C&W July

Issue 60

July / August 2017

Debbie Harper Joining the high fliers - page 20 26

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

CONTENTS July/August 2017

Learning to adapt in a changing world

Go for Growth

4-5

Chamber Services

6

News

7

Events

8-9

Dear Chamber of Commerce Member, I have no doubt that our members across the region have had enough of political uncertainty but I am equally clear that business people have a wonderful way of adapting and finding ways to grow even when the political landscape is shifting all the time.

The build up to the EU referendum, the subsequent result, the change of leadership and the General Election result of a few weeks ago have all stacked up to make for very uncertain times.

In my view, that makes your Chamber of Commerce more relevant to you and your business. For more than 100 years the Chamber has been on the side of firms in this region – through wars, recessions and depressions.

And that remains the case today. Brexit is probably the biggest political issue facing companies and from the moment the result was announced, we have been ahead of the curve in providing support and information.

Of course, we can’t tell businesses exactly what is going to happen after the negotiations but our Brexit Club is providing insight in what to do now to prepare for departure from the EU. It’s also helping companies to tell us their own issues – some of which are very niche and unique to them – so that we can feed those back to the Government department that is dealing with the exit from the EU so that they can take them into account when trying to reach the best possible deal for all of us.

As I have said above, I can’t tell you what the terms of leaving will be but I can tell you that right now you should be looking to new markets for your goods and services. It’s a big wide world and,

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

despite the domestic upheaval, countries across the globe want to deal with UK companies as we have a great reputation throughout the world. The fall in sterling presents a very real and live opportunity.

Our International Trade Hub at the Chamber is here to support that – whether it’s export documents or market visits and research, our team of experts can help you make your move into overseas trade.

And, closer to home, make sure you are using your Chamber to network, to gain advice and to grow your business.

Our Business & Trade Expo in September is already looking like it is going to be one of our biggest yet (more information on that can be found later in this magazine), while our Annual Conference in November is starting to shape up nicely. Again, more information on that will follow soon.

So make sure you are making the most of your Chamber because we are here, simply, to help your business grow and thrive, no matter what the political landscape.

Corporate Profiles

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International Trade

11

Corporate Profiles

12-13

Chamber Training

14

Business Support

15

Legal & Finance Property

16-17 18

We will be your voice – on skills, on the shortage of employment land, on infrastructure (including broadband) and any other issue you want to raise with decision-makers locally, regionally and nationally.

That way, you can get on and do what you do best – making a success of your business which is great news for you, your staff, the economy and the whole of society.

Kind regards, Louise, Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive

Profile

20-21

Economy

22-24

Around the region

25-32

Connectivity

34-37

News

39 -43

President & People

44-45

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Go for Growth

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 654321 F: 024 76 450242

At the publishers

Publisher

Ian Fletcher

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

Advertising Contact Karen Hall karen@benhampublishing.com 07801 788880 Production Manager Mark Etherington Accounts Director Joanne Casey Media Number 1497 © Benham Publishing 2017 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.

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

Companies celebrate growth Two high-end Warwickshire manufacturing companies have won vital backing in their plans for expansion.

Guthrie Douglas, a world-leading manufacturer of tension blind systems based in Warwick, and NEJ Stevenson, a designer and maker of fine furniture based in Church Lawford near Rugby, are both investing heavily in their future and have received support through the Business Ready programme.

Guthrie Douglas is ploughing significant investment into its growth plans to more than double its turnover in the next four years, which will see the company increase its staff headcount to 20.

Part of that plan is the purchase of a new machine that will allow the company to make more parts in-house and they have received a £35,000 grant through Warwickshire County Council to buy the equipment.

Likewise, NEJ Stevenson, which has a Royal Warrant for its products and has made furniture for, among others, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, has doubled in size in two years and needs to grow further.

It is extending its current base in Church Lawford and is also buying new machinery. It has received a grant of £35,000 towards the costs through Warwickshire County Council.

In both cases, the funding is supporting the companies to grow more quickly, create new jobs and help to drive the manufacturing sector in the region.

Andrew Kitching, of Guthrie Douglas, said: “The grant is a huge help and will genuinely help us to grow the business.

It will allow us to develop a new product range and will bring great improvements for existing customers as well as helping us push into new markets.

(L to r) Andrew Kitching (Guthrie Douglas), Mark Ryder (Warwickshire County Council), Louise Richardson (Warwickshire County Council), Neil Stevenson (NEJ Stevenson), Janette Pallas (Business Ready).

“We already sell to over 40 countries, exporting 85 per cent of what we make, and this grant, along with our own investment, means we can grow more quickly.

“When we were first told about the grant by the team at Business Ready, we assumed it would be at a lower level, but £35,000 is a big support for a small manufacturer.”

Business Ready is delivered by the University of Warwick Science Park and is part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council.

Neil Stevenson, of NEJ Stevenson, added: “It’s simply stunning to get this level of support. To be perfectly honest, we’d given up on grants because over the years we have applied and have found it very difficult or just didn’t qualify.

Investors in Hope

(L to R) John Nollett, Louise Bennett, Louise Wall, Justin Welby

“This grant, through Warwickshire County Council, was much more userfriendly and will help us to grow.

“What we do requires a high level of skill and craftsmanship but there isn’t a huge amount of margin in each commission so this support will mean we can expand, which has to be good for the local economy.”

Janette Pallas, of Business Ready, said: “Guthrie Douglas and NEJ Stevenson are great examples of some of the high-end, high-quality manufacturing going on in Warwickshire.

“They supply to everyone from royalty to museums and are renowned for the quality of their manufacturing.

“It is great to hear that both found the process of applying for the grants through Warwickshire County Council straight forward and that it will have a positive impact on their growth, on jobs and the economy of the region.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has pledged its support to Coventry Cathedral’s Investors in Hope scheme.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has pledged its support to Coventry Cathedral’s Investors in Hope scheme.

The Chamber has donated to the iconic Cathedral to help ensure it can continue to serve the people of the city – and the world – as a destination for peace and reconciliation.

The Chamber made the pledge at an event hosted by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth Palace.

Louise Wall, group commercial director at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It was a wonderful event and we are delighted to support Coventry Cathedral in this way.

“It is one of our region’s most iconic, world famous venues and attracts people from across the globe to come and enjoy our city and our area.

“But it needs financial support and we believe because of its meaning, value and importance to the region that we, as a Chamber, should get behind it.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Policy Go for Growth

Buy-out creates jobs An independent Coventry refrigeration installation and maintenance company has been bought out – securing existing jobs and creating four new posts all within the first eight months of new ownership.

Swift Maintenance Group has added Huntley Refrigeration, based on Fletchamstead Highway, to its portfolio of companies that also includes Knight Catering, Swift Maintenance Services & Swift Ventilation Services.

Following the takeover, Swift has invested in the growth of the established business by appointing additional staff – including the firm’s first female refrigeration engineer, new vehicles and equipment for the team as well as moving the entire team over from a paper based job allocation and control system to a fully computerised version.

The company has been assisted by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s business support team through the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme.

Part of that support included a £10,000 grant, through Coventry City Council, to assist the company in its growth.

Chris Birch, the Swift Maintenance Group managing director, said: “We saw Huntley Refrigeration as a perfect fit for our group of companies as The Swift Group is a select group of companies that were all originally owner managed and had reached a growth ceiling.

“New management systems and controls have been put in place but we have kept the personal feel of a familyrun business of more than 40 years.

“We have already made significant investment to safeguard jobs, create new ones and to furnish the new

members of the team with vehicles and equipment they need to carry out their work in a much more efficient and timely manner.

“The support from the Chamber has been invaluable and the grant, as well as the advice and assistance, have allowed us to invest and grow Huntley Refrigeration more quickly.

“It’s great to be able to call upon his kind of help and I would urge other businesses to make the most of the help available.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.

Martyne Manning, a business support coach at the Chamber, said companies should get in touch to access help.

She said: “It’s been great to work with Swift Maintenance Group and Huntley Refrigeration to help a Coventry company expand and take on new, skilled staff.

“The move has helped to streamline the company’s processes and means they can offer customers an enhanced service.

“Other companies across Coventry can benefit from similar help if they want to expand and invest in their business. Of course, there are criteria that have to be met but I would urge businesses who are looking to make investments to get in touch to find out how we can help.”

For more information or to book on to the Business Support programme call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or email businesssupport@cw-chamber.co.uk

Chris Birch and Martyne Manning

“We have already made significant investment to safeguard jobs, create new ones and to furnish the new members of the team with vehicles and equipment they need to carry out their work in a much more efficient and timely manner.”

Gold Cloud Platform accredited

Paul Blore, Managing Director, Netmetix

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Netmetix, the complete IT solutions provider offering cloud computing solutions, network systems, IT security and support maintenance, has appointed Neo PR to drive forward its UK PR and social media campaign.

Having recently earned the title of Microsoft’s highest accreditation for cloud-based services for its global Azure platform, Netmetix wanted to increase awareness of its success and service focus.

A full service strategy of proactive thought leadership, news-based activity and an increase in social media engagement has been implemented to not only raise brand awareness, but to also encourage growth and help Netmetix increase its standing as a thought leader within the industry.

Paul Blore, Managing Director, Netmetix said: “We recognised the necessity of working with a PR team to

promote our successes within the industry, and raise awareness of the benefits of our cloud solutions.

The thought leadership approach that will underpin our campaign with Neo PR was something that particularly resonated with us, and we appreciate the way they position themselves as an extension of our team.”

Ashley Carr, Managing Director at Neo PR, said: “We are excited to work with such an innovative and interesting company that isn’t scared to challenge the status quo of the major players that have traditionally dominated the field of IT solutions.

The prestigious awards Netmetix has already received are testament to its mounting success, and we are keen to not only ensure these achievements receive the recognition they deserve, but to utilise them when generating new opportunities.”

“We recognised the necessity of working with a PR team to promote our successes within the industry, and raise awareness of the benefits of our cloud solutions.”

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Chamber Services

Introducing our new International Trade Membership The Chamber has been scaling up the support it offers to importers and exporters and recently announced a new International Trade Membership package which offers companies a variety of services and assistance when they are trading overseas.

It ranges from help with export documentation through to free entry to events across the year covering practical international trade topics.

Under the new package members are allocated a dedicated relationship manager who will help them with their international strategy and access support from the Chamber and partner organisations. James Ahearne, International Trade Commercial Executive said; “Our new membership package is very much focused on supporting businesses with the practical side of the import/export process, whether that be help with their export documentation or issues with shipping and customs. International Trade Membership gives companies access to a suite of services, discounts and free access to our events. We’re running a new programme of activities throughout the year designed to give practical introductions to key topics like Duty Relief, AEO, Incoterms and Trade Finance. We’re also keeping track of any changes related to Brexit and are running events to keep members up to date and help them scenario plan.”

If would like to speak to one of our advisers about becoming an International Trade Member simply give us a call on 02476654321 or email: info@cw-chamber.co.uk to find out more.

It’s a decision you won’t regret!

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Key Events for your Diary: There are some great events being run, not just by the Chamber, that we wanted to highlight to you so that you don’t miss out!

C&W Chamber’s Business & Trade Expo

Landlord & Letting Show

15th September 2017 at the NAEC Stoneleigh

29th November 2017 at The Ricoh Arena

The Chamber’s Business & Trade Expo regularly attracts hundreds of visitors and is seen as one of the best showcases and networking opportunities for companies in Coventry and Warwickshire. The expo, which takes place at NAEC Stoneleigh on Friday, September 15, is being sponsored by WarwickNet and, once again, it looks set to be a sell-out when it comes to stands with more than half of the 200 available already being snapped-up by eager businesses from across the region.

Not only does the event offer fantastic opportunities for exhibitors on the day, but businesses can attend the event for free and network with potentially 1,000 businesses.

For more information, please visit www.cwexpo.co.uk

The Landlord & Letting Show is a regional exhibition and conference for landlords, letting agents, property developers and investors. It features seminars, workshops and panel discussions, and provides opportunities to keep up to date with legislation in the private rented sector.

To find out more visit: sites.google.com/a/propertynet.media/landlord-lettingshow/midlands

Coventry & Warwickshire Tourism and Culture Awards 2017

The Chamber Business Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes.

Each year, from Aberdeen to Plymouth, organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles and the national recognition they bring.

This year’s Business of the Year winner get to open the London Stock Exchange when we launch next year’s programme in March 2018, they will also get the opportunity to work with Rada and join a one day communication skills and impact course.

Free entry for members of Accredited Chambers of Commerce.

21st September at Coombe Abbey

BCC Chamber Business Awards 30th November 2017 at The Brewery, London

Steve Orchard CEO from Quidem, owners of six local radio stations and organisers of the awards said “We are delighted once again to be shining a big spotlight on the individuals, organisations and visitor attractions which make Coventry & Warwickshire a great place to visit.

“The local area is packed full of marvellous visitor attractions and world class tourism assets and we are going to celebrate them in style. Along with our partners we’re ready to blow this region’s trumpet!”

There are 15 categories in total and nominations are now open via the www.tourismandcultureawards.co.uk website.

To find out more and book your place visit: www.chamberbusinessawards.co.uk

BCC International Trade Summit

C&W Chamber’s Annual Economic Conference

12th October 2017 at the VOX Centre Birmingham Come along for a day of practical breakout sessions on all aspects of the export process, panel debates and speeches from successful exporters and business leaders experienced in international trade.

To register your interest for the 2017 International Trade Summit, please email: events@britishchambers.org.uk or for more information visit: www.bccexport.co.uk

Advanced Engineering Expo 1st - 2nd November 2017 at The NEC, Birmingham.

Now in its 9th year, the show has record breaking visitor numbers, bringing together over 700 firms, as well as more than 13,000 engineers, procurement managers and senior decision makers from large and small companies - all looking to source, specify and invest in the most up-to-date products and explore the latest industry innovations.

Advanced Engineering 2017 includes five co-located zones under one roof: Aero Engineering, Composites Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Performance Metals Engineering and new for 2017, Connected Manufacturing which focuses on Industry 4.0.

For more information on the Advanced Engineering Show, or to secure your free ticket visit: www.advancedengineeringuk.com

Coventry Telegraph Business Awards 16th November 2017 at The Ricoh Arena, Coventry The Coventry Telegraph Business Awards aim to celebrate success, recognise achievement and highlight the innovative people and companies in Coventry and Warwickshire who are putting our region on the map by boosting the economy while making a positive contribution to the local community.

The evening, like all top business award ceremonies, will also provide a fantastic networking opportunity, uniting the region’s business community in a positive way.

The cost of a table is £750 + VAT and individual tickets will cost £75+VAT. Tickets can be booked via: www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events or events@cw-chamber.co.uk.

To nominate your business for one of the business awards please visit: www.ctbusinessawards.co.uk/2017/.

Nominations close on Friday 1st September 2017.

Non-members entry fee: £199 +VAT.

Friday 3rd November 20178am - 1pm at Crowne Plaza Stratford The Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference has been running for some fifteen years and is highly successful and unique in our sub-region.

The conference will importantly focus on the future economic prospects, locally, nationally and globally as well as identifying ways we can achieve economic growth throughout our great city and town centres.

This years’ event will bring together 200 – 300 key business and civic leaders to consider the economic health across Coventry & Warwickshire against the background of national and international trends.

Confirmed speakers: • Iain Duncan Smith MP • Janice Charette, Canada's High Commissioner to the UK To find out more and book your place, please visit: www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events or email events@cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire Business Festival 20th November – 1st December 2017 This inaugural Festival will include a wide-ranging programme of business events hosted by local organisations from across the region. The aim of the Festival is to bring Coventry & Warwickshire businesses together on an annual basis under one unified banner to encourage collaboration, networking, innovation, learning and sharing opportunities.

Similarly, the Business Festival will provide a great platform to show the rest of the world Coventry & Warwickshire’s strengths and investment potential and will place our region at the heart of UK business.

It is a unique opportunity for local organisations to get involved in a completely new concept whether this is becoming a Festival sponsor or sector lead, by hosting an event, offering venue space or attending one, two or several events in the programme.

To find out more visit: www.coventryandwarwickshirebusinessfestival.com www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

sponsored column

Firm flying high with funds for local Air Ambulance More than £20,000 has been raised by generous employees at Domestic & General’s Bedworth office over the past 12 months, in support of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

The Leicester Street office has been rallying to raise the funds and awareness of the charity throughout 2016/17 through a range of activities, including a summertime ‘Party in the Park’ for colleagues’ friends and families in July last year.

A total of £11,914 has been raised by Bedworth employees, which was matched

by a contribution from Domestic & General of £12,000, meaning that the local air ambulance will receive a total of £23,914 to help keep them in the air.

Jayne Pitcher, finance & operational support department manager at the Bedworth office said: “The air ambulance is vital to providing a rapid response to trauma and medical emergencies.”

Jo Payne, senior fundraising manager at the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, said: “Because we are entirely funded by donations, support is

vital for us to continue to provide the community with our air ambulance helicopter and rapid response night car service, carrying state of the art equipment, doctors and critical care paramedics to give definitive care on scene.”

Award for business support apprentice An apprentice employed by Venture House Business Centre has been awarded the accolade of Apprentice of the Year after only eight months in post at a council-run centre.

Lauren Preece congratulated

by College Principal and CEO Andrew Cropley

Venture House, which is owned and managed by Stratford-upon-Avon District Council, was created to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and offer support to existing small enterprises.

Business Support Apprentice Lauren Preece, whose apprenticeship training is delivered by Stratford-upon-Avon College, won the award at the College’s Student Awards Ceremony.

Lauren, 21 from Bidford-upon-Avon, said.

“Having this award will hopefully show any future employer my willingness not only to learn and progress, but also how important it is to me to do well in my career. “ Nancy Singleton, Business Enterprise & Tourism Manager, Stratford District Council, said: “This is testimony to the enthusiasm, approach and commitment she demonstrates in all aspects of her work at Venture House and the success of the centre.”

Miv Wright, Business Development Manager at Stratford-upon-Avon College, presented Lauren with her award.

Report shows huge impact of WCG on local economy A study into the economic impact of WCG has shown that the college group makes a £705.8m contribution to the regional economy each year.

The report, by economic specialists Emsi, found that WCG - which has seven colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire - creates positive benefits for its main stakeholder groups including learners, society, taxpayers and the local business community.

Highlights include: • For every £1 invested by a learner at WCG, they get back £4.40 in higher future wages • For every £1 businesses invest in apprenticeships, they receive a 41.3% average monthly rate of return

• For every £1 invested by an apprentice at WCG, they get £7.70 back in future earnings • For every £1 invested by the taxpayer, WCG returns £3.90 in benefits • Taxpayers see an average annual return of 17.1% on their investment in WCG higher than 71.4% of the 105 other institutions Emsi has analysed WCG Principal and Chief Executive of WCG Angela Joyce said: “We have always believed that our colleges impact positively on the regional economy, so I’m delighted to see this success quantified by the report.

“The £706m contribution is a result of our commitment to the communities we serve, in terms of providing educational opportunities and business support, and it’s great to have this additional evidence of how we support job creation and the regional economy by spending our money locally.“

SMEs planning supply chain restructures amidst economic uncertainty More than one in seven businesses in the West Midlands plan to restructure their supply chains before 2018, a survey by Moore Stephens has found.

Lee Causer, restructuring partner Moore Stephens

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

The accounting firm’s report, ‘Strength Amidst Uncertainty’, found that owner managed businesses recognise that the supply chain can be a point of vulnerability, particularly in an uncertain economic climate.

The report highlighted that 15% of businesses in the West Midlands are planning to restructure their supply chain, compared to 10% nationally.

The sectors most concerned are transport and logistics (16%), retail and wholesale (14%) and manufacturing (14%).

Lee Causer, restructuring partner at Moore Stephens in Birmingham, said that while businesses are obviously vulnerable to the loss of major customers, they can also

be badly affected by the collapse of a key supplier.

He said that Brexit continues to have an impact on supply chains and urged businesses considering reviews to carry out a health check.

“Some businesses may be planning to restructure their supply chain due to a change in economic or market conditions, such as the fall in the value of Sterling following the Brexit referendum,” he added.

Reporting profits on a cash basis The cash basis of reporting allows unincorporated trading businesses (sole traders and partnerships) to report their taxable profits based on receipts and payments in the accounting period.

This is simpler than accruals-based reporting, which requires income and expenditure to be reported in the period they relate to, irrespective of the actual payment date.

Please note this is a separate scheme to VAT cash accounting which has different rules.

From April 2017, the turnover threshold up to which unincorporated businesses may begin using the cash basis has increased from £83,000 to £150,000.

In addition, the exit threshold has increased to £300,000. This means that businesses using the cash basis are not required to switch to accruals accounting until their turnover exceeds £300,000.

With the proposed introduction of quarterly reporting under the Making Tax Digital regime, cash accounting may be an attractive option as it would generally make reporting easier.

There would be no need, for example, to calculate stock, debtors and creditors at each reporting point.

There are however other factors we would advise eligible business owners to consider: 1. Where businesses are loss making, losses cannot be offset against the individual’s other income where the cash basis is used.

2. The cash basis is not available to limited companies. Many businesses in this turnover range are likely to be more tax efficient if operated through a limited company under current tax rules.

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

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

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Events

Businesses given royal award masterclass Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire have been given a masterclass on how to receive a major Royal seal of approval.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce organised a Queen’s Award for Enterprise masterclass at Warwick Business School for firms wanting to push themselves forward for the prestigious prize.

More than 40 companies attended the event and heard from Lord Lieutenants and Deputy Lieutenants – including Chamber chief executive Louise Bennett – as well as from previous winners of the much sought-after award.

It also included a presentation from John Rimmer on the process of applying for the award and the different categories which can be applied for, which are Innovation, International Trade and Sustainability.

Delegates also got hints and tips from previous winners, who were on a panel consisting of Adam Petros (Premier Health Products Ltd), Mark Neal (Armagard) and Jeffrey Bull (Coachbuilt GB).

Louise said: “A Queen’s Award is one of the most prestigious prizes a company can receive. To have that Royal seal of approval connected to your company is a great testimony to the way you do business and is fantastic PR too.

“We always advise businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire to put themselves forward for awards because it helps raise profile and standards and there is no better example of that than the Queen’s Awards.”

John Rimmer , George Marsh (Vice Lord-Lieutenant), John Crabtree (Lord Lieutenant West Midlands), Tim Cox (Lieutenant, Warwickshire), Louise Bennett (Chamber of commerce), Nigel Driffield (University of Warwick), Joseph Greenwell (DL Deputy Lieutenant)

“A Queen’s Award is one of the most prestigious prizes a company can receive. To have that Royal seal of approval connected to your company is a great testimony to the way you do business and is fantastic PR too.”

Putt work-life balance first, businesses told Business owners were given tips on how to manage their work-life balance, based on golf techniques.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

organised a Meet Your Chamber event at Ardencote Manor Hotel to give members the chance to network and meet new contacts.

Former Apprentice star Jo Cameron, from RedMane Group,

was guest speaker and used golf to help explain to business how to balance work and personal life including time management, stress levels and workload.

Ajay Desai, Hazel Pilling, Ange Lennox (all Chamber) with Jo Cameron, Julian Mellor (Golf Coach) and Christopher Best (Ardencote Hotel)

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Events

sponsored column

Speakers stress the importance of resilience A business leader has spoken about the importance of aspiration and resilience as she gave delegates at a glimpse into her past at a networking event in Warwickshire.

Sarah Windrum, CEO of technology firm The Emerald Group and Board Director of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, was one of the guest speakers at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Business is Good for Women event, held at the Holiday Inn, in Kenilworth.

She spoke about her journey from graduating from the University of Oxford with a first class honours degree in English to forging a successful career in the male-dominated technology industry.

Sarah also delved into her past and gave a very personal account about how being involved in an abusive relationship gave her resilience as well as the drive to succeed.

She said: “Aspiration and resilience are important when you’re a woman working in a male-dominated industry.

“It was while working at a technology firm in Warwickshire that I had my first experience in technology when they wanted to take a magazine online.

“I then went on to have an interview at a London-based technology company which was opening a Midlands office – it was a job that I wanted but didn’t have experience in.

“I had a few doubters and in my interview they said they were taking a chance on me, but in my first six months I really upskilled myself by taking a number of training courses.”

Sarah then joined The Emerald Group, set up by her ex-husband, and the company has gone from strength to strength.

Sarah added: “Having a great team will empower you to do the things you want to do. We are all going to go through tough times, but it’s what you do to deal with that.

“Life is full of battles and resilience is about picking your battles – you need to know if it is a battle you can win, if it is one you need help with or if it is one to save for another day.”

The Tax Impacts of Brexit (Left to right): Beverley Nielson, West Midlands Mayoral candidate for the Liberal Democrats; Annette Doyle, UK Managing Director of Trumpf; Zoe Sweeney, of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce; Sarah Windrum, CEO of technology firm The Emerald Group and Tracey Hudson, Managing Director of The HR Dept, at the event.

The business leader is now working with young people to help build their resilience and raise aspirations.

Sarah was joined by speakers Annette Doyle, UK Managing Director of German manufacturing solutions company Trumpf and West Midlands Mayoral candidate for the Liberal Democrats Beverley Nielson at the event who both spoke about the importance of equality in the workplace. Zoe Sweeney, of the Coventry and Warwickshire

Chamber of Commerce, said: “It was excellent to welcome such inspirational speakers to our latest Business is Good for Women event.

“Each of them gave us some very personal accounts of their lives and their career paths and demonstrated the importance of resilience in business.

“I would also like to thank HSBC Coventry for sponsoring the event and look forward to welcoming delegates to our next event at Twycross Zoo in July.”

“Life is full of battles and resilience is about picking your battles – you need to know if it is a battle you can win, if it is one you need help with or if it is one to save for another day.”

Of course, we don’t yet know what the real impact of Brexit is going to be on any level, let alone tax, but what we do know is that a raft of tax legislation imposed by the EU on the UK is going to have to be repealed and replaced with something else.

The most directly impacted taxes are VAT and Customs Duty. The UK has had many battles with the EU over the years in respect of VAT legislation imposed by EU regulations that were out of kilter with the economic environment in the UK. Post Brexit, the UK will be free to set its own VAT rules or even abolish VAT, but the reality is probably that the desire to maintain good trading relations with our EU neighbours will mean that the VAT system will have to remain largely harmonised with the EU system.

Perhaps the most significant impact will be an increased requirement for UK businesses to seek VAT registrations in the EU countries in which they trade, which will be a headache for some.

Import duty is one of the areas where we can expect to see the fiercest negotiations with the EU. The free movement of goods is one of the cornerstones of the single market, but so is the free movement of people.

The UK wants the former, but not the latter and it would seem highly unlikely that the EU will grant us this wish! Hence, we can either expect a soft Brexit where we retain both or a hard exit resulting in the introduction of tariffs on UK goods entering the EU and EU goods entering the UK. The former is perhaps looking more likely at the moment.

Then there’s corporation tax, where the UK seems hell bent on moving itself into the realms of tax haven type rates. In terms of attracting inward investment, our significant competitive advantage was being the major English speaking nation inside the EU. With that lost, corporation tax rates are seen as the method of redressing the competitive balance.

We wait with baited breath!

If you wish to discuss any tax issues please contact Brian Jukes on 02476 221 046 or e-mail brian.jukes@dafferns.com

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

9

Corporate Profiles

Black & white theme hits the right note at Zoe’s Place Ball

Zoe's Place Nathan & Claire Baines share their heart rendering story at the Zoe's Place Black & White Ball

Local businesses once again pulled out all the stops at this year’s Zoe’s Place Ball to once again achieve a record-breaking result for the charity.

A black and white theme, coupled with a touching and inspiring speech from Nathan and Claire Baines, parents of baby Joel who is cared for by Zoe’s Place and a special message from Hollywood actress Rosie Day who has recently adopted an Ambassadorial role with the hospice, all helped to ensure that the fundraising message hit the mark.

And hit the mark it did, raising more than £61,000 to provide a welcome boost o the charity’s coffers this year with the announcement coming just days after the conclusion Children’s Hospice Week.

The event, which was held at Coventry’s Coombe Abbey Hotel, was attended by more than 350 people including the charity’s Patron Lady Daventry. her husband

Lord Daventry and UB 40 Founder Brian Travers. Free Radio presenter John Dalziel hosted the event and guests were entertained by Letitia George who opened the evening with the same resounding performance which initially had impressed the judges of The Voice.

A night of fundraising followed with a raffle, heads and tails, a silent auction and live auction with the top bid being £3000 for Wasps Corporate Box. Other prizes included two unique Racing Experiences donated by Ian Williams which between them raised £2000, a British Superbike hospitality day £1300 along with a holiday for two at MacDonalds Resort Hotel in Portugal which raised a fantastic £1250.

But it was Nathan and Claire who will be remembered for their heart rending account of their son Joel’s journey which lead them to Zoe’s Place in 2016 casting them a much-needed lifeline and one which has since transformed their lives.

Now a member of the Zoe’s Place Business Group Nathan was delighted at the level of support given on the night.

He said: "As parents of a child at Zoë's Place we were genuinely overwhelmed by

John Dalziel Comperes Zoe's Place Ball

Zoe's Place Founder and Head of Trustees Jack Scarisbrick MBE Welcomes Guests at Zoe's Place Ball

the number of local people who attended the ball and their incredible generosity.

It's humbling to think that from the money raised our son, Joel, will benefit from a better quality of life. How special is that!"

Zoe’s Place is the Midlands’ only dedicated facility for babies and young children up to the age of five.

The hospice is faced with an ongoing challenge of ensuring the hospice has enough income to provide baseline nursing and ancillary staff, allowing it to open its doors 24/7, 365 days a year.

Peter Jarvis, Zoe’s Place Business Group Chair and Managing Director of Contechs, said: “The success of this year’s event has surpassed all others and sets the bar going forward. The generosity of all those attended was just incredible.

“Zoe’s Place is an amazing charity and one which provides a vital service to the local community yet is one which is wholly reliant on charitable donations. It is a charity which as soon as you step through their door gets under your skin. You want to be a part of it and lend a helping hand and I would challenge anyone to feel anything different.”

Muna Chauhan, Corporate Manager, Zoe’s Place, summarised the challenges the charity faces and the vital role fundraising plays: “We are currently running at four out of six cots and have a number families who want to use our services. but without funding we are unable to offer this.

“Fundraising initiatives such as the Ball are therefore just so important to us and play a crucial role in helping us to continue to deliver the level of service on which our families rely so much.

“As a charity we are incredibly grateful to the generosity of all those who supported the Ball and we are particularly pleased to welcome Rosie Day as our new Ambassador.

“We have a number of exciting plans in the pipeline and the Zoe’s Place Ball and the support of the Business Group is going a long way towards helping us to achieve our objectives.”

Zoe's Place Business Group Chair and Contechs MD Speaks to Guests at Zoe's Place Ball

Exasoft achieves Investors A successful property company, St. Modwen continues to seek in People accreditation strategic land in the region

Software Solutions Company Exasoft has been recognised for the way it supports, develops and manages its staff with an internationallyrecognised accreditation from Investors in People (IIP).

The Coventry-based company, which provides sophisticated software primarily to the financial services sector, achieved IIP Standard following a rigorous assessment process which measures how companies empower staff, recognise and reward good performance and deliver continuous improvement.

The IIP Standard, is held by 14,000 organisations in more than 75 countries and is constantly updated and reviewed to take into account the latest workplace trends and structures required for organisations to be leading performers in their industry or profession.

Caroline Park, HR Manager, Exasoft, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded Investors in People accreditation, as it demonstrates our commitment to our employee’s development and sets the standards to ensure that they feel valued and rewarded in their work.

“We want to attract and retain the best talent and ensure that our employees are equipped with the key skills to become the workforce of the future and Investors in People defines what it takes to lead, support and manage people for sustained success”.

Caroline Park, HR Manager, Exasoft plc with the certification

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Alan Malik, CEO, Exasoft, said: “Our employees are our greatest asset and this award demonstrates our ambition to invest in employees to achieve set goals, create a culture of empowerment, recognition and reward and invest time in learning and development.”

With 540,000 sq ft of industrial and logistics space in development across the Midlands, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, St. Modwen, is currently progressing with a number of key schemes across Coventry and Warwickshire and continues to seek additional strategic land opportunities within the region.

A company operating across the full spectrum of the property industry, St. Modwen has an outstanding 30 year track record of adding value by managing schemes through the planning process, remediating brownfield land and active asset management and development. The Company also boasts its own award winning housebuilding business, St. Modwen Homes, which differentiates itself from other housebuilders by focussing on a higher quality, more bespoke product with higher than average ceilings and larger windows.

The on-going success of its 470-acre Meon Vale development in Stratford-upon-Avon has seen the 800,000 sq ft Business Park continue to attract a wide range of national and local tenants; it is now 100% occupied. In addition, the Meon Vale community, which has planning permission for up to 1,050 homes, continues to flourish, with the £5m leisure centre becoming ever more popular.

St. Modwen has also recently successfully secured planning permission for a further 800,000 sq ft of distribution warehouse space on land at junction 10 of the M42 at Tamworth and which provides an excellent pipeline of future

development. This is in addition to 206,000 sq ft of industrial space which the Company has already completed at the site.

With extensive experience in dealing with complex and challenging schemes, St. Modwen is focussed on the long-term development of commercial property and residential land. With a highly specialised regional team; its very own housebuilding business, St. Modwen Homes; and headquarters all located in the Midlands, St. Modwen is well positioned to take forward successful schemes from planning through delivery across Coventry and Warwickshire.

St. Modwen’s £1.7bn national portfolio of over 100 projects includes; the regeneration of New Covent Garden Market, London; the transformation of Longbridge, Birmingham and the on-going regeneration of over 2,500 acres of former industrial land in South Wales which includes the delivery of the new £450m Bay Campus for Swansea University.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

International Trade

sponsored column

How to survive Brexit of this move still very uncertain, accountants and business advisers Harrison Beale & Owen (HB&O) are offering advice to help businesses prepare for the unknown.

Phil Ewing is a director at HB&O specialising in helping businesses to grow, and believes that while the region’s economy remains strong amid the uncertainty of Brexit, businesses need to be ready for the future.

He said: “The Coventry and Warwickshire economy is still buoyant whether it is businesses investing in property, machinery or staff, the market is still strong.

“There are still a lot of questions over what Brexit means for the UK but currently the business landscape hasn’t yet changed much.

A checklist of what Coventry and Warwickshire’s businesses should be doing now to futureproof themselves in a post-Brexit world has been drawn up by one of the area’s leading accountancy firms.

The UK is set to officially leave the EU in March 2019 following two years of negotiations, and with the consequences

• Find routes into the EU that are more receptive to the UK and will help firms sell into the EU post-Brexit. For example, Malta has strong historic relations with the UK, and provides access to the EU without having to set up in mainland Europe.

• Consider the feasibility of setting up a UK supplier base if currently this is focussed overseas. This is important across the globe as the dollar – which is the currency most often used when importing from the rest of the world - is also continuing to grow stronger and so importing is becoming more expensive wherever the source might be based.

• Plan for contingencies in case employees from overseas decide not to stay in the UK. This could include taking on more UK-based apprentices to ensure the workforce is sufficiently skilled.

“Clearly though business owners also need to think about the future to anticipate • Keep cashflow tight and don’t expose the any problems ahead, so while there is business to high risks, such as ordering uncertainty, we would urge every business excess stock that may not get sold. to make sure they’re considering some of the advice mentioned in our check list.”

• Increase flexibility and innovation in the The HB&O checklist advises businesses to: operations of the business to stand out in a crowded market.

• Look at expanding or starting sales to non-EU countries, or even opening up • Think positively and network regularly to grasp as many opportunities as possible. or buying a business overseas.

Warwick conference speaker WOWs the far east “There are a staggering nine million independent financial advisers in China and it was my job as keynote speaker to tell the top 5,000 how to engage with prospects.”

On stage at The Million Dollar Round Table.

A Warwick-based international conference business books, said: “There are a staggering nine million independent financial speaker has taken the Far East by storm. advisers in China and it was my job as Bernie De Souza, who specialises in keynote speaker to tell the top 5,000 how to sales training for the financial and engage with prospects.” insurance sectors, has already this year been the keynote speaker at conferences He was also the keynote speaker to 8,500 in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia people at The Million Dollar Round Table in and Thailand.

Hong Kong, a global network of leading insurance and investment financial services Mr De Souza, whose clients include professionals and advisers; and, more St James’s Place Wealth Management, recently, at the Manulife PEAK Million Dollar Openwork, AIA and Prudential, said: Round Table convention in Pattaya, Thailand.

“It’s been a very busy year for me already and the invitations keep coming; I’ve hardly Kevin McWhinney, head of the Centre spent a full week in the UK.” for Professional Development at Manulife, His most recent engagement was said: "Bernie was a star at our recent speaking to 5,000 independent financial convention in Thailand. He delivered an advisers at the three-day China Insurance outstanding presentation from the main Marketing Summit in Ningbo, near Shanghai. platform on practical skills that our advisers can put into practice immediately, which help Mr De Souza, who was specifically invited clients to more easily make important following the success of his book, Getting ‘Yes’ Decisions, No 1 in Amazon’s best-selling financial decisions." www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Rejoice Failure

As adults we are often taught “Never give mental recognition to the possibility of failure. You must succeed, be a winner. Losing is not an option!” While these are positive mindsets, the fact is, they are not practical in the real world.

Of course you shouldn't go out with the intention of failing. The reality is that failure is part of the learning experience.

In the real world, the road to success is lined with failures. Ask anyone who has become successful, Walt Disney, Richard Branson – Virgin and Colonel Harland Sanders – KFC all failed BIG before achieving success. The more they failed the closer to success they came. Now that’s a whole different mindset to how many of us treat failure.

We see successful people and think how lucky they are. In reality, we don’t see their scar tissue, their failures have actually strengthened their back-bone and gut system, taught them the lessons that lead to their success.

So if we can understand that failure is part of growth and understand how the process works, maybe we can begin to risk and at the same time lessen the impact on our psyche in the event that we experience failure.

Rarely do we hear of people enjoying the ‘Failure Process’, often it’s pretty uncomfortable.

However, knowing that your failures are taking you closer to success should certainly help reduce the pain associated with failure. This mindset will also help you stop sabotaging your goals, dreams, or game plans because you no longer have a fear of failure.

Understand that failures become learning and strengthening systems for you. Take some risks for greater gain.

Without risk and failure there is no growth.

••• Written by Neil Liddell of Sandler Training. Providers of Sales and Management Training Visit www.central.sandler.com/resources/ downloads/why-salespeople-fail to download the white paper ‘Why Salespeople Fail’ E: nliddell@sandler.com T: 0845 0573563 M: 07547 227442 •••

Bernie De Souza (left) in Singapore with Kevin McWhinney, head of the Centre for Professional Development at Manulife

11

Corporate Profiles

Law firm prepares for the future

From left, Dina Parmar, Helen Bowns, Marta Fisher, Phil Costigan, Malcolm Thomas, Michelle Gavin and Tracy Cross

A Coventry law firm is preparing itself for a strong future in a post-Brexit world.

Coventry-based Band Hatton Button has converted to become an Alternative Business Structure, which allows the firm to attract inward investment from external sources

and appoint external expertise on to the board.

Michelle Gavin, Head of Wills, Trusts and Probate, Tracy Cross, Head of Family, and Malcolm Thomas, Partner in Litigation have also been appointed to the firm’s Board.

The trio bring more than 60 years of collective law experience with them to the Board, which now stands at nine members. The law firm now employs 84 people, and services in excess of 30,000 clients across the UK. Mark Moseley, Managing Director at Band Hatton Button, said: “These board changes are all about gearing ourselves up for the future as we continue to increase the business’s turnover year-on-year.

“While we have traded incredibly well this year we are of course conscious of the opportunities and uncertainty Brexit might hold, so we now also have the tools in place to adapt.

“There are no immediate plans to change any parts of the business, but this does now give us the flexibility to invite people on to the board outside of the law sector so that, should we ever need to assess potential growth opportunities in other sectors, we will be able to.”

To keep up with demand, Band Hatton Button has also appointed 20 members of staff over the past year spanning across corporate, commercial, litigation and private client teams.This has included attracting respected solicitors with a loyal client base

such as Daniel Blood and Dina Parmar in commercial property, and Raman Dhillon in litigation.

This has been reflected in record levels of customer feedback over the past 12 months which has seen the firm receive a 99 per cent satisfaction score from 300 clients surveyed.

The firm has also become Lexcel accreditated. Lexcel is the Law Society’s legal quality mark for excellence in practice management and client care. It also sets the management standard in different areas including structure and strategy, financial and information, people and risk.

Natalie Ormerod, Head of HR and Quality at Band Hatton Button, added: “We generate new business via word of mouth from clients and through referrals, so to see the results of our own survey and receive independent accreditation is fantastic for the firm.

“It’s also vital that our standard of service remains at a high level as our client base continues to grow, and Lexcel will give us some expert advice on how to become more efficient.”

For more information on Band Hatton Button’s services visit www.bandhattonbutton.com

Marking thirty five years of caring This year marks the 35th birthday of The Myton Hospices which has grown from modest beginnings in Warwick to provide palliative and end of life care to people in Rugby and Coventry too.

Last year, Myton supported more than 1,400 people and their families, in its three hospices, via its patient & family services, and in the community through Myton at Home. Myton is the only hospice providing inpatient beds in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Following a tireless campaign by Dr Thomas Wynter Backhouse and the Reverend John Gibbs to raise £400,000, Dr Backhouse founded Myton Hospice in 1982 to provide care for cancer patients and families who needed support during the later stages of their illness. The hospice was officially opened by Princess Michael of Kent in1982.

A lot has happened in the last 35 years at Myton. Not only has the charity expanded to offer its services from three hospice sites but also broadened its medical reach to serve

more people with life limiting illnesses including respiratory conditions, heart conditions, cancer, Parkinson’s, renal failure and Motor Neurone Disease.

Myton focuses on enhancing life when cure is no longer an option and, perhaps most importantly, gives its patients more quality time with their loved ones.

The 1980s was also an important decade for Myton’s CEO, Ruth Freeman, as she started her journey in fundraising in 1985 when she took a ‘stop gap’ role as a community fundraiser.

She went on to develop a career in fundraising management and marketing which culminated in the role of National Head of Partnerships for children’s charity Barnardo’s. Ruth joined Myton in 2006 as the Director of Income Generation and Marketing and in January 2016 was appointed Chief Executive Officer.

Ruth is immensely proud to be part of an organisation which has achieved so much and made a difference to so many - and is

delighted to be able to help the organisation celebrate its 35th anniversary.

In her 18 months as CEO, Ruth has been working with the team at Myton to extend the charity’s reach; from offering the new Living Well Project at Coventry Myton Hospice which aims to help people living with a life limiting illness to work towards goals which are important to them, to working to provide the Myton at Home service to more people as well as reaching out to people earlier on in their illness.

Less than 25 per cent of the costs of the running the organisation are met by NHS funding which means that this year Myton has to raise £8.8 million to continue providing its services free of charge to the people of Coventry and Warwickshire.

They couldn’t do that without the involvement of local people, businesses and charitable trusts. Each fundraising partnership that they enter into is unique and a two way relationship, they can offer team building and sponsorship opportunities that

Ruth Freeman

will help to engage your teams and build your profile locally and in return you could support their work with patients and families.

If this is something you’d be interested in they would love to hear from you!

Please contact hannah.morris@mytonhospice.org or call 01926 838 817 to find out more.

Taking to the road to engage young minds PET-Xi are revved up and raring to go on a trip across the UK to engage with young people on their Firing Up Young Minds School & College Roadshow 2017.

Their PET-Xi double-decker bus and smart car will be driven more than 12,000 miles to more than 275 schools and colleges from September to December as they promote careers opportunities to young people the length and breadth of the UK. The team plan to meet 30,000 young people and 20,000 parents and carers to act as an inspiration about future careers.

The Firing Up Young Minds School & College Roadshow will map out a young person’s education and career choices with an individual approach in a learning environment which is different to the norm, mainly in workshops held on their pink double-decker bus.

The team want young people to be enthused about their career opportunities

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and PET-Xi trainers will be highlighting the local and national opportunities which are available with some of the country’s largest companies.

Fleur Sexton, joint managing director at PET-Xi, said: “Since we launched PET-Xi in 1995, we have worked with over 100,000 young people in England and Wales to help them reach their potential.

“When talking to headteachers and principals, we often hear about their struggles to provide quality careers education and to form relationships with local employers.

“We want to change all that.

Our roadshow is designed to help young people make informed choices which are right for them by making sure they have all the necessary information.”

Coventry University and Skills First are among the organisations to have already signed-up for the roadshow.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Corporate Profiles

Marketing agency targets growth

A full service marketing agency wants to help Chamber members ‘delight their audience’ in order to grow their business.

Trident, which is based in Hinckley and is a corporate member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, started life in 1988 as a print management company but has evolved over the past 30 years to offer a full suite of services.

Its digital offer – such as websites, email and social media campaigns – is the fastest growing area of the business and managing partner Adam Burrage says it’s more important than ever for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors through its marketing.

He said: “We call it audience delight and we believe that this is the key to successful communications.

“As audiences, we are bombarded on a daily basis with message after message, each one vying for our attention. But which ones do we actually pay attention to? Those would be the ones that are relevant and resonant with you as an individual.

“Those are the ones that delight you and make you respond. We understand that completely and that’s why we’ve made it the cornerstone of everything we do.”

The company was started by Adam’s late father, Chris, in 1988 and focussed on producing printed material for clients.

Chris’s wife, Kim, works within the business while Adam joined in 2006 and, already, the digital revolution was in full swing.

“We still have clients where we continue to manage their print,” he said. “In many cases they are the higher turnover

customers because of the cost for print but digital really allows us to add value.

“It’s allowed us to diversify what we offer to customers and, therefore, to diversify our client-base which covers everything from the travel industry through to automotive.

“Increasingly, clients are turning to digital and they want to be able to measure what is working – and that is what we are offering when it comes to digital campaigns, whether it is social media, email or SEO. “The whole point is we are now a full service integrated marketing agency that encompasses creative, digital and print and allows clients to pick out elements of our offer that works best for them.

The company has grown to the point where it now employs eight staff and a ninth member of the team is currently being recruited while a new website is being launched to reflect the way Trident has evolved.

Adam believes corporate membership of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce will help to drive new business from across the area.

He said: “Because of where we are based, we have clients in Leicestershire and also across Coventry and Warwickshire too – as well as further afield, including London.

“We are not limited to any particular sector, our current client list is very broad and we want to grow that.

“We have found the Chamber events to be really useful and they get a good mix of companies attending. We see that as a great platform for us attracting new business from across this area and we look forward to helping more members delight their audience.”

For more information and to check out the new look website log onto wearetrident.co.uk or call 01455 557766.

Providing answers to those all-important questions What motivates you to run your own business? Is it to provide for your family?

Create jobs and prosperity in your community? Or do you aspire to be a global corporation?

What differentiates you from your competitors? What makes you stand out from the crowd? Have you considered that it could be your bank?

We’re committed to building close and enduring relationships with each of our business customers, so that we understand how we can help you achieve your ambitions.

Nobody knows your business as well as you; that’s why our Relationship Directors will take the time to get to know you and your company with face-to-face meetings where you can share your goals and needs.

Our team members have a broad range of experience and expertise, with sector specialists who understand the challenges and opportunities of different industries.

As well as being able to support your businesses locally through a network of corporate Business Centres and specialists in the UK, we have a strong international presence thanks to our extensive global network in major markets. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

We’ll take time to understand your needs and help your business grow by connecting you to peers, potential business partners and new markets. Whatever your goals and whatever stage your business is at, Santander has the support to help you on your journey. With more branches (almost 14,000) and partner banks globally than any other bank, Santander is ideally positioned to help you explore new markets or develop existing ones.

We have five million business customers worldwide, we’ll use our expertise, technology and reach to enable your business to grow internationally. We can put you directly in touch with colleagues overseas to assist with opening accounts in new countries or provide access to our Trade Portal, a global database of business by sector with whom you might want to trade or even take you on a trade mission and introduce you to some of our local networks.

We’ll adapt our approach as your business grows and changes. So, as your business’s needs change, we’ll change to make sure we help you achieve your ambitions. So whether your next step is to invest in a new growth area, consider an

acquisition or break into an overseas market, we can help you get ahead.

We believe it’s this simple vision of concentrating on your business needs that has prompted over 4,000 businesses to choose to bank with us in the last year alone and four out of five of our business customers saying they would recommend us.

Santander will soon be running a series of events in selected branches locally to demonstrate how we can help your business grow. Ask your Local Business Manager for details or log on to www.santandercb.co.uk

IP Tip of the Month: Coca-Cola’s big secret American pharmacist John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola in 1886. Following his death, Asa Griggs Candler acquired the business, and marketed Coca-Cola as a beverage and as a patent medicine for alleviating fatigue and headaches.

We know that Coca-Cola originally contained kola nuts and coca leaves, but its actual formulation continues to be a trade secret. The “secret recipe” was allegedly kept in a bank vault in Atlanta from the 1920s until it was moved to the “World of Coca Cola” museum. It is said that only two Coca-Cola executives are allowed to know the exact recipe at a time and that they are not allowed to travel together in case of an accident.

“Trade secrets” are an alternative form of intellectual property protection, particularly useful in protecting long-standing products.

While trade marks can be renewed indefinitely, (the Coca-Cola trade mark pictured has been in force since 1922), had Mr Pemberton obtained a patent for his recipe, he would only have received around 20 years of monopoly. Since patents require an “enabling disclosure”, the detailed recipe for Coke would have been revealed to the world, and after the patent expired, anyone could have used it.

Retaining the recipe as a trade secret has therefore allowed the Coca-Cola Company to maintain its monopoly and the secret recipe concept has also featured in advertising and marketing campaigns. But what is the definition of a trade secret and what is involved in keeping one?

According to the TRIPS Agreement, for information to be considered a trade secret, it must have commercial value and not be generally known in the circles that usually deal with that type of information. Most importantly, the owner must have taken “reasonable steps” to keep it secret.

This can include confidentiality agreements, restricting access, and ensuring that employees return confidential information when they leave the company. The recent EU Trade Secrets Directive adopts a similar definition. The law in the UK is less clear as we have not yet adopted the EU Directive, and may now not do so. However, information tends to be regarded as a trade secret if it has the ‘necessary quality of confidence about it’ and if a reasonable person would have realised that it was being given in confidence.

To find out more about trade secrets and whether they could be used to protect your products, contact Marks & Clerk.

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Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training

Education visit for ambitious Children’s Care Students A group of Early Years Care Students on a Level 2 programme with CWCT recently attended ‘The Education Show’ at the NEC Genting Arena, together with the their Tutors and Training Advisers.

Hair success for Michael A former C&W Chamber Training hairdressing student, Michael Gray recently visited our salon to work with current apprentices and pass on a font of knowledge and skills.

Michael, who won 1st place in the National Hairdressing Federation (NHF) Bridal Hair Competition earlier this year, originally studied at CWCT over 10 years ago as a Hairdressing Apprentice.

During his visit to CWCT he shared a wealth of stories about his very successful career with our current hairdressing apprentices including his travels to foreign countries to take part in competitions, the creation of stylish wedding hair, editorial work and photo shoots. He also delivered a range of hair up skills to the group of apprentices and invited them to follow his work via social media to practice the styles he creates.

Michael, who is now qualified up to Level 4 in Hairdressing, is based n London but is continuing his training by working towards his Assessors award here at CWCT. He now freelances and provides a professional and luxurious service for his private hair clients and bridal services and has also undertaken professional courses for Vidal Sasoon, Wella, Wahl, Balmain and Patrick Cameron.

Other recent hairdressing competitions he has taken part in are 2nd place at Britain’s Best 2016, Hair Up Glam Night Out, National Hairdressing Federation, Regional Finalist for the South East and London at the 2017 Wedding Industry Awards in the wedding hairstylist category.

Jayne Powell, a hairdressing tutor at CWCT commented on Michael’s success: “Michael is a perfect example of how Apprenticeships can offer a great start towards achieving a fabulous job, start a career, get qualified and learn new skills. As a Hairdressing Apprentice his success demonstrates how much students can learn about the trends and techniques of hairdressing whilst getting qualified and earning a salary.

“The opportunities are endless with individuals with artistic flair and technical expertise. The secret behind a successful hairdressing career is good quality training, learning a trade in the workplace and gaining invaluable experience and ideas.

As Michael has demonstrated, there are fantastic progression opportunities, including owning your own business or travelling the world.”

To find out more about hairdressing apprenticeships with CWCT, take a look at our website www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk / apprenticeships/ hairdressingapprenticeships or give us a call on 02476 231 122

CWCT is keen to ensure young people develop a wealth of knowledge within their chosen careers. The aim of the outing was to develop specialist knowledge within areas of childcare through the seminars available on the day and the wide range of exhibitors demonstrating the latest trends within the children’s care industry. The students were tasked with gathering information from the show to take back to CWCT to discuss and use in their apprenticeship training and in the workplace in their day to day roles.

Some of the students who attended are aspiring apprentices being supported by “the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), a programme that offers vocational taster opportunities that leads to employment.

Jan Ryan, Operations Director at CWCT said: “The Youth Employment Initiative

Apprentices and YEI students arriving at the recent Education Show at the NEC

(YEI) was launched in 2016 to provide support to young people living in the regions where youth unemployment was higher than 25%. It exclusively supports young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs) including unemployed youngsters or those not registered as job-seekers.

“It’s a really useful scheme as it supports the provision of apprenticeships, traineeships, job placements and further education leading to a qualification. It also ensures that in parts of Europe where the challenges are most acute, young persons are able to benefit from targeted support.”

Jan concluded.

Skills 4 Success of training and we are finding that more and more candidates have an improved performance through the learning and development qualifications we offer,” concludes Jan. Tracy Sawrey, a Tutor at CWCT who taught the Award in Leadership and Team Skills, Level 2 said: “I was impressed with the hard work and commitment and thrilled to hear how they are going to apply their newly acquired skills in the workplace.”

L to R: Deborah Bloomfield, Clair Duffy, Tracy Sawrey (tutor), Sarah Bomphrey and Ashley Arundell

C&W Chamber Training is celebrating the first achievement for the Institute of Leadership and Management ILM supported through the Skills 4 Growth programme.

The four budding managers have successfully completed the ILM Level 2 qualification. Deborah Bloomfield and Ashley Arundell from Carty Services, an award winning gardening and cleaning contractor company based in Warwick and Clair Duffy and Sarah Bomphrey from Hearsall Golf Club in Coventry who are going to take the new skills they have developed into their day-to-day leadership roles.

Commenting Jan Ryan, Operations Director at CWCT said: “The qualification is challenging but with the expertise of our tutors we can help candidates to learn what is required from them in order to

succeed in their chosen pathways.

It is a nationally recognised qualification and the ideal launch pad for any management career.

“At CWCT we consistently achieve higher than average pass rates across all levels

The Skills 4 Growth Programme is supported by ESF Funding as part of collaboration with the Coventry City Council. With up to 50% funding available for this qualification, subject to eligibility, through Coventry & Warwickshire Skills 4 Growth which supports eligible SMEs to improve skills amongst their workforce.

To find out more about ILM Level 2, please contact our Business Development Team on 02476 231 122 www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk or events@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

“At CWCT we consistently achieve higher than average pass rates across all levels of training and we are finding that more and more candidates have an improved performance through the learning and development qualifications we offer.”

14 www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Business Support

Nursery keeps on growing

Adele Payton and Margaret Bull at Enchanted Day Nursery

Coventry’s first organic nursery is set to open a third room following huge growth over the past seven months.

Enchanted Day Nursery and Holiday Club, a three-floor nursery in Foleshill, now has around 30 children visit every day and has seen its staffing number treble since opening in October with their unique approach to childcare.

Directors Adele Payton and Carly Cullen have renovated the entire building from scratch themselves, to create the only organic nursery in the city, after receiving free help and advice from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce through the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme.

The nursery serves organic food, uses organic baby wipes, natural cleaning products and biodegradable nappies which are included in the cost.

It even has a low-plastic toy policy, with building blocks made of eco-friendly foam rather than plastic. The nursery also focuses on ‘open-ended’ resources – toys that help children to think about what they make, never giving them the finished product.

The nursery has plans to open a fourth room by January 2018.

Adele and Carly both have extensive experience in childcare but had no previous business experience before starting up the nursery.

Adele said: “We did a lot of market research into what was missing, where the gap in the childcare market was because there were lots of things that I wanted for my little girl at nursery that I could never find.

“Our ethos is that we want to be kind to the environment and continue to reduce our carbon footprint.

“Even with things like drawing paper, we have turned logs into chalkboards or other materials to draw on.

“We set about renovating the building ourselves, so every inch of this been painted by myself and Carly. It really is a labour of love.

“We have basically self-taught ourselves everything, we were walking in blind with no business experience, even down to payroll! It was great to have Margaret Bull from the Chamber come here and give us that fresh pair of eyes to help us see where we could improve, she was a lot of help.”

Margaret Bull, business adviser at the Chamber, said: “Adele and Carly have a great vision for their nursery and it has allowed them to build this unique childcare facility in Coventry.

“The main emphasis was to help them with their marketing strategy, identifying what made them different and focusing on marketing activity that could impact their target market.

“The owners are very determined. They took on board the advice and now the nursery is achieving the financial objectives set out in the business plan and delivering high standards in child care.

“They started from scratch, are largely self-taught when it comes to business and are a great example of how you can startup a successful company with hard work and a can-do attitude.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.

For more information or to book on to the Business Support programme call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or log onto www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Best foot forward for businesswoman

A holiday to Mexico has inspired a North Warwickshire woman to step away from her day job to start up her own footwear business.

Deborah Bickford, 48, from Dordon, launched Funky Footwear at the NEC in February, after receiving free business advice and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce through the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme. Deborah has been advised by Martyne Manning at the Chamber while starting up her business.

Funky Footwear sells six different ranges of Chula sandals that enables people to change the tops with hundreds of different customisable looks.

Funky Footwear imports its products from Mexico, and is the only wholesale/retail distributor of Chula sandals in the country.

The firm is currently selling its sandals in six boutique shops around the UK and online.

It’s a far cry from Deborah’s previous role as National Sales Manager of PM Cranes in Italy for 25 years, which involved travelling to Italy six to seven times a year and around the UK. “I wanted to do something different and change my work-life balance because I was spending so many weeks away from home,” said Deborah.

“Before I went on holiday last summer I spent some time looking at e-commerce businesses and I was trying to decide what I’d really like to do.

“While on holiday in Mexico I walked past a shop window that really attracted me because I love shoes and colours. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“I picked up a pair of bases which I thought had got the top on, and when I asked for my shoe size she opened up an ottoman full of shoe bases without the tops on them.

“I was transfixed by the fact that you could change the top, which I thought was genius.

“The business concept is all about making an investment in the base of the shoe and then buying different tops or laces to go with different outfits. It’s not just a one-off sale.”

After some further research to banish her post-holiday blues, it wasn’t long until Deborah knew that selling the Chula sandals online was the perfect fit.

She left her position at the PM Group last August and started her new venture in September which included sourcing products from Mexico, setting up her website and creating a workshop.

Plans are also afoot to build an additional unit in her garden for an office and showroom.

“A typical day now is arranging visits to small independent boutiques, pop ups and marketing. After that, it’s working out what I am going to do that month to try and sell the product, and working towards different events making sure I have the right stock, styles and promotional materials.

“Martyne has been fantastic with me. I’ve gone from a senior role in a company where various things were taken care of, to a situation where I have to execute everything myself. Martyne has helped to connect me with people who can help me, as well as offering tips on promoting my business, accessing finance and generally encouraging me to look to the future.”

Martyne, who is a business coach for SMEs at the Chamber, added: “We’re hoping Funky Footwear’s story will inspire other people to pursue any business idea that they have.

“Deborah has shown that with the right research, determination and advice, starting your own business can become a successful reality.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.

For more information or to book on to the Business Support programme call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or log onto www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Martyne Manning (left) with Deborah Bickford

Stories to be given the star treatment A successful Hollywood casting director is helping people from Warwickshire tell their own stories worthy of the silver screen.

Coventry-born Marie Rowe has worked on some of Hollywood’s most iconic films and is now encouraging people to put their life stories down on paper.

Over her career, Marie has worked with some of the biggest names in film including Academy Award winning director Barry Levinson on films such as ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’, ‘Rain Man’ and ‘Avalon’.

Now living in Rugby, she has received free advice and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to help develop her memoir writing business ‘Thanks for the Memoirs.’

Marie’s Hollywood career has seen her work as a writer, publicist, producer, casting director and actress.

Using this experience she now hosts workshops with small groups to help people write their own autobiographies, she also holds one-to-one sessions with clients.

In addition, she gives inspirational talks to university students and other social groups across the region about her life in Hollywood.

Marie moved from Los Angeles to Rugby in 2012 and says she wants to help people realise that every person has an interesting story to tell.

She said: “My first experience of doing this was with an elderly man back in 2009. I saw how alive he came talking about his life and I thought, wow, this is what I want to do.

“It’s amazing seeing people realise how fascinating their lives have been. I’m giving people the opportunity to write about themselves and be proud of the accomplishments of their life.

“The Chamber has been so supportive. It can be difficult to promote yourself and this is something my business mentor has really helped me with. I love what I do and the Chamber has helped me to do more of it.”

Marie moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1974 after working as a secretary in Coventry and spending time with the US army in Germany.

While in Toronto her use of Pitman’s Shorthand, which she’d learnt at school, caught the attention of Hollywood and led her to move to LA. Wendy Brown, business advisor at the Chamber, says it is these experiences that make the service she offers unique.

Wendy said: “Marie is a shining example of a growing trend of people we see who are capitalising on their life experiences and turning them into a business.

“She has an interesting life story of her own and I wish her the best of luck in helping others to tell theirs.”

The Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in partnership with Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and the District and Borough Councils.

For more information or to book on to the Business Support programme call the Chamber on 024 7665 4321 or log onto www.cw-chamber.co.uk

15

Legal

Law firm raises charity cash

Law firm achieves top quality mark

A charity quiz night hosted by law firm Wright Hassall raised £3,300 as business professionals from across the region racked their brains in aid of local good causes.

The Wright Hassall Shield was presented to accountants Whitley Simpson after the firm overcame tough opposition from more than 30 teams to take the honours.

All proceeds raised on the night have been donated to the Wright Hassall Charitable Trust which supports charities and good causes in the local area or with which a member of staff at the firm has a close involvement in.

Sarah Perry, managing partner at Leamingtonbased Wright Hassall, said: “This was the 15th year of the Wright Hassall Charity Quiz and once again it was a fantastic evening.

“We’re really pleased the event raised a great sum for the good causes the Wright Hassall Charitable Trusts supports and we thank everyone who contributed to making the quiz a great success.”

Brethertons named as top choice Brethertons has been judged as the top legal services provider in the country for the Private Rented Sector.

The firm fought off tough competition to be shortlisted and was announced as the winner of the ‘Legal Services Award’ at the inaugural Private Rented Sector Awards 2017 held in London.

A Midlands law firm has been awarded the Law Society’s law management quality mark, Lexcel.

Coventry-based Band Hatton Button has achieved the accreditation following assessment by a Lexcel assessor.

Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is a recognised accreditation scheme for law firms and in-house legal departments which gives assurance that a practice meets high client care and business management standards.

Having received a 99 per cent satisfaction score across more than 300 clients in the past ten months, Band Hatton Button entered the Lexcel assessment process with a view to achieving the standard, reinforcing their commitment to their clients.

Natalie Ormerod, Head of HR and Quality at Band Hatton Button, who led the firm through the process, said: “We maintain rigorous professional, ethical and client care standards and are delighted to have successfully achieved Lexcel accreditation, which is true testament to that. “

L to R - Sarah Perry, Robert Lee and Richard Lane from Wright Hassall at the law firm’s 15th annual charity quiz

The judges singled out the glowing testimonials from Brethertons’ customers as part of the reason for its success.

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

Hughes Legal helps client to keeps growing Warwickshire law firm Hughes Legal has been helping skincare company Kokoso Skin Limited and its brand Skincare Baby to grow.

Skincare Baby is the natural infant skincare brand started by a mum whose little girl was having a tough time with her dry skin. She spent a long time searching for the perfect lightweight coconut oil for baby skincare and didn't stop until she'd found something special to share with other mums and dads.

Lauren Taylor and her husband Mark Taylor, both directors of Warwickshirebased Kokoso Skin Limited, started the business in 2013 and have grown the Kokoso Baby brand from online sales to being stocked in national retailers including Boots and Jojo Maman Bébé.

Can we help you find a ? e r u t u f r e t h brig

Along the way, Kokoso Baby has picked up awards from Mumsnet and Prima Baby as well as five-star reviews on Boots.com. Last year saw Mark and Lauren secure investment in Kokoso from Touker Suleyman on BBC Two’s ‘Dragons’ Den’.

Oliver Hughes, Director and Solicitor at Warwickshire-based Hughes Legal, said: “I have been pleased to provide Kokoso with practical, commercial legal advice throughout its rapid rise.

Amongst other things, I help to ensure compliance with relevant laws, make them work for the business, manage risk and I’m always contactable.”

Lauren Taylor said: “We are confident to rely on Oliver’s legal expertise and that enables us to focus on the business.

Knowing that we can call him anytime to discuss anything is very helpful, too.”

“I have been pleased to provide Kokoso with practical, commercial legal advice throughout its rapid rise.“

Sound advice in an uncertain world VAT Question: A client buys a dilapidated warehouse for £500,000 with the intention of converting it to high spec offices and workspace. The vendor has charged him VAT. He is going to opt to tax and charge VAT on the rents but he hasn’t registered for VAT yet.

Can he claim the VAT back?

Answer: Yes, but not on his first return.

In fact it could take him up to 10 years to get it back under the Capital Goods Scheme!

This is because the property cost him more than £250,000 and he wasn’t registered for VAT when he bought it.

A simple matter of timing but so easy to get wrong. VAT is complex.

At Burgis & Bullock we have the specialist knowledge to help you and your clients

Contact us today or visit our website for more information.

@BurgisBullock

16

Tel: 0845 177 5500 www.burgisbullock.com Offices in Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Nuneaton, Leicester, London and Rugby.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Finance

Manufacturing: a new future in Coventry and Warwickshire But to tackle overseas competition, more manufacturers will need to embrace what has become known as ‘Industry 4.0’. The automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and research suggests that there is a lack of clarity around the topic – research from BDO’s Industry 4.0 report shows that only 8% of UK manufacturers have a significant understanding of Industry the processes.

Clearly, more needs to be done to educate, support and assist the sector if it is to make the most of the opportunities but manufacturers can’t go it alone.

We say it must be supported by government policy, especially when it is evident that other countries are already ahead of the game with education and investment programmes receiving more government support than in the UK.

Helen Hancock, forensic accounting director at accountancy and business advisory firm BDO, shines a spotlight on manufacturing in the region and examines why government help is needed to support the continued growth of this sector.

There is some great news coming out of manufacturing businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire. BDO’s research shows that of the region’s top 50 fastest growing companies with turnover over £5m, a total of 14 were in the manufacturing sector, ranging from automotive businesses to high-tech manufacturing.

As part of our New Economy campaign, BDO is calling upon the Government and key policy makers to not only implement Industry 4.0 processes, such as building on the £1bn national investment in full-fibre

broadband and trialling 5G networks, but also to educate and support manufacturers around these processes.

Industry 4.0 is a long-term game and the implications on the manufacturing sector will be wide-ranging. The sector will almost certainly require significant investment in technology and skills, and support will need to be constantly adapted as new technologies and processes evolve. It is critical that the Government builds a strategy over the long-term (15 to 20 years) that avoids the disruptions of the political cycle.

This should include setting a formal target for manufacturing growth over the next five, 10 and 20 years to provide the background to a sustainable industrial strategy.

In our view, if effectively supported, Coventry and Warwickshire’s inherent strengths in innovation and design - and the significant potential offered by the move to more automated/digitised manufacturing processes - can provide the foundations for a successful and well-balanced regional manufacturing economy.

“Clearly, more needs to be done to educate, support and assist the sector if it is to make the most of the opportunities but manufacturers can’t go it alone. “

Firms chasing debts face delays Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire owed money by customers will find it harder to get their hands on that cash later this year.

The Government confirmed before the election its plan to introduce new protocols for debt claims from October 1 and, according to a local expert, the changes will mean delays on firms getting their money.

The changes apply to any business – including public bodies – that are seeking payment of a debt from an individual or sole trader but they won’t affect claims against limited companies, partnerships or LLPs. The pre-action protocol is aimed at encouraging parties to exchange information at an early stage, to consider Alternative Dispute Resolution and to encourage parties to act reasonably and proportionately.

The changes will require much more information to be provided before court proceedings can be issued and will give debtors 30 days to respond rather than the current seven days.

Larry Coltman, of Coltman Warner Cranston and a past president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Commerce, said failure to follow the protocol could mean an award against the creditor.

He said: “Firstly, I’d advise businesses to start chasing their debts straight away if they are with individuals or sole traders – don’t let that October deadline creep up on you.

“Once this protocol comes into force, it is going to slow down the process of issuing a debt claim against individuals or sole traders and seven day letters are going to become a thing of the past.

“Businesses will have to provide lawyers with much more information and

documentation before that letter can be issued – so it is going to increase the time and cost for companies wanting to pursue money that is rightfully theirs.

“Cash is, as they say, king in business so having money outstanding is detrimental to a business and its ability to meet its own costs – so slowing down the process will be damaging.

“If a creditor fails to comply with the new pre-action protocol, the claim could be struck out and costs could be awarded against them. That really would add insult to injury.”

The perfect hat-trick Fast on the heels of Rugby-based Autins successful stock market flotation and the successful sale of Nuneaton-based Arleigh Group to the US listed LKQ , BDO advised on the sale of Coventry-based company Optilan to a secondary management buyout backed by Blue Water Energy.

Optilan is a £33m-turnover telecommunications business which serves the energy, transport, infrastructure and industrial markets and has a broad international reach including the Middle East, Turkey, India and Azerbaijan.

Roger Buckley Corporate Finance Partner at BDO, said “In footballing language, this is the „perfect hat-trick; a flotation, a sale and MBO. These deals really demonstrate the high quality businesses that are based in the Coventry and Warwickshire region. BDO is delighted to have been part of their success.”

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Chamber, said: “We are very grateful to Larry for highlighting this very important issue to our members.

“Cashflow is vital to businesses – especially SMEs – so it’s crucial that they are aware of these changes.”

“Once this protocol comes into force, it is going to slow down the process of issuing a debt claim against individuals or sole traders and seven day letters are going to become a thing of the past.“ 17

Property

Success for Coventry estate agent Loveitts has been named the number one estate agent in Coventry for sold prices compared to the original asking price of a property according to estate agents comparison website www.estateagent4me.co.uk.

One of the longest established estate agents in Coventry and Warwickshire, Loveitts secured sellers on average more than 1% over the asking price on their properties sold through the Warwick Row-based agency.

This translates to Loveitts achieving an average of nearly £4,500 over the asking price on a £400,000 house, meaning the seller would get more than £24,0000 over an agent that only achieved 95% of the asking price.

The results were revealed by the Home Owners Alliance in April which used data released by estate agent comparison website www.estateagent4me.co.uk to identify Britain’s best agents. Top of the list was London agent Roy Brooks, of Dulwich, which achieved almost 6% above asking price over the past six months.

Chris Priestley, Head of Residential Sales at Loveitts said: “We are delighted to have been recognised nationally by an independent body, the HomeOwners Alliance, as providing an excellent level of service, and results, to our clients.”

Site is acquired by commercial property company A prime industrial unit for warehousing and logistics, located in the heart of the nation’s distribution network has been acquired by a leading Midlands commercial property company.

The Wigley Group, which owns and manages business and industrial parks across the Midlands, has invested around £1.8 million to buy the 42,000 sq ft unit adjacent to J18 of the M1 at Crick in Northamptonshire.

Law firm Wright Hassall acted for The Wigley Group in the freehold purchase of the unit on the Crick Industrial Estate, Eldon Way. The Wigley Group, which also provides services relating to commercial property, construction and risk from its headquarters in Coventry, has refurbished the unit ready for leasing.

James Davies, director at The Wigley Group, said: “We acquired the unit predominantly because of its location “Sally brings considerable experience and will be a great asset to our clients, the Property Department and to the rest of the firm.being immediately adjacent to J18 of the M1, and with its floor space and high eaves at just under eight metres, will be ideal for warehousing or logistics. “ James Richards, senior associate in the real estate team at Leamington-based Wright Hassall, said: “This was a particularly challenging deal mainly due to a tight timescale which saw us manage to complete within six working days.

It shows the appetite and demand for good quality industrial and logistics stock, and that opportunistic buyers and their teams can secure such stock at short notice to retain a competitive edge.”

Warwick business park in great demand Properties on Warwick’s newest business park have all been sold, a solid sign that demand for commercial property in the region is on the up.

All 11 units on the £3 million St George’s Business Park in Lower Cape, Warwick, have gone to owner-occupiers and investors.

Simon Hain, a director of Leamington-based property consultants ehB Commercial, who marketed the site, said: “The success of the business park shows that the local economy is very much back on track.”

The units on the 4.4 acre site range in size from 1,750 sq. ft. to 7,500 sq. ft. and the last one has been snapped up by Avon Signs, an awardwinning company designing, manufacturing, installing and maintaining internal and external signs across the UK, which has relocated from the Heathcote Industrial Estate.

“This is good news for the area, not only for new jobs but a sure sign that the local economy has recovered,” said Mr Hain.

Companies that have moved in include Newbury Commercial Glazing, Walter Ewag, Pearl Motor Yachts and TDR Racing (Subaru specialists).

The business park is situated on the site of the former Benford dumper truck factory, which was acquired by Kigass more than twelve years ago.

Simon Hain (right) of ehB with Joanne Smith of Kigass and Oliver Dunford, project manager from D2 Project Management, at the site of St George’s Business Park.

18

Kigass managing director Joanne Smith said: “The plan had always been to regenerate the site and create new business and job creation opportunities. I am delighted to see how well the scheme has been received and how much better the area looks.”

Pictured at the unit on the Crick Industrial Estate are, from left to right, James Davies (director at The Wigley Group), James Richards (senior associate in the real estate team at Wright Hassall), Tom Drake (partner at Drake Commercial) and Nicholas Roberts (partner at Drake Commercial).

“The Wigley Group, which also provides services relating to commercial property, construction and risk from its headquarters in Coventry, has refurbished the unit ready for leasing. “

New recruit boosts residential property team for leading law firm Alsters Kelley LLP, one of Coventry and Warwickshire’s leading law firms, has strengthened its property team with the appointment of Sally Humphreys, Solicitor, as part of their Residential Property team.

Sally qualified as a solicitor in May 2016 having been a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives since 1997. Sally has over 30 years’ experience in residential conveyancing including 10 years working in the property team at Leicester City Council and most recently spent the last three years working in a private practice dealing with commercial and residential property matters.

that she will continue to develop and build on the success of the department.”

Sally said, “I am looking forward to the challenge of developing and expanding the team here in Coventry as there is so much potential within the firm to make a real difference in the area.”

Joanne Herbert, Head of Property at Alsters Kelley, said: “Sally brings considerable experience and will be a great asset to our clients, the Property Department and to the rest of the firm. We have every confidence

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Five reasons to use specialist finance Advertisement feature

Commercial Finance

The use of alternative finance for SMEs has been becoming more mainstream for quite some time now.

In fact, the country’s largest banks are now referring clients that they can’t help directly to alternative lenders under the Government’s new bank referral scheme, a scheme which we are a part of and one which is expected to fuel growth in Britain’s SMEs.

At Together, we have 43 years’ experience in providing finance to suit a wide range of needs and often help businesses and entrepreneurs that require funding which may not fit with the more rigid criteria of the mainstream lenders.

Commercial finance

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Mark Finucane, regional development director at specialist lender Together, explains when SMEs can benefit from using specialist finance.

To help you to understand how alternative finance could boost your business plans, here are the five most common reasons businesses use our specialist lending services:

To purchase property

Often we are able to provide finance in situations where mainstream lenders are unable to meet the necessary timescales. When a property purchase requires a quick completion, for example, we can provide fast and flexible funding.

To seize an investment opportunity

Likewise, when businesses are looking to seize an investment opportunity, whether to purchase

equipment or stock, expand operations, or to acquire retail or office space, our common sense approach means that we are able to work with businesses of all sizes and across multiple sectors in order to secure the funding they need.

To refinance existing debts

Refinancing can help small businesses by consolidating debts into one, making them easier to manage and enabling them to plan ahead.

Being able to refinance when necessary can also help improve cash flow, whilst paying off creditors and maintaining relationships with key suppliers can be crucial in securing the reputation of the business.

To release equity

Another reason businesses may need to use a specialist lender is to release equity, by allowing the client to raise money against the value of a residential property and providing funds for business use.

So, if you think short-term finance could benefit your business, contact the regional development director for the Midlands, Mark Finucane, on 02475 060 369 or mark.finucane@togethermoney.com Find out more at: www.togethermoney.com

Bridging finance Auction finance Commercial mortgages Buy-to-Let mortgages Development funding

Long-established experts... in short-term lending As a principal lender, with over 40 years’ experience, we’re dedicated to working closely with our professional sector partners. Our expert team is here to support you and your clients in a range of shortterm property funding requirements.

Taking a common-sense approach, we aim to put your clients in the best possible position to complete.

Call Mark on 02475 060 369 or visit togethermoney.com/midlands This advertisement is intended for professional intermediary use only and must not be distributed to potential clients.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

19

Joining the high-fliers “When we look at the stats, Europe remains a market for us, but as a global bank we have a huge footprint. We like to connect our customers internationally so having that footprint means we can help customers in Coventry with contacts in, say, Hong Kong.”

Seeing the world through the eyes of a six-year-old can do wonders to focus the mind on what’s important.

Debbie Harper might be the Area Director for Business Banking for HSBC in Coventry, Warwickshire and Birmingham, but it’s clear to see what – or rather who – has the biggest influence on her time away from the office.

When asked by C&W In Business to list her favourite film and book, the 36-yearold’s little boy, Oscar, was at the forefront of her mind.

“Having a six-year-old son means if I’ve seen Planes 2 once, I’ve seen it a hundred times,” she said.

“It’s about a plane who thinks he is going to have to give up on his career as a world champion racer because he’s got a dodgy gearbox.

20

“He could have decided that it was all over for him but as a result he decided to change path and do something to help his friends by becoming an aerial firefighter.

“As a result of that, he actually got the gearbox he needed and could go back to being a world champion.

“So I always say to Oscar, you can do anything you want to do providing you work hard and put your mind to it.

“And again, when it comes to my favourite book I spend a lot of time reading children’s stories. Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr Seuss starts by saying: ‘you have brains in your head and feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose’ and for a children’s book it’s quite profound.

guaranteed.’ So if you put the effort in, you can achieve what you want to achieve.”

Is that a philosophy to live your life by when you are in charge of a team of more than 20 who make funding decisions for SMEs on a daily basis across the region?

You bet it is.

Dr Seuss and Disney might not have had business banking in mind but for Debbie the thought of supporting businesses and helping them to achieve their goals is a dream come true.

“I always wanted to do this which probably seems very dull and boring to most people,” she said. “Well, I originally wanted to be a music teacher because I play the piano a bit but that was never going to work.

“It’s about the fact we have choice and what you make of your life is entirely up to you so try things and give them a go.

“I did languages at school and I was quite good at them and then I did German at university with my economics.

“It also says later: ‘will you succeed? You will indeed, 98 and three quarter per cent

“I wanted to do something that would use those skills and my mum always said

she wanted me to do something serious, something that would help people and add value to society.

“You can question whether bankers do that! But I believe we do. Every day we meet SME business owners and their life is invested in that business and we help them to grow it and achieve what they want to achieve. I absolutely love doing it!”

Debbie, who grew up in Lincolnshire, joined HSBC straight from graduating from Loughborough University and within six months she had been offered the chance to work within the business banking team. Six months on from that and the company asked if she’d ‘look after’ a portfolio after a manager left the business.

“I thought: ‘I am not just looking after this portfolio, this is my job’,” she said.

“I grasped it with both hands and they gave me the job of relationship manager and that was my first real proper job. I’ve always done business banking ever since.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Debbie Harper

“I was 23 and a female and it could be tough because when you go out to a rural business owner, they can have a preconceived idea of what a bank manager might look like.

“It gave me a really good grounding.

I remember some really difficult conversations but I wouldn’t let it put me off. When I look back, I am always stronger for every difficult situation and conversation I have faced.

“Now, as leader, it helps me because there isn’t a conversation that the team has with a client that I haven’t had myself before.”

Debbie’s first leadership role came after a brief spell working with MMEs – another experience she believes has helped to shape her thinking in business.

She said: “It can be a more formulaic approach lending to corporates. You’re dealing with a board of directors so you have to have strong negotiation skills.

“When you are dealing with a board, it’s their job but when it’s an SME it’s their life. Their business is supporting their family so your support means so much more to them.

“After my time working with MMEs, I was given the opportunity to lead a team at a junior level. That was a brave move by the person who gave me the job because I had no leadership experience.

“It’s very chicken and egg - it’s hard to lead if you don’t have the experience but you can’t get the experience if you never lead, so someone gave me the opportunity and it worked really well.

“So I knew that SME banking and leadership was what I really loved.”

After a year’s maternity leave with baby Oscar, Debbie returned and was soon made Area Director for Business Banking.

“That’s when I first came to Coventry,” she said. “I’d never set foot in the city before and I’m now four years into it.

“I became the Area Director here and 18 months ago I took on Birmingham too.

There are 15 relationship managers and six support staff who report into me.

“The whole patch is a great place to do business. We’ve got lots of traditional manufacturing and lots of niche businesses too, a lot of spin-offs from JLR, a lot of tech and a really good range of companies.”

A thousand roles have moved to Birmingham with the relocation of HSBC’s UK HQ and that, says Debbie, is a great reflection on a region that is taking off.

“A lot of people move here from the south who want to start a company because it’s a great place to do business and there is so much to offer across Coventry and Warwickshire as well as in Birmingham.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on around us – there’s development on our doorstep and the city has its bid in to be UK City of Culture, which would be great for the area.

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“The economy here is upbeat – our clients are doing well. There was a short term impact straight after the EU referendum but businesses, in the main, have just got on with it and are trading well.

“We are seeing more businesses trade internationally and, in light of Brexit, that is a positive.

“When we look at the stats, Europe remains a market for us, but as a global bank we have a huge footprint. We like to connect our customers internationally so having that footprint means we can help customers in Coventry with contacts in, say, Hong Kong.”

Despite the huge responsibility at work and finding time to keep on top of Disney and Dr Seuss, Debbie’s also discovered a new passion for sport.

“At 36, I thought I am going to learn to ski!” she said. “I was scared to death because I am not a sporty person at all.

About Debbie Harper

“Twelve months later, I was stood at the top of a mountain ready to ski down it!

So that was a big achievement for me.

Date of birth:

02/10/1980

Birthplace:

Lincolnshire

“I think the challenge of learning something new really appealed. You learn so much as you are growing up as a kid, a teenager and then through university.

But when you’re an adult it just doesn’t happen very often where you think ‘how do I do this?’

Married:

Yes, 10 years this year to Lee.

Children:

Yes, one son, Oscar, 6.

Hobbies:

Running, learning to ski, baking.

Favourite book:

Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Dr Seuss

Favourite film:

Disney Planes 2: Fire and Rescue

“It gave me an hour a week where all I could do was concentrate on what I was doing with my feet – I couldn’t think about work - I just had to focus on that.

Last holiday:

Padstow / abroad – Lapland

Car:

VW Golf GTD

“And then I got to the next January and thought: ‘what am I going to do this time?!’ My friend suggested that we do a 10k and I didn’t really want to at first as I’ve never run and couldn’t imagine enjoying it.

“I ended up agreeing to it and on January 3rd I put a pair of trainers on and my husband said he’d see me in five minutes. I ran 3.18k and the .18k is very important! It was epically slow and exactly four weeks later, I ran 10k.

“I’ve run a couple of 10k races and I am booked in to do my third and I’ve also got a half marathon lined up in October.

“I like a challenge and I can remember when I was out running and being desperate to get to 5k and saying to myself out loud: ‘if I can run a business banking team, I can run 5k!’

“It made me realise that I do achieve things here in the business that I don’t really think about and I probably take for granted – but that was a real physical effort for me and needed genuine will to succeed.”

• HSBC has launched a £1 billion lending fund to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the West Midlands, as part of a broader commitment to helping British businesses realise their ambitions for growth • The fund is part of a wider £10bn fund for SMEs across the UK which has also been launched .

• HSBC continues to be open to lending, having approved 91 per cent of small business lending applications in the last year.

• The launch of this fund reaffirms our commitment to support the growth of West Midlands based SMEs of all sizes, from start-ups to established businesses.

• We have so many ambitious businesses in our region who are keen to grow locally, nationally and internationally. This fund is all about helping those businesses make investments that will enable them to achieve their goals while stimulating our local economy and creating jobs.

• A major focus of this year’s fund is to encourage small businesses to feel confident about exploring opportunities for export.

• HSBC can provide access to new trading networks for businesses of all sizes, help them to understand how they can consider exporting with confidence, and has the expertise to help businesses navigate change by being responsive, flexible and nimble.

Dr Seuss would be proud.

21

Economy

Brexit negotiations ‘must put the economy first’

The chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has backed national calls for the Government to put the economy first in Brexit negotiations.

A statement from the British Chambers of Commerce, CBI, EEF, FSB and IOD has demanded that the Government ‘engage continuously with UK business interests’ as negotiations began on Monday (June 19).

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The concerns of many of our members have been clear since well before the referendum and, over the past 12 months, we have heard the many complexities that could affect trade if they are not considered during negotiations.

“We have fed those concerns to the British Chambers of Commerce and we whole-heartedly back this statement.”

The joint statement reads: “We, the undersigned, represent hundreds of thousands of businesses across the United Kingdom employing millions of people.

“The business community fully accepts the decision of voters last June that the UK will leave the European Union. We have come together to urge the Government to put the economy first as it prepares to start formal negotiations on the UK’s departure from the European Union. This is a deal that when finally agreed will matter fundamentally for the UK economy, for UK companies and for citizens of the UK. A deal that supports growth will allow companies to hire more people, raise living standards and improve lives across the country.

“We call on the Government to ensure that negotiations take place in an atmosphere of mutual respect, and engage

continuously with UK business interests on the many crucial and complex aspects of our future economic relationship with the European Union. If the Government moves forward in real partnership with business, drawing on its expertise, it will be in a strong position to protect and strengthen the UK’s economy during this vital period and beyond.”

It then sets out the economic principles for the UK’s transition out of the European Union, which are: • Maintain the economic benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union until a final settlement between the United Kingdom and the European Union is agreed and implemented.

• Prioritise an early agreement on guarantees for EU citizens, providing much needed reassurance for those already resident in the United Kingdom, and for UK citizens already resident in the EU27 • Maintain an open frictionless border between Ireland and Northern Ireland; and between Great Britain and the island of Ireland That is followed by a list of economic principles for a final agreement between the UK and the EU27 including: • Tariff-free goods trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union

• Minimal customs formalities at the land, sea and air borders between the United Kingdom and the European Union • Regulatory equivalence and mutual recognition of standards on an ongoing basis to ensure continued mutual access for both goods and services • A flexible system for the movement of labour and skills between the United Kingdom and the European Union, that enjoys public support • On-going UK participation in those panEuropean programmes, initiatives and agencies which add real economic value to communities, businesses, young people and universities • Protection of the benefits of free trade agreements currently delivered through the European Union The statement concludes: “We recognise these are high-level principles, in an environment of great complexity and detail.

We will work closely with each other and with government to explore ways to give effect to these principles.”

For more information or support, contact the Chamber’s International Trade team on 024 7665 4321.

“We have come together to urge the Government to put the economy first as it prepares to start formal negotiations on the UK’s departure from the European Union.”

In search of clarity over Brexit Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire are seeking clarity on what happens next for Brexit after a key minister resigned.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce launched a Brexit Club at the start of the year to help firms across the region prepare for the exit from the European Union.

The group was due to hold talks with Lord Bridges, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union, on Thursday (June 22) to impress upon the Government what businesses in the region want to see from negotiations.

But his resignation has forced that meeting to be cancelled and they are awaiting news on who will take over and what the next steps will be in the process of leaving the EU. James Ahearne, International Trade Commercial Executive at the Chamber, said: “One of the most important issues for

business is Brexit and we have been working hard to ensure we stay informed to help keep our members up-to-date.

“We’ve also been taking soundings from a range of businesses across the patch so we know their concerns and what they want from Brexit.

“Up until now, Lord Bridges has been a key figure and we were very much looking forward to getting the chance to discuss with him what the Government’s plans were.

“Of course, the General Election result and everything that has followed has cast significant doubt on what people thought they knew about Brexit and his resignation has added to that.

“We met him a couple of months prior to the election and he was very keen to talk about free and frictionless trade with Europe and took on board many of the concerns businesses had with regards to tariffs and other barriers to trade.

“What’s vitally important to remember, at this stage, is nothing has changed yet. We are still in the EU and businesses who trade overseas should continue to do so and should strengthen ties with their customers.”

22

“We will be speaking to our contacts in the department to try to find out more and to arrange a meeting very soon.”

He added: “What’s vitally important to remember, at this stage, is nothing has changed yet. We are still in the EU and businesses who trade overseas should continue to do so and should strengthen ties with their customers.

“Our International Trade membership package helps businesses with all of their overseas trade needs – from export

documentation through to support and advice in finding new markets.

“Once we know more on Brexit, we will be keeping our members fully informed but until then we’d urge them to keep coming to the Chamber for advice if they want to sustain and grow their international trade opportunities.”

For more information on the Chamber’s Brexit Club or trading overseas call the Chamber’s international trade team on 024 7665 4321.

Lord Bridges (centre) with Adam Marshall (British Chambers of Commerce) and Louise Bennett (Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber) at an event earlier this year.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Economy

Brexit pitfalls outlined to business people

Business leaders seek calm Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire have urged the Government to do all it can to avoid Brexit turbulence on the back of the Queen’s Speech – and to keep pushing the economy forward domestically.

The Government’s programme was dominated by Brexit and included a Customs Bill, an Immigration Bill, a Trade Bill and a Great Repeal Bill to deal with the exit from the EU. Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said firms in the region wanted to avoid a disorderly transition.

(Left to right): James Ahearne, David Burton (both Chamber), Anastassia Beliakova (British Chambers), Michael Walsh (Coventry University Business School), Alan Durham (Chamber), Mike Josypenko, Institute of Export and Trade)

Some of the potential pitfalls of Brexit have been explained to businesses at an event in Coventry.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Brexit Club staged a workshop on the Implications for International Trade at the Study Inn Conference Centre in Coventry city centre to help businesses scenario plan for Brexit.

Speakers included Anastassia Beliakova, senior trade policy manager at the British Chambers of Commerce; Michael Walsh, course director for economics at Coventry University Business School; Mike Josypenko, senior director at the Institute of Export and Trade; and David Burton, who chairs the Chamber’s Brexit Club.

The panel of experts talked about a range of topics including the negotiating options available to the UK and the types of trade deals that may be struck with the EU and other countries around the world.

Some of the potential drawbacks of leaving the EU were highlighted during the discussion and the Chamber, through the BCC, will continue ensure government is aware of the concerns of business before they enter talks.

One issue is around origin of goods and what happens when the UK leaves the EU and the customs union. UK manufacturers could find themselves facing additional red tape and customs procedures compared to their EU competitors.

This would also affect UK firms that import products or components from outside the EU and then sell on into European markets.

“A company in Coventry and Warwickshire with a competitor in the EU making the same part, needs to be aware of potential issues,” said Josypenko.

“UK origin is likely to be a requirement (for future UK Free Trade Agreements), so companies should be considering this in their supply chain now.”

The panel agreed that there would be a balancing act for the Government to try to www.cw-chamber.co.uk

get a deal that satisfies the electorate but that is also good for the economy.

They said that while tariffs on imports and exports had already been highlighted as a major, potential issue once Brexit happens, they agreed that additional ‘nontariff-barriers’ to trade, such as customs procedures, paperwork and regulatory requirements, could be a bigger problem for firms exporting.

UK trade with non-EU countries was also discussed. Beliakova said: “We have access on preferential terms to 50 to 60 markets around the world through the EU. The best possible deal for the UK would be to still have access to these terms after Brexit rather than have to renegotiate.”

Walsh added that most economists agree there will be a fall in the UK GDP after Brexit but estimates varied by how much and that the terms of any deal on trade would have a significant impact.

Burton said: “I am reminded of the ageold phrase, that the devil is in the detail and we must continue to press home to the negotiators what we need as businesses to make Brexit work.

“We, as a Chamber, accept that Brexit is happening and want to support our

members to take advantage of any opportunities that lie ahead, but it is right that we highlight the concerns and some of the details that, to many, seem small but are vital to the well-being of small, medium and large businesses on our patch.

“If businesses do have concerns about Brexit, they should raise them with us now so that we can ensure their voices are heard. It will be too late to raise them once we are out.”

The Chamber has been scaling up the support it offers to importers and exporters and recently announced a new International Trade Membership package which offers companies a range of services and assistance when they are trading overseas.

It ranges from help with export documentation through to free entry to events across the year covering international trade.

For more information on that or the Chamber’s Brexit Club, log onto www.cw-chamber.co.uk or call 024 7665 4321.

She said: “Businesses aren’t solely focused on Brexit – it’s a major concern of course – but they are having to get on with the day-to-day running of their companies.

“However, they are at pains to point out that the worst of all worlds would be a disorderly Brexit that causes turbulence, confusion and makes doing business more difficult.

“Only time will tell if the Bills set out in the Queen’s Speech can deliver that because the type of Brexit we see will not be decided by domestic legislation alone but through the negotiations and final deal with the EU. “Away from Brexit, there are many other priorities for businesses across our patch that should be deliverable without new primary legislation.

“Pressing ahead with investment in infrastructure and renewed focus on our domestic industrial strategy would be a very good start. It’s vital that the issue of Brexit does not remove focus from issues at home that could make doing business easier for our members.”

“If businesses do have concerns about Brexit, they should raise them with us now so that we can ensure their voices are heard. It will be too late to raise them once we are out.”

23

Economy

Tackling the skills shortage is crucial Unemployment has dropped slightly across Coventry and Warwickshire but business leaders in the region say the new Government must focus on tackling the skills shortage to ensure it continues to fall.

There was a slight rise in Warwickshire, from 4,315 to 4,375 in the month to May, and a drop in Coventry from 4,575 to 4,455 meaning an overall fall in the region.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “When we speak to many members, they are looking to recruit but can’t find people with the right skills.

“So the need to take on staff is not being matched by the numbers of people moving into work.

“We know through our work with Warwickshire County Council on our Quarterly Economic Survey that there is a shortage of skills in many sectors and only by solving that can we expect to really make a big impression on the unemployment figures.

“There is still major uncertainty around the new Government and what it is going to be able to achieve at this stage but it is absolutely imperative that we get on top of the skills shortage to ensure we keep the economy growing and unemployment falling.”

A message to Chamber members, from Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor Now the dust has settled on the mayoral election result, I think it’s really important to hit the ground running and set about working to deliver on the promises made in the manifesto.

And business has such an important part to play in seizing our big economic opportunities and, through success, tackling the social issues we face.

My message is that I’m looking forward to working with business in many areas.

First, the profile of the West Midlands: our Mayor needs to be a strong voice for the region, accomplished at putting our case to government and being an ambassador around the world.

It’s something I had to do for almost a decade at John Lewis and now I relish doing the same for my home region.

Second, the Mayor will have a key part to play in driving up skill levels.

There is a significant amount of work to do here in terms of co-ordinating between business and the education sector.

Thirdly, our shared economic success must continue to drive down youth unemployment as it is such a huge barrier to social mobility.

And, last but not least, I want to tackle the issue of homelessness and rough sleeping in our towns and cities. I know this is something people are deeply troubled by and I am committed to leading our response.

In all four areas business will, I know, step forward to play its part.

The scale of the challenges are big but together I know we can turn this region into the UK’s economic powerhouse.

New Skills grant opportunity Many businesses regard skills such as sector bodies, trade associations shortages as one of the key barriers to and town-centre management groups. growth. So the council has launched the "Many businesses feel that major skills Skills Challenge whereby expressions of shortages and gaps are holding them Interest (EOI) are invited from business back," said Warwickshire County and other groups to deliver a project Council's head of transport and which addresses a proven skills economy Mark Ryder.

Warwickshire County Council is tackling shortage or gap in Warwickshire.

"We want to try to help alleviate these skills shortages in the workplace head Grant-funding worth £20,000 to £40,000 difficulties, so we are keen to hear from on by making five-figure grants is available to successful applicants. businesses and work with them to EOIs are welcome from businesses or available to businesses which take up organisations representing businesses, develop effective solutions. the 'Skills Challenge.'

More information and the EOI template are available here: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/skillsforemployment

Managing debtors - Top Tips to get paid faster, more often

Cash is king. There are no two ways about it. In the current climate, when economic and political uncertainty are weighing heavily on the minds of business owners, it is more imperative than ever that your business has robust debt collection procedures in place to ensure a smooth flow of cash.

After all, if you have supplied goods or services in accordance with your obligations, you deserve to be paid in accordance with your customer’s obligations.

24

You will have your own creditors to pay and you need to manage your own liabilities. New research carried out by Legal & General revealed that an increasing number of businesses are turning to borrowing to get by.

Alarmingly, 19% of business owners had taken out personal loans in order to prop up their business.

The research also revealed that 67% of business owners feared closure should a ‘critical event’ hit their business.

That critical event could quite easily be a significant bad debt and could be the difference between a business surviving and being forced to cease trading.

Here, we offer some of our top tips for an effective debt collection process:1. Agree payment terms upfront A signed contract at the outset will go a long way to defusing any arguments further down the line over invoiced amounts and payment terms. If you agree payment terms with your customers before invoicing, they will have far less room for manoeuvre and will be more likely to pay on time and in full.

2. Invoice on time It is surprising how many businesses adopt the “I’ll do it on Monday” approach.

If you invoice customers on the last day of the month, make sure you do just that.

Yes, there will be other significant demands

on your time but the fact is that the faster you invoice the sooner you will be paid.

3. Invoice the right person This might sound obvious but many businesses get this wrong. If your customer contact isn’t responsible for accounts payable, there is no point sending your invoice to them or relying on them for forward it on for you. You do not want your invoice sat in an in-tray for days or weeks without being processed. It also helps to build up a productive relationship with the right person as this will ensure that your invoices get paid a lot faster.

Pick up the telephone and get to know the person – do not rely on e-mail all of the time.

4. Paperless invoicing If possible, send your invoices electronically. They are received in seconds and you can obtain proof of delivery and read receipts. Not only will this save you the cost of the stationery (which could be significant if you issue a lot of invoices per month), paperless invoicing will also avoid your invoice getting “lost in the post”.

5. Offer a discount for early payment If getting paid 95% of your invoice within 7 days is better for your business than 100% within 30 (or up to 90 or more in certain industries!), you could offer a discount for fast payment.

6. Follow up immediately if payment terms are missed Inevitably, there will be customers who will not pay on time despite your best efforts. A few telephone calls, re-sending the invoice and a few days’ grace would be prudent as you do not want to ruin any trading relationships that you have built up.

In the unfortunate event that a customer simply refuses to pay, as a last resort you might have to consider formal recovery action by speaking with your solicitor or a licenced insolvency practitioner, but hopefully the above tips will help to ensure that such situations are rare.

For a no obligation, confidential and free discussion, please visit our website at www.briuk.co.uk or contact Dan Smith or any other member of the team on 024 76226839.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Belgrade Theatre reports major reduction in energy consumption

The Belgrade Theatre has announced a reduction in its electricity usage per performance by over a third. From 2010/11 to 2016/17, the average kWh/1000 per performance has fallen by 36.46%, as a result of initiatives taken by the organisation to address climate change and reduce its overall impact on the environment.

Since 2010, all lighting in the theatre has been converted to low energy, with approximately 1500 to 1600 light bulbs replaced, and all offices have been fitted with split switches allowing the lighting to be used over working desks only.

The bulbs in the Theatre’s iconic chandeliers have been changed to 18 watt halogen light bulbs which use 2.5kwh less energy on each chandelier. Sensor lights have also been fitted where appropriate and scheduled procedures are in place for ‘summer lighting’ between May and September when natural light is sufficient.

These initiatives are part of the Belgrade’s overall ‘Striving to be Green’ Environmental Policy. The Theatre established its in-house ‘Green Team’, which includes a member of staff from each department, implements and champions green initiatives in 2007.

The Belgrade’s Executive Director Joanna Reid said, “This is a great achievement for the theatre in reducing its carbon footprint and environmental impact. We recognise there is still plenty of work to be done in helping to raise awareness of climate change and our ‘Green Team’ will continue to champion new ways of reducing energy usage, as well as encouraging recycling and minimal waste disposal.”

Earlier this year, the Belgrade Theatre took part in Earth Hour, a global event encouraging people, businesses and

landmarks to switch off lights for one hour and shine a light on action for climate change. During this time, the Belgrade switched off its spiral chandeliers which hold around 300 light bulbs, illuminating the Theatre’s foyers.

In 2013, the Theatre’s workshop facilities at Red Lane underwent an extensive £350,000 refurbishment to become more energy efficient, which also contributed to this significant reduction in energy consumption. Local firm Deeley Construction carried out the renovation project on the workshops which house Belgrade Production Services, the Theatre’s set and costume manufacturers.

The refurbishment saw the installation of a new, energy-efficient gas boiler which has resulted in an impressive 36% reduction in gas usage.

In addition to reducing its electricity consumption, the Belgrade has also been successful in the consuming less water and gas, compared to other arts and cultural buildings of a similar size, according to industry benchmarking data.

Merger strengthens construction offer A leading commercial property company in the Midlands has merged with a UKwide main contractor to strengthen its range of construction services.

The Wigley Group, which has its headquarters at Middlemarch Business Park in Coventry, has joined forces with Swindon-based Ciexbe Limited to form Wigley Building and Development.

The new enterprise, which is part of The Wigley Group, will be able to undertake a wide range of construction projects nationwide, from minor to major works up to the value of £12 million.

Charlie Brooks, director of Ciexbe, has been appointed construction director of Wigley Building and Development and will lead an experienced and expanding team of employees and subcontractors from the Coventry and Swindon offices.

The Wigley Group owns and manages business and industrial parks across the Midlands and provides services relating to commercial property, risk and construction.

It has been involved in property development and construction for more than 40 years, with the building of 82,000 sq ft of units at two of its industrial estates in

Coventry among current projects.

The Royal Mail North Hub and Vantage Park in Coventry are among its most notable developments in the last decade.

Robert Wigley, managing director of The Wigley Group, said: “With Ciexbe’s wealth of experience and ability to deliver combined with the financial backing and depth of The Wigley Group, we have got a really unified business that can undertake small and large schemes up to £12 million across the UK.” Ciexbe has more than 30 years of combined experience in the construction industry and operated primarily in the commercial and retail sectors completing new build, refurbishment and fit-out projects as construction manager, project manager or main contractor.

Projects have included the construction and fit-out of retail units, design and build of a staff training facility with accommodation, fit-out of a manufacturing plant, refurbishment of a museum bar and railway attraction.

Charlie said: “I am delighted to be merging with The Wigley Group and look

From left, Charlie Brooks, James Davies and Robert Wigley

forward to securing big contracts, increasing our workforce and growing our portfolio of projects nationwide.”

James Davies, director of The Wigley Group, said: “This is a significant and exciting development for The Wigley Group.

We have always been involved in construction and in recent years, have worked in partnership with Ciexbe.

The formation of Wigley Building and Development will take us to another level and extend our range of construction services both in terms of size and geographical reach.”

Coventry broker digs in to help local hospice spruce up garden for families Children and their families who spend time at local Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice are able to enjoy a brighter, better maintained and freshly refurbished garden thanks to the efforts of a team of volunteers from Coventry-based insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher, who spent time weeding, clearing, and painting to give the hospice garden a new lease of life.

Zoë's Place is a registered charity providing palliative, respite and end-of-life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years suffering from life-limiting or lifethreatening conditions.

The partnership began after members of the Arthur J. Gallagher team, based on Queen Victoria Road, met staff from Zoë's Place at a local networking event. Katie Chedgey, account manager at Arthur J. Gallagher comments: “We’re a community broker, so supporting a charity like Zoë’s Place that gives so much to the local community is something we were keen to do. As well as fundraising, we wanted to offer some hands-on volunteering time, so we decided to roll our sleeves up, dig in and spruce up their outdoor space.”

Efforts kicked off with the Arthur J. Gallagher team getting their hands dirty with the painting of an arch and memory bench in the garden, as well as sweeping and clearing the garden paths. The team is due to return to help get the garden ready ahead of the hospice’s Summer Fayre.

Muna Chauhan, Corporate Manager at Zoë’s Place Baby Hospice, said: “Partnerships are really important for charitable organisations like ours, as they provide us with ongoing support from companies that have the resource and manpower to really make a difference. I’d like to thank the team at Arthur J. Gallagher for taking the time to volunteer at the hospice and look forward to growing our relationship further.”

Chamber achieves the gold standard The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has reached the gold standard when it comes to supporting Coventry’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021.

Nicole Malatesta and Michael Mogan, of Coventry City of Culture Trust, presented Chamber Chief Executive Louise Bennett with a special gold badge in recognition of the backing given to the bid.

The Chamber became a Bid Development Sponsor very quickly after the city announced it would be bidding for the title, which is currently held by Hull.

Not only that, the Chamber has introduced several more potential sponsors to the Coventry City of Culture Trust team and has been actively promoting the bid on its website and on social media.

Louise said: “We can see the potential positive impact this will have on Coventry www.cw-chamber.co.uk

and the wider region from an economic, social and cultural point of view.

“That’s why we were delighted to sponsor the bid and also to help raise its profile within the business community.

“We wish the whole team the best of luck – everyone in Coventry and Warwickshire is right behind them.”

David Burbidge, Chair of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “The business support has been amazing.

“We’ve already got 70 members of our 2021 Club and then several other bigger sponsors. I would like to commend the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce because getting their involvement at a high level very early on made an important statement.

“The Chamber represents the business community so to get them on board was a strong message.”

Shortlisting for UK City of Culture 2021 is due to be announced soon with the final cities completing a final bid document in September ahead of an announcement of the winner in December.

Coventry City Council, The University of Warwick, and Coventry University are Principal Partners of the bid and are providing significant support. The Ricoh Arena is Bid Sponsor while Jaguar Land Rover, Adient, Friargate, Coventry Building Society, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham Airport, PET-Xi, SCC, Pertemps, CEF (City Electrical Factors) and Listers are also Bid Development Sponsors.

To show your support for Coventry’s bid on social media, go to @Coventry2021 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information, visit www.coventry2021.co.uk

Louise Bennett with Nicole Malatesta and Michael Mogan

25

Area Focus: Coventry

Culture bid ‘will galvanise’ city One of the UK’s leading training providers based in Coventry believes the bid to make 2021 an extra special year will transform the city forever.

PET-Xi, based at Westwood Way at the Westwood Business Park, has delivered intensive GCSEs, SATs and other exam courses to help more than 100,000 students from Northumberland to Cornwall reach their academic potential since the company was set-up in 1995.

Lettings underline strength of the economy Coventry’s economic strength and diversity has been underlined by major success at an industrial estate in the city.

All the units – totalling circa 30,000 sq ft – have been fully let at Abbey Industrial Estate in the Wyken/Walsgrave area of the city following a string of expansions from companies based on the site as well as attracting in new occupiers.

The success has been achieved by commercial property agents D&P Holt jointly with CBRE, who handle the lettings on the industrial estate on behalf of an investment pension fund.

Sign Shoppe Ltd, a road haulage firm, and KR Saws Ltd, a circular saw supplier, have both expanded their operations on the estate while the West Midlands Ambulance Service, Link Mailing and Ryona Engineering Supplies Ltd have all recently moved in.

Rupert Gillitt, of D&P Holt, said: “There are some great stats out there about Coventry’s economy. It is growing and, according to the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest survey it looks set to continue that way for some time.

“What’s great about the success at Abbey Industrial Estate is that it is a reallife story that backs up those hard facts and there’s now a diverse range of businesses and operations on the industrials estate.

“Coventry is, of course, renowned for its automotive and engineering history and while that sector thrives, this underlines the diversity in the economy.

“What is becoming increasingly clear is that more industrial stock is required to ensure that businesses in the city can grow and, also, that we can continue to attract investors and companies from outside of the area into Coventry.”

The company had no hesitation in becoming a Bid Development Sponsor to support Coventry’s submission to become UK City of Culture in 2021.

Fleur Sexton, joint managing director of PET-Xi, said: “I believe if we are successful in becoming the UK City of Culture in 2021 it would transform Coventry forever.

“It would immediately instil a sense of civic pride and encourage a generation of young people to build their lives here.

David Burbidge and Fleur Sexton, with members of the team from PET-Xi

“When we visit schools in Coventry and Warwickshire every day, we are always talking about the UK City of Culture and there is no doubt winning this bid would galvanise everyone.”

David Burbidge, chairman of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said the backing of businesses such as PET-Xi was instrumental in its bid to show support from all corners of the community.

Brewery expands A brewery is expanding into new premises thanks to a business loan from CWRT. Coventry-based Twisted Barrel Ale Ltd is a busy micro-brewery producing a range of artisan beers.

It has been based in FarGo Village in Coventry but is moving within the village, to larger premises.

The location change will enable them to increase production to meet growing demand, including orders from Hong Kong.

The move was made possible by a £75,000 expansion loan from CWRT

(Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust) which provides regional business finance to support local economic growth.

Ritchie Bosworth, Twisted Barrel MD, said, “We’d like to thank CWRT for their support. Our new location will enable us to significantly uplift production and meet higher demand.”

Ally Every, Loans Manager at CWRT said, ‘This is a successful and ambitious local business and their loan requirement was very much in line with our key objective; which is to support viable businesses and help new ones get started.”

Next generation of bevel box design from Coventry steering specialists Coventry-based steering system specialist Pailton Engineering has launched its next generation of bevel boxes for commercial vehicles.

The generation three design is a step up from previous generations, with reduced torque characteristics and upgraded sealing capabilities.

As this bevel box is equipped to handle extreme conditions, this product launch will benefit the military, bus, coach and

construction sectors, which all rely on robust steering systems.

Bevel boxes are a pivotal component of a steering system, transmitting torque through 90 degrees in order to provide a compact steering system package.

"We are always looking to increase the capabilities of our steering system components," said Nick Jordan, technical engineering manager at Pailton Engineering.

Coventry University regains top new university spot Coventry University has reclaimed its title of Top New University in the Complete University Guide 2018 league tables.

As well as becoming the UK’s highest ranking new university, Coventry has climbed seven places to 43rd overall.

It also made the top ten across five subject areas in the comparative tables, which rank 129 universities by measuring student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects.

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John Latham, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “Student experience is of the highest importance for us, with employability modules and international experiences built-in to our courses.

“This is a truly excellent result both locally and nationally and I am pleased the efforts of staff to provide excellent teaching, along with the ongoing improvements at the University are continuing to be recognised.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Programme provides opportunities for young people with disabilities Hereward College student Luke Elson has secured permanent paid employment at Whitefriars Housing thanks to the college’s groundbreaking supported internship programme.

Supported internships are a study programme aimed at young people (aged 16 to 24) who have an education, health and care plan and need extra support to move into employment.

Hereward College has been working with a range of key employment partners including Whitefriars Housing, Severn Trent, National Grid and Airwave to deliver the programme which enables young people with disabilities to gain experience in the workplace within a supported environment.

Three students at Hereward have been on placement with Whitefriars Housing since September 2016 supported by a Job Coach who has helped with the transition into the world of work.

Zoey Rhodes, Hereward Job Coach, said: “All of the interns at Whitefriars have grown in confidence since starting the internship and it’s great to see their progress.

“I’m delighted that Luke has been successful in getting a paid position.

Supported internships are the bridge for people with learning difficulties between education and work and have helped our interns develop many new skills.

Luke said: “I am happy being at work, I have done lots of training and learnt

new skills. I’m really pleased to have found a job and would recommend this experience to my friends as it might inspire them to do something they enjoy and they might just get a job out of it.”

Clive Rose, CleanWorks supervisor at Whitefriars Housing, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Luke and we’re thrilled he is now a permanent member of the team. All the interns were very shy to start with so we have enjoyed watching their confidence grow over the months.

The internship programme has been a great success and we’re very pleased that we have been able to give these young people this opportunity at the start of their working life.”

Arena targets record The Ricoh Arena has signed up 18 new exhibitions as the venue looks to break its own events record.

The multi-purpose events venue in Coventry has been successful in securing a large number of exhibitions for the first time covering a wide range of industry sectors.

New exhibitions for 2017 include the Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution Exhibition, the automotive tradeshow Mechanex and Surfex.

Transport software provides operators TruControl of fleet compliance

The news comes as the events venue which has 7,500 square metres of conference and exhibition space - prepares to beat the record 777 events it held in 2015/16.

Andy Gibb, managing director at the Ricoh Arena, said: “We’ve secured a fantastic variety of exhibitions that are either in their infancy or are big, well established shows.

“That’s really important for us because it shows our venue can act as an incubator for events to grow, but equally, we compete for and deliver on large scale events too.

“Our sales and events teams overcame strong competition from other venues to host some of these exhibitions and have done a fantastic job in securing them.

We are averaging 58 exhibitions a year, which is excellent news for us and for the regional economy.

“The investment we have made to our facilities has also started to pay off.

We recently created a link between our exhibition hall and hall three to provide an extra 1,500 square metres of exhibition space which has helped to attract larger events.”

Company has designs on bid success A Coventry-based design agency knows that its work could play a large part in the city earning up to £1 billion.

The Jade Studio, based at Electric Wharf, was chosen to design and deliver the bid the city is making to be UK City of Culture in 2021.

The document was delivered to Government and the Coventry City of Culture Trust, which is leading the city’s bid, expect to hear if it will be shortlisted later in the summer with a final decision being made and announced in December.

Mikey Baxter with Laura McMillan

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The Jade Studio was commissioned to design the identity for the bid and has worked on everything from banners to flyers, leaflets to the large 2021 hoardings at Coventry railway station.

Laura McMillan, manager of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We have worked with Jade for more than 12 months in all aspects of design work, but obviously the official bid document is the major piece of work as we apply to be UK City of Culture 2021.

“It has meant hundreds of hours of work from a great many people not only to compile the contents, but also to then hone it into the final form.

“The final piece was to make sure that the presentation of the document was as stunning as the ideas within it, and Jade did a superb job.”

The Jade Studio was formed by Matt East and Jason Dickens in 2000 with support from the Prince’s Trust and now works across the UK for clients including Wembley, Leicester City, Danone and the University of Warwick.

Mikey Baxter, 29, Creative Director of the Jade Studio, said: “It has been really exciting working on a project which means so much to the city in which we are based.”

TruTac the Coventry-based transport software specialist is rebranding its suite of complianceproducts with the introduction of a single, cloud-based portal.

The product re-brand and re-design will enhance user experience and further simplify fleet compliance management for operators.

The new ‘umbrella’ product is called TruControl and uses the slogan: ‘TruTac delivers TruControl of your fleet’.

TruTac has streamlined its range of market leading compliance products in a more intuitive system which is even easier to use.

According to TruTac’s Operations and Marketing Director, Jemma James, the company now analyses more than 1.7 million tachograph charts per month and provides software solutions for more than 4,000 customers in the HGV and PSV sectors.

In the coming months TruTac will be rebranding its core tachograph analysis product as TruAnalysis, while all of its other products are receiving design facelifts to better reflect the TruTac’s future upgrades and usability requirements of all operators.

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Area Focus: Coventry

National role for consultancy A leading utilities consultancy has been appointed energy partner by two national industry organisations.

Utility Team, which works with businesses from all sectors around the UK to manage their utility contracts and reduce their energy consumption is the official energy partner for membership organisations OBN and Timber Buying Group (TBG).

OBN supports the UK’s innovative life sciences companies, corporate partners and investors all over the UK and has more than 400 members.

The organisation offers networking, partnering, purchasing, training, advising and advocacy activities to its members – and Utility Team will now be able to manage their energy acquisition needs.

Utility Team, which has offices in Coventry and Birmingham, has also been selected by TBG to support its membership of around 1,200 timber and building merchants.

TBG specialises in helping small and medium-sized timber and building merchants to benefit from group deals on materials, and they will now also be able to access a range of services from Utility Team.

Robert Cook, business development manager at Utility Team, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with both OBN and TBG and have worked hard to understand the needs and requirements of their members to ensure we deliver the most effective energy efficiency and procurement advice.

“It is very exciting to team up with them at this time. They both have large memberships and are organisations that are continuing to grow and we look forward to supporting them with their energy requirements.”

Lee Pratley, Head of Purchasing and Membership at OBN, said: “We are pleased to be working with Utility Team and are sure this will be a very beneficial partnership to our members going forward.

“OBN has chosen to partner with Utility Team to help our members drive down the cost of their utilities through the range of professional services offered, from energy procurement to energy management and reporting.

“Utility Team have shown a commitment to understanding exactly what our members need. We hope that our members take advantage of this new relationship and are able to be more energy efficient in the process.”

Allan Durning, Director at TBG, said: “We are dedicated to delivering the best possible service to our members and this new partnership with Utility Team will help to strengthen what we are able to offer.

“Our focus at TBG is built around the businesses and members that we represent and Utility Team have worked hard to understand the requirements of our membership.

“We look forward to working with Utility Team to bring a range of energy-saving benefits to our members.”

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New serviced offices open in Coventry City Centre New venture Fig Offices have chosen Coventry to open their first UK business centre.

Based in the landmark Friars House, the building is superbly located just off the ring road, with immediate access both to the commercial city centre and the train station.

The newly refurbished eleven-storey prime office building boasts fantastic views over the city with excellent natural light throughout.

Fig have initially fitted out 19 offices, ranging from 1 person space upwards.

Fig believe that finding a place for your business is just like finding a home, and encourage businesses to come and visit to discuss their requirements with experienced Centre Manager Caroline Middleton.

Fig Offices offer a vibrant, flexible and contemporary office environment, backed by the latest IT and telecoms technology, high bandwidth provision and free Wi-Fi.

Caroline said: “We started receiving enquires before we’ve really commenced our marketing, and have several deals signed up prior to opening.

The reaction from visitors has been extremely positive, and we are already looking at fitting out further space, well ahead of schedule.”

Well connected at Oak Court

Rupert Gillitt (left) with Neil Hoyle

A telecommunications company has expanded into new offices in Coventry to allow for future growth.

BT Local Business, represented by Christal Communications, has moved from a rented, serviced office in the city to its own headquarters at Oak Court, Prologis Park.

The company, which has been based in the city for 13 years, was assisted in its move by commercial property company D&P Holt.

BT Local Business employs 22 staff and provides telecommunications services to a range of businesses and organisations across the region, backed by BT at a national level.

Its new 2,632 sq ft unit provides a much more modern setting for staff and is located just a short distance from junction three of the M6.

Neil Hoyle, a director with BT Local Business, said: “We had been at our previous location for 12 years and it was the right time for the company to invest and purchase its own property.

“We want to grow our customer base and expand the team – so this new base is absolutely ideal for our requirements.”

Rupert Gillitt, director of D&P Holt, said Prologis Park was a major success story for the city.

He said: “We are very pleased to welcome BT Local Business to Oak Court. As well as acting as selling agents there on behalf of ADL Ventures, we are also the managing agents for the development. It’s a perfect place for BT Local Business to expand and that’s good news for the local economy.”

Coventry Chemicals expands export market to Togo Adadazi was arranged. The Minister was very keen to see Omnicide and Omniclean imported in to Togo to help improve the countries food production in all areas.

Following the meeting the Minister invited Mike to give a full presentation to all the governments’ veterinary staff on products and better management.

Coventry Chemicals Ltd continue to expand their export markets.

They have just sent the first of what it is hoped will be many shipments to Togo in West Africa.

West Africa is a fast developing area. From Ghana to Niger, these countries are looking for good quality products from UK and Europe where they know they will be able to trust the products and how they are made.

Mike Button from Coventry Chemicals recently visited Lomé the Capitol of Togo with Coventry’s distributor AfricEuro.

While there, a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Col. Koura

A meeting was also held on a large independent Tilapia farm where much interest was shown in Coventry’s products to improve bio-security in fish farming and help develop what will be growing source of protein to the people in West Africa.

It is hoped that within 3-4 months exports will expand into the neighbouring countries of Ivory Coast, Benin and Ghana.

The national governments would like to organise a major conference to hear about the products of Coventry Chemicals and how they can help these countries.

Weighing in to back Coventry’s 2021 bid A Coventry based weighing scale company is the latest business to back the city’s bid to become City of Culture 2021.

Coventry Scale Company Ltd, who has been in business in the city for more than 40 years, believes that winning the bid will boost Coventry’s economy and encourage more skilled people to come to work and live in the city.

Tom Marren, from Coventry Scale Company Ltd, said: “We’re delighted to be able to back the bid. Coventry is a great city and one that the whole team at Coventry Scale Company love, live and work in.

So to see it win the bid to become City of Culture 2021 will be fantastic.

“It will boost Coventry's economy, drive employment and encourage more skilled professionals to come and live and work in the city. In addition, it'll improve the lives of the younger generation and give the city the recognition it deserves.”

A family owned company established in 1975, Coventry Scale Company Ltd supplies industrial weighing equipment and solutions to a number of industries including automotive, food production, agriculture, laboratory and logistics.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Mid Warwickshire

Unitemps celebrates its 20th anniversary supporting the local community Unitemps began operations in 1997 and has grown to 19 offices, with the local network spanning across Leamington, Birmingham, Warwick and Coventry.

Unitemps has expanded in the past year, increasing opportunities for the local community as well as supporting local businesses by opening a new branch in Leamington Spa. Unitemps, the temporary employment service is proud to announce its twentieth year of supporting employment for the local community as unemployment rates in the West Midlands fall to 5.7%1.

With a not for profit approach to recruitment, Unitemps' ethical, quality and community approach has helped successfully place more than 2,000 Warwick students into more than 4,000 roles. As well as supporting the local

community, Unitemps have paid £8.3million in wages to Warwick students.

Andy Walker, Head of Unitemps, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone, and are happy to be able to come together on our twentieth anniversary to celebrate the achievements of our temporary workers over the last year. We are pleased to be working with the local community, and helping support local business and look forward to continuing to build these relationships in the future.”

Ali Lokhandwala, Cognitive Development Team Lead at EBI Solutions Limited, praised Unitemps candidate Edward Compton and said how his work has had an impact on the business: “Edward has come up with a lot of innovative ways of designing conversations within IBM’s conversation designer,” said Ali.

State of the art tourist attraction In 2017, Market Hall Museum reopened following an 18 month redevelopment, delivering a state of the art tourist attraction.

Galleries reflect the life and times of Warwickshire, from hundreds of millions of years ago to the present.

In the heart of Warwick, public favourites returned to the county museum, including the Giant Irish Deer skeleton, Sheldon Tapestry, Warwickshire Bear and live bee hive.

Complemented by brand new features, including community artwork, the Warwickshire Dinosaur, costume pieces, interactives, and a locally supplied café, it’s a great day out for all ages.

Free entry! Donations welcome.

Find out more: goo.gl/d34uRJ

Removals firm wins industry award

Edward Bromwich, managing director of ehB Residential with Kate Beckingsale from FOMPS, Matthew Fisher, headteacher at Milverton Primary School and pupils from the school.

It’s all about growth for young entrepreneurs The entrepreneurial skills of Leamington youngsters are being put to the test to help raise funds for their school.

Pupils at Milverton Primary School are coming up with ingenious ideas of how they can generate money to invest in new computer equipment and they have been given a helping hand by ehB Residential.

The Greatheed Road-based school has launched the Grow a Pound initiative, which saw every child sent home with £1 and tasked to come up with ways to increase it.

The scheme was the brainchild of the Friends of Milverton Primary School (FOMPS), who then called on ehB Residential, and its team was only too happy to help.

They donated £320, and then contacted the estate agent’s charity Agents Giving to see what it could do.

Agents Giving works with estate and letting agents and their suppliers across the UK to encourage and support their fundraising activities.

The organisation decided to match fund the amount donated by ehB Residential – boosting the total to £640.

Edward Bromwich, managing director of ehB Residential, said: “We have worked with Milverton Primary School for a number of years now and we were more than happy to get involved with the Grow a Pound scheme. “ehB is firmly rooted within the community, so it is important that we give something back and this innovative scheme is a fantastic way for pupils to get creative and have fun at the same time.”

Pupils were given a month to get to work and some already have plans for a bake sale, a sponsored cycling event, car washing and a whole lot more. Kate Beckingsale from FOMPS said: “The staff would like iPads for the classrooms, so Grow a Pound is a way for the children to get involved and host their own individual events.”

Matthew Fisher, headteacher at Milverton Primary School, added: “The children have come up with some brilliant ideas.”

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Family-run removals and storage company Squab Group has won the coveted title of Domestic Mover of the Year 2017, a national industry award, organised and judged by The British Association of Removers (BAR).

The annual competition is open to the BAR’s 400 members and is the only one of its kind. It celebrates the high standards within the removals industry, with a particular focus on customer experience.

Competing against the crème de la crème of the removals industry, the Leamington Spa company, which has only been in the industry for 11 years, was shortlisted from more than 20 entrants in its category. The judging process involved three stages and a number of assessments including a site visit by BAR representatives, a website review and contacting previous customers.

Squab Group is no stranger to the process having made its debut entry in last year’s contest, proudly finishing in the top three as a finalist in this category. The company, which is owned and managed by the Evans family, now surpasses this achievement by winning the overall title.

Emlyn Evans, Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be named as winners of this recognised industry award, especially given the high standard of competition. To have gone from finalist last year to winner this year is a huge achievement and only possible with such a hardworking and dedicated team of employees.

Since Squab first started removals, we have continually re-invested in our fleet, equipment and employees to provide the best possible customer experience. To be recognised in such

a way makes us extremely proud and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for Squab.”

Squab was announced as the winner during the Gala Dinner and Awards Night at the BAR Annual Conference.

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Area Focus: North Warwickshire

Law set to change

With a new law regarding commercial Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) coming into force in less than a year, it is essential for any business with a property portfolio to consider what, if any, improvements need to be made in order for their properties to meet the new minimum energy efficiency standard.

From 1st April 2018, all commercial properties will be required to reach a grade ‘E’ or better on their EPC. For a limited time period, landlords will be able to continue to let out properties with an ‘F’ or ‘G’ rating but may not be able to renew a lease or sign up new tenants until they have an EPC report stating that their building is a grade ‘E’ or better.

After 1st April 2018, it will be unlawful to sell a commercial property if it has an ‘F’ or ‘G’ rating on its EPC. From 1st April 2023, this law will apply to all commercial properties, including those under existing leases.

How to meet the new minimum energy efficiency standard

Amy Foster is the woman to watch at awards Amy Foster from Nomad HR & Recruitment proved to be the new business owner to watch at the Woman Who… awards, as she was named the Winner of the Start Up Category.

The Woman Who… Awards are delivered in Partnership with FSB, to celebrate successful woman in business.

Nuneaton-based Nomad HR and Recruitment was established by Amy in 2015 for companies who may not have a HR function and want extra support when it comes to Recruitment.

She has already experienced a successful career in HR, previously working as the Global HR and Talent Manager at KM&T. Amy has taken Nomad from strength to strength since launch with the award judges noting its increasing client base and even expanding into foreign markets.

Amy said: “It’s so exciting to be recognised for the positive contribution Nomad has made for its customers.

Nuneaton in midst of rentals boom

When measuring a commercial building’s energy efficiency, an EPC assessor will look at the building’s asset.

This consists of the building’s installed building services and its fabric. How much energy the current occupiers use is not included on a commercial building’s EPC. An EPC is there to show how energy efficient the fabric of a commercial building is, as well as the installed ventilation, heating, cooling and lighting systems.

Buildings must reach a certain level of energy efficiency in order to achieve a grade ‘E’ or above.

LED lighting is a non-invasive and cost-effective way to pass an EPC The lighting systems within a building are one of the areas an EPC assessor will look at when calculating energy efficiency.

LED lighting can not only improve a building’s energy efficiency and result in a 50-80% reduction in energy usage and costs but can also give building owners the extra peace of mind that goes hand-in-hand with long-lasting lighting.

An LED lighting installation with smart controls and sensors can cut a building’s lighting energy costs by 80-90%.

Depending on factors such as the size of the building and the building usage, the payback term on LED lighting can be relatively quick.

Public sector funding Interest free public sector funding to install LED lighting and other energy efficient technology is available for schools, colleges, NHS trusts and local authorities.

This Department of Education approved incentive, means that you are able to pay nothing upfront out of your budget and then use your energy savings to pay for your LED lighting.

Tax relief Under the Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA) scheme for energy saving technologies, LED lighting may be eligible for 100% tax relief..

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I pride myself on continually improving the service that we offer to make Recruitment integrate into our client’s businesses.”

The award application also included the charitable work that Amy carries out on community support projects. As an advocate of youth development, Amy is also a volunteer board member of the Positive Youth Foundation which helps young people to achieve their potential through community projects.

Sandra Garlick from The Woman Who… said: “The Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Woman Who...Awards are in only in their second year. The aim is quite simply to inspire local women in business to recognise and celebrate their achievements. I certainly feel that we are achieving this evidenced by the calibre and number of entries this year. We are delighted to welcome Amy into our Winners Alumni and to helping her business grow over the next year."

The Loveitts Team in Nuneaton.

From L-R Avril Wilson, Michaela Sheward, Chris Corbishley-Forbes, Linda Brannan, Michelle Broadbent

A wealth of new build properties, increasing job opportunities, top-rate schools and strong transport links with the rest of the UK are all contributing to Nuneaton’s soaring popularity as an ideal place to live.

The news comes from property experts Linda Brannan and Avril Wilson, who head up the lettings arm of Loveitts Estate Agents in the town.

Investments such as the £6 million Horiba Mira project, the Virgin service to London which takes little more than an hour, and Nuneaton’s rapid expansion coupled with its affordable living costs mean the soaring demand for rental properties in the town is far outstripping supply.

In fact, the number of lettings in Nuneaton is increasing at such an unprecedented rate that Loveitts recently bolstered its team, appointing Linda, who already has 16 years of lettings experience in the town.

Linda said: “Lettings are extremely buoyant in Nuneaton. As soon as we have we uploaded a new instruction to Zoopla or Rightmove we are inundated with inquiries within seconds. At the moment we have an average six people chasing every property.

“Of course, this is pushing the prices up and up – which although isn’t good for tenants, is excellent for the landlords.

“The number of lettings in Nuneaton is rising every month, reflecting the market in general. And it’s a real range of properties – everything from a one bedroom terrace house to four or even five-bedroom properties.”

Avril, who is lettings manager of Loveitts and boasts more than 20 years of lettings experience said: “There is a real diverse community in Nuneaton and increasingly so as time progresses. We have a lot of Polish, Romanians, Spanish, pretty much every different nationality.”

Chris Corbishley-Forbes, Branch Manager at Nuneaton, said: “Lettings are extremely buoyant at the moment and we were delighted to bring Linda on board at the beginning of this year to cope with increased demand.

Linda’s appointment completes the fivestrong team at the Nuneaton branch of Loveitts, which was established more than 170 years ago and also has branches in Coventry, Leamington and Southam.

Zoo launches recycling scheme to protect great apes in the wild Visitors to Twycross Zoo will be able to dispose of their old and unused mobile phones in an environmentally friendly way.

The recycling scheme will complement the zoo’s efforts to conserve great apes, particularly bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

As a popular attraction with over 500,000 visitors a year, Twycross Zoo aims to raise awareness of the damaging effects on the environment caused by the manufacture of consumer electronics.

Mobile phones contain precious materials such as coltan, which is often mined in conditions of human rights abuses and in areas of armed conflict.

As the world’s demand for the mineral increases, there is little regard for the detrimental impact extensive mining has on the environment and wildlife.

It is estimated that between 65-80% of the world’s coltan reserves are found in biodiversity rich areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is also home to bonobos, our closest living relatives. According to experts, the number of bonobos in the wild has been in decline for the past 30 years.

Twycross Zoo is not only the only UK zoo to have this endangered species, but also a long-term supporter of Lola Ya Bonobo, a unique sanctuary for orphaned or injured bonobos in DRC. Coltan and other parts of consumer electronics are easily recyclable which reduces the pressure on natural resources and wildlife, including bonobos, gorillas and chimpanzees. For this reason, Twycross Zoo has partnered with Clover Environmental Solutions, which provides collection programmes for used

mobile phones and other small electronic devices, to set up a permanent recycling container at the zoo.

Louise Biffin, Director of Finance at Twycross Zoo said: “We want to emphasise the message that mobile phones are an issue for ape conservation and are excited to launch our own recycling scheme.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: South Warwickshire

Brexit could have a negative effect on butterfly farm The UK’s flight from the EU could have a damaging butterfly effect on one of the most niche businesses in the UK. The Stratford Butterfly Farm in Stratfordupon-Avon is concerned that its plight ahead of Brexit is so unusual that it might be missed during negotiations and could cause long term problems for the business.

So, general manager Richard Lamb is on a one-man mission to ensure that Brexit doesn’t mean major financial and job losses for the 32-year-old venue, which attracts 150,000 visitors a year.

To supplement the income the attraction generates from visitors, it imports and exports butterfly pupae in their thousands – and that’s where Richard sees an issue with pulling out of the EU. Every pupa that comes into the UK from farms around the world – from Kenya to Costa Rica – needs an EU standard Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED).

That means they can then be sold straight to European attractions and can be transported quickly, without red tape or additional administrative cost.

If speed drops or costs rise, it could mean an end to the export opportunities into Europe, which would have a damaging effect on the Butterfly Farm.

“If boxes of pupae are hanging around in warehouses waiting to be delivered overseas, you could have butterflies hatching while they wait to be moved,” said Richard, who has been with the venue from day one.

“Speed is absolutely key – any time lost because of additional regulation will mean we can’t deliver. My worry with Brexit is that we will have to certify the pupae on entry to the UK with a new standard and then the CVED will be applied when we move them into Europe.

“That’s where speed will be lost and by then the opportunity will have flown – literally!

“Equally, if there is a cost implication to needing the new standard, then my customers just aren’t going to pay for that.

Some want volumes as small as 50 at a time and up to a possible £300 on top of the existing admin costs will make it unviable.

“Some people think I should keep quiet on this topic but I feel if I don’t raise it now, it won’t be picked up when we negotiate Brexit and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces afterwards.”

Richard has raised the issue with his local MP Nadhim Zahawi, who campaigned to leave the EU, and also brought it to the

attention of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, which is running a Brexit Club for members to highlight concerns about the EU exit and also spell out opportunities it could bring.

He added: “I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan when the EU introduced the regulation because it added cost and red tape overnight but the system works now and we know how to operate within it.

“A good Brexit for us would mean we could continue to operate in the same way – so that costs and delivery times don’t go up.”

David Burton, chair of the Chamber’s Brexit Club, said: “We’ve unearthed many issues around Brexit that were just not considered during the run up to the referendum.

“However, Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm’s potential problem is probably the most niche we’ve encountered so far.”

College celebrates secure future with new partner

Solihull College & University Centre Deputy Principal Lindsey Stewart, Solihull College & University Centre Principal and Chief Executive John Callaghan, Stratford-upon-Avon College Principal and Chief Executive Andrew Cropley, and Stratford-upon-Avon College Governor Ian Lumley

Following a meticulous process of deliberation to select the most suitable contender for its proposed merger,

Stratford-upon-Avon College has named its chosen partner and now looks forward to a secure, successful future.

The College has announced that it plans to merge with Solihull College & University Centre. The target date for the merger is 1st January 2018, and both organisations will take every measure to ensure that the transition is as efficient and seamless as possible.

John Callaghan, Principal and Chief Executive at Solihull College & University Centre, said: “I am very pleased that we have been selected by SUAC as their merger partner. We are aware that a number of high-performing organisations submitted very strong proposals, so I am very pleased that we have been selected by SUAC as their merger partner. We each possess unique areas of expertise and this merger will enable us to maximise our combined strengths for the benefit of all students and staff. I look forward to a successful combined future.”

Stratford-upon-Avon College Principal and Chief Executive Andrew Cropley is

equally enthusiastic about the College’s future prospects, saying: “I am delighted that we have finalised a partnership with such a successful college, with the full support of the FE Commissioner. Solihull will enable us to offer our students greater opportunities, enhanced progression, and better facilities and equipment.

“The merger will allow us to develop deeper partnerships with local employers and to better serve the community of Stratford-upon-Avon. As part of a larger organisation, we are assured financial security which will enable us to fully invest in our students.

“At the same time, Stratford-upon-Avon College is committed to retaining its unique identity; we will continue to support local learners, businesses and the wider community by offering a broad Further Education curriculum on the Stratford site.”

Local building firm celebrates 25 year anniversary Midlands-based construction firm Arden Construction has recently celebrated 25 years of business success in the construction industry.

The company held an anniversary celebration at Ardencote Hotel on Saturday 10 June, which was attended by employees, clients, and delivery partners.

The family-run business was formed by Carl Brooker and John Harwood in June 1992. Originally established in a two room office on Alcester high street, Warwickshire, the company employed five members of staff and purchased four vehicles.

Arden Construction started out completing small private projects providing maintenance, refurbishment and construction services and quickly established itself working for Warwickshire County Council and other local authorities.

Over the 25 years, Arden Construction has developed and maintained buildings for educational establishments and healthcare organisations as well as a range www.cw-chamber.co.uk

of industrial and heritage work for bespoke clients; the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, National Trust, Worcester and Coventry Dioceses, and the British Film Institute.

Carl Brooker, managing director at Arden Construction said: “We pride ourselves on providing a high quality of service to our clients, by doing this we have retained clients over the 25 years, as well as gaining new clients which has enabled our sustainable growth. This has been achieved by the support of our loyal local subcontractors and supply chain “Investing in new vehicles and growing our workforce enables us to continue to deliver exceptional customer service to our clients, whilst giving us the capacity to take on new contracts." .

Arden Construction now employs over 45 people and has a 29 strong fleet of vehicles, it operates with the belief that building locally benefits the community.

Having a strong local presence and focussing on one area provides jobs for local people while improving the area that they live in too.

There are approximately three million jobs in construction at the moment, accounting for 10% of UK employment, but there is also a shortage of skilled workers. 35,000 new workers needed each year to meet demands.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, of which Arden Construction is a member, said: “The Midlands will always need more professional builders and companies like Arden Construction are making a valuable contribution to the area so we’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone with them and wish the company continued success for many years to come.”

To mark their 25 year anniversary, Arden Construction has made a video showcasing some of the work they’ve completed in the area. To watch the video and see which buildings you recognise simply visit www.ardenconstruction.co.uk

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Area Focus: Rugby

Honour for company Eco Clean & Maintenance Ltd was established in 2004 by Angela and Bill Varney whose joint backgrounds encompassed quality engineering, maintenance and general management.

Their vision was to create a successful business based on quality of service and attention to detail. This vision has now been realised by being honoured as a Business of the Year Finalist at the Pride of Rugby Business Awards 2017, a reflection of the hard work and time invested within the company.

At the start of 2017, Eco-clean had more than 60 staff who completed in excess of 4,000 jobs in 2016 at hospitals, schools, manufacturing companies, offices, canteens, pubs, shops, contractors’ new builds, end of tenancy cleans and domestic cleaning.

Having now moved to new premises, the company has increased its capacity for storage and office space with a new despatch area and launched an online E-shop selling consumables such as toilet rolls, paper hand towels and soap.

They have also taken on new sales and accounts staff.

Work begins on £5.5m new boarding house for historic Stowe school Rugby-based construction company Stepnell has been selected by Stowe School in Buckinghamshire to build a £5.5 million new boys’ boarding house at the leading independent co-educational school.

The latest stage in a major development programme at Stowe, the new three/four storey building – designed

by Rick Mather Architects – will provide modern study bedrooms for 60 students.

In addition, it will create living facilities, common rooms and a terrace and garden, as well as apartments for the housemaster and two under housemasters. The development will enable one of the school’s existing boarding houses to relocate from the main Mansion House into the spacious, purpose-built facility.

Construction is scheduled for completion in October 2018.

Artist’s impression of the new boys’ boarding house which Stepnell is building at Stowe School.

Image courtesy of Rick Mather Architects.

Full steam ahead at new Houlton development Rugby’s urban extension of 6,200 new homes in Houlton continues to progress at a fast pace.

The last month has seen great activity at the 1,200 acre site including regular community events being held at The Barn and a Look Good Feel Good event in aid of Breast Cancer Care held at The Tuning Fork.

Events like this are just a few of many that will be taking place at the new community hub Dollman Farm in the coming months.

They provide great opportunities to welcome new residents ahead of the completion of the first homes in December 2017.

Elsewhere on site, work has begun on the highly anticipated link road project, a new road which will link the Houlton site to Rugby town centre. It is expected to take 18 months to complete, with the first phase of this 1.5 mile stretch of road to begin at the end of July.

The link road was a key part of the planning permission and will forge a strong link between the new Houlton community and Rugby in the future, ensuring the town benefits from the economic growth brought about through the expansion.

Thanks to Urban&Civic securing a government loan from the Homes and Communities Agency, the road is being

built well ahead of its original timescales helping to further accelerate the delivery of this vital piece of infrastructure.

To further cement Houlton’s standing as a vibrant new destination, The Tuning Fork eatery based on the Dollman Farm site has welcomed plenty of new customers through its doors since opening in March this year. They offer a delicious breakfast, lunch and evening menu and due to their popularity, they now offer extended evening opening hours on Thursday’s, Friday’s and Saturday’s.

To keep up to date on the development visit www.houltonrugby.co.uk and sign up to the e-newsletter.

Rugby pupils get wise to money matters Pupils at Rugby’s Lawrence Sheriff School learned about money during a day of financial education sponsored

by Hinckley & Rugby Building Society.

Financial education experts from the notfor-profit WizeUp visited Lawrence Sheriff, working with all of the school’s 120 Year 9 pupils as part of a careers day.

WizeUp’s Ed Flack said: “We had a great day with the students, delivering three sessions on the history of money, budgeting, saving and investing.

“These were certainly lively affairs with students beginning to think about the bigger picture and how these life skills might fit into their lives after school.

They all had an opportunity to run their own virtual business which was really good – and very profitable.”

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Amanda Warde, the school’s Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance Coordinator, said: “The students found Ed’s session and the activities within it engaging and interactive. It gave them lots of useful relatable information that they found easy to undersatand and interesting, making the world of personal finance less daunting.”

Hinckley & Rugby’s branch & agency support officer Tracey Phipps said: “Whenever WizeUp visits a local school we are very impressed with how engaged the students are and how much they take away from the sessions. It’s great to know they are better prepared for managing their money.”

Hinckley & Rugby Building Society regularly sponsors WizeUp’s visits to schools and colleges in its heartlands.

Lawrence Sheriff School pupils with (centre) Ed Flack from WizeUp, Hinckley & Rugby’s Tracey Phipps and teacher Dan Clarke

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Connectivity

ƌĞĂƟŶŐ Ă ǁŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ ƚŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ďĞƩĞƌ

ĐŽŶŶĞĐƚĞĚ

dŚĞ ĐŽŶĐĞƉƚ ŽĨ Ă ͚ĐŽŶŶĞĐƚĞĚ ǁŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ͛ ŝƐ ŶŽƚ Ă ŶĞǁ ŽŶĞ ʹ ŚŽǁĞǀĞƌ ŝƚ ŝƐ ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĂĚǀĂŶĐĞŵĞŶƚƐ ŽĨ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ͕ ;ĂŶĚ

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ĞƩĞƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶ tĞ ŵĞĂŶ ĐŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ŐƌĂĚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ďƵŝůƚ ĨŽƌ t Ğ ŵĞĂŶ ĐŽŶƐƵŵĞƌ ŐƌĂĚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ďƵŝůƚ ĨŽƌ ď ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘ hƟůŝƐŝŶŐ ƚŽŽůƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶĂďůĞ LJŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬĨŽƌĐĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƚ͕ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘ hƟůŝƐŝŶŐ ƚŽŽůƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶĂďůĞ LJŽƵƌ ǁŽƌŬĨŽƌĐĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƚ͕ ĐĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƚĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ĞĂĐŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƚĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ ĞĂĐŚ ŽƚŚĞƌ ŶŽƚ ŽŶůLJ ƚƚŚĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ ĞĸĐŝĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͖ ŝƚ ĂůƐŽ ŚĞ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞƐ ĞĸĐŝĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͖ ŝƚ ĂůƐŽ Ś ĂƐ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽŶ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞ ĞŶŐĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƐĂƟƐĨĂĐƟŽŶ͘ ŚĂƐ Ă ƉŽƐŝƟǀĞ ĞīĞĐƚ ŽŶ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞ ĞŶŐĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĂŶĚ ƐĂƟƐĨĂĐƟŽŶ͘ t Ğ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌΠ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ Ă ǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ ŽĨ tĞ ƉĂƌƚŶĞƌ ǁŝƚŚ DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌΠ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞ Ă ǀĂƌŝĞƚLJ ŽĨ ĐĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶ ƚŽŽůƐ͕ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ Ă ƐŽůƵƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶ ƚŽŽůƐ͕ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ Ă ƐŽůƵƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƐƵŝƚƐ LJŽƵ͘ ƵŝƚƐ LJŽƵ͘ ͻͻ ŶƐƵƌĞ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ŚĂǀĞ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŶƐƵƌĞ LJŽƵƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ŚĂǀĞ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ƐŽ ƚŚĞLJ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀĞ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ͖

ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ƐŽ ƚŚĞLJ ĐĂŶ ďĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀĞ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ͖ ǁŚŝůƐƚ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ŽǀĞƌ LJŽƵƌ ĚĂƚĂ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ

ǁŚŝůƐƚ ŵĂŝŶƚĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĐŽŶƚƌŽů ŽǀĞƌ LJŽƵƌ ĚĂƚĂ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵƉůŝĂŶĐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƌŝǀĂĐLJ͕ ƚƌĂŶƐƉĂƌĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĮŶĞĚ ƵƐĞƌ

ĐŽŵƉůŝĂŶĐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƌŝǀĂĐLJ͕ ƚƌĂŶƐƉĂƌĞŶĐLJ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĮŶĞĚ ƵƐĞƌ ĐŽŶƚƌŽůƐ͘

ĐŽŶƚƌŽůƐ͘ ͻͻ WƌŽǀŝĚĞ ƐĞĐƵƌĞ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵƐ ĨŽƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƌĞ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ WƌŽǀŝĚĞ ƐĞĐƵƌĞ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵƐ ĨŽƌ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ƐŚĂƌĞ ĂŶĚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞ ǁŽƌŬ ĮůĞƐ͘

ǁŽƌŬ ĮůĞƐ͘

ĞƩĞƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞ ĞŶŐĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ Θ ǁŽƌŬĨŽƌĐĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ ĞƩĞƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞ ĞŶŐĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ Θ ǁŽƌŬĨŽƌĐĞ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ t ŚĞƚŚĞƌ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ŽŶďŽĂƌĚŝŶŐ ŶĞǁ ƐƚĂƌƚĞƌƐ͕ ƌŽůůŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ŶĞǁ tŚĞƚŚĞƌ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ŽŶďŽĂƌĚŝŶŐ ŶĞǁ ƐƚĂƌƚĞƌƐ͕ ƌŽůůŝŶŐ ŽƵƚ ŶĞǁ ĂĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ Žƌ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ĂĚͲŚŽĐ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ Žƌ ŵĂŬŝŶŐ ĂĚͲŚŽĐ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ĂĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͕ ǁĞ ƚŚŝŶŬ ĞͲůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵƐ ĂƌĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ͊ dŚĞLJ ƌĞĂůůLJ ǀĂŝůĂďůĞ͕ ǁĞ ƚŚŝŶŬ ĞͲůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵƐ ĂƌĞ ŐƌĞĂƚ͊ dŚĞLJ ƌĞĂůůLJ ĞĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ĂĚŽƉƚ ŶĞǁ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶ ŶĞǁ ŶĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ƚŽ ĂĚŽƉƚ ŶĞǁ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ůĞĂƌŶ ŶĞǁ Ě ŝŐŝƚĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ Ă ĨĂƐƚ ĂŶĚ ĞīĞĐƟǀĞ ǁĂLJ͘ /ƚ ĂůƐŽ ŚĞůƉƐ ĞŶŐĂŐĞ ǁŝƚŚ ĚŝŐŝƚĂů ƐŬŝůůƐ ŝŶ Ă ĨĂƐƚ ĂŶĚ ĞīĞĐƟǀĞ ǁĂLJ͘ /ƚ ĂůƐŽ ŚĞůƉƐ ĞŶŐĂŐĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJLJŽƵƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ͖ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐŝŶŐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ŽƵƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ͖ ĞŶĐŽƵƌĂŐŝŶŐ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐĞĚ ĞĞĸĐŝĞŶĐŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƐƚĂī ƐĂƟƐĨĂĐƟŽŶ͘ ĸĐŝĞŶĐŝĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ͕ ĂƐ ǁĞůů ĂƐ ƐƚĂī ƐĂƟƐĨĂĐƟŽŶ͘ t Ğ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƉĚŽƉƚ ƚŽ ŐŝǀĞ ŽƵƌ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ĂŶ tĞ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ ƉƉĚŽƉƚ ƚŽ ŐŝǀĞ ŽƵƌ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌƐ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ĂŶ ĞĞͲůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ƚŚĂƚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŽŽůƐ ĂŶĚ ͲůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ƚŚĂƚ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ƚƌĂŝŶŝŶŐ ƚŽŽůƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĐŽŶƚĞŶƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƐŝŵƉůĞ͕ ďŝƚĞ ƐŝnjĞĚ ŽŶƚĞŶƚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƐŝŵƉůĞ͕ ďŝƚĞ ƐŝnjĞĚ ǀŝĚĞŽƐ ŽŶ ĂŶLJ ĚĞǀŝĐĞ͕ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͘ ǀŝĚĞŽƐ ŽŶ ĂŶLJ ĚĞǀŝĐĞ͕ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ƚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͘ ͻ dĂƌŐĞƚ ƵƐĞƌƐ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ŶĞĞĚƐ ʹ ǁŚĞƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĂƚ ďĞ ͻ dĂƌŐĞƚ ƵƐĞƌƐ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ŶĞĞĚƐ ʹ ǁŚĞƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĂƚ ďĞ ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ͕ ƚĞĂŵƐ͕ ĚĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚƐ Žƌ ĞǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ

ŝŶĚŝǀŝĚƵĂůƐ͕ ƚĞĂŵƐ͕ ĚĞƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚƐ Žƌ ĞǀĞŶ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƟƌĞ ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶ͘

ŽƌŐĂŶŝƐĂƟŽŶ͘ ͻ dƌĂĐŬ LJŽƵƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͛ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ͻ dƌĂĐŬ LJŽƵƌ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ͛ ůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĞŝƌ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ĂĚŽƉƟŽŶ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŶ ƚƵƌŶ ŵĞĂŶƐ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ƌĞĂůůLJ ŐĞƚ ƚŚĞ ZK/

ĂĚŽƉƟŽŶ͘ dŚŝƐ ŝŶ ƚƵƌŶ ŵĞĂŶƐ LJŽƵ ĐĂŶ ƌĞĂůůLJ ŐĞƚ ƚŚĞ ZK/ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ǁŚĞŶ ŝŶǀĞƐƟŶŐ ŝŶ ŶĞǁ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ

ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ǁŚĞŶ ŝŶǀĞƐƟŶŐ ŝŶ ŶĞǁ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ

ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘

ĞƩĞƌ /d ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ĞƩĞƌ /d ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ K Ĩ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŝƚ ͛Ɛ Ăůů ǀĞƌLJ ǁĞůů ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ ĨĂŶĐLJ ǁŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ KĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ ŝƚ͛Ɛ Ăůů ǀĞƌLJ ǁĞůů ƚĂŬŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ ĨĂŶĐLJ ǁŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ ĂĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ďƵƚ ǁŚĂƚ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ƚŚĞLJ Ɛŝƚ ŽŶ͍ ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ďƵƚ ǁŚĂƚ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ƚŚĞLJ Ɛŝƚ ŽŶ͍ t Ğ͛ƌĞ ƚĂůŬŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ Ă ďĞƩĞƌ ĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ LJŽƵƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŽŶ tĞ͛ƌĞ ƚĂůŬŝŶŐ ĂďŽƵƚ Ă ďĞƩĞƌ ĨŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ LJŽƵƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ŽŶ ʹʹ ŽŶĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŐŝǀĞƐ LJŽƵ ďĞƩĞƌ ƐƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ ŽŶĞ ƚŚĂƚ ŐŝǀĞƐ LJŽƵ ďĞƩĞƌ ƐƚĂďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚLJ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ Ɖ ĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ďĞƩĞƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĐŽŶƟŶƵŝƚLJ ; Ϳ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƐĂƐƚĞƌ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ďĞƩĞƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĐŽŶƟŶƵŝƚLJ ; Ϳ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƐĂƐƚĞƌ ƌƌĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ; ZͿ͘ dŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ĂůůŽǁƐ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ďĞƩĞƌ ĞĐŽǀĞƌLJ ; ZͿ͘ dŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ĂůůŽǁƐ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ďĞƩĞƌ Ɖ ŽƐŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ďĞƩĞƌ ƌĞƐƉŽŶĚ ƚŽ ŝŶĐŝĚĞŶƚƐ ʹ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂůůŽǁƐ LJŽƵƌ ƉŽƐŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ďĞƩĞƌ ƌĞƐƉŽŶĚ ƚŽ ŝŶĐŝĚĞŶƚƐ ʹ ǁŚŝĐŚ ĂůůŽǁƐ LJŽƵƌ ď ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ďĂĐŬ ƵƉ ĂŶĚ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ͕ ŵŝŶŝŵŝƐŝŶŐ ĚŽǁŶƟŵĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ďĂĐŬ ƵƉ ĂŶĚ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ͕ ŵŝŶŝŵŝƐŝŶŐ ĚŽǁŶƟŵĞ͕ ĂŶĚ ŵ ĂdžŝŵŝƐŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ͘ zŽƵ ŬŶŽǁ ǁŚĂƚ ƚŚĞLJ ƐĂLJ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ŐƵLJ ŵĂdžŝŵŝƐŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ͘ zŽƵ ŬŶŽǁ ǁŚĂƚ ƚŚĞLJ ƐĂLJ ĂďŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ŐƵLJ ǁ ŚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ŚŝƐ ŚŽƵƐĞ ƵƉŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŶĚ͙ ǁŚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ŚŝƐ ŚŽƵƐĞ ƵƉŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŶĚ͙ t Ğ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌΠ͕ ĞůůΡ ĂŶĚ ^ƚŽƌĂŐĞ ƌĂŌΠ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ tĞ ǁŽƌŬ ǁŝƚŚ DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌΠ͕ ĞůůΡ ĂŶĚ ^ƚŽƌĂŐĞ ƌĂŌΠ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ŝŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƉŚLJƐŝĐĂů͕ ĐůŽƵĚ ďĂƐĞĚ͕ Žƌ Ă ŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƉŚLJƐŝĐĂů͕ ĐůŽƵĚ ďĂƐĞĚ͕ Žƌ Ă ĐĐŽŵďŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ďŽƚŚ͘ ŽŵďŝŶĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ďŽƚŚ͘ ͻͻ ĨƵƚƵƌĞͲƉƌŽŽĨ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƐ ƚŚĞ ǁĂLJ LJŽƵ ǁŽƌŬ ŶŽǁ͕ ĨƵƚƵƌĞͲƉƌŽŽĨ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƐ ƚŚĞ ǁĂLJ LJŽƵ ǁŽƌŬ ŶŽǁ͕ ĂŶĚ ƚŽŵŽƌƌŽǁ ʹ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƐĐĂůĞ ƵƉ ĂŶĚ ĚŽǁŶ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ

ĂŶĚ ƚŽŵŽƌƌŽǁ ʹ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƐĐĂůĞ ƵƉ ĂŶĚ ĚŽǁŶ ďĂƐĞĚ ŽŶ ĚĂLJ ƚŽ ĚĂLJ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ĐŽŵƉƌŽŵŝƐŝŶŐ ŽŶ

ĚĂLJ ƚŽ ĚĂLJ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ĐŽŵƉƌŽŵŝƐŝŶŐ ŽŶ ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚLJ͘

ƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĂŶĐĞ ĂŶĚ ĂǀĂŝůĂďŝůŝƚLJ͘ ͻͻ DĂdžŝŵŝƐĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ ďLJ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ DĂdžŝŵŝƐĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ ďLJ ƌƵŶŶŝŶŐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƵƐĞƌƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ

ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƵƐĞƌƐ ŚĂǀĞ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ͕ ǁŚĞŶĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ͕ ŽŶ

ƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ǁŚĞƌĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ĂƌĞ͕ ǁŚĞŶĞǀĞƌ ƚŚĞLJ ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ͕ ŽŶ ĂƉƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ĚĞǀŝĐĞƐ͘

ĂƉƉƌŽǀĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉƌŽƉƌŝĂƚĞ ĚĞǀŝĐĞƐ͘ ͻͻ ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐŽŵƉůLJ ǁŝƚŚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂƚƵƚŽƌLJ ŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ĐŽŵƉůLJ ǁŝƚŚ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂƚƵƚŽƌLJ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵĂLJ ĂīĞĐƚ ǁŚĞƌĞ LJŽƵ ƐƚŽƌĞ Žƌ ŚŽƐƚ LJŽƵƌ ĚĂƚĂ͘

ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŵĂLJ ĂīĞĐƚ ǁŚĞƌĞ LJŽƵ ƐƚŽƌĞ Žƌ ŚŽƐƚ LJŽƵƌ ĚĂƚĂ͘

ĞƩĞƌ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ Θ ĞǀĞŶƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĞƩĞƌ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ Θ ĞǀĞŶƚ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ŶĚ ůĂƐƚ͕ ďƵƚ ŶŽƚ ůĞĂƐƚ͕ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ŶĚ ůĂƐƚ͕ ďƵƚ ŶŽƚ ůĞĂƐƚ͕ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ĞŶƐƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ LJŽƵ ŚĂǀĞ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞƐ ŝŶ ƉůĂĐĞ͕ ƚŽ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ LJŽƵƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞƐ ŝŶ ƉůĂĐĞ͕ ƚŽ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ LJŽƵƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͕ ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƐůŽǁŝŶŐ ŝƚ ĚŽǁŶ͘ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŵƉŽǁĞƌƐ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ďĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ƐůŽǁŝŶŐ ŝƚ ĚŽǁŶ͘ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŵƉŽǁĞƌƐ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ďĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ƉƌĞƉĂƌĞĚ ʹ ďĞƩĞƌ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ďĞƩĞƌ ĚĞƚĞĐƟŽŶ͘ ƉƌĞƉĂƌĞĚ ʹ ďĞƩĞƌ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ďĞƩĞƌ ĚĞƚĞĐƟŽŶ͘ tĞ ƵƐĞ ^ŽŶŝĐtĂůůΠ͕ DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌΠ ĂŶĚ ^ dΠ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ ƚŽ tĞ ƵƐĞ ^ŽŶŝĐtĂůůΠ͕ DŝĐƌŽƐŽŌΠ ĂŶĚ ^ dΠ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐŝĞƐ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ƐŵĂƌƚĞƌ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ͕ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƉƌŽĂĐƟǀĞ ʹ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ƐŵĂƌƚĞƌ ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ͕ ƚŚĂƚ ĂƌĞ ƉƌŽĂĐƟǀĞ ʹ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ƚŽ ĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ LJŽƵƌ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ Ă ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ďƌĞĂĐŚ͘ ĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ LJŽƵƌ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ Ă ƐĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ďƌĞĂĐŚ͘ ͻ ŽŵƉƌĞŚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ Ϯϰͬϳ ͻ ŽŵƉƌĞŚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ƚŚĂƚ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ Ϯϰͬϳ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ĂŶĚ ŵŽŶŝƚŽƌŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ƚŚĂƚ ƐƵƉƉŽƌƚƐ LJŽƵƌ

ŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ĐƌŝƟĐĂů ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͘

ͻ ƐĞĐƵƌĞ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ƐŽ ƉĞŽƉůĞ ĐĂŶ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ĞǀĞƌLJƚŚŝŶŐ ƚŚĞLJ

ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ĚŽ ƚŚĞŝƌ ũŽď͕ ŝŶ Ă ƐĂĨĞ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŶƚƌŽůůĞĚ ŵĂŶŶĞƌ͘

ͻ ŶĂďůĞƐ LJŽƵ ƚŽ ŐĞƚ ǀŝƐŝďŝůŝƚLJ ŽĨ Ăůů ĂĐƟǀŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĂĸĐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ LJŽƵƌ

ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬƐ ĂŶĚ ĚĞǀŝĐĞƐ͘

E ZK ^K>hd/KE^

ĞůŝǀĞƌŝŶŐ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶĂů ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ

DĂŶĂŐĞĚ /d ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ͮ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ͮ tŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ ƚƌĂŶƐĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ͮ ^ĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ Θ ĐŽŵƉůŝĂŶĐĞ

ͬnjĞŶnjĞƌŽ/dƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ

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ΛnjĞŶnjĞƌŽƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ

ŚĞůůŽΛnjĞŶnjĞƌŽ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ ͮ ǁǁǁ͘njĞŶnjĞƌŽ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ ͮ Ϭϯϯϯ ϯϮϬϵ ϵϬϬ

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Connectivity

IT Support, Technology & Cyber Security Solutions

Wholeserv specialises in supporting the IT Support, Technology & Cyber Security requirements of all types of businesses.

We aim to work in partnership with our clients to ensure they are maximising efficiency within their current resources to help move them forward with new technologies and innovations to enable their businesses to grow in line with the demands of their businesses.

Our scalable solutions accommodate everyone from business start-ups to large enterprises, providing all the benefits you would expect from an internal IT department plus access to a range of specialists with up to the minute knowledge and qualifications across all areas of IT.

www.wholeserv.com Email: services@wholeserv.com

Transform the way your people work ensure they have the right tools to ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŚĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ĚĂƚĂ͕ ĂŶLJ ƟŵĞ ĂŶĚ ĂŶLJ

place. ĞƩĞƌ ƚĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ ƚŚĂƚ ŐŝǀĞ LJŽƵ ďĞƩĞƌ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƟǀŝƚLJ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ ŇĞdžŝďŝůŝƚLJ

ĂŶĚ ďĞƩĞƌ ŵŽďŝůŝƚLJ͖ ĞŶĂďůĞ ďĞƩĞƌ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ͕ ďĞƩĞƌ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ

ďĞƩĞƌ ĞŶŐĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͖ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ŝŶ ďĞƩĞƌ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟǀŝƚLJ͕

ĂŶĚ ƵůƟŵĂƚĞůLJ ďĞƩĞƌ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ͘

ZENZERO SOLUTIONS ĞůŝǀĞƌŝŶŐ ŽƉĞƌĂƟŽŶĂů ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶĐĞ

DĂŶĂŐĞĚ /d ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ͮ /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ ͮ tŽƌŬƉůĂĐĞ ƚƌĂŶƐĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ͮ ^ĞĐƵƌŝƚLJ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ Θ ĐŽŵƉůŝĂŶĐĞ

ͬnjĞŶnjĞƌŽ/dƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ

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ΛnjĞŶnjĞƌŽƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ

ŚĞůůŽΛnjĞŶnjĞƌŽ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ ͮ ǁǁǁ͘njĞŶnjĞƌŽ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ ͮ Ϭϯϯϯ ϯϮϬϵ ϵϬϬ

35

Connectivity

Small is the new big

Cloud computing is levelling the playing field for large and small businesses.

Netmetix’s Managing Director, Paul Blore outlines why.

Phil Simon’s 2010 book, The New Small, foretold the story of how an emerging breed of small businesses were poised to take on the big boys by harnessing the power of disruptive technology. Its central proposition has proved highly prophetic.

Seven years later and we’ve all seen the PowerPoint; the world’s biggest cab company owns no taxis, the largest phone companies have no telecoms infrastructure and the biggest movie house on the planet doesn’t own a single cinema. You get the picture. Ambitious start-ups have, with the help of now-familiar technology, unseated the giants and established a new normal.

David has slain Goliath, with the cloud rather than the catapult providing the metaphorical knock-out blow.

But you don’t have to aspire to be the next Netflix to exploit the value of technology. It’s there for all of us – and it’s changing the game. Traditionally, evaluating the technology infrastructures of large and small businesses was generally akin to comparing apple with pear. Now, thanks to cloud computing, every SME can compare with Apple. Independent research has found that almost half of SMEs believe technology ‘levels the playing field’ between small businesses and large corporations. Furthermore, the study suggests that the agility that comes with being smaller often gives SMEs the edge,

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enabling them to take advantage of digital innovation more quickly. The dynamic of modern business is changing. Small is becoming the new big – and cloud computing is helping to put it there.

However, despite the undoubted benefits, some SMEs are yet to move to the cloud. Many persist with legacy systems, or rely on server upgrades to solve their needs. Too often, technology is viewed as a tactical consideration rather than a strategic enabler. It’s a missed opportunity that’s holding companies back.

Cloud computing is the transformative technology of our time. Fundamentally, it gives even the smallest businesses access to enterprise-grade IT infrastructure – the very same infrastructure, in fact, that the world’s biggest conglomerates are themselves deploying. It’s this transition that levels the playing field, giving SMEs a platform to future proof their businesses and flexibly align for growth.

The benefits of cloud computing are many but the most resonant boil down to advantages in four key components of the drive for digital transformation; flexibility, resilience, security and the development of the digital workplace. Primarily, the cloud gives small businesses the ability to scale their IT platforms based on the needs of their business today, rather than having to invest in infrastructure based on estimates of where it might be tomorrow. Instead of forking out significant up-front capital investment for functionality they may not need, the cloud allows companies to pay for services as and when they need them. IT

becomes a utility – you simply turn the tap on when you need a little more, and turn it off when you don’t. This gives SMEs flexible access to transformative technologies such as Internet of Things, machine learning and artificial intelligence, as well as powerful tools and software that may have previously been out of reach. The ‘utility’ approach breeds an operational agility that helps small companies evolve infrastructure in line with business needs.

Another major consideration in the digital transformation journey is the need to maintain business continuity. Resilience is imperative. Typically, smaller businesses have relied on RAID storage, using multiple drives to protect their data in the event of hardware failure. The best cloud systems are more robust; data is stored not on drives but in industrial-strength data centres. In the rare event that an entire centre fails, businesses continue to function via remote data centres. This provides a level of resilience that’s unparalleled in most large organisations, let alone SMEs.

The journey There’s little doubt that a move to the cloud can transform SMEs. It’s no surprise that many are making the journey. But it’s important to exercise caution: not all clouds are equal. Some ‘cloud providers’ offer little more than storage space on locally hosted servers. This provides no resilience and few of the scalable benefits associated with fully-managed services. It’s therefore essential you ask the right questions.

Where will your data be hosted? Is it a credible data centre? What’s the physical and digital security of that facility? Where will data be replicated to if there’s an incident at the primary site? Can you actually operate from that back-up site, or will you need to restore your systems elsewhere to get up and running again?

These are just the base considerations.

The most effective partners will understand your business requirements and work with you to develop the best strategy.

In the era of digital transformation, having a flexible, robust and secure IT system is a clear business advantage.

If you haven’t got the right infrastructure, whether that’s on-premise or cloud, you won’t be able to run your business effectively in the modern world. In truth, that world is marching relentlessly down a one-way street towards the cloud.

Those that wait will get left behind.

The journey doesn’t need to be difficult.

With the right IT partner, ideally a specialist in cloud deployment, it’s possible to manage a seamless transition that will have a transformative effect on your business. What’s more, it will give you all the benefits the big boys get, whilst retaining all the advantages of being small and nimble.

Cloud computing has levelled the playing field. It’s time to think big.

Web: www.netmetix.co.uk Email: info@netmetix.net Phone: 02476 408100

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Connectivity

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Looking for a cloud security provider?

Who should you trust and why?

Data breaches are increasingly becoming the norm, but how do organisations know which provider to trust with their private data?

We've spoken to Netmetix’s MD, Paul Blore and asked him to share his thoughts on what companies should be looking out for when exploring their options for a prospective external partner.

The questions that a business should first ask of any vendor include: • Where its data systems will be hosted?

• Is it a credible data centre and what’s the physical and technical security on that centre?

• Where the data will be stored in the event of any incident at the primary site?

• Will the vendor’s backup facility be able to still deliver its data or is it purely just a data backup system?

• Can the business actually still run from that backup site?

The reality is that the cloud is far more secure than any on-premise system is going to be and there are two key reasons for this – both the physical and technical security.

SMES For physical security, a typical SME for example, will have a locked or a few locked doors and that’s probably as far as its security goes but it won’t tend to have CCTV in operation, security guards, secure perimeter fencing or biometric access controls and other additional deterrents in place. In comparison, most, if not all, data centres will have all of the above. In terms of technical security, an SME might have a router; it might have a firewall and the scale of investment it would make in any year is typically hundreds of pounds.

Microsoft Azure however, spends hundreds of millions on security, which is of course on a very different scale to what businesses can ever look to fund on their own but they will get the benefit of this level of security as well as regular updates by being on such a cloud based platform.

More importantly, businesses, regardless of their size, should not be nervous about transferring their data to external providers and onto the cloud; what they should be worried about is where their data is sitting right now, whether that’s in an air-conditioned room or on a server sat on their very desk, and if a data breach does occur, what back up do they have and are they confident that their business could remain in operation?

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“Microsoft Azure spends hundreds of millions on security, which is of course on a very different scale to what businesses can ever look to fund on their own but they will get the benefit of this level of security as well as regular updates by being on such a cloud based platform.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

The HR Consultancy marks fourth birthday About the team:

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Kirsty is an experienced HR Manager and Associate of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has worked in operational management roles, giving her an appreciation of the challenges faced by managers.

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Anna is an up and coming HR Assistant and having completed her level 3 qualification in Business Administration through CWT, Anna is now studying her Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development level 5 professional certificate with a view to be fully qualified within the next 12 months.

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Charlotte does the administration and manages the social media and Nick looks after the CRM system and manages the

SIS

TA NC E

“At the end of 2016, The HR Consultancy hit 60 clients; working with a number of Chamber members in companies across Engineering, Marketing, Retail, Dentistry, Charity, Transportation and Finance sectors.”

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support of charity and raised well over £600. At the end of 2016, The HR Consultancy hit 60 clients; working with a number of Chamber members in companies across Engineering, Marketing, Retail, Dentistry, Charity, Transportation and Finance sectors.

In 2017, they plan on hosting a range of workshops for business owners, managers and staff with responsibility for HR, focusing initially on recruitment, induction and retention of employees.

If you’d like further information about these workshops or to receive their relevant employment law update please get in touch with Kirsty at kirsty.bradley@arhrconsult.com or call 01926 853388.

Angela has more than 20 years’ experience in senior roles within HR across different sectors and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

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FO R

On the 25th June, the HR Consultancy business turned four years old.

Over the years they have worked with more than 60 businesses and now have five employees to deal with their everincreasing workload. In May they also we expanded into a second office in Kenilworth and haven’t looked back since.

In February 2016 The HR Consultancy took on the task of completely rebranding.

This included the creation of a new company website – which they have recently re-launched - and the introduction of a brand new brochure of services (available to download for free from www.arhrconsult.com) Throughout 2016 The HR Consultancy took part in and hosted several events in

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• ISO 9001- Quality Management System • ISO 14001- Environmental Management System • ISO 22301- Business Continuity Management System • ISO 27001- Information Security Management System

• OHSAS 18001- Occupational Health and Safety Management System John Franklin, Operations Director at CityFibre said “We are proud to have been certified for these critical management systems and for the speed with which we have been able to establish them within our business operations.”

Matt Gantley, Managing Director at NQA, said: “We are delighted to have supported CityFibre in this tremendous achievement. Certification in all of these management systems requires strong leadership and a clear commitment to linking strategy with business processes as well as continuous improvement in quality, safety, environmental performance and risk prevention and control. To achieve this within 12 months shows very clear focus and dedication from CityFibre and their people”

“We are proud to have been certified for these critical management systems and for the speed with which we have been able to establish them within our business operations.”

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In support of 18 months of dramatic growth since its emergence as a national alternative to BT Openreach, CityFibre has achieved full ISO certification in all core management systems.

The project was supported by NQA, one of UK’s leading certification bodies and was completed in just 12 months, a process that typically takes more than 24 months.

Certification has now been awarded in the following management systems.

OP EN

Accolade for company

I NF ORM

ADV ISE GUI DE

SUP POR T

C AR E

ASS IST EA S E

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39

News

Coventry University leaps up the 2018 QS world rankings Coventry University has been given another global league table boost by shooting up the 2018 QS World University Rankings.

The university is placed in the 551-600 category in the QS table, which classifies universities based on measures such as academic reputation – including teaching and research quality – their global outlook, and how highly regarded the institution’s graduates are among employers.

Coventry has risen at least 100 places in the table over the past two years, and in 2016 it was awarded four out of five in the QS Stars Awards based on its strong performance in teaching, employability and internationalisation.

Twycross Zoo recognised by national industry awards

Letting the Crane take the strain Construction on Brendoncare’s new £11.6 million care home in Otterbourne Hill in Hampshire has reached a new milestone with the arrival of a tower crane on site.

The 25 metre-high crane – which can lift up to 2.5 tonnes – is being used by construction company Stepnell to distribute bricks, mortar and other heavy construction materials across the large site as the building goes up.

Stepnell is constructing the facility – Brendoncare Otterbourne Hill – which will provide a two and three-storey, 64-bed bespoke home for people needing nursing, dementia care or respite care.

The pioneering scheme will also offer 20 one and two-bedroom Shared Care supported living apartments that will enable people living with dementia to stay with their partners while receiving full care and support.

“This scheme has a large building footprint as well as site constraints including tree protection areas and major levels differences, which makes this single tower crane ideal for lifting and distributing buildings materials quickly and safely across the site,” said Rob Speirs, Stepnell director.

Zak Showel, oversees management of all animal records, animal transfers and corresponding legislation and is also the coordinator for the Siamang European Endangered Species Programme. Zak said: “I am honoured to receive this award.”

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of construction when the roof is in place, as it means we are moving closer to the day when we will be able to support people with dementia and nursing needs on the site.”

Horticulture degree students from Pershore College visited leading grower Valefresco to see first hand a new agritech system in action.

Valefresco is one of the leading salad growers in the UK, supplying major British supermarkets with a variety of wholehead lettuce, babyleafs and more. Director of Valefresco Nick Mauro led the visit, showcasing the methods that they have introduced to increase yield at their Hampton Lucy farm where more than 400 tonnes of salad is harvested every week.

The degree students were accompanied by Professor

In addition to the zoo’s collective achievement, Zak Showel, Animal Records Registrar at Twycross Zoo, won this year’s ‘Rising Star’ award for going above and beyond in his role to further the goals of the zoo.

Twycross Zoo was commended with a silver award in recognition of its innovative gibbon facilities, Gibbon Forest, which opened in February 2016. The zoo’s keepers and other experts were regularly consulted on aspects of the design, resulting in an excellent facility which has already improved physical condition of the gibbons and also facilitates the day-to-day care of the animals.

Carole Sawyers, chief executive of Brendoncare, says: “We are delighted with progress on the site and it is exciting to see the plans being turned into reality.

We are looking forward to the next stage

Students visit Valefresco to see agritech in action

Twycross Zoo has been recognised for its innovative gibbon habitat at the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) annual awards ceremony.

Sharon Redrobe, CEO at Twycross Zoo, said: “Everyone here is so passionate about animal welfare, conservation and education and it is encouraging to see that the industry appreciates our efforts to become a worldclass attraction that is committed to wildlife conservation.”

A 25 metre-high tower crane takes the strain as new Brendoncare care home takes shape at Otterbourne Hill.

Roy Kennedy who is leading the agritech agenda at Pershore College, where a £500,000 grant

by Worcestershire LEP is supporting the development of an Agritech Research Centre, due to open later this year.

As well as visiting the farm’s growing fields and polytunnels, the students were also shown round a new scheme which Valefresco have recently invested in - a hydroponic system for growing pak choi. This soilless growing system means the plants can be grown vertically and with tailor-made nutrients being delivered directly to the plants.

Consultants celebrate record growth year 2016/17 was certainly the year for growth for Chamber of Commerce member Wharton Tree & Ecology Consultants.

The business celebrated its third year of consistent growth with an 85% increase in turnover, introduction of a new ecology service and recruitment of four new staff.

As a start-up, in 2008, the consultancy provided independent professional tree management advice to smaller scale housing developers and individuals undertaking domestic extensions.

Since then, a strengthening economy and subsequent increase in residential and commercial development, enabled the business to focus on expansion.

The company is currently working nationally on four new settlement applications as well as local government and university contract, including Coventry

University’s flagship project; the new Science and Health Building and new Student Accommodation development at Bishop Gate.

Last year the business expanded adding ecological consultancy, including bat and newt surveys, computer aided design and digital tree mapping to its portfolio.

Director Peter Wharton said: “Our focus has always been to deliver planned and pragmatic tree and ecological management solutions. Trees and site

ecology need to be considered as assets to our communities. They give sustainable benefits to the people and places where we live and work. Offering these additional services was a natural progression that added value to our clients.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Vocational learning in the spotlight as the West Midlands best apprentices revealed

(L-r back row) Lee Pearson (Salop Design & Engineering), Dixie Whitten (FBC Manby Bowdler), Daleep Bhogal (Tricrest), Charles Bamford (IMI Precision), Maurice Hill (Lariot).

(L-r front row) Oliver Eskriett (Brandauer), Tom Weaver (Frank Dudley Ltd) and Morgan Goule (Beacon Mouldings)

The future stars of engineering, manufacturing and professional services were recognised at the annual In-Comm Training Awards.

Accounting firm Moore Stephens was among the businesses supporting the awards and sponsored the Learner of the Year Engineering Manufacturing & Technologies category.

Tricrest’s Daleep Bhogal stole the show after being named as the ‘Peter Wood Outstanding Learner of the Year’ in front of more than 350 people at the Grand Station in Wolverhampton The trainee toolmaker, who will spend a week Chrion in Germany as part of his prize, impressed judges with his thirst for continuous improvement and how far he has developed over the last twelve months.

He was joined on stage by five other apprentices, including FBC Manby Bowdler’s Dixie Whitten, Brandauer’s

Oliver Eskriett, Lee Matthews (RMD Kwikform), Morgan Goule (Beacon Mouldings) and Tom Weaver of Frank Dudley Ltd. There was also recognition for Lee Pearson of Salop Design for his ‘Contribution to Engineering’, with Lichfield’s IMI Precision Engineering beating off competition from 20 firms to land the ‘Company of the Year’ title.

Rebecca Phillips, joint Managing Director of In-Comm Training, said: “There were some fantastic stories of personal development, triumph over adversity and individuals starting to achieve their career ambitions.

“It is also important to underline how important the role employers play in all of this. Without the companies investing time and money into creating the next generation of staff, the skills gap would be a lot wider.”

Suk Aulak, partner at Moore Stephens, said: “Moore Stephens has deep roots in engineering, manufacturing and technologies so we know just how important it is for businesses in the sector to bring through and develop apprentices to support growth and to build for the future.”

The In-Comm Training Awards were backed by main sponsor Engineering Technology Group and other sponsors FBC Manby Bowdler, John Winter, Made in the Midlands, Mason, Moore Stephens, Royal Bank of Scotland and Stechford Mouldings.

An industry-led judging panel was responsible for choosing the eventual winners, with the prizes given out by music legend and railway enthusiast Pete Waterman OBE. Full list of 2017 winners: • Daleep Bhogal (Tricrest Limited) – InComm Academy Learner of the Year and Peter Wood Memorial Award Outstanding Learner of the Year • Oliver Eskriett – (Brandauer) – Learner of the Year Engineering Manufacturing & Technologies • Maurice Hill (Lariot) – Learner of the Year Business Improvement Techniques • Dixie Whitten (FBC Manby Bowdler) – Learner of the Year Business Support • Lee Matthews (RMD Kwikform) – Learner of the Year Supervisory Management • Lee Pearson (Salop Design & Engineering) – Contribution to Engineering • IMI Precision – Employer of the Year • Tom Weaver (Frank Dudley Limited) – Special Recognition Award • Morgan Goule (Beacon Mouldings) – Most Improved Learner

Heart of England co-operative society maintains healthy financial position In a year which saw the Heart of England Co-operative Society close the remainder of its Non-Food stores, the retailer has not only managed to maintain the majority of its net worth but also still boasts a healthy bank balance.

The Society, which operates its Food and Funeral Divisions across Coventry, Warwickshire, south Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, recorded gross sales of £75.7 million which is a decrease on the previous year (£92.2 million). This is a direct result of the closure of the Non-Food stores.

Its net worth now stands at £36 million – just £1.6 million down from the previous 12 months. Its bank balance stands at £10.4 million.

The news comes on the back of a year in which the Society announced its lossmaking Non-Food Division would cease to trade, in order to ensure the future sustainability of the business as a whole.

Both the Food Division and the Funeral Division recorded increases in sales of 0.15 per cent and 5.2 per cent respectively on last year.

Food sales showed the modest increase in the 52-week period to January 21st against a fiercely competitive market which continues to see changing shopping habits www.cw-chamber.co.uk

The year began with the opening of a new food store in the Wyken area of Coventry after the Society converted The Grange pub in Alfall Road. Since its opening the store has performed ahead of budget.

More recently the Society opened a new purpose built food store on its existing site in Long Lawford. With the new facility built around the old store, it is larger, more modern and vastly improved. In order to maintain its service to customers the Society kept trading throughout the project.

Its stores at Warwick Gates and Stoney Stanton have also both undergone a mini refit in the past 12 months and both have since recorded double digit sales increases.

The Society is now focusing on continuing its programme of investment to ensure it provides its members with the best possible offering. Plans are also in place to expand its portfolio of food stores and is progressing with two more potential developments within the trading area.

The Funeral Division, which operates a network of 13 funeral homes under The Co-operative Funeralcare brand, also reported its 5.2 per cent increase over the same period - despite a fall in the death rate both regionally and nationally.

Its funeral home in Royal Leamington Spa was relocated to a prime spot at the top of The Parade as part of a £1.5 million project.

Its other new developments – Kenpas Highway in Coventry and Warwick Road in Kenilworth – also continue to perform to a satisfactory standard. In his annual report Ali Kurji, Chief Executive of the Society, said: “We intend to continue with our strategy of renewing and expanding our business and the cash reserves we have built up will enable us to continue to do this without the need for any external financial assistance in the short-term.”

Rewards scheme is launched The future is looking good for hundreds of Bedworth employees as local employer Domestic & General launches a new and improved reward scheme.

Total Reward is a new pay scheme that all customer sales and support representatives in the Domestic & General call centres are now eligible for. The increase has just been rolled out and is tailored to each employee’s job role and the work they do.

In addition to increased pay, the company is increasing the holiday allowance for all UK colleagues from 22 days to 25 days per annum, as well as offering everyday perks and treats for its hardworking colleagues.

The new package has been designed to recognise the importance of the work being done every day by the customer service teams, as well as to give employees a better work-life balance.

For Bedworth employee Lauren Welsh, the new reward programme has meant she has been given the opportunity to move into her own home. A former chef for the RAF, Lauren left the country and went travelling around Australia, and upon returning to the UK decided to take a change in direction with her career. She secured a job with Domestic & General in its product replacement team in 2016 and hasn’t looked back since.

Lauren said: “When I first started working at Domestic & General, although I had my base pay, much of my income was commission based and my pay was influenced by performance or how busy a month it had been.

“Now that Total Reward has been introduced it has made such an impact on my life. The base salary increase and stability of earnings means I feel more secure about moving into my own place.”

Jo Hale, customer contact director at Domestic & General, said: “We are incredibly pleased to introduce our new Total Reward programme, personally tailored to each of our colleagues across the business.

Ali Kurji (centre), Peter Fletcher, General Manager of the Society’s Food Division (second from left), Clive Miles, Society President, (second from right) and staff from the Long Lawford store. It was taken on completion of the re-build of the store.

“We are already hearing about some of the positive effects it is bringing to their lives, from being able to afford holidays, fund a first home, upsizing their existing home or simply providing the peace of mind of a good, regular salary each month. It’s reflective of the hard work our employees do each day.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

B46 Business Collaborate with Coleshill School

Supporting the local business community and working with local schools and charities is a key objective for the B46 Business team.

The B46 team, consisting of Jemma James of TruTac, Penny Sheward of PS Recruitment and Anna Plotnek of Plott Creative, have recently been working with The Coleshill School to develop business links and student’s employability skills.

The collaboration between B46 Business and Coleshill School meant they were awarded a grant of £3,000 via Build a Business Network scheme from Warwickshire County Council.

The purpose of the grant is to help schools develop business networks and to improve the employability skills of young people.

The grant has enabled multiple activities to take place, such as a highly successful breakfast networking event hosted by the school which brought 30 local business leaders together. Other activities include employability skills training, social media awareness, public speaking, CV writing, mock interviews, office skills, personal branding, and business visits.

The Coleshill School has been able to access funding and sponsorship opportunities from businesses, work experience and other career opportunities.

There have also been huge benefits for businesses who can now tap into a talent pool right on their doorstep and establish recruitment channels with students who are workforce ready.

Jemma James said: “Establishing mutually beneficial networks between businesses and schools is a key objective for us. We want to inspire students to achieve their career goals.”

Penny Sheward said “As an employment and HR company we understand the challenges of recruiting and retaining talent locally. Building links between schools and businesses is paramount for the next generation.”

Anna Plotnek said "The mutual benefits are clear, not only for students but also businesses. Bringing pupils into contact with businesses exposes them to the realism of working life and ultimately increase job opportunities.”

ZENZERO Software supports mental health and employment initiative Zenzero Solutions have been working with an NHS team in Essex to deliver a new employability programme.

Enable East is an independent NHS team dedicated to providing cost effective support, services and training to other organisations on a flexible basis.

The team successfully secured a grant from the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund to deliver

Nursery grateful for donation Sketchley Grange Hotel & Spa made its annual Easter donation to a local nursery charity for children with complex requirements.

Each year, members of the Hinckley-based four-star hotel’s Romans Health Club give away 50 Easter eggs to Sketchley Hill Menphys Nursery, a purpose-built centre for youngsters aged between two and five who have special educational needs.

The bearer of the treats was the Roman Panda, the health club’s cuddly mascot, who delivered them to the nursery.

‘HeadsUp’ - a three-year programme supporting people with mental health problems back into the workplace after long-term unemployment.

As part of HeadsUp, Enable East

Paul Noble, General Manager at Sketchley Grange Hotel & Spa, said: “Our members, as always, have been incredibly generous, and we’d like to thank them for their continued support.”

required a management information system to monitor the mental health outcomes of the participants. They needed to securely store participant

Laura Jeffs, Headteacher at Sketchley Hill Menphys Nursery, said: "The Nursery has to fundraise for any additional equipment required, and the team at the Romans Health and Leisure Club have always been extremely supportive of any fundraising events we hold.”

details in a database, that could be accessed only by those who needed it, and was user friendly.

Seb Harvey, Technical Architect at Zenzero, said: “We have built a cloud hosted custom solution for Enable East.

The main objective of the system is to

Celebrating tenth anniversary After many years of experience in his industry, Nigel Uttley started Datum in 2007 as he knew that he could offer his services from a fresh and enthusiastic perspective, believing in going the extra mile when helping his clients.

He is proud of a ten-year track record of growth and durability. Over the past ten years, he has based the business’s service on reliability and trust, often being left by repeat clients to ‘get on with

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the job’ as they know that they can leave it to the team to take away the stress of handling their office fit out or refurbishment project.

In celebration of embarking on their next ten years, the business has unveiled a new website.

Nigel said: “Over the past ten years, our achievements have been the results of the combined efforts of every member of our team and all of our customers whom we have helped and supported along the way.”

provide a secure, web based application, which will act as a comprehensive employability tracking tool and store information about the individuals seeking and engaged in work during the project.”

Ken Baxter, Managing Director at Zenzero, said: “Projects such as this are tremendously important to communities across the UK. It is all about delivering operational excellence; and our work demonstrates the value that technology can bring to projects, by enabling organisations to achieve their goals.”

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President & People

Success as new team takes over

All change!

Dear member, They say a week is a long time in politics but things have been moving on every day in recent weeks. Every time I have sat down to write this column, there has been a new development and, in many ways, it sums up what it’s like being in business right now.

As a business owner and as someone who speaks to many other companies because of my role with the Chamber, I think I understand what we need from our political leaders.

Basically, we just want the right conditions to help our businesses grow so that we can take on staff, invest and, fundamentally, contribute to our local economy.

The decision to call an election to get a bigger majority ahead of Brexit talks backfired and has caused yet more uncertainty and, therefore, has had the reverse effect.

The talk of soft and hard Brexits are, again, fuelled more by politics than what is right for our economy and, as the Chamber locally and nationally have been pointing out, it’s vital that jobs, investment and the overall economy are put first during these negotiations.

Our Brexit Club is doing some excellent work in trying to address companies’ fears about Brexit and is asking firms to bring their own potential issues to the table so we can raise those with the government department which is responsible for negotiations.

Despite the uncertainty, there is still a great deal of positive news for the region – not least the recent announcement that Jaguar Land Rover intends to create 5,000 new jobs.

Each day, the Chamber, too, are supporting companies across the region with their growth plans and are also helping individuals who are taking their first steps in setting up a business.

We are also huge supporters of exporting and, with the falling exchange rate, this is a great time to speak to the international trade team at the Chamber to find out how you can open up new markets for your business.

As a Chamber, we have been quick to highlight a range of business issues in the region – such as a need for more employment land, which has the potential to hold back growth.

Another issue that more and more companies are raising is a shortage of power and, if Coventry and Warwickshire is positioning itself as the home of the electric vehicle, we cannot afford for a lack of power infrastructure to put the brakes on that.

Of course, we now have an elected mayor for the region in Andy Street and we have been in close contact with him since before his election because we know just how important that role will be in providing another voice for the region.

But that is not to the detriment of our links with local government in Coventry and Warwickshire and we have, for example, held positive talks with North Warwickshire Borough Council in the past couple of months on the need to grow the region’s economy.

So, I would urge our members to get in touch with the Chamber team if they have any issues that are holding their business back because we are the voice of business in Coventry and Warwickshire and can make sure that those matters are taken to the right people.

John Nollett

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Following entrepreneurial engineer Dean Kavanagh’s promotion to Managing Director of Geotech, the global analysis instrumentation business has reported its best quarter ever.

With responsibility for delivering an aggressive strategy for worldwide growth, Dean is looking to his new leadership team, Global Sales and Marketing Director, Paul Gooch, and Financial Controller, Jeff Gray, formerly from Graco Inc, to engage and inspire staff.

Geotech is a global leader in the design and manufacture of gas analysis technology, a QED Environmental Systems company and part of the US public company Graco Inc. Around the world, Geotech gas analysers have become the de facto standard for quality, reliability and accuracy. With a vast network of approved international distributors and accredited service partners, Geotech is able to supply

and support its customers in over 60 countries throughout the world.

Newly appointed Managing Director Dean, has a 20-year track record of delivery and achievement in technologically advanced manufacturing operations.

During his eleven years at Geotech, Dean has excelled in a series of Director level roles spanning manufacturing, service, research and development and technical services and is well placed to deliver on the company’s ambitious growth targets. In 2015, he was awarded the IOD’s West Midlands’ Young Director of the Year for achievements in global exports.

Dean said: “If Geotech is to grow it needs to be able to adapt to changing market conditions. Our strong international network and world-leading global sales division ensure we are ready to capitalise on every opportunity, as demonstrated by our latest successful venture, the

integration of QED Environmental systems international business that saw Geotech add a portfolio of environmental products for remediation and surface water treatment and a network of international distribution partners to its existing business.”

New appointment at lettings business

Liz Taylor (left) and Dee Edwards (right)

Liz Taylor Lettings, which has been trading for three years, has gone from strength to strength, taking on 80 new landlords, most of which have been via personal recommendation and through the Estate Agent Alan Cooper Estates.

Due to the success of the business, Liz has been able to take on an employee and has moved to a larger office within the Centenary Business Centre in Nuneaton.

Liz said: ”I put my success down to hard work and building successful relationships with landlords and tenants whilst providing a personal and friendly service.”

HB&O launches comprehensive HR service HB&O is now offering a comprehensive HR service designed to support businesses as they grow.

Following the appointment of experienced consultant Paul Lawrie, they are now able to offer both strategic people management support and a full range of outsourced HR services, tailored to your needs.

HB&O Managing Director Mark Ashfield said: “We recognise the value to our clients in providing a more comprehensive HR

service to help them get the most from their teams, as well as providing specialist support in tackling challenging situations.

“We are delighted to welcome Paul Lawrie to our team will be drawing on his expertise to deliver this enhanced service.”

Paul brings a wealth of HR experience, having previously worked as HR Director at Bridgestone North Europe Region, covering the UK, Ireland and the Nordic countries in sales, operations, manufacturing and retail.

New Stepnell Chief buyer appointed to support business growth Rugby-based contractor Stepnell has appointed Peter Luska as its national chief buyer.

In his new role, Peter will lead on all procurement across Stepnell and the Stepnell group of companies, supporting the £120 million turnover company’s continued growth. Stepnell has its national head office in Lawford Road, Rugby.

Peter joins Stepnell from leading construction company Bouygues UK where he was senior purchasing

manager, bringing extensive construction procurement and supply chain experience in sectors including education, healthcare, leisure, student accommodation and housing. His career has included senior procurement roles within Leadbitter Group, where he was Group company buyer.

He said: “I’m extremely pleased to be joining Stepnell which is a financially strong, highly-regarded construction company.”

Rugby-based contractor Stepnell has appointed Peter Luska as its national chief buyer.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

Wright Hassall named best regional law firm in the UK Wright Hassall has been named as the nation’s leading regional law firm at the legal industry’s prestigious national awards ceremony.

The Leamington-based firm beat off rivals from across Britain to take the crown at The Lawyer Awards 2017 – the Oscars of the legal industry.

The awards - organised by The Lawyer magazine - celebrate the excellence of the legal sector across private practice, commerce and industry and is in its 23rd year.

More than 1,300 legal professionals attended the prestigious awards dinner, which was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London and was hosted by comedian Rob Brydon.

Judges praised Wright Hassall for the firm’s ‘client-centric vision and putting the customer at the heart of everything they do’.

The panel of judges included Molson Coors director for legal and corporate affairs Anita Adam, National Grid group head of

legal Mo Ajaz, Allen & Overy managing partner Andrew Ballheimer, Monckton Chambers’ Nikolaus Grubeck and Blackstone Chambers’ Shaheed Fatima QC. Sarah Perry, Managing Partner at Wright Hassall, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be named the best regional law firm in the UK. “The award reflects Wright Hassall’s commitment to our firm, our clients and employees.

“We have always put our clients at the heart of everything we do and we work hard to find innovative solutions to meet their ever changing needs.

“The firm’s leadership philosophy has resulted in a 74 per cent growth in turnover and a 43 per cent increase in headcount between 2008 and 2016. Account managed clients also achieved a 17 per cent increase in turnover last year - achievements we are extremely proud of.

“To be recognised as the UK’s best regional firm is testament to the hard

(L to R) Wright Hassall chairman, Nick Abell, managing partner, Sarah Perry and senior partner, Richard Lane

work and commitment of all our employees and we are delighted to share this accolade with everyone associated with Wright Hassall. This award is an acknowledgement of their contribution towards the continued growth of the firm.”

The Lawyer Award follows Wright Hassall being top-ranked across many practice areas in the independent legal directories, and Sarah Perry being identified as one of the legal sector’s leading lights in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 list for 2017.

National Memorial Arboretum’s stunning Remembrance Centre scoops string of awards

The new Remembrance Centre - built by Stepnell - at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire has been honoured with a string of architectural and construction awards

WThe stunning new Remembrance Centre - built by Stepnell - at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire has been honoured with a string of architectural and construction awards.

Designed by Glenn Howells Architects, the impressive £15.7 million building featuring has significantly enhanced and expanded facilities for the growing number of visitors to the Arboretum which is the UK’s national focus for remembrance.

The Remembrance Centre took the Regional Award and the Building of the Year title at the RIBA West Midlands regional awards in recognition of its architectural excellence. The judging panel praised the way the building has risen to the challenge of unifying an existing chapel, former visitor centre and external spaces and gardens, saying: “The project leaves an imposing but not intimidating impression. Every member of the judging panel was visibly moved by the experience of the building.”

In addition, the Remembrance Centre, which opened to the public in October 2016, scooped two titles at the RICS Awards for the West Midlands, which celebrate the region’s most outstanding construction developments. The new Remembrance and Learning Centre took the top award in the Community Benefit and Tourism & Leisure categories.

Bill Haynes, construction director for Stepnell, the main construction contractor for the building, said: “Our project team are all delighted by this recognition for the

Remembrance Centre and feel privileged to have played a part in delivering this inspiring building for such a nationally significant site.” Stepnell worked closely with the Arboretum’s management team to ensure that the Arboretum remained open throughout the redevelopment.

The new Remembrance Centre building features a dramatic drum-shaped rotunda audio visual theatre space, an interpretation exhibition, a large restaurant, welcome and orientation area and a learning centre.

It has a limestone façade – echoing the Portland stone of the nearby Armed Forces Memorial - while a timber colonnade links it to the Arboretum’s original visitor centre which has been retained and extended.

The Centre also includes a timber portico and slatted timber cloisters. Heroes’ Square, a central courtyard space, has been created within the cloisters and provides a formal square for set-piece ceremonies.

A landscaped garden leads into the wider Arboretum where there are over 30,000 maturing trees and over 330 memorials.

Record year for accountants A string of sales, acquisitions and management buy outs has seen a record year for a Midland accountant’s corporate finance division.

Harrison Beale & Owen’s (HB&O) corporate finance team has supported clients on 38 projects over the past 12 months – its highest workload since the service began in 2013 and an increase of over 50 per cent on the previous year.

The service advises owners of SMEs on selling their business, purchasing other businesses and raising finance for investment or expansion.

To meet demand, the corporate finance team has also drafted in two further staff.

This includes Mark Edwards who, after 40 years in the banking industry, is leading a broking service to help clients finance deals, and he is joined by Sam Joyce.

The duo will assist Greg Philp, Head of Corporate Finance, and Jason Hydon, who

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leads HB&O’s financial due diligence offering.

Greg said the rising number of deals over the past year are being driven by a range of factors.

He said: “Out of the 38 projects we’ve assisted our Midlands-based clients on, there have been 15 sales and 15 acquisitions.

“It’s not only been a fantastic year of growth for us, having Mark’s finance broking expertise on board sets us out from the competition and it is further proof that our region is a great place to do business.

“A lot of owners who were planning to retire before the financial crash are now looking to finally exit their business after steering it through a difficult period, while business owners younger than the normal retirement age are also looking to sell up because of a lifestyle choice or the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

“I’m also seeing an increasing number of management buy outs, particularly over the past twelve months, as owners want to be able to hand over to a team that they know well and can trust.

“Larger companies are now realising that there are some great SMEs out there and From left, Greg Philp, Jason Hydon, Mark Edwards and Sam Joyce making acquisitions is a fantastic way to expand their expertise, “Purchasers, generally, are taking a more market share and geographical location. considered, analytical approach, which is “Interestingly, I’m noticing a number why the average time for concluding a deal of European overseas businesses that are is now taking up to 12 months. looking to establish a presence in the UK “I’d urge anybody looking to sell or buy a ahead of exiting the EU, with the weak business to make sure they have a financial value of the pound being one reason that expert on their side to ensure they can international businesses have the confidence to invest further here in the UK. navigate various obstacles in the process.”

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New Members

Welcome to new members Strategic Partner CityFibre Holdings Limited 6 Haynes Avenue Trowell NG9 3NY 07703 734998 dominika.walker@cityfibre.com www.coventrycore.com

International Trade Member Vectric Ltd Precision House 2 Arden Road Alcester B49 6HN 01527850323 info@vectric.com www.vectric.com

Corporate Members A.C. Lloyd Nicholls House Homer Close Warwick CV34 6TT 01926 421326 secretaries@aclloyd.com www.aclloyd.com Advanced EPI Materials and Devices Limited Rural Innovation Centre Avenue H Stoneleigh park Kenilworth CV8 2LG 07761 304613 info@advancedepi.com www.advancedepi.com Band Hatton Button LLP 25 Warwick Road Coventry CV1 2EZ 02476 632121 SCJ@bandhattonbutton.com www.bandhatton.co.uk

ADL Associates (Warwick) Ltd The Innovation Centre Warwick Technology Park Warwick CV34 6UW 01926 623133 adrian@adlassociates.co.uk www.adlassociates.co.uk Amazing Electricians Limited 20 Ambleside Road Bedworth CV12 8RS 02477 674749 darren@amazingelectricians.org www.amazingelectricians.org Armadillo Social 33 Rugby Road Dunchurch CV22 6PG 07801 816793 louise@armadillosocial.com www.armadillosocial.com Barnetson & Co 41 Arnold Avenue Stivichall Coventry CV3 5LW 02476 414020 graham@barnetson.co www.barnetson.co Bigger Picture Coaching 1 Copice Close Ryton on Dunsmore Nr Coventry CV8 3FS 07806 600251 kmramsaysmith@hotmail.co.uk www.karenramsay.wordpress.com Boom Social Media 7 Dalkeith Avenue Rugby CV22 7NN 07946 454312 Natashalouise@hotmail.com www.boomsocialmedia.co.uk Casco Communications 11 Orchard Way Bubbenhall Coventry CV8 3JQ 07443 451925 catherine@casco-comms.co.uk

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Comesto Ltd 2 St Johns Close Stratford upon Avon CV37 9AB 08000 869722 info@comesto.co.uk www.comesto.co.uk Encode 34 Coopers Close Stratford-upon-avon CV37 0RS 01789 330270 hello@encode.host www.encode.host Family Mediation and Councelling Service 36 Old Forge Road Fenny Drayton Nuneaton CV13 6BD 02477 455117 enquiry@fmacs.org.uk http://fmacs.org.uk FIG Office Network Ltd Botany Bay Canal Mill Botany Brow Chorley PR6 9AF 07740 546268 Caroline.Middleton@figoffices.co.uk www.fi-rem.com

Circle Insurance Services Ltd 118 Holyhead Road Coventry CV1 3LY 02476 257444 keri.egan@circleinsurance.co.uk www.circlegroup.co.uk Croner Group Limited Croner House Wheatfield Way Hinckley LE10 1YG 0808 145 3379 Aaron.Lawrie@services-taxwise.com www.cronerconsulting.co.uk Orscheln Europe Unit 1 Pelham Road Central Park Rugby CV23 0PB 01788 539562 psmith@orschelneurope.co.uk www.orschelneurope.co.uk Rational FX 8 Parish Drive Tipton DY4 7PH 02072 208181 jaspaul.bains@rationalfx.com www.rationalfx.com Intelligent Insight The Barn Stoneleigh Abbey Kenilworth CV8 2LF 01926 354854 info@intelligentinsight.net www.intelligentinsight.net Knowledge Management & Transfer Limited Coventry University Techno Centre Puma Way Coventry CV1 2TT 07788 313825 info@kmandt.com www.kmandt.com Michelle Greenwood Social Media Marketing 1 Wyatt Way Meriden Coventry CV7 7SJ 07833 750610 michelleanngreenwood@gmail.com

HR Dept Stratford and Evesham Suite 120 12a Greenhill Street Stratford upon Avon CV37 6LF 01789 443693 julie.mcgovern@hrdept.co.uk https://www.hrdept.co.uk/licensees/stratf ord-and-evesham/

Payrolls Direct 17 Devon Way Banbury OX161UJ 07789 118777 jeremy@payrollsdirect.com https://payrollsdirect.com/jm/

Illuminate Consultancy Ltd Aztec Mill 50 Stratford Road Shipston on Stour CV36 4BA 01608 663924 caroline@illuminateconsultancy.co.uk www.illuminateconsultancy.co.uk

Peter Drew Contracts 4 Bidford Road Broom Bidford B50 4HF 01789 774777 jane@peterdrew.com www.peterdrew.com

Image+ Ltd Unit 1 The Depot Electric Wharf Coventry CV1 4JP 02476 834780 annabel.kirk@image-plus.co.uk www.image-plus.co.uk

Response and Resolutions Ltd 49 Sullivan Road Coventry CV6 7JX 02476 680601 davidalevitt@ymail.com

Saville Audio Visual Ltd Unit 3B Swallowgate Business Park Holbrook Lane Coventry CV6 4BL 07734 985939 vicki.fennell@saville.co.uk www.saville-av.com Unitemps Argent Court Annexe Sir William Lyons Road University of Warwick Coventry CV4 7EZ 02476 528118 R.Ciuffini@warwick.ac.uk www.unitemps.com Village Hotel Club Dolomite Avenue Coventry Business Park Coventry CV4 9EZ 02477 710860 Sarah.jow@village-hotels.com www.village-hotels.com Ruth Manning Estate Planning 4 Crown Hill Close Nuneaton CV13 6EW 01455 501405 ruth@ruthmanningestateplanning.co.uk www.ruthmanningestateplanning.co.uk S & L Personnel 2-6 Albert Street Rugby CV21 2RS 01788 222880 andrew@slpersonnel.co.uk Shebang Design & Marketing Ltd Thorpe House 17 Dormer Place Leamington Spa CV32 5AA 01789 297070 emma@shebangmarketing.com www.shebangmarketing.com Smart Image Furniture Ltd Unit 1 Berrington Road Sydenham Ind Estate Leamington spa CV31 1NB 01926 422280 Debbie@smartimagefurniture.co.uk www.smartimagefurniture.co.uk Tracey Rickard Digital Design 1 Payton Street Stratford upon Avon CV37 6UA 07990 890000 hello@traceyrickard.co.uk http://traceyrickard.co.uk Virocast (UK) Ltd 62 Russell Terrace Leamington spa CV31 1HE 07557 043632 artur@virocast.co.uk www.virocast.co.uk Vivarail Ltd Quinton Rail Technology Centre Station Road Long Marston Stratford-upon-avon CV37 8PL 01789 721922 louisasmith@vivarail.co.uk www.vivarail.co.uk

When contacting members listed above, The Chamber request that, in line with the Marketing and Advertising Law, you provide a clear 'unsubscribe' option. Further details can be found via www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/direct-marketing

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Training & Events Chamber Member Price +VAT

Non-Member Price +VAT

Duration

Oct-17

Effective Communication

£95

£120

Half day - am

3

Conducting Team Briefings/Buzz Meetings

£95

£120

Half day - pm

3

Export Documentation - Getting it Right

£260

£295

Full Day

3

Risk Assessment

£175

£195

Full Day

5

Building The Team

£95

£120

Half day - am

10

Motivating The Team

£95

£120

Half day - pm

10

Online Marketing

£215

£240

Full Day

12

Setting Goals & Targets

£95

£120

Half day - am

17

Training & Coaching the Team

£95

£120

Half day - pm

17

Successful Sales Techniques

£215

£240

Full Day

18

Appraising People & Performance

£215

£240

Full Day

19

Managing Difficult People

£95

£120

Half day - am

24

Understanding Discipline in the Workplace

£95

£120

Half day - pm

24

Finance for Non Financial Managers

£215

£240

Full Day

30

Working with a Budget

£95

£120

Half day - am

31

Problem Solving Skills

£95

£120

Half day - pm

31

Developing Effective Presentation Skills

£215

£240

Full Day

6

Communicating Assertively

£95

£120

Half day - am

8

Complaint Handling

£95

£120

Half day - pm

8

Letters for Credit for Exporters

£260

£295

Full Day

14

Microsoft Excel Intermediate to Advanced

£115

£145

Full Day

15

Social Media Strategy

£215

£240

Full Day

16

Negotiating To Win

£215

£240

Full Day

20

Import Procedures

£260

£295

Full Day

5

Microsoft Project (An Introduction)

£115

£145

Full Day

6

Principles of Manual Handling

£90

£100

Half day - am

7

Time Management

£215

£240

Full Day

11

Practical Social Media

£110

£120

Half day - am

14

C&W Chamber Training Seminars

Nov-17 Dec-17

Course dates for the quarter are shown above, please contact C&W Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cwtcov.co.uk for other course dates and further information

Events Protect your business: Cyber security Top Tips event Monday 17th July 2017 08:30-10:30 Mallory Court Hotel Ltd Harbury Lane Bishops Tachbrook CV33 9QB Charges apply Hear from a panel of IT experts who will share their top tips to prevent your business from being a victim of Cybercrime. Join us at this informative event where you will be guided through the complexity of cyber security. You will leave this event with actions that you can implement immediately.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Tourism Leisure and Culture Sector event Tuesday 18th July 2017 08:00-10:00 The Other Place 22 Southern Lane Stratford-Upon-Avon Warwickshire CV37 6BH Charges apply Join us for our next prestigious Tourism, Leisure and Culture Sector event, to network with your peers and to hear about the Coventry and Warwickshire Tourism and Culture Awards 2017.

The Warwickshire Business Outlook Breakfast Tuesday 25th July 2017 08:00-10:00 Holiday Inn Kenilworth 212 Abbey End Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 1ED Free of charge Join us for breakfast to hear how our region is shaping up during this time of great movement.

As a Chamber member you can exhibit at any of our events for just £50 + VAT. Stand out from the crowd and book your stand today.

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

The Business Expo Launch Event Friday 04th August 2017 11.00 am – 14.00 Village Hotel Club Dolomite Avenue Coventry Business Park West Midlands CV4 9EZ Prepare your business for the biggest Business and Trade Expo in Coventry and Warwickshire this September at the official launch.

Hear from local marketing experts who will share their need-to-know tips to ensure you make the most of your visit. You’ll find out how to promote, prepare and present your business at one of the biggest business exhibitions in Coventry and Warwickshire.

47

www.wcg.ac.uk www. wcg.ac.uk

SKILLS SKIL LS Get the

your business needs

Get a WCG apprentice in 2017 Talk to our Work Based L Learning earning team about:

› How to get the most out of the new scheme › How apprentices can make a difference to yourr business › How to fund your staff development › How to get a bespoke solution to your skills needs

76% NEW ST STANDARDS TAND AND AN ARDS JUST LAUNCHED IN HORTICUL UL LTURE/LANDSC TURE/LANDSCAPE HORTICULTURE/LANDSCAPE OPERA ATIVE; TIVE GOLF GREENKEEPING/ OPERATIVE; SPORTS TURF URF OPERA ATIVE; TIVE; OPERATIVE; LANDBASED ENGINEERING SERVICE ENGINEERS/TECHNICIANS

apprenticeships success rate

far above the national av average

Currently training

2500+ 250 apprentices CALL

0800 677 677 611 611 TO BOOK YOUR CALLBACK NOW

WORKING WITH

1100+

EMPLOYERS NATIONALLY!