4 minute read
Royal manufacturer remembers Duke
By Jon Griffin
Birmingham’s oldest manufacturer is mourning the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh - after supplying HRH for a marathon 65 years.
Firmin and Sons Ltd, founded in 1655 and the UK's oldest privately-owned business, has held a Royal Warrant to supply the Duke and his household with badges, buttons and insignia for around 30 years.
The Newtown company’s flag has been flying at half mast to mark the death of the 99 year-old Duke, who has proudly donned the Birmingham firm's historic products for military pageants and other Royal engagements since 1956.
The firm, whose buttons and badges have also brought a colourful dash to Waterloo, the Charge of the Light Brigade, Trafalgar and Rorke's Drift as well as the 2012 Olympics and the weddings of Princes William and Harry, is the only firm in the city to hold the Duke’s Warrant and one of just 35 nationwide.
Senior sales manager Tony Kelly said: “We are saddened because we are the only one in the city and one of only 35 companies in the country that holds the Warrant to the Duke’s household compared to 800 holding the Queen's Warrant.
“We have held it for more than 30 years but we have supplied him for much longer than that. We are very proud because it is a recognition of products of the very finest quality and exceptional service.”
Mr Kelly said the Duke would have made the original decision to grant the Royal Warrant, which comes up for renewal every five years.
He said: “I remember because it was me who made the original application. It is not a civil service decision, it would be his decision in the first place - we have done a lot of work for the Duke.”
Such is Firmin’s reputation with the Royal Family, the Birmingham manufacturer is also already discreetly planning ahead for the funeral of the Queen and the subsequent Coronation.
It has been the proud possessor of a Royal Warrant since the 18th Century and also boasts a vast range of other products, from busbies to gauntlets and medals to swords and scabbards.
The order book for the firm, part of the Kashket Group, has also included buttons for MCC members at Lord's, and products for staff at Claridges, the Dorchester and the Ritz, along with many other prestigious customers.
Royal Warrant: Tony Kelly
Zone payment system goes live
Businesses are being urged to familiarise themselves with a new fleet payment system, used to manage payments for polluting vehicles entering Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone.
Fleet operators can now check and pay for any registered vehicles that may be subject to the zone’s charges via a dedicated page on the government’s website.
Chamber head of policy Raj Kandola said that it was ‘vitally important’ that firms were clued up on payment processes.
He said: “As we approach 1 June, it’s vitally important that businesses are familiar with the payment process and how it will function before the Clean Air Zone goes live.
“With the Clean Air Zone in Bath starting last month, it’s essential that businesses and individuals in our city are fully up to scratch with the process.”
The plea is part of final preparations to prepare businesses for the implementation of the Zone on 1 June.
Work to commence on new health innovation campus
Work is set to begin on the first phase of Birmingham Health Innovation Campus this summer after planning permission was granted by Birmingham City Council.
The first phase will see the development of 133,000 sq ft of lab and office space designed for health innovation and life sciences businesses, with a focus on those working in medtech, precision medicine, biopharma and digital healthcare.
The building will also be the home of the University of Birmingham’s Precision Health Technologies Accelerator (PHTA), providing innovation and incubation spaces for businesses to engage with academics and clinicians, bringing together capabilities in diagnostics, data, clinical trials and medical technologies.
The campus positions the West Midlands to capitalise on the UK’s emerging health technology sector, which attracted £1.12bn in investment in 2020, according to the latest report by Tech Nation, and has already been designated a ‘Life Science Opportunity Zone’ by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
David Hardman, managing director, Bruntwood SciTech - Birmingham, said: “The response since announcing the development of Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, in partnership with the University of Birmingham, has been extremely positive. It’s clear that this is being seen as a real milestone in the evolution of the West Midlands as a health innovation and connected healthcare technologies powerhouse.
“The region has all the raw ingredients the sector needs - world-class universities, a number of specialist NHS Trusts, quality infrastructure and a growing cluster of SMEs - to support the journey from early R&D to manufacture and market adoption of new health products and services.
“The campus will be the epicentre where all these come together and attract further inward investment to ensure the West Midlands has one of the country’s most exciting life sciences propositions for years to come.”
Birmingham Health Innovation Campus is being built in Selly Oak, in the heart of the University of Birmingham’s academic and clinical cluster with the first phase set to complete in 2023.
