state the obvious, Brexit hasn’t helped and our workforce has changed massively in the last two and a half years.”

Half of the company’s headcount now is part-time. “Any hours people want to work, we make work. The weekend shift is popular with younger staff and college students, and we found an untapped workforce in parents who want to work from 10am-3pm during weekdays. Older people too – and everyone wants a better work/life balance.”

A global brand means wide collaborations Lush has a further six manufacturing facilities around the world – in Vancouver, Toronto, Japan, Croatia, Germany and Australia, plus smaller “fresh” kitchens in an additional 14 global locations.

But all product innovation is done in Poole by the company’s R&D team led by founder and Lush CEO Mark Constantine.

Len Tichy has been with Lush since 1996, first working in the company’s Poole High Street store. She went travelling, but was welcomed back after her return.

She’s since worked her way through the departments – as have many of Lush’s senior team.

“We’ve learned the product and the unique way the business works, and encourage others to do the same. Lush offers opportunities and progression for those who want it,” she said.

Both Len and Dan’s working days start early. “We’re both working from around half six or so, and can leave work by 3-304pm,” said Len. “But we have a job to do and make sure it gets done.”

An ethical business which invests in its beliefs Lush is an ethical business against animal testing. The company won’t buy ingredients from suppliers which test on animals for any purpose. It’s also against excess packaging.

It also aims to source locally. Seaweed for some products comes from Poole Harbour, blueberries from a nearby farm.

Lush recently invested more than £2 million expanding its Green Hub. Here it repairs machinery, recycles products, manages its waste (including treating its waste water), granulates plastic to return to the manufacturer, runs a commercial laundry and seizes every opportunity to reduce, reuse and recycle everything it can, including donating surplus products to local and national charities.

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

EUROPE AHOY AS SUPREME FREIGHT STEERS STEADY COURSE Having navigated Supreme Freight through the choppy waters of Brexit, Founder and Managing Director Chris Green is busy onboarding EU partners to ride the next wave of expansion.

Chris Green, Founder and Managing Director

After the significant business boost provided by Brexit, the Southamptonheadquartered logistics company is back to more-or-less business as usual.

“The circumstances that Brexit created were good for us in helping customers to keep goods moving,” he says. “We’re now focusing on freight to and from the eurozone. We’re also handling more goods leaving the UK for world markets, as well as cross-border trading that doesn’t touch the UK.”

supremefreight.com

However, slow global economic recovery has been something of an anchor on profitability. “While we’re busier than ever, our profit margins have been squeezed somewhat.”

Having leased office space at multiple locations across Southampton, the company benefited from consolidating four small offices into a single city centre building that was purchased a year ago.

Consolidated focus

Supreme House is at the heart of the global business. Headcount has increased from 50 to 80, with most of the team based in Southampton. It also has a presence in Los Angeles, China and Hong Kong.

Turnover growth has been steady, though.

It climbed from £125 million in the year to July 2021 to £155 million in 2022. Supreme Freight’s steady rise up The Business Magazine’s Solent 250 ranking of the region’s top privately-owned business continues, seeing it climb to 31st in 2022.

Green’s economic outlook is relatively upbeat: “Although I’d like to think that margin pressure is only a temporary blip, with the state of the global economy and high interest rates that’s unlikely.

Inflationary pressure has meant people buying fewer products. That said, we might see improvements in global trade in the latter part of 2024 if global economies recover sufficiently.”

In the meantime, Supreme Freight has become more ship-shape in its operations.

Loyalty bonus Green has always appreciated the value of staff loyalty. During turbulent economic times, retention is more important than ever. “We have very low staff turnover.

People who leave are usually retiring.”

After all, he points out: “It’s easier to retain good staff than find and train new ones.”

The key, according to him, is in offering a broad package of support of attractive salaries, full training and support. Staff empowerment is another persuasive – and practical – incentive.

PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

While we’re busier than ever, our profit margins have been squeezed somewhat.

“We instil trust and confidence in our team by encouraging them to use their initiative,” he says. “We don’t micro-manage.”

Green benefits from having a strong management team. “I brought in associate directors and team leaders to give us a stronger, more flexible management structure.”

He says the decision not to lay off any staff during the pandemic is now paying dividends. A recent £750 bonus for every member of staff to help with the costof-living crisis was a ‘thank you’ for their support during these difficult times.

The company found it easy to reverse

Covid-induced remote working. “I think we’re all happier to be back in the office, especially in one location,” he said. “It’s good for bouncing ideas off each other, also for motivation and efficiency.”

Community support The appointment of a welfare officer demonstrates the company’s commitment to wellbeing and workplace mental health; while its sponsorship of Southampton Football Club’s Saints Foundation enables staff to participate in local communitybased volunteering activities.

“It’s important for us to be able to give back to the community. Through their

volunteering work, staff support young children, adults and the elderly in the local community,” he says.

Now 62, Green has no plans to ease up.

He is looking forward to the company’s 40th anniversary in a few years. He is often on the move, travelling the world nurturing contacts and links to expand the business.

It’s a far cry from his first job in shipping as a dock runner, on his bicycle, cycling around Southampton docks distributing paperwork and meeting trucks arriving on the cross-channel ferries, collecting paperwork from the drivers and taking them to Customs House for processing and customs clearance.

SOLENT 250 RANKING

THE SOLENT 250 ANNUAL RANKING The Business Magazine’s Solent 250 is an annual ranking celebrating the top privately-owned businesses in the region listed by annual sales turnover Qualifying companies must be independent and headquartered in the Solent (South Hampshire, Dorset, South Wiltshire, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight).

The listing is researched and compiled by The Business Magazine, and sponsored by HSBC UK, specialist recruiter CMA Recruitment Group property experts Vail Williams, law firm BDB Pitmans, wealth, accountancy and advisory firm Evelyn Partners, and the University of Southampton Business School.

Cumulatively these 250 Solent companies have an annual turnover of £21.2 billion. This is a healthy 15 per cent growth from the previous edition. The companies on the 2024 Ranking create an impressive 130,000 jobs.

All members are invited to enter the nominations for this year’s awards which will recognise outstanding achievements in six categories. A private awards dinner will be held in 2024 to celebrate these achievements.

For more information contact: Jo Whittle, Operations Director The Business Magazine Jo.Whittle@thebusinessmagazine.co.uk

Business Sectors represented in the 250 ranking

Why we’re backing the Solent 250

“2024 will be the 10th year of HSBC’s involvement with the Solent 250. It’s great to see the continued success, growth and diversity of the businesses in the Solent region. There are now three companies on the list with turnover of more than £1 billion, which is a fantastic statement of the strength of the local economy.

We welcome the new entrants and look forward to celebrating with all businesses on the list at the events planned for 2024.”

Cameron Rathwell, Area Director & Head of Corporate Banking, Thames Valley, Hampshire & Dorset, HSBC UK Bank

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“Southampton Business School is proud to sponsor the Employer of the Year category at the Solent 250 Business Awards. By supporting Employer of the Year, we aim to celebrate companies that excel in creating positive work environments, promoting employee wellbeing and demonstrating outstanding leadership. Sponsoring this award also provides us with a unique opportunity to actively engage with the regional business community and showcase our dedication to promoting sustainable, equitable and just organisations.”

Jeni Giambona, Director of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise, University of Southampton Business School

“We are delighted to enter our second year of sponsoring the Solent 250. We are looking forward to judging the topperforming companies in our region with our co-sponsors.

“We will be shortlisting companies we believe have the best corporate governance towards climate change and sustainability, a hot topic in our commercial property sector, as well as for many companies and their properties.”

Russell Mogridge, Partner, Vail Williams

SOLENT 250 RANKING

“As a Top 10 firm of accountants, tax advisors, wealth managers and financial planners with a strong presence in the Solent region, we are delighted to sponsor the Solent 250 programme. We work with privately owned businesses and their senior management teams, providing specialist accountancy, assurance, tax and advisory services to high-growth and mid-market businesses. We are very excited about the opportunity to continue our support and engagement with the local business community through the programme.”

Andrew Edmonds, Partner and Head of Audit, Evelyn Partners

“We are proud to sponsor the Solent 250 awards. The event brings together talent from across the region and celebrates the growth, leadership and vision behind the very best independent businesses.

Companies in the Solent continue to demonstrate their versatility year after year and these awards reflect the valuable contribution they make to the UK economy.”

Nathalia Cantor, Senior Business Development Assistant, BDB Pitmans

“We are a long-term supporter of the Solent 250 and delighted to enter our sixth successive campaign. Established in 1980, CMA Recruitment is renowned as the south’s leading accountancy and finance, executive and HR recruitment consultancy. We already work very closely with many companies in the Solent 250 and look forward to making new introductions and helping to support even more businesses throughout the region.

Our award category of Growth Business of the Year recognises those companies that are making a significant impact in their respective markets and as a consequence showcasing the Solent region.”

Richard Dibden, Commercial Director, CMA Recruitment Group

Solent SME 250 Ranking’s 2023 award-winners

THE SOLENT 250’S TOP THREE BUSINESSES

1. Merlin Entertainments - That’s entertainment

Family entertainment specialist Merlin Entertainments continued its global expansion throughout 2023. The Poole-headquartered company is one of the world’s largest attraction operators and has grown steadily since it was founded in 1999. Merlin’s portfolio of brands includes many iconic names, from SEA LIFE and LEGOLAND to Madame Tussauds, the London Eye and Alton Towers. It operates more than 140 attractions in 24 countries with a mix of indoor and outdoor attractions aimed at a broad audience.

Merlin’s 120 Midway indoor attractions in 20 countries are generally located in city centres, shopping malls and resorts. Its resort theme parks are aimed at families, teenagers and young adults. Merlin recently announced a £10 million investment at its LEGOLAND Windsor Resort. This includes technology to provide a duelling rollercoaster, due to open in 2024.

2. Utilita - Powered up Utilita Energy’s founder and chief executive officer Bill Bullen set up the company in 2003 as a specialist pay-as-you-go smart energy provider. With a head office in Chandler’s Ford, Utilita’s 1,500 employees now provide energy to 800,000 homes.

The company set out to challenge the ‘big 6’ energy suppliers by offering customers better service and a fairer deal. Its business model includes no standing charges or hidden costs. Utilita uses its award-winning My Utilita app to give customers greater insight into their energy usage. This helps them save money and waste less energy. Since it launched in 2010, the company estimates that My Utilita has helped customers save at least £500 million.

3. Hendy Group - Motoring ahead Hendy Group has broken through £1 billion annual turnover for the first time. Headquartered in Chandler’s Ford, its dealership network spreads across the south coast from Devon to Kent. Automotive manufacturers in the Hendy Group include CUPRA, Dacia, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, IVECO, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lotus, Mazda, MG, MOKE, Nissan, Renault, SEAT, Škoda and Vauxhall. Hendy has diversified to cover electric vehicles, engine sales and servicing, car and van stores, leasing and vehicle hire.

The family-owned business dates back to 1859 when it opened a bicycle shop in Whitchurch. It has now become one of the UK’s largest multi-franchise dealership networks and in 2019, the company launched the Hendy Foundation to support local projects and charitable organisations.

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SOLENT 250 RANKING

NOTABLE NEW ENTRANTS TO THE RANKING MILEWOOD HEALTHCARE - 145

C & O TRACTORS - 200

BOATFOLK - 240

Wellness to independence

Tractors delivered

Float your boat

The inspiring work of Milewood Healthcare has earned them a strong spot on the Solent 250 ranking.

Providing much-needed support services to the Solent region and beyond, effectively tailored to meet the unique needs of its clients, Milewood Healthcare is “dedicated to delivering the kind of support we would want both for ourselves and our loved ones” at each of its 45 homes throughout the UK.

Specialising in high-quality agricultural, construction and garden machinery and with origins dating back as far as 1753, C&O operates from a number of locations across the south of England.

Having most recently expanded to cover Devon, the company works closely with top brand franchises and an everincreasing network of customers to provide unrivalled services in the Solent region.

With 11 marinas across the UK serving its mission to help you find, love and do ‘whatever floats your boat’, Boatfolk’s values of promoting freedom and community are at the heart of its business.

From its work with the Andrew Simpson Foundation, encouraging young people to engage in sailing to its dedicated boat sales and brokerage business, ‘boatpoint’, the company is proud to provide ‘a little something for everyone’.

NORTHOVER ENERGY - 169

WIGHT SHIPYARD CO - 207

KORTEXT - 245

“Our family serving your family”

Aluminium shipbuilding innovation

The future of learning

Sturminster Newton’s Northover Energy is a family-owned, independent oil supplier whose customers rely on its fast, efficient service, to keep their businesses operating smoothly and their homes nice and warm. Driven by a team of friendly and reliable staff, the former coal merchants are a well-established name in the Solent region.

Europe’s leading high-speed craft and aluminium ship builder, Wight Shipyard Co holds a strong spot on this year’s ranking. Powered by the first class managerial, design and technical expertise of its highly experienced team, the company is always working on a number of projects from contracted commercial and defence developments to work on luxury yachts.

Originally founded in 2013, Bournemouth’s Kortext is the country’s leading digital textbook platform supporting millions of students around the world. Driven by a vital mission to support better access to educational content and more effective teaching and learning on an international scale, the company makes excellent use of its partnerships with industry titans such as Samsung and Microsoft.

GOZNEY GROUP - 196

GLOSSBROOK - 212

IRACROFT - 246

Cook differently

Building on time and on budget

Tubular solutions

Bournemouth-based Gozney’s incredible story is a testament to the inspiring world of opportunities in the Solent region. Founder Tom Gozney was a self-described ‘disillusioned kid’ kicked out of school and fresh out of rehab yet grew a company that is now ‘pioneering live-fire outdoor ovens’. From easy-to-use commercial ovens to innovative worldfirst products, Gozney is well-deserving of a spot on the Solent 250 listing.

Backed by more than 35 years of invaluable experience, Bournemouthbased Glossbrook’s work covers the full spectrum of residential and commercial construction.

From its rapid growth in recent years to its extensive list of impressive capabilities, Iracroft specialises in the prototyping and manufacturing of products that are meticulously optimised to its customers’ designs. Operating out of two bases in Dorset, the company strives to maintain a family atmosphere amongst its employees, acknowledging that its people are the “cornerstone of our company’s success”.

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Emphasising quality and reliability throughout its developments, Glossbrook has built a strong reputation in the Solent region, holding many longstanding relationships with its clients.

SOLENT 250 RANKING

2023

Company name

Location

Description

Turnover No of Latest (£m) employees accounts

1

Merlin Entertainments

Poole

Theme Parks

2,006.0

20,561

31/12/2022

2

Utilita

Chandlers Ford Smart energy experts

1,030.8

1,421

31/03/2022

3

Hendy Group

Eastleigh

Car dealership

1,004.0

1,674

31/12/2022

4

Lush Cosmetics

Poole

Cosmetic manufacturer/retailer

657.1

12,704

30/06/2022

5

Arqiva

Winchester

Communication infrastucture

651.7

1,284

30/06/2023

6

Snows Group

Southampton

Car dealership

582.8

1,045

31/12/2022

7

Southern Cooperative

Portsmouth

Food stores & funeralcare

515.4

3,982

27/01/2022

8

Stannah

Andover

Lift/stairlift design & installation

311.2

2,312

31/12/2022

9

Richmond Cars

Portsmouth

Car dealership

306.4

335

31/12/2022

10

Abri

Eastleigh

Housebuilder/manager

244.3

1,225

31/07/2022

11

Natures Way Foods Chichester

Manufacture & wholesale of fresh food

214.2

1,414

25/03/2022

12

Simplyhealth

Andover

Private health insurance

213.3

960

31/12/2022

13

Partridge of Hampshire

Southampton

Car dealership

212.1

165

31/12/2022

14

Hobbycraft Group

Christchurch

Arts & crafts retailer

211.1

1,472

19/02/2023

15

Innovation Group

Whiteley

IT services and consulting

200.3

2,294

31/12/2022

16

Churchill Retirement Living

Ringwood

Retirement home developer

200.1

699

30/06/2022

17

Liquid Friday

Portsmouth

Contractor umbrella company

187.5

2,133

31/07/2022

18

Barfoots of Botley

Bognor Regis

Importation, packing and distribution of semi exotic produce

187.1

807

31/12/2022

19

Ordnance Survey

Southampton

Mapping agency

182.3

1,296

31/03/2022

20

Onecom

Fareham

Telecoms solutions

180.4

644

31/12/2022

TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF 100 COMPANIES SCAN THIS QR CODE OR VISIT THEBUSINESSMAGAZINE.CO.UK/BUSINESS-RANKING/

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APPRENTICESHIPS

068 BUSINESSINNOVATIONMAG.CO.UK

APPRENTICESHIPS Engineering apprentices

NOT TAKING ON APPRENTICES? YOU’RE MISSING A BIG OPPORTUNITY When the biggest professional companies such as KPMG, Deloitte and Google embrace apprenticeships – you know they’ve become mainstream

by Nicky Godding, Editor We are celebrating National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 5-11 February.

Every year it showcases apprentices and the colleges, universities, training providers and employers which support them.

And when some of the big corporates such as KPMG, Deloitte and Google embrace apprenticeships alongside employers in traditional sectors such as construction, engineering, care work, beauty and hairdressing – you know they have become mainstream. The benefits are obvious – they offer applied learning on the job, allowing apprentices to earn a wage and avoid student debt.

There’s an apprenticeship for everything There are more than 600 different apprenticeships, with attainment levels ranging from Level 2 – intermediate through to Level 3 (advanced), Level 4 or 5 (higher) right up to Level 6 or 7, degree level.

Eastleigh-based Gracelands, a groundworks and civil engineering company, is investing significantly in apprenticeships, alongside fellow civil engineering companies.

Managing Director Daniel Cleary, said: “There is a massive shortage of appropriate

apprenticeship training on the South Coast, so a few years ago a group of civil engineering companies got together and we set up Solent Civil Engineering Employer Group (SCEEG) with Fareham College, supported by the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership. We now have a unique apprenticeship training programme supporting the region’s construction industry and creating more jobs and opportunities for skilled groundworkers.”

Fareham College’s Civil Engineering Training Centre (CETC) campus, is a purpose-built two-acre mock construction site close to the college’s campus on the Daedalus airfield. It now delivers specialist civil engineering and groundworks apprenticeships.

While training in groundworks and civil engineering did exist in the region, it offered a two-year apprenticeship on dayrelease.

“The apprentices didn’t learn quickly enough to help on our site and feel valued, so we developed our own training framework,” said Daniel.

This includes 20 weeks of training at college where apprentices achieve qualifications to operate plant such as dumpers and rollers, basic skills training and how to work safely in construction.

“They spend the rest of their apprenticeship onsite being trained and mentored by our skilled teams,” said Daniel.

“It’s working well. The training centre offers classrooms and a safe live building site where they can learn key skills such as laying pipes and brickwork.”

Gracelands is sending its 12th cohort of apprentices to Fareham College this month along with apprentices from fellow civil engineering companies, including John Reilly Civil Engineering, Aeropark Developments and Blanchard Wells. In total, around 16 companies are involved – each sending around four or five apprentices per cohort through the training. Each apprentice trains for 18 months and their employer pays them a salary and funds their college training.

“The government’s apprenticeship levy helps, but it’s not perfect,” said Daniel.

“Currently we pay around £12,000 to £15,000 per apprentice, with the government contributing around £9,000 of that, but it’s worth the investment. Groundworks is a highly sought-after skill offering a well-paid career. We have come together as businesses, even though we are competitors, because we feel it’s better for the industry as a whole. “

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APPRENTICESHIPS

Gracelands apprentice Charlie White has his career mapped out

Campbell West urges government to focus on schools to promote apprenticeships The owners of a Berkshire-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning firm have urged the government to do more to promote apprenticeships in schools.

Steven Campbell and Daniel West both left school at 16 to do plumbing apprenticeships and founded Bracknellbased Campbell West in 2017. The business is now worth £10 million.

AMBITION DRIVES CHARLIE TO ACHIEVE A GOOD LIVING Charlie White joined civil engineering company Gracelands aged 16 as a labourer, straight from Toynbee School, Eastleigh. He’s now 23, with an apprenticeship under his belt, plans to qualify as an engineer (supported by the company) and buy his own house.

“When I started at Gracelands, I didn’t have a clear career plan, but it was paid work which I was glad to have.

“They offered me an apprenticeship which I took because I’ve always wanted to be able to make a good living and Gracelands is a good employer.”

Charlie enjoyed his apprenticeship because: “You cover every aspect of the business and it gives you important paper qualifications and an NVQ. “Fareham College’s CEMAST campus at Daedalus airfield where I studied is amazing. It’s clean, modern and there’s plenty of support from the tutors and space to work and learn.”

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While on site, Charlie began to talk to the engineers. “Engineering really appeals to me, so I when I’d completed my apprenticeship, I began to look at engineering training opportunities.”

He rejected the degree approach for practical reasons. “It was a four-year course and while the studying has to be done, I achieve better results learning in a real-world environment. I hope to undertake an HNC this year, which I feel fits better with the way I learn, and in the meantime I’m taking every course offered to learn new skills and keep me progressing.”

From not really knowing what he wanted to do on leaving school, Charlie now has life goals and a clear career pathway.

Daniel Cleary of Gracelands is impressed with Charlie’s progress and commitment.

“He’s doing really well and is a great example to others of what can be achieved when you have the right attitude, and support from your employer.”

Daniel said: “We know from personal experience that a good apprenticeship can be a ticket for a bright future for young people.

“But it borders on heart-breaking when young people come to us after undertaking college courses, with certificates that aren’t worth the paper they are printed on when they enter the real world.

“If the government wants to get bang for its buck, it needs to focus on guidance for 15 and 16-year-olds so they don’t waste their time on inappropriate courses.”

Steven added: “Our company is strongly committed to supporting the development of young people through apprenticeships, so we welcomed the Chancellor’s £50-million training stimulus in the autumn.

“But we are concerned that there is still a lack of awareness of apprenticeships – primarily the learning-on-the-job aspect - as a route to a role in engineering.

“Our concern is that students are being directed to desk-based courses which don’t equip learners sufficiently for the working world.

APPRENTICESHIPS

South East Companies among top 100 apprenticeship employers South East companies were named in Department of Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2023 Tops Day Nurseries, Poole BAE Systems, Farnborough Rentokil-Initial, Crawley

LIFT-OFF FOR DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP IN SPACE ENGINEERING Airbus is offering Space Degree Apprenticeships

A new degree apprenticeship in space engineering has been launched.

From spacecraft manufacturing to testing satellites, apprentices on the new Level 6 Space Systems programme will help develop space hardware and ground support equipment.

The apprenticeship is the first of its kind at degree-level and successful apprentices will begin their degree training this September.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “As a degree apprentice myself, I know they are a great way for people to gain the skills and experience businesses truly value.”

The apprenticeship will support the growth of the UK’s fastexpanding space sector, currently worth more than £17.5 billion in income to the UK economy and employs 48,800 people.

Professor Anu Ojha OBE, Engagement, International and Inspiration Director at the UK Space Agency, said: “Space technology is vital for our daily lives, for monitoring and tackling climate change, connecting people across the world and growing our economy.

We need more people to join our thriving space sector, with thousands of space jobs across the UK in some of the world’s most innovative companies and universities.”

Ben Bridge, Chairman of Airbus Defence and Space UK said: “This degree level apprenticeship will equip people with the skills and qualifications to further their careers in the UK space sector.”

PKF Francis Clark accountants, the South and South West Centrica energy company, Windsor Kreston Reeves accountants, across the South Thames Valley Police Babcock International, defence company, across the South Sussex Police Choice Care Group, Bracknell B&Q, Eastleigh Motus Commercials, High Wycombe Surrey Police

South East SMES named in Department of Education’s Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers Lee Marley Brickwork of Reading, Jamie Mettyear Hairdressing, Herne Bay Roe Brickwork, Margate Jemini Response care home, East Sussex Global Technologies Racing, Arundel Darke and Taylor, electrical engineering, Oxfordshire Lyons & Annoot, Ramsgate Rockley Watersports, Poole Strivex accountants, High Wycombe Paine Manwaring, heating, plumbing and electrican engineering, Worthing KJM Salons, Fleet Beech Tree Childcare, Littlehampton Southbourne Rubber manufacturing, Waterlooville Ignite Sport, Oxford

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CAREER CHANGERS SWITCH ON TO POWER APPRENTICESHIPS an engineering job but there wasn’t much of a career path.”

Career changers join UK Power Networks

Twenty-eight career changers have joined UK Power Networks to build new careers on the power network.

A barber, zoo worker and even a coastguard were among the recruits on a two-year experienced craft apprenticeships with Britain’s biggest electricity distribution network.

Over the next two years they will retrain as overhead lines people working at height, substation fitters and underground cable jointers, becoming experts at keeping power supplies flowing for 8.5 million homes and businesses across London, the South East and East of England, or work on electricity infrastructure projects at UK Power Networks Services.

Foundation apprentices complete the programme in three years, while those with experience from other sectors covering the same course, intensively in just two years. College courses and practical skills gained at the company’s training centres in Kent and Suffolk, are practiced under close supervision.

Former zoo worker, Samuel Newark, 20, from south London, landed an apprenticeship as a substation fitter with UK Power Networks Services at Heathrow.

He said: “I worked in the zoo’s education team and if the queue was long, we’d get out a massive insect or snail and teach visitors about the creatures. It was fun and I did that for just over a year. Before that I’d worked in

Charlie Aston, engineering trainee manager at UK Power Networks, said: “Apprenticeships aren’t just for school leavers. Last year we welcomed 54 experienced apprentices. This group have reached a junction in their life where they want to try something new.”

For many, changing career is a chance to follow their dream. In a survey of career changers, carried out by Joblist, 77 per cent felt happier and 75 per cent felt more fulfilled after taking the plunge. Charlie added: “Our experienced apprentices view this chance to retrain while earning, as a ‘golden ticket’ to the rest of their career.

“We don’t always know at 16 what we want to do when we’re 30 and we are seeing an enthusiastic pipeline of talent with itchy career feet who have transferrable skills, life experience and are waiting for that opportunity to gain new skills and experience in their chosen career.”

Government launches more tech apprenticeships The government is aiming to recruit 2,500 people into digital roles by June through new apprenticeship and early talent programmes.

Its new digital apprenticeship programme will support the recruitment of 500 early career entrants into digital roles across government this financial year.

The new programme will provide the opportunity for civil servants and new entrants to be recruited into the most in demand data and technology roles, such as cyber security technologists and software developers.

The remaining 2,000 opportunities will include 1,300 additional digital apprenticeship programme roles, and 700 roles created by expanding existing departmental digital programmes, such as the software developer programme.

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Meanwhile, some of the UK’s best technical minds from industry are being called to work on the country’s biggest challenges, such as cyber security and new emerging technology, with the launch of a new digital secondments programme scheme which is now open for applications.

The civil service digital, data and technology profession grew by 19 per cent between April 2022 and April 2023.

Both the digital secondments programme and new apprenticeship recruitment drive will also support a new target for six per cent of the overall civil service workforce to be members of the digital, data and technology profession.

Alongside government investment, Microsoft, which has its UK head office in Reading, is also increasing its commitment to skills.

Clare Barclay, CEO of Microsoft UK, said: “The UK has a very real opportunity to be a leader in the era of AI, but our research shows there are barriers stopping the UK turning its ambition into action.

“Every job will soon be supported by AI and we need innovative people, with the right skills, to fill those jobs.

“Microsoft is expanding its skills commitment. By 2025 we will support one million people to gain the AI skills they need to start, or move into, a career in technology. And in doing so we will open up the opportunities of AI to diverse talent across the UK.” The expansion of Microsoft’s Get On programme builds on its five-year initiative.

To date it has trained more than one million people in digital skills and helped more than 30,000 people build careers in tech.

APPRENTICESHIPS

Babcock Devonport welcomes more than 250 apprentices and graduates

SMMT to help fund driving lessons for apprentices

UK AUTO SECTOR PUTS APPRENTICES IN THE DRIVING SEAT The UK automotive industry is helping fund driving lessons for new apprentices in the sector. Drive to Thrive has been launched by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Charitable Trust Fund in partnership with the Berkshire-based automotive charity Ben.

As the latest Automotive Industry Career Guide shows, new positions in the industry include testing and developing EV batteries to designing self-driving cars, repairing and maintaining hydrogen trucks and engineering the software that will safely put automated buses on the road.

Ben supports all those who work, or have worked, in the automotive industry.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “Apprentices have been a driving force behind Britain’s automotive industry for generations and they have never been more important, as employers seek skills for the new technologies that will power our future mobility.

More than 14,000 new jobs related to the net zero transition are being created or expected in the UK. Apprentices taking part in Drive to Thrive will receive up to 44 hours of funded driving lessons while learning their trade, with the pilot fund supporting 10 apprentices in its first year. Participants must be aged 17 to 21 years old and meet eligibility criteria such as coming from a disadvantaged background that may limit their opportunities for driving lessons or long-term career progression.

The scheme follows a 45 per cent jump in the number of apprentices and trainees in the UK automotive sector last year.

“These offer exciting career paths but being able to take advantage of them often depends on having access to personal mobility. Drive to Thrive will help automotive businesses attract the next generation of top talent.”

Rachel Clift, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Ben, added: “This will provide opportunities for young people from disadvantaged and minority backgrounds, and bring new talent into the industry.”

£50M to boost number of apprentices in key growth sectors The Chancellor announced funding of £50 million over the next two years to pilot ways to increase the number of apprentices in engineering and other key growth sectors.

Make UK, the membership organisation for UK manufacturers, said this will provide the

International defence company Babcock has welcomed more than 250 new apprentices and graduates to its Devonport facility in Plymouth.

The apprentice roles include welders, fabricators and pipe workers.

The graduates are involved in specialist engineering, naval architecture and project management.

Gareth Kenward, Babcock’s apprentice and early careers manager, said the opportunity was important for the business and the city.

He said: “It’s great from a South West perspective, it’s great from a city perspective and it’s great from a Babcock perspective but it’s absolutely about making sure we’ve got the people trained to the right level to do the job we are going to need them to do. Not just in the short and medium terms, but right to the long term as well.”

He added: “There have been large technological advances and that’s constantly happening. We need to make sure we are pairing our workforce with the right skills to meet those ever changing environments.”

right support for the many manufacturers who have long called for better support from the government to invest in training.

The company has now launched a recruitment campaign for the next intake of graduates to join in September 2024.

It said: “We look forward to working with the government on how we can increase the number of apprenticeship starts in our sector.”

Babcock International was featured in The Engineer’s Top 10 Employers 2023 list.

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THE LIFE SCIENCES SECTOR SUCCESSFULLY TOUGHS OUT ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

Our annual life sciences round table looked at the sector’s biggest current issues

By Nicky Godding, Editor

Roundtable Participants Moderator: Nicky Godding, Editor, The Business Magazine.

Claus Andersen, Life Science and Technology Parter at national law firm Freeths.

Philip Campbell, Commercial Director, Milton Park – the thriving business and technology park based near Didcot.

Dr Xavier Jacq, Chief Scientific Officer at Moa Technology, an agribio company developing next-generation synthetic and bio herbicides with novel modes of action.

Prathiba Kurupati, founder of GeneOmics Solutions. It’s mission is to develop a platform for cancer vaccine design, using AI and machine learning to evaluate the effectiveness of antigens used for treatment, ensuring they’re both safe and efficient.

David Llewellyn, co-founder and Managing Director of DJS

Antibodies, which aims to create the next generation of antibody therapeutics. It developed HEPTAD, a new platform for antibody discovery, and now uses this to create novel therapeutics. In 2022, DJS Antibodies was acquired by AbbVie for $255 million.

Tracy Mak, Operations Director at Evariste Ltd, an AI-enabled

drug discovery company whose platforms have enabled rapid progression in drug discovery, with assets in their pipeline in lead optimisation within 15 months.

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Atherton Mutombwera, founder of Hutano Diagnostics. Its

patented modular lateral flow device platform can simultaneously detect up to 20 different biomarkers quantitatively. The company was bought by British company EDX Medical Group in late 2023. Its miniaturised tests are designed to identify early signs and details of sepsis, cancer, infections and cardio-vascular conditions.

Sara Garcia Ratés, Chief Scientific Officer at Neuro-Bio, a

privately-owned biotech spun out of Oxford University focused on both the development of a pre-sympomatic test and intransal drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Javier Audibert is its Chief Financial Officer.

Miguel Silva, Strategy Director at OMass Therapeutics which

spun out of the University of Oxford. The company uses novel biochemistry techniques, next generation native mass spectrometry and custom chemistry to interrogate how a target interacts with its native ecosystem.

Dr Annelise Vuidepot, Chief Technology Officer and Head of

Pipeline and Platform research at Immunocore, a global commercialstage biotechnology company. It develops biological drugs using soluble T-cell receptor technology and has a robust pipeline of programmes to address a broad spectrum of disease indications.

Patrick Whetter heads the life science real estate team at Freeths.

LIFE SCIENCES ROUNDTABLE Senior representatives from the region’s life sciences sector came together for a round table discussion on the same day as the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement in late November.

And while Jeremy Hunt was announcing a raft of investment and support for artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and semiconductor manufacturing alongside accepting recommendations that university equity in life sciences spin-outs should be no more than 10-25 per cent, the region’s life sciences companies shared their successes and concerns for the sector as a whole.

The Autumn Statement also contained a government commitment to invest £520 million into life sciences manufacturing alongside increasing its investment into innovation by £10 million.

All this good news for the region’s vibrant life sciences sector but concerns at the difficulties in securing investment remains.

Javier Audibert, is chief financial officer at Neuro-Bio. He said: “In response to funding limitations, Neuro-Bio has exhibited adaptability and proactive engagement with the current economic landscape. The company strategically concentrated on developing a biomarker with a shorter payout period than the drug

Tracy Mak, Evariste

development. This tactical shift not only highlights the company’s agility but also aligns with investor preferences during these uncertain times, garnering a positive reception.”

not to reach out to investors at this stage, rather to apply for innovation grants and funding, so we are currently working with Innovate UK Edge which supports very young companies such as ours.

Tracy Mak, operations director at Evariste, agreed: “We also have a platform but like Neuro-Bio we also have assets. We also find our existing assets have been generating lots of traction recently with investors.”

“They are helping us apply for grants and this should help us pitch to angel investors in due course, and give us credibility with investors down the line.”

But that’s not a strategy for a younger company such as GeneOmics Solutions.

Founder Prathiba Kurupati said: “It’s been challenging for us to raise preseed funding. We have been providing bioinfomatic services which have been pretty successful, but it’s not enough to invest back into platform development, so we do need to raise funding.

“However, the advice I have been given is

Life science and technology partner at law firm Freeths, Claus Andersen, agreed with this approach. “Investors want to see that the business model works and the IP is secure, which does give them more confidence in the company.”

Annelise Vuidepot, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Pipelines and Platfoms at Immunocore, added: “And when you set out your ambitions and claims, make sure that you really can deliver on that, because otherwise investors lose confidence.”

Javier Audibert, Neuro-Bio

Prathiba Kurupati GeneOmics Solutions

Claus Andersen, Freeths

Dr Annelise Vuidepot, Immunocore

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Writing grant applications isn’t for the faint-hearted But writing grant applications takes huge amounts of time, everyone around the table agreed. Prathiba observed: “I am a scientist but when I am running the company, I find myself having to forget about the science.”

Sara Garcia Ratés, Chief Scientific Officer at Neuro-Bio, agreed. “There is an art to writing grant applications. While novel ideas are encouraged and welcomed, investors are more risk averse at the moment and want to see more about the product and the financials too.”

So how do you get all these messages across? Claus Andersen at Freeths says it’s about clarity and outcomes. “For example, a company I am working with are able to say that their innovation could potentially save millions of hospital stays a year. They are clear about their product, the market they are addressing, the outcome and the positive financial implications.”

It also helps if the biotech understands the types of investor they are engaging with.

According to Annelise Vuidepot: “There are generally two types of investors, the generalists, who look at companies across all sectors, and the specialists, who focus mainly on a specific sector such as biotech and might have been a trained physician or researcher.

“When I give specialist investors a tour of our laboratories, it’s clear these are smart people who really understand the science.”

Sara Garcia Ratés, Neuro-Bio

David Llewellyn, Managing Director at DJS Antibodies, agreed: “Investors in the life sciences space are usually really smart. They also know that life sciences is expensive so they tend to invest in later stage companies, giving bigger sums.

“That often means that when you’re a really early-stage company asking for a few hundred thousand, it can be difficult to find highly specialised and sophisticated life science investors.

“Before we achieved our successful sale, we had a big spreadsheet of potential investors, but of those, there were only a few who invested in early-stage companies such as ours.”

That has also been the experience of Atherton Mutombwera, CEO of Hutano Diagnostics, who observed that it takes significant time to prepare the pitch and engage with investors, hence the importance of targeting investors whose cheque sizes enable significant extension of the research runway.

Atherton added: “We are happy to speak to many potential investors, because even if investment isn’t forthcoming from them, there’s a learning curve for us to understand what investors are looking for and how we present our science.”

David Llewellyn, DJS Antibodies

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Sara Garcia Ratés, added: “I’ve been with Neuro-Bio since its inception and we found that scientists love to tell a story, but we soon learned that in a pitch we needed to lead with what the product is to demonstrate why it’s worth investing. We have changed our mindsets from being purely scientists to businesspeople.”

But when the investment comes in, the companies can breathe a sigh of relieve and get on with the day job – for the time being.

Last year OMass Therapeutics secured a major investment of $100 million and secured further funding this year, but this doesn’t mean there is complacency across the business, especially in a tougher economic climate.

Miguel Silva, Director of Strategy at OMass Therapeutics, said: “We’re always thinking about what the next fundraise will look like and where do we need to get to.

“Given the current financing environment, I think it will be more challenging to raise money so companies need to go further than they would have previously done. For us, as a preclinical company, our aim is to get our first set of clinical data.”

DJS Antibodies was acquired by global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie for $255 million in 2022.

Co-founder and managing director, David Llewellyn, said: “As a small company a significant part of our time was taken up with how were we going to make ourselves look attractive to investors.

But, having been acquired, our scientific team are now in the rather fortunate position of being able to get on with our scientific research.

“It’s also very attractive to do early stage scientific research in the UK because you can do a lot here in a cost effective way, and as a result our scientists are having a great year doing fundamental science.”

LIFE SCIENCES ROUNDTABLE Dr Xavier Jacq, Moa Techology

The value of mentors Identifying the right type of investors to engage with takes huge amounts of time.

One way to cut through the noise is by engaging mentors. But where can they be found?

Xavier Jacq, Chief Scientific Officer at Moa Technology, said care must be taken by companies looking for investment not to waste time engaging with investors who are not interested in their sector.

“There’s no point in knocking on the door of an investor if you have a platform-based model and they don’t invest in platforms.

The right mentor can save a young company time and effort if they help them identify the most likely sources of cash. My advice is to find a mentor who knows the sector. There are currently few investors in our sector of agritech although their number is increasing– but there is still a lack of independent advisers for investors seeking to understand our sector better.

“We had a good Series B investment round last year and will soon begin work on the next round, but it is always a challenge to find the right people to advise in emerging fields.”

Prathiba agreed: “It can be difficult to find mentors with the time and knowledge needed, that’s why we got in contact with

Philip Campbell, Milton Park

Innovate UK Edge and they have been very proactive in supporting us.”

piece. If all those elements are in balance, there is the greatest chance for success.”

Xavier added: “We all have to reach out to all the networks and groups we can find.”

Patrick Whetter, who heads the life science real estate team at Freeths, added: “There is another issue. Companies investing in leading IT and technology are more likely to attract top recruits and gain the confidence of investors. Tech and automation can assist in productivity to improve efficiency and reduce costs. But that can create vulnerabilities such as data breaches or cyber attacks. Investors want to see a strong data protection for safeguarding data and a shield against cyber attacks. A cyber attack impacts on credibility and trust, interrupts supply chains and costs money to fix.”

Milton Park at Didcot holds regular networking events, but a whole ecosystem needs to be in place to support growing and successful life sciences companies.

Philip Campbell, Commercial Director at Milton Park near Didcot, said: “There are four, equally important sides to a successful life sciences eco-system – a perfect square. There needs to be the science, the people, the money and the place. Mentoring is part of the people

Patrick Whetter, Freeths

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LIFE SCIENCES ROUNDTABLE Miguel Silva OMass

Atherton Mutombwera Hutano Diagnostics

The skills challenge Oxford has a big talent pool, drawn by the excellence of its universities and the co-location of so many life sciences companies. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to recruit and without the right people, a young life sciences company will be held back.

Annelise Vuidepot said: “We are fortunate being near to Oxford at Milton Park, and as more companies set up here there is increasing competition for talent, and Brexit has made it more difficult to attract talent from Europe.

“However, while bringing talent in from outside of UK is relatively straightforward, there is a process, it takes time and can be expensive.

“For example, in the UK we sponsor candidates who need a visa, but the process can take two to three months and occasionally even longer.”

“All our labs are currently in the UK, where it’s more cost effective to have them.

“Although we are not ruling it out, opening labs and recruiting staff in the States is more expensive.”

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Immunocore has recruited around 100 scientists in the last 18 months, but still needs more.

so a valuable pipeline for bringing PhD students into young companies isn’t being filled by the city’s local university.

“Some areas are more difficult to recruit into than others. We participate in seminars, collaborations and other events in Oxford which really help to attract local talent,” added Annelise.

However, many other UK and overseas universities enjoy excellent relationships with life sciences companies and put a lot of emphasis on supporting and preparing students into internships.

Miguel Silva agreed. “We also sponsor visas because the competition is, indeed, fierce. However, another issue we face here is the affordability of living in Oxford, so these are the two things we aim to focus on when recruiting, to ease the transition as best as possible.”

Annelise Vuidepot said: “We currently have 18 interns, a number of them from the same UK university where they receive a lot of support.”

It may seem surprising but another issue for the round table participants was the fact that the University of Oxford doesn’t actively support industry placements for its students – unlike many other universities,

Philip Campbell thinks things might change after the appointment of Professor Irene Tracey as the new Vice Chancellor of The University of Oxford earlier this year.

“Irene lives in and attended school in Oxford, so I think that she understands the region’s ecosystem well.”

LIFE SCIENCES ROUNDTABLE

Life Sciences Round Table

What can the government do to support the UK’s life sciences sector?

Atherton Mutombwera: “More funding from organisations such as the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership which has simplified the grant application process, and provides a quick result turnaround time, enabling start-up agility. Also a relaxing of the rules around what can be funded which can be very restrictive.

These are just two of many ways the government could help.”

Philip Campbell: “I do worry about what will happen after the demise of local enterprise partnerships. Oxfordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership has been pretty efficient in the administration of grants and delivering them to the right place. I do feel that place-based knowledge is important.

Xavier Jacq: “The government’s research and development tax credits have been important for early stage organisations and we hope to see these reinstated. The plans for pension funds investment into life sciences are also very much welcomed.”

(The Autumn Statement that day did announce a merger of its R&D Tax Credits schemes to encourage research investment).

Claus Andersen: “I wish for some certainty.

People make better decisions in a quiet and calm economic environment. I would also like the government to decide whether it wants to stay within the EU regulations or what the alternatives will be.”

Annelise Vuidepot: “I do think the UK does well in seed funding and supporting startups, the issue is when a company needs more money to get it across the “valley

of death”. That’s really difficult, and that’s what sends companies to the USA where there is undoubtedly more money.”

Tracy Mak: “Investment is available for start-up and for clinical trials, but it is that bit in the middle where young life sciences companies have always struggled.”

Prathiba Kurupati: “It would helpful for young companies to have 100 per cent grants rather than having to find 30 per cent up front to secure 70 per cent from government, which only comes retrospectively.”

Lab space is also an issue. Patrick Whetter said: “Life sciences companies can go from needing a small lab space to a much larger one almost overnight. The capability to adapt redundant office space would be a real help.”

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PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

PUTTING PEOPLE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE FOREFRONT OF OFFICE DESIGN Getting people back in the office after the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns has been both a challenge to employers and an opportunity to evaluate and improve their setup for current staff, for new recruits, and for the wider community, writes Kevin Daniells, Lead Property Manager at Eddisons Fareham Office. stretch your sustainability strategies into the long-term. Inter-office recycling schemes, bike sheds/locker areas, and EV charging stations are great for larger office spaces looking to ‘do their bit’ and can encourage people to be green at home too.

Kevin Daniells, Eddisons

Taking inspiration from organisations that focus on net zero goals and saving money through digitisation, the commercial property sector is being revolutionised by putting people, sustainability, and technology at the forefront.

Design trends come and go, but no more so than the past five years. Hi-tech co-working spaces and deluxe benefits packages have entered the mainstream.

Providing ‘work perks’ is a short-term way to regain that pre-COVID attendance, but really changing the office for those who properly use it will sustain that attendance for longer.

Keeping sustainability in mind The term ‘eco-friendly’ has become jargon that people use without thinking, but design that is truly beneficial to the environment is critical to the continuation of commercial office property.

Using sustainable materials like timber and repurposed metal and masonry can not only contribute to your green credentials, but also keep construction costs low.

Systems that focus on waste reduction and energy efficiency are also novel ways to

Supercharging the everyday with technology Make technology available and accessible for all, to support remote working and collaboration. Tools like voice and movement-activated conferencing aids and connected devices like interactive boards have bridged the gap between remote and office working. Changes like this also include improving internet connectivity to increase productivity when lots of people are in.

Some commercial offices are choosing to oversee their spaces with building management systems that can control HVAC solutions, meeting rooms, parking space limits and more – all from one online dashboard. Capturing and analysing the data from BMSs like MaintainX and Infraspeak can help managers make hard decisions based on data collected from occupants.

need spaces where the design suits their changing needs.

Larger offices can foster open spaces for collaboration whilst creating private areas for informal meetings and focused work. In smaller offices, using modular furniture can change an office layout to accommodate different working styles.

Creating a vibrant and engaging workspace will organically grow a company’s culture.

Incorporating natural light, greenery, and areas to focus and destress will help to simulate home working environments.

However, above everything, safety and accessibility should be the top priority.

Consistent wellbeing and good mental health are key tenets to productivity, and ensuring people of all abilities can do their job without issue is paramount.

The diverse needs of a workforce should inform your building’s accessibility features.

Making sure all areas are accessible for disabled people should be a given. But it doesn’t stop there: long-term decisions around H&S protocols including air quality and social distancing must be considered, even when they aren’t currently in vogue.

The obvious benefits here are to decrease energy costs and see how to better utilise unused office space. However, there is also an opportunity to see how occupants feel about their space and how they themselves would optimise their area.

By considering these factors, organisations can create a workplace that not only meets current needs but is also adaptable to future changes in technology, sustainability and most of all nits people.

Putting your people first Investing in technology and sustainability is key to entice your workforce, but this will only work for a while. Occupants

For more information: eddisons.com

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

PROMOTIONAL BUSINESS FEATURE

CHOOSING AN APPRENTICESHIP TO ENTER THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY Apprenticeships are the perfect combination of on-the-job training with classroom support, allowing the next generation of built environment professionals like me to develop practical skills while gaining theoretical knowledge and a recognised qualification, writes Annabel Huffer, Apprentice Building Surveyor at Eddisons.

Annabel Huffer, Eddisons

Having never had an interest in the traditional university experience, I was keen to explore alternative routes of entry available for professional careers in the built environment industry.

I found there were many options available, including for those wishing to switch careers later in life, and chose a Degree Apprenticeship to enter the industry.

I am currently in the final stage of a Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Building Surveying with the University College of Estate Management (UCEM). The fully online distance learning course allowed me to gain first class honours in BSc Building Surveying in April 2023, while working and gaining the experience needed to prepare for assessment with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to become a Chartered Surveyor. This is the end point of my apprenticeship; I am almost there now, just under five years on from when I started.

UCEM are just one of the many universities at the forefront of apprenticeships, and my course was designed specifically to accommodate the challenges encountered as a built environment apprentice and to provide support at every opportunity.

Coupled with the support of my employer, Eddisons, the apprenticeship was the perfect choice for me and my career aspirations.

The skills gap and lack of awareness from younger generations is a constant challenge in the industry, and apprenticeships and other schemes like it directly address these issues. The RICS reported that in the years 2013-2019, the number of young people aged 18-30 qualifying as Chartered or Associate Surveyors increased by 30%, which shows a positive outlook for the industry. Similarly, the number of female members of the RICS reached 18% in February 2022, compared with 13% in 2017.

The built environment sector lends itself brilliantly to apprenticeships, as the approach covers a wide range of on-site trades and professional consultancy roles working under the guidance of experienced professionals. The range of disciplines and types of apprenticeships available mean there are options available to suit a diverse range of people.

Apprenticeships can be categorised as Intermediate, Advanced, Higher and Degree.

All apprentices must be provided time during paid working hours to study, and the combination of 20% classroom work and 80% work experience ensures sufficient learning and development of apprentices’ skillsets for the working world.

The key benefits of apprenticeships in the built environment include: Practical Experience: Apprenticeships benefit from hands-on learning and give individuals a chance to apply the knowledge they’ve learned through study, to real-world situations.

Professional Development: Apprentices are set on a structured pathway, acquiring a combination of technical expertise, professional competence, and industry connections.

Transferrable Skills: The training received in apprenticeships like mine is tailored to the needs of the construction industry, but also to equip people with the essential skills needed to progress in the working world.

Earn While You Learn: Apprentices are paid for their work and study as part of the apprenticeship, allowing them to earn an income while they learn. This opens opportunities to those who need to earn money straight out of compulsory education. Fullyfunded training and qualifications is also a key consideration, meaning there is no student debt.

Industry Connections: Apprenticeships also provide opportunities for networking and building relationships within the industry.

Working alongside experienced professionals and taking advantage of early careers networking opportunities available provides the chance to establish connections for a strong future career. The RICS Matrics groups are a perfect example of early careers networking for surveyors; as a committee member I have first-hand experience of the benefits the community provides.

I have been encouraged by the support received from within the industry for my apprenticeship, and truly believe apprenticeships hold an important role in the future of the industry. Apprenticeships provide opportunities for everyone regardless of their background, which is key to ensuring a diverse built environment profession.

For more information: eddisons.com

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Andover town centre has secured levelling up funding from Government Image: David Bainbridge

WHERE WILL THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SECTOR BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME? Commercial real estate is experiencing torrid times, but the UK needs a healthy sector to drive the economy. How can it shape up for the future?

By Nicky Godding, Editor Whatever sector your business is in, it will need real estate to operate – from offices to shops, distribution centres, industrial space and leisure. Work from home? You’ll need access to a data centre to store work in the cloud, and handle all your digital communications.

commercial real estate sector will boost the UK’s regions, something the government is keen to be seen to be doing. Every pound spent in the sector has the potential to generate an almost equal amount to UK GVA, through direct and linked spend and employment.

Real Estate Europe, a wedge continues to be driven between market price expectations and book valuations.

Fears over “catching a falling knife” are expressed by many of the 1,000 or so industry leaders canvassed for the report.

The commercial real estate sector contributes significantly to our economy, underpins job creation and regeneration across towns and cities, and has an important role in realising net zero ambitions. So says the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Offices have traditionally taken the largest share of the commercial property investment market, but the Covid pandemic caused the value of office real estate to tank, with investor interest pivoting towards the industrial and logistics sectors.

The ULI warns there are mixed expectations for debt and equity availability in the coming years when capital will be required for refinancing and upgrading real estate to meet the higher ESG requirements being demanded.

But with rising interest rates, a drop in consumer confidence affecting retail investments in particular, and growing commitments to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, commercial property is being challenged in a way it hasn’t been for a generation.

These are forecast to outperform retail and offices in terms of capital growth over the next five years, although rental growth is expected to turn positive for all property types this year – except for the beleaguered shopping centre market.

But macro-economic environments can change quickly, says Simon Rubinsohn, Chief Economist at the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Unlocking the potential of the

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According to the Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2024 report Emerging Trends in

“For years, the sector benefitted from lower interest rates, and while that’s probably in the past, I think interest rates will drop from their higher level, though

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

which could represent a quarter of the workforce. And those workers range from bricklayers to quantity surveyors.

This is a big issue for those requiring labour to manage the pipeline envisaged by operators in the sector who are plainly aware of the challenge.

“That’s why we’ve seen wages rise in the construction sector in particular.”

And who will pay to upgrade old buildings to costly new ESG requirements? “The government is offering some money – but who’s going to pay for the rest?” questioned Simon.

So the gap between prime and secondary values is widening. And that’s going to worry UK policy makers, adds Simon.

not to where they were,” he said.

But there is optimism in some quarters. While investors consider how geopolitical issues are affecting UK investment decisions, they may be comforted that, for the moment, the underlying strength of occupier demand remains.

The challenges for real estate from environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies Despite economic and financial headwinds, ESG is the issue most likely to affect the UK’s real estate sector, say industry experts.

New regulations, demands from investors and changing occupancy requirements all play their part in how existing buildings are adapted and upgraded, and new ones built – alongside rising construction costs and a shortage of skilled workers.

Simon Rubinsohn said: “It’s a demographic issue. The construction sector has an ageing workforce – another half a million workers could exit the industry over the next decade or so,

If the value of a mortgaged property begins to fall because it can’t meet new environmental requirements, there’s a potential issue around financial stability.

The government is trying to help.

Some towns across the region have secured investment from its Levelling Up Fund, designed to contribute to local infrastructure, regeneration and make the environment more investment-ready for the private sector. Andover, Croydon, Gosport in Hampshire, Gravesham in Kent and the Isle of Wight have all been beneficiaries from its £1 billion funding.

Who will be the winners and losers?

What will our towns and cities look like in 2030?

It’s easy to dismiss city centres as being in serious demise. But last November HMV reopened on London’s Oxford Street – Madness opened the store (the 1970s band, in case you were wondering, not the act of reopening).

First opened by Sir Edward Elgar in 1921, the store closed in 2019, but reopened after securing more favourable rent and business rates.

Why has owner, Canadian music entrepreneur Doug Putman, taken the risk? “People need a reason to visit a store. For us, it’s a great selection, and if you can’t make it a fun shopping experience, no one will come.”

Other stores are opening in regional towns and cities. The Original Factory Shop, The Range (which bought the defunct Wilko brand), are picking their locations with care.

They’re not experiential, but they meet a need during a cost-of-living crisis.

More up-market brands are seeing opportunities on the high street again too.

The more progressive real estate industry players understand the need to repurpose outmoded assets and are talking more about co-location – combining different uses in a single building or location.

Those who have invested in data centres, the life sciences and leisure sectors are likely to do well, alongside anything that’s commercially linked to residential. Public money won’t be available on the scale needed to build what’s required so what were previously referred to as “alternative real estate” categories, such as build-to-rent and student housing are a slow-burn but growing area nonetheless.

John Lewis is considering making office space a part of its retail offer, as is Marks and Spencer – both to make better use of their vast real estate portfolio.

And Simon thinks that as the sector recovers from what has been a dearth of transactional activity in general, those alternative sectors will come to the fore.

With the real estate sector, it all comes down to confidence – in valuations, geopolitics, initiatives to mitigate climate change and marketplace fundamentals.

According to the ULI, decisions will soon need to be made on when to call the bottom of the market, putting serious cash aside to work on a “brown-to-green” repositioning strategy (i.e. decarbonising existing buildings).

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UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS’S FULL POTENTIAL: 10 expert tips for choosing the ultimate office space to encourage growth 6. Facilities and perks Look beyond the office walls. Consider on-site amenities such as parking facilities, cafes, and gyms. These perks enhance the overall work experience for both employees and clients.

Are you a business owner on the cusp of expansion.

Choosing the perfect office space is a pivotal step in the journey to growth. To guide you through this transformative process, we have ten invaluable tips that will set you on the path to success.

7. Networking opportunities Explore co-working setups and communal spaces that facilitate networking. Building connections with other businesses can lead to collaborations and partnerships, fostering mutual growth.

1. Prime location for prosperity The location of your office is more than an address; it’s a strategic asset. Opt for a location that not only facilitates easy transportation but also provides access to amenities crucial for your business. A well-chosen location enhances visibility and lays the foundation for your success.

2. Design matters Assess the layout and configuration of potential office spaces. Ensure it aligns with your business requirements, fostering an environment conducive to productivity.

Consider involving your staff in the decision-making process to reflect your company’s ethos in the design.

3. Room to grow and flourish Consider your business’s future growth and select a space that allows for expansion. Choosing a scalable office minimises the need for frequent relocations as your team evolves.

4. Tech-ready infrastructure Ensure the office space is equipped with modern infrastructure, from high-speed internet to robust security systems. Seamless business operations rely on having essential facilities in place.

5. Embrace flexibility Review lease terms with an eye for flexibility. Seek arrangements that align with your growth plans, offering options to expand or downsize as needed.

8. Seamless accessibility Prioritise accessibility for all. Choose an office space easily reachable for both employees and clients, ensuring it accommodates the needs of everyone, including those with disabilities.

9. Business security at the forefront Safeguard your business assets and systems by selecting an office space with robust security measures. From safekeeping systems to access controls, prioritise the safety and security of your operations.

10. Budget-friendly choices While quality is paramount, be mindful of budget constraints.

Evaluate the total cost of occupying the space, including rent, utilities and additional fees, to ensure it aligns with your financial plan.

By considering these ten essential points, you empower yourself to make a well-informed choice that aligns perfectly with your business vision. Choose wisely and watch your business flourish in its new home.

Get in touch with us to find out how exceptional office design can help grow your business.

Matt Blakeman Head of Sales & Business Development, 07712 870931 www.morganlovell.co.uk

10 COOL CO-WORKING SPACES

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By Sam Pither, reporter

COOL CO-WORKING S PA C E S Want to get away from the rat-race but be more productive? There’s a co-working space near you

One of the biggest things to come out of changing working habits since 2020 is the rise of co-working spaces, with working from home bringing a number of questions around work/life balance to the forefront of conversation.

According to global insurance company Gallagher, two thirds of UK businesses are now adopting some form of hybrid-style working for staff originally based in city centre offices.

And despite some initial doubts, three-quarters of UK business leaders now say that employees work more efficiently in a hybrid model.

We went looking for some of the best co-working spaces across the region.

The Curious Lounge – Reading, Berkshire

The Curious Lounge in Reading applies a classic theme to a modern concept, decorating its co-working space with greenery, Ercol and mid-century décor.

Despite these retro fittings, the Curious Lounge offers all the modern amenities expected from an office in 2024, such as superfast Wi-Fi throughout and meetings rooms with high-tech audio-visual facilities, soundproofing and individual environment control.

The location also includes bike racks, shower facilities and a concierge service to make it easy to get to, freshen up and then enjoy the best of Reading.

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FOUNDRY – Poole, Dorset & Eastbourne, Sussex

FOUNDRY has two co-working spaces on the South Coast, one in Poole, Dorset and one in Eastbourne, Sussex.

The Poole location, which sits in the quayside town’s Dolphin Centre, opened in 2023 and has become one of a number of factors in the revitalisation of the town centre.

The facility caters for everyone from freelancers to established companies, offering a co-working lounge (with beer on tap), dedicated desks and private offices, as well as meeting rooms and a podcast studio.

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Old Bond Store – Southampton, Hampshire

Set in a Grade-II listed building in Southampton, the Old Bond Store describes its offering as ‘clubworking’ rather than co-working.

Founded by Liam Doe, the location offers an exclusive service modelled after similar locations in London. Membership is limited to 100 and is by invitation only, with the Old Bond Store aiming to offer a premium workspace with the features of a member’s club.

Across its three floors, the space offers a coffee shop, lounge with spaces for informal meetings, a dedicated work space and a boardroom-type space with a downstairs area for hospitality.

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After lockdowns ended, a common topic of conversation was how to get people out of their homes and back into the office.

Camberley’s Login Lounge was born from this, aiming to provide a co-working space which could also bring life and vibrancy to Camberley town centre.

On top of its co-working offering, which includes a range of different spaces and all the mod-cons necessary for working in the modern world, Login Lounge also runs a café and bar, with live events every weekend.

These events range from acoustic performances on a Friday evening to party nights on Saturdays which include live bands, comedy and cabaret.

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Login Lounge – Camberley

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IncuHive – Multiple locations across Hampshire, Surrey and Wiltshire

IncuHive is much more than a co-working space.

Focusing mostly on small businesses and start-ups, IncuHive puts itself forward as a business incubator, with a range of services tailored to helping companies to grow.

These services come in the form of one-to-one business mentoring for all residents, monthly start-up networking events, an investment pitching competition backed by 15 high net worth investors and weekly business training seminars.

Founded in 2015, IncuHive now supports more than 270 businesses.

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Bee House – Milton Park

Sat in the heart of Oxfordshire’s Milton Park, Bee House offers a variety of office, co-working, meeting rooms and event space.

With large, open-plan kitchens, breakout areas and the Hive Café, Bee House aims to facilitate conversation and networking between the different professionals who use its spaces.

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Discovery Park – Sandwich, Kent

Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, offers two separate co-working spaces with subtly different offerings.

As the home of the only Barclays’ Eagle Labs in Kent, Discovery Park offers access to the Barclays’ ecosystem manager, who can offer free advice and mentoring, as well as a network of like-minded companies.

Meanwhile, the science park’s StartUp Zone aims to provide a quieter environment for more focused work, with access to a communal kitchen.

WRAP – Brighton, Sussex

One of the key selling points for any co-working space is the flexibility it offers, and this is true of WRAP in Brighton.

As well as opening 24 hours per day, seven days a week, WRAP offers on-site childcare facilities making it easier for parents.

The location also runs classes and events throughout the year, with everything from networking and business mentoring to cocktail masterclasses and art exhibitions on offer.

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One of Wheelhouse’s three locations in Oxford, the Loft offers an airy, modern setting with extras including everything from sparkling water to beer on tap.

Wheelhouse – Loft – Oxford

Dragon Co-working – Medway

Dragon Co-working is a collaborative co-working space based between the historical towns of Rochester and Chatham.

Along with WiFi, tea and barista-style coffee, Dragon offers an exclusive members portal, providing companies which work from there the chance to showcase their business and gain access to free monthly events.

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The region’s most influential B2B magazine, in print and online for news, features, interviews and business sector analysis.

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