C&W in Business July 2016

Issue 54

July / August 2016

David Armstrong rises to his latest challenge - page 20 31

5

7

29

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

Helping businesses deal with the uncertainty after Brexit Dear Member, With a sense that the EU Referendum could go either way and, indeed, with the polls leaning towards a "leave" vote, your Coventry Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce launched on 21st June - prior to the outcome of the referendum - its' Post EU Referendum Support Line on 02476 654321 (business support).

With this launch, I made my comments clear that "whether you, in business, feel more uncertain or, indeed, more certain about the future, you may be seeking advice and support on how to meet your business growth aspirations and objectives".

We are far from the dust settling on the outcome of the referendum, the resignation of our Prime Minister and the vote-of-no confidence in the Leader of the Opposition, but in the midst of political and economic flux I would like to assure you that, as the voice of business, we are making your views known, as follows:"It is critical now that the political and legislative process is not allowed to crowd out priority issues for business and the economy, some of which are wholly domestic in nature.

Business cannot afford any period of parliamentary inaction and uncertainty on non-EU-related issues, whether two years or more in length, and your Chamber of Commerce is seeking urgent reassurance that this will not be the case.

There is an urgent need for clarity on airport expansion, energy generation, house building, the planned apprenticeship levy, reform of business rates, devolution, and the future of the foundation industries that underpin manufacturing. These and other decisions are urgently required to support firms that are working tirelessly and optimistically to deliver sales, profits, and prosperity despite facing skills gaps, export uncertainty, and a markedly softer economy.

We (your Chamber of Commerce) propose that the government convene a new, broad-based Business Taskforce on Europe to ensure that business priority issues form a key part of both domestic policy and EU exit negotiations during this critical transition.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

We are keen to ensure that the whole range of business concerns and considerations are taken into account in the negotiations to come.

So, to local issues, I believe that we continue with "business as usual" and that we push forward with the investment and growth ambitions for Coventry and Warwickshire.

CONTENTS July - August 2016 Go for Growth Women in Business

4-8 9

Business & Trade Expo

10

International Trade

11

Corporate Members

12-13

Chamber Training

14

Business Support

15

Your Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is part of the fabric of the locality and has been around for over one hundred and ten years and continues to successfully support businesses day-in-day-out.

As part of our Go for Growth Campaign we have some exciting b2b and networking opportunities coming up, not least our Economic Conference on Friday 14th October and our next Trade Expo on Friday 4th November, definitely dates for your diary.

I am delighted to announce that your Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is one of an exclusive number of 'event sponsors' for the Coventry (& Warwickshire) City of Culture bid, which was formally launched at the Godiva Festival on 3rd July 2016.

We are here to support your Go for Growth aspirations and I am proud of a great Team of Chamber Professionals that can support you on issues relating to trade, starting-up a business, growth & access to skills and finance, membership, international trade and b2b & b2c networking opportunities, so get in touch on 02476 654321 or contact me direct on louiseb@cw-chamber.co.uk Kind regards Louise

Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive

Legal & Finance

16-17

Property

18-19

Profile

20-21

Policy

22

Skills

23

Around the region

24-33

News

34

News

40 -43

President & People

44-45

New Members

46

Training & Events

47

3

Go For Growth ‘16 Campaign

CONTACTS

New leader backs business campaign

At the Chamber

News desk

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

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

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

At the publishers

Publisher

Ian Fletcher

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

Advertising Contact Karen Hall karen@benhampublishing.com 07801 788880 Production Manager Mark Etherington Accounts Director Joanne Casey Media Number 1441 © Benham Publishing 2016 C&W in Business is produced on behalf of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce by Benham Publishing Limited and is distributed to members free of charge. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in C&W in Business, neither Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies it contains. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber.

C&W in Business is printed and distributed by Headley Brothers Limited The official publication of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

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

L to R: Peter Burns (past Chamber president), Louise Bennett (Chamber chief executive), Cllr George Duggins, Paul Carvell (Chamber president), David Penn (Chamber Coventry branch chair).

The new leader of Coventry City Council has backed a campaign to help businesses grow across the region.

Councillor George Duggins met representatives of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce – the organisation which provides a voice for firms across the area – for the first time since taking up his new post.

He told them he was behind the Chamber’s Go For Growth campaign which is encouraging companies to explore opportunities to expand but also to highlight any obstacles to their growth.

Cllr Duggins said: “It was good to meet business people in the city and to hear from them personally about how they are coping in the current economic climate.

“I think we are all singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to growth. We want our businesses – small,

medium and large – to grow and create jobs for people in the city.

“An open line of communication with business is important because we all have the city’s best interests at heart – if companies are growing and prospering, that’s good news for everyone.”

Among the topics for discussion were proposals to cut the number of trains to Coventry Station and also a shortage in employment land.

David Penn, the chair of the Coventry branch of the Chamber, said: “We were extremely grateful that Cllr Duggins came to meet us so soon into his new role.

“A positive relationship between business and the city council is very important and it was great to get off on the right foot and to have his backing for Go For Growth.

“There may be times when we are calling on the council for support but, also, times when the Chamber can help provide another voice when an issue affects the city.

“The proposed cuts to rail services to Coventry is a case in point and one where we can add strength to the call to maintain, if not, enhance the service to the city. With such major development around the station area, a drop in service would be unacceptable and detrimental to the city.

“We also have to work with the city council to try to address the shortage of employment land because that is another barrier to growth for companies in the region.

“On the whole, it was a very positive meeting and we are encouraged by the commitment to help businesses – and, therefore the city – to grow and prosper.”

Biggest orders boost growth plans A Warwickshire business is celebrating its two biggest ever orders after selling more than 300 wind turbines to a power solutions company in Lebanon.

FuturEnergy, based on Ettington Park Business Centre in Stratford upon Avon, specialises in the manufacture of micro wind turbines and supplies products across the globe.

The business has been trading for 11 years and has exported wind turbines to remote areas of the world, with one even being transported to the Arctic on the Aurora Magnetica explorer vessel.

IPT PowerTech, in Beirut, ordered 114 wind turbines just before Christmas and has now just placed one for a further 228 turbines - FuturEnergy’s two biggest single orders to date.

The turbines will be used to reduce the fuel cost of diesel generators powering mobile phone communication masts.

It is anticipated the entire project will cover 280 communications tower sites, each powered by two turbines.

FuturEnergy received support in exporting to Lebanon from the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Team at the

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s International Trade Hub. FuturEnergy Sales Manager Sandra Shirley said: ““UKTI have been great in helping us with the export documentation as we had never shipped to Lebanon before. They have been very supportive and have always been on hand to help and often call to see how we are progressing.”

News of FuturEnergy’s success is also a boost for the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Go For Growth 16’ campaign, which aims to ensure the region hits is growth potential in 2016.

Mick Page, international trade advisor at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a great example of a company that has

successfully exported products to some of the most remote areas of the world.

“They’ve shown commitment to growing the export business and part of this has been providing the right training and support to the customer in Lebanon.”

For more information on international trade support, call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Policy Go For Growth ‘16 Campaign

Growth challenge for businesses

(Left to right): Caroline Trainor (Coventry University), Julie DeThierry, Paul Fairburn, Sonia Patel (Coventry University).

Coventry University has appealed to businesses in the area to challenge it to ‘meet their growth aspirations’.

The university held an event with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and told more than 50 local business leaders how it could support them in their plans to Go For Growth.

One of the areas highlighted by the Chamber as a barrier to expansion for business is skills and employability and Paul Fairburn, Director of Enterprise and Innovation at Coventry University, said that was an area where support could be provided.

He said: “We are committed to

helping companies to help train and educate their staff and we would ask them to challenge us to meet their growth aspirations. We have recently supported more than 10,000 individuals and over 80 organisations through our work, and businesses can definitely see the benefits in our approach.

“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, recruitment and retention of the best staff, and helping to enhance skills of current members of the team are critical ways of continuing to grow the business.

“As an example, we have the Simulation Centre at Coventry

University Technology Park which uses actors and role play to create real-life scenarios for a range of sectors including construction, nuclear and transport/highways.

“The university also has a long–term strategic partnership with the Unipart Manufacturing Group where we offer a “Faculty on the Factory Floor” experience at a dedicated building at the Unipart Manufacturing Group HQ in Coventry, which is helping to train and equip the next generation of manufacturing engineers.

“The idea is to break down the barriers between education and business to make sure we are providing a great future for our young people but also the skills that our employers need.

“It’s a model that I would expect to see expand in the coming years as businesses look to ensure they have the necessary skills to enable growth.”

Julie De Thierry, of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said skills was an issue frequently raised with the Chamber as a barrier to growth.

She said: “When the Chamber identified the obstacles firms were facing at the start of the year as part of our Go For Growth campaign, skills was a key issue.

“It’s not something that we can solve on our own locally as it’s a national issue but by working with and highlighting what organisations such as Coventry University can do for a business in terms of training and enhancing skills, it can play a big part in helping companies to grow.”

Masterclass helps businesses Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire are now better equipped to proactively manage their cashflow and reduce debt thanks to a masterclass led by Harrison Beale & Owen in partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

To help businesses take control of their cashflow, local experts HB&O hosted a Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce masterclass at the Chace Hotel in Coventry, which was attended by more than 20 different businesses from across the region.

Topics covered in the session included identifying and avoiding common pitfalls in managing company finances; making best use of VAT schemes to support your cashflow; as well as how to spot the warning signs and tackle problems with debtors. The workshop also provided free tips and tools to help business owners forecast their cash position and plan ahead for issues such as seasonal dips or future investments.

Wayne Gutteridge, director at HB&O, said: “Even if a business is winning new contracts and increasing its profits – if the flow of collecting payments isn’t planned for and managed, then businesses can fall into financial difficulty.

“We find the one of the most common cashflow problems arises due to slowpaying customers and poor collection www.cw-chamber.co.uk

systems. Our masterclass took delegates through some simple steps which can immediately improve this situation. This includes invoicing quickly and offering a digital platform that not only allows quick payment, but also sets up automated, friendly reminders.

Neil Sayer from Istead Business Presentations Limited said: “The masterclass was really useful.

Although we do already have good systems in place to manage our finances, it was great to come away with some extra tools and techniques to help us stay on top of our cash position.”

The seminar was hosted as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Go For Growth campaign, which aims to highlight potential barriers to business growth over the next year to help firms reach their potential, while also celebrating business growth in the area.

Louise Bennett, chief executive at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “Cashflow is just one example of a barrier to business growth. This was a very practical session to help businesses overcome that and it was great to host with a very well respected company in this field.”

Chamber Expo Aids HBT Communications Plans for Growth HBT Communications is Coventry’s most long-standing Communications business.

Launched in 1988 by brothers Zamurad and Ajmal Hussein, HBT continues to run as a family business, along with the support of an ever growing team of employees. The company prides itself on adapting and embracing the latest technologies and this has helped HBT establish itself as the city’s leading provider of communication solutions.

2016 is set to be a milestone year for the business as it sets out ambitious plans for growth, but one challenge facing HBT was how to find the right people to support this growth.

The company discovered the solution at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber’s Business Expo in March when René Wheeler, Head of Sales at HBT Communications, met Angela Roberts from The HR Consultancy.

René Wheeler explains “The Chamber’s Business Expo is a fantastic platform for meeting and chatting to businesses in an informal environment. Following on from meeting at the Ricoh, Angela and I met and I was so impressed with the HR Consultancy’s refreshing approach to recruitment I appointed them to help us.”

Angela Roberts, Director of the HR Consultancy added “Finding good sales people can be difficult as you need to ensure that new recruits will be motivated to grow your business as well as fit in with the dynamics of the existing sales team. Working closely with HBT we were able to really understand the type of people needed and provide a short list of quality candidates for them to interview.”

René Wheeler continues, “We have appointed 3 new members of staff so far and we are looking forward to building upon this and increasing the team even further to support our plans for growth for 2016/2017.”

HBT is dedicated to getting Coventry businesses communicating in the most cost effective and efficient way and is offering Chamber members a FREE Communication Health Check.

Call HBT today on 02476 867 422.

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Go For Growth ‘16 Campaign sponsored column

PET-Xi growing again and business

Owner managers and high performance athletes have a lot in common

Right now athletes are preparing for the Rio Olympics. You’ve probably seen athletes on TV in training - somewhere like the English Institute of Sport. You've seen them on stationary bikes hooked up with wires and tubes to sophisticated computers, which closely monitor them going through their paces; usually under pressure.

That data is then used to design a high performance coaching regime specific to their sport. As an example, a marathon runner needs an entirely different programme to a ballistic 100M distance runner.

In the same way, our programs start by using an exclusive cutting edge technology called the Business Leadership Profile (BLP), to clearly identify what's going on with you and your business. We carefully pinpoint what's working and maybe what's not, and from that we design bespoke business coaching programmes.

Importantly, we are most interested in your ability to run a successful commercial entity in a leadership capacity.

The award winning BLP primarily focuses on two factors associated with success in a leadership role - Task (your ability to get things done) and Relational (your people skills and your ability to influence others).

You’ll know bosses that get things done, but kill every relationship; and people who get along well with everyone, but under perform.

Top leaders have a good blend of both.

The BLP then rates your skill levels in 36 traits conducive to high performance in a leadership role. It also clearly identifies the key coaching targets that will generate the best results sooner and bigger, with almost laser like precision.

If you are an owner manager of an established 6 or 7 figure turnover business, please call TC Gill Coaching and arrange a suitable time to chat. We will show you how this technology and business coaching system will give you and your business a dramatic uplift in results.

Mr TC Gill (BEng Hons) CPCC High Performance Business Development Coach e: tc@tcgill.com t: 07977 007350 w: tcgill.com

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A Coventry company that helps young people to fulfil their potential in education is expanding into a new office.

PET-Xi, which was started 21 years ago, is moving into a new HQ at Westwood Business Park after growing to employ 65 direct members of staff.

That figure could rise to 80 before the end of the year with a further 400 people employed across the UK on a freelance basis.

The firm, which uses a range of courses and programmes to help children of all ages to overcome a host of barriers to learning inside and outside of school to help them achieve success, also offers its own apprenticeship service.

PET-Xi now has nine apprentices of its own – in a range of roles – and is also placing around 150 in businesses and organisations across the country.

The company has been highlighted as a great example of how to overcome barriers to skills and employability in the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Go For Growth campaign as well as being a success story in its own right.

Fleur Sexton, joint managing director of PET-Xi, said: “We actually started with Chamber support back in 1995 and, now, here we are more than 20 years later expanding again into a new office and are Strategic Partners of the Chamber.

“We are passionate about Coventry and we’re delighted to be investing in the city again by buying new offices and also adding to the team.

“The fact we are growing shows there is a big gap out there that needs filling and that, with the right type of help, young people can achieve even more in school and, therefore, go on to be as employable as possible when they leave.

“Getting good exam results is another tool to help young people go out into the big wide world and make a success of themselves and contribute to society.

“Skills and employability is definitely an issue that businesses raise and the work we do is a way of addressing that. It certainly works.

“We are now also offering apprenticeships and very much practice what we preach as we now have nine here at PET-Xi covering everything from social and digital media through to business management.

“So we are great example of how a business can Go For Growth but, also, show that there are solutions to some of the issues companies face around not being able to find the right staff.”

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to see PET-Xi growing again – especially when you look at the hugely important work they do not only in this region but around the country too.

“They are a perfect case in point for what Go For Growth is all about.

They are, themselves, expanding and creating new jobs within the company but also helping to enhance the employability of the individuals they work with which is what other businesses tell us is a barrier to their growth.”

Global success for yoga teacher A yoga teacher who turned her passion into a successful business is now selling her products around the world.

Yogamasti, which specialises in yoga clothing and equipment, was launched

by Aanika Chopra in 2009.

The company not only sells products at its new shop based at FarGo Village, in Coventry, but also exports to the USA and Europe.

The company received support in exporting products overseas from the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s International Trade Hub. Aanika, who grew up in New Delhi in India, was inspired to train as a yoga teacher after being invited to a dynamic meditation session during a trip to India to visit family.

She resigned from the Metropolitan Police Force where she was working as a police officer and completed her yoga teacher training at the Sivananda Institute of Yoga, in India, before moving to the Midlands in 2004 where she taught yoga in Coventry, Leamington and Birmingham.

Her passion for the discipline led her to create a company selling unique yoga products that are suitable for anyone. Yogamasti’s first collection was showcased at the London Yoga Show,

and since then the company has gone from strength to strength. Aanika has worked to put the spirit of yoga into the clothing she designs, creating pieces that are unique and practical with a holistic feel.

Today, Yogamasti has two part-time members of staff based at its main store at FarGo Village, has stockists in the UK and around the world and also sells products through its own website as well as through Amazon UK and USA. Aanika said: “Yogamasti has grown considerably over the years and is now doing amazingly well. Although yoga is a passion of my own, I didn’t realise just how many people practice yoga and how popular our products would become.

“UKTI provided a considerable amount of support when we first began exporting products. Their Passport to Export service provided me with contacts that I was able to network with

as well as invaluable advice when it came to decision making.”

Parminder Hayer, international trade advisor at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce – which launched a Go For Growth campaign at the start of 2016, said: “Aanika has made the most of the services on offer from UKTI to help expand Yogamasti overseas.”

For more information on international trade support, call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Go For Growth ‘16 Campaign

sponsored column

Unusual way of developing leadership skills pays dividends

Inheritance Tax Residence Nil Rate Band

At present, Inheritance Tax (‘IHT’) is charged on the value in excess of the nil rate band (‘NRB’) of £325,000 of the estate of an individual. Married couples and registered civil partners can pass any unused NRB on death to one another.

(L to R) Steve Cunnane (UKTI), Richard Merkl (Quorum People), Shanakay Millington (Holiday Inn Coventry M6), Kerry Bailey (Holiday Inn Coventry M6), Sue Ainsley (Net Visibility), Neil Curtis (Net Visibility), Emma Thomas (The Recruitment Initiative Lt), June Irani (Lifestyle Investments), Rosy Hughes (Burgis & Bullock).

A Leamington business which provides an unusual way of developing leadership skills has impacted more than 1,000 people as it celebrates its one year anniversary.

The Leadership Whisperers use horses to help senior teams and business executives develop their leadership skills and business planning techniques.

The innovative company, based in Bishops Tachbrook, has now worked with 1,100 people as it marks its one year anniversary.

Founders Emma Taylor and Jude Jennison have been presented with the Woman Who… Start Up Award 2016 in recognition of their pioneering business which has seen a significant amount of growth since it was launched.

Emma said: “We are delighted to have had a positive impact on more than 1,000 people. It is an excellent achievement for us as we celebrate our first year as a registered company.

“During our first year Jude also published her first book ‘Leadership Beyond Measure: Profound learning with horses to transform leaders and business’ which is now available on Amazon.

“We were extremely pleased to win the Woman Who… Award. The judges recognised that we have built a scalable and innovative business which is pioneering new leadership development methodologies.

“We provide a variety of different workshops for managers, senior teams and executives of companies.

“Horses mirror leadership behaviour so we partner people to lead the horses in a number of situations.

“The horses provide direct, in the moment feedback on how each person leads and allows people to modify their leadership style.

“We have had a considerable amount of growth over the past year, and as a result, the amount of people we employ on a part time basis has risen.

“We have also been able to invest a significant amount of money in our new facilities workshop which we purchased from Warwick Buildings, another local business.

“We have a strategic partnership with an equine charity which has venues across the country, meaning we can deliver our sessions in a number of locations and we can also deliver sessions abroad.”

Many businesses from across the area have taken advantage of the sessions, including a recent visit from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, which launched a Go For Growth campaign at the start of 2016.

Emma said: “We were delighted to host a directors day for the Chamber.

We have received some excellent feedback and everyone who participated found it very useful.

“They have been able to take the new skills they developed back into the workplace and we will continue to offer any help and support we can i n the future.”

Bethany De Thierry, of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Emma and Jude are pioneering new and interesting ways to develop leadership skills.

“Working with the horses provided us with a very hands-on experience which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and found very beneficial.

“We launched Go for Growth at the start of this year and this is another, albeit, unusual example of how a business can expand by thinking differently.”

“We have had a considerable amount of growth over the past year, and as a result, the amount of people we employ on a part time basis has risen.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

From 6th April 2017, an additional NRB will be available to enable a family home to be passed wholly or partially tax free to direct descendants such as a child or grandchild.

The 'residence nil rate band' (RNRB) will be £100,000, rising annually to £175,000 in 2020/21. If unused it can be passed to a surviving spouse meaning a potential IHT-free estate value of £1 million from 2020/21.

However the RNRB will be reduced by £1 for every £2 by which the net value of the death estate exceeds £2 million.

Therefore in 2017/18 there will no RNRB where the death estate value exceeds £2.2m (or potentially £2.4m in the case of a surviving spouse), rising to £2.35m (or potentially £2.7m) in 2020/21.

The RNRB can only be used in respect of one property which has been a residence of the deceased at some point. If an individual downsizes or disposes of their only home after 8 July 2015 but passes assets of equivalent value to their direct descendants on death the RNRB will still be available.

Where a person dies before 5 April 2017, their estate will not qualify for the RNRB. However for spouses where the first spouse dies before that date, £100,000 will be available to carry forward for the surviving spouse.

To obtain the relief the deceased’s personal representatives must claim within two years from the end of the month in which the person dies.

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

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

7

Go For Growth ‘16 Campaign

Cloud judgement paying off

Paul Blore (left) with Sean Farnell

A Midlands accountancy company is continuing to put its faith in the latest technology to aid its growth.

Burgis & Bullock and fellow Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Strategic Partner Netmetix have been working together for nearly a decade and the relationship continues to thrive.

Netmetix previously managed the company’s ‘on-premise’ IT servers and systems but began to migrate the firm over to the cloud around three-and-a-half years ago.

Burgis & Bullock, which operates offices in Leamington, Rugby, Nuneaton and Leicester, has now been upgraded to Netmetix’s third generation cloud-based system which operates through Microsoft Azure.

The accountancy company has now expanded into another office in Stratford

and being ‘based’ in the cloud made for a smooth transition.

Sean Farnell, partner of Burgis & Bullock, said: “Moving to the cloud was initially a big decision as we needed to ensure that all aspects of data security, access rights and availability could be guaranteed and in fact improved on the in-house servers that we had historically employed.

“Once we were satisfied that these concerns had been adequately answered the move to cloud actually enabled us to have greater performance than our previous systems allowed with the added flexibility of having all of our systems available 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

“This has been especially convenient with the opening of our Stratford-on-Avon office as once we have installed the internet links (and a couple of desks), we are ready to go.

No expensive hardware, no configuration and no delay which makes the decision to expand much simpler when you have faith in your underlying systems.”

Paul Blore, the managing director of Netmetix, said: “We have been working with Burgis & Bullock for many years and they were a very early adopter of our cloud services– they recognised the benefits of migrating their servers into the cloud both for themselves as a business and for their customers.

“If done correctly, cloud based systems are extremely secure. The economies of scale allow the cloud service provider, in this case Microsoft, to spend millions on security, whereas an SME just wouldn’t have that budget.

“The cloud is potentially beneficial to every business or organisation – especially when they have multiple sites

as Burgis & Bullock do, or a geographically disperse workforce.

“The whole company access their systems and data from any location in real-time from almost any device.

“The beauty of cloud-based computing is that your office is everywhere – you can be in Leamington or Sydney or even on a train and still be able to access your programs and data.

“We are delighted to continue our work with Burgis & Bullock and the fact that we are both Strategic Partners at the Chamber is a further opportunity for us to meet and discuss ways to move business forward.

“Their move into a new office is a perfect case in point. We can get them up and running extremely quickly because they can access all of their files safely and securely from the cloud.”

“We are delighted to continue our work with Burgis & Bullock and the fact that we are both Strategic Partners at the Chamber is a further opportunity for us to meet and discuss ways to move business forward.”

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Women in Business

sponsored column

Women crucial to improving exports Base Erosion and Profit Shifting ("BEPS") – are you prepared or exposed?

Current international tax rules were established back in the 1920s.

Wright Hassall Managing Partner Sarah Perry, Vice President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce John Nollett, Acting Regional Director of UK Trade and Investment West Midlands Christine Hamilton and Area Director of HSBC Bank Debbie Harper.

Women hold the key to improving UK exports according to a West Midlands trade advisor.

Christine Hamilton, Acting Regional Director of UK Trade and Investment West Midlands, has urged female business owners to take up the international challenge and begin exporting overseas.

Christine was one of the guest speakers at a Business is Good for Women lunch held by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce at Ardencote Manor Hotel, in Warwick.

She gave a brief overview of her career which began at the Department of Trade and Industry, admitting that as a woman she was not even allowed to wear trousers to work at that time, before urging female delegates to take up the international challenge.

Christine said: “My first job was advising companies about exporting and most of the businesses were run by business men.

After 10 years, that had changed slightly but the support we offered remained much the same.”

Christine told the delegates that in 2012 she wanted to find female business leaders to act as ambassadors to promote

overseas trade, but there were no wellknown names from the West Midlands.

Four years later and Christine said she is still no nearer to finding a female figurehead, adding that UK Trade and Investment can provide advice and support to anyone who has the potential to trade overseas in a bid to encourage the delegates to consider exporting.

She added: “We need more women to export and to inspire others to take up the international challenge.”

Christine was joined by speakers Sarah Perry, Managing Partner at the law firm Wright Hassall, and Debbie Harper, Area Director of HSBC Bank.

Sarah, Wright Hassall’s first ever female managing partner, spoke about how the legal profession has changed for women and said that unconscious bias could still lead to men being promoted over women and steps should be taken to develop female colleagues.

“Female business leaders need to instil a sense of can do into their female staff,” said Sarah.

Debbie also spoke about her career and how happy she was to join a bank with a

culture that celebrates diversity and values females, with 54 per cent of staff being women and 46 per cent being men.

She said that her first role in life would always be a mother to her son Oscar but her ambition led her to rise through the ranks and become a member of HSBC’s area board.

Debbie said: “Board positions are definitely open to women. It just took someone like me to say 'I want to do that’.”

John Nollett, Vice President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “I would like to thank the three speakers for attending our Business is Good for Women event.

“They each gave entertaining and inspirational speeches highlighting the issues that women in business have faced over the years and how they could dramatically improve the UK’s international trade. We will support Christine in her efforts to find a figurehead for export.

“I believe that diversity at board level is vital for business – especially when it comes to gender – and events such as this help to highlight that.”

“We need more women to export and to inspire others to take up the international challenge.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

These rules have not kept pace with the globalisation of corporations and the digital economy, leaving gaps that can be exploited by multi-national corporations to artificially reduce their direct income taxes.

Many of the existing rules - that protect multinational corporations from paying double taxation - often allow them to pay no taxes at all. These taxation gaps give multinationals an unfair competitive advantage over smaller businesses. They hurt investment, growth and employment and leave the rest of us questioning the fairness and integrity of our tax systems.

The OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project, an initiative instigated by the G20 countries, but subsequently signed up to by many other countries, was implemented to overcome these taxation gaps.

The BEPS recommendations, delivered in October 2015, are wide ranging and cover financing, operating models, compliance and reporting. The recommendations were based on 15 ‘Actions’, which can be found on the OECD’s website.

With the OECD's timeline for implementation fast approaching, multi-nationals have a limited window of opportunity to understand the potential implications of the BEPS project.

Now is the time for multi-national groups to ask themselves the question: ‘Are we BEPS Proof?’

Dafferns has allied with the international association of accountants, AGN, to give businesses the support they need to operate within multiple territories and to guide them through the maze of dealing with the implications of BEPS. Whether you are a large multi-national organisation, or a small company operating in just two countries, BEPS is going to impact on you. How much will vary enormously, but it would be unwise to ignore these new measures.

If you would like further information on the impact of the BEPS project on your company, please contact our international tax specialist, Brian Jukes: brian.jukes@dafferns.com or Tel: 024 7622 1046

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

International Trade

China on road to football stardom thanks to uk colleges

Stratford-upon-Avon College lecturer Richard Pepperell flew to China as part of a delegation from a consortium of four UK education providers who are aiming to help the country improve its sports education.

Richard - Stratford College’s Assistant head of department for Sport and Public Services - together with representatives from Barnet and Southgate College of

Further and Higher Education, Doncaster College University Centre and New College Swindon, spent nine days travelling across China – stopping at Shijiazhuang, Hebei, Changsha, Hunan and Beijing - as part of a football partnership project.

Supported by the British Council’s UKChina Innovation Challenge Fund, this £80,000 three-year venture will focus primarily on helping China develop its football coaching skills.

A diehard football fan, President Xi Jinping aims to turn his country into a football superpower, winning the World Cup by 2050 – a tall order, considering that it has only ever once qualified for the World Cup, in 2002. His strategy is to get 50 million adults and children playing the game by 2020, by making football a compulsory part of the school curriculum and providing at least 20,000 football training centres.

Along with the other consortium members, Stratford-upon-Avon College helped to kick-start this process by identifying suitable candidates for a future coach training programme.

Richard said: “This initial visit was really about forging friendships with our Chinese partners and gaining an understanding of the skill level of the students. We had training sessions with them and the footballing talent and level of commitment we saw were truly impressive.”

Richard, together with another member of staff and two students from the College, will visit China again in October with the rest of the consortium team, to kick off the coach training programme.

Company seeks exports increase A forward-thinking logistics company in Rugby has made a senior international appointment as part of an ambitious drive to double its export sales.

Volker Manger has joined Exact Logistics, based on the Dunchurch Trading Estate in London Road, as German sales consultant.

He will be based in Monchengladbach in Germany, offering customers a single point of contact from quotation through to delivery.

Exact Logistics specialises in delivering palletised freight across the UK and Europe, with Germany being home to the majority of the company’s overseas customers.

The firm currently has a £1 million turnover in export sales, and is now looking to double that figure.

Volker will be working to expand on Exact Logistics’ German client base and promote the services offered by the company.

Adam Shuter, managing director of

Exact Logistics, said the company was delighted to welcome Volker to the team.

“German customers are an important part of our business, so it is essential that they have a dedicated point of contact,” he said.

“The number of German customers who work with us to collect and deliver goods to and from their UK customers and suppliers is increasing, and Volker will support this growth.

“He will be liaising directly with customers as well as working to expand our German client base.

“We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service, and Volker shares these values. He is an excellent addition to our team and will help us with our goal of doubling our export sales turnover.”

Volker said: “I am very pleased to join Exact Logistics. The company’s ethos of communicate, deliver, care is very important

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Professor John Latham, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “Coventry has a long history of engagement with China and there are many points of connection between there and our region.

The recasting of our industrial heritage around new growth opportunities and the development of advanced manufacturing techniques has strengthened our links and we are delighted that we will now have another point of focus for business, as well as social and cultural engagement.”

The launch event featured speakers, artistic performances by students and staff from Coventry University and JUFE, as well as a range of arts and cultural activities for anyone in Coventry’s University Square.

Dr David Pilsbury, Deputy Vice Chancellor for International Development, said: “In the spirit of the Confucius Institute we were very keen to involve students, staff and the wider community in the celebration, as an

Quick Guide to Motivating Sales People

Do you know what motivates your sales people?

Most companies assume that it is money but this, surprisingly, is rarely true.

You can prove this by trying this experiment for a month- offer each of your sales people £100 extra each week if they make 50 additional phone calls to prospects.

The first week, typically, 10% may take you up on the offer of more money for a bit more work. After that, the percentage will get smaller, shrinking each week until it peters out completely.

So if money isn’t the answer then how do you motivate your sales people?

A good sales manager (or MD) must create an environment and goal structure that encourages salespeople to motivate themselves.

Here is how you do it:

to the German market and I am very proud to be a part of this.

“The company already has very strong connections in Germany and is well-known as being both professional and reliable.

“I look forward to using my knowledge and expertise to build on this and help the German side of the business grow even further.”

University strengthens its links with China by launching Confucius Institute Coventry University’s Confucius Institute, the only organisation of its kind in the West Midlands, has been officially launched.

This collaboration between Coventry University and Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics (JUFE) in Nanchang, south-east China, aims to develop and improve business and educational links between the West Midlands and China.

Coventry’s modern Confucius Institute is a unique addition to the other 29 Institutes across the UK as it will focus on working closely with local businesses to enhance their understanding of the Chinese market, as well as providing other activities around language and culture.

As part of a day of events to mark the launch, the University welcomed Minister Ni Jian and Minister Counsellor Shen Yang from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the UK.

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indication of how we intend to move forward. The Institute is now up and running, offering a range of courses and events aimed at all ages and sectors of the regional community, from primary schools to local businesses.”

“Our Confucius Institute is for everyone.

The public, our regional business community, students and staff and could become one of the West Midlands’ chief business and cultural connections to China.”

On a Friday, ask your sales team to think over the weekend about what they would do with a cheque for £20,000 (other than save it).

By Monday, they will have three or four things they would love to spend the money on such as: • Take an Exotic Holiday • Pay off their credit card • Buy a new house/ sports car etc.

Based on these answers have each sales person create two to three specific personal goals and the cost associated with each.

Once identified, help them correlate those costs to how many new sales they must make to reach that number. Remember people don’t want money- they want the things and experiences that money can buy them.

As a team, discuss the skills and steps needed to make a new sale. Break these steps into daily activities and create a visual diagram or process for each team member to set on their desk as a daily reference. Each day, ask your sales force about their goals and what activities they are doing to reach them.

A sales team needs individual personal goals to be great- as defined by that individual. They also need a sales manager who has earned their trust enough to find out what motivates them, and then push them to achieve.

How to develop great sales teams? Attend Neil’s 2-hour workshop, as our guest, please email or call us for further details.

••• Written by Neil Liddell of Sandler Training. Providers of Sales and Management Training E: nliddell@sandler.com T: 0845 0573563 M: 07547 227442 www.central.sandler.com •••

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Corporate Members

How important is your Intellectual Property?

In this Q&A, Patent Attorney Susan Bradley and Trade Mark Attorney Samantha Collins, from Marks & Clerk, discuss the outlook for local businesses, and how they can protect their products and services from increasing competition.

What challenges can you see in Coventry and Warwickshire at the moment?

Samantha: While the current outlook is reasonably rosy for many businesses, there is still a lot of uncertainty in the market. Competition continues to increase from developing markets, particularly in the manufacturing and automotive industries, which are heavily represented in the area. As globalisation increases, it creates new opportunities for collaboration and trade. However, it also means that manufacturers have to deal with more competition, and so they need to think carefully about protecting their intellectual property (IP).

What can businesses do to confront these challenges?

Susan: To help prevent competitors from replicating innovative products and services, businesses should consider filing patent applications and/or registering UK or Community Designs.

Similarly, businesses should think about protecting company names and brands by registering them as trade marks.

When should companies be thinking about patent protection?

Susan: Once an idea is publically disclosed, you cannot patent it, so businesses should consider seeking a Patent Attorney’s advice on how and where to protect their ideas as soon as possible. It is worth bearing in mind that you can seek patent protection for

developments to existing products, as well as for new ideas. The fact that a product is already on the market does not necessarily mean you cannot apply for a patent for an improved version of that product, provided it is “novel and inventive”.

What other IP rights are useful to businesses?

Samantha: No matter what your industry, trade marks are a vital form of IP protection. Most businesses understand the importance of brands these days, but there are misconceptions about how to protect them. Registering a company name at Companies House does not give you proprietary rights over the name, neither does registering a domain name.

A trade mark registration, on the other hand, provides you with protection for your brand name, and gives you the right to challenge third parties using it, or even a confusingly similar name, in relation to comparable goods and services. A trade mark does not have to be a logo or brand name; we are seeing more companies registering the shape of their products as trade marks, and even the occasional sound or smell mark!

Susan: It is also possible to protect the appearance of a product and so prevent copying, using ‘registered designs’.

Although many people think registered designs are only useful in fashion and other artistic industries, they have proved commercially valuable to a large range of businesses, including many in the engineering and manufacturing industries. Registered designs are relatively quick to obtain and can prove very cost-effective.

Are Coventry and Warwickshire’s companies on top of their IP? Susan: According to recent figures from the European Patent Office, patent filings from West Midlands companies grew by a quarter last year, so it is clear that businesses are increasingly recognising the value of IP. However, in our experience, the level of IP understanding among companies tends to be polarised between those who have already formulated their IP strategies, and those who do not know where to start.

If you are in the latter group, uncertainties about costs, procedures, and timescales can seem like insurmountable hurdles.

This is why we are currently running free, no obligation consultations for Chamber members who have questions about their IP. We are excited about becoming corporate members of the Chamber, as we both have strong ties to the West Midlands area and so are keen to support the local business community.

To arrange your free consultation, or to find out more about IP services at Marks & Clerk, please call Susan or Samantha at the Oxford office on 01865 397900, or email scollins@marks-clerk.com

Football club seeks to strengthen business links It offers a wide range of hospitality packages as well as advertising and sponsorship deals which businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire can take advantage of.

The club has a dedicated fan base, with the average home league attendance reaching more than 12,500 during the 2015/16 season.

In addition, English Football League matches and highlights programmes televised across the BBC, Sky Sports and Channel 5 reach more than 12 million viewers.

Coventry City Football Club is looking to score with even more local and regional businesses as it aims for significant growth in its commercial sector.

The club had a positive first full season under Tony Mowbray on the pitch and is now looking to ensure that more money can be ploughed into the team thanks to an increase in commercial activity.

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Coventry City Football Club also has a huge social media following, with more than 70,000 Twitter followers, over 130,000 likes on its official Facebook page and more than 2.4 million views on its YouTube account.

Corporate Sales Manager Tynan Scope said: “We have been back in Coventry for two seasons now and the commercial part of the business is growing again.

“We have a lot to offer local and regional businesses, including hospitality packages on a match by match and seasonal basis as well as sponsorship opportunities.

“Many businesses think that football is expensive or unaffordable, but we can work with companies around their budgets.

“Our advertising packages can include the promotion of businesses on our website, which has more than five million page views per year, social media sites and advertising boards.

“We provide an excellent platform for businesses to advertise to both the local and wider community.

“We would like to engage with more local and regional businesses moving forward because every penny counts in helping Tony Mowbray and his first team to hopefully help secure a promotion back to the Championship.”

The club has three levels of premium memberships starting from £540+vat and 12-seater executive boxes from £8,640+vat for the season.

Advertising and sponsorship opportunities start from as little as £500+vat for player sponsorship and £1,500+vat for an advertising board for the season.

The club is a corporate member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce which gives it an opportunity to network and build relationships with businesses across the area.

Tynan added: “We have worked with the Chamber in the past and it proved very successful. We are now looking to expand on that success.

“It provides us with a network of businesses that we can engage with and that can in turn engage with the club.

“Not only are we engaging with business leaders, but also employees, their families and the wider community, which instils a sense of pride and passion in people. We look forward to working with Chamber members going forwards.”

For more information on premium memberships, executive boxes and advertising/sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.ccfc.co.uk/commercial/ or contact Tynan by emailing tynan.scope@ccfc.co.uk or calling 07812345558.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Corporate Members

Word of mouth reaps rewards for Health Matters

An employee benefits specialist based in Coventry is in good health after growing through word of mouth and recommendations.

Health Matters was founded in 1999 by Simon Hurley-Smith and has since attracted around 650 corporate clients from across the UK and overseas.

Simon began his career in the private medical insurance sector with PPP Healthcare. He joined in 1992 as an account manager and left to set up Health Matters, based on Middlemarch Business Park.

Right from the start the firm’s remit was clear – to become the UK’s most respected and trusted specialist medical insurance brokerages.

The services offered by Health Matters are free of charge as commission is paid by the insurer. This has no effect on the rates offered by the firm.

Today, Health Matters has 15 members of staff and offers a wide range of services including the implementation and management of a group medical insurance scheme to a fully integrated employee benefits package.

Simon said: “We have grown organically through word of mouth and referrals and now have around 650 corporate clients, a lot of which are in the Midlands and London.

“Our core business is corporate medical insurance. We also offer services such as health cash plans, group life insurance and income protection.

The ground-breaking Health Matters Assistance Programme, launched in 2005, remains as one of the most innovative employee assistance programme brands on the market and continues to grow on a month on month basis.

“We advise employers about appropriate employee benefits to offer to attract and retain staff.

It combines staff healthcare with employee assistance, which includes services from support and advice on personal issues such as handling bereavement and separation to legal and financial assistance.

“Rather than committing to a reduced panel of insurers, we provide a whole of market review. We collate prices from a range of insurers into a report and then advise companies on what would best suit their needs.

Health Matters also prides itself of keeping up-to-date with the latest, cutting edge, employee benefits and having the partnerships in place to ensure their clients can get the best deals.

“We have unique arrangements with some insurers and have the leverage to negotiate favourable premium rates.

Forward plans are created to keep clients informed about what benefits are predicted to be popular that year to ensure they retain staff.

“Lots of organisations have benefits in place which don’t get reviewed regularly.

Our independent reviews are free of charge and allow companies to compare prices to ensure they are receiving the best cover at the most realistic and competitive price.”

Health Matters has been a corporate member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce for around 10 years.

It gives the firm an opportunity to meet other companies and help expand its ever-growing client base.

Simon added: “The Chamber allows us to network with other businesses in the area and develop new relationships.

“The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is one of the most active chambers in UK and represents businesses of all sizes.

“We are based in Coventry and a lot of our clients are from across the Midlands, so being a member of the Chamber is very useful in helping us expand the number of businesses we work with.”

Health Matters offers a number of services to the Chamber including medical insurance, a health cash plan and an employee assistance programme.

“We have a very strong relationship with the Chamber and provide them with a number of benefits,” said Simon.

“A high percentage of the Chamber’s corporate members also use Health Matters.”

Further information on the full range of services offered by Health Matters is available by visiting the website www.health-matters.co.uk

8 Reasons to upgrade your phone system Advances in technology create new and exciting opportunities for your business to make improvements to your telephone systems.

But why should you make the move?

Here are 8 good reasons to upgrade…

1. Old Phone System Do you have a phone system older than 5 years old? Are spares parts becoming hard to source and support hard to find? What can you do? Moving your phones to a hosted solution gives you a modern phone system solution without huge capital investment and the benefits of additional features.

2. Business Process Improvement New Telephony platforms move your business into the world of unified communication, making it easier for you to communicate with your staff and customers.

3. Predictable Costs Hosted Telephony is a predictable expense.

You know exactly what you are spending each month; no more big surprises when you receive your phone bill.

4. OpEx vs CapEx Modern, forward thinking businesses are moving away from buying equipment and capital expenditure towards operating expenditure, which improves cash flow and takes away the burden of depreciating assets.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

5. Connecting Multiple Locations Connecting split site locations and remote workers is no longer a problem. Using the latest technology, phones can be connected seamlessly so your customers can always get hold of your wherever your team is working.

6. Moving Office?

An office move is the perfect time to upgrade and avoid moving with your old, out of date phone system.

7. Easy Upgrades Hosted Telephony will automatically upgrade so you no longer have to worry about keeping your phones up to date.

8. Reliability New phone systems, backed up by the power of the cloud, are more reliable than on-site phone systems which can be made vulnerable by power outages or equipment failure.

Moving your phone system can seem an unnecessary hassle, but HBT is here to ensure your switch over goes as smoothly as possible and if the result is on-going cost-savings and improved efficiencies, what have you got to lose?

Contact us today on 02476 867 422 or email sales@hbtcommunications.com

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Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training

C&W Chamber Training launches new careers advice shop An apprenticeship challenge for Spanish Juani Juani Phillips moved to the UK from Spain over 32 years ago and started her career in Health & Social Care.

Her first job in the UK was a 'live-in carer' and she now works for Carewatch South Warwickshire as a support worker based in Leamington Spa. Juani has undertaken the Health & Social Care Advanced Apprenticeship with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training. Juani not only completed all her work to a very high standard but also ahead of her planned end date.

Juani said "I have learnt so much by completing the Apprenticeship, the knowledge behind all the things I do on a daily basis. I now have the skills and knowledge to support me in my career.

I have been stretched and challenged during the training with my understanding of staff development, nutrition and medication. I have enjoyed every bit of it, well worth doing the course."

Training advisor for Chamber Training Sarah Bratby nominated Juani for the Apprentice of the year award, which took place in September. Sarah said "Juani has worked so hard and is so dedicated to her work; she has gained so much confidence and now believes in her abilities. She is a star."

The Adult Care industry is rapidly growing and offers many opportunities.

It is a very satisfying and rewarding area to work in. If you are a people person then this could be the career for you.

For more information about Health and Social Care training opportunities call C&W Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk

With exam results just around the corner for Coventry & Warwickshire’s young people, now is the time for them to start planning the route ahead to a successful future.

Changes in the educational participation age plus complex funding and eligibility models don’t make it easy for young people meaning that careers advice at Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training has been in very high demand.

To meet this dramatic increase in demand, C&W Chamber Training is opening its doors to the public every Wednesday from 2pm until 4pm, where young people can drop in for independent and professional advice and guidance about future careers and apprenticeships.

As a business centric training provider C&W Chamber Training achieved a 92% learner satisfaction rate in the Government’s FE Choices learner satisfaction survey (2015) securing its position as the go to place for careers advice.

The new dedicated advice and guidance service is aimed at ensuring individuals are provided with current, relevant and appropriate information that enables them to effectively progress their learning and career pathways into jobs with apprenticeships.

Whether someone is a school or college leaver looking for their first job or someone wanting a change in direction, it is important that the information, advice

and guidance supports individuals in their choice of career, learning, work and life goals.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Coventry and Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce, we are at the heart of business which ensures we are in tune with what employers are looking for.

Where your needs will be best served elsewhere, we have a wide network of partners and support agencies which we will sign post you to.

For more information about the careers advice shop call 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk today.

Training the tutors of tomorrow During March this year, Hannah Dakin, Kelly Thompson, Craig Farmer and Helen Hall from the National Grid Scheduling & Dispatch Training Team came to Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training to kick-start their journey towards becoming qualified trainers with the City & Guilds Level 3 Award in Education & Training.

The exciting new course is designed to provide a detailed introduction to teaching and training, covering the knowledge and skills required by teachers and trainers working in industry or in the further education sector.

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The qualification focuses on three key areas; • Understanding roles, responsibilities and relationships in education & training • Understanding and using inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education & training • Understanding the principles and practises of assessment This journey involved attending the Chamber Training Coventry Centre for 6 days over 6 weeks where classroom training and activities were delivered.

The course included a micro teach and covered the different teaching methods that make a successful tutor.

(L to R) Helen Hall, Craig Farmer , Kelly Thompson and Hannah Dakin

Kim McMahon, Training Team Leader for Scheduling & Dispatch said, “As a direct result of this course they have already made changes to their training approach which has benefitted the learners and trainers.

The training packages now all include robust lesson plans and documentation and all assessments will be varied and relevant.”

“Although the course was very challenging and involved a lot of work including assignments, they all found the course extremely enjoyable, beneficial and eye opening. They are looking forward to making further changes to existing training material

and are striving to continually improve our courses and learners experiences.”

The Award is perfect for new entrants who do not have prior teaching experience or qualifications and especially suits those individuals who are already working within their chosen environment and are wishing to gain official qualifications.

For more information about the City & Guilds Level 3 Award in Education & Training call C&W Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Support

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A match made at Chamber Event

Data security for your mobile workforce

In a survey conducted by Techaisle, with SMB’s they found that 9 out of 10 mobile workers spend at least 20% of their work time away from their primary workplace.

The need to have a productive, mobile workforce is the normality, however with this comes increased security risks.

Microsoft Office 365 gives businesses easy access to a robust and cost effective platform offering both e-mail and applications.

Businesses must embrace mobility but it is imperative they keep control of key business systems to ensure data remains safe.

In a recent survey 80% of the individuals questioned admitted to using non-approved Software-as-a-Service applications in their job, such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

While losing a single file isn’t the end of the world, if key documents fall in to the wrong hands then that could be financially damaging, have negative impact on reputation or lead to legal action. Microsoft has built the Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS) to offer organisations the ability to provide policy based security which is applied to the areas needed by your business

What this really means;

A Leamington Spa company that emotionally engages employees in change has joined forces with a Snitterfield based brand development company.

The organisations first met at the Chamber event at Studley Castle last July.

Purple Monster engaged Glued to re-define their business proposition to work for both corporate and SME audiences.

A business proposition which, unusually, addresses change using the rare talents of improvisation and illustration.

Glued conducted in-depth interviews and workshops with staff, customers and suppliers to get to the core of what Purple Monster stood for.

This was translated into a story, which expressed their mission, vision and values in an accessible and engaging way.

Glued then used the story as a creative brief to develop brand identity options.

The open minded and creative culture at Purple Monster made the selection and refinement of the chosen brand a deeply considered one.

Rob Harrison, Client Services Director at Glued said “The primary challenge for the brand was the need to appeal to the serious issues that corporates and entrepreneurs face whilst conveying the fun and joyful way Purple Monster achieve that – serious fun.”

The roll-out of the brand is now underway and Purple Monster are

looking forward to the impact it will have on the way they are perceived and perhaps more importantly the way they feel about themselves.

“We have a unique challenge in that our brand needs to be meaningful to clients in large global companies and local companies alike. Now we have a clearer view of our future we need to share our new-found self-belief and confidence with current and potential clients. I am pleased to say that Glued are working with us to express that.”

And thanks to the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber it proves that networking really is beneficial.”

Danielle Thompson, Director, Purple Monster

• Prevent data leakage by restricting actions such as copy and paste between corporate and non-corporate applications • Provide single-sign-on to all applications, making it easier enforce secure password policies • Detect and alert against data breaches by using behavioral analysis to stop access from unauthorised devices, locations or users • Protect sensitive e-mails by restricting copying, forwarding and printing of content • The ability to disable access to company resources and applications with a single click • Allow users to use personal and company issue devices to access corporate information, knowing that data is protected To learn more about how Microsoft EMS integrates in to your existing Office 365 platform visit www.zenzero.co.uk/mobile-security

“The roll-out of the brand is now underway and Purple Monster are looking forward to the impact it will have on the way they are perceived and perhaps more importantly the way they feel about themselves.”

Zenzero Solutions are a Microsoft Gold partner, based on the Warwick Technology Park www.cw-chamber.co.uk

15

Legal

Solicitors do well with Wills for charity Charley celebrates 10 years service at Alsters Kelley The champagne was cracked open at Alsters Kelley in Coventry recently, as Chartered Legal Executive Charley Barker celebrated 10 years’ service with the firm.

As a thank you for her service and to help celebrate, Catherine Stephens, Head of the Family Care Department presented Charley with the bubbly.

Charley started her career with Alsters Kelley in 2006 as a legal secretary. In 2007 she was made a trainee legal executive in the Family Department and undertook most of her training through home study, finishing the course at Open University in London. She qualified as a Legal Executive in 2013 but specialised in Public Law after maternity leave in 2011.

Charley said: ‘I thoroughly enjoy my role here in the Family Care Department at Alsters Kelley. I like helping people and what we do matters. It makes a difference when you are fighting to keep a family together, fighting for life long family relationships and fighting for support, which is not always available. It is a very intense and fast-paced role but the team here is really close and we all work well together. My 10 years here has gone so fast!

Catherine Stephens, Head of the Family Care Department at Alsters Kelley LLP, said: “Charley is a huge asset to our team here in Coventry.

She has worked so hard – starting as a legal secretary and is now a very well respected care practitioner – many congratulations.”

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Coventry and Warwickshire law firm Alsters Kelley LLP, raised £4,560 for charity by taking part in the Will Aid scheme where they wrote Wills for local people and asked them only to consider making a donation to charity.

Neil Raiseborough, Member and Head of Private Client at Alsters Kelley LLP, together with his colleagues were ranked

2nd among participating law firms in the West Midlands region and 43rd nationally for the total amount they raised, giving their time for free for the whole month.

Will Aid, now in its 27th year, is a charity scheme that raises money for nine charities: ActionAid, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, Age UK, SCIAF (Scotland) and

Trocaire (Northern Ireland). The money raised is spent helping vulnerable people here in the UK and abroad.

Neil said:” As well as raising funds for the Will Aid charities, the scheme helps to ensure that people in this area have a professionally drawn up Will.

“A Will is a vital document for every adult no matter their age. Not only does it ensure that a person’s money and possessions are distributed as they wish but it means that they have a say in who looks after any children they may have if something should happen to them before those children reach 18.”

Dave King from Christian Aid paid the firm a visit to present them with a certificate to show their achievement.

He said: “The Will Aid scheme is really important to us not just because of the money raised through initial donations but also because Will Aid offers people the opportunity to leave a legacy gift.”

This year’s Will Aid has been a great success with the total funds raised so far reaching £1.1m for the nine charities.

Will Aid will run again in November.

Solicitors and anyone who wants to make a Will can find out more at the website www.willaid.org.uk

Hall Reynolds Solicitors sponsors fundraising lunch with Lord Digby Jones Hall Reynolds Solicitors, based in Bidford on Avon, sponsored a table at Read Easy UK’s recent fundraising lunch, held at the Fire Service College in Moreton in Marsh, at which Lord Digby Jones was the guest speaker. Read Easy UK is a locally-based national charity which helps adults learn to read.

Lord Digby Jones entertained and informed 100 guests with his talk covering a range of subjects including the importance of adult literacy, the work done by Read Easy UK, The EU referendum, and House of Lords Reform.

His talk was punctuated with many amusing anecdotes. Prior to the talk he conducted a moving interview with Debbie Jordan who lives and works in Moreton in Marsh and who has learnt to read through Read Easy.

Ginny Williams-Ellis, founder and CEO of Read Easy UK said: “We’re so grateful to our sponsors, guests, and Lord Digby Jones for their generous support of Read Easy. We received fantastic support from local businesses and individuals who have sponsored us, bought tickets and made donations.

“We have raised much needed funds that will help us expand, but equally importantly, the event has made many more people aware of what we do.”

David Hall, senior partner of Hall Reynolds, said: “We’re so happy that the event was such a success and that we were able to support the charity and this event. Adult literacy and numeracy is vital to our economy, and Read Easy has changed the lives of many people, both locally and nationally.”

Lord Digby Jones said, “Having a skilled population is the only way an economy like ours can succeed in this, Asia's Century. Basic skills are the bedrock of that advantage and adult literacy and numeracy is the Number One achievable aim.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Finance

Merger and Acquisition activity

by BDO remains strong At the time of reading this article, the outcome of Brexit will be known.

Financial markets are considered to be forward-looking and one school of thought is that the risk of an exit has been priced into the markets and company valuations.

Within the current M&A environment, liquidity is strong and corporates, especially some of the multinational acquirers, have a large amount of cash on their balance sheets or access to funds.

Private equity houses also have a large amount of un-invested funds at their disposal and, for many, a fixed period in which to deploy those funds.

Interest rates remain low and banks are no longer the only source of debt with the rise of debt funds and asset-based finance. Valuations are relatively high and sellers can be driven to lock in these prices.

For the year to date there were 33 reported transactions in Coventry

& Warwickshire (source: Market IQ).

The region’s traditional automotive and aerospace markets are the most active sectors for deal activity, closely followed by financial services/legal/support services areas.

Notable deals within the region include: • An investor buy-out led by Triton, of an 80% stake in Voith Industrial Services Ltd of Warwick, a provider of a range of support services to the automotive industry, with Voith GmbH retaining the remaining 20% stake. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval; • Solid Solutions Management Ltd of Leamington Spa, a reseller of SolidWorks computer-aided design (CAD) software and provider of related training and support, acquired Moonband Ltd in Derbyshire, a software reseller which owns Cadtek Systems Ltd. Solid Solutions secured £8 million in funding from the Business

Growth Fund, part of which will be used to support the acquisition of Cadtek; • Mercia Technologies Plc of Henley-InArden a provider of funding, and development of technology businesses with an emphasis in the Midlands and the North of the UK, acquired Enterprise Ventures Group Ltd of Preston which provides investment fund management services.

Consideration up to £11 million plus a net cash adjustment figure; and • Hartford Trading Ltd of Huddersfield, a holding company which trades through Hartford Holdings Ltd, a manufacturer

of baths, bath panels, shower trays and other bathroom products and accessories with the brands Trojan Plastics and Aquacast Bathrooms, acquired Thomas Crapper and Company Ltd in Stratford Upon Avon, a manufacturer and distributor of baths and sanitary ware.

Within the UK, M&A deal activity saw 2015 end on a high with 642 deals during the last quarter, the highest deal volume since before the recession. The first quarter of 2016 saw a slight drop to 629 deals but still reflects a strong and active M&A market despite a backdrop of global instability and Brexit uncertainty.

“Within the current M&A environment, liquidity is strong and corporates, especially some of the multinational acquirers, have a large amount of cash on their balance sheets or access to funds.“

Businesses warned to act now on new mandatory regulation Businesses are running out of time to comply with a mandatory new regulation which has come into force – and could face jail if they don’t respond.

The Persons with Significant Control (PSC) register requires all UK companies and LLPs to identify any person who owns or controls over 25% of a company, and ensure that details of their holdings are made public.

Accountancy firm Moore Stephens has warned that a “worrying number” of businesses have yet to respond to the edict.

The new rules came into force on 6 April and means all affected organisations now have to hold a PSC register and will have to declare their persons of significant control when they submit an annual compliance statement to Companies House after 30 June.

The regulation was introduced in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.

Suk Aulak, partner at Moore Stephens’ Birmingham office, said companies need to become wise to the new regulation fast.

“Company directors should be reviewing corporate structure and internal governance protocols to assess who is a PSC,” he said.

“Failure to comply is not an option, and can lead to criminal penalties for companies, their officers and other individuals concerned, or even imprisonment.”

“The new rules came into force on 6 April and means all affected organisations now have to hold a PSC register and will have to declare their persons of significant control.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

17

Property

Growth leads to new premises

Red Marlin relocates Automotive PR and digital marketing specialists Red Marlin has opened the doors to its new offices at the centre

The Wigley Group’s new health and safety manager Claire Lynch (left) with insurance consultant Maurice Adams and facilities manager Alan Greenway at the new base for the company’s facilities management team.

of the UK’s motor industry in Leamington Spa. Moving across town to significantly larger premises, the company’s new base in Waterloo Place, provides additional space needed to accommodate its expanding team.

“With a number of significant new business wins under our belt already this year, 2016 is shaping up to be our best year ever,” said Danny Rughoobeer,

A leading Midlands commercial property company has had to open a new premises to cater for the growth in its facilities management division.

The Wigley Group has moved its facilities management works division into a new facility at Sandy Lane Business Park in Coventry and also made a key appointment to offer a new service.

Claire Lynch has joined the group to lead on internal health and safety compliance as well as offering related services to other businesses and commercial property agents.

In her new role Claire will work closely with the group’s 10-strong facilities management team.

The Wigley Group Director James Davies said the move was essential after a spike in business for the facilities division which was only founded last year.

“Having very effectively managed our own portfolio of property for more than 30 years we launched the facilities management division in 2015 to offer this service to other property owners and agents in the region,” he said.

“At the same time our risk division works closely with clients to identify and advise on insurance, risk, legal and operational matters.

“The remaining gap in our services was therefore in-house health and safety

expertise. From speaking to our clients and commercial property agents it was also clearly something The Wigley Group was well-positioned to offer.

“Common health and safety issues on commercial property sites include unsafe pedestrian walkways, speed limits, uneven floors and fire risks.

“Now for our company and for those properties we manage, we can offer a complete service which encompasses facilities management, health and safety and risk without needing to use external consultants.”

Claire, who lives in Daventry, joins The Wigley Group after 13 years at a chemical manufacturer which specialised in legionella control where her most recent role was health and safety, quality and environmental manager.

She said: “This is a great opportunity to build on the services The Wigley Group already offers working on properties both within the company’s portfolio and client properties.

“One of my first tasks will be to build a rapport with tenants so if they feel if they have questions about any aspect of health and safety they will get in touch.

“By having our own facilities management division it means that when issues are identified we are able to very quickly take action to ensure the site is safe and compliant.

“Whether that’s an asbestos roof, poor lighting or trip hazards around a site, we are now able to not only identify what needs to be done to put an issue right, our facilities management team is able to quote and complete the work very quickly.”

managing director, Red Marlin.

“Moving into these new, bigger offices means that we now have plenty of space to accommodate our expanding team and match our ambitions over the next few years as we continue to grow. We’re looking forward to the new, fresh environment which we hope will give us further inspiration and creativity to deliver successful, award-winning campaigns for our clients.”

Established in 2009, Red Marlin provides a wide range of PR, marketing, social media and digital services for automotive companies around the UK. Its diverse portfolio of clients includes companies operating in the burgeoning classic car market, alternative fuel sector, tyre industry, vehicle servicing sector and online sharing economy amongst others.

18

Shortlist accolade for architects Ashfords Independent Estate Agents is a family business established more than five years ago, covering all of Coventry and based in offices on New Union Street in the City Centre.

The owners, husband and wife Sean and Cheryl Doyle, pride themselves on providing a professional personal service to all their customers, whether rentals or sales.

A number of their new instructions come from referrals which highlights Ashford’s high level of customer service from instruction to completion.

With accompanied viewings, feedback on all viewings within 24 hours and frequent property updates they keep you fully informed about how your property sale is progressing.

Ashfords believe in offering a professional yet friendly service that is value for money. They place great emphasis on advertising to ensure your property gets maximum exposure and, consequently, sells for the best possible price.

Your property would be advertised on Rightmove, Zoopla, PrimeLocation, in the Coventry Telegraph and Coventry Observer, in the company’s branch window and on its website.

In addition to this they are also offering a free enhanced marketing pack which includes a FREE energy performance certificate, floor plan and premium listing on Rightmove.

Ashfords can also offer free independent financial advice and solicitor quotes if required. When the property chain comes together they then progress your sale on a regular basis to ensure a smooth stress free completion in the shortest possible time.

Ashfords pride themselves on making your home move as stress-free as possible by providing help every step of the way.

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Intelligent property solutions for strategic advantage and added value

The commercial property market in the Coventry and Warwickshire area remains strong as the summer approaches. Enquiries and demand for both industrial and office property has continued very positively.

All of us at D&P Holt hope this will continue now the country has decided to leave the EU following the recent Referendum.

The problem, however, remains that there is still a lack of stock, particularly of new or Grade A space in both sectors.

Market staying strong

The shortage is particularly prevalent in the 5,000-20,000 sq ft range for industrial/warehouse units. We would be pleased to talk to any companies who are looking to expand or economise from their current space to see if we can help in their relocation.

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PLOT J3 PROLOGIS PARK COVENTRY CV6 4BX As can be seen from the photograph, the development of Plot J3 is nearing completion.

This well specified speculative unit extends to 27,750 sq ft on the first and most prominent site on the Park extending to 1.57 acres.

The building provides 2,750 sq ft of first floor office facilities and a self-contained yard with two excellent loading doors.

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From an office point of view, there has been so little built over the last eight years there is a real shortage of Grade A space available either in the City Centre or on the business parks.

Hopefully, with the start of the Friargate development and the construction of the new Council offices continuing at a great pace, occupiers will be encouraged to come forward to what must be one of the most accessible and exciting schemes available outside London.

The one hour train journey to London is less than the average commuting time for workers in the London area, with rents likely to be no more than 20 per cent of the prime London rents.

If you are looking to move or relocate, please give a member of the D&P Holt team a call or visit our website www.holtcommercial.co.uk

17,700 SQ FT FOR SALE/TO LET Modern Fully Refurbished Offices

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Holt Court, 16 Warwick Row Coventry CV1 1EJ t - 024 7655 5180 e - agency@holtcommercial.co.uk www.holtcommercial.co.uk

David rises to his

You don't have to comb David Armstrong's CV to see that he likes a challenge - a glance at his holiday destinations tells you all you need to know.

While successful business people often enjoy a break in the sun and maybe take in a few sights, that would be far too run-of-the-mill for the chief executive of Wasps Group.

He explains: “I like to take the family somewhere different; somewhere we can see new things. Last year we went to Uzbekistan and this year we have booked for Iran!”

It is no surprise then, that Armstrong said yes when he was approached to help Wasps pull off one of the sporting and business coups of recent years.

“It did come out of the blue,” he said.

“Nick Eastwood and I arranged to have a coffee where he told me about the opportunity and I was happy to help.

“In terms of what I had been used to doing in corporate finance, it was actually quite a straightforward deal to do – after all it is a building, just quite a big building.

“At that time I was working on the project on a consultancy basis and Derek Richardson, the owner then, said, given my background, would I stay on and help us get ready for the first game and then asked me to be CEO. “I had no intention of moving into sports. I had no intention of being based in the Midlands. At the same time I had been offered a chief

financial officer role at a well-known, high-profile corporate.

“Just a couple of days before the first game it was my 50th and maybe that just made me think. There comes a time when you have to take a job that you just think will be fun. I had the two offers in front of me and I decided with my heart as well as my mind.”

There have probably been times when the job has been far from “fun” and the other role would not have made Fridays and Saturday’s quite so nerve racking – but it has certainly been busy.

Under Armstrong’s direction, Wasps raised £35 million through a bond which was over-subscribed. The Ricoh Arena part of the group has shown revenue increases of more than 20 per cent and a string of

high-profile concerts have been staged across the summer, and the club recently announced it was forming Wasps Netball to play in the Vitality Superleague from February.

On the rugby field, the team has performed beyond expectations and reached the semi-final of the European Champions Cup and the Aviva play-offs.

The team averages around 17,000 for home games, second only to rivals Leicester Tigers. Before they moved from Adams Park, they were one of the two lowest supported clubs.

“I would not say I was surprised by that because we had done a great deal of research into rugby in the Midlands and its different components, and knew the potential.

I am pleased rather than surprised.

“The one thing that has surprised me is the proportion of our fan base which is in greater Coventry rather than further across the region.

That is across a range of socioeconomic groups, it includes Sky Blues fans who come and watch both.

It even includes fans of Aston Villa!

“It also includes people who had travelled to watch the likes of Worcester and Northampton.

They wanted to watch the game at the highest level and had to travel to do that.”

Armstrong was a keen rather than talented rugby player in his youth but was educated at a school – Campbell College in Belfast – which was so rugby-dominated that pupils could be suspended if caught playing football.

He played tennis for Northern Ireland and national league hockey.

He trained as an accountant with Arthur Anderson and transferred to Chicago with the firm as he moved into economic consulting, before a spell in the Middle East.

“I was probably one of those people who had a fairly negative perception of the city before I came here, but that has changed dramatically. Like many places it has its economic challenges and, yes, it has lost some industries across the years, but there is a great deal more about the city than I realised.”

20

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: David Armstrong

latest challenge He joined the restaurant division of Pepsi becoming financial director for the business which, at that time, included KFC and Pizza Hut. “That was a great experience because it really allowed me for the first time to get under the skin of a retail business and understand what makes it tick. I was also responsible for finance and procurement so it gave me a very good insight, and was a perfect first job in industry. They were fun brands to be involved with.”

He then joined the Compass Group as commercial director and during his time there set up the Twickenham Experience joint venture with the RFU, his first touch with professional rugby.

The RFU side of the deal was negotiated by one Nick Eastwood – “I reckon I got the better of the deal, but I know Nick says the same!”

He then became the commercial director of the Africa division of drinks giants Diageo and during a five year spell the company was established in all 52 African countries – and made a profit in all of them.

He then moved into property both in his own company Amoria but also with MacArthur Glen which develops designer outlets across Europe.

The collapse of Lehman Brothers put paid to an expansion plan. “ We lost some money, learned some lessons, but it was all too nerveracking for me!”

He moved back into big business as CFO of Lonhro, the African-based company made famous by legendary business figure Tiny Rowland, and that involved raising money through a bond.

So the experience – property, retail, fundraising – was all in place when Wasps owner Derek Richardson and Eastwood came knocking.

While Armstrong is more than hands-on, he has interests elsewhere. He has been an angel investor for several years and that continues with interests in companies including Villas Direct and Opun – a domestic property improvement service.

He is also the chairman of Effingham and Leatherhead Rugby Club, who are undergoing a ground move – “but only just three miles down the road, not to Coventry!”

Armstrong is currently looking to conclude another property acquisition – a home in the Midlands to make the managing of time slightly easier.

“We have had very good support locally and we feel we are returning that in spades at the moment. We are ahead of our business plan but will not rest on our laurels and want to do more.

“We are planting seeds for the long term. So on the conferencing and exhibition side we are trying to encourage our major exhibitions to sign three or five year terms. What the old ACL used to do – too much of in my opinion – was sign year-by-year deals and worry about next year.

“We are taking a different perspective and that is driven by our standing as a public company as well.

We have probably got 25 shows signed on three year deals now.

“I was probably one of those people who had a fairly negative perception of the city before I came here, but that has changed dramatically. Like many places it has its economic challenges and, yes, it has lost some industries across the years, but there is a great deal more about the city than I realised.

“We have seen that in things such as our involvement with the City of Culture bid. I have been really

“We have had very good support locally and we feel we are returning that in spades at the moment. We are ahead of our business plan but will not rest on our laurels and want to do more.”

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surprised about the number of things that go on in the city that I didn’t know about. I am really hopeful we succeed in that.

“Coventry has welcomed us to a greater extent than we could have imagined.”

About David Armstrong Date of birth: Birthplace:

12/12/1964 Belfast

Married:

To Sinead for nearly 23 years

Children:

Sara-Jane (20) and Jamie (18)

Hobbies:

Golf, tennis, photography and car rallies – I’ve become a regular participant in the Mille Miglia road rally in Italy

Favourite book:

Any sports biography

Favourite film:

Blues Brothers

Last holiday:

Uzbekistan

Car:

Range Rover Sport

Favourite gadget: iPhone – I literally would have be to be dragged away from it

21

Policy

Go For Growth EU hotline goes live

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is offering companies support on the back of the referendum verdict to leave the European Union.

The Chamber, which has been established for more than 110 years, announced ahead of the decision that it would launch a Go For Growth Post

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22

Referendum Telephone Support line on Monday, June 27 and that its advisers are available to offer impartial support to businesses.

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The referendum has, in itself, caused a great deal of uncertainty within the economy and while we now have a verdict, the uncertainty will continue due to the fact that we don’t know the process and the timescales of the exit.

“We have already seen the market reaction to this and that will be of major concern to businesses and individuals and that means we are going to need very strong leadership at all levels.

“The first priority is ensuring stability – this, above politics, has to be put first.

Chamber members were split on what outcome they wanted but a leave vote was always going to be the most difficult to mitigate but that’s not to say that it should put business growth on hold – but it does mean we need clarity on how we move forward and clear and decisive action.

“We decided we would launch the hotline whatever the outcome in order to offer impartial advice. In the short term, other than the uncertainty, nothing should technically change but as we have seen previously confidence is key and it’s vitally important that we get a proper plan to deal with this verdict.

“So we wanted to offer businesses the reassurance that they can grow and prosper and go ahead with their plans for expansion.

“In the long term, of course, it’s vital that the Government negotiates the very best deal for the UK and one that puts our opportunities to trade with the EU and the rest of the world at the very centre of our exit strategy.

“Again, our exporters should get in touch if they have any concerns or, indeed, if they see this as an opportunity to expand their horizons when it comes to international trade.

“The team based here in the Chamber’s International Trade Hub will be able to offer guidance on that.

“However, we are anticipating lots of questions on what this will mean for the future around trade with the EU, regulations, staffing where businesses have employees from the EU and a whole host of other issues this will throw up.

“In the short term, the answer is nothing should technically change but we are going to need very clear answers.”

The number is 02476 654321 – ask for business support - and more information is available at www.cw-chamber.co.uk

National youth unemployment falls to a historic low Unemployment has continued to fall across Coventry and Warwickshire and, according to the Chamber, apprenticeships are helping to make a dent in youth unemployment.

In the month to May, the claimant count in Coventry dropped from 4,340 to 4,320 and in Warwickshire it fell from 3,460 to 3,300.

Nationally, youth unemployment has fallen to a historic low of 13.6 per cent and the Chamber believes apprenticeships are playing a strong part in that.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s great to see that unemployment continues to fall across Coventry and Warwickshire, against a backdrop of uncertainty.

“When we launched our Go For Growth campaign at the start of 2016, we highlighted skills and employability as a

barrier to businesses expanding and we are currently focused on this area.

“Through our own training division, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training, we are helping to meet the needs of employers and young people through apprenticeships.

“That is something that is happening across the country and is contributing to the fall in youth unemployment.

“Through this work, we want to see that number continue to fall and help to provide businesses with the skills they need to help them grow.”

“Employers are seeing the value that Apprenticeships can bring to their business, harnessing the talent pool of the future.

“For school and college leavers, this is an important time of year to be making decisions, which create the foundations for rewarding careers.”

“When we launched our Go For Growth campaign at the start of 2016, we highlighted skills and employability as a barrier to businesses expanding and we are currently focused on this area.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Skills

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Using Psychometric Profiling to improve Managers performance Why use psychometric profiling tools Odette Dean receiving her Executive PA Diploma from Nigel Turner, Training Director at Pitman Training Coventry.

Pitman Training Helps Develop Skills Pitman Training Coventry helps people transform their careers and change their lives by helping them learn skills that employers value. Here’s two examples of how we have helped people.

Elliot Crabb was working in a warehouse but was determined to get into accountancy. He enrolled on the Pitman Accounting Technician Diploma with the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting and graduated with distinctions all round. He’s now got a job as a Payroll Administrator.

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GTG Training is helping young people in Wolverhampton GTG Training is the latest business to support The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton by becoming a Founder Patron.

The Way Youth Zone is launching a Get A Job scheme to help unemployed young people, aged 16- 24 years old, in Wolverhampton get into employment or training.

Get A Job will look at CV building, interview techniques, job retention, confidence, health and safety in the

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workplace with visits to large employers and training providers like GTG. GTG provides training services to many of the UK’s largest companies, including Arnold Clark Automobiles Ltd, major banks, public utilities, emergency services, the NHS and more.

Carol Henry, Director at GTG Training said: “At GTG Training, we truly believe that young people should be given the opportunity to reach their full potential through training and development.

That’s why we are supporting The Way,

to encourage the youth of Wolverhampton to experience new challenges and learn new skills that will benefit them both in their personal lives and future careers.”

Development Manager at The Way, Philippa Gregory, said: “It’s brilliant to have GTG Training supporting The Way Youth Zone - it will create so many opportunities for our young people.

Wolverhampton has the fourth highest unemployment of any English local authority area and GTG will help us tackle this issue.”

Elliot said, “The training was great.

The centre is comfortable and the team is really helpful. Not only did they support my training but they also handled my AAT registration and exams, so they really are a one stop shop.”

Odette Dean chose Pitman Training Coventry for her Executive PA Diploma because of Pitman’s great name for high quality and flexible training. She studied at Pitman Coventry two evenings a week and some Saturday mornings. “The staff are friendly and helpful and are able to help you if you run into difficulties”, said Odette.

Odette said that the training helped her improve her job performance.

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Pitman Training is a leader in office and IT related skills training. Every year we help thousands of students to improve their job skills and career prospects. We pride ourselves on the high quality of our study resources, our flexibility and the personal support that we give our students at our centre in Coventry and others centres throughout the country.

For more information see www.pitman-training.com/coventry or email coventry@pitman-training.net Telephone 02476 559 152

23

Area Focus: Coventry

Coventry Coventry University providing disaster Chemicals achieves BRC training for Singapore authorities Accreditation Coventry Chemicals has been manufacturing locally for over 53 years.

Its core business is the manufacturing of domestic cleaning products and own label manufacture.

From washing up liquid to bleach to oven cleaners and screen wash for cars. Its products our found in many leading multiples and stores across the UK as well as through regional distribution channels.

Several years ago it acquired the business of Veterinary Health International. This brought the leading animal and veterinary disinfectant in the World Omnicide into the portfolio which was a patented product and a large exporting base to many countries over 5 continents.

The business employs all local people and is well connected to the surrounding community. The business is still growing today on all fronts and will be expanding its labour force in many areas. In the last year there has been a large investment programme which will continue into 2016 making its production lines faster and more efficient to meet the growing demands on production.

The business has a vision to grow significantly not only in the UK but more importantly on the International market and will aim to double its exports to the veterinary and animal food production around the World.

In January this year we achieved the prestigious retail accreditation to the BRC Global Standard (British retail Consortium) as a Grade A supplier. This is a leading safety and quality certification programme covering suppliers in 123 countries. The standards guarantee the standardisation of quality, safety and operational criteria and ensure that manufacturers fulfil their legal obligations and provide protection for the end consumer.

The achievement of this accreditation has been the result of 12 months of investment in our plant, processes and people. The standards set by BRC has massively improved our control of quality and delivery performance. Leaving Coventry Chemicals well placed to grow in the UK and International markets.

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A team led by Coventry University Enterprises (CUE) has been successful in winning two major contracts, together worth over £3 million, with Singaporean government agencies.

Simulation systems have been created to provide realistic and safe training for the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Home Team Academy, the local equivalent of Singapore's fire service and a police-led partnership.

Initially, the CUE, which is the University’s business arm, led a team to win a major contract with the Singapore Civil Defence Force to provide a simulation training system for the fire commanders. Working closely with their trainers, CUE and the team also created a package which will

soon be able to simulate more than 200 disaster and emergency scenarios for fire control officers to work through.

Frank Mills, executive chair and managing director of CUE, said: “Each trainee can be put through a variety of scenarios ranging from a street fire to a major explosion in an oil terminal. The simulator scenarios are incredibly lifelike, allowing users to learn from their mistakes within a safe but realistic environment.

Each instructor also has the ability to change the scenario in real time to reflect a true life emergency situation.”

The second contract, with the Home Team Academy – a police-led partnership which includes elements of the Army and the Fire Service – provides a training model

which is more focused on scenarios around crowd control, such as where there is a panic situation, or other major incident.

Both contracts were won by CUE with its strategic partner XVR Simulation, the provider of the advanced software platform and delivery partners, CUE's own subsidiaries, Serious Games-Singapore Pte and Serious Games International Ltd. Frank Mills added: “Singapore is an acknowledged leader in disaster emergency management in South East Asia and our business relationship with them will help address other opportunities across the region and we are already working on some key prospects.”

Coventry car parts firm expands its team as part of growth plans A Coventry car parts firm has undergone a major revamp as part of its ambitious growth plans, which include creating a number of new jobs in the city.

Auto Jap Spares has unveiled a new look to its base in Tile Hill, which includes new signage as well as a complete rebrand of its vehicles, after enjoying another strong year with increased demand for its products and services.

The company has also announced a jobs boost for the city with the creation of several new roles ranging from management positions to apprentices.

It comes after the firm, which was established 15 years ago, expanded its offering ad increased its stock – which is now supplied to customers around the world as far afield as the US, Australia, Japan & even China.

Pete Witherow, owner of Auto Jap Spares, believes the jobs boost and revamp – which also includes a new look website – marks an exciting chapter for the business as he

sets his sights on a record-breaking six figure turnover He said: “The business is enjoying a strong period of growth and I am thrilled to be able to create a number of new jobs in Coventry.

“These latest plans will help us to take the business to a whole new level and with the creation of a updated website will mean I can sell products direct online to anywhere in the world, which is a great step forward for the company” The company has continued to grow over the past 15 years – even during turbulent times for the automotive parts sector, which Pete says is due to the firm’s reputation as a trusted supplier of parts and its extensive knowledge of the market.

Pete said: “I am incredibly proud of the business we have built over the years, from the early days when we had just a few parts to sell, to the solid business it is today which has stood the test of time and now has an enviable reputation around the globe.

“However, we are not a company to rest on our laurels and we know that in order to continue to thrive as a business, we have to stay ahead of the game and ensure that we are in a strong position to grow and continually expand our services.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Technology company triples turnover

A growing technology consulting business in Coventry has tripled its turnover and work force over the past year following a successful reinvention.

HeadTech Solutions, based at the University of Warwick Business Innovation Centre in Binley, has grown its headcount from three to 10 people following a business review that has seen the firm

adapt to offering a seamless technology service for businesses.

Last year saw a major contract signed with global recruitment firm Talent International to provide support for its IT operations across the globe, which has also helped to boost the development of the business.

Phil Hynes, managing director at HeadTech Solutions, began his business from his kitchen table three years ago at home in Binley, and says his vision for the future is a lot different to what it was back then.

He said: “When starting out, I very quickly realised that just existing as an IT support company by fixing equipment and offering telephone and email support for clients wasn’t enough to stand out in a crowded market, so I went back to the drawing board.

“Instead, we are now a technology consulting business that listens to customers’ individual needs by providing technology plans to suit their requirements, whether it is fixing or maintaining hardware, building an online system or helping with IT security and backing up important files.”

Other services now provided include technology asset reviews, identifying the pros and cons of upgrading hardware and software, adopting cloud based solutions, a 24/7 helpdesk, as well as providing dedicated software development teams to create and build bespoke online software systems at the company’s data centre in Coventry.

Consultancy continues to deliver results A Coventry recruitment consultancy is continuing to deliver results for its clients.

Quorum People was established last year by Richard Merkl, who originates from South Africa and has worked in recruitment in the Coventry area for 22 years.

His vast expertise led him to set up a new business which is focusing on being a true consultancy, advising both clients and candidates on the changing face of recruitment.

The company, which is based at Coventry Business Park, specialises in the finance, marketing and HR sectors and works with clients across the West Midlands.

Richard said: “With the current skills shortage it is a very candidate-led market, and they are looking for more than just financial reward. Career

development and environment is featuring high on their list of priorities.

“We work with companies to help them promote their vision highlighting what makes them the employer of choice.”

Quorum People is a corporate member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce which gives the company an opportunity to network and build relationships with local employers and share the knowledge they have.

Richard added: “The Chamber gives us an opportunity to meet like-minded people who want genuine advice about recruitment.

“One of my ultimate goals is to encourage both small and large businesses across the area to work together where possible, and the Chamber also gives an excellent platform for this.”

Ricoh Arena to host Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Final The Ricoh Arena will host the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series Final on Saturday August 6.

The second year of the Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Series will kick off in Cardiff before visiting Exeter Chiefs,

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Northampton Saints and Newcastle Falcons with the Series Final at the Ricoh Arena.

“The 7s Series kicked off in 2010 and since then it has become a date to look forward to in the rugby calendar," said the

Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby, Phil Winstanley.

“Sevens is at its most high profile this year with its return to the Olympics in Rio and Premiership Rugby continues to lead the way when it comes to club 7s.”

Phil said: “IT support and software subscriptions can be quite expensive for businesses if they don’t address why they need each of these services , so by having a seamless technology provider it can help identify where your money is being spent and the value this has to your business.”

Penny Robb, Manager of the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre, said HeadTech Solution’s expansion since 2013 has been remarkable.

She said: “HeadTech Solutions has come a long way since it was founded on a kitchen table three years ago and is a shining example for other aspiring business owners out there.

“The Business Innovation Centre has proved to be the perfect base from which to grow for the company and is another example of a firm coming to us in its every early stages and growing to be a very solid business.

“I know they have further expansion plans and being based here will be the perfect springboard for that growth.”

Early success for agency A new Coventry agency has won six new accounts in six months.

Parallel Creative, the result of last October’s merger of long-established Dialhouse Visual Communication with emerging agency CDPW, has had considerable early success in a variety of sectors ranging from start-ups in financial services and large SMEs in exterior building products to high end jewellery and educational games.

There might be variety in the projects but at the end of the day all their clients are paying Parallel to help them find an edge in their market, to get their message heard above the hubbub.

Their range of services includes digital resource such as websites, videos and email communication plus all the conventional advertising techniques such as brochures, case studies, catalogues, exhibition support and direct mail.

Parallel have been working with marketleading wood-free outdoor flooring manufacturer, Millboard. Their new lifestyle brochure captures their brand promise to Live.Life.Outside. The use of stunning new photography showcases how Millboard products can enhance any outdoor area.

Millboard marketing manager Paul Boylin said: “Parallel Creative are part of our virtual marketing team. They understand our business and have made a strong contribution to the exceptional growth that we have experienced over the past six months.”

Parallel Creative are located in a Victorian building in Coventry City Centre.

25

Area Focus: Coventry

Funding scheme expands The Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) is opening up its start-up loans to companies nationally.

Loan applicants no longer need to attend CWRT’s Coventry offices for an interview as applicants are now being interviewed over Skype if they are outside the core Coventry, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Northants, Oxfordshire and Leicestershire regions.

As a delivery partner for the Government backed Start-Up Loans company, CWRT has successfully funded more than 100 start-ups in 2015, and is looking to match or beat that number in 2016, with its two main products – the new CWRT Micro-Loan and its existing Start Up Loan.

CWRT’s new Micro-Loan product lends from £500 - £4,500 to start-ups seeking financial assistance for immediate needs, such as office equipment, marketing expenses or a website upgrade, while the Start Up Loan lends up to £25,000.

Allison Evering, new start-up loans officer at CWRT, said: “We have grown our team and now want to help more companies to realise their dreams. I am especially interested in supporting more black and ethnic minority and female run businesses. We offer a real alternative for companies that are unable to access mainstream finance. Our loans are part of our national start-ups initiative and we are looking to attract more companies wherever they are.”

The CWRT Micro-Loan and Start Up loan are available to anyone over the age of 18, owning a UK business. The loan itself can be spread over a 1 to 5 year period with a competitive fixed interest rate of 6%. There are no administration or early repayment fees, so for businesses proving to be even more successful than anticipated it can be paid off much more quickly.

Work to start on school

James Hinde, IDP Group Director for Education & Leisure (left) with Cllr David Kershaw, Cabinet Member Education at the former Alice Stevens School site which will be home to the new Tiverton SEN Broad Spectrum School

Work on a new £8 million special school in Coventry is set to begin later this summer after being approval.

Coventry City Council has appointed city-based architects and planners IDP Group to design the new multi-million pound development which will see Tiverton Primary School, in Coundon, relocated to the Whitley Abbey Primary School site.

The new 25,000 sq ft development will not

only include the new Tiverton SEN Broad Spectrum School, but also a 26 place nursery.

Tiverton Primary School currently provides 42 places for children aged three to 11 who have severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Although the current school is structurally sound, it is ageing and no longer offers the right environment for the learning it delivers.

The new, modern school will cater for more than double the number of children who have a broad range of special educational needs, with up to 88 places available.

It will be predominantly single storey and will also include a swimming pool.

Both the Whitley and Tiverton primary schools will have pupils of the same age and there will be the opportunity to combine learning and co-ordinate activities to further enrich the curriculum.

Design work has now begun and Farrans Construction has been appointed to build the school. Construction work is due to begin during the summer holidays, and the school is expected to open in September 2017.

IDP Group Director James Hinde said: “We are very much a national firm and work right across the UK, but we have our roots very much in Coventry so it is really pleasing to be involved with such a worthwhile development in our home city.”

IDP, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is based in Spon Street and employs more than 70 professionals in design, planning, project managing and landscaping. It has offices in Coventry, London and Manchester.

Coventry City Council is due to make a decision about the future of Tiverton Primary School’s Coundon site once the new school has been completed.

Apprentices sought to join teacher programme

Ramada Coventry opens new restaurant and bar Ramada Hotel, Coventry has under gone a £200,000 refurbishment in their Queens Road Restaurant, introducing new menus and a modern setting, ideal for escaping the city hustle and bustle.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served seven days a week, with a traditional Sunday Lunch available, desserts, a wide range of drinks, cocktails and wines, and a daily specials menu.

All of the ingredients are sourced locally, the food is fresh and the British inspired dishes are complimented with a PanEuropean twist.

Queens Road Bar have once again been awarded 2 Star Gold Award from the Sustainable Restaurant Association network.

Mark Hills, General Manager, said: “‘We are keen to increase our weekend diners in addition to our weekly visitors.

We have some exciting new offers coming up that we urge people to look out for.”

26

A growing education business in Coventry is searching for 30 apprentices to join its Teachers Apprentice Programme which has been specifically designed to help schools embrace digital learning and technology in the classroom.

Primary Goal was founded by Louise Campton, and with the guidance of the University of Warwick Science Park’s Ignite Programme, has established a successful start-up company.

The Ignite ‘incubation’ service offers micro and start-up companies a range of business support, mentoring and a furnished office facility on a sliding rent basis to help them get off the group.

Primary Goal has now moved into a new base at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre in Binley, and is on the lookout for young people to offer a unique service to schools combining technical hardware and curriculum support.

Each apprentice will be based at a school full time to support teachers with a variety of tech-related issues such as login and printer issues, projector bulb replacement and use of green screens whilst assisting teachers to use technology across all curriculum subjects.

The apprentices will complete a six to eight week traineeship programme before being placed into a school.

Once the learners have been selected for a post in a school they will work towards a Microsoft Level 3 and 4 IT apprenticeship framework combined with the Microsoft Educators Award.

Louise Campton, Founder and Director of the Primary Goal business, says combining IT and curriculum support will benefit participating schools and the future of the IT industry.

Another initiative being driven by Primary Goal is a lunchtime and afterschool club

called Mini-Geeks. This is where schoolchildren as young as six-years-old are supporting other children with their knowledge of specialist computer coding through packages such as Kodu.

This is further supported by the Tablet Academy which offers apprentices and their school’s IT lead four free training sessions a year on using innovative technology to bring the curriculum to life.

Penny Robb, manager of the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre, said: “Digital skills are becoming increasingly important in the work place, and it’s fantastic to see a business that is helping different generations – including youngsters, school leavers and teachers - to get to grips with the ever-changing technological landscape.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

sponsored column

A fresh breeze from Sweden

A Swedish couple, who have come to settle down in Coventry from the vibrant city of Stockholm, say that being new to an environment can sometimes make it easier to spot things which can be improved.

Christoffer and Theresa Thanger, who run Control Capital Partners, already have several ideas on how Coventry can be enhanced.

They are now working on building up their network in the area and they want to work with other companies that have visions to make a difference.

They believe that standing united is the way to go and that networks determines your networth and, even though they are driven and passionated, say they can’t handle it all on their own. Great success is shared with others.

With Christoffer’s background from more then a decade of knowledge in Swedish construction, it’s natural for them to work with real estate within the company and Christoffer sees small improvements that can be made on British houses to create better inhouse climate.

He wants to share his knowledge of how easy people could save money and time on small improvements.

Therese, on the other hand, come from a line of different service professions and knows a lot of the power of having positive approach towards clients. She is working to create a platform where she can share this with others.

As she says: ”Positivity in the work space is necessary for a company to survive in this competitive world.”

They also want to expand the company to be doing other business that could benefit the community. They believe that nobody wins if the planet is losing. Coming from Sweden, which is recycling 99% of household garbage, they want to bring those statistics to England as well.

To be able to pull that off they need other people to collaborate with them.

There are a lot of small steps that can lead to big improvements, the first small step just needs to be taken.

They say: ”We are excited to be working in and around Coventry with its many potentials as a city and all possibilities with having hungry students with fresh knowledge to work with. This is a city with great potential and we are looking forward to explore the opportunities and the great people within it.”

Companies merge Two Coventry engineering firms have merged and moved into bigger premises.

G&N Tools Ltd and Rex Tools Ltd, both established since the early 1980s, have merged and from January have traded as NDS Tooling Solutions Ltd from new, larger premises on the Seven Stars Industrial Estate in Coventry.

The amalgamation of the two companies has seen the combination of resources and technology to achieve one of the best cutting tool companies in the area.

The company is now run by three Directors, Norman Eaves, a founder of G&N Tools, Dean Eaves, a Director of G&N Tools and Steve Harriman the Director of Rex Tools.

All the directors have a wealth of knowledge and expertise with more than 75 years of experience between them, assuring customers of quality products and a first class service.

Moving to new premises was only possible with the help, advice and support of the Chamber, the CW Growth Hub and Armstrong’s Accountants and the company secured an ERDF grant to help fund the move to the new factory.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Director Dean Eaves said: “The merger, move and relocation took a lot of hard work but we can now all see the benefits – it has increased our capacity to service our customers and we hope with the launch of our website in May we will attract some new customers.

“We are also looking to take on an apprentice in the next couple of months with a view to investing our time in a young Coventry person who would gain valuable knowledge and experience working within all areas of engineering.”

Computer Systems Health Check alerts!

10 Basic Health Check Tips So, in my last column I mentioned that we need to treat our computers like we would our bodies.

We need to make sure we apply some TLC. Generally, I would say, there are 10 basic health check tips that you need to make sure you keep on top of and in this edition I’ll give you the first 5 tips.

Tip 1 Ensure you have the latest updates on your PC provided by Microsoft Why? Windows will always be vulnerable to people trying to find ways to access your data, steal your passwords or worse completely take over your PC and share it with the world.

Microsoft deploy the latest updates to your PC automatically when they have identified security flaws or bugs. All you have to do is make sure you have it turned on, it will do the rest.

Tip 2 Ensure you have anti-virus on your PC/Servers, ideally not a ‘Free’ product or one that is inbuilt into your operating system.

Why? Anti-virus is crucial to protecting the privacy of your data and safeguarding your business. Without it hackers would have no trouble in accessing your system and helping themselves to all your personal data.

Tip 3 It’s a good idea to ensure you turn on the MS firewall to protect you from other forms of attacks especially around anything that communicates with the World Wide Web (WWW) Why? A firewall, like your immune system, just listens in the background looking for openings, while you are communicating with the internet, and stops people, or bugs, gaining access behind the scenes.

Tip 4 We all use Internet browsers to view websites. Its part of our everyday life.

Internet browsers come in the form of 4 big players. Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

The latest versions of these browsers are a MUST to keep you safe from new bugs!

Tip 5 Whatever you do, ensure you use a STRONG password. Change at least every 30 days and combine symbols along with upper and lower case letters.

Why? I’m an IT Director, trust me I now!

If you really want to keep your ‘IT body’ in tiptop shape, give me a call and I’ll be happy to give your ‘IT body’ the same TLC as I give my own.

I’m off for my morning run…..

Phil Hynes Director of HeadTech Solutions 024 7771 2040 Or Email phil.hynes@headtechsolutions.co.uk

27

Area Focus: Coventry

Coventry University retains top 15 ranking in Guardian league table The Guardian University Guide 2017 has cemented Coventry University as the top modern university in the UK, building on the success which saw it crowned ‘University of the Year’ at the end of 2015.

Coventry follows its achievement in 2015’s Times Higher Education Awards by maintaining its top 15 ranking (15th overall) in the latest Guardian university league table.

The new ranking sees Coventry retain its position as the top-placed post-92 institution, an accomplishment that is mirrored most notably in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, which for the past three years has named Coventry the ‘Modern University of the Year’.

Coventry University is ranked top in the UK for the percentage of final-year students satisfied with feedback and assessment by lecturers, and is in the country’s top 10 for both the quality of teaching (joint 7th overall) and the ‘valueadded’score (8th overall).

The University also ranks second in the country for its courses in the hospitality, event management and tourism category, and is in the top 10 for courses in economics (5th), film production and photography (6th), geography and environmental studies (9th) and nursing and midwifery (9th). A further nine subject area rankings feature Coventry in the top 20 overall.

Vice-chancellor Professor John Latham said: “We’re delighted to be able to maintain the positive performance of recent years in the Guardian rankings, but as ever we’re mindful that league tables do not always represent a complete picture of the hard work that our teaching and professional staff are putting in and the value that they’re adding to our students’ experiences.

“While we can be proud of how our increasingly distinguished position in UK higher education is being reflected in the rankings, it is nevertheless our achievements beyond our position in a league table which are defining Coventry as a university.”

FPCL opens centre in Coventry Coventry-based fire protection company Fire Protection Coatings Limited have opened a Trade Paints Centre at their facility in Torrington Avenue.

The new trade centre will trade as Coventry Trade Paints and will stock a full range of Crown products.

FPCL Sales Director Darren Atkins said: “This is an exciting opportunity to expand our range of products. The Crown and Macpherson trade paints allow us to offer our existing fire protection customers, many of which are painting and decorating companies a complete one stop solution. We are also hoping to attract new clients from within the Coventry and surrounding areas.”

28

Companies urged to nominate themselves for Queen’s Awards

: John Rimmer (UKTI International Trade), Tim Cox (Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire), Colonel George Marsh (Lord Lieutenant West Midlands), Louise Bennett OBE (Deputy Lieutenant), David Burbidge (City of Culture bid and Deputy Lieutenant), Joseph Greenwell OBE (Deputy Lieutenant), and Paul Noon (Pro Vice Chancellor – Enterprise and Innovation - of Coventry University).

Companies across Coventry and Warwickshire have been urged to put themselves forward for royal approval – by a man who knows a thing or two about it.

Deputy Lieutenant David Burbidge was awarded the CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list and he was one of the guest speakers at an event with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

The event, at the Simulation Centre at Coventry University Tech Park, was devised to encourage companies nominate themselves for Queen’s Awards as a way of promoting their business and highlighting their commitment to excellence.

Burbidge, who is chairing the bid for Coventry to become UK City of Culture in 2021, also outlined the city’s credentials to win the title.

Joseph Greenwell OBE DL led a masterclass and was joined by Paul Noon, pro vice chancellor of Coventry University – a winner in 2015 – and Nick Mitchell of TAP Training, which landed the prize in 2016.

Tim Cox, Lord Lieutenant, Warwickshire and Colonel George Marsh, Lord Lieutenant, West Midlands, closed the event.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Winning awards is a great way to promote your business and to celebrate success.

“The Queen’s Awards are considered to be among the most prestigious industry prizes

– not just in the UK but across the world.

“Having that royal seal of approval opens doors across the world and helps a company to immediately command respect.

“This was a great event in helping to promote the awards and the opportunities they bring. We’d encourage companies to put themselves forward.”

For more information log onto www.queensawards.org.uk

“Having that royal seal of approval opens doors across the world and helps a company to immediately command respect.

Negotiations proceeding regarding merger of equals In 2015, the Terex Corporation board of directors announced a unanimous decision to pursue a merger of equals agreement with Konecranes Plc – a Finnish-based lifting and materials handling business.

The decision was made as part of a wider corporate strategy to further improve Terex Corporation’s product portfolio and overall business scale.

The integration process was suspended earlier this year following an unsolicited bid

by Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co Ltd. This bid was recently further increased, with negotiations proceeding to determine whether or not a binding proposal can be obtained.

The Terex board has not changed its recommendation in support of the proposed merger with Konecranes.

Terex has since contacted its distributors

and partners to advise that, whichever transaction occurs over the coming months, there will be little or no change for customers, suppliers, staff or distributors.

The company’s globally-acclaimed product range will continue to be manufactured in Terex facilities worldwide, the Terex board of management will continue to run our business from the headquarters in Westport and the company will continue to be Terex branded. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Culture bid wins influential backing

Coventry and Warwickshire manufacturers invited to Challenge Phil

John Nollett (Chamber vice president), Peter Burns (past Chamber president), Louise Bennett (Chamber chief executive), Paul Carvell (Chamber president), David Burbidge (City of Culture Trust), David Burton (past Chamber president), Laura McMillan (City of Culture Trust)

Coventry’s bid to become UK City of Culture has got major backing – from a leading business organisation in the region.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has become a bid event sponsor to support the city’s efforts in landing the prize in 2021.

A successful bid will not only bring social and cultural benefits to the area, it’s expected to attract around £80million in the year alone and a total of approximately £150million.

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Chamber, said: “We are right behind the bid for Coventry to be UK City of Culture in 2021 and have every faith in the team and the city to put in a compelling and successful bid.

“Of course, as a business organisation the potential economic benefit is an attractive proposition but this goes beyond that – it would just be a great boost for the whole of

the city and would leave a positive legacy.

“Over recent weeks and months, we have really seen the efforts gather momentum and certainly the business community is right behind the bid and we will do everything we can to help.”

The Chamber launched a Go For Growth campaign at the start of 2016 to look at ways the region can achieve economic growth. One element of the campaign was looking at the city’s and the region’s image and Louise believes the bid itself can help to change perceptions.

She said: “Already, the bid is helping to highlight what is happening in the city and that has to be good news. Coventry’s heritage of being a city of invention, of diversity and of moving people in so many ways over the years is rightly being celebrated and landing the top prize would really boost our image.”

David Burbidge, the chair of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said business support was crucial.

He said: “The financial backing is very important in enabling us to prepare the best possible bid and also showcasing what Coventry has to offer.

“But, more than that, we can together show how much the whole of the city wants this bid to be successful.”

Coventry City Council, The University of Warwick, and Coventry University are Principal Partners of the bid and are providing significant support. The Ricoh Arena is bid sponsor while Jaguar Land Rover, Friargate, Coventry Building Society, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and CEF (City Electrical Factors) are all bid event sponsors.

Anti-bullying recognition for Hereward College

Hereward College in Coventry is one of only three schools and colleges across the country to have been selected to showcase its anti-bullying work by the Diana Award’s Anti-Bullying campaign.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

A group of young people from the college are trained Diana Award Anti-bullying ambassadors and part of the National Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Network.

They are responsible for leading anti-bullying initiatives in the college, encouraging fellow students and staff to take action against bullying.

anti-bullying ambassadors in this way. The focus at Hereward has been on preventing bullying rather than solely dealing with the consequences. We are so proud of the young people who do an amazing job to help change the behaviours and attitudes of learners and the college as a whole.”

More than 16,000 students have been trained to be Anti-Bullying Ambassadors across the UK and just a few schools and college are selected to be showcased for their outstanding work. Filming took take place at the college to be shown at a national celebration event at the UK’s Facebook headquarters.

Tessy Ojo, CEO, Diana Award, said: “We are proud to celebrate the work that young people are doing to make their communities safer. The perception that bullying both online and offline is part of growing up is wrong and the Diana Award understands that early intervention is critical in the prevention of bullying behaviour.

The Diana Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Programme puts young people at the heart of this preventative work.”

Dayna Donnelly, Student Mentor at Hereward, said: “It’s a real privilege to be able to highlight the work of Hereward’s

Sentridge Control is laying down the gauntlet to Coventry and Warwickshire manufacturers to “Challenge Phil” to save them money on energy bills without compromising on production processes.

Phil, aka Phil Tomkinson, is an experienced Electrical Engineer who has spent the past 20 years applying the latest technology to help manufactures reduce energy bills by thousands of pounds each year, whilst at the same time improving production processes.

Phil Tomkinson explains more about the Challenge, “I visit manufacturers regularly and understand the pressures they are under to keep energy costs down and production processes running smoothly.

Many applications rely heavily on a fan or motor and it can be a challenge to understand how these can be made more efficient without affecting your output. The fan or motor is often run at full capacity and a damper is then used to control speed – in real terms this is equivalent to driving your car with the accelerator to the floor and using your handbrake to control the speed of the car. This makes no sense, and you wouldn’t contemplate it. So now let’s consider your production application.”

“I have been working with ABB’s Variable Speed Drive technology for many years and our clients never fail to be impressed by the difference a drive can make for them.

Using an inverter drive to accurately vary the speed of your applications according to demand not only saves energy, it also reduces wear and tear on machinery, resulting in less breakdowns, less maintenance and a longer life.”

Over the years Sentridge has worked with a diverse range of industries and companies; such as Amtico, BMW, Lafarge, University of Warwick, Peugeot, Massey Ferguson, Dunlop, University of Birmingham plus many more.

Sentridge is inviting CW Chamber members to “Challenge Phil” to survey their applications and provide practical advice to help you save money. All you need to do is book Phil to carry out a FREE site audit and leave the rest to him. Contact Sentridge today on 024 7655 3303 and start saving tomorrow.

Sentridge Control is celebrating 30 years in business supporting midlands industry.

We specify, supply and install.

Visit www.sentridge.com/challenge-phil

29

Area Focus: Mid Warwickshire

Norres UK improves customer service thanks to WarwickNet An international manufacturer of high performance flexible hose and ducting products has improved its customer service thanks to an upgrade in broadband capabilities.

NORRES Schlauchtechnik GmbH, a German organisation which houses its UK headquarters in Leamington’s Heathcote Industrial Estate, changed its internet supplier following a history of slow speeds and poor connections.

Now supplied by Coventry-based WarwickNet, the company has seen a dramatic difference since making the switch a month ago.

Scott Hosten, internal sales manager at Norres UK Ltd, said: “Connectivity is central to our business – both internally with our employees and externally with our customers. It is the basis of the majority of our communication so we simply could not continue to operate with the service we were receiving prior to making the switch.

The service provided by WarwickNet has

been exceptional. The team has gone above and beyond to ensure that we were set up correctly and able to provide excellent customer care – something which will remain critical as we look to introduce new products and features to our current range.”

WarwickNet has installed three fibreenabled cabinets at Heathcote Industrial Estate – each providing broadband download speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s.

Thomas Smith, Business Development Manager at WarwickNet, said: “We aim to provide struggling businesses at out-oftown locations with the facilities needed to compete on a level playing field with their inner-city counterparts and I’m thrilled to hear that the team at Norres had such a positive experience.”

One in three businesses on Heathcote Industrial Estate are now receiving their broadband connections via WarwickNet.

Warwickshire HR outsourcing business celebrates growth The HR Dept South Warwickshire, based in Kenilworth, which specialises in providing tailored HR support to small and medium sized businesses across Warwickshire, has seen significant growth over the past year.

Through development both within the business, and in terms of delivering its service to new businesses and organisations, the South Warwickshire office of The HR Dept is celebrating a 49% increase in turnover. The business now delivers its HR services to more than 100 retained clients.

Director Tracey Hudson said “The Chamber has provided much support to the business since we became members in 2013 and has really helped to raise our profile. We have really seen the long-term benefits of joining the Chamber and as a result the business is doing tremendously well.”

The business’s profits and client base are not all that continues to grow as Tracey has doubled her workforce over the past year, and now has a team of eight at their offices in Kenilworth.

She said: “It’s great to have such a strong team supporting our growing client base.

The Chamber networking events have helped us to connect with many local businesses across Warwickshire which works well for us, as we pride ourselves on supporting businesses with a local and personal HR service.

“We have also appreciated the opportunity to host Chamber events here at Camden House: another benefit of our membership.”

The HR Dept has exhibited at many of the Chamber’s Expos and will be exhibiting again in November.

“The Chamber has provided much support to the business since we became members in 2013 and has really helped to raise our profile.

We have really seen the long-term benefits of joining the Chamber and as a result the business is doing tremendously well.”

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: North Warwickshire

Holland & Barrett International expands global headquarters

Peter Deeley, Martin Gallagher (both Deeley Group), Roger Craddock, Peter Aldis (both Holland & Barrett), Paul Carvell (Chamber).

Work has started to extend Holland & Barrett International’s global headquarters in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

The company is one of the world’s leading health and wellness retailers and the largest in Europe, supplying its customers with a wide range of vitamins, minerals, health supplements, specialist foods and natural beauty products.

The Nuneaton-based business moved to Eliot Park in the town in 2010 and now employs more than 300 staff at its head office.But as the retailer has expanded rapidly, the headquarters too are in need of development, and Coventry-based Deeley Construction is in the process of building a

48,000 sq. ft. extension which will allow staff numbers to grow to between 500 and 600, solidifying Holland & Barrett International as one of the largest employers in the area.

Holland & Barrett International has almost 1,100 stores in 11 different countries including Kuwait, Malta, Singapore and China, and has been assisted in its overseas growth by the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

The company’s success in global expansion was recognised this year with a Queen’s Award for International Trade, one of the highest honours for business presented to the company in April.

Work on the extension follows on from the creation of a new car park on site at Eliot Park, part of a 40-year regeneration on the site, undertaken by the Deeley Group, and is expected to be completed in early 2017.

Peter Deeley, managing director of the Deeley Group, said: “Every region, such as our own region of Coventry & Warwickshire, needs successful, growing companies and the expansion of Holland & Barrett is a very good story locally, nationally and globally.

“We are delighted that we were able to provide a home for the company in 2010 which allowed it to expand and equally pleased to be working with the Holland & Barrett team again to help it continue to blaze a trail.”

Roger Craddock, Group Legal Director of Holland & Barrett International said: “As a Nuneaton-based business, it’s important to us that we continue to support the local economy, even as our business expands across the globe. This new extension will stand us in good stead for further global expansion whilst we continue to keep up the local values that our business has become known for.”

Paul Carvell, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and chair of its north Warwickshire branch, said: “This is great news for our area.

The Chamber began a Go For Growth campaign at the start of the year and it’s fantastic to see Holland & Barrett expanding in such a way.

“It’s pleasing to see that the support from the international trade team at the Chamber has helped the company to grow its presence in more countries worldwide.”

Paul and Moira Simpson receives ISO9001 Accreditation at UVS Signs Ltd UVS Sign & Design Ltd Nuneaton have received their ISO9001 accreditation from Citation.

Paul Simpson said that this will open many new doors for the business. He said: “Having this accreditation will allow UVS to work with larger companies across the globe.

“We decided it was time to add this to our bow as we are now dealing more with major blue chip companies and the ISO9001 is a requirement that is needed.

“As a local family run business with more than 40 years’ experience in the trade, we feel very proud to have this accreditation, we have a great hard working team and the business is really going from strength to strength.”

MP backs business campaign The MP for Nuneaton has backed a business campaign to strengthen the region’s economic growth.

Marcus Jones met the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s north branch committee at the offices of accountancy firm Stewart Fletcher & Barrett to discuss issues that firms are facing in the area.

The meeting was also joined by David Penn – the chair of the Chamber’s Coventry branch committee – who outlined the problems right across the area for companies struggling to expand into new premises because of a shortage of stock.

That issue – along with skills, finance and tax, overseas trade, image and infrastructure – have been highlighted within the Chamber’s Go For Growth campaign which was launched at the start of 2016 to shine a light on barriers to business expansion.

Marcus said: “I believe the Chamber’s Go For Growth campaign is an excellent reminder of some of those issues that can hinder businesses’ growth plans. We heard a couple of real examples of that at the meeting.

“Not only that, it’s also a chance to highlight where companies have overcome www.cw-chamber.co.uk

problems and how they have done so in order to give other businesses inspiration and information on how they can grow.

“One very specific issue we discussed at length was the shortage of commercial property available both for start-up companies and for those businesses – across all sectors – who want to expand.

“David gave a very good overview of the regional picture and when we looked at Nuneaton & Bedworth, the consensus was that we need more ambition when it comes to the provision of land for employment.

“I would, therefore, like to see much more provision for commercial space in the local plan for the area.”

Paul Carvell, the chair of the Chamber’s north branch and president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We have an excellent dialogue with Marcus Jones and that is extremely useful as it allows us to discuss issues that are affecting businesses across the region

and he will feedback, where possible, into Government.

“We are delighted he has backed Go For Growth and the discussion around the shortage of commercial property in the area is very much part of that campaign.

“We will look again at the local plan and make representation to the Borough Council to see if more space for employment land can be earmarked as this is vital for our growth in the area.”

Paul Carvell and Marcus Jones MP (both holding Go For Growth posters) with other members of the Chamber’s North Branch Committee.

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Area Focus: South Warwickshire

Products go global

(L to r) International Trade Advisor at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Brian Mountford, Mary Lloyd, Graham Warmington and International Trade Advisor at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Mick Page with dogs Henry and Holly.

Allergy products that were developed in a Warwickshire family kitchen are now being exported across the globe.

Bio-Life is a family-owned company based in the village of Brailes, in South Warwickshire, and specialises in products for allergy sufferers.

The business was established by Mary Lloyd, an ex-Edinburgh University consultant and Boots employee who specialised in preventative health, after a colleague persuaded her that the products she created for friends in her kitchen were ideal for the emerging market of allergy treatments.

In September 2000, following extensive product testing, the award winning pet cleanser PetalCleanse was launched at the Chemex Show in London.

Today, the company manufactures 18 product lines that prevent allergic reactions from dust mites, pets, mould and pollen as well as toiletries for both people and pets with problem skin. These all look at treating the cause of the allergy, rather than the symptoms themselves.

Mary remains at the helm of the company along with her partner Graham Warmington.

She continues to concentrate on product development while Graham provides day to day management of the business.

The couple have developed their contacts overseas and as a result they are now not only on sale in the UK, but also in pharmacies, veterinary practices and pet shops across Europe and Japan.

Bio-Life received support in exporting products from the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s International Trade Hub. Graham said: “We export our products to a number of veterinary, pharmaceutical and pet store distributers in countries across Europe as well as Japan.

“Our latest product is the insect repellent EcoCitrocin which was developed as a result of the zika virus outbreak.

“The product contains the repellent picaridin which is World Health Organisation approved and means it is long lasting. It does not contain deet as picaridin is the preferred additive.”

Bio-Life is now looking to continue working with UKTI to export its products to even more countries.

Mick Page, international trade advisor at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce – which launched a Go For Growth campaign at the start of 2016, said: “Bio-Life is an excellent example of an innovative company that has gone from strength to strength.

“It began life on a very small scale and now the products are now being made in bigger volumes and exported to countries around the world.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with them in the future to help them expand their overseas sales.”

For more information on international trade support, call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321.

Élite athlete inspires students Sport students at Stratford-upon-Avon College are being motivated to be the very best they can be and realise their full potential by the exceptionally high standards of a world-class athlete.

Sport Lecturer Paul Bradshaw, an 800metre runner who has represented both England and Great Britain, joined the College staff last September and has already made a huge, lasting impact on his students.

Paul took up athletics at the age of 15 and joined his local athletics club. He initially took part in the 100 metres and the javelin, but switched to the 800 metres on the advice of his coach, Arthur Roland, who had spotted where his true talent lay.

He joined Blackburn Harriers, his local club in Lancashire, and quickly progressed to county level. At university, he continued to compete, winning the British University championships in 2009 and being selected for Team GB at the European Championships in Lithuania.

Paul said: “I’d say the highlights of my career were 2007-2012. That was a very successful 5-year block, competing on the European circuit as well as in America.

It was great to travel all over the world, racing and making a living doing what I love.”

He describes himself as “a pure 800-metre runner”, with his personal best standing at 1 minute 47.3 seconds.

Paul’s teaching career began in 2009, with a brief interlude when, in 2013, he decided to resume his athletics career; he moved to America and competed with the World Athletics Centre, and ran for England in Vienna during the Multinational Games.

He brings to his role of lecturer years of first-hand experience, from competing as a world-class athlete to negotiating contracts with leading sports brands - all linked into course modules - which he can pass on to his students. “When I tell them about the actual mechanics behind the profession, they’re like sponges; they love to hear

about it. It’s really pleasing to be able to bring this experience to the College.”

He said: “When I was competing, I got so used to trying to win that I always expect that of my students. My standards never drop.

My students soon got the message and

they’ve come a long way; I’m really proud of them.”

Paul’s focus, in addition to his teaching, now centres on the career of his wife, Holly, an Olympian pole-vaulter who will be competing at this year’s Rio Olympics.

New look for Stratford Butterfly Farm!

Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm has several reasons to be celebrating.

The popular attraction will not only be unveiling its brand new look on Friday 22 July since undergoing a major refurbishment programme but has also been awarded the 2016 TripAdvisor 'Certificate of Excellence' for the fifth year running.

The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor. Businesses must maintain an overall TripAdvisor rating of at least four out of five, volume and recency of reviews.

Additional criteria include a business’ tenure and popularity ranking on the site.

At a special opening ceremony on 22 July, the Butterfly Farm will reveal its new look and

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introduce the 'Maya', an ancient rainforest civilisation exhibit. The celebrations will continue over the 23 & 24 July to the general public with Mini-Beast Handling Sessions, demonstrations in the Discovery Zone, a competition to win season tickets and an interactive book on the ‘Maya’.

Jane Kendrick, Marketing Manager at the Stratford Butterfly Farm, said: “Being awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the fifth year running is an immense source of pride for the team. As we are currently undergoing a major renovation project we are particularly delighted to have been awarded this accolade and would like to thank our visitors for their continued support. All our reviews are read and valued and we take positive note of any feedback.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Rugby

Rugby NGO launches Zimbabwe’s largest off-Grid Solar Farm Elevations showing the new classroom block at Denstone College. Image courtesy of MED Design

Denstone College appoints Stepnell for £1.5m new teaching block A couple of hours’ drive from Gwanda in the south west of Zimbabwe, close to the border with Botswana, you come across an extraordinary sight with a strong Rugby connection.

A bank of solar panels – 400 in total – make for a dazzling spectacle under Mashaba’s blazing midday sun. They constitute Zimbabwe’s largest off-grid solar farm and are heralding a new era in solar power for some of Africa’s most marginalised communities.

For Winnie Sebata, 67, retired school teacher turned budding entrepreneur, energy access has come at a perfect time.

“We really hope this project will change the lives of this community and the lives of people of Zimbabwe,” she said.

Electrification has given Mr and Mrs Sebata the chance to diversify their retail business, selling meat from local farmers, opening a hairdressers and providing a range of solar powered products to meet growing local demand.

Rugby-based international NGO Practical Action is leading a consortium of public and private partners both to deploy the technology and develop a sound business model to establish viable mini grids.

With the majority of up-front investment for the 99kW project being met by the European Union, the four year project to install and bed down the scheme is well under way.

Apart from the Sebata’s business centre, the other early beneficiaries include the health clinic, the primary school, local smallholder farmers and several energy kiosks. By 2019, the grid will be serving more than 10,000 people in the surrounding area.

According to Shepherd Masuka, Practical Action’s Project Technician, the imminent arrival of pre-payment meters to aid collection of fees will enable users to be charged for their electricity usage, with subsidised rates for the school and the clinic.

Reliable revenue will allow for on-going maintenance of the grid with an estimated payback period of between 8-10 years on the original scheme costs.

Company invests in automotive engineers of the future A Rugby based manufacturing company that supplies the automotive industry is supporting the engineers of the future by sponsoring students in Coventry in an international engineering competition.

The Autins Group sponsored a team of Year 10 and 11 students from the WMG Academy for Young Engineers in the 2016 F1 in Schools competition. Having won the regional final in February, Academy Racing went on to compete in the national finals held over two days at Silverstone in April.

Beating off stiff competition from 39 other teams, Academy Racing won the trophies for Fastest Car and Innovation as well as emerging victorious in the knockout competition.

F1 in Schools involves students from more than 40 countries competing for the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Championship trophy. Entrants use CAD/CAM computer software to design, analyse, manufacture, test and race miniature F1 cars which are powered by a small CO2 cylinder and can reach speeds of 50mph over a 20m track. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Robert Hodge, engineering technician at the academy helped support the students’ entry. He said: “It is heartening to see that successful companies such as Autins are willing to invest in the next generation of engineers.”

Jim Griffin, CEO of the Autins Group, said: “It’s no use complaining that we can’t find skilled staff if we aren’t prepared to invest in training. It’s important for companies like Autins to connect with education gateways to support new talent.

“The struggle to fill vacancies could hold back the growth of the industry and it is essential that we all work to identify ways to plug this gap.”

Mr Griffin’s comments are supported by a

report released earlier this year by the Automotive Council. The report highlighted that there are about 5,000 job vacancies in the industry due to a shortage of skills.

Based in Warwickshire, the Autins Group develop and manufacture thermal and acoustic insulation materials and components for the automotive industry.

Denstone College in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, has appointed construction specialist Stepnell – which has its head office in Rugby - to build a £1.5 million new classroom block.

The new two-storey 12-classroom Mathematics and Modern Foreign Languages building will provide learning and teaching facilities for students and staff at the coeducational boarding and day school.

Construction recently began on the 1,080 sq m building which will be connected to the school’s existing Tookey’s building by a glazed link.

The new teaching block has been designed by architects MEB Design in a style which is sympathetic to the Tookey’s building, incorporating matching windows, roof, louvres and building materials.

The new block also features an energyefficient, natural ventilation system; lowemission boilers and intelligent technology-controlled lighting, blinds and zoned heating. Rooflights over central corridors maximise natural daylight coming into the building.

Denstone College Bursar David Martin said: “This forms part of the latest phase of our development programme where we are looking to invest, with VAT, some £3.7 million in pupil facilities. Recent works have included a classroom block, music school and sports complex as the College continues to enhance its outstanding educational offering.”

The new teaching block is set for completion in March 2017. Stepnell operations and commercial manager Thomas Sewell said: “Our team brings a strong record in the delivery of energyefficient, high-quality educational buildings and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Denstone College to create a first-class teaching and learning environment for students and staff.”

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News

Red Marlin ‘snaps up’ new automotive client

World’s most powerful Jaguar F-Type launched

Warwickshire-based PR and digital marketing agency Red Marlin has secured another global automotive business.

Alloy wheel protection system manufacturer, AlloyGator, has appointed the agency to handle its communications in the UK, helping it to recruit quality fitters to its growing distribution network, as well as create even more demand from discerning motorists looking to protect their vehicles.

Danny Rughoobeer, managing director Red Marlin, said: “I don’t think there’s anyone who’s driven a car who hasn’t sat in the driver’s seat and cringed as they hear that awful sound of their alloy wheel being scuffed or scraped along a kerb.

“So, to have been selected by the world’s leading company in preventing this type of vehicle damage really is an exciting prospect for us. AlloyGator has a really great product along with ambitious plans for the business and we’re looking forward to playing a pivotal role in helping them achieve these aims.”

The appointment by AlloyGator comes at a period of exciting growth for Red Marlin who has added several other automotive businesses to its roster in 2016, created two new roles and relocated to larger premises within Leamington Spa.

Bespoke vehicle tuning and automotive design company VIP Design London has created what it believes is the most powerful Jaguar F-Type in the world, the VIP Design Project Predator.

Delivering a blisteringly quick 650bhp and a top speed of more than 200mph, the dyno tested and proven upgrade package is delivered through a number of mechanical and software upgrades.

Firstly, the engine. High-flow air filters achieve increased combustion and throttle.

An uprated supercharger pulley, part of VIP Design’s secret recipe, brings the software upgrade to life. Increasing supercharger boost pressures perfectly matched to the enhanced fuelling of the software delivers hugely dramatic reductions in 0-60 times and power delivery across the whole rev range.

VIP Design have lowered the suspension by 30mm, improving the poise and stance.

Harder, stronger suspension parts, joints and rubbers have been fitted to improve responsiveness on the road, transforming the handling of the standard F-Type.

VIP Design has uprated the exhaust system to a full manifold back high performance exhaust system, available with two different switchable sound levels.

The VIP Design team felt that the standard F-Type exhaust never quite sounded like a V8 Supercar, said CEO Paul Busby.

He said: “The exhaust was not deep enough, more of a shriek than a V8 rumble.

The VIP Design F-Type Predator changes all that, the full manifold back high performance exhaust system is switchable, allowing different purr levels – loud and

really loud! You can’t help but grin every time you press the button.”

Carbon fibre bonnet vents, beautifully styled in polished form, a front carbon fibre splitter, adding down force and style and stunning unique polished carbon fibre rear diffuser, all help the car stand out from the crowd.

The package is fitted and installed at the VIP Design studio in Warwickshire.

Paul added: “Since the Jaguar F-Type was launched, the sleek lines and V8 engine were always going to lend themselves to power upgrades, and appeal to passionate drivers who are never going to settle for stock options. Our new package has created the most exciting F-Type available in the world and is certain to thrill serious petrol-heads anywhere.”

Agency wins Google award Leading Birmingham based Digital Marketing Agency Global Search Marketing Limited is celebrating another award win after being recognised by Google as a top ten performing partner for the second year running.

“The competition award, which acknowledges Google’s top ten performing partners based upon the advertising spend of new clients, is testimony to the success and rapid growth of the agency over the past couple of years.

It also demonstrates the rising demand for digital services across the Midlands, with Birmingham attracting huge levels of digital investment to service its 70,000 strong company base, including 1,500 international firms .

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Luke Hodgkins, Director of Search at Global Search Marketing, said: “The sheer pace of technical advancements and the expansion of platforms within Digital Marketing is leaving companies illequipped. This has led to an acknowledgement that outsourcing to specialist agencies is essential, especially as in-house teams are seen to have quickly become outdated. We regularly receive calls from companies who feel their online presence has suffered as a result of this and are looking for us to provide them with partial or holistic support.”

Neill Milestone, Chairman at Global Search Marke`ting, said: “It’s an exciting time for Global Search Marketing. We’ve just undergone significant investment in our infrastructure and we’re now set to grow considerably over 2016/17.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Leaving the EU or Digital?

Which will have the greater impact on your future business?

With the country voting to leave the EU, most business leaders are looking at the implications.

Paul Richards, Director of Re-envisageIT, suggests that how you address the digital and consumer technology revolution will be even more significant for your organisations’ success.

We have seen the challenge faced by a number of well known retail brands who have struggled to keep pace in their competitive, fast-paced market, increasingly dominated by online retailers.

The implications are wider than just Retail and its consequential impact on town centres; Manufacturing, Education, Publishing, Professional Services, Transport, Agriculture, Government and Local & District Authorities – all sectors are being disrupted. Technology has made it easier to deliver customer centric propositions, create new lines of business, reduce capital investment and mitigate constraints such as location, language and asset-ownership (think Amazon, Airbnb, Uber, Alibaba). It enables smaller firms to compete with larger, more established companies.

Digital is not just about a great website, effective Search Optimisation (SEO), social-media or high speed broadband.

It is not just for your marketing function, or some newly created “digital” team.

Digital should be everyone's job, it is about being really customer/client focused, and ensuring all processes are aligned to delivering service in a way that makes sense from your customer’s viewpoint. With information available at their fingertips, they have demanding service expectations and may move to who serves them best.

It’s about empowering your staff to have the information and tools they need work effectively together to help your customers and grow your business.

So, how are you responding, and if not now, when? Do you know for instance the “digital” effect on your bottom line? How “digital” can reduce running costs? How a more “digital” version of your organisation enables accelerated R&D and product development?

To discuss further call Paul Richards on: 0800 001 6659 website: www.re-envisage.it e-mail: info@re-envisage.it

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Education and Development

I coach chief executives for Deloitte – how an Aston Online MBA is improving my work It’s Nicola Baggott’s job to know what’s keeping bosses up at night Head of executive transition labs at Big Four professional services firm Deloitte, Nicola Baggott, explains why she is studying an MBA online at Aston. By plugging into a triple-accredited MBA at Aston Business School, Nicola is able to apply directly what she learns into the workplace.

I couldn't recommend it enough - it is a very empowering way to learn. Yes, you need to be more self-disciplined than if you were studying for a classroom-based MBA. But being able to do all of the work at home (including exams), gives you the freedom to learn in a way that suits you best. It certainly makes it more enjoyable, and (slightly) more relaxed.

A digital degree gives Nicola the freedom to study on her own terms - something that is attracting a growing number of young business managers to online learning. She continues to work full-time alongside the Aston MBA.

What does your role at Deloitte involve?

Previously, Nicola worked as CFO programme manager and before that as an assistant manager at Deloitte. The London-based transition master also holds a bachelor's degree in business management.

I feel very privileged to be working with the leaders of PLC companies and getting to understand their key priorities, and what’s keeping them up at night.

When and why did you decide to get an MBA?

Are you able to apply your learning immediately into the workplace?

To be honest, I hadn't really given an MBA much thought until I was presented with the opportunity to do one, last September. When the opportunity was presented to me, via Aston Business School, it didn't take me long to realise that […] it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.

Most definitely. The fact that you are blending your academic learning with the challenges at work, helping to drive value, definitely helps justify the late nights sat in the spare room!

Why online?

Aston Business School has an affiliation with Deloitte and has a triple-accredited MBA. The teaching is of a very high standard and many of the lecturers have worked in industry, so are able to integrate theory with practice in an engaging way.

Online, for me, is the best way to study - it means you can dictate your own hours, study in the comfort of your own home (the second bedroom is now my study!) and fit work and personal life around the MBA.

“I couldn't recommend it enough - it is a very empowering way to learn.”

I lead a coaching program, where we help newly appointed C-suite executives achieve successful transitions into their new roles.

Why Aston Business School?

Find out more The Aston MBA is delivered Online as well as via Full-Time and Executive Part-Time study routes, all designed to give you the edge to succeed. To find out more visit www.astonmba.com or contact our MBA Recruitment Manager at mba@aston.ac.uk or call 0121 204 3100.

“When the opportunity was presented to me, via Aston Business School, it didn't take me long to realise that […] it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down.”

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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What is the cloud? Where is the cloud? Are we in the cloud now?

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In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer's hard drive. The cloud is just a metaphor for the Internet.

For it to be considered "cloud computing," you need to access your data or your programs over the Internet, or at the very least, have that data synced with other information over the Web. In business, you may know all there is to know about what's on your side of the connection, but you may never have any idea what kind of massive data processing is happening on the other end.

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News

Award for selfless organisation Appoint US Services was recently a winner at the Women Who Awards for 2016.

The judges selected Appoint Us Services as winner of the award because of their passion, determination and selflessness to deliver a whole raft of services to a neglected sector of the community in an extremely professional manner.

Appoint Us Services is a relatively new organisation set up by people passionate about promoting the independence of people in need and to support the professionals already supporting them.

They hope to make their lives easier with the range of services they provide.

Money that they make benefits groups of people that they work with. So far they have worked with Coventry and Warwickshire Foodbanks by regularly donating, UCHW charity fundraising, helping local homeless charities and set up a successful Dementia Café in Coventry, which they are now in the process of making in to a mobile community and dementia café project.

They have a Social Care Department that provide Independent Social Care Services such as Reviews, Welfare Reports, Mental Capacity Assessments, Certificate providing for Lasting powers of Attorney, Access to independent Occupational Therapy Assessments, Continuing Healthcare Checklisting and DST meeting attendance. The Department also offers Specialist Advocacy Appoint Us Services also has a Therapeutic Department that offer Therapeutic Arts including art, craft, drama, dance and music and also Pet Therapy/ Petting Services with a range of different dogs and a miniature horse.

Support Services offer a sitting service to give carers a break, companionship, meal preparation and support around eating, shopping, accompanying to appointments and trips out, helping with changes of accommodation, support around marketing properties, packing, unpacking and finding suitable alternative accommodation. They also support people in transition from a residential environment to their own home.

They are Corporate Appointees appointed by the Department of Work and Pensions which means they can manage the benefit income of those unable to do so for themselves.

Other services include Appropriate Adult (representing vulnerable people that find themselves in the Justice system) Funeral Planning and Access to legal services. They also offer help to people who live abroad who may have family in the UK. They have recently relocated their offices in line with their growth and business development to The Rural Innovation Centre Avenue H Stoneleigh Park CV8 2LG.

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New centre helps businesses

by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Wallis Lynch, a specialist accountancy recruitment firm within Warwickshire and the West Midlands, joined phase one in December 2014 and due to the company’s success it is now set to move into a larger office within phase two.

Founded by local entrepreneur Claire Maclachlan in 2013, she and her father Tim Maclachlan, who is an ex-banking professional, guided the company into a strong position which saw the arrival of two other established finance and accountancy recruiters.

DNA Nutritional Therapy and Skin Clinic founder Lee-Ann Hughes, Wallis Lynch Director Claire Maclachlan and Manager of the Rural Innovation Centre Liz Burkinshaw.

A Warwickshire science park has opened a new centre which aims to help small and new businesses grow and flourish following an investment in the region of £750,000.

Stoneleigh Park has launched phase two of its highly successful Rural Innovation Centre.

It is the latest investment at Stoneleigh Park and includes the refurbishment of an existing building to create an additional 20 serviced offices and two meeting rooms.

A total of 14 of the new offices have already been let out to both new and expanding businesses.

One of the new businesses is DNA Nutritional Therapy and Skin Clinic which was recently launched by Lee-Ann Hughes.

As a qualified nutritional therapist, she works with clients to help them improve and regain their health. Lee-Ann, from Coventry, said: “I’m delighted to launch my business in phase two of the Rural Innovation Centre.

It was created to help new businesses grow and provides a really flexible environment.”

The first phase of the Rural Innovation Centre is part of the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network, funded by DEFRA and led

Since then, the company’s continued success and a growing reputation means it now has nine members of staff and has also just launched another office in the East Midlands.

Claire said: “We are looking to grow to 12 consultants over the few months in our new offices - plus the office dog, of course.

“Our candidates really complement us on our location from driving through the beautiful setting of Stoneleigh Park into the Rural Innovation Centre where we also have separate meeting rooms to interview.”

Liz Burkinshaw, manager of the Rural Innovation Centre, said: “The centre was established to help businesses flourish, and we look forward to supporting even more new and expanding businesses in the future.”

Company celebrates anniversary with awards Deeley Construction is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a string of industry award wins and nominations.

The company, which was formed in 1936, is holding a series of events throughout the year to commemorate the milestone.

And Deeley Construction has also been recognised at two major awards ceremonies already this year for work it has undertaken across the Midlands region.

The firm landed a Silver Award at the Consider Constructors Scheme’s National Site Awards in Manchester for its work in creating a new B&M Store at Coventry Airport Retail Park.

At the same ceremony, Deeley Construction was presented with the Bronze Award for the Technology Centre at the MIRA Technology Park.

The company’s outstanding new teaching facility at Pershore College, which is part of Warwickshire College Group, was shortlisted in two categories at the West Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards – Project of the Year and Integration & Collaboration.

Martin Gallagher, managing director of Deeley Construction, said: “We work hard

right across the company to ensure we deliver the very best service and, ultimately, the very best buildings for our clients.

“To receive recognition at awards ceremonies is a further testament to what we do and highlights that we offer best practice to clients.

“We are very proud of the projects that were recognised as they show-off a variety of works that Deeley Construction can undertake.

“It’s fitting that in this year of celebration for the company that we are continuing to grow and be recognised for our contribution to the built environment in this area.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Zoe’s Place Mardis Gras Ball breaks records

Sparkle, glitz and glamour was the order of the day at the Zoe’s Place Mardis Gras Ball held at Coombe Abbey recently.

Raising in excess of a record-breaking £60,000, the event was attended by more than 320 guests together with Zoe’s Place Patron Lady Daventry her husband Lord Daventry and members of the recentlyformed Business Group, who were responsible for organising the landmark event. BBC CWR’s Lorna Bailey hosted the event and guests danced the night away to music from Synergy.

A particular highlight of the night was an impromptu visit by UB40 musician and artist Brian Travers, who attended specially to donate two limited edition prints of his much acclaimed art to the charity having been so touched by the Zoe’s Place story.

The tone for the evening was set with a steel band and Las Vegas Showgirls.

A night of fundraising followed with a raffle, heads and tails, a silent auction and live auction with the top bid being £5000 for a day’s shoot at Arbury Hall which was won by Ian Williams Racing.

Other prizes included a framed Manchester United 2016 team shirt, CCFC mascot prize, exotic holiday for two in Bali, a unique opportunity for a team of six to learn how to play polo in a day (courtesy of Dallas Burston Polo Club) and a Champagne and Wine Tasting for 10 donated by Charles Mitchell Wines.

Heartrending presentations were given by two mothers of children cared for by Zoe’s as well as a poignant speech from the headline sponsor Simplify IT’s Sales Director Lee Rogers which resulted in

£19,000 being raised in pledges from local organisations committing to raise funds over the next 12 months, an integral part of the overall figure raised. Warwick based Contechs alone pledged £10,000 matching their commitment from the previous year.

Lee said: “The Mardi Gras Ball organised to raise funding for Zoe’s Place was an excellent evening of entertainment and Simplify IT were so pleased to be involved.

“It was touching to hear the talk by a number of the parents who use Zoe’s Place. The event was very special and it was easy to see how Zoe’s place has made a huge impact to many local people.”

Zoe’s Place is the Midlands’ only dedicated facility for babies and young children up to the age of five.

Peter Jarvis, Zoe’s Place Business Group Chair and Managing Director of Contechs, said: “The Mardis Gras Ball was a massively successful event and I want to say a huge thank you to all those who supported the night so generously.

“Zoe’s Place is an amazing charity and one which provides such a vital service to the local community. It beggars belief that it is wholly reliant on charity donations.

It is therefore crucial to keep the cash rolling in if this 24/7 service is to continue.”

Muna Chauhan, Corporate Manager, Zoe’s Place, said: “We are currently running at four out of six cots and have a number of families who want to use our services but without funding we are unable to offer this.

“The Ball has given Zoe's Place a ray of hope and with the £46,000 raised from the table sales, auction and silent auction we are now looking forward to being able to open our fifth cot, which is wonderful news.”

O’Brien Contractors awarded SME of the Year

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Figures released by NFU Mutual suggest that that over half of household insurance claims involving children involve damage to items of technology with 53% of claims involving mobile phones.

The insurer also revealed that the number of claims involving girls were 3% higher and, on average, £28 more expensive than those involving boys.

In 2015, the average cost of a household claim involving a girl was £376 with claims involving boys costing £348. 5% of these claims involved damage caused by grandchildren.

In 2014 the insurer’s claims data showed that boys were nearly two thirds more likely to cause damage in the home than girls Nicki Whittaker, High Value Home Specialist at NFU Mutual said: “It is estimated that 90% of 11-16 year olds have a mobile phone and the most common claims we see are for phones which have been dropped and damaged, lost or fallen down the loo.

With a long-established track record of delivering expert civil engineering solutions across the Midlands, O’Brien Contractors was proud to be named SME of the Year at the West Midlands Celebrating Construction Awards 2016.

O’Brien scooped the highly acclaimed award for investing in its people, focusing on improving customer satisfaction and adopting industry best practises across all areas of the business. O’Brien was also praised for its commitment to sustainability and maintaining an above industry record for health and safety.

Peter O’Brien, Managing Director, said: “A fundamental element of our success has been the commitment we’ve placed to the Midlands. We believe by focussing on the region, we can forge strong and long-lasting relationships with clients and our supply chain facilitating greater collaboration, essential in delivering projects successfully.”

Why mobile phones now account for 53% of home insurance claims involving children

“In addition to claims for phones, children have also been responsible for flushing rings down the toilet, spraying cooking oil on the carpet, spilling juice over electrical equipment and throwing valuable items into the bin.

Established in 1958, O’Brien has partnered with the region’s leading industry clients, including: Morgan Sindall, Aston University, John Sisk & Son, Kier Group and University of Birmingham.

Peter said: “It’s not just about consolidating your efforts into one area.

We have continually invested back into the

business so that we have a highly talented and knowledgeable team, operate the most efficient plant and technology, and benchmark against industry best practices, like Achilles Building Confidence - having achieved a 5-star rating in 2014.

This regional award recognises the hard work and commitment of the whole O’Brien team.”

“Following George Osborne’s announcement that millions of grandparents could be paid by the state to look after their grandchildren, it’s also interesting to see that claims involving grandchildren accounted for 5% of all claims relating to children.”

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News

Mask-arade deals a Royal Flush The Queen’s patronage of more than 600 charities and organisations on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

There were thousands of street party applications across the country and Mask-arade Royal Face Masks featured heavily across the nation.

Chairman hails ‘outstanding approach’ at retirement village A NHS chairman has hailed a Birmingham retirement village for its ‘outstanding and innovative approach’ to improving the health and lifestyle of local older people.

Ed Smith, chairman of NHS Improvement, visited Bournville Gardens, a 212-home retirement village for 300 local older people which was opened in November 2015 by The ExtraCare Charitable Trust with partners Bournville Village Trust and Birmingham City Council.

Mr Smith, who oversees improvements in quality, care and safety across the NHS, was impressed that Bournville Gardens residents’ care needs were addressed by The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, enabling them to remain independent in their own Village homes whilst enjoying a stimulating community lifestyle.

Mask-arade have been seeing huge demand for their royal range, which has recently been expanded to include a Corgi plus iconic character half masks of a Coldstream Guard, Policeman and a new Crowned Queen mask.

Commercial Director at Mask-arade, Ray Duffy, said: “It never fails to amaze me how the British public gets into the spirit of a royal occasion. Mask-arade face masks are a natural fit for this kind of party atmosphere.”

First came the royal wedding, then the Diamond Jubilee followed by the Queen’s 90th Birthday Celebrations.

BIT 10 developers excel with umbraco certification Award winning Midland’s digital, web, marketing and communications agency BIT 10 has announced Umbraco Developer Certification for two of its newest recruits.

Developers Naveed Ali and Dan Faulkner recently joined the expanding agency and as part of its commitment to employee development were given the opportunity to build on their skills by taking part in the Umbraco Fundamentals master class.

Naveed said: “I really enjoyed taking part in the master class as it enabled me to build on my skills in web development and has equipped me with the essential skills to build Umbraco 7 sites. I am looking forward to utilising my skills and experience to benefit our growing client base and to developing my career in such an inspiring and supportive digital agency”.

He said: “Rarely have I seen older people’s health and care needs integrated with their lifestyle aspirations with such thought and purpose. That's good news for older people and an effective use of public resources. More Villages like this need to be developed and supported."

Dan said: “I am delighted to have achieved Umbraco certification as it’s given me a fantastic understanding of how to build additional functionality, utilise best practice and incorporate

Bournville Gardens is part of a £200m joint strategy to develop at least five City Villages with Birmingham City Council.

Bournville Gardens is the fourth Village; the fifth, in Longbridge, opens in 2017.

ALS Environmental were named as one of the Silver Sponsors for this year’s Geotechnica event at Brunel University's Hamilton conference suite, London on July 6/7.

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On Sunday June 12th, The Mall in St James’s Park was transformed for its largest ever street party to celebrate

Mask-arade recently enjoyed a successful project working with Stratford District Council. Ten thousand specially commissioned Shakespeare Masks were manufactured for the celebrations in Stratford upon Avon town centre, that marked 400 years since his death.

cutting edge features. The skills and experience I have gained from achieving this certification have been incredible and I am looking forward to passing these onto our clients.

Mark McKeever, Commercial Director, BIT 10, said: “Navid and Dan have been fantastic hires for the team and their enthusiasm, commitment and dedication to their roles has been second to none.”

Company named as event sponsor The UK's largest geotechnical conference and exhibition, Geotechnica was developed to bring together all industry sectors from suppliers and contractors through to contractors and clients.

ALS Environmental Sales & Marketing Manager Nick Barsby said: “Geotechnica is one of the largest and most established conferences in the market. We are thrilled to be asked to be the Silver Sponsors of the event and take great pride in supporting Geotechnica 2016.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Stepnell awarded £13.5m new library Cooper scheme at St John’s College Oxford Solutions

celebrates double milestone Cooper Solutions, provider of niche, web-based solutions for franchised dealerships, has delivered its 10 millionth insured loan day, as it celebrates 15 years of business in the UK automotive retail sector.

The milestone loan was arranged for a service customer by Cotswold BMW Group’s Cheltenham dealership, which uses the entire suite of Cooper Solutions Construction has started on a £13.5 million new library and study centre extension to St John’s College library at the University of Oxford.

Wantage-based construction company Stepnell is building the new facility which will provide a two-storey study centre and central archive within part of the President’s Garden. The award of the project follows Stepnell’s refurbishment and extension last year of the New Library at Magdalen College. Both schemes were designed by Wright & Wright Architects.

“We are delighted to have been selected to build this exciting and challenging new scheme for St John’s College and to be working again with its talented designers Wright & Wright Architects,” said Steve Burgess, regional director for Stepnell.

“The new library and study centre will provide students with an enhanced learning environment along with muchneeded flexible space and state-of-theart equipment to meet 21st century requirements. We are also looking forward to working again with the local supply chain and seeing this fantastic facility take shape.”

The new study centre and library extension will link the College’s Canterbury Quadrangle, which houses three of its four listed libraries – the Laudian Library, the Paddy Room and the 15th century Old Library - from The Groves area of St John’s College, a Grade II-listed park and garden, through to the President’s Garden. The College’s library buildings currently house important early and rare books, manuscripts, special collections and literary archives, dating from the 9th century, from Aelfric to Spike Milligan.

products and has benefitted from the FullCover insurance system since it was launched in August 2004.

Now employing 35 staff out of its headquarters in Barford, Warwickshire, Cooper Solutions works with more than a third of the UK’s dealer network.

Managing director Barry Cooper said: “The greatest lesson we’ve learnt is that adversity and competition are good for our people and the business. Both can be uncomfortable, but it’s how you respond

Quiz raises charity money Wright Hassall, the Leamington-based law firm, emerged triumphant closely followed by a team representing the PSA Group.

The total amount of £1,800 was raised through ticket sales and a raffle on the night.

Tina Costello, CEO of the Heart of England Community Foundation – the region’s largest grant-giving charity, said: “It was a real success. The evening was great fun and raised a really good amount that will go towards making a positive difference to the communities in our area.

“Everyone who came along said how much they enjoyed it and as well as raising money, it also helped to raise our profile and showcase what we do to even more business people in the area.”

Coventry and Warwickshire’s business brains pitted their wits against one another – and raised £1,800 for community groups in the area.

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The Heart of England Community Foundation held its first quiz at the PSA (Peugeot) Group’s headquarters at Pinley House in Coventry where 26 teams of five went head-to-head.

Now in its 21st year, the Heart of England Community Foundation works with a variety of donors to provide funding and support at a grassroots level for local organisations which are often under the radar of national funders.

that is key. We go away, dust ourselves off, think about how we can be better and execute a plan, which generally strengthens our position and sees us ahead of where we were initially.

“The company philosophy is that great service is inherently linked to impressing customers with simple, efficient processes that are quick, consistent and managed with the appropriate technology. Our mission is to provide niche, web-based solutions that complement the DMS, enhancing performance, processes and profitability across the business.”

Andrew Hulcoop, managing director at Cotswold Motor Group, added: “We’ve worked with Cooper Solutions for many years now and find its products add considerable value to the efficiency and performance of our group.”

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President & People

Resilience needed in these uncertain times The outcome of the referendum has left the UK in a state of confusion. The political picture of the UK will probably go down in history as one of those defining moments. It’s at times like this, that we need a strong opposition party in Parliament.

As momentous as this debate has been, in many quarters there is still a sense of shock and bewilderment.

However, the one thing we do know, is how resilient this nation is and how resilient the businesses of Coventry & Warwickshire are.

But, what will ‘Brexit’ mean for us and our businesses? It really is too early to tell. However, we anticipate that organisations such as ours, that lobby on behalf of business, will be more important than ever before.

We also recognise that those businesses affected by the decision to leave the EU, will need their Chamber more than they’ve ever needed it!

Dear member, What an eventful couple of months! Our exit from Europe has dominated the topic of most conversations, and I’m not just referring to the performance of the England Football team.

Terex Construction appoints new Head of Engineering Global equipment solutions provider Terex Construction has named Satpal Sokhi as the new Head of Engineering for its UK manufacturing facility in Coventry. Sokhi has worked within the Terex Group for more than 13 years.

Sokhi will oversee a number of corporate initiatives to reshape the company’s engineering department and implement a new product strategy for the Coventry site.

This will include a focus on improving quality while reducing costs, alongside introducing a number of new innovations across the site dumper and backhoe loader product portfolios.

Gregg Horne, general manager at Terex Construction’s Coventry facility, said: “We’re confident that Satpal will make a hugely positive impact, bringing even greater value to our current procedures with his skilled perspective. Terex continues to invest in R&D, technology and equipment improvements and Satpal will play a key role in this ongoing development.”

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Our Chamber has already provided invaluable support to our member firms. The Go for Growth Post Referendum telephone hotline, which was set up on the back of the referendum verdict, has been a vital resource for our local business community.

Over the next few months, we will see the dust settle. The facts on what ‘Brexit’ actually means will follow, and I for one will be watching closely.

Always remember though whenever change occurs, opportunities follow.

So, my advice for members of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber is to keep optimistic and prepare to maximise the benefits that these opportunities will bring.

As mentioned in my previous columns, my theme as President for this year is to encourage more companies to export. Whatever the implications of Brexit, I am still passionate and believe that there has never been a better time to export and do business internationally. Don’t miss this opportunity, as I am sure that as problems with the Euro Zone surface, the pound will recover. The Chamber’s International Trade Hub, which includes our regional UKTI advisers, provides fantastic support for businesses. I would encourage every member thinking about doing business abroad to make contact to find out how the team can help.

I had the privilege of visiting the European Parliament just prior to the vote – too little time to help anyone who was unsure at that point.

However, what was obvious is that the UK was not the only nation with pressures relating to its relationship with the EU. There were many worried faces and it’s going to be interesting to see how the EU will react in reality, compared to the messages given by the press. But no matter what, we will remain EU members for at least the next two years - even more of a reason why exporting now to the EU is more important than ever.

Moving on from Europe, I want to focus on a few things closer to home.

Over the past few months, I have once again enjoyed attending our ‘Meet Your Chamber’ events. The event held at the Holiday Inn in Kenilworth on 28th June, which I was delighted to chair, was a particular success. It was great to meet lots of new faces!

I am also looking forward to the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) AGM and Summer Reception taking place in July. It will be good to see what fellow Chamber areas are doing and to proudly talk about the fantastic services that our Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber is delivering for members.

We also have our Annual Conference coming up. Please remember to book your place. The conference is taking place on Friday 14th October at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. One of the key speakers is Michael Portillo. His speech will clearly be fascinating given recent events.

Whatever the future brings, the Chamber is always here to help.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any pressing matters, both with business in general or our impending exit from the EU.

Paul Carvell

New appointment to private client team of local law firm Coventry and Warwickshire law firm, Alsters Kelley LLP have announced the appointment of Solicitor, John Padget, to the Private Client Department following the retirement of Tim Fillmore.

John previously had a successful career in marketing and event management before retraining and qualifying as a Solicitor specialising in Wills & Probate in May 2014. John has worked exclusively in the Private Client field since that time and has experience in dealing with a wide variety of clients including those who want straightforward Wills to helping bereaved families with complex probate matters. John is also a member of the west Midlands branch of the Solicitors for the Elderly.

John said: “I am very proud to be joining Alsters Kelley LLP, one of the largest firms in Coventry and Warwickshire, which prides itself on being customer focused and providing a high quality service.”

Neil Raiseborough, Head of Private Client Department, said: “John brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Alsters Kelley LLP and will be a real asset to the team. As well as undertaking all estate planning matters he will also specialise in supporting elderly clients with their long term care planning.”

John will be based, primarily at the Leamington office but will also see clients at the firm’s new office in Southam.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

Law firm strengthens team

Left to right - Ian Besant, Gemma Faulkner, Suki Harrar and Prisca Bradley from the employment law team at Wright Hassall

Leamington law firm Wright Hassall has bolstered its employment law team with the appointment of a new partner.

experience in the independent schools, charities, healthcare and housing sectors.

Prisca Bradley is a highly experienced lawyer advising on all employmentrelated matters, and has particular

She has joined the Olympus Avenuebased firm from Darbys Solicitors in Oxford, where she spent ten years

having trained with the firm before being promoted to partner and Head of the Employment Team.

Prisca has vast experience in dealing with complex dispute cases, and notable achievements include success in the Supreme Court, along with two of her most recent cases achieving sixfigure out of court settlements.

At Wright Hassall, Prisca will act for employees and employers and advise on a wide range of employment matters including discrimination, unfair dismissal, breach of contract, equal pay and whistle-blowing.

She said: “I have joined Wright Hassall at an exciting time. There are plans for the firm to grow significantly over the next few years and I look forward to assisting with these strategic development and growth plans.”

Partner Ian Besant, head of the firm’s People Services group, said: “Prisca joins us at an exciting time in our development, and her varied experience and sector expertise will provide an added dimension to the full employment and HR service which we can offer to our clients.”

New Chief Financial Officer for Warwicknet

John Bezzant has been appointed CFO at Coventry-based WarwickNet

An independent high-speed broadband provider has announced the appointment of a new chief financial officer.

John Bezzant has been appointed CFO at WarwickNet, based in Coventry, having previously spent nine years working with SMEs across the Midlands for Barclays Corporate Bank. Prior to that, John spent five years as finance director of two SMEs following a 10-year career with PwC. John said: “I’m very much looking forward to this new challenge and I am excited about playing an integral part in this dynamic firm’s future.

WarwickNet has ambitious plans and is uniquely placed to grow rapidly in the business connectivity solutions arena” WarwickNet CEO Ben King said: “I’m extremely pleased John is joining WarwickNet’s Board. John takes up a key position within the business and his broad experience will be a huge asset to WarwickNet as the business transitions from a large regional player to connecting more customers via our evergrowing infrastructure network on a national basis.”

Lodders’ Real Estate practice grows again The top ranking Real Estate team of Midlands law firm Lodders has continued its hiring spree with the appointment of Josy Haigh.

With more than 15 years’ experience in the legal sector, Josy has held public sector, private practice and in-house positions, most recently as Property and Contracts lawyer at Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, previously as Senior Legal Officer at Coventry City Council, and two years in the Commercial Property and Commercial Contracts Team at Huddersfield firm Eaton Smith Solicitors.

In the new role, Josy is working alongside Partner James Mottram, a specialist in residential development who is well-known amongst the UK’s major housebuilders and acts on large residential development deals across the UK. She is the third fee earner to join the Real Estate team this year - Lodders appointed Ravinder Heer and Scott Parmenter as Paralegals in February, working with Partners Alastair Frew and Steven Baker respectively.

Lodders’ Real Estate team is now 18strong, with six partners including team head Nick East. It is one of the main players in residential development transactions in the Midlands with clients including CALA Homes, Cameron Homes and Spitfire Properties LLP. Josy lives in Warwick and is based at Lodders’ Stratford upon Avon office.

New job for Gemma Leading law firm Wright Hassall has appointed Gemma Carson as it new head of commercial litigation.

Gemma has risen through the ranks at the Leamington-based solicitors having joined Wright Hassall from university. She takes over from Sarah Perry, who was appointed Managing Partner earlier this year.

Gemma joined Wright Hassall as a paralegal in 2001, and qualified as a solicitor three years later, before being promoted to partner in 2012.

She has been an integral member of the firm’s commercial litigation department for nine years and specialises in inheritance and professional negligence disputes.

Her career path mirrors that of Sarah Perry,

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who also trained as a solicitor with Wright Hassall before going on to be named head of commercial litigation.

Gemma, who is a member of the Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTPAS), said: “The commercial litigation team, and the firm as a whole, has increased performance year-on-year, even through the recession, and I’m determined to play a major role in strengthening our position in the market even further.”

Sarah Perry said: “Gemma will have an important role to play in the continued growth of our commercial litigation department and the firm as a whole.”

Left to right - Gemma Carson and Wright Hassall Managing Partner Sarah Perry

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New Members

Welcome to new members Strategic Partner Travel Management Group Plc Worldfarer House, 9-11 Dormer Place, LEAMINGTON SPA, CV32 5AA admin@travelmanagement.co.uk 01926 313112 www.tmguk.com

Corporate Members

HMP & YOI Swinfen Hall

Absolute Works

The Drive, Swinfen, Lichfield, WS14 9QS

The Business Centre, Kenilworth CV8 2GY debra.wyatt@absolutehrsolutions.co.uk 01926 748040 www.absoluteworks.co.uk

jennifer.madeley@hmps.gsi.gov.uk

Advent Communications Ltd

The London Taxi Corporation Limited

2 Edison Building, Electric Wharf, Sandy Lane, Coventry, CV1 4JA adent@advent-communications.co.uk 02476 633636 www.advent-communications.co.uk

Holyhead Road, Coventry, CV5 8JJ

Bruntwood Europe Unit 7 Brindley Road, Dodwells Bridge Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leicester, LE10 3BY steve.crowe@bruntwoodeurope.com 01455 238161 www.bruntwoodeurope.com Carty Services 26 Albert Street, WARWICK, CV34 4JX martin.carty@btinternet.com 01926 403570 www.cartyservices.co.uk Clarkes Consulting Ltd 3 Fern Close, Rugby, CV23 0UQ enquiries@clarkesconsulting.co.uk 01788 334696 www.clarkesconsulting.co.uk Control Capital Partners 147 Walsgrave Road, Coventry, CV2 4HG therese.thanger@gmail.com 07722 486645 www.controlcapitalpartners.com Definition Media Ltd 36 Greenhill Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6LE martin@definitionmedia.co.uk 01789 416990 www.definitionmedia.co.uk Frog HR 114 Wordsworth Avenue, Stratford Upon Avon CV37 7NG lisa.donnelly@froghr.co.uk 07557 059680 www.froghr.co.uk

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01543 484243

pjohansen@london-taxis.co.uk 02476 572000 www.london-taxis.co.uk

FuturEnergy Ltd 7 Ettington Park Business Centre, Alderminster, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, CV37 8BT sales@futurenergy.co.uk 01789 450280 www.futurenergy.co.uk Krafthams Communications Gethin House, 36 Bond Street, Nuneaton CV11 4DA gjenkins@kraftcomms.com 07477 476464 www.kraftcomms.com Mattioli Woods PLC MW House, 1 Penman Way, Grove Park, Leicester, LE19 1SY simon.green@mattioliwoods.com 01162 408700 www.mattioliwoods.com Reprographic Imaging Limited 5 Bridge Cross Road, Burntwood, WS7 2BU craig.walker@reproimaging.co.uk 01543 679248 TRA Associates Ltd 20 Coundon Green, Coventry, CV6 2AL maggie@tra-associates.co.uk 07500 356267

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Training & Events

Chamber Member + VAT

Non-Member + VAT

Duration

July

Understanding Budgets

£95

£120

Half Day AM

5

Problem Solving Skills

£95

£120

Half Day PM

5

Branding for Business

£120

£140

Half Day AM

6

Communicating Assertively

£95

£120

Half Day AM

12

Complaint Handling

£95

£120

Half Day PM

12

Microsoft Excel - Basic to Intermediate

£110

£140

Full Day

13

Inspirational Leadership

£240

£280

Full Day

14

Project Management

£240

£280

Full Day

20

Managing Change in the Workplace

£215

£240

Full Day

28

First Aid at Work (Accreditation for First Aiders)

£210

£235

3 Full Days

8, 15, 22

Making Business Decisions

£240

£280

Full Day

3

Microsoft Excel - Intermediate to Advanced

£110

£140

Full Day

10

CWT Training Dates 2016

August

Course dates for the quarter are shown above, please contact CWT Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cwtcov.co.uk for other course dates and further information

Events Chamber Networking Wednesday 13th July 9:00 am - 11:00 am Squab Hall, Harbury Lane, Bishop's Tachbrook, Bishops Tachbrook, Warwickshire, CV33 9QB Free to attend Chamber Networking is the perfect way to generate new business leads. Don’t miss out on this fantastic networking opportunity!

Speed Networking Tuesday 19th July 9:00 am - 11:00 am Ettington Park Hotel Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. CV37 8BU Free to attend Speed networking is a fun and fast-paced way to grow your professional network. This popular event is ideal for generating new leads and creating long-lasting business relationships.

Chamber networking Tuesday 2nd August 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm Grimscote Manor Hotel, Lichfield Road, Coleshill, B46 1LH Chamber networking is the perfect way to create new business leads and build long-lasting business relationships. Join us for this free networking event and grow your business contacts.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic networking opportunity!

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Simplify IT Cyber Security Masterclass

Networking & Exhibition

Friday 5th August 9.00am – 12.00pm Stewart, Fletcher & Barrett, Townsend Drive, Nuneaton, CV11 6RU Member rate 10 + VAT Non member rate £15 + VAT

Thursday 18th August 9.00 am - 11.00 am Heart of England Conference and Events Centre, Meriden Rd, Coventry, CV7 8DX Free entry

This half-day cyber masterclass covers web application issues with a specific focus on SQL injection (SQLi) techniques.

We will cover a range of issues related to web applications and how they are often subverted. In particular, the use of SQL injection will be presented and how these techniques are often used to gain access to data and systems. Many recent compromises have been achieved using a combination of vulnerabilities, with injection techniques being particularly prevalent. Despite being in the news for data leakage, Mossack Fonseca were also recently compromised by an SQLi attack.

The masterclass aims to show attack and defence postures and will allow you to take away some practical skills in conducting basic testing related to your own systems .

Organisations can spend significant sums of money on security, yet still be rather easily compromised? No need to look much further than the news, where security breaches are reported on a daily basis. Some of these are perfectly preventable, others are subtler and require considerable expertise.

Delegates will receive a certificate Cyber Security Masterclass, which will be especially useful for any organisation conducting a Cyber Essentials audit.

Network with like-minded business and expand your business network.

Join us at this free networking event where you will have the opportunity to generate new business leads and connections.

There is also an opportunity to exhibit and showcase your business.

••••••

As a Chamber member you can exhibit at any of our events for just £50 + VAT. Stand out from the crowd and book your stand today.

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

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