C&W in Business March 2015 by Benham Publishing Limited

Issue 46

March / April 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Businesswomen have their sayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - page 10

Pla yy our par Play your part pa t in the sk ills agenda skills between TThe he gap bet ween education and employment employment is one of the most important important issues facing business. business. This initiatives future workforce workfforce in Warwickshire, Warwickshir es to to help shape our future This March March will see ttwo wo major initiativ aree being encouraged to part.t. to play play their par and local businesses ar Warwickshire Council’s Employment ouncil’s £2 million Skills Skills for for Emplo laun yment Programme Programme iss launching at the W arwickshire County County C beginning achieve beg inning of the month tto o achie ve a step-change step-change in impr oving young improving people’s’s employability. young people employability. TThe he main purpose purpose of the programme programme is to ways businesses,, schools and new wa ys ffor or businesses to identify new year olds colleges to to collaborate collaborate tto improve o impr ove supply and demand in the recruitment recruitment of 16-24 year int o the county’s county ’s workforce. workfforce. into arwickshire economy economy and improving improving the prospects prospects of our IIff you you care care about growing growing the W Warwickshire Robinson in the county county council growth unit council’s’s economic growth yyoung oung people get in touch touch with Glenn Robinson glennrobinson@warwickshire.gov.uk obinson@warwickshire.gov.uk or call 01926 418027. at glennr Depending Week D epending on when yyou ou read read this, this, Apprenticeship Apprenticeship W eek is either taking taking place or took took place from celebrated apprenticeships positivee impac impactt fr om Monday Monday 9 March March to to Friday Friday 13 March. March. IItt celebrat ed appr enticeships and the positiv theyy ha have individuals,, businesses and the wider econom economy. that the ve on individuals y. Warwickshire, campaign IIn nW arwickshire, a major campaig n is being launched tto o encourage small businesses to to takee on appr apprentices, well promoting range,, breadth breadth and tak entices, as w ell as pr omoting the range apprenticeships success of appr enticeships locally. locally. Apprenticeships skills ills that they they Appr enticeships not only equip people with the sk lives deliver eal benefits to to need to to prosper prosper in their liv es but they they also deliv er rreal own wn talent. the economy economy and help businesses tto o grow grow their o Research for example, example, R esearch from from the IMI (the Institute Institute of the Motor Motor Industry) Industry) for shows apprentices sho ws that appr entices typically typically generate generate a return return between on investment ween 150% and 300%. investment bet IIff you you are are considering considering an apprentice, apprentice, please contactt W Warwickshire’s contac arwickshire’s Apprenticeship Apprenticeship Hub for the county county council’s council’s free free advice service service for businesses.. We businesses We support support firms firms in recruiting recruiting apprentices appr entices and explains how how an apprentice apprentice can be suitable for for your your business; if an apprenticeship apprenticeship is not the right right option, we we will tell tell you you that as well. well.

War wickshire County Council does a lot more to support businesses. Below are just a few areas where we help businesses to get started, grow or promote themselves locally.

For more information call 01926 412649 or visit

www.warwickshire.gov.uk/apprenticeships

The Warwickshire Rural Growth Network (RGN) helps small businesses and enterprises in rural areas to access funding and expert business support. As well as people who are looking to start a business. The RGN is funded by DEFRA and the EU and led by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of the CWLEP P. www.warwickshire.gov.uk/ruralgrowthnetwork e: ruralgrowthnetwork@warwickshire.gov.uk t: 01926 412709

Invest in Warwickshire is the council’s inward investment team. We ensure that setting up your business in Warwickshire, the heart of the UK, is as simple as possible. www.invest.warwickshire.gov.u e: invest@warwickshire.gov.uk tel: 01926 412140

Business -2- Business (B2B) Portal – linked to procurement, the authority ’s ‘B2B’ pr p ocurement portal enables local businesses to promote their own sub-contracting opportunities and vacancies to other local companies, encouraging trade at a local level. www.warwickshire.gov.uk/business e : business@warwickshire.gov.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

CONTENTS

Taking the message to the politicians

Voice of business -

4-6

pre election campaign Service of the Month

Dear Member, I hope that 2015 has started well, with growth and prosperity affecting your business and our wider business community. The economic outlook looks positive with low inflation, low interest rates, low unemployment, which is all good for business, albeit stability in Europe is a worry for many of us. Support for businesses, whether you are a new startup business, growing business or an exporting business, remains strong and can be accessed via your Chamber of Commerce on 02476 654321, please get in touch. Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Membership continues to grow, as does our work with the wider business community. We are continuing to see excellent attendance numbers at our B2B, networking and event opportunities, including the series of Hustings Events we have been holding all around the subregion. The Hustings have been a great opportunity for local Business Leaders to hear from, and network with, parliamentary candidates, but also a much-needed opportunity for Business Leaders to work with the Chamber in ensuring the voice of local business is heard as we move towards the General Election in May 2015. Some of the issues raised at our local Hustings Events were also highlighted at the British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference, in February 2015, and I, personally, took the opportunity to question Ministers on the all-important issue of keeping Business Rates low in the future. The Conference was attended by David Cameron, Prime Minister, who called on business to think about sharing their good fortune (as businesses continue to grow) with their workforce, in terms of pay awards. I think this seemed a fair ask and I am aware that local businesses are

March / April 2015

beginning to share wealth with their employees with pay awards or other improvements in terms & conditions of employment, where possible. If your business needs some employment advice on pay (or other) awards, then as a Chamber Member, feel free to contact the Chamber’s Human Resource Department, Gemma Smith, and we will seek to assist. You could also discuss “pay & reward” options by contacting one of the many great Human Resource & Employment Services offered by local, reputable, legal firms such as Wright Hassell, a Strategic Partner and Member of the Chamber. As you seek to grow your business in 2015, I would wish to actively encourage you to think about export, whether you are new to export or whether you are an existing exporter, but could seek to increase your markets abroad. I am delighted to announce that Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce (as part of the West Midlands Chambers International Trade LLP) has, once again, won the Government’s UKTI contract, which means we will continue to deliver, in our patch, this highly valued service as part of our wider International Trade Hub, which also offers Export Documentation, Letters of Credit and Export Training. Please get in touch with your Coventry & Warwickshire International Trade Hub and UKTI Service by contacting Mick Page on mickp@cwchamber.co.uk or calling us on 02476 654321. We look forward to hearing from your soon. Kind regards Louise Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive

Events

8-9

Women in Business

CWT

International Trade

News

13-14-18-22

Business Support Legal &Finance

Property

15 16-17

Profile

20-21

Around the Region

23-31

News

32-40-43

Business Direct

33-39

President &People

44-45

New Members

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*6 Weeks is based on full-time study at approx 20-30 hours per week, taking the MOS exam will take additional time.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Voice of business - pre election campaign

CONTACTS 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

Events make sure politicians get the message The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has started the General Election build-up under way across the region. The Chamber has hosted pre-election events with prospective MPs across Coventry and Warwickshire in order to ensure the voice of business in the region is heard. And the Chamber is taking a range of messages to those vying for Parliamentary seats in the region. The manifesto priorities include: • Preparing young people for work and investing in skills, as well as supporting those currently in work through a new childcare contribution scheme.

• Growing exports - to help reach £1trillion of sales by 2020 - is also a key priority including a new fast-track passport issue scheme for exporters to help businesses respond to opportunities quickly. • Improvements to infrastructure are already taking place across Coventry and Warwickshire but the Chamber wants a further commitment from parties to ensure that Britain’s infrastructure as a whole reaches world class standards. • Cutting business costs - including freezing business rates until 2017 - is also in the Chamber’s manifesto along with a commitment to review the whole

business rates system ready for implementation by 2022. • Supporting long-term business investment as well as delivering a new settlement for UK in Europe are also high on the agenda. At a more regional level, the manifesto calls for businesses to be placed at the heart of local growth, including a business ratepayers’ vote on local economic strategy, including a vote on proposed changes to business taxation. Further details and photographs from the events with prospective MPs can be found here

Acknowledging the role of business

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

Advertising Contact Alison Seymour alison@benhampublishing.com 07841 115444 Production Manager Mark Etherington Accounts Director Joanne Casey Media Number 1377 © Benham Publishing 2015. 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 4

The countdown to the General Election got under way in Leamington and Warwick as parliamentary candidates met local businesses to set out their agendas. Chris White MP (Conservative), Lynnette Kelly (Labour) and Alastair MacBrayne (UKIP) took part in the ‘hustings’ event with members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce at the Holiday Inn Leamington. David Myskow, vice chair of the midWarwickshire branch of the Chamber, hosted the event which covered a range of topics including skills, infrastructure, business taxation, Europe, export, and access to finance and land. David said: “It was an excellent opportunity for businesses to put questions to local candidates standing in the forthcoming General Election on issues that are important to them. “The Chamber is not a party political organisation but campaigns as the voice of business on behalf of companies based here in Leamington and Warwick. “Business plays a vital role in the wider community through the creation of jobs and wealth, and this was a great chance for parliamentary candidates to explain how they would intend to help companies in this

constituency to prosper.” Peter Burns MBE, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, attended the event and asked each candidate to name one key thing that they would wish to make happen if elected. Alastair MacBrayne said a strong local economy to develop profitable business, Lynnette Kelly said working across local authority boundaries to promote the region as a whole, and Chris White said to continue

growing the economy in particular through improving skills. Peter said: “We are holding these events throughout Coventry and Warwickshire in the run-up to the General Election and it is interesting to hear the different thoughts of parliamentary hopefuls, particularly in relation to local business and economic issues.” A full list of the events can be found at www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Left to right, are David Myskow, Chris White MP, Alastair MacBrayne, Louise Bennett OBE (chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce), Lynnette Kelly and Peter Burns MBE.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Voice of business - pre election campaign

Candidates lay out their plans

Left to right: Mike O’Brien, Craig Tracey, William Cash, Peter Burns

Three Parliamentary candidates in what is predicted to be one of the most hotly contested seats at the General Election have laid out their plans to local business leaders. Craig Tracey (Conservative), Mike O’Brien (Labour) and William Cash (UKIP) met with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of

Commerce at The Belfry to discuss how they plan to help firms in the North Warwickshire area should they win the seat at the election in May. The event was chaired by Chamber president Peter Burns and covered a range of topics including regulation, skills, business taxation, improving the area’s ability to attract investment and HS2.

Peter said it was an excellent debate. He said: “All three candidates discussed how they would help business and how important they see the role of business in a prosperous, thriving region. “Of course, they disagreed on a great many things but the fact that each of them made it clear that they are supporters of business was good to hear.” After a range of questions from delegates, Peter asked each candidate which one policy they would say is most important to helping firms in the North Warwickshire area. Mike O’Brien said cutting business rates for small businesses, Craig Tracey said it would be support for better education, skills and apprenticeships while William Cash said it would be clarity on planning and helping to protect the historic integrity of local towns. Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are grateful to the candidates for presenting their case to companies in North Warwickshire and it was great to hear the debate focussed firmly on business.”

Candidates meet business people The General Election campaign got into full swing in Nuneaton as parliamentary candidates for the town met local businesses. Marcus Jones MP (Conservative), Victoria Fowler (Labour) and Keith Kondakor (Green) took part in a question and answer session with members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce at the offices of Stewart Fletcher Barrett, off Townsend Drive, Nuneaton. Paul Carvell, the chair of the Chamber’s north Warwickshire branch, hosted the event which included a range of topics such as the town centre, business taxation,

transportation, skills, apprenticeships and access to finance. Paul said: “I was delighted to welcome the three candidates to hear how they will help businesses to grow and create jobs. “The Chamber is not a party political organisation but speaks up on behalf of companies to ensure that, whoever is in power at whatever level in government, the voice of business is heard. “Everyone wants the best possible services but it is, ultimately, only through the creation of jobs and wealth that our public services can be paid for and that is why business is integral to everything we do as a town, a region and a country.”

Peter Burns, the president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, attended the event and asked each candidate their number one priority to support business. Marcus Jones said improving skills, Victoria Fowler said more finance to help businesses to start or expand and Keith Kondakor said ‘marvellous’ public transport. Peter said: “We are travelling around Coventry and Warwickshire to meet candidates across all of our branch areas and it is very interesting to hear the different viewpoints on how they feel they can assist business.”

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Praise for Government approach to reform The leading deliverer of apprenticeships across Coventry and Warwickshire has praised the Government for listening to the concerns of small businesses before it brings in reforms. The Government wants to give businesses a greater say over the content and standards of apprenticeships but its initial proposals also sought to put companies in control of funding and administration. It has, however, agreed to revisit some of those aspects after a consultation period with firms from across the country. Sally Lucas, executive director of CWT – the Chamber’s training arm, which delivers more than 1,000 apprenticeships each year said it was a sensible move. She said: “It is very important that businesses do get a strong say in apprenticeships and that they can shape the programme to meet their needs. “But there was a real concern – especially from smaller businesses – that this was going to lead to increased administration and was going to put some off apprenticeships all together. “Thankfully, the Government has listed and taken on board those views because while the reforms may have been okay for bigger businesses with the infrastructure to manage the process, small companies would have struggled. “At CWT Chamber Training, we work with companies and individuals to find the right apprenticeship that works for both the business and the person and that is why we have been very successful over the past few years. “We understand and believe that there is a need to reform so we would urge all political parties to make sure that this is high on their agenda ahead of the General Election because apprenticeships are a key part of the mix in ensuring young people have the right skills and that businesses can access the right staff.”

Paul Carvell, Peter Burns, Victoria Fowler, Angela Tellyn, Keith Kondakor, Marcus Jones

Voice of business - pre election campaign

Rugby businesses make their point The General Election campaign kicked off in Rugby as three parliamentary candidates met businesses in the town to set out their agenda. Mark Pawsey MP (Conservative), Claire Edwards (Labour) and Gordon Davies (UKIP) took part in a question and answer session with members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce at Brownsover Hall. The ‘hustings’ was chaired by the Chamber’s Rugby branch chair Jim Griffin and topics included skills, apprenticeships, Rugby town centre, infrastructure, Europe and business taxation. Jim said: “It was an excellent opportunity for businesses to put questions and views to their parliamentary candidates. “The Chamber is not a party political organisation but campaigns, as the voice of business, on issues that affect companies right here in Rugby.

“It is through businesses and the wealth and jobs they create that all of the essential services are paid for so, therefore, every party must show how they will help create the best conditions for firms in the town and borough to grow and prosper.” Peter Burns, the president of the Chamber, attended the event and asked each candidate to name their number one priority to help business in Rugby. Gordon Davies (UKIP) said scrapping HS2, Claire Edwards (Labour) said the introduction of an infrastructure commission to stop ‘short term decision making’ and Mark Pawsey (Conservative) said keeping tax rates as low as possible. Peter said: “This was the first hustings event the Chamber has held ahead of this election and it was a great way to kick-off.”

Claire Edwards, Louise Bennett, Mark Pawsey, Peter Burns, Gordon Davies, Jim Griffin

Improving skills and reducing Candidates outline their main campaigning points red tape priorities with an emphasis on business Four candidates hoping to represent Stratford-upon-Avon in the next Parliament stated their claims to a business audience in the town. The hustings event, organised by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and held at the Arden Hotel, was one of a series being held across the area. Sitting Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi, Labour’s Jeff Kenner, Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Adams and the Green Party’s Dominic Giles were given 10 minutes each to outline their main campaigning points with

an emphasis on business, before taking questions from around 25 attendees. Chamber branch chairman Larry Coltman, who led the session, said it had given local businesses an early insight into candidates’ views on national and local policies. He said: “We are in the early stages of the election campaign and we thought it was important for business to see the candidates in action and to meet them face to face. “A very wide range of topics were discussed from living wage, tax and skills, through to transport broadband and late payment.”

Jim Cunningham (Labour), Parvez Akhtar (Conservative), Russell Field (Liberal Democrat), Laura Vesty (Green Party), Louise Bennett (Chamber of Commerce), Avtar Taggar (UKIP), Sandra Garlick & Peter Burns (both from the Chamber)

Improving skills and reducing red tape are the top business priorities for would-be MPs in Coventry. Candidates from the Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and UKIP were given the chance to rally support from the local business community at a special hustings event organised by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. Around 40 business people were able to hear from the candidates – standing across the city in the May election – and then ask questions. Sandra Garlick, chair of the Coventry branch of the Chamber, said the event had given people the chance to form early opinions ahead of the election.

“It was a really interesting event, because it allowed the business community to see the parties’ stance on business issues but then drill down to local and regional detail,” she said. “A wide range of topics were discussed and the audience was able to draw out key points from the candidates. “Our President Peter Burns asked the candidates what one change would they bring business, and the answers included closing tax loopholes, reducing EU legislation, improving skills and closing the gap between education and industry.” The candidates were: Jim Cunningham (Labour), Parvez Akhtar (Conservative), Laura Vesty, (Green Party), Russell Field (Liberal Democrats) and Avtar Taggar (UKIP).

Left from top - Dominic Giles, Nadhim Zahawi, Angela Tellyn (Chamber). Right from top – Larry Coltman, Jeff Kenner, Elizabeth Adams

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Service of the Month

Connecting Members through Chamber Services Networking

New Estate Agency is ‘Sold’ on Superconnected Coventry

sponsored column

Annual Investment Allowance

- once it’s gone it’s gone!

Record-breaking Elizabeth Davenport signs up to superfast broadband with WarwickNet

Meeting regular and new attendees during Chamber events creates a platform to develop new business contacts. Members can discuss their services and raise their profile and as a consequence enter into contracts and closing business deals.

Member Offers Budget 2014 announced a doubling of the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) to £500,000 from 1 April 2014 for corporation tax purposes (6 April 2014 for income tax).

Circulated weekly via e-zines, social media and posted onto our website, this is a great way to advertise your services with an exclusive offer to any business and also to save your company money when you are looking for a service. Submit your offer of 60 words to info@cw-chamber.co.uk and make sure you include your contact details, an expiry date and your logo. (submission of offers are restricted to Members only)

Online Chamber Directory Members can use our Online Chamber Directory to identify fellow members who provide a service they may be looking for. All members are added to our Directory unless they specifically request to opt out. View our current Online Directory via www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Chamber Inter-trading Our FREE Inter-trading service allows members to source products and services from fellow members easily whilst retaining your anonymity. The Chamber will email relevant members on your behalf and forward competitive quotes to you to pursue if and when required. Contact info@cw-chamber.co.uk for more information

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

As a result of this increase businesses benefit from 100% capital allowances on the first £500,000 of expenditure on plant and machinery and integral features. Mark Walmsley at Elizabeth Davenport and Mark Davison at WarwickNet

Coventry’s newest estate agency, which has seen a 300 per cent increase in business in its first year has become the latest company to sign up to the SuperConnected City initiative in attempts to maintain its record-breaking success. Elizabeth Davenport, based on Warwick Row in the city centre, has taken advantage of the multi-million pound government voucher scheme to get connected, and has seen a massive improvement since superfast broadband was installed. Their 80 Mbit/s broadband was installed by Coventry-based WarwickNet, one of the country’s fastest growing providers of highspeed internet to business and science parks. The agency, which specialises in residential sales and property lettings, has enjoyed a success rate of more than 90 per cent in relation to the selling or renting of dwellings on its books. However, it had been hindered by an intermittent broadband connection which failed on average six times each day. This created business continuity problems as director and office manager Mark Walmsley explained: “The software we run our business reports on is webbased and the fact that the connection failed so regularly meant that we lost at least one hour of work time each day, which was quite ridiculous for a modern business. Fortunately, it did not affect our online viewings, but it did impact on our back office support and reporting.

“Not being IT savvy, I was a little sceptical at first, but since the guys from WarwickNet installed the superfast connection, it has not fallen over once which has given us real peace of mind and allowed us to focus upon expanding our business and finding our next office location. The team were really helpful and the difference in service has been a massive improvement.” Mark Davison, account manager for WarwickNet, said: “WarwickNet’s remit is usually business parks across the UK, but as part of the SuperConnected Coventry initiative, we already have coverage of much of the city centre. Elizabeth Davenport’s issues were unfortunately not uncommon in our experience as many businesses have a poorer service than domestic connections. We frequently hear cases where people get better broadband speeds through their smart phone than they do in their office, which is a ridiculous situation if you are trying to compete in a global economy.” WarwickNet is also set to bring high quality connections to businesses on New Union Street in the city centre, with a new cabinet launching soon. For more information visit www.warwicknet.com

The AIA will fall to £25,000 from 1 January 2016 and thus it is essential that businesses review their capital expenditure requirements and seek to align their acquisitions, where possible, with the changing AIA rules. The reduction to £25,000 is a cliff edge with drastically differing AIA entitlements for acquisitions on 31 December 2015 and 1 January 2016. An example – For the year ended 31 March 2016 the maximum AIA entitlement would be £375,000. A single machine purchase of £350,000 would obtain full relief if acquired on 15 December 2015, however, if the acquisition was delayed until 5 January 2016 the AIA entitlement would be £6,250 with the balance of expenditure qualifying for writing down allowances at 18%. We hold out hope that an AIA at the current level will be made a permanent feature as part of a pre election sweetener. Individuals wishing to know more should contact Paul Spencer or David Thomas on 02476 257481 or ps@sgduk.com/dt@sgduk.com respectively. For more information please visit our website www.sgduk.com

Events

Expo proves a hit About 500 business people are set to attend Coventry and Warwickshire’s largest expo in March. The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is holding its business and trade expo at the Ricoh Arena on Friday, March 13, from 10am until 3pm. Over one hundred and twenty stands were made available to companies and organisations across the region wanting to promote themselves at the business to business event and they have all been snapped up, with 500 visitors predicted to attend. Not only will they get the chance to network and promote their business, there is also the opportunity to attend a range of seminars and workshops to help with the running of their company. Hana Darlington, marketing manager of the Chamber, said: “The expo has grown very quickly into one of the key dates in the

business calendar – in fact it’s now so popular, we hold two a year. “For all of the stands to have been booked one month in advance is great news and it promises to be a great day for the business community across Coventry and Warwickshire. “It’s an action-packed day of seminars and workshops so visitors can get plenty out of the expo that will help them in the day-to-day operations of their business.” The expo will be preceded by an international trade breakfast at 8.30am with presentations focused on the Turkish market. There will also be seminars throughout the day including a meet the buyer session with Warwickshire County Council, a workshop on apprenticeships with CWT Chamber Training and Burgis & Bullock and a speed networking session run by the Chamber’s Julie De Thierry.

Events

25th March

24th April

Official launch of the 100 club

PR Top Tips

06:00pm - 8:00pm Bishop’s House, 23 Davenport Road, Coventry CV5 6PW Free of charge The 100 Club, a collaborative initiative between the Heart of England Community Foundation and the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce offers your business a complementary service to help you deliver aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Join us for drinks & Canapés at the official launch of the 100 club.

08:00am - 10:00am

13th March

Business & Trade Expo 10:00am - 3:00pm The Ricoh Arena, Phoenix Way, Coventry, CV6 6GE Free of charge The C&W Business & Trade Expo is the largest event organised by the C&W Chamber of Commerce. The event is a blend of exhibitions, seminars and networking, offering the perfect opportunity for any business to showcase their products and services to around 500 visitors from Warwickshire and the whole UK. For more information please visit our new Expo dedicated website: www.cwexpo.co.uk

During the afternoon, there will be two seminars dedicated to the Chamber’s Business is Good for Women network with Laura Bielinski, of Trinity Mirror, and

Masterclass - Generating the right marketing plan

12:00 - 1:30pm Macdonald Ansty Hall, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9HZ Free of charge On Wednesday 18th March 2015, George Osborne will deliver the coalition’s last Budget of the Parliament, less than two months before the date of the General Election. Will he keep to his statement of no giveaways? Burgis & Bullock will be hosting a free Budget seminar and will provide you with an overview of the key features of the Budget and help you to understand how they may affect you. 23rd March

22nd April

Masterclass - A crash course in cash flow

Christmas Marketing tips for companies in leisure and tourism

09:30am - 12:30pm Chamber House, Innovation Village, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL Free of charge | Members only Cash remains as the blood in the body for any business. Availability of cash is the result of a wide range of factors. Whether its debt collection or commercial finance issues; pressure to pay from banks and creditors or simply an explanation of how to chase bad debts this Master class is for you. This class is presented by Larry Coltman from Coltman Warner Cranston LLP.

08:00am - 10:00am Ettington Park, Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 8BS Members Free of charge | Non members £10 + VAT Do you work in the leisure and tourism industry and want to market your company in the lead up to the festive season? Learn how to improve your online presence, discover what digital and printed marketing material you need and how to plan your events. Hear from the following experts; ADECS, Jo’s Correctional Facility, CV5 Creative, Identity Studio..

Free Pre Election Budget Seminar

The Royal Court Hotel, Tamworth Road, Coventry, CV7 8JG Members Free of charge This event presents you a panel of PR professionals who will share their top tips on how to master your PR knowledge with; Adam Dent - Advent Communications, Dr Denise Taylor - Bridge PR and Colin Walkey - Colin Walkey Communications Ltd.

13th April

09:30am - 12:30pm Chamber House, Innovation Village, Cheetah Road, Coventry CV1 2TL Free of charge | Members only Having the right marketing plan means having the right business focus. If you have an internal marketing team or not this masterclass delivered by Lucy Rumble will give you the guidance on what steps to follow to generate the right plan tailored to your business and will also look into ways of measuring the plan’s success. This Masterclass will cover the following; Marketing, PR, social media strategy development, marketing audits, market and competitor analysis, stakeholders and market planning.

19th March

Sarah McLean, a McDonald’s franchisee. For more information or to register an interest in attending call 024 7665 4321 or log onto www.cwexpo.co.uk

27th April

Masterclass - Get the best results from social media 09:30 am - 12:30pm Chamber House, Innovation Village, Cheetah Road, Coventry, CV1 2TL Free of charge | Members only Would you like to make the most of your social media presence and most importantly find out if your efforts were successful? Join Rosie Evans, director at RevMarketing and learn how to tailor your social media efforts to achieve the best possible results. The masterclass will cover the following; Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+

29th April

Chamber Networking 4:00pm - 6:00pm SFB offices Nuneaton, Manor Court Chambers, Townsend Drive, Nuneaton, CV11 6RU Members Free of charge Do you want to showcase your business to local companies and create new professional contacts? Then join us for networking at the SFB offices in Nuneaton. Expand your business network and create business awareness.

Find out more information or to book a place please see the events pages at www.cw-chamber.co.ukor contact events@cw-chamber.co.uk

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Events

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Cloud accounting is our future!

We deliver business-grade superfast broadband, JLJDELW ƬEUH DQG EHVSRNH PXOWL VLWH QHWZRUNV 024 7699 7222 ZDUZLFNQHW FRP www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Helping small and micro business clients to transform their bookkeeping with Xero cloud accounting software is a key focus for Dafferns this year. Specially designed for running small businesses, this easy-to-use software is an accounting package that offers significant business benefits to small business owners: • Great access: you can securely log in to Xero from any computer, tablet or smartphone, 24 hours a day • High security: your accounts are automatically backed up • No new software versions to load: the cloud software is always current, so there are no updates to install – ever! • Share information better: your accountant can also access your accounts at any time to answer any questions you have and make sure you stay on track • Automated bank reconciliation: a direct bank feed option is available, enabling either an automatic feed of your bank transactions, a manual pull down of the latest transactions, or if you prefer, you can import a csv file of the transactions Importing the bank transactions enables Xero to make automated postings for you and partly reconcile itself to your bank statement. It is an intuitive system which learns as you go along and from rules you can set up. Xero also produces the information you need for your Vat return on whatever Vat accounting basis you are using. All of this makes keeping on top of your company’s finances much easier and enables you, the business owner, to check up on your company’s financial position whenever you want, wherever you are. To find out more about Xero cloud accounting, please visit: www.dafferns.com or contact the Xero team at Dafferns: xero@dafferns.com

Women in Business

Businesswomen have their say The voice of business in Coventry and Warwickshire put forward key recommendations to government on improving employability skills of young people during a visit from a senior minister. Louise Bennett, chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, set out the proposals to Nicky Morgan MP, the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, at the latest Business is Good for Women event. The Midlands MP had been invited to address the Chamber’s networking event for businesswomen held at Ansty Hall, near Coventry, to speak about her role as a senior minister and a woman in politics. Louise told the packed audience that education and skills, and more specifically employability skills, were frequently cited by local business leaders as being a barrier to growth. She said: “The Chamber network is putting forward a number of recommendations to government ahead of the general election that we believe could help overcome the barriers around education and skills.” They include the assessment of secondary schools on employment outcomes, a business governor in every school, higher quality and universal work experience in all schools, and promoting enterprise modules for college and university students.

(Left to right): Nicky Morgan is pictured, front centre, with, from left to right, Peter Burns MBE, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Sandra Garlick, board member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, and Antonio Campanile, general manager of Ansty Hall.

Christine Giles (CWT Chamber Training), Margaret Bull (UK Trade and Investment), Vicki Haslan (CWT Chamber Training).

Louise added: “We also want an absolute commitment to the apprenticeship programme. “One of the jewels in our crown is that we are the largest apprenticeship deliverer in Coventry and Warwickshire, delivering about 1,000 apprenticeship opportunities.” In her address to the meeting, the Secretary of State spoke of the importance of business leaders as role models for the next generation and in particular, the power that businesswomen have in raising the aspirations of girls in the world of work. She said: “We have asked the Women’s Business Council to look at how we can raise the aspirations of girls, and how we help women to progress and stay in the workplace and help women to set up businesses. “We have also asked them this year to focus on the gender pay gap, careers advice and promoting women’s enterprise, particularly through export and trade.”

The Women’s Business Council, set up by the government to identify ways to maximise women’s contribution to economic growth, has found that gains of 10 per cent could be made to the GDP by 2030 by equalising the labour market. The Secretary of State added: “Women are vital to rebuilding our economy. Compared to 2010, we have three-quarters of a million more women in work, the number of SMEs led by women has gone from 14 to 20 per cent and there are 30,000 more women working as directors, managers and senior officials. “It is important that we get women higher up the career ladder and that means growing our pool of female talent and pipeline. We have made good progress and a great deal of that is down to female leaders such as yourselves. “We cannot afford as a country to miss out on the talents and experiences of half of our population so I am committed to supporting women in business.”

Guests discuss some of the issues that were debated at the event

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

CWT

Hydrogarden Grow New Manager through an Apprenticeship Apprentice Harry Wareham has gained a management level promotion at Hydrogarden - just 15 months after undertaking a Business Administration Apprenticeship with CWT Chamber Training. After completing a Customer Service Apprenticeship in September 2013, Harry continued to learn through an Advanced Apprenticeship with CWT Chamber Training to enhance his skills and promotion prospects within the organisation. Harry’s promotion saw him move from where he started out on his career journey as a Customer

CWT Hair Academy Trainee takes 1st place at regional skills competition

Skills competitions form a key element in providing young people and their parents with the chance to get genuinely excited about the world of work and make informed choices about their future career. CWT Chamber Training’s latest skills competition success story has seen Hairdressing Apprentice Destiny, from The Cut Above Hair Salon in Wyken, take first place in the ‘First Year Blow Dry’ category at the Association of Hairdressers and Therapists Midlands competition. The Association of Hairdressers & Therapists Midlands Competition is designed to reward real talent and drive up levels of expertise in apprenticeships, skills and further education. Destiny was supported by her training mentor Emma Bond and Salon Manager / Owner Gina Vincent in the design of her look. The pressure was on as the rules meant that Destiny could not rely on the use of thermal irons or curling tongues to finish her look so Destiny had to work skilfully with her Denman. Destiny continually scrutinized her work 360 degrees as she had no mirror to assess balance and finish of her style. Skills competitions stretch and challenge apprentices and are an essential element of Apprenticeships at CWT Chamber Training. Destiny will now progress onto the Blackpool Winter Gardens Hair Festival on 16th March 2015. CWT’s Hairdressing Trainer Jayne Powell said, “Very well done Destiny, we are all so very proud of your accomplishment at the CWT Hair Academy. You are our first learner to be placed in the AHT Competitions. So it’s a first for you and a first for the CWT Hair Academy!” By building skills competitions into the core teaching and learning curriculum, CWT Chamber Training can ensure their learners and staff aspire to and showcase excellence in their skill. Skills competitions and competition-related activities have the power to transform learning outcomes through innovations in teaching and assessment practices in Apprenticeships and other vocational learning programmes. Regional and national competitions can be used as powerful improvement tools to enhance the image of vocational education in the UK and raise standards.

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Service Administrator to become a Brand Manager. This new role involves him taking full care and responsibility for the ‘LUMii’ brand, working directly with customers to gain and increase sales. As part of his promotion Harry has also received a pay rise and a company car. Harry can now reflect on his personal progress and development as well as the opportunities that working with Hydrogarden and CWT Chamber Training have given him. “I started my apprenticeship when I was 17 at CWT, and within a week they helped me find a job at Hydrogarden. They coached me through both my NVQ qualifications, and now it has really paid off. Hydrogarden is a great place to work, and I’d like to thank both them and CWT for the help and opportunities.”

Apprenticeships have helped Hydrogarden to grow their own talent for many years by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. Apprenticeships are a great way for both new and existing staff to gain new skills, new knowledge and a real qualification. Increasingly, companies are looking to nurture potential from within their company through the apprenticeship scheme as recruiting new staff can be expensive, stressful and timeconsuming. Once you have strong staff, it makes good business sense to try to nurture and retain them. To find out how you and your business can benefit from Apprenticeships contact CWT Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or email enquiries@cwtcov.co.uk today.

CWT Chamber Training Modern Leadership and Effective Management Skills

One of the most effective methods for achieving a strong leadership and management skillset is through training and development with the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) qualification at CWT Chamber Training. Congratulations to the latest ILM cohort that have recently completed their training with CWT Chamber Training gaining valuable skills, knowledge and confidence to bring back to their respective workplaces. Ashley from EvoBus UK Ltd. who recently achieved the ILM qualification said, “The ILM award has helped me to understand the basic requirements for first line management and I now feel suitably prepared to enter the world of management.” Getting the right mix of leadership and management skills, essential in any 21st century business, can have a significant impact on organisational performance in terms of sales, growth and profit. Over 750,000 managers have benefited from an ILM qualification or accredited training programme in the past ten years. ILM Student Moses added, “I found the ILM course extremely helpful and interesting. I now feel comfortable to go into work and try out my new skills. This has given me a very good stepping stone into management.” Employers reap a measurable return on investment by: • Gaining effective and confident managers

• Achieving better relationships and communication in the workplace • Attaining tangible results through work-based assessment ensuring that new skills are effectively transferred to your business CWT Chamber Training understands the importance of well trained and skilled managers and designs learning that improves performance through a strong focus on specific skills. The highly practical classroom sessions equip students with the competences needed to improve their management ability and generate significant benefits to the organisation in terms of cost savings and quality improvements in the workplace. Hannah Price who previously completed the ILM course at CWT Chamber Training said “Within 6 months of completing the qualification I had grown the business from just being myself at the beginning of the course to a team of ten. I also won the title of Coventry Telegraph Young Person of the Year and gained national exposure by being listed in the Sunday Observer’s Future 500 list of people to watch.” To find out more about how you and your business can benefit from an ILM qualification visit www.cwtcov.co.uk/cwilm

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Say it once, say it twice, keep on saying it!

People will buy if you get the product, price and service right. But only if they know about you, like the sound of what you have to offer and can find you! A strategically sound PR campaign rooted in your commercial strategy will address all these issues. The first step is to understand exactly what you have to offer, whether it's a commodity or high value service. What makes it different? What makes it interesting? Why do you think people will engage with it? Then you need to understand who you’re targeting. Get under their skin. What motivates them? What pressures do they face? What do they need? How do they make their purchase decisions? Overlaying the interests and preferences of your targets with your points of difference will shine a light on the elements to focus on; your key messages. Everything else becomes secondary. Now you know what to say, you have to find ways to say it again and again without boring the audience. This means you need to do more than just state it repeatedly using slightly different words each time. You need many and different ways to embody your messages and then use multiple channels to communicate. If your targets are seeking expertise and knowledge is one of your points of difference then don’t just say you’re an expert. Write an insightful and incisive article and place it in the right media platform, share it on social media and give a relevant talk at a key trade exhibition. Once you have reached the point you think you’ll scream if you hear the message one more time then it’s just about getting through to your target audience. Contact Cathy Connan of Communication Strategy on 07976 669089 or email cathy@cathyconnan.com.

International Trade

Chambers secure trade investment contract

Australian High Commissioner visits leading Warwickshire business Britain’s future High Commissioner to Australia has visited Warwickshire-based speed camera specialists TeleTraffic, as they continue to expand their operations down under. Menna Rawlings visited the firm in Warwick, who already supply 98 per cent of the UK’s police forces, as part of a one day tour of the region before taking up her post in Australia. During the day she met with members of UK Trade & Investment, including Paul Noon OBE Regional Director for the West Midlands, before moving on to Tele-Traffic’s facilities. Upon her arrival she was met by Paul Garratt, the company’s CEO, who showed her around the firm’s factory and demonstrated their range of precision cameras and speed measuring equipment. Mrs Rawlings talked about TeleTraffic’s involvement with police forces in Perth, New South Wales and Victoria State, where the firms TTRanger and Concept Systems are already in use, and she got the opportunity to try out the system currently in use by officers in Western Australia. She also discussed how she and her team might help the firm’s efforts in Australia and about help with a possible expansion to New Zealand. The Chairman of Tele-Traffic, Frank Garratt, who was present at the discussions, said: “I feel extremely privileged to have received a visit from the future British High Commissioner to Australia and I am grateful for the support offered to our Australian business endeavours.” Tele-Traffic provides their systems to police forces around the world and is currently expanding their operations in Africa, where they are providing TruCam and TTRanger systems to police in Rwanda, Uganda and Nigeria, an area of business that Mrs Rawlings showed a particular interest in. Tele-Traffic has been working with Martyne Manning - Business Advisor with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce - on the Growing Your Business programme funded by the ERDF.

Chambers of Commerce across the West Midlands have won the contract to deliver UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) International Trade Services for a further five years. That means companies across Coventry and Warwickshire can continue to take advantage of the service provided by the team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s international trade hub at Chamber House. The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber helps hundreds of businesses each year to export goods and services overseas with a range of support including market visits, market research, documentation and training. The drive to increase exports from the region remains a firm priority in helping to grow the economy and the new contract means the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce along with fellow Chambers across the region can continue to deliver that. The successful bid was put together by Allen Matty, West Midlands Chambers of Commerce LLP’s Managing Director, with Steve Havins, Head of Partnerships & Business Development at West Midlands Chamber of Commerce LLP, and Louise Bennett, Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. Allen Matty said: “We have a strong track record of providing international trade support to businesses in the West Midlands, having delivered the programme for the past eight years. Our unique model of local delivery by Chambers of Commerce, our vast connectivity, networks and market reach, together with our understanding of UKTI and successful track record won us the contract, against tough competition. “In the past 12 months our 43 International Trade Advisers across the region have assisted more than 3,500 companies win over £1bn of sales worldwide and we look forward to continuing this over the next five years by assisting all types and sizes of business, encouraging more companies to export for the first time and assisting current exporters to expand into new International markets. “The UKTI International Trade offering through the Chambers enables us to help companies to trade overseas by developing strategic plans; researching markets; exploring overseas joint ventures and visiting overseas markets and exhibitions. Support is also available for export documentation, language and translation services; export training; all from experts with detailed knowledge of different markets and sectors.

(Left to Right ) Steve Havins, Head of Partnerships & Business Development at West Midlands Chamber of Commerce LLP with Louise Bennett, Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Allen Matty, West Midlands Chambers of Commerce LLP’s Managing Director.

“We are looking forward to introducing several exciting new and innovative services for the region’s established exporters and those looking to export for the first time. We will provide easy access to the practical help available to get into new markets and win new business overseas.” Warwickshire-based Smart Assessor, which provides software to help both learners and assessors to undertake training online, has benefitted from the support on offer in the past year. The company signed up to the Passport to Export programme to get support in taking its software system to Australia. The team at the Chamber helped to generate appointments with the right organisations and Smart Assessor took part in a trade mission last December, which was supported with funding through Passport to Export. The firm has received further help in creating a web strategy for the Australian market, market visit funding to cover flight costs for subsequent trips to the market and also help in arranging conferences in Australia. The assistance has seen Smart Assessor sign a reseller agreement with technology company Ozsoft, which will integrate the software into its product to sell to Australian clients. The firm believes that the Australian market could generate sales of up to £1.5 million per

Global company choose science park A global energy and technology company has chosen a Warwickshire base from which to develop further growth. Engineering reliability and technology company, SPS International (UK) Ltd. has opened a UK head office at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Warwick Innovation Centre to support its continuing development. United States-based Strategic Power Systems, Inc.® (SPS®) has been providing support to the energy industry since 1987 and established the UK operation in 2008, initially with the aim of catering to existing clients in Europe. But, under the stewardship of director Jon Willis, the firm has grown to take responsibility for all business outside of the Americas. SPS International (UK) Ltd. has now moved into a permanent base in Warwick in order to be on hand to cater to a major client while being well placed to support further growth and the recruitment of skilled workers. “We provide engineering reliability services to the power generation and oil and gas industries and have moved to Warwick to support one of our main clients, Industrial Turbine Company (UK) Limited (formerly a Rolls-Royce company) whilst also looking to expand the office,” said Willis. “We now have three permanent staff in Warwick who are responsible for supporting our clients’ equipment all over the world from a reliability and availability perspective. “We also work with E.ON, who are based nearby, and as a consequence, believed that

Warwick would be a great location to support our growth. “Soon after we started the UK operation the financial crisis hit and along with the uncertainty around the energy market, things didn’t move as quickly as we would have liked to begin with, but now we are heading in the right direction and we have got some very high-calibre staff in the fields of engineering and IT. “We were attracted to the University of Warwick Science Park’s site as it is a true technology park, and has strong links to the university, which can be very useful in terms of the future recruitment of skilled staff – we have already been in touch with the careers centre at the University.” “The park offers room for manoeuvre in line with growth and expansion so we are excited about our future here.” Karen Aston, centre manager at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Warwick Innovation Centre, said: “We are delighted to welcome a firm of SPS International UK’s stature to the park and look forward to supporting their continued development. “Warwick is ideally located for firms working towards growth, with fantastic transport links, and numerous global firms and potential clients nearby. “Our links with the university and a flexibility to meet client companies’ needs, also allow us to meet the needs of developing businesses.”

year within three years and say it could not have been done without the support of the Chamber. Automotive company Induction Technology Group (ITG) has seen sales increase in France, Germany and USA after support through Passport to Export. UKTI funded visits to all three markets which has helped the company to establish itself there and UKTI also helped with the translation of technical product information ahead of the French visit. The company is now looking to expand into China and will, once again, tap into support through the international trade team. Mick Page, head of the international trade team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are all delighted that the new contract has been awarded to the Chambers of Commerce across the West Midlands. “It means companies such as Smart Assessor and Induction Technology Group can continue to receive seamless support from our advisers and also means we can continue to take the message to other businesses across the region that they can grow through the support of the international trade team.” For more information, call 024 7665 4321.

Exporters encouraged

Exporters are being encouraged to tap into language and cultural expertise through UKTI’s new Postgraduates for International Business programme. UKTI West Midlands has teamed up with universities from around the region to help companies employ the expertise of foreignlanguage speaking students. Through the scheme companies could hire a student to work on an export project such as; researching new markets, developing international contacts, lead follow-up, or international marketing. Language and Cultural Adviser for UKTI in the West Midlands Gerti Willis said: “Recruiting a student that is familiar with the language and business culture of your export market can really help open doors and have a dramatic effect on your business. Students can help with a wide range of activities; from dealing with enquiries that arrive in a foreign language to making sure that you do not make a cultural faux pas when meeting international clients. University courses are typically delivered in 3 terms with significant break periods for students to engage in external work. Visa restrictions allow international students to work up to 20 hours during term time and full time during vacations.” For more information and details of how to apply contact Gerti on 0121 607 1942 / gerti.willis@mobile.ukti.gov.uk or speak with your local International Trade Adviser.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

£15.3m expansion of deal boosts Coventry and Warwickshire Economy

From the left, Sean Farnell (CWLEP), Lorna Fellowes (Triton Showers), Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones, Oliver Letwin MP Minister for Government Policy & Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Cllr Izzi Seccombe (leader of Warwickshire County Council) and Cllr Peter Butlin (Warwickshire County Coucil)

The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership has agreed an expansion to its Growth Deal with the Government which will see an extra £15.3m invested in Coventry and Warwickshire between 2016 and 2021. This is in addition to the £74.1m of funding committed by the Government on 7 July 2014. Over the lifetime of its Deal (2015-2021) the Local Enterprise Partnership estimates that up to 4000 new jobs could be created, 1400 new homes built and that it has the potential to generate £220m public and private investment. The additional proposed projects include: • The development of a new technology to bring motorway and local road traffic systems together with cloud based systems, to improve local journey times on important routes, by giving drivers live information enabling them to switch routes and modes. • Investment programme to bring forward key employment sites for development

(e.g. Friargate and further employment land around J12 M40), enabling business growth and creating new job opportunities. • A fund that will support local businesses to make major capital investments, develop buildings and infrastructure or access new technologies that will facilitate business growth and job creation. • Capacity improvements at the Coton Arches roundabout in Nuneaton, which will facilitate housing and employment growth (including at the flagship Bermuda Park employment site) and improve access to Nuneaton town centre. • New facilities at FE Colleges to deliver skills as demanded by local employers. • A new centre to deliver R&D activities developing new steel products that will service key sectors such as Automotive, Aerospace, Rail, Defence and Energy. The Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Deal is part of a long term plan to devolve at least £12 billion from central government to local economies. The plan aims for every part of

the country to be a motor of growth for the national economy – building on the strength of the Coventry and Warwickshire area. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Giving local communities the power and the money to unlock growth and development and make the spending decisions that work for them is a key part of our long-term economic plan to secure a brighter future for Britain and ensure a recovery for all. “This is happening in Coventry and Warwickshire, with more money announced today for key projects to boost the local economy as part of the multi-million pound expansion of the Government’s Growth Deals. “And because the money will be in the control of a partnership of local community, business and civic leaders it means it will go on the things that really matter to people and businesses here.” Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “A quiet revolution is under way in Coventry and Warwickshire and across the country, as Growth Deals signal the death of the culture where Whitehall calls the shots. I’ve seen for myself the difference it makes to give this region more power over skills, over business support, over infrastructure spending.” Jonathan Browning, Chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This additional investment from the Growth Deal demonstrates the importance of the improved partnership working across the CWLEP and will help to build on our priority areas of improving skills, the transport infrastructure and research and design activities.” Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Joint Committee, Leader of Warwickshire County Council and Board Member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "This further investment in Coventry and Warwickshire will help make the region a more attractive place for both businesses and for workers. This additional funding shows Government’s confidence in the region."

Company benefits from sector growth 2014 was a year of robust growth for the technology sector as it experienced its fastest expansion of business activity since 2007. Coventry, Warwickshire, and the wider West Midlands, is now home to an increased number of small and medium sized enterprises fast becoming rising stars in the technology world. One of these companies is the Emerald Group. Having increased turnover by 40%, expanded their team by a third, moved to new purposebuilt offices, and won household names as clients, the Warwickshire based business is now targeting international contracts with ambitions to become a major player on the global technology stage. Within this rapidly growing sector, Emerald have really found their niche. Any company with a field-based workforce will know how critical communication is and maintaining this flow of information for their clients is the principle that drives the group. It is their highest quality 'Emerald' service that is winning contracts with businesses like IKEA. Breezemount UK are the logistics firm responsible for more than 80,000 IKEA home deliveries every month. Their Finance Director Lyn Robinson explained why they trust Emerald fully to manage their mobile workforce.

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Lyn said: "They manage all the issues of having 19 locations and people losing phones and needing replacements. Also we can rely on them to monitor the costs every month and maintain an overview of the mobile contract on our behalf. Sarah Windrum, Co-Founder of the Emerald Group, said: “The secret of our success is we know that it is about giving more than you take. This applies to our customers, our team, and also our community; whether we are providing advice, replacing a mobile phone, or sponsoring our local youth football team the Lillington Juniors. “We offer our customers more than peace of mind: we give them a cast iron guarantee that the one area of their business they don't need to worry about is their mobile communications. “We have huge ambitions for the business: we don't just want to work with household names, we want to be a household name in our own right. Our expert knowledge of technology and our in depth understanding of our customers and their challenges all feed into our ability to ensure a rapid response to any communication issue. And it is this speed of recovery that is so crucial to the businesses we work with." The emphasis on service echoes through every

part of the business, including the Emerald team itself with four support team members for every salesperson. And the vision for 2015 will not only see Emerald's mobile communication support continue but also expand. "This year is about consolidating our growth and making sure we maintain our first class support for our customers," Sarah said. “It also about global communications and finding ways to continue that support when our customers travel out of the UK. I am so excited about the future for Emerald. Considering what we achieved in 2014, who knows where we will be this time next year?"

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Are your prospects wasting your time?

Hello and welcome to this month’s article. Today, I want to show you a straightforward way to save time, decrease your workload and increase your closing rates. Did you know that, on average, 52% of the prospects you engage with won’t do anything? The ability to spot good and bad prospects could save you frustration and time. Recently we worked with a company designing and selling IT software. When we looked into their sales cycles, we found they varied greatly from one project to another. The longest sales cycle occurred when dealing with organisations who had over 200 employees and several divisions or external partners. Not only were these their longest sales cycles, but they also delivered their lowest close rates. So what action did the company take? They made a conscious decision that if a prospect had over 200 employees with multiple divisions, they would not pursue it any further. They knew that this situation was a bad fit for their business. They knew that pursuing these prospects would tie up their salespeople for many days (or even weeks) with little chance of success, causing them to become frustrated and demotivated. Once they removed these companies from their sales funnel, they were able to focus on the prospects with much higher closing rates, and they saw business improve. At the same time, they saw work became less pressurised, with fewer late nights for key staff and improved employee morale, motivation and engagement. All this just from disqualifying difficult prospects. Many businesses waste time chasing bad prospects but it takes guts to disqualify them! When you do though, you can focus your time and energy on the best prospects for your business. ••• Written by Neil Liddell of Sandler Training. Providers of Sales and Management Training Visit www.central.sandler.com to download the white paper ‘Why Salespeople Fail’ T: 0845 0573563 M: 07547 227442 E: nliddell@sandler.com •••

News

Seeking FirstPro 2015

The search for the leading professional in Coventry and Warwickshire is now under way with the launch of Coventry & Warwickshire First’s FirstPro 2015. Coventry and Warwickshire has a strong, vibrant professional services community serving local businesses, large and small. In a glitzy awards ceremony to be held on 23 April at the Ricoh Arena, the very best of the region’s professional talent will be recognised, with the overall winner named FirstPro 2015. Nominations are now open for the following categories: • Financial Professional • Legal Professional • Property Professional • Business Services Professional • Young Professional Nomination forms are available now from the secretariat at admin@coventryfirst.co.uk. Martin Gibbs, Senior Partner of Dafferns LLP and Chair of Coventry & Warwickshire First, said: “Using their expertise and insight our members help their clients grow their businesses and achieve their objectives. “Spanning employment law to advice on deals and transactions of all shapes and sizes, financial services, property consultancy and communication strategy, our members have the skills and expertise to support the economic development of our region. FirstPro is a great opportunity to celebrate this talent.” The deadline for nominations is 13 March. The FirstPro organising committee will then prepare the shortlist of nominees, each member of which then being interviewed by the judging panel at the end of March.

New group is launched

Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) has launched a new culture and tourism group to help grow the tourism economy, bringing additional jobs and visitors to the area. Tourism accounts for 40,000 jobs in Coventry and Warwickshire which is 8.5 per cent of total employment, contributing more than one in ten jobs in south Warwickshire, and plays a key role in the local economy by delivering over £550 million in output a year. The CWLEP’s Strategic Economic Plan acknowledges the importance of the tourism and leisure sector which is supported by analysis nationally by Deloitte’s that has identified strong growth in the sector over the last few years and suggests it will continue to grow at a faster than average rate. The new Culture and Tourism Business Group will be chaired by Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a CWLEP board director, with other members made-up from leisure, culture and tourism sectors across Coventry and Warwickshire. Catherine said: “Coventry and Warwickshire has some of the very best cultural and leisure attractions in the whole of the UK – from Shakespeare’s birthplace to Warwick Castle, from the RSC to Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. “More than five million leisure visitors come to our area every year. We want to give them a fantastic experience when they are here, encouraging them to stay longer and explore further. “We want to entice new visitors from the UK and overseas as well as making sure local residents are aware of everything that is on offer in our region. “This new Business Group will help the culture and leisure sectors to work together, stimulating the local economy, safeguarding and creating jobs and playing their part in making Coventry and Warwickshire a truly great place to live. “The 2016 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death provides an ideal time to build on this joined-up approach.”

Unemployed people given vital support

Almost 1,000 unemployed people across the West Midlands have been supported thanks to funds from a local grant-giving organisation. The Heart of England Community Foundation has been distributing grants from the European Social Fund (ESF) over the past 12 months to help break down barriers to employment after the charity was successful in its West Midlands wide bid to secure the Community Grants Programme for the whole region.

Those barriers to employment range from disabilities to issues around confidence and 133 projects and groups across the West Midlands have been supported with grants averaging £13,231. That has led to 951 individuals being helped through a variety measures – from IT training to theatre workshops, where drama has been used as a tool to build confidence for interviews and presentations. Tina Costello, Heart of England Community Foundation director, said: “The projects are coming to a close this May but we have seen many wonderful examples of how this support has helped people. “It wasn’t about hard targets but more an opportunity to help individuals who, for one reason or another, were coming up against barriers to employment. “The projects we have supported through ESF Community Grants have been wide and varied but all have had to demonstrate how they would improve an individual’s chance of accessing employment. “Some of the projects have provided practical vocational skills while others have been more creative and have looked at ways of improving people’s confidence. Those softer interventions are just as, if not more, important than the more obvious support such as assistance with CVs or IT training. “It’s not been a case of saying ‘this must lead to a job immediately’, it’s been about really helping to remove some of the barriers that were stopping people even considering entering the jobs market because they thought it was impossible.

“The results we are seeing, even before the projects close, are extremely positive and bode well for the future.” To date, 31 of those involved in the projects have been assisted into employment and that figure could rise by the time they conclude. One individual, who attended the New Bilton Work Club in Warwickshire, but asked not to be named, said the initiative had led to her first job for 24 years after being assisted with IT and CV writing skills. She said: “I’ve just had my first employment in 24 years. Although it was a temporary post, I found I really enjoyed working with colleagues and my line manager. “I am now looking for similar positions and the company I worked for said they would contact me if there is any more work available.” Another individual, who suffers with mental health issues, took part in an art initiative at the Caludon Centre in Coventry which led to her volunteering to help people with learning disabilities put on a Christmas production. “I have never done any voluntary work before,” she said, “but I can see how valuable it is to remember that I am capable, I have personal qualities and abilities that are useful and others appreciate. It has definitely helped me with my self-esteem.” Tina added: “These are great individual stories and serve to highlight how these kinds of projects can really make a difference to people’s lives.”

Lord Heseltine sees for himself the work of growth hub Lord Heseltine has visited the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub to see first-hand the progress it has made in its first five months of operation. He is a big supporter of Growth Hubs which have been set up across England to provide a one-stop-shop for support and advice for businesses. The Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub was formed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) as part of its City Deal bid to Government. Since it opened in September 2014, the organisation has helped businesses in the area access £1.6 million of capital grants which has led to £10 million in private investment and created over 700 new jobs with 2,500 new jobs in the pipeline. Around 1,200 businesses in a myriad of sectors have been helped with two-thirds having never received business support before. Lord Heseltine was welcomed to the Growth Hub in Cheylesmore House, Cheylesmore, by Growth Hub managing director Craig Humphrey, CWLEP vice-chairman Karl Eddy and board director Paul Kehoe, and Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Louise Bennett. Craig said Lord Heseltine was a key figure in the City Deal process and had been keen to visit the Growth Hub to see how it is operating. “We discussed with Lord Heseltine the progress we have made since we opened in September and our work with the Chamber of Commerce and other partners to provide coordinated business support packages to companies of all sizes in Coventry and Warwickshire,” he said. “He was keen to hear how we contact businesses who have previously not had any

tailored business support and he stressed the importance of everyone connected with the Growth Hub working together to avoid any duplication. “The figures speak for themselves – we are making a real difference in rural and urban areas throughout the area to boost economic activity and create jobs. “This was a great opportunity to highlight our positive progress so far and the facilities we have here for businesses to use such as our conference rooms and hot-desking which is proving popular with banks, accountants and solicitors.” Lord Heseltine also met Karl Brough, managing director of Sitel, Jon Freeman,

commercial director of CFS Aerospace, Cheryl Bradbury, talent manager at Automotive Insulations, Jason Aldridge, managing director of Arrowsmith Engineering, and Angelo Luciano, managing director of Expert Tooling, to hear the views of Coventry and Warwickshire businesses about the Growth Hub and the help they have received. Partners involved in the Growth Hub include the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, UKTI, Local Authorities across the sub-region, Coventry University, the University of Warwick and MAS (Manufacturing Advisory Service, which is now part of the Business Growth Service).

From the left, Clive Winters (Coventry University), Louise Bennett (Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce), Lord Heseltine, Karl Eddy (CWLEP), Paul Kehoe (CWLEP) and Craig Humphrey (Growth Hub)

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Support

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Business advice music to Verity’s ears

Verity Pabla is a businesswomen who is going places - literally. And as the founder of ‘I'm not a machine music', an all female record label and publishers, she has received plenty of help to develop the concept. Verity said: “"UK Trade and Investment and the Start Up team at the Chamber of Commerce in Coventry have been, and continue to be, incredibly helpful to my business I'm not a machine productions. “Since establishing a sub-brand called 'I'm not a machine music', which is the world's only all-female record label and publisher for authentic soul-centred singer songwriters, as well as making the transition from being a sole trader to running a limited company, the guidance and support has been invaluable. “Through James Ahearne, who is my local ITA, and Margaret Bull at the Chamber, I have received multiple opportunities to develop my brand, build the right partnerships for the business, access financial support and training, and map out the best strategy for moving ahead.”

As part of the work, she attended an international trade mission in June 2014 to Los Angeles, the annual 'sync mission' in conjuntion with the BPI (British Phonographic Institute) & MPA (Music Publishers Association) and has just returned from a USA market visit, on the Passport to Export scheme. Verity said: “Not yet a year into incorporation and the company is in a great position within the music industry and the wider business world. I can't overstate the

importance of gaining solid business advice and partnering with the right organisations and individuals for the short and long-term growth of a venture. “The team are incredibly understanding of the unique nature of each business and I highly recommend them to all within the area who wish to start or to grow a business, in any field/industry, to get in touch and begin a relationship that can yield amazing results.”

“Since establishing a sub-brand called 'I'm not a machine music', which is the world's only all-female record label and publisher for authentic soul-centred singer songwriters, as well as making the transition from being a sole trader to running a limited company, the guidance and support has been invaluable.”

Driving “Business Efficiency” with smarter IT Systems Seminar

In today’s digital world the requirements of the IT systems in any business have never been more important. Bigger organisations have the benefit of a large in-house IT department and a Technical Director or a CEO to advise on strategy to help keep up or ahead of the competition. This luxury is often not available to smaller businesses. Therefore in conjunction with inspirational keynote speaker “Craig Goldblatt”, Zenzero are running a seminar aimed at small and medium sized businesses who want to stimulate growth with the aid of smarter IT Systems. The event will be held in the Cheylesmore House office of the C&W Chamber of Commerce on 24th March and is aimed at business owners, Directors or anyone who is involved with the running of a business and has an active interest in learning how the IT systems can be used to give a competitive edge and enable growth for your organisation. The speakers will focus on real business issues, the changing world of technology and helping delegates to understand if their own IT strategy will support the needs of their business in the years ahead. For more information visit www.zenzero.co.uk/marchevent

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

Legal & Finance

Branching Out

Simpson Financial Services celebrated their 10 year anniversary in 2014 and while the firm goes from strength to strength one member of the team has taken a new direction. Director and Independent Mortgage Advisor, Natasha Phillips, has become the firms Mortgage Capacity Assessor which offers a brand new service to individuals and legal professionals undertaking divorce. As the High Street Banks struggle to keep up with the Financial Conduct Authorities latest professional requirements for Mortgage Advisors, many people are finding it increasingly difficult to get good, accurate advice concerning their ability to obtain a mortgage. When faced with the upheaval of divorce the situation can get even more problematic. However, Natasha is able to combine up-to-date lending criteria with her knowledge and expertise and provide dependable information regarding a person’s mortgage borrowing ability. As an Independent Mortgage Advisor, Natasha is not tied to any bank or lender and rather than focusing on one lender, which could undermine the whole exercise should that lender change criteria or stop lending altogether, the report gives the individual a good understanding of the mortgage market as a whole. This information is presented in a report suitable for use by the individual, solicitor or at Court. Mortgage Capacity reports are required for many reasons: • Where the individual does not have the time to trawl the highstreet banks or complete lenders affordability assessments to find this information out for themselves. • Where the individual’s financial circumstances are complex or unusual. For example, many sources of income, recent changes in employment or bad credit. • Where different scenarios need to be explored. For example, mortgage capacity may be required based on different information depending on the outcome of the financial settlement such as varying amounts of maintenance or the acquiring of debt. • The report can be used to prove the other parties mortgage capacity. • Where the individual or legal representative wants accurate, dependable and completely impartial advice for themselves or their client. Although Mortgage Providers complete affordability checks for each applicant, these checks are primarily for the benefit of the lenders and should be used as a guide only. During divorce it is easy to concentrate on these figures often described as ‘maximum’ borrowing, however, most Mortgage Lenders will not take into account a person’s entire outgoings when calculating this. So if your client does not want to stop paying for their children’s football lessons or gym membership these costs need to be included. Affordable borrowing is far more important than maximum borrowing. Divorces often take a long time to finalise and what a person may be able to borrow at the start might not be the case later on. Criteria regarding age or income restrictions may not be a problem until months or even years later when the divorce is finalised. For example, once children reach their teenage years any benefits payable for them, such as Child Benefit or Maintenance, may not be considered by lenders which will reduce the amount of mortgage borrowing available. Natasha is registered as an Expert Witness and ensures her reports adhere to Part 25 of the Family Procedure Rules which Solicitors and Legal Representatives require. The assessment can also be instructed on a Single Joint Expert basis whereby 1 Mortgage Capacity Assessment is produced on behalf of two or more parties. The information provided by Natasha is accurate, enduring and credible, particularly at Court. Natasha said: “Since the recession and more recently the Mortgage Market Review, Lenders are more stringent than ever and this new service can really help a person understand in detail what their mortgage position is or what it will be post divorce’. ‘As an Independent Mortgage Advisor my favourite aspect of the job is helping people buy or maintain their most prized possession, their home, and I hope to continue this work through the Mortgage Capacity Assessments.

Retiring business owners urged to consider General Election owners will have to pay a higher rate of tax when selling their company. According to Cranfield Business Finance, business owners should prepare for this by considering a Member’s Voluntary Liquidation (MVL), also known as a solvent liquidation. Under an MVL, should the decision be taken to sell the business and assets, leaving cash within the company, shareholders of qualifying companies are able to take advantage of favourable capital tax rates that were introduced in 2008, in the form of Entrepreneurs’ Relief.

Local business owners contemplating retiring and selling up are being urged to consider the potential impact of this year’s General Election before making a final decision. Business management experts at Cranfield Business Finance are predicting a change in legislation following the result of May General Election, which could have a significant impact on capital tax rates. These rates are currently very favourable to business owners selling up and retiring but Patrick Murtagh, Director at Cranfield Business Finance, is expecting this to change. “Current capital tax rates, which were introduced in 2008, look significantly out

of step with other taxation rates and there is a real prospect that, following the next General Election, the new Government will either amend or scrap the scheme entirely,” he said. “For this reason it is important that any business owner or director considering retiring from their business carries out a thorough review of their exit strategy, and succession planning to decide how best to extract wealth from the company in the most tax-efficient way.” Patrick Murtagh believes that regardless of which political party wins the next General Election, capital tax rates are likely to be reviewed, and probably increased, meaning that exiting business

Relief is currently available on up to £10 million of lifetime gains arising from 6 April 2008. Therefore, qualifying capital distributions made to shareholders by a liquidator, will generally qualify for the Entrepreneurs’ Relief rate of 10%, compared to the dividend tax rates of 25% or 30.56%, depending on a shareholder’s marginal tax rate. If capital taxes are not increased, it is possible that the conditions relating to entrepreneurs relief will be made more onerous. Business owners wishing to use the MVL procedure must employ the services of a licensed insolvency practitioner. Patrick Murtagh explains: “It is essential to involve an insolvency practitioner during the negotiation stage of the proposed sale to avoid clauses being included in the asset sale agreement that could prevent a distribution through an MVL.”

A local relationship with one of the world’s strongest banks Over recent years, Handelsbanken has steadily made a name for itself among Coventry and Warwickshire customers looking for a more personal, long-term relationship with their bank. Its distinctive approach is based upon a belief that experienced local bankers are best placed to understand the customers that live, work or trade in their town. For this reason, the overwhelming majority of decisions are made by the customer’s branch team. Demand for Handelsbanken’s modernday take on traditional banking has helped the bank grow to serve around 185 British communities, including branches in Coventry, Leamington Spa, Rugby and Stratford.

For customers of Handelsbanken, the branch is the bank. Not only are staff empowered to make credit decisions and build product solutions locally, but they are also available to handle a customer’s day-to-day banking requirements in person, rather than through call centres. Paul Brooksbank, manager of Handelsbanken’s Leamington Spa branch explains: “For a customer, dealing directly with the decision-maker offers a swifter, clearer service, which in turn results in a more satisfying banking experience. We have no sales targets or performance bonuses, instead ensuring the decisions we take and the advice we give is in the best interest of our customers, based on their unique circumstances.”

Paul Belfield, manager of Handelsbanken Coventry branch added: “For the last five years, Handelsbanken has been rated top for customer satisfaction in independent surveys of British banks’ corporate and individual customers. And at a time when financial strength and stability remain crucial to customers, Handelsbanken has been judged one of the strongest banks in the world by financial information provider Bloomberg. This reflects the bank’s long-term focus and prudent, consistent approach to banking throughout all economic conditions. You can find your local Handelsbanken branch on the www.handelsbanken.co.uk website.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Legal & Finance

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Time is right for watchmakers

(From left to right) Helen Coombes (HB&O), Craig Struthers (seated) and Rebecca Struthers (both Struthers London)

A Warwickshire firm of accountants and business advisors have ‘ticked’ all the right boxes to clock-up a new client. Harrison Beale & Owen, which has offices in Coventry and Leamington, has been appointed to help two master watchmakers establish a new luxury watch brand in the market. Craig and Rebecca Struthers launched Struthers London with the aim of exploring ways in which they could combine new watch trends and technology with the traditional hand skills and craftsmanship of horology. The launch of their new collection, Struthers Regency, was revealed at the UK’s premier watch exhibition, SalonQP, which is held annually at the Saatchi Gallery in London. The eighteenth century-inspired timepiece includes a solid silver dial which is hand engraved in a classic champlevé style while the lugs and buckles have been hand forged from 19 separate pieces. It has been created following the success of the couple’s first creation Stella – which became the first watch to win the

prestigious Lonmin Design Innovation Award for outstanding innovation in platinum. While the company’s first collection - a collaboration with Morgan Motor Company – has also proved popular with Rebecca and Craig securing three orders to create additional designs which will be custom made to reflect the individual’s Morgan car. The couple, who live in Birmingham, are now looking to take the company to the next level and have appointed HB&O to support them with the future development of the brand. Rebecca, who is an antiquarian horologist, said: “When you’re a new name and new company it can take a while to get the ball rolling but now I think we are slowly starting to establish our place in the market. “SalonQP was the perfect location for us to launch our new collection. It is one of the UK’s top luxury watch exhibitions and it was great to be able to showcase our designs alongside other British designers and brands.

“We seem to be quite different to the very few British brands that are actually out there in the market and our first design Stella has really helped to cement that because it has made us more unique. “We have also had a lot of positive feedback about our collaboration with Morgan Motors with enquiries and orders coming in from the UK, Austria, France and America. “Those clients have been really fun to work with because they understand the hand-built ethos and they really appreciate the design process.” Craig, who specialises in watchmaking and the restoration of vintage and antique watches, added: “Our next step is to attract retailers in London and get our Morgan collection into the Morgan showrooms. “We also want to move away from completing restoration work and focus 100 per cent on growing the handcrafted side of the business. “We are close to securing an investment deal which will hopefully turn everything around for us and felt it was important to have the right business backing and support moving forward. “For a young creative company like ours HB&O felt like the right fit – we don't feel isolated like we have previously and know that with their support we will be able to take the brand and business to the next level.” Helen Coombes, tax director at HB&O which has offices in Coventry and Leamington, attended SalonQP for the launch of Struthers Regency. “It is fantastic to see that Struthers London is starting to establish a name for itself in the market. You don’t often see a fledging business achieve as much as Rebecca and Craig have in the last 12 months,” she said. “They have a real flare for the market. Their brand has the potential to be at the forefront of British watchmaking and with the right advice and support I have no doubt that the company will continue to excel.”

Armstrong Accountants Crowned Midlands Independent Firm of the Year Armstrongs Accountants has been named Midlands Independent firm of the year at the British Accountancy Awards 2014. The annual awards celebrate outstanding contributions to the UK accountancy industry and recognise excellence in this profession. The winners were announced on the 25th November 2014 at a Gala dinner held at The Brewery Venue in London. The award win is a triumph as Armstrongs are the first accountancy practice in the West Midlands and Warwickshire area to have won the Midlands Independent Firm of the Year award. Additionally Paul Farmer, director at Armstrongs was a finalist for UK Practitioner of the Year award. At 35, Paul is driving change at the firm overseeing the transition into a modern practice while maintaining traditional values the company is known for. He recently helped achieve a £35 million deal for Coventry-based sports nutrition brand

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Grenade, working with Grenades’ owners for nearly a decade. Alan Barratt CEO at Grenade commented on Armstrongs ‘I can honestly say my business would not be where it is today without their advice and personal service’. Paul was short-listed for his leadership and contribution to Armstrongs and their clients, but also for fundraising activities and support services he gives to his local community. Paul said: ‘We are thrilled to receive this major industry accolade for the our region and it is a great testament to the commitment and passion of our team in delivering exceptional service to our client base right across the Midlands. We have a firm growth strategy investing in systems, people and processes to take our business to the next level. Underpinning this is an outstanding group of people who work with us and a loyal and valued client list who are our own advocates and a privilege to serve. Winners of the 2014 British Accountancy Awards were chosen by an esteemed

panel of industry professionals involved in the regulation of the sector and representatives of small local firms to the larger regional, national and global players. They are regarded as the industry's most prestigious accolades pinpointing professional development and highlighting those that have demonstrated excellence in their profession during the last 12 months. Armstrongs Accountants is expanding its operations to North Warwickshire and Leicestershire having recently recruited 5 new staff members to its Nuneaton office. The office opened in June this year complimenting its Coventry headquarters. This is an exciting time for the firm and with this prestigious award win under their belts they are perfectly poised for success. The British Accountancy Awards is a key annual event in the financial services calendar and attracts more than 500 guests from accountancy practices all over the country.

Expert witnesses myth and reality

The public perception of expert witnesses can be coloured by their portrayal in US court room drama as the hired gun, employed to promote a litigants case and destroy that of the opposition.

The Panorama documentary last year did little to dispel those perceptions, suggesting that experts can and do provide evidence to suit a particular parties case. Happily that is not reality. So what is an expert witness and what can they do and what can’t they do? In any legal dispute there will be witnesses, and these may be expert witnesses or witnesses of fact. The latter is self explanatory, but by way of example, a witness to a road traffic accident may be called to give factual evidence to say they saw the red car overtake the blue car and collide with the oncoming white car. The witness of fact will not be able to say that the red car was speeding as they would not know this as a fact. Instead an expert witness may be called to say that in their opinion, the damage to the two vehicles and the skid marks on the road indicate the speed of impact was X miles per hour. Expert witnesses do:• Provide truthful, impartial and independent opinion based on factual evidence • Provide a written report to the Court explaining their opinion • Give evidence at trail of the matter if required • Have an overriding duty to the Court, and this is regardless of the party who is paying them. Expert witnesses do not:• Argue your case • Provide opinion outside their area of expertise • Advise on the case • Negotiate a settlement of the case Parties must obtain permission of the court to use experts and in many cases the court will order for one expert to be jointly instructed by the parties. Such an approach is common in divorce cases where a single expert is jointly appointed by the parties to value the family business and identify the level of funds available to help with a settlement, together with the various tax consequences of asset transfers. A good expert will assist the court and enable a fair outcome. A poor expert, who promotes his clients case, will increase the total costs of the case and their evidence is likely to be discounted by the judge for being partisan. If you need to use an expert it is vital that you understand their role, and your lawyer should be able to advise on the process and suggest an expert to be appointed. The Prime Forensic team have a combined 65 years of experience of acting as expert witnesses. To talk to Adrian about this in more detail, please call 0121 711 2468 or email expert@primeforensic.co.uk

News

Foundations marks twentieth birthday

(Left to right): Tina Costello, David Connell (Peugeot), Kat Hall (Heart of England Community Foundation), Kevin O’Kelly (Peugeot), Sally Carrick (Trustee), Ryan Boyce and Sue Heyes (both Heart of England Community Foundation)

A grant-making organisation, which has the communities of Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull at its heart, celebrated its 20th anniversary on Valentine’s Day. The Heart of England Community Foundation was established on February 14, 1995, thanks to a bursary of £3,000 towards the cost of setting up from the

Association of Community Trusts and Foundations in London. Since then it has gone on to award more than £11 million in grants to a range of community groups across the region that have made a positive difference to their local areas. The foundation receives the money from a variety of organisations, including many

local businesses who want their donations to remain local. The Heart of England Community Foundation then identifies the greatest needs across Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull and advises where that money can be best spent. Tina Costello, Heart of England Community Foundation director, said it was testament to businesses, individuals and communities that the foundation was stronger than ever 20 years after its inception. She said: “I am so proud to be celebrating our 20th anniversary. We have a very small team who all work unbelievably hard to ensure that we continue to serve the communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull. “We simply couldn’t help the groups that we do without the amazing generosity of a range of companies and individual people – who give up money and, also, time because they are so keen to support the communities of this region. “Over the years we have helped hundreds of groups – whether it’s supporting young people in sport, older people who may be feeling the effects of loneliness or helping bring a community together through a one-off project, every penny we give out in grants has a positive effect on the community involved.” The foundation’s first large pledge of cash was in 1998 when Peugeot Motor Company gave £80,000 in endowment support to take its total commitment to £100,000. The company remains a major supporter

of the Heart of England Community Foundation and still donates office space at its offices in Torrington Avenue to house members of the foundation’s team. Tina said the beauty of the foundation was that support came from a range of businesses and organisations. She said: “Peugeot became our corporate patron in 2013 and have been amazing down the years and remain a very firm supporter. “But what makes the foundation so popular is that businesses of all sizes and sectors, as well as individuals, can pledge support to us and they know it will make a real difference to the area they are operating in. “We are working with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce at the moment and are looking to launch an initiative in partnership over the next few weeks that will make it even easier for SMEs to get involved with the foundation. “Many of them want to give back to their community but don’t necessarily know where to start and, by working with us, we will make that as easy as possible and they can then see the results of their generosity. “On top of that, we have lots more events planned for the next 12 months to continue to raise our profile so that we can continue to support groups across Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull for another 20 years and beyond.”

Hot desking still a force to be reckoned with

New product makes Spanish debut Tantamount Ltd have added a new product – the eBrochure – to the range of digital publishing and design services that they offer. One of their first eBrochures is debuting as part of a complete digital package currently under development for a Spanish “casa rural” set in Catalonia's beautiful Alt Empordá region. Gwyneth Box, Tantamount CEO, lived in central Spain for 25 years, so she speaks fluent Spanish. Having talked things over with Roberto Capelli, the man behind El Pati de L’Albera, she said that they decided that the guest-house needed an image revamp, starting with the logo and entailing a complete redesign and restructuring of the multilingual website, in keeping with the latest technological developments. The project includes a newsletter for guests and friends, which Roberto’s staff will handle themselves after being given the necessary training by Tantamount; there will be a period of on-going support, but they will also be provided with full video instructions so they can go it alone.

Roberto says he chose to work with Tantamount because of the personalised treatment, support and attention to detail, as well as the integrated nature of the service: project analysis, copy writing, design, development and implementation all from a single supplier. He is delighted with the idea of an eBrochure app: a digital booklet that will include videos, voiceover and image galleries and can be downloaded to a guest's handheld device – iPad, tablet, or smartphone. Once installed, the eBrochure will be viewable without an internet connection and Capelli envisions it acting both as an introduction to the Pati for new visitors and as a souvenir for those who stay at the nineteenth-century guest-house. Other eBrochures Tantamount has planned include a presentation for a new hotel and events centre in Mexico and a series of ToolBox Talks for a geotechnical research client.

The business phenomenon of hotdesking hasn’t gone cold – but those offering the facility must do more to keep it warm, a West Midlands project has found. Smarter Working West Midlands, a project part funded by the European Union and delivered by Coventry University Enterprises Ltd(CUE), has carried out Co-working trials around the region to explore ways of making small and medium-sized businesses more profitable and effective. In the past, the project had offered free hot-desking trials to businesses across the West Midlands region but the takeup was poor. So the project set about trialling a broader offering, known as Co-working, through four centres in the region at Innovation Birmingham (Aston Science Park), The Corporate Pod (City Spirit St Pauls Business Centre in Birmingham), The Stour Enterprise Centre (Shipstonon-Stour) and The Telford Enterprise Hub. The project found that Co-working was popular and beneficial to businesses but those centres that offered other reasons to attend saw greater take-up. Henry Jerwood, business advisor at Smarter Working West Midlands, said: “There was a particularly strong take-up at Innovation Birmingham and The Stour Enterprise Centre but for different reasons. “When hot-desking first became popular, business people struggled to get internet connection so having a place to go to use a PC, a phone and have good broadband was worth their while. “But they can get WiFi in a coffee shop now so they are not going to head to

a business centre just for that benefit anymore and our research confirmed that. “So it was the centres that offered additional reasons for business people to attend that actually saw good take up on Co-working. Innovation Birmingham, for example, has a focus on high tech businesses and holds relevant networking sessions and workshops, which attract businesses, and they then benefit from the facilities available, as well as interaction with like minded people. “Again, at The Stour Enterprise Centre, the hot-desk workstations were supplemented by the opportunity to use a business lounge, to attend workshops and utilise meeting rooms. For this centre, the attraction was its location as a hub in a market town and it attracted a number of different businesses, rather than a focus on a specific sector. “For the size of businesses – some of them were home-based – it was extremely beneficial and having the opportunity to hot-desk but also network and receive business advice was extremely well received.”

Adam Russell, of As Designed Games Ltd, benefited from the facilities at Innovation Birmingham. He said: “It added structure to my working day and the opportunity to talk with fellow start-ups was useful. This way of working suits my working requirements as I work on a growing the business.” Vaughan Randle, of The Stour Enterprise Centre, said the popularity of hot-desking among companies remained strong in Shipston but more had to be on offer than just broadband. He said: “The SEC is an excellent business facility with many offerings. The Smarter Working project benefitted many of the local businesses including HR, Executive services and design. “It was inspiring to see that so many different types of businesses utilised the centre and benefitted from the project. The hot-desking allows integration, opportunities to develop businesses and interact with like minded people which is extremely useful and effective in terms of advice, discussions and motivation, all of which are free!”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Property

Software tool offers great opportunities for property industry

(From left to right) Will Brooks (Zenzero) with Karen Aston (University of Warwick Science Park) and Simon Davis (Assured Property Group)

Two Warwickshire companies have come together to develop innovative data software which is set to revolutionise the property industry. Assured Property Group, which is based at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Warwick Innovation Centre on Gallows Hill, has enlisted the help of neighbouring IT firm Zenzero to enhance its Nimbus Property Systems. The unique data analysis tool currently supports over 10,000 projects nationwide processing vast amounts of information to enable an unprecedented understanding of the property opportunities available relating to any specific site in the UK.

The technology is being developed at the same time as the property industry is undergoing a data revolution with plans to give the public greater access to government information. Simon Davis, managing director at Assured Property Group, said: “It is a really exciting time for both us as a company and the property industry as a whole. “With the Government planning to release additional land and property information we will be able to enhance our output even further as we are granted access to even larger data sets. “Our unique selling point is the way in which we analyse data to efficiently

appraise and asset manage sites to the highest standards and detail. “Our technology is bringing the property industry up to speed by allowing them to do things in a completely revolutionary way. We are bringing the science behind the traditional gut feel.” He added: “Since moving to Warwick Innovation Centre in 2013, we have expanded our client base quite considerably and have recently secured two big contracts with major pub companies that are using Nimbus Property Systems to maximise the value of their estates. “The number of sites on our Nimbus Property Systems has now also reached the 10,000 milestone which is a great achievement for us and our continued collaboration with Zenzero to produce new data technologies will only help to expand our offering in the future.” Karen Aston, centre manager at Warwick Innovation Centre, said: “It is fantastic to see two companies at the Innovation Centre working together to develop a system that will have a huge impact in the market. “We have a large variety of companies based at the Innovation Centre which makes it the perfect environment for firms to recruit the skills of others. “Assured Property Group has already placed itself at the forefront of the asset management and property market with the development of its Nimbus Property Systems and we are looking forward to the release of new technologies in the future.”

First phase of development in completed The first phase of a major investment programme of around £1.5 million to improve conference and event facilities at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire has been completed. Grandstand – Stoneleigh Events, which manages the event business at Stoneleigh Park, has spent just over £728,000 on modernising around 4,000sqm of indoor exhibition space. The upgrade has transformed the space, which formed part of the Blackdown Buildings on the estate, to the same high standard as two adjacent exhibition halls. The newly-named Hall 3 was unveiled in time for the return of the Great British Shooting Show, which attracts around 25,000 visitors over three days in February. The investment plans were announced by Grandstand – Stoneleigh Events last year after being joined at Stoneleigh Park by its parent company, Grandstand Group, which moved its headquarters to the emerging centre of agricultural excellence from Hertfordshire. Helena Pettit, managing director of Grandstand Group, said the refurbishment work to create Hall 3 would help to attract and retain an increasing number of events, from small conferences to national shows. She said: “The work has involved installing a polished concrete floor, new roof, energy efficient lighting and heating as well as high-speed wi-fi which will enhance the overall visitor experience. Over 2,000 tonnes of concrete floor was removed and recycled as well as new plumbing and cladding installed. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“The space has been transformed into a modern exhibition hall which makes it a far more viable proposition. It also gives us greater ability to accommodate expanding events held here by providing additional space of a similar standard to Halls 1 and 2. “This will make a huge difference to our business and increase the variety of business that we can attract to Stoneleigh Park.” The first phase of investment and improvements totals around £750,000 and includes general refurbishments to the other two exhibition halls. Plans are also being drawn up for the remainder of the Blackdown Buildings to be upgraded in the next year to create additional exhibition halls. With over 21,000sqm of indoor exhibition space and 1,050 acres of outdoor space, Stoneleigh Park is one of the most versatile venues in the UK and hosts around 360 events a year. On-site facilities include a 58-bedroom hotel and free parking for over 30,000 cars. The investment is part of a major push to attract new events, which has already resulted in winning a five-year tender to organise the British Showjumping National Championships from 2015. Motorcycle Trade Expo, previously held at Birmingham’s NEC, is another newcomer for this year having held its first event in January. Colin Hooper, estates director at Stoneleigh Park, welcomed the developments.

He said: “This investment supports the on-going transformation of Stoneleigh Park by LaSalle Investment Management, which has pledged £50 million to turn it into a science park dedicated to rural and agricultural innovation over 15 years. “Stoneleigh Park is renowned for hosting high-profile agricultural and equestrian events, and Grandstand – Stoneleigh Events securing the British Showjumping National Championships for five years is a fantastic endorsement of the improving facilities we have here.”

New commercial building could create up to 400 jobs

A leading property expert says Coventry and Warwickshire’s commitment to growth has already resulted in attracting a new commercial building that could create between 200 and 400 jobs for the region. David Penn, the managing director of Shortland Penn + Moore, was part of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s meeting with Coventry City Council to discuss the Council’s budget. Penn said the Council had made it clear that there had to be a reduction in spending but that it was committed to economic growth and he praised the determination of officers and councillors to deliver that growth. He added that the roadworks for the new Whitley Junction, providing improved access into Whitley Business Park, had helped attract a national company to develop a new property on the business park which has now been put forward for planning. Penn said: “I know sometimes there is a question of how the Council can pay for roadworks when it is constrained on spending for vital services, but the money to pay for works at Whitley is not from the Council’s coffers. “The roadworks are being paid for from money drawn down by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership because improving access to Whitley Business Park was seen as strategically important for the region’s growth. “If those funds had not been bid for and won by the CWLEP, they wouldn’t be available to pay for other services here – they would have gone elsewhere and would be helping another area’s economic prosperity. “I’m also delighted to see that a further £15.3million has been attracted to the area in this way through the Government’s latest Growth Deal grant announcement, which will see further investment in our economic prosperity.” He added: “Infrastructure improvements are a great driver for economic success but it is rare that they have such an immediate and direct result. Whitley Business Park has attracted strong interest over the years but now we have a genuine commitment to invest and create hundreds of jobs here.

Colin Hooper and Helena Pettit are pictured in the new Hall 3 at Stoneleigh Park during the final stages of refurbishment.

“It’s great news for Coventry and Warwickshire and I have to say the meeting with the City Council at the Chamber reaffirmed my view that they are doing a fantastic job for the City even in the face of budgetary cuts.”

The personal touch Helping people through one of the most difficult challenges of their lives requires professional and personal understanding - and few know that better than Patrick Murtagh.

“I’ve always known of the various financial service providers and the market in which they operate but it is truly amazing just how many different finance products are available to businesses today.”

Front Row: L-R: Alan Jones; Patrick Murtagh; Tony Mitchell Back Row: L-R: Brett Barton; Nigel Chilvers

Patrick is a member of the Chamber’s board of directors and currently splits his working day between Cranfield Business Recovery, which provides business recovery and insolvency advice to corporate and personal clients facing financial difficulties, and Cranfield Business Finance, which sources funding solutions that best meet the needs and expectations of its clients. Patrick said: “Over the last 25-plus years I have been fortunate to work on many aspects of the job that transcend a career in the business recovery profession. From the early days when I dealt with the impact of insolvency on employees to leading the company’s investigative and litigation work in recovering hidden assets for the benefit of insolvent estates. “There are many aspects to the corporate rescue and insolvency profession, not all of them destructive. If all my years in the profession have taught me one thing it is that directors who seek early professional advice, whether from their accountant, solicitor or an experienced insolvency practitioner, have a better prospect of securing the survival of their business.” Patrick has been at the sharp end when business owners have had to confront the fact that their company needs help and that redundancies are inevitable once all other options have been explored.

“Business recovery and insolvency has and continues to be a very rewarding profession, especially when the advice and assistance you provide to clients achieve a better than anticipated outcome for them.” From the satisfaction of salvaging a business concern, providing an enhanced return to creditors and securing the employment prospects of the workforce, to the harsh reality of liquidation and business closure, Patrick knows that insolvency’s personal cost goes well beyond the monetary. He believes that empathy and compassion go a long way in distinguishing the practitioners in his industry. “I am proud to work in a profession which helps people to find the right solution, particularly when they are financially at their most vulnerable,” he said. “I have never forgotten that directors endure many sleepless nights before contacting Cranfield to seek help. It is for me one of, if not the hardest, of all corporate decisions. To assess the overall financial position of a company and reach the view that it should be liquidated is always regrettable, particularly as it affects the lives of the directors, its employees and other stakeholders in the business. The ripple effects and real human stories of an insolvency process stretch well beyond the company’s premises.”

And Patrick’s own story is quite a tale. Fresh out of university, he left his native Northern Ireland for England with his girlfriend and soon-to-be-wife, Cathy. “We eloped! It really was the classic elopement” he said. “We were from separate religious backgrounds and at the time our respective parents were not best enamoured with the relationship. Knowing the political issues in the country at that time and looking back at it now, you can understand that their actions were entirely out of love and concern rather than any malice.

“But in your early twenties, you’re still a kid really and like most kids today, we knew best and that was that. So we arrived in Bristol and were married within three months. That was 28 years ago.” Patrick may have left Northern Ireland but he is quick to point out the principles of hard work, honesty and integrity that his family had deeply ingrained within him. He managed to secure employment almost immediately with Solomon Hare & Co, an accountancy firm in Bristol that

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Patrick Murtagh had recently started an insolvency department and was looking to recruit. “I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time,” he said. “How many people have said that over the years? It was at a time when the profession was experiencing the changing effects of the new legislation. “I worked for a couple of great guys at that time: Reg Muldoon and Jack London. They were building a new department and were always willing to take the time to explain how to do the job. I know that may sound simplistic but it amazes me how so many people in management do not take the time just to help nurture and guide their junior colleagues. “It was their help and advice that gave me my grounding in the business and the motivation to make it my career. It didn’t hurt that Reg was also from Northern Ireland, had a great outlook on life and made sure that he and those around him enjoyed themselves to the full. We remain friends today. “It was during my time in Bristol that the firm’s insolvency department was affiliated to Stoy Hayward, which exposed me to the larger-style appointments, working predominantly on hotel and leisure industry receiverships. “As much as the work itself develops your career, it is always the people that you meet and their personal stories that stay with you - from the man who was needlessly declared bankrupt and didn’t want his wife to know, to the couple who falsified documents in order to salvage their yacht from creditors.” After a spell with a smaller practice, and having spent ten years in Bristol, he headed to the Midlands with his wife and two children for a new challenge. “It was during a training course that I was approached with an offer to move to the Midlands and the prospect of advancing my career. At the time it was a risk as it meant moving away from friends and the only real connections that the family had in England. The opportunity looked secure but within a month of selling my home in Bristol and moving to the Midlands I was made redundant. “One minute everything is going along fine and suddenly I was out of work, with a young family to support. I don’t panic easily but I don’t mind saying it was a low point. For the first time ever, I had to go to an employment agency. “Within a very short period of time, I was offered and accepted a contract with Baker Tilly in Birmingham and spent five great years with them before joining Cranfield.” Patrick joined Cranfield Business Recovery in December 2002 and by June of the following year was offered an equal stake in the company by founder Tony Mitchell. “It is, without doubt, the most generous offer and best business opportunity ever presented to me. It gave me the basis to build a solid foundation and future, not just for my family but for those that the company would come to employ.” From its start with one room and four staff in Castle Street, Warwick, Cranfield www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“As much as the work itself develops your career, it is always the people that you meet and their personal stories that stay with you - from the man who was needlessly declared bankrupt and didn’t want his wife to know, to the couple who falsified documents in order to salvage their yacht from creditors.” has moved three times as it has grown and recently relocated to the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre in Binley. Over the years Cranfield has assembled a strong management team. Patrick is joined in Cranfield Business Recovery by Tony Mitchell and Brett Barton, both Licensed Insolvency Practitioners, who between them possess a wealth of technical knowledge and practical experience in the business recovery field. More recently and as part of the Group’s plans to expand beyond Coventry and Warwickshire, Nigel Chilvers has also joined the team. In January 2013, as part of a long term strategy, it was decided to open Cranfield Business Finance. “We identified a gap in the local marketplace for a whole-of-market funding solutions business and approached Alan Jones to join the management team,” said Patrick, who has recently been spending more time on the Cranfield Business Finance side of the business, working alongside Alan. “I’ve always known of the various financial service providers and the market in which they operate but it is truly amazing just how many different finance products are available to businesses today. “There are vast savings to be made for companies when sourcing a whole-ofmarket solution, without compromising service. Our aim is to achieve a fundamental understanding of our client’s business and provide the best financial solution that meets their long term aspirations. “Over the past 14 years, the ethos behind the development of the company’s ideals and standards has never changed. I believe passionately in education and training. “The company has made that commitment to its staff, assembling a solid team who possess a real quality in their technical knowledge and skill set. For me this is the real testament to the long term investment that Cranfield has made for the benefit of its clients.” Cranfield believes in being an active participant in the local community. “We are proud members of the Belgrade Theatre Directors Club, sponsor a local Coventry Godiva Harriers athlete and through the sterling efforts of Brett and his Wolf Run last year raised over £10,000 in sponsorship for the Ronald McDonald House Charity.” From a personal perspective, the religious politics in Northern Ireland have mellowed from what they were many years ago. “I love the country that I

was born in but have made my home in England. We regularly visit both our families on holiday and family occasions.” Patrick’s skill for investigation is now also being put to good use away from the office.

“My interests include genealogy and wandering aimlessly around the golf course after a white ball. If there is a golfing heaven my golfing partner Douglas has a place reserved for him – he has the patience of a saint. “As for my interest in genealogy, that started with a conversation between my father and uncle, who had lost touch with a relative. Three months later I found her living in Solihull where she showed me pictures of my father as a child in the arms of his mother and father in Sutton Park – just a stone’s throw from where I live now. Spooky really. That was 15 years ago and the family has enjoyed many adventures in our research and travels ever since – but that’s another tale.”

Biography: Patrick Murtagh Birthplace: Education: Married: Children: Hobbies: Favourite book: Favourite film:

Portadown, Northern Ireland CBS Armagh; University of Ulster Yes, to Cathy Byron (27), Emma (26) Golf, Genealogy & Solving Puzzles The Vault by Peter Lovesey Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (guaranteed to lift your spirits, especially at Christmas) Car: BMW 330 Convertible Last holiday: Rented a cottage in Devon Favourite gadget: Satnav

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Tisski launches new pay-as-you-go CRM solution for small businesses

Tisski Dynamics, a leading Microsoft partner and provider of CRM and ERP solutions, has launched Rapid Results CRM, a Customer Relationship Management solution for SMEs. An out of the box system, Rapid Results CRM incorporates all of the key functionality of the award winning Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Not only that, but Tisski Dynamics is offering an implementation and pricing model that’s much more in line with the requirements of smaller organisations and business start-ups. Carolyn Arnold, Sales and Marketing Director for Tisski, said: “When speaking to potential small business clients we noticed that two main objections to purchasing a

dedicated CRM solution were coming up time and time again. The first was high implementation costs, and the second was the amount of time that needed to be invested during the implementation stage. We decided to address those objections directly by launching Rapid Results CRM and reworking the implementation process so that businesses could be up and running within weeks rather than months. We also realised that affordable monthly payments, which cover implementation and ongoing support costs, were key and would be much more viable for many smaller organisations.” Tisski is well regarded for providing CRM and ERP solutions that are tailored to specific industries and business types. In

this case, the company has recognised that SMEs needed a more affordable Customer Relationship Management solution that would start bringing benefits across sales, marketing, and customer service departments quickly. By taking advantage of the simple monthly payment plan, organisations will be able to access their Cloud based CRM solution within 30 days. They will also have access to the benefits and support previously thought of as being out of reach due to time and budget constraints. Find out more about Tisski Dynamics and Rapid Results CRM at www.tisski-dynamics.com

Release ‘could be end of an era’ A Midlands Microsoft expert believes Windows 10 could be the IT giant’s last full release of the ground-breaking platform. Since its first release in 1985, Windows has revolutionised the way businesses and individuals use computers and there are now believed to be 1.5 billion Windows devices running worldwide. Urfaan Azhar, senior business development manager at Warwickshire-based ACUTEC – one of Microsoft’s must trusted UK partners – believes the release of Windows 10 later this year will be the end of an era, of sorts. He said: “The vast majority of businesses across the Midlands and, indeed, the UK are using Windows and, in many cases, don’t remember life without it. “When you look at the way it has evolved over 30 years it charts the way technology has improved and has grown to make business much more efficient and has brought a world of new opportunities. “Last year, we became one of Microsoft’s managed partners for the UK and that puts us in the top one per cent of their 33,000 partner companies in the country.

“It means we get to see the latest innovations and Windows 10 is going to be very popular with businesses – I have no doubt about that. “My instinct is that this will be the last full release of Windows and that, in the future, it will be more a case of downloadable updates and apps.” Urfaan said the new release would make it easier for businesses to access files, information and programmes through PC, mobile, tablet and laptop. He said: “Windows 10 returns some of the key features many felt were missing from Windows 8 – simple things such as the start button. “But the main difference businesses are going to see is the opportunity to move seamlessly from mobile or tablet to PC and vice versa. “It’s an area of technology that has been improving but Windows 10 will take it to a new level and, with the advance of cloud technology, it’s a real benefit that companies will see. “It is due to be released later in the year and there is a real buzz in the industry about it.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Show proves a big hit

A record number of exhibitors from across the globe attended the ninth Trade Only National Show at the Ricoh Arena - and over 75 per cent of space is already booked for next year. Nearly 3,000 visitors attended the two-day event which is the UK’s biggest annual trade show for promotional products and corporate clothing. There were more suppliers exhibiting than ever before, with 350 stands and people from 56 countries taking part ranging from Australia to the USA and nearly 2,000 staff on hand to discuss everything from products to catalogues. The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) Annual Awards Dinner, organised by Trade Only, saw nearly 700 guests enjoy a gala dinner in the E.ON Lounge with an electrifying performance from top dance band Carte Blanche.

Almost 150 delegates attended the BPMA Education Day which included sessions by industry experts Dee Blick, Warren Knight, Paul Bellantone, Rod Brown and Michel van Bavel. The inaugural Constant Contact Promotional Merchandise Industry Digital Awards were also held during the show. Nigel Bailey, Event Director for Trade Only, said the 2015 show had been the most successful they had held. He said: “It has been, as always, an amazing few days. This show has become one of the very top promotional product trade shows in the world. With over 75 per cent of space now reserved for 2016, we are already hard at work planning to make next year’s event even better. “Feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike has been universally very positive. Our new VeriREG registration software has

helped us improve visitor quality yet again and this has been reflected in many of the comments we have received already from our exhibitors.” Stephanie Cunningham, Exhibition Manager for Trade Only, added: “It has been brilliant and we have all been working nonstop. The reaction from everyone has been terrific. “As a newcomer to the promo-world, I learned a lot and everyone seemed to be inspired and just happy to be here; what an amazing industry! Our sincere thanks go to everyone who has been a part of this great show in any way.” Visitors thronged the stands, networked and watched manufacturing demonstrations as Trade Only used the entire 20,000 sqm of event space at the Ricoh Arena including the Jaguar Exhibition Hall and Freeman Hall 3. Chris Owen, Senior Events Manager at the Ricoh Arena, said there had been a constant buzz throughout the Ricoh Arena during the two-day show. “Nigel and his team work really hard preparing for the show 12 months in advance to make sure there is always something new to entice visitors and exhibitors,” he said. “We have signed a three-year deal with the organisers and we are proud of the fact the Ricoh Arena is associated as the home of Trade Only. “Dates have already been agreed for 2016 – January 20 and 21 – and, once again, all the key suppliers will be here to meet new and current clients, launch new products or catalogues and source products for another memorable two days.”

Striker agrees sponsorship deal

The company bringing ultra-fast internet speeds to Coventry has agreed a sponsorship deal with the Sky Blues. Striker Frank Nouble signed a contract with the club until the end of the season after a successful loan spell and the Coventry CORE have confirmed they will be sponsoring him. Brett Marshall, of Coventry CORE – and a lifelong City fan, said: “We’re delighted to agree this sponsorship deal with Coventry City Football club and with Frank Nouble. We hope he continues the form he has already shown this season to help push the Sky Blues up the league table.” He added: “As a company based in the city we want to support local businesses and we’re delighted to be able to support the local club too. We’re proud of the Coventry CORE project and hope this will help more companies to be aware of the benefits ultrafast connectivity can bring.” Companies interested in internet speeds of up to a gigabit should register at www.coventrycore.com Tynan Scope, corporate sales manager at Coventry City Football Club, said: “It’s great that Frank Nouble has extended his stay at Coventry City and it’s fantastic to have secured Coventry CORE as a new business supporting the club. “We look forward to working with them and we are delighted that such a crucial asset for Coventry businesses is backing the club and its latest signing.”

Prestigious Double Award for Leigh Christou Bookkeeping Team of the Year and Best Statutory Auditor UK Leigh Christou are proud to be recognised for their success in the Wealth & Finance International awards announced at the end of 2014 in two areas. The awards are handed out solely on merit to businesses who have been nominated by their clients, peers and industry experts, for their outstanding work over the past twelve months. Siobhan Hanley from Wealth & Finance stated that “not just any business can be nominated for one of these awards and only the most forward-thinking, committed and results-driven firms, who have consistently produced standout work will walk away with one of our prestigious trophies”. Chris Christou and Matt Keeling, both Directors at Leigh Christou Limited, were proud to achieve this accolade on behalf of all staff members who have worked so hard in these areas of the business.

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Senior Audit Team. L to R: Ruth McCutchion, Graham Leigh and Matthew Keeling

Bookkeeping and Audit Team. L to R: Conchita Alfeiran, Sundeep Sangha, Ryan Kent, Philip Cooper, Steven Walsgrove and Jackie Christou

Area Focus: Coventry

Council ‘taking the right action in face of austerity’

Business leaders in Coventry have told city council officials that they believe they are taking the right action in the face of deep cuts from Central Government. Councillor Kevin Maton met the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Coventry branch along with senior officials from Coventry City Council including Martin Yardley and Chris West. The Chamber heard that the council’s central funding would soon be reduced by half compared with levels in 2010 and that austerity would continue, in council spending terms, until at least 2020 – whichever party forms the next Government. The city council is currently consulting on a range of measures to reduce spending but told the Chamber economic growth was vital to the city moving forward. Peter Burns, president of the Chamber, said: “We welcome the dialogue with the city council and I don’t envy their position of having to make such major spending reductions, which is never going to be popular. “However, in the circumstances, we believe the council is approaching this in the right way. “As a Chamber, we have been saying for a long time that prosperity through growth is the only way forward for Coventry and we are pleased that we have been able to take this message to the city council. “That means we need to increase the number of houses in the city and to get people who work in the city to live here and, crucially, spend here. “The spending on infrastructure is also welcome and we can all see £200 million worth of improvements taking place around the city. “It’s important to note that the infrastructure work isn’t coming out of the council’s budget – it’s not a choice of improving our road networks or spending more on services. Much of the money is coming via the LEP or from Europe and, as a Chamber, we can only see the medium and long-term benefits of those improvements. “Economic growth is in all of our interests and we believe the council is taking the right approach in very trying circumstances.”

Restoration project granted crucial funding An £11 million project to restore Coventry’s Grade I listed Charterhouse as the centrepiece of a new 70-acre heritage park has taken a huge step towards becoming a reality after a major grant was approved by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). An initial £400,000 has been awarded to the Charterhouse Coventry Preservation Trust to work up the detailed plans to pave the way for a total of £4.7 million for Phase 1 of the Heritage Park, subject to further HLF approval. The funding will allow the trust, working closely with the local community, to produce detailed proposals to enable applications for funding to match the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The 14th Century property is of huge historic significance with mediaeval and Elizabethan artwork that has few parallels anywhere in the UK. The Charterhouse was originally constructed as a large Carthusian monastery complex, with Richard II and Queen Anne of Bohemia laying the foundation stone to the church in 1386. Parts of the church wall remain to this day embedded in 600 metres of monastic precinct walls which originally protected the silent monks from the noise and sins of the city. Ian Harrabin, chairman of the trust which took ownership of the building from City College after a community campaign to keep the building for the people of the city, said: “This is massive news for the city and a major first step towards raising the funding for the whole Heritage Park. “The city’s rich history has the potential to have a huge effect on the economic wellbeing of Coventry and the attraction of jobs. It’s a great kick-start for any bid to become city of culture in the next few years.” The Heritage Park will connect the Charterhouse with both the Arboretum Cemetery – designed by Joseph Paxton, the creator of the Crystal Palace – and along the riverside parkland to one of the world’s earliest railway viaducts which was designed by Robert Stephenson. Woodland trails and river walks are planned to connect to both ends of Far Gosford St, past Fargo Village Creative Quarter and Gosford

Green – which was where the War of the Roses began. The funding that has been secured is to work up the proposals to restore the buildings, monastic walls and exceptional art as well as the creation of conference facilities and a café. Within the inner walls will be a tranquil garden and two recreated monks cells, one to show how the monks lived and one as an acoustic ‘room of silence’ to experience what it was like to live like the silent Carthusian monks in a place without noise. Other plans include a community orchard, an urban farm, the naturalising of the river to create an ‘urban beach’ and the recreation of the monks’ fishing ponds. The parkland will be expanded to include new wildflower meadows and wetland areas to encourage wildlife. Reyahn King, Head of HLF West Midlands, said “This rare example of a surviving Carthusian monastery has the potential to become a key destination within Coventry.” The Charterhouse was gifted to the people of Coventry by Colonel William F. Ryley, the founder of the Chamber of Commerce in Coventry, on his death in 1940 with a vision of

it becoming a centre for the city’s arts and culture. Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and a Charterhouse Coventry Preservation trustee, said: “Huge congratulations must go to the community who have fought tirelessly for at least the past 25 years to open the Charterhouse to the public. This is a great day for Coventry from a cultural and economic point of view.” Ann Lucas, Leader of Coventry City Council, said: “Coventry has a rich history over 1,000 years that is often overlooked. This project will bring our history to life and open up a large area of parkland and the city’s river on the edge of the city centre.” The Right Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, said: “Charterhouse is one of Coventry's gems that for years lay hidden and almost forgotten. Through the determination of its new Preservation Trust, the imagination of many others and, now, generous support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, this priceless prize of historical, cultural and religious significance is beginning to shine once more.”

Funding boost for Serious Games Institute’s assistive tech innovation The team behind a new app that will support the learning of disabled workers has been given a funding boost by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to progress its concept from idea to reality. Coventry University’s Serious Games Institute (SGI) is leading a collaborative project – which includes disabled employment services provider Remploy, digital developers Serious Games International and Hereward College – to develop the ‘Work Buddy’ app, and has been awarded £99,000 as part of the second phase of the Small Business Research Initiative www.sbri.innovateuk.org which is sponsored by BIS and Innovate UK and managed by Jisc TechDis. Work Buddy will be accessible across mobile, tablet and desktop platforms and aims to help disabled workers to create personal learning profiles in collaboration

with their employers, ensuring they can perform work duties well while being as independent as possible. The project was one of only four awarded funding earlier this year for a feasibility study into its app concept, after it was selected as part of the government-backed ‘Good to go’ competition which invited ideas for assistive technologies to increase disabled workers’ independence in unfamiliar or challenging environments. Dr Alex Woolner from the SGI, who leads the Work Buddy project, said: “In a world where our learning and working environments are evolving at a rapid pace, it’s increasingly important to have the right tools in place to support the different needs of employees to help them with their daily activities. “We’re delighted to be receiving this extra funding for the Work Buddy app as we look to meet those different technology

requirements. Our initial work engaging users in the app’s design has been successful, so this new funding will support the next phase of developing a prototype which will help deliver a more independent and personalised learning experience for disabled workers.” Greg Clark, Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities, said: “I believe that education and employment should be open to everyone who has the ambition to get on. I am proud that the government is supporting innovative British companies to make more opportunities available for disabled people.” Mark Burrett, programme designer for Remploy, said: “Remploy is delighted to be able to support the development of Work Buddy, as we are committed to improve employment rates for people with learning disabilities which currently stand at 7% in the UK.

“Work Buddy is an innovative way of providing in-work support using the latest mobile technology to aid independence in the workplace, and ultimately to increase the number of job outcomes for people with learning disabilities to enable them to achieve their aspirations. We’re looking forward to working with our customers in the development of Work Buddy.” Sal Cooke, Jisc TechDis director, said: “The companies made amazing progress in the first phase. It was an absolute joy watching them work directly with disabled learners and employers using their feedback to adapt the designs.” Stephen Browning, head of SBRI, said: “The SBRI process has enabled these companies to demonstrate the potential of their innovative ideas and make a real difference to the learning and working environments for people with disabilities.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Tickets on sale for inspirational event groups who deserve to be recognised for their achievements. “It is always humbling to hear about people’s selfless acts of courage, compassion and care and we look forward to celebrating their dedication in an unforgettable night at Coventry Cathedral on March 20.” Tickets for the awards ceremony are £20, which includes a £2 donation to Zoë’s Place. They are available from the Belgrade Theatre on 024 7655 3055 or online at www.belgrade.co.uk/prideofcov For the latest news on the awards search Twitter hashtag #prideofcov or visit www.coventrytelegraph.net Last years winners

Tickets are on sale for a night honouring inspirational people. The Pride of Coventry and Warwickshire Awards are organised by the Coventry Telegraph, in association with Virgin Trains. TV presenter and broadcaster Fiona Phillips will be joined by local celebrities at a ceremony at Coventry Cathedral on Friday March 20. Singer Letitia George, who has been competing in BBC1 show The Voice and Coventry actress Sinead Matthews, whose movie roles include Nanny McPhee and Pride And Prejudice, will be taking part. Olympian and former world record-holding

runner David Moorcroft will also be appearing on the night, alongside singer Hazel O’Connor and West End star Dave Willetts. The awards, which will support Zoë’s Place baby hospice, will celebrate courageous and inspiring local people, nominated by Coventry Telegraph readers. There will be a diverse programme of entertainment, including live music from Jaguar Land Rover Brass Band. Alan Harris, Communities Editor at the Coventry Telegraph, said: “The Coventry Telegraph prides itself on being at the heart of the community and is delighted to tell so many wonderful stories of individuals and

Fiona Phillips

Prize draw win for Elle-Mae The enterprising actions of a Coventry student proved to be decisive when leading training provider PET-Xi hosted a competition at a major careers event. Elle-Mae French, a year 11 student at Coundon Court School, was presented with a certificate and a Samsung tablet after winning a prize draw held by PET-Xi at the Jobs and Careers Fair at the Ricoh Arena. The 16-year-old attended the event, which was organised by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, having been intrigued to find out about the range of apprenticeship opportunities available after completing her GSCEs. PET-Xi works with hundreds of schools across the UK to deliver GCSEs and GCSE equivalents through intensive motivational tailored programmes, and had a team of experts at the Ricoh Arena to advise students on the learning opportunities available. Elle-Mae was one of around 400 young people who entered PET-Xi’s competition and was praised by her head teacher after being presented with her prize. Andrew Clay, head teacher at Coundon Court School, said: “We were extremely impressed Elle-Mae went along with a friend to the Jobs and Careers Fair at the Ricoh Arena independently to explore the range of apprenticeship opportunities available. “Earlier this year we took year 11 students to the Skills Show at the NEC as part of our commitment to careers education, and it is great to see our students being so enterprising in their own time.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Elle-Mae added: “The careers fair really opened my eyes to all the different apprenticeship options available. PET-Xi gave me some really useful advice at the Careers Fair, and it was a really nice surprise to find out afterwards that I’d been picked out as their winner!” Gavin O’Toole, business development manager at PET-Xi, based at Westwood Business Park in Coventry, said the

competition was a perfect ice breaker to interact with students. He said: “We really enjoyed exhibiting at the Jobs and Careers Fair and the opportunity to support visitors at the event with careers advice. It is great to see young students like Elle-Ma e exploring different career options available and we congratulate her on being picked as our winner!”

left to right – Gavin O’Toole and Carol Collins from PET X-i with Elle-Mae French and Coundon Court School headteacher Andrew Clay and senior assistant head Dan Clarkson

Official opening of the WMG Academy for Young Engineers Ratan Tata GBE, Chairman of Tata Trusts and Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, officially opened the WMG Academy for Young Engineers in Coventry. Hosted by Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, Chairman of WMG, and John Leighfield CBE, Chairman of the WMG Academy Trust, Mr Tata officially opened the Academy in front of an audience of more than 300. Guests included companies working closely with the Academy such as Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors, Bosch and National Grid, civic leaders and the partners from the University of Warwick. The WMG Academy, which opened its doors to more than 230 students in September 2014, is already a huge success. Within a month of opening, a team of students triumphed at the Coventry City Council Debating Competition and won a trip to the House of Lords. The WMG Academy has promised, from its inception, to blend business and education, to prepare students for the world of work and offers a unique curriculum which teaches engineering and business skills alongside standard qualifications. Mr Tata said: “It is vital that we encourage young people not only to become involved in engineering, but also to prepare them for the world of work. We take our role as business partner with the WMG Academy very seriously and are proud to have been involved from the very beginning with this important project.” Principal of the WMG Academy, Kate Tague said: “From the very start we have integrated business and education here and who better to officially open our building than Mr Tata, a major global force in the manufacturing, engineering and technology? For our students, meeting our business partners, especially someone as renowned as Mr Tata, is a hugely important experience and very inspirational. “Tata, and JLR, have been involved with the WMG Academy from the very beginning and have played a huge role, alongside our other business partners in shaping the Academy, not just in terms of the physical building we have but also in terms of the curriculum and the projects which form the core of the work our students undertake here.” As well as Tata Motors, the WMG Academy business partners include: Jaguar Land Rover, National Grid, Prodrive, the Autins Group, Squires Gear and Engineering Ltd, Dassault Systemes, Bosch, SCC, Controls & Data Services, Oleo International, Sarginsons, WMG and the University of Warwick. The WMG Academy is also supported by the EEF (the manufacturers organisation) WMMC (The West Midlands Manufacturing Consortium) and the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Area Focus: Coventry

Hundreds of pounds raised for Guide Dogs at University event

Company strengthens support for football club A Coventry company has made a further commitment to the future of Coventry City Football Club. NSL Automotive, which specialises in steering products and brake calipers for the automotive trade, became the first Active Ambassador for the Sky Blues – a scheme which chief executive Steve Waggott has devised to work with business people to help recruit new players for the development squad. But now the company has furthered its commitment to helping the next generation of Sky Blues’ talent, by sponsoring the academy’s under-13 side, with the funds going towards equipment and support of the team.

A link-up between Coventry University and the Guide Dogs charity saw over £600 raised at an event that was attended by the Lord Mayor of Coventry. The funds will be split between Guide Dogs and the University’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing, which is aiming to raise £5,000 to name a puppy at next year’s Godiva Festival. Councillor Hazel Noonan joined University students, staff and volunteers from the Coventry and Leamington Guide Dogs branches, who brought an array of puppies in training, working dogs and retired Labradors and retrievers to the event at the Engineering and Computing Building. The Mayor participated in all of the activities set up for the event, which included a guide dog demonstration and a sensory tunnel – a blacked-out tunnel designed to help sighted people understand what it is like to live with a visual impairment and carry out tasks like counting change and pouring a drink. As part of the link-up, Leamington’s Guide Dogs branch was also provided with 75 duvets left by graduating students from the University, for use in its training centre as much-needed bedding for the dogs.

Elise Smithson, sustainability director at Coventry University, said: “It was a terrific day of activities and we’re very pleased to have kicked off our fundraising efforts for Guide Dogs in this way. We were honoured that the Mayor could attend, and she proved a good sport in taking part in all of the activities we’d put on. “Student Ambassadors volunteered to be trained by Guide Dogs as sighted guides, and then led other blindfolded students and staff around our building, which was a powerful trust experience for all. There were lots of new friends made by students, the local community and dogs.” Frank Lynn of the Coventry and Leamington Guide Dogs branches said: “The Godiva Puppy Appeal was launched in February this year, with the aim of raising money to sponsor as many Guide Dog puppies as possible, which will be puppy walked in the local area, and potentially be placed with Guide Dog owners in Coventry. It’s not commonly know that we are totally funded by voluntary contribution, receiving no government or National Lottery funds.

“It’s a particular pleasure to work directly with Coventry University’s student ambassadors, societies and the many cultures at the University to show just how much a Guide Dog brings to the independence and confidence of its owner. It brings a lot of fun to the students, Guide Dog owners and not least the endless supply of loving attention for the dogs.”

New chapter in life of historic club The oldest golf club in Coventry is teeing off a new chapter in its illustrious past as part of a drive to open up to more players. Coventry Golf Club, founded in 1887 and host to many prestigious tournaments including Open Qualifying competitions, is now branching out to the corporate market for the first time. The club in St Martins Road, Finham, is introducing bespoke membership for corporate golfers to strengthen its connections within the local business community and in response to the changing landscape within the game. It has signed up independent commercial insurance broker Inspire Insurance Services, which operates throughout the UK from its base at Westwood Business Park in Coventry, as its first corporate member. The new corporate package is being launched off the back of the club also starting to offer a lower-cost approach to golf with a flexible membership category to cater for the increasing number of golfers who have limited time. Coventry Golf Club is part of GolfMark, a national accreditation scheme run by England Golf that recognises clubs supporting the development of the game. Martin Sutliff has been based at Coventry Golf Club for ten years and took over as Head PGA Professional from Dr Phil Weaver OBE, a former

NSL, which is run by Mick Parsons – a lifelong Sky Blues fan – has experienced rapid growth despite only being formed in August 2013. It has seen turnover treble and is experiencing a boom in business. The deal agreed will see the company logo on the team’s shirt and Parsons, 31, is delighted to be helping the club as both the sponsor and as an ambassador. “It’s fantastic to be in a position to help my boyhood club, and the club that means so much to me,” Mick Parsons said. “We’re delighted to have this new deal to sponsor the under-13s and we’d urge more local businesses to become a part of the future of the football club.” Corporate sales manager Tynan Scope added: “We’re delighted that Mick has decided to now sponsor the under-13s and both parties will really benefit from the deal. “We are keen to work with local businesses and there are plenty more opportunities for companies to get involved at all levels of the club but particularly around supporting the academy.”

chairman of the PGA and Ryder Cup board member, on his retirement last June. Martin said: “We have always been an open and friendly club. We have over 700 members and they will continue to be our priority as they are the core of the club. “Golf however is changing and we have to look at other avenues. A number of local industry heads already play here but we are moving into corporate membership so that businesses in the area can host clients on and off the course, and have their own golf days. “We are delighted to welcome Inspire Insurance Services as our first corporate member. It is a fast-growing and dynamic company and it will be a strong partnership for us to forge.” For Inspire Insurance Services, its membership extends its commitment to local sports clubs having been a sponsor of Coventry Rugby Club for the past four seasons. Leigh Mackey, managing director of Inspire Insurance Services, said: “We are delighted to be joining Coventry Golf Club as it has such a rich heritage and is highly regarded within and beyond the city. “Although I am a relative newcomer to golf, I appreciate its value as a place for doing business and am looking forward to developing our professional contacts and relationships in the picturesque setting of this mature parkland course.”

Akabusi is star turn as Charity Ball raises £13,000

Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist Kriss Akabusi was the star of the show as a Coventry recruitment and training firm raised over £13,000 for charity through their annual ball. More than 400 guests joined the Olympian and the team from eResponse Recruitment at the gala event to raise £13,144 for MakeA-Wish UK, a charity that sends children with life-limiting conditions on their dream holidays. Akabusi, who shot to fame representing Team GB in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics, spoke on the importance of building an engaged, winning team and helped to boost

the charity’s coffers through an auction of sporting memorabilia and prizes. Paul Alekna, managing director of eResponse, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who attended this year’s ball and of course Kriss who was superb and made the event that extra bit special. He couldn’t do enough for everyone and gave a fantastic speech on building a winning team. “It was a brilliant night with a great amount raised for Make-A-Wish UK – a charity that does so much for so many young people.” Emma O’Brien from Make-A-Wish UK also spoke at the charity ball which was held at

the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham. A successful broadcaster and motivational speaker, Akabusi, 56, represented Team GB in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics, where he won medals in the 4x400m relay in both years and the 400m hurdles in 1992. He also took gold in the World Championships, European Championships and Commonwealth Games. eResponse has branches and training centres in Coventry and Rugby. It also has further offices in Worcestershire and Northamptonshire. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Mid Warks

Warwick team’s bid to transform education in South Africa under way The quality of education in one of South Africa’s most disadvantaged districts is set to be transformed following a visit to the country by a team from the University of Warwick.

A small group of staff spent a week in a variety of schools in the Vhembe district of Limpopo, hosted by members of the Limpopo Province Education Board and staff from the University of Venda (UNIVEN) – the partner institution for the project. Funded by the British High Commission’s Prosperity Fund, the objective is to provide evidence-based recommendations to enhance the region’s quality of education in the areas of leadership, management and professional development for teachers, as well as the implementation of school-to-school support systems. Nine schools were visited, including two of Vhembe district’s best performing secondary schools, alongside a mix of less well-resourced primary and secondary schools. The team was also fortunate enough to attend meetings with circuit managers in the district, who oversee the performance and support of the schools, and spend time with members of UNIVEN’s School of Education. Ian Abbott, Director of the University of Warwick’s Centre for Education Studies, said: “We discovered a group of fantastically motivated principals and senior school management staff in need of some extra guidance on how to make the most of the limited resources they have in their schools. “Working alongside UNIVEN, we feel the suggestions we are able to make for improvement in areas such as school

leadership and community engagement can make a marked difference to the way the schools work and, in turn, the educational achievements of the students.” The trip follows a visit to the University of Warwick by a delegation from Limpopo and UNIVEN in October 2014, when the Centre for Education Studies delivered a week-long Leadership and Management Programme (LAMP) to a number of the Vhembe district’s head teachers. Phil Whitehead, Senior Teaching Fellow in the Centre for Education Studies and lead for the project, said: “It was amazing to meet with our LAMP delegates again and visit some of their schools. We were able to find out how they are utilising the plans we made with them back in October and are starting to make significant

changes to the way their schools are run. “Of course, implementing change isn’t without challenge and added support is certainly needed to make sure things continue to move in the right direction. With this in mind, we are putting in a further bid to the British High Commission for some additional funding to support a subsequent trip to the district.” The proposed follow up visit would see the University of Warwick and UNIVEN teams working with the LAMP head teachers on coaching a further group of school principals in the Vhembe district in elements of the programme to increase the reach of the work. This would then be followed by a final visit to the region for a full evaluation and impact study of the project.

Revolutionary new way to install fences dramatically cuts costs A Warwickshire-based company is launching a revolutionary new way to install fences, decking and signposts without the need for conventional concrete foundations.

Stop Digging Ltd., based at Clearwater Business Park, Napton Holt, uses hot dip galvanised ground screws that can be used for projects ranging from temporary hoardings and timber out-buildings to bus shelters, terraces, and climbing frames. The UK company’s managing director, Darryl Gregory, said: “The ground screws save time and money because there’s no need for digging and concreting. Each installation is quick because each screw takes only five minutes to insert into the ground. “The screws, which are re-useable, are corrosion-free and can be installed in any weather. There’s limited disruption as there’s no need to use heavy plant on site. It makes all jobs

much easier compared to conventional concrete foundations.” He said that ground screws can also be used for car ports, poles, road signs, garden umbrellas, flags, site protection hoardings and even installing gravestones. The 89 mm ground screw is designed to fit a Highways Agency standard 76mm post for road signs. It also goes much deeper than conventional concrete foundations which typically need to be between 400mm and 650mm deep to meet building regulations. The parent company Sluta Grav (Swedish for Stop Digging) launched the product in Sweden in 2010 and has trebled in size every year selling over 100,000 ground screws through a network of 54 retailers and installers across the country. The company has since expanded into Norway, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands.

An introduction to the Cyber Essentials Scheme Last year, the UK Government launched the Cyber Essentials Scheme to help organisations define and measure basic levels of security hygiene. The Scheme sets out a series of technical and procedural controls to support firms in reducing the risks associated with cyber. By working towards and achieving cyber essentials certification, organisations are able to demonstrate to their customers, suppliers and industry regulators that they have undertaken essential precautions in managing their cyber risk. Cyber Essentials certification is now a requirement when bidding for many

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Government contracts. The basic cyber essentials certification requires organisations to complete a self-assessment questionnaire and undertake an external vulnerability assessment. The questionnaire covers the basic technical and procedural controls that are needed, while the vulnerability assessment focuses on externally facing devices at both the network and infrastructure layer. Cyber Essentials Plus provides an enhanced level of assurance that involves a series of technical assessments of internal servers and employee workstations. Through pursuing Cyber Essentials plus, organisations will be able to achieve greater levels of assurance that they are able to detect and respond to cyber-attacks.

The Scheme is certainly a step in the right direction to strengthen UK Organisations defences. However, as acknowledged by the Government, it should not be perceived as a silver bullet. Cyber Security is a moving target, and involves people, processes and technology. Instead of viewing security as a point in time exercise, organisations need to recognise that Cyber Security is a process, that must be constantly enhanced and improved to stay ahead of the evolving threat. For organisations to manage their risks appropriately, they must use a blend of security solutions and services combined with ongoing security awareness training.

Business raises more than £1,000 for local charity

Expectations! Recruitment Services presented local charity Molly Olly’s with a donation cheque of £1,091. The funds, which were raised over the course of a year, will be used to provide ‘Olly the Brave’ soft toys to local children with life threatening illnesses. It was in March 2014 that the then newly established business pledged to help raise money for Molly Olly’s. They committed to donate £15 for every permanent vacancy filled, and also ran a fundraising quiz night in September last year. Their target was to raise £1,000 for the charity, to help fund the production of ‘Olly the Brave’, a soft toy lion with detachable mane that helps children come to terms with treatment and hair loss. The team at Expectations! Leamington Spa office presented Molly Olly’s with a cheque. Rachel Ollerenshaw, founder, Molly Olly’s wishes, said “We’re absolutely delighted with the money raised by Expectations! Recruitment Services to pay for more ‘Olly the Brave’ toys. Each ‘Olly’ costs £15 to give to a child and with their generous donation of over £1,000 that’s another 70 we can provide to children with life threatening illnesses!” Dawn Walker, Manager, Expectations!, said: “Having a charity to support this year has been great and all the staff have really got ‘stuck in’ to raising money! We love the passion and dedication of Molly Olly’s and we’re proud to be supporting their work! In fact, the team love them so much we’ve committed to keeping them as our chosen charity, and this year want to increase our fundraising target to £2,000.”

Emerald Business Communications sponsors National Awards for Mums in Business

Local Business Emerald Business Communications in Leamington Spa is sponsoring the ‘Business Growth of the Year’ Category in the Networking Mummies Recognition Business Awards that recognizes hard working parents across the country. The Networking Mummies Recognition Business Awards, which is now in its second year, has ten categories open to any parent who owns their own businesses. The nominations are open now and people can nominate themselves or someone else. The finalists will be judged by a VIP panel, including Local MP Chris White, and the winners announced at the Black Tie Ceremony at Jury’s Inn Birmingham on the 28th March. Networking Mummies has 26 branches in the UK and offers FREE networking events along with affordable workshops. Sarah Windrum, Co-Founder of Emerald, quotes “The Emerald Group grew 40% last year and we now employ mums as a quarter of our workforce as part of my effort to get more women into technology. We practice what we preach by using technology effectively to allow our team to progress in a career that works around them. Therefore, we are delighted to be sponsoring the Business Growth Category and we will be also be giving an iPad to the lucky winner!” Emerald Business Communications offers a fully managed mobile technology solution particularly for businesses in the logistics and construction industries. They work with local companies including Britannia Squab and New Horizon Logistics as well as national businesses including Breezemount UK Ltd who are the home delivery partner for Ikea in the UK. For more information about Emerald Business Communications visit www.emeraldcomms.co.uk and for the Networking Mummies Recognition Awards go to www.networkingmummies.com/businessa wards2015

Area Focus: North Warks

Ten years of specialist freight services Independent Freight, a specialist supplier of national and international freight and transport services, has marked its tenth anniversary. Founded in 2004 by Jenny and David Hooper, the company moved its headquarters in 2014 to new premises Nuneaton in Warwickshire, incorporating its head office and warehousing facilities. Independent Freight also has an East Midlands base in Derby and a further network of warehouse facilities and suppliers throughout the UK, providing nationwide coverage and support for freight consignments. Independent Freight was initially launched by entrepreneur and international logistics expert Jenny Hooper with the aim of providing a more specialised service to businesses and individuals involved in international trade. Jenny, who is the managing director, said: “Handling the movement of goods nationally and internationally can be very complex and stressful and we make it our business to reduce the burden for our customers. We know our customers are entrusting us with their valued goods and their business reputation and we have built a great team of professionals who have the knowledge and expertise to handle their requirements. “It is not just about moving an item from one location to another, it is about understanding our customer’s business and providing the services they need. That is why Independent Freight has chosen to specialise in providing a bespoke service experience, giving expert support to those businesses and individuals new to importing and exporting, whilst also presenting onhand guidance with complex matters such as project management, customs advice and the shipment of hazardous goods.” Independent Freight’s customers range from major companies across the globe, exporting or importing components and finished goods to and from their overseas markets, to individuals needing to send personal effects overseas. The company handles a wide range of freight, from documents and packages to pallets, containers and high volume commodities and outsized or heavy duty machinery.

Start-up company getting traction in the tyre market A Warwickshire businessman has put the brakes on his career in investment banking – to set-up his own successful tyre fitting company. Kuljit Pahal worked for a number of investment banks, including HSBC and Merrill Lynch, for 12 years but in August 2013, he decided to launch The Tyre Company at the Bermuda Trade Park in Nuneaton. He received support through the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s startup programme funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council. The company, which has now joined the Chamber, employs three staff and serves around 300 motorists per month. Kuljit is now adding further storage space to stock more products and also to add another fitter to the team. The Tyre Company, which has developed a reputation as being a ‘female-driver-friendly’ outlet, is also expanding into new services such as custom exhaust systems for car enthusiasts. Kuljit said: “I enjoyed investment banking but never loved what I did – I love cars and helping people so I thought do something which I have a passion for and employ a like-minded team of car enthusiasts, ensuring the customer has the best experience and advice. “My ambition was to become the best local fast fit tyre centre and I wanted all drivers to feel comfortable and confident in the service we provide and that is not always the case, especially for female drivers. “So we have ensured that our service is very open and friendly and we’ve had great feedback from customers. That has led to our strong start in business but I believe there is much more we can do. “I am also very grateful for the support we

Kuljit Pahal with Margaret Bull

have received from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and particularly my business mentor, Margaret Bull. “Even when you have worked in industry, it can be daunting to set-up on your own and having someone there to bounce ideas off and to be able to tap into other support is extremely useful. “I’d recommend anyone who starts a business to use the Chamber’s their services.” Since 2012, the Chamber has helped more than 500 individuals start their own business through a range of support services – from mentoring to business planning. Those businesses cover a wide range of industries including online retail, hair and beauty, property development, legal and professional and exporting goods. Keely Hancox, of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said January and February are always popular months for business start-ups. She said: “Now is always a very busy time for the start-up team because many individuals see the New Year as a catalyst for starting their own business.

“It is great to see the success of firms such as the Tyre Company and it is a great example of how accessing the right support can help to lay the right foundations for a business. The firm continues to access support and services through being a member of the Chamber, and views the Chamber as critical to their marketing and growth plans. “The start-up support comes in many forms – it can be anything from sitting down and helping to draw up and amend a business plan to knowing where grants maybe available, to applying for funding. “We hold events across Coventry and Warwickshire and they are a good starting point for individuals who are considering establishing their own company.” The programme is jointly funded by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council with support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Employee buys business

Ian Moore of Arbury Coachworks (left) with John Edwards from Baldwins Accountants

A long-serving employee who started at a Nuneaton garage on work experience has bought the business with help from one of the region’s largest family-owned accountants. Ian Moore is the proud owner of Arbury Coachworks in Hazell Way Industrial Estate, Hazell Way, off Bermuda Road, after buying the business from Pete Freeman, who has retired.

The garage which provides MOTs, servicing, tyres and repairs was established in 1953 by Horace Barrs, moved to its present premises in 1986 and has three employees. Baldwins Accountants, which has 13 offices across the Midlands, was instrumental in the acquisition. Since taking over the busy garage, Ian has invested in the business by installing a new ramp to carry out MOTs. “I started here on work experience, when I

was at Manor Park Community School, and when that finished I started working at the garage every Saturday and in the holidays,” Ian said. “After leaving school, I served my apprenticeship and I have been here ever since, working at Arbury Coachworks for 20 years. “It had been my ambition to own the garage and when Pete decided to retire, it seemed a natural progression. “Over Christmas the MOT ramp was upgraded, we installed half of it and had some help with the rest. “It has been worth it because business is growing and I hope it is going to continue to be busy.” He added: “Baldwins Accountants was really helpful during the acquisition with sorting out all the legal paperwork and it was pretty straight-forward.” John Edwards, a partner at Baldwins Accountants in Binley Road, Binley, Coventry, said Arbury Coachworks was a thriving business. “It is great that Ian has fulfilled his dream of owning the garage and he is experiencing steady growth which is great to see,” he said. “We offer a range of accountancy services for businesses of all sizes in a variety of sectors and we were pleased to be able to help in the smooth transition of the business to Ian.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: South Warks

The recruitment trends you need to know about for 2015

Recruitment trends are the last thing many businesses think about. However, being up-to-date is key, argues local recruitment company Expectations! Trends help ensure an informed recruitment strategy and one which delivers the best candidates at the right time. Predicting the trends we’ll see in 2015. Director of Expectations! Recruitment Services, Dawn Walker, said: “Recruitment trends are important to watch to help ensure resource is appropriately applied and money is not wasted in a fruitless search. While some companies will tackle these alone, many will need the help and support of recruitment companies to develop appropriate strategies for 2015. This year there are three new things that businesses will need to think about.”

These are: • It’s time for Generation Z; born between 1994 and 2010, the oldest of the Generation Zs will be leaving University and many will be just about to embark on Higher Education, or will be entering the workforce as they leave school. Generation Z candidates provide an opportunity to close the skills-gap, by providing on-the-job training, particularly through apprenticeships and internships, also presenting an opportunity to benefit from new skills from one of the most tech-savvy, interconnected generations. Careers fairs at schools and Universities, partially-funded Apprenticeships and creation of entrylevel jobs will all be crucial for employers to embrace this year. Interestingly, this potential talent pool

will prefer face-to-face contact over technologically-based applications! • It about your talent brand; no more will job seekers be satisfied with the humble job advert, instead, they’ll be turning to recruitment agencies and inhouse HR teams to help them understand your ‘employer branding’. There’s a shift away from a simple ‘job hunt’ and now candidates are holding out for the right employer, with the right brand ethics, the right commercial approach and many other key attributes. Transparency is key and a survey by Millennial Branding found that 52% of the workforce now demands honesty and transparency from their employers, putting it ahead of vision for the company. Interestingly, money and salary, while still motivating, is falling behind other key factors like flexibility, opportunity for promotion, brand ethos and accessibility. • Retention will need to be planned; while the new recruits and younger generations are on the hunt for the ‘right’ company to work for, businesses

will also need to ensure they have a retention strategy in place for key members of staff. Job hopping is set to be a key trend, with those who’ve stayed put through a difficult economic patch, making the jump to pastures new where bigger challenges, a better ethos and potentially even money are key factors. Other potential pitfalls which businesses need to be wary of are the skills shortage, succession planning and demand for flexible working. 2015 is set to be typified by an even deeper skills shortage, making retention even more important, as well as one of the largest outflows from the workforce as boomers start to retire, and a demand for flexible hours or remote working as employees seek to improve their quality of life, yet feel comfortable and stable in their current employment. Dawn Walker said: “Businesses have a lot to take on for 2015, but get it right and they’ll see one of the best-skilled, loyal and dynamic workforces we’ve ever seen. The changes required are many, but working with experts can help ensure they’re second-nature.”

“Recruitment trends are important to watch to help ensure resource is appropriately applied and money is not wasted in a fruitless search. While some companies will tackle these alone, many will need the help and support of recruitment companies to develop appropriate strategies for 2015.”

£1,655 raised for Local Guide Dog Appeal A charity lunch at Bistrot Pierre Stratford-Upon-Avon raised money for Guide Dogs and the Shakespeare’s Puppies Appeal. Independently-owned French bistrot group Bistrot Pierre kicked off its yearlong fundraising campaign for local charity Guide Dogs and the Shakespeare’s Puppies Appeal with a charity lunch for 115 guests. The event, titled “ Ladies That Lunch, Men That Pay”, saw guests treated to a three-course lunch and entertained by a local jazz group, helping staff at the bistrot reach a quarter of their target of £5,000.

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Neil Hanson, general manager at Bistrot Pierre, Stratford-on-Avon, said: “We’re delighted with the success of the event, Bistrot Pierre is very aware of its place in the Stratford community and we’re delighted to be able to give something back. By sponsoring a Guide Dog Puppy we help give visually impaired people independence and freedom”. Jackie Horton, from Shakespeare's Puppy Appeal, said: “We raised a phenomenal amount towards the appeal. The staff worked so hard and with such enthusiasm and professionalism. “They were really appreciated by all the guests. The food was perfect and my

cousin said it was one of the best meals he had ever had. The atmosphere was great. A thoroughly enjoyable and successful lunch. We have already got bookings for over 30 people for the next one in September!” The bistrot will continue fundraising for the charity throughout the year with a series of planned activities. The next charity lunch will be on 22nd September; to book please email contact@shakespearepups.co.uk or call Bistrot Pierre on 01789 264804.

Area Focus: Rugby

Year of investment brings industry recognition for local manufacturer

The Autins team at the GrowthAccelerator awards with presenter Natasha Kaplinsky.

A programme of investment in new premises and equipment during 2014 has brought industry recognition in the form of a series of awards for a Warwickshire based manufacturer. Automotive Insulations (AI), who manufacture acoustic and thermal materials used by a range of industries, including the automotive sector, carried out a major investment programme

Rugby to Land’s End challenge

Proprietor of Rugby based consultancy business QEH Systems, Peter Blay, has announced a new challenge for 2015. Peter will be aiming to complete the QEH500 - running 500km - the equivalent of Rugby to Lands’ End Starting from the first week of January, the plan is to breakdown the challenge to spread it across the year - averaging 10Km per week – running mainly on the treadmill at the gym – but possibly taking part in some outdoor events later in the year. This may not sound like too much, but starting from the position of a somewhat overweight, unfit, 52 year old Peter says he is sure that those that know him will understand the extent of the personal challenge! The challenge will be raising money for the Warwickshire Young Carers’ project through the QEH500 page at www.everyclick.com/QEH500. All the money raised will be allocated to Rugby based activities. Regular updates of Peter’s progress will be posted throughout the season on the QEH Systems website www.qehsystems.co.uk QEH Systems provides practical, affordable, support for businesses to develop, implement and maintain systems for management of quality, environmental and health & safety requirements.

throughout the year, opening a new £6 million purpose built factory and office building near Rugby. The site, which was officially opened by Minister for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock, has almost tripled production space and enabled the installation of new, state of the art machinery. As a result, manufacturing capacity has increased and the company has had its

achievements formally recognised within the industry. Accolades during 2014 include making the final shortlist for the national Award for Innovation run by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. AI was also named Midlands Manufacturing Company of the Year and won two categories at the national GrowthAccelerator Awards. In addition, the company was identified as one of 25 ‘Hyper Growth’ organisations in a GrowthAccelerator study carried out by leading business growth experts from across industry and academia. “Even before the end of the economic downturn, we decided to buck the trend of playing it safe and to go all out for growth and investment, including building our new site and opening our first factories overseas,” said MD Jim Griffin. “We are fully able to compete with companies far larger than us in terms of the services and technology we are able to offer.” The company has also undergone a major restructure this year. Automotive Insulations has become part of The Autins Group, which also includes the European RI and the Scandins sites. The rebranding reflects the increasing range of sectors and areas that the business now services. Jim said “The formation of The Autins

Group during 2014 has enabled the setting up of new trading businesses for new market sectors, either as wholly owned or joint venture businesses. However, Automotive Insulations Ltd. continues to be a successful company, very much trading in its own right.” Automotive Insulations was set up in 1966 and was well known in the automotive industry for making parts for the original Mini until production ceased in the 1990s. A management buyout in 2006 was the catalyst for a complete restructure of the business and the company has more than quadrupled turnover in the past eight years.

MD Jim Griffin at the AI site which opened in 2014

Expansion forces Potters move

Potters Poultry – the UK based manufacturer and worldwide supplier of poultry house equipment has moved its Head Office and main manufacturing site to keep up with ever increasing demand for its products and services. The company has relocated from its existing site, where it had been based for the past 21 years, to a large modern unit on an industrial estate in the town of Rugby, in the UK’s Midlands region. The move is a sign of further investment by the British manufacturer.

The new site - when fully operational will increase capacity and storage by around fivefold compared to the previous site at Willey Fields. Said Justin Potter, company director: ‘This new site reinforces our UK Midlands base, and offers easy access to both road and rail networks, and was an easy transition for our staff, being only 7 miles from our former site, and - significantly provides us with infinitely better modern communications capability. ‘We will not only have our new Head Office

here, but are installing a mezzanine floor in the unit to increase floor space, and allow us to expand our warehousing, stockholding and distribution activities, as well as our manufacturing side. ‘It will also allow us to hold more lines in stock. We expect to double the number of lines we hold when fully operational. This new site will further increase our capability to service the growing global market for poultry farming equipment that responds to changing consumer expectations about poultry health and welfare.’ www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Rugby

Local company captures 12 months of growth on film

sponsored column

Council continues to support business start-ups Rugby Borough Council has seen another successful year for its start-up programme which is run in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. The scheme has been running since 2013 and has since helped to establish over 80 businesses.

A manufacturing company in Warwickshire has commemorated a year of unprecedented expansion and success by releasing a short film which records key events from the past 12 months. It may not have made this month’s Oscar nomination list, but ‘The Changing World of Automotive Insulations’ tells the story of the Rugby-based company’s rapid growth and relocation to a new purpose built £6 million factory which has almost tripled production space. The film includes footage from a 24 hour web cam which captured the 28 week building process, from laying the foundations through to completing cladding and landscaping work on the three acre site.

“The past 12 months have marked a real transition for Automotive Insulations and the relocation to our new, state of the art site encapsulated the amazing progress we have achieved as a company,” explains MD Jim Griffin. “We had a lot of great building footage from our on-site camera and so we thought it would make an interesting film to share with customers, potential clients and suppliers.” The film shows how machinery was moved onto the site using 70 and 90 tonne cranes, highlighting the contrast between the old site which the company had outgrown, and the new building. The move was staggered over several weeks to enable commissioning of the building and parts reapproval to take place. Throughout the

relocation, production was maintained 24/7, seven days a week. The film also explains how the new build enabled Automotive Insulations to invest in new equipment, allowing the company to carry out new processes, as well as increasing capacity. Jim said: “We are delighted with the end result. The film is a great showcase for the new factory and explains better than words could do the scope of the changes that we have carried out. Customers who have visited the site love it. We have also found that it has enabled us to attract staff of a very high calibre who are drawn by the enhanced environment and company image.”

Corporation credits rapid growth to help from Valiant Office Suites Every morning when the doors open, the staff of Rugby-based Valiant Office Suites recommit themselves to a mission: to provide flexible, high quality service and office space to a number of growing businesses. That commitment to flexibility and service is reflected in the success of one of their clients, Lorax Compliance, who has seen their company grow from a home office operation to a global success in 12 months. Lorax first enlisted the support of Valiant Office Suites at the beginning of 2014 as a small, home-based software business run from the home office of Director David Markham. With more than 20 years’ experience in the industry David needed to recruit a team to launch the Lorax software into the marketplace.

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Lorax delivers cloud-based environmental compliance services to companies who must comply with national and global environmental packaging waste regulations. They were able to focus the direction of the company and concentrate solely on growing and expanding their customer base due in part to the support from Valiant, a serviced office centre that boasts more than 30 individual suites starting from 160 square feet. Additionally, Valiant provides virtual and shared offices as well as training and conference centre packages, all conveniently located outside Rugby town centre. “The support we have received from Valiant since the date we started the company has really helped us expand our operation,” said David Markham.

“As our company has grown, Valiant has been able to support our expansion and subsequent developing needs.” As business grew for Lorax, so did their office space at Valiant, graduating from virtual offices to a shared office and then to a dedicated office with plans to move into an even larger facility in the near future. “We have seen Lorax grow and have supported the company from its initial startup to their current success as a global force in the environmental compliance market,” said Alison Franzoni, Manager of Valiant Office Suites. “It is a testament to how well businesses in the Midlands are growing and succeeding. With our support services and accommodation offerings, Lorax can be assured that we are there for them, whenever we are needed.”

The main aim of the service is to provide free and impartial advice to people looking to start a new venture or become self-employed. This is initially delivered through a workshop, led by a skilled and experienced business advisor, covering the following areas: • market research • marketing and promotion • legal issues • creating a personal survival budget • sales and cash flow forecasting • business planning A key success of the scheme has been the level of one-to-one support which is provided to businesses through their first 12 months or trading - arguably the most challenging time for a new enterprise. A number of different types of businesses have benefited from the programme, ranging from recruitment, interior design, IT training, floristry, estate agents, waste disposal and stocks & shares. One particular area of support has been providing guidance on access to finance and a significant number of businesses have been supported to apply for funding through banks, start-up loans or local investors. As demand for the scheme continues to grow, Rugby Borough Council and Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce are keen to hear from others who may benefit from the service. For further information, please contact Michael Beirne, Economic Investment Officer at Rugby Borough Council on 01788 533734 or email michael.beirne@rugby.gov.uk.

News

Emerging from ‘Jurassic Business Parks’ UK plc is only just emerging from ‘dialup dinosaur’ broadband speeds on ‘Jurassic business parks’, according to expanding superfast broadband provider WarwickNet. Founder and managing director Ben King said it is only forward-thinking landlords and local authorities, hungry for inward investment, that are driving the broadband agenda, saving thousands of acres of industrial and business parks from commercial extinction. “Different parks and authorities bring different challenges and the whole process needs to be better joined up to avoid delays – even in the same postcode regions,” he said. Mark Hitchcock, business development manager for WarwickNet, added: “For Cranmore Industrial Estate in Solihull, it has been a long road to business grade broadband, despite faster delivery at neighbouring Monkspath. “However, thanks to our perseverance and the patience of tenants at Cranmore, we have overcome the obstacles and are now live allowing every business on the park access to our VDSL broadband, which provides up to 80Mbit/s in speed. “I hope our perseverance shows the commitment we have to rescuing poorly connected business parks. WarwickNet will soon be providing superfast broadband to over 50 sites across the wider Midlands." Crescent Press, based in Stirling Park on Stirling Road on the Cranmore Industrial Estate, provides huge visual merchandising prints and graphics for international and national brands including B&Q, Carlsberg, John Lewis and Pirelli. The company requires superfast broadband to be able to download artwork and produce pristine large prints. Jo Matthews, a director at Crescent Press, said: "Our new broadband has now been installed and it's running brilliantly. I tried hard not to get overly excited but watching the speed test and seeing the little pointer racing up the table was amazing, it nearly reduced me to tears! It means we run much more efficiently.” The recent Federation of Small Business (FSB) report revealed that more than 90 per cent of its members say superfast broadband is critical to business success, but more than 45,000 small firms are still on ‘dial-up speed’ connection. For more information about WarwickNet and superfast broadband, visit www.warwicknet.com

Banks’ weakest link is the untrained employee, warns cyber expert As the UK and US announce increased cooperation on cybersecurity – particularly around the banking sector – a Coventry University expert has warned that financial firms need to focus more on the human element of cybersecurity rather than just the technical safeguards. Professor Richard Benham, who co-founded the recently-launched National MBA in Cyber Security with Coventry University Business School, warns that hackers are increasingly exploiting companies’ employees who – if not trained to be aware of threats – often represent the weakest link in an organisation. Professor Benham’s comments come as Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama reveal that a series of “war games” will be staged between the UK and US to test each other’s resilience to cyber attacks. Citing the recent breach of the US CENTCOM Twitter feed, Professor Benham said: “Hacking social media channels is one thing, but it’s only a matter of time before a major institution such as a major bank or government service is brought to its knees by an online onslaught. “A major breach in any one part of a bank’s critical network infrastructure could cause it to fail, setting in motion a potentially devastating ripple effect throughout the markets. When the Associated Press had its Twitter feed hijacked with a fake tweet reporting the bombing of the White House, within minutes the Dow Jones industrial average plunged 143 points. Imagine the economic effects of a genuine strike.” According to Professor Benham, banks need to be subject to mandatory cybersecurity checks across the sector in the same way that they have had to pass ‘stress tests’ for financial resilience. “Even something as straightforward as a denialof-service attack can shut down the networks

running cash machines for days at a time, as happened in South Korea in 2013. Despite a recent push to flag up the importance of cybersecurity matters at board level, banks are still not especially well prepared for even this sort of attack at the periphery – never mind one that goes for the jugular. “Most employees, without proper training of the necessary ‘cyber-hygiene’ required at work, are a significant weak link. In most cases only a small number of people in the organisation are sufficiently expert in cybersecurity issues – a problem that doesn’t just affect banks.” Prime Minister David Cameron recently lent his support to the launch of Coventry University Business School’s National MBA in Cyber Security, which was set up to tackle the skills gap in UK employers’ information risk management. The online master’s degree is aiming to provide

training to individuals and businesses to help them manage online security threats. Professor Denise Skinner, executive dean of Coventry University’s Faculty of Business, Environment and Society, said: “As a university that prides itself on innovation and producing qualifications that meet real industry needs, we were delighted to receive the Prime Minister’s support when we launched the National MBA in Cyber Security in November as we pursue our aim to become one of the UK’s centres of excellence for cybersecurity management. “Professor Benham’s comments regarding the human aspects of cybersecurity are timely, and will make us all consider the vulnerabilities to UK business and how we can enhance our knowledge and shore up our cyber defences.”

Companies urged to take up funding opportunity Designers of innovative new products for the community healthcare sector have been urged to apply for a European funding stream before the programme deadline expires. Coventry University Health Design & Technology Institute (HDTI) is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, inventors and SMEs develop their ideas. Support is available in the form of product design, from early concept through to prototyping and manufacture, and HDTI also offers usability research to provide inventors with an independent evaluation of their idea. The funding from the Assistive Technologies and Community Healthcare Development Project from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) covers Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands, and comes to an end on December 31 this year. Over 50 businesses across the region have already been assisted by the scheme over the last three years. However, to ensure there is enough time to qualify for five days of free consultancy support, applicants should move swiftly. Guy Smallman, commercial development director at HDTI, said the ERDF funding had already helped a wide variety of entrepreneurs,

inventors and SMEs turn their ideas into reality. “As the ageing population continues to grow, there is an increasing need for healthcare products that help older people and those with disabilities to live more independent, comfortable, enjoyable and productive lives. There is an increased focus on providing products which can improve our wellbeing,” he said. “We have a specialist design team at HDTI who can play a part in transforming an idea from an initial concept into a prototype or finished product. This, in turn, can be evaluated in a usability study we put together. “It is critically important to gain constructive feedback from potential users who are completely independent and impartial, instead of carrying out market research with friends and family. Relatives and close associates will rarely give completely honest advice and relying on them to be objective is very risky. “An academically led usability study feeds back into the design process and can be used extremely effectively to support a company’s marketing activity, find a commercial partner or attract additional investment. “We can also assist in the area of intellectual property and perhaps help in finding a manufacturer. “The ERDF scheme is here to help SMEs in the West Midlands to take the next step but the

funding requirements mean we need to hear from interested applicants as soon as possible to put all the necessary steps in place before the end of this year. “This kind of free funding is becoming increasingly difficult to secure and we don’t want anyone to miss out.” For further information contact Guy Smallman at guy.smallman@coventry.ac.uk or visit www.coventry.ac.uk/hdti

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Business Direct

is sponsored by HB&O Putting together the pieces of the financial jigsaw When it comes to running your business, working with accountants and financial advisers who make your life easier can bring real benefits. Financial jigsaw One of the ways in which HB&O provides that first class service to clients is by offering a one stop solution. Rob adds: “Like so many of our clients, we’re an independent, owner-managed firm, so we understand that it can be tough finding time to keep on top of a wide range of business and personal finances. “Our one stop solution means that we offer services designed to take care of every aspect of our clients’ financial life, from bookkeeping to business strategy, tax planning to payroll and wealth management to wills. “We put together all the different pieces of each client’s unique financial jigsaw so we can see the bigger picture. Then we can identify where our advice can really add value to their business and help build personal wealth. “The end result of our approach is that whether you’re starting, buying, running, growing or selling a business, we can advise you every step of the way.”

In-house services

Selecting the right adviser is a significant decision and every business owner will have individual priorities and preferences that affect their choice, but some key issues are likely to be at the top of everyone’s list. Leamington Spa and Coventry-based accountants and financial advisers HB&O has been working with local businesses for more than 90 years and managing director Rob Kendall says the things that are important to clients haven’t changed much over that time.

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He says: “What we hear is that people want advisors who really understand their businesses and the issues they face and deliver proactive, practical ideas to help them keep moving forward. “Fast, easy access to advisers – including at partner level – is also important as is a sense that the adviser is working as part of their team and shares their interest in the business’s performance and bottom line. That all adds up to first class client customer service.”

Other ways in which HB&O provides added value support to the firm’s clients is by offering a wider range of in-house services than many other accountancy firms. These include HB&O Corporate Finance – a specialist service to support business owners during some of the most important transactions of their lives, including acquisitions, mergers and sales – and forensic accounting and litigation support. Meanwhile, the Independent Financial Advisers at HB&O Financial Services can assist with everything from pensions autoenrolment to investment advice and inheritance tax planning, working closely with their accountancy and tax colleagues to deliver joined up services.

Elsewhere, the firm also offers HR support services – ideal for smaller employers that would find it hard to justify employing an in-house HR professional – and an innovative Cost Management Service. The service aims to deliver big savings to businesses on essential supplies including utilities, stationery, courier services and printing on a no win, no fee basis. In other words, if a Cost Management Service review is unable to identify any savings at a level pre-agreed with the client, they do not charge for their work.

The international dimension E-commerce, the rise of emerging economies and an increasingly global perspective to trade mean that doing business internationally is a logical choice for forward-thinking businesses looking for new opportunities to develop and grow. HB&O can help there too, as a member of MGI, one of the world’s leading alliances of independent audit, tax, accounting and consulting firms, which provides it with fast, easy access to the resources of more than 6,000 professional staff in 315 locations globally. Rob Kendall says: “Our MGI membership means that wherever in the world you want to do business, we can work with firms with expert local knowledge and the same focus on first class customer service as our own to provide the support you need. “It’s all about doing much more than simply counting beans – our approach is focused on adding value.” To find out more about HB&O and the firm’s services, please contact us. Email: info@hboltd.co.uk Phone: Leamington office - 01926 422 292 Coventry office - 02476 631 303 Web: www.hboltd.co.uk

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Business Direct: Commercial Property

The cost of a commercial property lease? Service Charges in leases of units in multi-let buildings or estates are nearly always treated, in this surveyor’s opinion, with disproportionate fear and suspicion to the overall ‘cost’ of the transaction. If the scope of services and charging arrangements are reasonable and proper, a service charge confers benefits to the tenant. The Landlord provides services for which the tenant would otherwise be directly responsible to administer on a standalone property and a proportionate discount for scale is normally achievable at a multi-let property. The rub lies in the ‘reasonableness’ of the clause format and efficiency of management. The expert, trained eye, will sniff out shortcomings, cross referenced to both a Code of Conduct to which regulated Chartered Surveyors adhere and, decided cases on excessive expenditure by unscrupulous Landlord’s. Break Clauses offer businesses flexibility, to terminate a lease early, if for example, the company has achieved growth beyond that envisaged at the commencement date, or if the overheads are no longer competitive in the market. The tenant will

Search and identification of suitable commercial property can be a real challenge to business owners. Particularly in current market conditions where property is in short supply following a lack of new development over recent years. The challenge is not over once a property has been identified. Discussions invariably focus at this point on price, or rent and lease length, before terms are passed into the hands of the solicitor and accountant to top and tail the contract and incorporate figures into the business plan. Business decision makers should at this time be asking themselves if the full value implications of the purchase or letting have been considered. As a rule, purchasers tend to investigate property costs and values to a far greater degree than prospective tenants. Purchasers will instruct a surveyor to ensure the ground, bricks and mortar and service installations are sound and the commission is likely to extend to costs of remedial work and perhaps, current and future values of the investment. Tenants tend to rely on the input of legal and financial representatives and in their specific fields of law and accountancy, rightly so. However, tenants should be equally, if not more diligent, in assessment of cost implications of covenants to be entered into under the lease contract. Property management and lease specialist Martyn Howard MRICS gives a brief insight to critical sections of the commercial lease and consequences to business costs. Repair and Yield Up covenants are of key importance. Landlords will press for full repair responsibility to pass to the Tenant. To do so, the premises should be in full tenantable repair and condition. If not, it is reasonable for a prospective occupier to record the disrepair and either, insist on remedial work, take a greater financial www.cw-chamber.co.uk

inducement to cover the cost of the work, or seek an indemnity against return of the property to the Landlord at the end of the lease term in ‘perfect condition’. In the same vein, if the tenant intends to alter the premises to suit his business, so long as the works do not materially change the character of the building, it is worth investigating the Landlord’s willingness to forgo the usual requirement for reinstatement of the alteration work at the end of the lease. This can be an expensive undertaking. Ideally the proposal should be raised early in negotiations to increase the pressure for acceptance. Dilapidations is a growth area of litigation and can easily run into six figures for medium and larger sized properties. The wording of repair covenants mentioned must be properly considered from the outset and the cost of remedial work constantly reviewed and not underestimated. The repair liability will include mechanical and electrical service installations at the building and can catch out the unwary as a reinstatement liability can extend to replacement. More often than not, the M&E element forms a substantial part of a dilapidations claim and certification provided via responses to legal enquiries should be closely scrutinised and to be safe, plant and equipment should be checked by qualified engineers. Rent Review frequency, gearing and assumptions establish future outgoings and the likely cost of disputing increases. There are modern variants to established review formats to explore. Gearing to market value is no longer set in stone and the rent can be linked to economic indices, business performance or other formulae. If the basis is to arrive at Market Rental Value, the tone of ‘assumptions’ and ‘disregards’ implicit in the calculation, will determine the outcome. Softening the tone can secure a quantifiable reduction in the reviewed rent.

be able to walk away, EXCEPT where critical conditions imposed on the break are not precisely adhered to. There are many Court Case examples of failures to strictly perform on these conditions! Other lease and deposit terms where value savings can be negotiated before the ink is dry include, conditions on assignment and under-letting, the scope of buildings insurance cover and reinstatement periods, empty rates liability at the end of a lease and the terms of release of rent deposits. Property professionals have market knowledge and technical expertise in lease mechanics to identify covenants which can add thousands of pounds to expenditure on the company profit and loss account and tens of thousands of pounds to liabilities on the balance sheet. Substantially more, in the case of larger buildings. Commercial property should work as an asset of the business rather than a liability which can be a millstone and a drain on profit. The potential gains from expert assistance are substantial and well worth exploring.

01926 640790

SERVICES • Commercial Property Management • Lease Renewal Negotiation • Lease Structuring & Surrenders • Rent Reviews • Business Rates Assessment & Appeal • Schedules of Condition & Dilapidations

• Sales & Lettings • Property Searches • Purchase Advice & Negotiation • Redevelopment & Refurbishment Project Management • Property Investment Agency & Acquisition • Investment Disposals

FIRST ANNIVERSARY THANKS TO ALL OUR CLIENTS. Our achievements and expansion would not have been possible without your support. Drake Howard Property Limited is regulated by The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a member firm of The Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and an accredited property adviser for the Government Growth Voucher Scheme.

www.drakehoward.co.uk email: a2z@drakehoward.co.uk

Business Direct: Business Services

Pooling Partners achieves 10th year-on-year double-digit growth in the UK IPP Logipal, part of Pooling Partners, Europe’s #1 in pallet pooling and production, and the UK & Ireland’s second largest pallet pooler, last year achieved its tenth successive year of double-digit growth since its foundation in 2005. Carl McInerney, country director, IPP Logipal UK & Ireland, part of Pooling Partners, commented: “2014 has been another great year for Pooling Partners in the UK & Ireland with double-digit growth once again achieved. This not only reflects the rising demand for smart pallet solutions but also our concerted focus on exceeding our customers’ service expectations over the past decade. “Our team in the UK has earned a strong reputation for customer service excellence, backed by awards won last year, and it has established win/win relationships with customers. This has resulted in more customers using Pooling Partners’ services than ever before. “The UK senior management team brings together unrivalled industry-

specific experience and our grassroots approach to employee recruitment, induction and training is proving effective. This has meant that, as we continue to grow, we retain the right skills and experience to maintain our momentum and continue to raise customer satisfaction levels. “Meanwhile, Pooling Partners has continued to invest in its dense pooling network for the collection and supply of pallets in order to reduce transport miles: a corporate social responsibility target we share with our customers. “Pallet pool investment has been significant with more than one million new pallets produced and added to stock last year. In the UK, the repair facilities have also been expanded to ensure high pool pallet quality throughout the pallet lifecycle.”

Tel : 01676 524000 Email: sales@poolingpartners.com Web: www.poolingpartners.com

How can Sage benefit your employees AND your business

• SAGE is regarded as one of the industry leaders in bookkeeping software • SAGE training provides you with valuable skills as well as offering a huge benefit for your business • Employees are increasingly looking to further their skill set with training opportunities • The course will give an IAB qualification and teach how to transfer use of SAGE to real business situations

IAB Certificate in Computerised Accounting for Business with Sage Line 50

TOTALLY FOCUSED ON CUSTOMER NEEDS

• Day release for a total of 6 separate days • Sage Line 50 disc licensed for 1 year included to practice at home • Assessed by short on-line tests to sit in your own time and simulation exercises

10% discount for Chamber of Commerce Members Easily accessible via Road or Rail - Free Parking and Lunch

Next courses start 17th March and 19th May 2015

Reed Business School The Manor, Little Compton, Nr Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos GL56 ORZ Tel 01608 674224 Email rbs.reed@reedbusinessschool.co.uk Web www.reedbusinessschool.co.uk

. . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .

HYDRAULICS ELECTRONICS MEDICAL MOTOR SPORT AUTOMOTIVE AEROSPACE 20 CNC Machines 24 Hour Production Mill/Turn Bar Capacity up to 65mm dia. Chucking Capacity up to 200mm dia. One Hit Machining Capability Sliding Head Capacity up to 32mm dia. ISO 9001:2008 Approved All Materials - Plastics to Titanium Supply Arrangements to suit your needs Machining Centre Capacity available 8,000 sq.ft Facility

Budbrooke Road, Warwick CV34 5XH T: 01926 492889 F: 01926 403379 email: info@batchflow.co.uk www.batchflow.co.uk

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Business Direct: Business Services

A 33 year track record in creating heat exchange solutions Power Fin Technologies Ltd is an innovative machine manufacturing company. Its purpose is to enable blast air heat exchanger manufacture by a fast and cost effective method. The Power Fin 'Infinity' machine technology is based around a mechanical bond, created by an interference, swaged fit between fin and tube to extend the surface area of the tube to dissipate heat or cooling more rapidly. With its predecessor 'Elfin', they are the only machines in existence that can join any two metals with precision, using a clean, green process. There are no exceptions. David Pierce the owner and sole director of Power Fin Technologies has been in the heat transfer industry for over 40 years and in that time he has bought, managed and sold a number of successful companies. He has developed and successfully patented eight related products, that remain

unchallenged. The most notable being his original patented linear motor Elfin finning machine, which is successfully used by Atlas Copco in their turbo compressor coolers under a stainless steel tube and aluminium fin licence. David has spent the last 3 years researching and developing a faster production method than that of Elfin. Infinity, the latest machine, is pending patent protection with no counter claims in USA, Canada, China, Mexico, India and 38 European Countries. It is low cost and uses his swaged process to apply multiple fins at a time, making it suitable in the production of mass market products. There are many applications possible in multi-billion dollar markets but

immediate emphasis is placed on Fuel Cell and Waste Heat Recovery Units made in both round and elliptical stainless steel tubes and fins. Unrivalled by any other means of manufacture, these two markets have the potential to grow into multi billion pound worldwide opportunities. Micro bore tubes of 5mm or smaller overall diameter with inner groove profiles can be finned with ease and open up opportunities in North America for applications in the Refrigeration and AirConditioning Markets for the use of aluminium in place of copper to reduce cost, weight and tackle environmental issues.

For further information contact David Pierce, Power Fin Technologies, Unit 4, Swan Park, Kettlebrook Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire. B77 1AG (+44) 01675 466060 info@powerfin.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Training

CWLEP MGTS in driving seat of UK Engineering Skills Development fact finding

COVENTRY engineering training provider MGTS has grown from small local outfit to one which now has the ear of the British automotive and food and drink manufacturing industries. The not-for-profit, educational charity, which specialises in process engineering education, training and assessment, has been shaping the careers of thousands of young maintenance engineers across the UK and its flagship Eden Engineering programme is being turned in to a national qualification. MGTS, based in Gulson Road, is also one of three training providers in the UK shortlisted for a national award, to be announced this spring. Work during the past 18 months with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has seen the Gulson Road charity develop and deliver training programmes to JLR staff as well as its supply chain companies. And now plans are being made within the UK’s “Automotive Industrial Partnership” to offer the supply chain development to the wider automotive SME supply sector. Lee Weatherly, MGTS CEO of 13 years, said much of its growing success has been down to its ability to anticipate the sector’s technological requirements. He added: “We have adapted to the rapidly changing technological demands in this sector. We become “technical translators” for many of our clients who often aren’t up to speed with what it is they require. Our breadth and depth of experience across the sector means that we are able to listen to what

they are saying and pinpoint their needs exactly.” He said MGTS’s strength was in its ability to retain foresight and remain flexible to constantly changing needs of the marketplace. He added: “Many of the companies are now measuring themselves against our skills criteria and we have superseded standard industry qualifications. Our strategy is to get close to the customer and be led by market needs. Then we specialise, working to the very best of our ability. By doing that we establish USPs in education and training which are entirely relevant and sometimes groundbreaking. We have always built on our strengths and we understand where the stretch is, engaging with suppliers to provide training at the high end of the skills spectrum.” He added that the UK government had recognised that for the manufacturing industries to remain competitive they have to move fast to improve skills training and that the current suite of qualifications wasn’t working. On behalf of their clients in the far reaches of the UK, MGTS staff will go out to colleges and other training providers in each locality and furnish them with the knowledge required to adapt this concept and deliver the training required, according to their pyramid model of bronze, silver, gold and platinum skills levels. The model was developed through MGTS’ work in the local and regional SME marketplace, which continues to be a key

focus for Lee Weatherly and his team. He acknowledges that this relationship is at the heart of the organisation’s national success. He said: “Our solid foundation with companies locally and regionally has enabled us to develop and hone this framework of skills, knowledge and behavioural development and take it to the national marketplace. Fundamentally, companies are only working at the first two levels of the pyramid. We work with their technicians to develop skills to achieve the higher levels - in some cases stretching them to the peak of the pyramid.” A good example of personal stretch is Advanced MGTS apprentice Samantha Gledhill who won the Coventry Freemen's Guild Apprentice of the Year Award in the medium to large employer group category at the city’s Guildhall earlier this year and, as a consequence, MGTS won the Coventry Training Provider of the Year. Samantha, aged 20, is an employee at Federal Mogul Sintered Products. Lee Weatherly said: “Samantha is never afraid to ask questions and will keep any tutor on their toes. She always works to a very high standard and helps and supports her fellow students when she can. Her work ethic is such that she will succeed at almost anything she puts her mind to.” The 60-strong support and development team in Coventry has expanded during the past 10 years, almost doubling from 35 and now the organisation also supports two more training centres, one in Redditch which opened four years ago, and Reaseheath College in the North West which opened two years ago. Providing commercial training to more than 30 multi-site national companies, MGTS is the lead provider for the education, training and development of more than 250 apprentices and maintenance engineers at Britvic, McCain, Heineken, Molson Coors, Mondelez International (formerly Kraft), Arla, Dairy Crest, Müller-Wiseman, First Milk, Burton Brewery, Nestle and Princes Foods. The Reaseheath Centre is part of an industrial partnership with the UK Dairy Industry. MGTS has been operating for more than 40 years. In the past 10 it has trained and assessed approximately 19,500 young people and adults in engineering competencies. The organisation has a £3million turnover.

mission

The chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) has been on a fact-finding mission to find out more about the skills needs of the area. Jonathan Browning was taken on a tour of Midland Group Training Services (MGTS) in Gulson Road, Stoke, Coventry, by chief executive Lee Weatherly. MGTS provides apprenticeships, training, education and assessments to thousands of young people and adults each year in the engineering, automotive and food and drink industries including UK-wide national companies such as Britvic, McCain and Heineken. Jonathan was invited to see MGTS’s training and education centre where the next generation of workers are learning new skills. “Skills are an important part of the CWLEP agenda and there is a need to train and recruit workers in a number of highly skilled sectors to benefit businesses throughout the area,” he said. “Academic qualifications are important but so are practical, vocational qualifications and it is important school-leavers and their parents are aware of the value and opportunities available by serving an apprenticeship. “Coventry and Warwickshire has a long tradition of manufacturing top-quality products and this is a really skills-driven part of the country. “We need to continue to build on that to ensure the next generation learn the skills which will help them to flourish and build a great career. “With our heritage, two fantastic universities and being a world-leader in automotive manufacturing and engineering, we are in a strong position to further improve skills. “There is also a creative element such as the digital gaming cluster in Warwickshire and at the LEP we are very much focused on ensuring there is a strong skills and knowledge base in the future since that will lead to more jobs and an improved economy. “It was a really interesting visit to MGTS and it was good to see all the different skills which are being taught.” Lee, who is also a member of the CWLEP’s Skills Business Group, said MGTS provides the education, training and assessment programmes which meet the needs of employers both in the future and now. He said: “The LEP has an important role to play in driving skills forward and it was great to meet Jonathan and show him round our premises. “I consider Coventry and Warwickshire to be hugely influential in providing skilled workforces for SMEs and global companies particularly in the supply chains of the automotive sector. “Coventry has always been renowned as an artisan city but it is vital to spread skills in a variety of sectors which is achievable in this area because of the great mix of businesses that we have.”

Stop Press : The JLR/MGTS maintenance upskilling partnership was recognised at the SEMTA awards evening on 24 February 2015 by being presented with the UK Skills Innovation Award.

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Business Direct: Business Services

Profit or Loss through Debt Collection Who wouldn’t wish for: • Maximised recoveries • Fewer debt write offs • More efficient collection techniques

These wishes might just turn into reality for some government agencies following the formation of a joint venture, between the government and TDX Group, set up to collect government money. We are told that the joint venture, Integrated Debt Services Limited, will aim to achieve these objectives with a range of proven and effective debt management services to increase returns with a focus on ethical and appropriate recovery techniques. There is no official figure on the level of overdue debt owed to government. However, some estimates put it at £22bn in 2013 with write offs in the same year of £6bn. Around £15bn of these debts were owed to H M Revenue & Customs, whilst the majority of the balance was owed to the Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry Of Justice. With sums this large, even the slightest of efficiencies in collections should evidence stellar results.

Is this the right thing for the UK economy? With my tax payer’s hat on, definitely yes, I always want to make sure that what’s owed is paid otherwise I’m being short changed on the public services I receive. However, I might not think everything was so rosy if I ran, or worked, for a private debt collection agency. I’d be concerned about how this might negatively impact my world: will their be enough work?, will some of our legal but controversial collection techniques be questioned?, can I compete on price? and will my employees’ or colleagues’ jobs be safe?

changes. Only time will tell if the same can be said of this joint debt collection venture. In the mean time, if are struggling to pay money you owe to government or other creditors, or are having difficulties with your own collections, then please contact BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency for further details. You might be surprised at the variety of options available to you/your company when dealing with these difficult situations.

Over the years the continued privatisation of government agencies has shown that greater efficiency and competition emerge from such

For a confidential, free of charge and without obligation chat please call John Rimmer or any other member of the team at BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency on 02476 226839 or visit www.briuk.co.uk

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News

Families save more than £600 a year with drop in oil prices

Warwickshire homeowners using domestic heating oil are benefitting from a drop in oil prices which are being passed on by family fuel company Rix Petroleum. The company, based at Coleshill, is slashing up to £600 per year off fuel bills by passing along savings brought about by the drop in the price of crude oil. Over recent months oil has been stable at around $110 a barrel meaning distributors and customers have felt the effects of the high cost. But due to an increase in global supply and a decrease in demand, prices plummeted to less than $50 per barrel for the first time since May 2009, enabling Rix to pass those savings on to its customers. Paul Doherty, director of Rix Petroleum’s midlands depot said the news meant customers can enjoy more disposable income. He said: “The current fall in oil prices is great news for our customers. Around 12 months ago, it would cost the average household around £2,000 a year to heat their home, with the prices as they are right now, it will cost about £1,400 for the same amount, a saving of £600. That is also cheaper than using mains gas or electricity. “Everyone loves passing on good news, and we’re glad to be able to share it with our customers. When the price of oil goes up, we unfortunately have to go up with it, but when prices come down we are delighted to offer a lower price as soon as possible. “We are able to do this because we are an independent supplier which means our customers are not locked into standard tariffs and we can reflect fluctuations in the price of wholesale oil in our pricing almost immediately.” Mr Doherty added that the falling oil price is not only benefitting customers, but the local economy as well. With the decreased operating costs, the Coleshill depot has been able to reinvest into the business, taking on new staff and buying a new tanker. At the end of last year, the business took delivery of a new Scania fuel tanker to help with the growing demand for oil. It has a laden weight of 26 tonnes and a capacity of 20,000 litres and are currently on the hunt for new drivers. He said he believed the price of oil could continue to fall. “There are no barriers stopping the continued fall of wholesale oil prices at the moment, but trying to predict future prices is nigh impossible,” Mr Doherty said. “An economic or political spark could change the flow of oil prices in an instant. The drop is already having an effect on inflation rates, and if it continues, it will affect suppliers. “We must make the most of the prices while we can. Now is the best time to buy your heating oil.”

Splashing out at event

Consumers considering splashing out on a pool or spa attended SPATEX 2015. More than 100 exhibitors from across the UK and Europe gathered for the UK’s leading exhibition for the domestic and commercial pool and spa industry at the Ricoh Arena. SPATEX 2015 took on extra space in halls one and two in the Jaguar Exhibition Hall to mark its 19th year, making it the largest display of wet leisure equipment in the UK. Everything was under one roof – pools, spas, steam rooms, swim spas and saunas.

As well as the public, the show attracted pool and spa builders, installers, retailers, designers, architects, distributors and manufacturers along with staff from local authorities, leisure centres, hotels and holiday complexes. This year’s high-quality exhibitors included manufacturers and suppliers from throughout the UK as well as France, Germany, Sweden and Austria. For the first time, a second seminar programme ran alongside the popular Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers workshops.

Michele Bridle, the organiser of SPATEX, said the show returned to the Ricoh Arena for the second successive year following the success of last year’s exhibition. Michele says: “This year, one-in-three exhibitors were not at SPATEX 2014 so there was a lot that was new. I think we continue to be successful because we represent the entire industry – not just swimming pools but spas, swim spas, enclosures, hot tubs and sauna, steam and water features. “We have the support of all the main associations which meant we had a great line-up of speakers ranging from the Swimming Teachers’ Association to the Pool Water Treatment Advisory Group. “An important aspect of SPATEX is the training and education information which we provide free of charge and this year we doubled that which meant there were 39 workshops and seminars. “Add in the fact there were new product launches, offers and competitions and it underlines why we are regarded as the top exhibition in the wet leisure industry.” Chris Owen, senior events manager at the Ricoh Arena, said SPATEX showcased energy saving innovations and new products for the coming year all under one roof. “The organisers found by moving to the Ricoh Arena last year that there was a significant increase in the number of visitors from the north of England as well as attracting a broader cross section from the industry than in previous years, with a higher number of visitors from holiday complexes, health clubs and local authorities,” he said.

Lodders’ team effort steers Johnsons to a speedy acquisition A team from the corporate department of Midlands firm Lodders Solicitors’ worked with Johnson Coach & Bus Travel to complete its acquisition of the coaching division of a historic bus company in just over three weeks from start to finish. The deal was sealed at midnight on Sunday 11 January with Lodders’ corporate partner Mark Lewis on hand to complete the acquisition of Kidderminster’s Whittle Coach & Bus, which included a fleet of nine coaches, the lease of the Whittles Kidderminster depot, and the transfer across of sixteen Whittles staff. Family business Johnsons acquired the historic Whittles brand from Yorkshire based EYMS Group, which had owned the company for over ten years. John Johnson, Commercial Director of Johnsons, commented: "Established for over 86 years in 2015, the Whittles name has long stood for top quality coach travel with friendly service and we are determined for this to continue, under the new ownership of Johnsons Coach Travel. “We’ve worked with Lodders for a number of years and they pulled out all the stops to ensure we could complete the acquisition within a very short timeframe.” Based in Henley in Arden, Johnsons Coach Travel has been established for over 105 years and is an award winning, family business that specialises in top quality

escorted door to door holidays plus day excursions, coach hire and tailor-made tours for groups. The company will continue to operate Whittles from the Kidderminster site at Foley Park and the branding of the company will not change. Lodders’ Steven Baker handled the property aspects with the corporate team of Victor Matts, Mark Lewis and Krishna Gokani taking care of the transaction and the TUPE transfer of the staff. Lodders’ Victor Matts said: “Johnsons Coach Travel is an important local family business and this acquisition expands its

geographical reach, increases its fleet and places it in a very good position to build on its future success in coach travel brand across Warwickshire and Worcestershire.” Lodders Solicitors LLP is an established and thriving law firm based in Stratford upon Avon, Henley in Arden and Cheltenham. The firm is recognised as a leading private client law firm, offering specialist advice to both private individuals and privately owned businesses, including its highly regarded work in the agricultural and real estate sectors. For more information, visit: www.lodders.co.uk

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Sheep Society appoints Lodders’ agriculture team

Partner Mark Lewis, a charity law and breed and livestock society specialist and corporate lawyer.

The Society for one of Britain’s oldest native breeds, the Suffolk Sheep, has appointed Midlands law firm Lodders Solicitors to provide legal advice to the organisation, after a competitive tender process. Lodders, which has an office in Stratford upon Avon, has one of the largest and most experienced specialist agricultural teams and the firm is recognised nationally for its expertise in agriculture, rural and real estate, charity and private client law. It already works with a number of the leading British livestock and breed societies, including The Royal Association of Dairy Farmers, the British Charolais Society, and various pony societies. The firm’s team working with The Suffolk Sheep Society, which was originally formed in 1886, is headed by partner Mark Lewis, a charity law and breed and livestock society specialist and corporate lawyer, who works with rural and family businesses, and ecclesiastical clients. Working alongside Mark is Lodders’ head of agriculture David Lodder. Dr Lewis McClinton, Chief Executive of The Suffolk Sheep Society for the UK and Ireland, said: “We are most impressed with the firm’s and particularly Mark’s knowledge of the agricultural sector in the UK and Ireland, together with his professional credentials in both the farming and charity sectors. “The Society is a very specialist business which works closely with farmers and the whole of the agricultural sector,” he added. “We need a law firm that currently acts for farmers and consistently in the agricultural sector, and which has proven relevant knowledge and experience. Lodders matches these specific requirements and already represents a number of sheep and cattle breed societies.

“Logistically, the firm is based centrally in the Midlands, so is also geographically accessible for the Society.” Lodders’ Partner Mark Lewis said: “The Suffolk Sheep Society has an extensive membership across the UK and Ireland and I am very pleased to now be acting for an organisation which represents its members both nationally and internationally. I see real synergy between the Society and the team at Lodders and I know we can make a valuable contribution by applying our personal client service, and extensive sector, charity and breed society knowledge and expertise.” Lodders’ agriculture team, which includes nine senior fee earners, is respected nationally for its breadth of expertise and rural sector insight. It received the highest Tier 1 ranking in the latest Legal 500, the industry’s guide to the legal profession, which describes the team as ‘exceptionally good’ and praises it for its ‘excellent service quality and attention to detail’. Lodders Solicitors LLP is an established and thriving law firm based in Stratford upon Avon, Henley in Arden and Cheltenham

“We are most impressed with the firm’s and particularly Mark’s knowledge of the agricultural sector in the UK and Ireland, together with his professional credentials in both the farming and charity sectors.”

Cleaning Services

Our cleaning teams are very hands on. We’re not just office cleaners. We have teams of specialists that provide a broader range of services, from industrial cleaning to kitchen deep-cleans. If you’re looking for a local cleaning company with a hard working ethic, talk to Zenith. Find out more at www.zenithcontractservices.co.uk.

To arrange your free site visit and consultation please call Zenith Contractors on 024 7668 7167.

Unit 4, 205 Torrington Avenue, Coventry, CV4 9UT T: 024 7668 7167

Dr Lewis McClinton, Chief Executive of The Suffolk Sheep Society for the UK and Ireland www.cw-chamber.co.uk

E: info@zenithcontractservices.co.uk

contractors limited

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News

Employee of the Year Awards celebrate Warwickshire’s best

Ben Shuttleworth - Apprentice of the Year

First Utility - outstanding commitment to employment award

The historic setting of The Great Hall in Warwick Castle was the location for the first Warwickshire Employee of the Year Awards, organised by Plus One Personnel. A sell-out audience of more than 120 of the most inspirational local business people gathered to recognise achievement and excellence from their employees, teams and employers. Nominees and guests made their way through castle grounds to the sound of medieval music before enjoying mulled wine and pork baps in the State Drawing Room then being ushered into the prestigious Great Hall by a Medieval Knight. Stuart Moore, Operations Director of Plus One Personnel said: “The Awards are a chance to stand out from the crowd and to honour all the hard work of your staff and to celebrate achievements over the last 12 months. “It is also gives companies the opportunity to show the local business community they offer a great place to work. We are so pleased that our first event attracted such a huge number of entrants and were amazed that Awards Ceremony was completely sold out. It just shows the importance employers place on recognising and rewarding their

Penny Hefferan and Clover - Employee of the Year

Kenilworth rehoming centre - team of the year

hard working staff who have gone that extra mile. ” The judges were Stuart Moore, Operations Director of Plus One Personnel, Chris Lillington, Editor of Leamington Courier, Steve Orchard, CEO of Quidem and owner of Touch FM and Leamington & Warwick MP Chris White. The first category was Warwickshire Apprentice/Trainee of the Year, presented by Chris White MP and won by Ben Shuttleworth, nominated by Ian Millard, Managing Director of Morrison Insurance Solutions, who said: “Ben’s award was a great recognition for the hard work put in by Ben since he started with Morrison Insurance Solutions and also a large amount of satisfaction that our commitment to developing young people seems to be working.” The second category Warwickshire Charity Fundraiser of the Year presented by Stuart Moore was awarded to Tracy Grunwell from the Air Ambulance. Kerry Smart, Head of Fundraising for The Air Ambulance Service, said: “Tracy received her award with her usual modest approach of ‘I’m just doing my job’. However, I see what she has achieved as much more than that. Her drive and

warm approach to people has won some big partnerships and supporters for our Charity, without which we could not keep our service flying and saving lives.” The Award for Warwickshire Team of the Year presented by Phil Hibble, Deputy Editor of the Leamington Courier, was awarded to the Rehoming Team at Dogs Trust Kenilworth. Scott Spencer, Education & Community Officer for the Trust, said: “Receiving the award has meant the world to the Rehoming Team. Not only are they still buzzing several days later but the recognition of all that they do has made them more focused and determined to find the perfect home for even more dogs this year.” Gardening and cleaning contractors Carty Services were crowned Warwickshire Employer of the Year by Steve Orchard, owner of Touch FM. Owner Martin Carty said “The award of Employer of the Year means a lot to both me as the business owner and to all of the people who work for me. All my staff work annualised hours or flexible working rather than the normal 9 to 5 and many have term-time only contracts as this suits them in terms of child care while still enabling them to contribute to

Carty Services - Employer of the Year

society and use their skills. The award shows other potential employees and employers, that these business practices work for everybody and a happy workforce benefits everyone.” The ultimate award of Warwickshire Employee of the Year was awarded to Penny Hefferan and her guide dog Clova. Graham Kensett from Guide Dogs said. “We are so proud of Penny and Clova receiving the Employee of the Year Award. It's a real honour. Penny and Clova are wonderful ambassadors for Guide Dogs and together they clearly represent the many guide dog owners and people with sight loss whose lives are impacted through the independence which comes through Guide Dogs life changing work.” First Utility scooped the ‘Outstanding Commitment to Employment’ award after taking on a large number of new recruits this past year. Kelly Parnell Resourcing Lead at First Utility said: “We grew enormously last year as hundreds of thousands of customers switched to us to save money on their energy bills. This growth also meant we needed to recruit heavily and at one point we were adding 100 new staff a month.”

Tracy Grunwell - Charity Fundraiser of the Year

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

‘Working dogs’ settle in

A Warwickshire innovation centre has a host of new tenants – none of them paying rent – and could not be more delighted. The Rural Innovation Centre at Stoneleigh Park is home to 12 businesses – and at least seven dogs, who turn up for work with their owners. Percy the Labrador, Amber the English Cocker Spaniel, Otis the Chihuahua, Basil the King Charles Spaniel and Kobe the Akita are among the regular four-legged companions to be found in the offices. And they have just been joined by Eddie the Lurcher, whose owner Lee Stuart has chosen to base his business at the Rural Innovation Centre because of its dogfriendly policy. The former Royal Marine started Go Commando Bootcamp from his home in Coventry after being wounded while serving in Afghanistan and has now taken on his own first office there.

Lee said: “Eighteen people turned up for the first session and four years on, we now have about 500 members coming to our bootcamps in Coventry, Leamington and Nuneaton. “With the business expanding, I have taken on more staff and so needed our own office. Most importantly, I needed somewhere that I could take Eddie as I couldn’t leave him at home and luckily the Rural Innovation Centre was dog-friendly so that made my decision. “Having Eddie at work is good for morale and relieving stress. It also encourages you to get out of the office and being in such a nice rural location means it’s great for dog walking.” Set in over 1,000 acres of countryside, Stoneleigh Park as a whole is popular with dog owners working at the 70 organisations on the estate, many of whom adopt a similar approach.

The Kennel Club is one of the organisations on site and runs a Be Dog Friendly campaign which aims to encourage businesses and public places in the UK to have a dog friendly attitude. It says there is proof that firms have a more productive and efficient workforce by allowing dogs into the office. Reduced stress levels, increased creativity and improved morale are among the benefits. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “We’re delighted about Stoneleigh Park’s dog friendly policy. It is great that such a large organisation is being so proactive in helping us break down barriers for our four-legged friends. “Welcoming dogs in the office brings about many benefits. Our research has shown that four out of five businesses with a dog-friendly policy say it has helped them attract more customers and has had a beneficial effect on staff. Taking dogs out and about, particularly as puppies, gets them used to being around people and dogs and leads to a dog friendly nation.” The Rural Innovation Centre was opened in September 2013 and is part of the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network, funded by DEFRA and led by Warwickshire County Council on behalf of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Liz Burkinshaw, manager of the Rural Innovation Centre, said: “The Rural Innovation Centre is aimed at supporting small businesses and is designed to provide a stress-free environment to help them grow and flourish. “Several of the businesses have moved here from home and so it is important to create a friendly and comfortable, as well as a productive, place to work. Having the dogs here certainly adds to that.”

A different kind of New Year’s resolution Own your own home! Help to Buy Midlands encouraged people to make a different kind of New Year’s resolution by launching its ‘New Year, New Home Campaign’ which encourages individuals to consider making the step into home ownership. Since its launch, the Help to Buy Equity Loan has helped more than 7,000 people buy a new home, and combined with the recent changes in stamp duty, means the New Year could be the ideal time to get on or move up the property ladder. The Help to Buy Equity Loan allows buyers to purchase a new home worth up to £600,000 with just a 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage. The remaining 20% is covered by an equity loan from the government, which is interest free for the first 5 years. One Stoke-on-Trent couple, Laura and Stuart Franklin, thought they would never get on the property ladder as new homes were selling so fast. Laura said: “We were both earning and recently married; we couldn’t have been more

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stable but we just couldn’t raise the 15% deposit required by many lenders. It would have taken us years to save up.” With the help of the Equity Loan, the couple’s dreams of owning a home became reality as they purchased a newbuild property with only a 5% deposit. Proud home-owner Laura is keen to share their story: “Every time we show people around the house we tell them that they could do it too!” Margaret Snook, Head of Help to Buy Midlands, said: “With more and more people aspiring to own their own home the aim of our ‘New Year, New Home’ campaign is to raise awareness of the

different Help to Buy schemes and how they make home ownership more affordable.” Individuals interested in getting on the property ladder with Help to Buy can contact: www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk or 03458 50 20 50 selecting option 2.

Lynne Heard scoops ‘Inspirational Business Owner’ win Your Call Magazine founder and MD Lynne Heard won the ‘Inspirational Business Owner’ highly commended title at the National Magazine Publishers Awards 2014. This is the second year the judges have recognised and awarded Lynne who took the Inspirational Business owner accolade at the 2013 awards. Lynne, together with her husband Steven, joint owners of Your Call Magazine attended the conference and black tie dinner and awards ceremony, hosted by Quay Systems at The Heart of England conference and events centre in Coventry. Lynne said: “I am thrilled with this award win and would like to express our sincere thanks to all our customers and readers who have supported Your Call Magazine over the last nine years to make all this possible.’ The ceremony took place after the magazine publishers’ conference, a full day of networking, motivational and educational opportunities for the community magazine industry. Delegates could network with inspiring individuals such as Brad Burton quoted by Theo Phaphitis as being ‘A Northern Anthony Robbins’, to leading business coaches and publishing experts. Lynne’s entry stood out amongst hundreds of entries from the UK and overseas to the esteemed judges. Having taken 12 months to recover from Viral Meningitis, Lynne sought a ‘work/life’ balance, and established the business independently in 2005. As the business grew Lynne left her corporate career whilst her children were still young in 2007, to pursue her dream of growing the business further. Three years later she was terribly unlucky to be struck down with Viral Meningitis for a second time. Despite being incredibly ill, she still managed to keep the business ticking over as she didn’t want to let any customers down. Lynne even carried out some work from hospital to meet a deadline once she was over the worst, and as soon as she was fully recovered some months later, her husband Steve also joined her in the business, to expand and grow the business together. The business has now grown to produce eight magazines covering different areas across the Coventry and Warwickshire area and further expanded to include a leaflet printing and distribution service, a community website with online business directory, a smartphone mobile App, and a strong social media presence.

President & People

Representing the views of business Dear Member, it has, as always, been a busy time for me, as your Chamber President. However, I see my time as adding value to your Membership as I work hard to ‘represent’ the views of business in all sorts of settings. Here are just some highlights of my work. On the 15th of January 2015, I attended the Warwickshire County Council’s Budget consultation for 2015/16 with a 2014-18 Medium Term Financial refresh. Cllr Alan Cockburn, Deputy of the Council, presented a paper showing no real change on the County’s four year plan as submitted last year. We took the opportunity to discuss the Revenue Budget, Financial Planning Assumptions and we went through the Budget rational and how Warwickshire is seen as a centre of choice for business, with excellent communication and transport networks. However, the County still saw themselves making some job cuts and spending cuts in order to balance the books due to less money from Central Government. On the 16th January, I hosted the Chamber’s highly successful Women in Business network luncheon which met at Ansty Hall. It was a very well attended event with two great speakers, Louise Bennett OBE DL Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire of Commerce who gave us a good overview of what the Chamber offers business in terms of skills support. Then our key note speaker - the

Rt Honourable Nicky Morgan Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women. Nicky was fantastic and gave the Chamber audience a very interesting talk about her life before becoming a Politian as well as talking about her current role. On the 28th of January, I attended a Coventry Branch Breakfast meeting at Chamber House with a presentation from Coventry City Council as part of its’ Budget Setting Consultation for 2015/16. Chris West, Finance Director of the City, presented with input from Cllr Kevin Maton and, City Director, Martin Yardley. A huge thank you to representatives of the City Council. The Branch was told that the Council’s central funding would be reduced by half as compared to 2010 and that austerity would continue, in council spending terms, until at least 2020. This was expected whichever political party forms the next Government. Branch Members supported the Council in its approach to balancing its budget whilst continuing to provide services. On the 5th February, I was pleased to attend the first of our Hustings Events held at Brownsover Hall, Rugby. The panel was hosted by Jim Griffin, Chamber Branch Chair, Rugby Branch, and Chamber Board Member. The Panel included Mark Pawsey MP Conservative, Clair Edwards Labour and Gordon Davies UKIP. Each candidate gave a short presentation and then there was

Businessman elected National President of trade body The PDA is a national trade body for the painting and decorating industry and marks its 120th anniversary this year.

plenty of time for questions and networking with candidates. On the 6th February 8.30 am, I attended the Chamber’s second Hustings Event at the office of Paul Carvell in Nuneaton. Paul is Chair of the Chamber’s North Warwickshire Branch and Vice President of the Chamber. The line-up was Marcus JonesMP Conservative, Victoria Fowler Labour and Keith Kondaker Green Party. Again the event presented a fantastic opportunity to hear from our local politicians, move to some questions and a debate, with a particular focus on the needs of business in their constituency. On the 10th February, along with Louise Bennett CEO of the CWCC Chamber, I and a group of Chamber Board Members and eminent Business Leaders, attended the British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference at the QE11 Conference Centre London. This was a very well attended conference not least with the large turnout of MP’s including the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Ed Balls, Chuka Umunna MP, the Rt Hon Vince Cable, William Hague and Peter Robinson to name but a few. There was also a list of prominent business leaders in attendance which resulted in some great lobbying. I have to say, this is one of the best Conferences I have ever attended – well done to the Chamber movement and its voice of business.

“I hope that during my 12 months in office I will be able to work with and support my colleagues in driving the future development of the association.” Mr Milne also hopes to promote apprenticeships across the painting and decorating industry after experts warned of an approaching skills gap in the trade. He said: “One of my main targets for the next 12 months is to encourage more apprentices into the trade.

A Coventry businessman has been elected as the National President of the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) after more than 30 years as a member of the organisation. John Milne, owner of Daly (Painting Contractors) Ltd, was elected by the trade body at its Annual General Meeting and National Conference held at Heythrop Park Resort in Oxfordshire.

“The PDA is the only trade association that has got the capability and experience to operate on the national stage for the painting and decorating industry and we need to use this to bridge the anticipated skills gap.” Mr Milne takes over from Samuel Davies of County Durham.

Finally, the 13th of February saw me attending the third of our seven Hustings Events at the Holiday Inn, Tatchbrook, Leamington Spa chaired by David Myskow, Vice Chair pf the Chamber’s Mid Warwickshire Branch and General Manager of the Holiday Inn Kenilworth. The line-up consisted of Chris White MP Conservative, Alastair Mac Brayne UKIP and Lynnette Kelly Labour. Again, another interesting meeting with the potential new members of Parliament with time for questions after presentations and time to network prior to the end of the event. A big thank you to David Myskow as our Host. The Holiday Inn in both Leamington and in Kenilworth are such wonderful venues and the Chamber is always pleased to showcase these great Hotels.

Can-do attitude wins award

Mr Milne said: “It is a great honour to be allowed to occupy the position of National President of the PDA.

“Apprenticeships are very important. We advise on the training curriculum and support apprentices in different ways, but we need to be making sure that trainees are receiving the best support and that providing apprenticeships is a feasible business option for our members.

Peter Burns MBE

The qualities of a well-known figure in the local construction world have landed a prize for someone following in his footsteps. The Deeley Group – one of the area’s leading construction and development companies – presents an annual Neville Award to a member of its workforce in memory of a colleague who died in 2011. Gary Neville joined the company as an apprentice before progressing to become contracts manager and leading on some of the firm’s major projects including the development of Belgrade Plaza, in Coventry and St George’s Square, in Bristol.

He died suddenly in 2011, and the company introduced the award to recognise the employee who has demonstrated the most commitment to their role within the company over the previous year. Kevin Gallagher won the vote this year, despite only joining the firm 16 months ago and was presented with the trophy by Gary’s wife Julie. Julie said: “Kevin was nominated for his can-do attitude and the atmosphere he creates on site, and they are qualities which I would very much associate with Gary, who was a real enthusiast for everything he did. “Kevin has not been with the Deeley Group for very long, but it was great to present him with the award and I know that Gary would have recognised and valued the attributes which won him the vote.” Kevin has worked on several major projects since joining the company, including new buildings at MIRA and Warwickshire College. He said: “Everyone speaks so highly of Gary, so while I never knew him, this is a real honour. I was surprised but delighted to have been voted for the award. “I have been made to feel very welcome at Deeley since I arrived. I have worked on some very interesting projects and this makes a very rewarding end to the year.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

Law firm makes senior appointments Coventry University student secures new role

Back left to right Stuart Thwaites, Nathan Talbott, Jeremy Fowler, Managing Partner Richard Lane, Dawn Reynolds, Lucie Byron, Christopher Jones. Front left to right Barry Sankey, Steve Halkett, Christine Livingstone, Hannah Carey, Dawn Short and Mitra Mann.

A Midlands law firm has made 13 senior appointments, including promoting three senior solicitors to partner, following another strong business performance in 2014. Leamington-based Wright Hassall has promoted corporate finance solicitor Steve Halkett, property dispute solicitor Dawn Reynolds and commercial property solicitor Barry Sankey to partners, taking the firm’s total number of partners to 38.

Terex Construction appoints David Harris to quality role

Global equipment solutions provider, Terex Construction, has appointed David Harris as Quality and Compliance Manager. With more than 25 years in the automotive industry, Harris brings a wealth of experience from organisations such as Nissan, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). Focusing specifically on the ongoing implementation of first-rate procedures and processes at the Coventry site, David will also take the lead on further developing the wider team’s skills and capabilities. Neal Nowick, General Manager of Terex Coventry, said: “We are pleased to welcome David to the team. With a rich experience in the manufacturing sector, we’re confident that he will make a positive impact to our Coventry site, bringing value to our current procedures with his skilled perspective. David said: “As a highly regarded global equipment manufacturer, joining the Terex family is a really exciting opportunity. With a number of recent sales successes, including supply contracts with national hire brands and the launch of its special edition 55th Anniversary backhoe loader, the opportunity to join the company was one not to be missed. I’m looking forward to working with the wider Terex family to further improve our high quality processes and deliver increased customer satisfaction levels.” www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Stuart Thwaites, a lawyer specialising in construction and engineering, has been promoted to the role of Legal Director. Wright Hassall’s commitment to developing its people through continued investment in skills training has also seen it make a further raft of senior associate and associate promotions. Lucie Byron, an experienced commercial property lawyer who advises on landlord and tenant matters, acquisitions and disposals

and commercial property finance, is promoted to senior associate. Christopher Jones, a lawyer working in Wright Hassall’s banking and finance division, becomes a senior associate along with commercial dispute solicitor Laura Heeley, who is also promoted to senior associate. Hannah Carey, Jeremy Fowler, Christine Livingstone, Mitra Mann, Dawn Short and Nathan Talbott are all appointed to associate level. Richard Lane, Wright Hassall’s managing partner, said: “We are delighted to be able to promote these solicitors, all of whom have worked extremely hard to deliver excellent service and support to our clients. “These promotions reflect our commitment to supporting our clients’ plans for growth by retaining talented solicitors with the specialist skills they need. “Wright Hassall staff have worked very hard to deliver another great year of results and these promotions are a reflection of our commitment to the future prosperity of the firm.” Wright Hassall has a 260-strong team including 100 solicitors and 38 partners. Established in 1846, it’s a full service commercial law firm advising corporates, SMES, not-for-profit and public sector organisations.

Duo of new Associates for Lodders’ real estate Two experienced property lawyers have joined the Real Estate department at the Stratford upon Avon office of leading Midlands law firm Lodders Solicitors. James Mottram and Anna Turnell join Lodders as Associates, and between them have more than twenty-years experience across residential development and commercial property investment transactions. James Mottram, previously an Associate with Gateleys’ residential development team in Birmingham for eleven years, will work alongside Nick East, head of Lodders’ Real Estate department that is one of the strongest players in residential development transactions in the Midlands with clients including CALA Homes and Spitfire Properties LLP. Well-known and respected amongst the UK’s major housebuilders, James has acted on a number of large residential development deals, including a £40million acquisition for a consortium of three housebuilders in Banbury in 2013. “Lodders presents the rare opportunity for me to work on major residential development deals at an established law firm that is respected for its excellent service and legal expertise. The firm is a good fit professionally, and its location is ideal,” says James. Previously a Solicitor in the Real Estate team at SGH Martineau LLP in Birmingham, Anna Turnell specialises in large scale real estate investment transactions and landlord and tenant work, with a particular emphasis in recent years acting for retailers with, in some cases, a presence across most major retail outlets in the UK.

She strengthens the firm’s property investment services and will work alongside Lodders’ Partner Mark Lee in the team, which last year experienced a surge in highvalue instructions, including the sale of a portfolio of ten properties for IM Properties valued at £40.1million. “Lodders is a major firm in the region,” says Anna, “and the real estate department attracts quality, high profile clients and work. Moving to Lodders represents a great opportunity for me, with, again, excellent career progression opportunities too. It’s an exciting time to join one of the region’s major real estate teams and a growing, proactive firm.” The latest appointments bring fee earner numbers at Lodders’ Real Estate department to fourteen. Commenting on the new hires, Partner Mark Lee says: “Anna and James both bring significant experience in their individual specialist fields, further strengthening our real estate offering, sector knowledge and technical legal expertise. “The team is one of the strongest in the region for both residential development and commercial property investment work and given the success, volume, scale and value of the transactions we completed in 2014, these new hires will enable us to build on our successes and further cement our reputation for superior real estate legal advice.” Lodders Real Estate team acts on behalf of national and regional commercial property developers, residential property developers, investment companies and funders.

A Coventry University student has secured her first full time position with a local property company.

Aimee Hill, 21 from Coundon in Coventry, has secured a marketing role with Coventry based Embrace Property Ltd who operate from offices at the Technology Centre at Coventry University. Having completed a First Class BA in Communication, Culture and Media, Aimee was keen to work for a company where she could put into practice her new-found knowledge. Aimee was previously a student at Cardinal Newman School where she undertook A-Levels in studies Media, Art and IT. Aimee said: “I've always been interested in creating and building on a company's identity. Finishing university and starting in a company which is fast growing is extremely rewarding. Seeing the work I've been doing come together and having a positive effect on the business is very fulfilling. I look forward to leveraging my experience with Embrace Property in both the marketing sector and learning more about the property industry.” It has become increasingly difficult for graduate students to secure a full-time position which is relevant to the experiences they have had during their degree. Companies, like Embrace Property, who are offering students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, are providing them with a better chance of full-time employment which can reflect and enhance their skills in their area of study. Owner of Embrace Property, Peter Iwaniszewski said: “Aimee joined me as an intern with responsibility for developing my social media channels. Her passion for the work made a real impression on me and I was only too happy to employ Aimee in the role of Marketing and Design Executive when she graduated this year. I believe that in a business it’s really important that you have people around you who are experts in their field and I am really pleased with the work Aimee has been producing in developing our brand.”

New Members & Training Dates

Welcome to new members Adore Hair & Beauty Ltd T/A Muse,106 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa, CV32 4QP admin@musesalons.co.uk Ansty Social Club Grove Road, Ansty, COVENTRY CV7 9JD 02476 614 540 info@anstyclub.co.uk www.anstyclub.co.uk Beauty Courses 4 U 214 Foleshill Road, Foleshill COVENTRY CV1 4JH 02477 671121 www.beautycourses4u.com Central Finance 50-54 St Pauls Square, BIRMINGHAM B3 1QS 07880 314 544 markd@central-finance.com www.central-finance.com

Keith Higham Recruitment Ltd Suite G1, 1160 Elliott Court, Herald Avenue Coventry CV5 6UB 02476 998546 keith.higham@keithhigham.com www.keithhigham.com Le Keux Vintage Enterprises Ltd The Custard Factory, Gibb St, Birmingham B9 4AA 0121 224 7377 info@lekeuxevents.co.uk Liz Taylor Lettings Unit 7 Centenary Business Centre Hammond Close Attleborough Fields Industrial Estate Nuneaton CV11 6RY 02476 328251 liz@liztaylorlettings.co.uk www.liztaylorlettings.co.uk

Mak Waste 121 Livery Street, Birmingham B3 1RS 07557 805 839 eddie@makwaste.co.uk

Tutorcell Ltd Unit 9B. Princes Drive Industrial Estate Coventry Road. KENILWORTH CV8 2FD 01926 851 801 danny.m@abstractmrm.com

NFU Mutual 105 Long Street, Atherstone CV9 1AB 01827 717515 rebecca_hall@nfumutual.co.uk www.nfumutual.co.uk/atherstone

Vault IP Limited Concorde House, 24 Warwick New Road Leamington Spa CV32 5JG 01926 203055 phil@vault-ip.com www.vault-ip.com

Tele-traffic Harris Rd, Warwick CV34 5JU 01926 407272 p.garratt@teletraffic.co.uk www.teletraffic.com

Zip Travel Warwick Business Centre, Hawkes Drive, Warwick CV34 6LX 01926 888097 info@zip-travel.co.uk www.zip-travel.co.uk

The Business Uni Limited Fosse Ridge House, Fosse Way, Halford CV36 5BN 01789 228 822 rob@thebusinessuni.co.uk

in2ambition Kinwarton House, Captains Hill, ALCESTER B49 6HA 03300 500 222 saraha@in2ambition.com www.in2ambition.com

Flick Learning Limited Fargo Studios, 54 Grafton Street Coventry CV1 2HW suzee@flicklearning.com www.flicklearning.com Glued Limited The Barn (adjacent to Lamplighter Cottage), Kings Lane, Snitterfield Stratford-Upon-Avon CV37 0QB www.gluedlimited.co.uk IGM Unit 9, Bilton Industrial Estate Humber Avenue, COVENTRY CV3 1JL 024 76650559 www.igm-online.co.uk IP Cleaning (UK) Limited PO Box 10372, Leicester LE9 6XR 01455 284459 www.ipcleaning.co.uk Impact Apprenticeships Radmoor Road. Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 3BT 01509 515 410 info@impactapprenticeships.co.uk JPF Recruitment 20 Queen Isabels Avenue, Coventry CV3 5GF 02476 504079 jpaul@jpfrecruitment.co.uk

Succcessful Sales Techniques Managing Effective Meetings NEW Online Marketing Inspirational Leadership Finance for Non Financial Managers Microsoft Word - Intermediate to Advanced Export Documentation - Getting it Right Investment Appraisal / Financial decision making NEW Risk Assessment - Principles & Practice (CIEH Accredited Level 2 Award) Social Media Strategy - Facebook, Twitter and Blogs Professional Telephone Techniques Business Email Writing Microsoft PowerPoint Internal Quality Auditing ISO9001:2008 Presentation Skills Customer Service Essentials Account Management NEW Effective Communication Conducting Team Briefing / Buzz Meetings Letters of Credit for Exporters - A Practical Guide Principles of Manual Handling (CIEH Accredited Level 2 Award) Building the Team NEW Motivating the Team Microsoft Project (An Introduction) Setting Goals & Targets NEW Training & Coaching the Team NEW Negotiation and Persuasion Skills Practical Social Media Managing Difficult People Understanding Discipline in the Workplace Time Management and Delegation Understanding Budgets NEW Problem Solving Skills NEW Import Procedures

Full Day Half Day-am Full Day Full Day Full Day Full Day Full Day Full Day Full Day Full Day Half Day-am Half Day-pm Full Day Full Day Full Day Half Day-am Half Day-pm Half Day am Half Day-pm Full Day Half Day-am Half Day-am Half Day-pm Full Day Half Day-am Half Day pm Full Day Half Day Half Day-am Half Day-pm Full Day Half Day am Half Day-pm Full Day

June

May

CWT Training Dates 2015

April

Equitrade Captial 271 Hagley Road, Edgbaston Birmingham B16 9NB +44 0 121 454 0770 d.bagga@equitradecapital.co.uk www.equitradecapital.co.uk

Duration

Coffee Kick 45 Barbridge Road, Bulkington CV12 9PF 07813 976 783 info@coffeekick.co.uk

8 8 9 14 15 15 16 22 27 7 12 12 13 19 20 28 28 2 2 3 8 9 9 10 16 16 17 18 23 23 24 30 30 30 www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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