Area Focus: Coventry - Mid Warks - North Warks - South Warks - Rugby
Coventry firm plans expansion after Chamber help A Coventry mechanical and electrical company, which supplies and repairs motors, pumps and gearboxes for a range of industries, is planning to move to a bigger premises and take on new staff to continue its growth.
Corin Crane, Lily Samuels, Jade O’Shea, Rob Back, Tim Squires
Big decisions needed as Coventry reaches critical point A key business figure in Coventry says the city is at a ‘critical point’ in delivering economic growth for future generations. Corin Crane, the chief executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, was speaking to a gathering of businesses at the Chamber’s Coventry Branch meeting at the Albany Theatre. After hearing from Rob Back, Coventry City Council’s Strategic Planning Lead, on the city’s Local Plan, and David Hope, part of Coventry City Council’s Economic Development Service, on the future of business support, Corin said there was huge potential for growth. He said: “Coventry is at a critical point that will help to define its future so its vitally important that we get the planning right. “There are big decisions to be made around new housing and new employment land and how all of that fits together with other infrastructure and services. “We have a group of expert Chamber members who have come together and produced a report on the need for more employment land, which is crucial in growing our economy. “And, it’s important to remember, that growth isn’t about making businesses richer, it is to create jobs, opportunities and investment into the communities of the city. “I know for a fact that there is massive interest in Coventry from companies that want to invest here. We’re in a very strong position from that point of view and we need to do everything we can to get them here in the coming months and years.” Rob told the branch that Coventry City Council was consulting on the latest iteration of its Local Plan which will set the basis for planning decisions from mid-2025 onwards. He said that the City Council was particularly keen to hear from landowners and agents on potential development sites for either homes or employment. He also gave a brief update on the latest plans for the city centre. David explained how the landscape of business support was changing post-Brexit but that firms in the region can still access help. Tim Squires, chair of the Chamber’s Coventry branch, said: “It was fascinating to hear from both Rob and David on areas of planning and business support – something our members are very keen to know more about. “My advice to companies across the city is to get in touch with the team at the Chamber if you need any help or if you want us to help to amplify your voice to decision makers.”
34
“The Chamber have been a big help from day one. In the early days, it was helping me with the very basics of starting a business and, over the years, that has developed. For example, they’ve just saved me money on my AA membership for the company vans. “So, the Chamber has been with me every step of the way and I hope I can get out to some more networking events in the future.
MPG, which is based on the Binley Industrial Estate, was established by Steve Phillips in 2017 after working in the industry for more than two decades before deciding to branch out and start his own firm. The company works with a variety of manufacturing sector businesses from supplying motors and gearboxes for production lines through to suppling and repairing hot and cold-water pumps for commercial premises to the food and beverage sector and distribution centres. It has grown to a business of eight staff, who handle thousands of jobs each year, and this is expected to rise in the next 12 months. Steve was supported by the team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce when he was initially setting up the company and has continued to tap into its services as the business has grown. And not only is MPG’s growth having a positive knock-on effect for the regional economy, but the company is also giving back by supporting Coventry Rugby Club as a main sponsor and Birmingham Children’s Hospital as a corporate partner.
Steve Phillips (MPG) with Hazel Pilling (Chamber)
Steve said: “We’ve got ambitious growth plans, we have a wealth of experience in our team remanufacturing and repairing motors, pumps, gearboxes and fan units, with our customers being in maintenance teams for a wide range of sectors. “In the recent hot weather, businesses have had the motors in fans breaking down and they will come to us to replace it. We stock a wide range of products here in Coventry which means we can get replacements to customers very quickly and minimise their downtime. “When we set up, we took the decision to be in the city because there is a strong customer base here with the majority of our employees living in the Coventry area.
“We want to grow into a bigger unit here in Coventry, which will mean new jobs, and that is good news for the local economy and also means we can do even more to support the community which is something I am very passionate about with our corporate social responsibility programme.” Hazel Pilling, membership manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We’re delighted to continue supporting MPG – an excellent example of a business that has seen the benefits of being part of the Chamber from its inception, highlighting the fact that companies of all sizes and sectors really do belong with the Chamber. “It’s also a shining example of the good businesses do – from offering local, skilled employment to giving back to the community through charitable work and sponsorship. “We look forward to helping Steve and the team achieve their growth plans in the next few years.”
North Warwickshire business is cleaning up after accessing support A North Warwickshire commercial cleaning business whose founder swapped laptops and desktops for vacuums and carpet cleaners has urged other small businesses to access the Chamber of Commerce’s business support. Allan Ward decided to leave his full-time job in IT focusing on website designs, repairs and sales after he saw the potential for winning commercial cleaning contracts when his wife, Toni, started a small cleaning business. He started exploring the idea during the pandemic and researched the support that was available for new start-up businesses. That led to Allan establishing Mercia Cleaning Services Ltd last March from Austrey in Atherstone after the company was supported by the start-up team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. Allan attended a suite of digital marketing workshops that are available to start-up businesses which filled in the gaps in his knowledge to effectively market a business online and gave an overview of the different social media platforms. The Start-up support, delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Warwickshire County Council, forms part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme, and was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Warwickshire County Council and all five District and Borough Councils. Allan said the support from the Chamber had been invaluable and he was now ready to take Mercia Cleaning Services Ltd to the next stage of its growth.
He said: “My wife started a business as a domestic cleaning company but my ambition was to move into commercial cleaning so we pivoted the business and today it is only commercial cleaning. “We have contracts in various sectors including offices, schools, hotels, museums, new build projects and university lets which are mainly in the Midlands and some nationwide contracts. “We employ ten people, but we are continuing to expand this year and plan to bring more local people into our company and provide them with training. “The support from the Chamber helped me to improve my business plan, and develop a new service along with the knowledge I had gained from attending the workshops and the Chamber’s advice on delivering marketing campaigns. “All of this plus putting together a strategic plan for the year ahead resulted in taking on an additional three staff within five months. “I had no experience in running a business at all. I needed help with everything from managing cashflow forecasts to targeting customers. Speaking to the Chamber was invaluable; I needed help with this as well as learning and understand the basics of running a business.” Chamber business coach Rita Booth has supported the firm from its infancy right through to enabling growth. She said: “It can be daunting launching a new start-up but our tailored support is available to help businesses who are less than two years old every step of the way. “As a single director in a business, the start-up programme helped Allan gain clarity on the actions he needed to take, the direction he was taking his business in and helped him identify which opportunities to
Steve Maxey and Cllr David Wright (North Warwickshire Borough Council). Middle, from the left, Hayley Lineker (Warwickshire County Council), Allan Ward (Mercia Cleaning Services), Cllr Martin Watson (Warwickshire County Council) and Rita Booth (Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce)
chase for success rather than wasting time chasing every opportunity.” Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place Cllr Martin Watson said: "The way Allan pivoted to spot an opportunity and then to pursue it is very impressive and typical of so many enterprising small businesses across Warwickshire. "The County Council is fully committed to supporting small businesses at every stage of their development, but it is often in the formative stages that support is often mostneeded so I am delighted that the Start-up support proved of such high value." Cllr David Wright, leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council, added: “I am delighted that a new business has been able to flourish in North Warwickshire thanks to Start-up support. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about starting their own business to get in touch as the support and guidance available is invaluable.” Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or a new business owner who has been operating for less than two years and in need of expert help to grow your new venture?
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is delivering free-funded business support workshops to guide you step-by-step on all aspects of business. To get started, email businesssupport@cw-chamber.co.uk or visit https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/business-support/business-start-up/. www.cw-chamber.co.uk
