News

Post-COVID economic rebuild will need a kickstart

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber has echoed national calls to provide incentives for firms to invest in growth as a way of rebuilding the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the British Chambers of Commerce’s (BCC) plea to government for further support for businesses on the back of the Chancellor’s spending review would be welcomed by companies in the region.

She said: “The spending review underlined much immediate economic damage that the COVID-19 crisis has caused, as well as the lasting effect it will have on our economy for many years to come.

“This Chamber, and others up and down the country, has given credit to the government for the unprecedent support measures it has introduced over the past eight months but we’ve also ensured that gaps in help have been highlighted to decision-makers.

“The BCC is quite rightly pointing out that businesses will have been in survival mode for a year when we get through to the spring and they are going to need incentives and support to be able to invest in future growth, which will also lead to an economic uplift too.”

BCC director general Adam Marshall said: “This spending review comes at a critical time as business communities are fighting for survival in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The launch of the National Infrastructure Strategy is an important step in overcoming the longstanding infrastructure deficit. We’ve spent long enough discussing infrastructure projects – it’s now time to focus on delivery.

“Measures to help people return to work at this challenging time will help limit long-term unemployment but government must waste no time in putting these plans into action.”

A firm that specialises in welding cast iron has earned a £10,000 windfall from the government after the work required for a special project proved so complex that it qualified as R&D.

Cast Iron Welding Services (CIWS) had been told repeatedly by tax professionals that its activities didn’t qualify under HMRC’s R&D tax credit scheme.

But after agreeing to a third review of the company’s activity by tax relief specialists Catax, the innovations finally got the recognition they deserved.

Football kit celebrates Coventry’s UK City of Culture status

Coventry City and Hummel On the shirt, the part of Steve Ogrizovic, John Sillett, have unveiled the Sky Blues’ the brand that represents Tommy Hutchison, Clarrie new third kit for the 2020/21 Coventry’s digital innovation, Bourton, Dion Dublin, Bill season. the 5G symbol, emanates from Glazier, Jimmy Hill, Mick Coop, The striking design celebrates Coventry being chosen as the UK City of Culture for 2021 and is available to order at ccfcstore.com. The UK City of Culture branding on the shirt takes inspiration from the city’s story and its built environment. the Coventry City crest as the football club is the heartbeat of the city – and for many fans the club is central to many aspects of their lives. The new Sky Blues third shirt also shows the Coventry skyline on the back too, including the city’s famous three spires, Lady Godiva Cyrille Regis, George Mason and George Curtis all shown. Coventry City chief executive Dave Boddy said: “We’re delighted to unveil our new third kit, celebrating Coventry being the UK City of Culture 2021. “It is another fantastic kit Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “The Sky Blues play such an important part in Coventry’s identity so working with them on the 20/21 third shirt has long been our ambition. It celebrates the people, cultures and histories that have contributed to its international reputation, including the jet and the Whittle Arch. Inside the neckline of the shirt, images of Coventry City legends who have played from our partnership with Hummel, with the City of Culture branding featuring prominently in the design.” “The fans’ passion for the city is what Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture is all about, celebrating and having pride engine, the bicycle wheel and a prominent role in the Laura McMillan, director in this extraordinary place we the 5G symbol. club’s history feature – with of operations and legacy at call home.”

Impact on home-working at Leamington development

Stephanie Green and Alistair Clark from AC Lloyd Homes

A Warwickshire property company has responded to the increase in home-working due to COVID-19 by reconfiguring the design of its properties on a new development.

A survey by the Institute of Directors showed that 74% of just under 1,000 firms it contacted are planning on maintaining the increase in their staff working from home, with more than half considering reducing their use of workplaces in the long term.

With a permanent shift in home-working being one of the expected knock-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic, AC Lloyd Homes has transformed one of the bedrooms in its showhouse at The Cricketers in Radford Semele, Leamington, into an office for the first time.

Extra points have been added to plug in laptops, printers and mobile phones in the office, which fits two people working at home within the 67 two, three, four and five-bedroom home development. AC Lloyd Homes managing director Alistair Clark and sales and marketing manager Stephanie Green went along to The Cricketers to spend a day working from the showhouse to road-test it before it was open to the public.

Alistair said: “The coronavirus pandemic has led to a permanent move to more flexible working due to the national lockdowns and advice when the tier system was introduced. Everyone has proved they can be highly productive working from home.

“When the vaccination programme is rolled out, I think more and more people will be dividing their time between their office environment and working from home instead of everyone returning to their office desks full-time.

“The last nine months has resulted in more people assessing their homes with people working from either the kitchen, the dining room table or a spare bedroom.

“Transforming one of the bedrooms at the showhouse at The Cricketers into an office shows prospective buyers how they can combine work and home under one roof and, just as importantly, separate the two.”

Gallagher Coventry recognised in FirstPro Awards

Gallagher Coventry has been professionals locally. As well as strength of purpose, as well crowned Team of the Year at being named Team of the Year, as its commitment to look the annual FirstPro Awards, Gallagher’s Coventry team after each other and provide a which celebrate the best also made it through to the supportive environment. professional and financial services in Coventry & Warwickshire. The awards recognise final of three other categories: Contribution to the Community, Deal of the Year and People Excellence. Cheryll Rawbone, chairman of Gallagher Coventry, said: “It is an honour to receive this award on behalf of our Coventry team. the face of adversity caused by the pandemic, along with our strong ethos of helping each excellent teamwork in the The judges noted the This external award recognises other and the community. as the gold standard event for performance, team spirit and and entrepreneurial spirit in our award-winning team!”

Two solicitors listed on review website

Review website ThreeBestRated.co.uk Kristy offers legal guidance and has ranked two solicitors at Band Hatton representation to ensure that her clients Button in the top three in their specialist receive all of the benefits owed to them fields in the Coventry area. without worrying about expenses by The site handpicks the best individuals using a rigorous 50-point inspection, which looks at everything from reviews, business reputation, cost and satisfaction to general excellence. entering into no win no fee agreements where appropriate. She provides a cradle-to-grave service including representation at court hearings without the need to instruct a barrister. She advises claimants on road traffic Kristy Ainge, a accidents, employer liability claims, solicitor advocate in public liability claims, fatal accidents, the litigation team, has occupiers liability claims, industrial been recognised as one disease and clinical/medical negligence. of the top three personal Kristy said: “I feel honoured to have injury solicitors. She has received this accolade for another year. been listed on the site It shows that hard work, dedication and since 2017. compassion do not go unnoticed.”

Meanwhile, partner and head of employment Mark Ridley is listed on the site as one of the top three employment law solicitors. Mark specialises exclusively in this area of law, managing a broad range of contentious and non-contentious work. This includes the preparation of contracts of employment, company handbooks and policies and procedures.

Mark offers practical advice to employers and employees on the conduct of disciplinary and grievance procedures, including appeals. He is also able to advise on sickness procedures and performance improvement systems.

Mark said: “I am delighted to have been recognised in my field. Employment is a dynamic area of law and I approach it in a practical and personable way.”

Cast iron welding specialist unlocks R&D tax incentives

region and FirstPro is seen firm’s consistently strong the team’s client-first approach A massive congratulations to

CIWS had been approached by a client who needed repairs to a huge cast iron industrial strainer that was five feet in diameter and 40 years old. It had developed a substantial crack due to repeated heating and cooling over many years.

The object was large and heavy and was not uniform in shape or thickness. It also contained impurities and other materials, mainly nickel. This meant the CIWS team couldn’t just rely on techniques developed in the early days of the company for joining and repairing cast iron objects.

Further experimentation was required, which involved adjusting the temperature and the rate of cooling to suit its unique composition.

As the company was attempting to solve a technological uncertainty, its work qualified as R&D, which resulted in a claim for £9,700 in R&D tax credits. These credits were introduced by the government in 2000 to incentivise innovation, and result in either a reduction in a limited company’s corporation tax bill or a cash lump sum.

Peter Palmer, managing director of CIWS, said: “Making a claim for R&D tax credits has opened our eyes to the way we can use the scheme to support our work on more complex projects in the future.”

Kully Nijjar, associate director of Catax, said: “The overall size of this claim wasn’t as important to CIWS as knowing that R&D tax credits could allow them to take on many more clients with complex repairs in the future.”

For more information, please visit: www.catax.com and www.castironwelding.co.uk

In recognition of 50 years in the legal profession, Birmingham Law Society has presented Michael Orlik of regional law firm Lodders with a special award.

Law society recognises Lodders lawyer’s fifty-year landmark

Michael was admitted as a solicitor in October 1970 and has been a member of the commercial property team at Lodders since 2002.

Marking Michael’s fifty years in legal practice, the Birmingham Law Society has awarded him a commemorative plaque in recognition of his achievement. The society planned to present the award at a special event, but this had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 restrictions, and Lodders’ managing partner Paul Mourton presented Michael with the award on the society’s behalf.

A specialist in local government, planning, highways, public and private rights of way, compulsory purchase, compensation law, common land and village greens, Michael is known as one of the country’s leading experts on highway law. His book, entitled An Introduction to Highway Law, is now in its fourth edition.

He spent the first half of his career in local government working for four different councils, the last being the Surrey Heath Borough Council in Camberley, where he was chief executive and town clerk. In 1990 he entered private practice as a partner at Birmingham-based Needham and James, which merged with Dibb Lupton Alsop in 1993, before joining Lodders in Stratford upon Avon in 2002. Michael said: “Whilst slightly mystified that it is now fifty years since I was admitted to the legal profession, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed the whole of my career very much, both in the public and private sector.”

Becky Lynch, head of operations at Birmingham Law Society, added: “We’re very proud to present the award to Michael for recognition of fifty years in legal practice. We look forward to welcoming him to a presentation in the new year when the restrictions are lifted.”

For more information visit www.lodders.co.uk

£2,000 charity donation in memory of employee’s late father

In October 2020, Stoneleigh tech consultancy Tisski raised £2,000 for The Myton Hospices as part of an ongoing charity initiative that sees a different employee choose a charity to receive a set donation each month.

For Tisski’s senior account manager, Tracey, Myton is a cause she holds close to heart.

She said: “When doctors confirmed my late dad had to go into palliative care, we were grateful to be given the opportunity for him to spend his last few days at Myton Hospice in Coventry. The volunteers, doctors and nurses were amazing and so very caring.

“The company I work for, Tisski, believes that charitable giving is so important, and I had the opportunity to choose a charity to receive a £2,000 donation. Of course, I didn’t hesitate to put forward Myton; they truly deserve this and I hope it will help to go a little way during these testing times.”

For several years now, charitable giving has been an important part of Tisski’s organisational culture.

Its CEO, Anna Assassa, said: “Donations mean so much to charities like Myton Hospice, especially in difficult times. It’s incredible to hear how well they cared for Tracey’s dad and to be able to give a little something back in return is a real honour.

“At Tisski, we’re very proud of our charitable nature. We’ve made regular donations for several years and would greatly encourage other organisations to do the same. Allowing your employees to choose charities is a fantastic way to support causes you may not have even heard of. In doing so, you uncover stories like Tracey’s and support the people who essentially help your business make money.”

Mecalac unveils new transmission for MCR crawler skid excavators

The Mecalac 6MCR, 8MCR and 10MCR tracked skid excavators are now equipped with ‘Speed Control’ travel management system as standard.

This all-new feature allows the operator to set a maximum travel speed – regardless of engine speed.

With 20 speeds available, the transmission essentially acts as a limiter, making it easy to drive at very low speeds for applications such as mowing or planing. This enables operators to concentrate on the task in hand and prioritise safety.

This technology evolution forms part of Mecalac’s ongoing commitment to simplifying the lives of users without compromising on performance.

For more information, or to find your nearest UK dealer, visit www.mecalac.com/en

Baby boom at local wealth management firm

Integrity Wealth Solutions (IWS) is getting used to the patter of tiny feet!

Over the last year, three members of the team have welcomed their first babies. Tom Sykes, an independent financial consultant specialising in SIPP and SSAS pensions and business protections, welcomed a baby boy in April. Frankie Bates, another independent financial consultant who specialises in estate planning, also welcomed a little boy and client account executive Amie Cooper has just returned from maternity leave after having her daughter last November.

Tom said: “Having children at the same time as a couple of my colleagues has been fantastic. It has meant getting to know them – in particular, Frankie and her partner – much better on a personal level and has led to friendships between us and our partners outside of work.”

IWS prides itself on being a family-orientated company so for three of its close-knit team to be able to go through this special journey together has forged an even stronger bond.

Managing director Martin Lindsey said: “It really has been an exciting year for IWS. Not only have we moved premises and rebranded, we have welcomed three new babies into the team. Whilst the last few months have been difficult for everyone in the world, our business has continued to thrive and, in fact, grow.

“We are always looking for inventive ways to support our clients and staff. Being able to continue working from home throughout lockdown has contributed to helping staff with and without children. I am extremely proud that our fantastic team has carried on helping clients through these difficult times and that we have been able to be flexible to accommodate home-working.

“We are all looking forward to the day when we can be together again and meet the new additions to the IWS extended family”.

For more information visit www.integritywealth.co.uk Sprint to success with Athletic Thinking Cleaning and hygiene specialist Mirius has teamed up with management consultancy Athletic Thinking in a bid to become a highperformance organisation.

Athletic Thinking will offer bespoke high-performance coaching, interactive workshops and wellbeing programmes to Mirius’s leadership team and employees.

By bringing an elite sports approach into a corporate environment and embedding high-performance principles into the workplace, Athletic Thinking and Mirius hope to optimise performance, productivity and profitability across the board. In doing so, Mirius is confident that the company will continue to drive innovation within the industry and provide a valuable contribution to human hygiene globally.

The partnership aims to inspire Mirius employees to adopt a new way of thinking, improving their sense of worth, wellbeing and knowledge and allowing them to contribute to the company’s continued growth and development.

Darren Langdon, commercial director at Mirius – a pioneer in the manufacture and supply of cleaning products – said: “We are thrilled to be working closely with Nick and Athletic Thinking to develop our approach to business. By adopting new strategies, we believe that our already committed team of employees will continue to thrive and be capable of driving our future growth and expansion.”

Nick Johnston, director of Athletic Thinking, said: “We are thrilled to be able to form this partnership and offer a comprehensive performance and wellbeing package to Mirius. For a collective to be successful, every individual has to be engaged on multiple levels in a psychologically safe environment that nurtures development in a positive, constructive manner.

“I hope that by working closely with Mirius we will be able to help them reach their goals to become a highperforming organisation, with effective leadership and stakeholder ownership across the business.”

To find out more, visit https://www.mirius.com/