Sunseeker

Sunseeker launches an incredible five new models

Although the last year may have felt like the world has stood still, we’re not seeing that evidenced here at Sunseeker.

Like many member businesses, we lost three months production during the first lockdown as we supported the requirement for the majority of staff to stay home. Many functions however were able to continue from home including design, engineering and sales support, all critical in ensuring we have the very latest, cutting-edge innovative models to launch year-round.

So it is with immense pride and satisfaction that Sunseeker is this month launching five new exciting models at the same time, a feat never before seen in the company’s history. Sunseeker’s ‘famous five’ global premieres are the Predator 55 EVO™, Manhattan 55, 65 Sport Yacht, 88 Yacht and 90 Ocean. Already, the first boats have left the shipyard and are now being delivered to customers.

The Manhattan 55 and Predator 55 EVO™ belong to the smaller range of yachts on offer. The overall design of these models has been elevated, excelling in practicality, finish and detail with brand new interior designs from a class above.

The 65 Sport Yacht is a truly unique project. The skilled team responsible for the new model has created something truly exceptional and unlike any other yacht in the mid-range market. Sunseeker’s dynamic integration of carbon fibre and the latest IPS drives maximises interior volume whilst enhancing performance but it is the integrated SkyHelm that commands attention; delivering a sporty side profile with an almost invisible flybridge featuring supercar-like seats set low to the floor. With 2,000hp on tap, it’s going to be a blast!

Sunseeker sits at the forefront of cutting-edge design but practicality, comfort and luxury are also a top priority. The two larger models being launched offer completely different styles of boating to suit individual preference.

Sunseeker has revolutionised its Yacht range with the 88 Yacht’s considered layout, maximising opulent living spaces with exceptional detail both to the exterior and interior. Exemplifying the very best in technical excellence, the 88 Yacht features Sunseeker’s X-TEND™ system, transom seating that cleverly converts at the flick of a switch, from rearward facing at Beach Club level to forward facing at deck level. Beneath, is an overhead rain-shower and plentiful stowage including dedicated lockers for two underwater Seabobs with charging points, an extended bathing platform for your tender and even a flybridge crane for a jet ski. This is the perfect yacht for relaxing, entertaining and having fun in style.

Last, but by no means least, the 90 Ocean belongs to an entirely new range of Sunseeker yachts. The Ocean range sharply focuses on providing ultimate comfort, volumous interiors, unparalleled efficiency and over-sized Beach Club’s that help bring you closer to the water than ever before, crafted to enhance the experience for all those on board. Exciting new developments are in the pipeline for the Ocean range, with future models coming soon.

Andrea Frabetti, CEO at Sunseeker International, commented: “This is a world first for Sunseeker and we are delighted to bring not one, but five new models to the market at the same time. Each of these innovative yachts, from the dynamic Predator 55 EVO™ to the industry-defining 90 Ocean exudes luxury and panache whilst benefitting from the very latest technology, engineering and design excellence. We have pushed the boundaries to deliver novel solutions, innovating at every opportunity. These new models are imbued with Sunseeker style and passion, poured lovingly into every yacht from conception to build. We are incredibly proud of all of them and believe, given their incredible designs, they will yet again define their respective segments.”

As you have seen, Sunseeker is passionate about new product development and we’ve remained singular in our focus during a difficult year to deliver what we hope will be future leaders in their respective segments. And we remain devoted; investing over £38 million in new product development until 2023, our range will double to a total of 22 models. www.sunseeker.com

Dorset LEP makes new £1.5 million investment in Dorset Education

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is investing more than £1.5 million in vital equipment and facility upgrades at Weymouth College and Bournemouth and Poole College as part of its ongoing commitment to improving skills provision and supporting key business sectors across Dorset.

Lorna Carver, Dorset LEP Director said: “This major skills investment is vital in supporting young people to achieve specialist qualifications in Dorset. Investing in skills our local businesses need is essential to economic recovery following the impact of COVID-19 and in alignment with the Local Industrial Strategy. Supporting further education is also a core component of our Dorset Skills Action Plan.”

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Luke Hall MP said: “It’s vital that we provide young people across the country with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to succeed.

“A combined Local Growth and Getting Building Fund investment worth over £1.5 million will help to level-up opportunity in Dorset by improving the further education offering for its young people.

“I’m delighted that two colleges in the region will see important equipment and facility upgrades, boosting student experience, opportunities for remote learning and improving accessibility.”

£250,000 has been provided via the Getting Building Fund to Weymouth College for a complete refurbishment of the college’s Higher Education Centre which will include improving facilities and equipment. By modernising, refurbishing and further developing the Higher Education Centre, the college will significantly improve student experience. In turn, this will promote this excellent college which aims to maximise quality of education and social mobility by encouraging students to study locally and move into local employment in this historically deprived area of Dorset.

Nigel Evans, Weymouth College Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to have received this investment from Dorset LEP to refurbish our HE Centre. This is the first year of our BSc Hons in Professional Studies which provides further progression opportunities for our students, and as an HE cold-spot it is critical that our HE offer is strategically aligned with our core curriculum. Even during these challenging times, we have seen growth in our HE student numbers, and this centre will significantly enhance the student experience and continue to grow our provision.” £1.3 million of funding has been provided via the Local Growth Fund to Bournemouth and Poole College for two projects which will benefit over 10,000 students and 600 staff. The Workstations and Remote Access projects include a major upgrade in IT equipment and the delivery of online teaching, to expand student and staff access to virtual workstations and applications which improve the standard of remote teaching. This tech upgrade will complement the delivery of digital learning and enable students to develop skills they will utilise in their future workplace. Improved virtual education will be useful for any students who may need to isolate due to COVID-19 and remote learning will also reduce the need for travel, making study more sustainable and affordable.

Finally, the Bournemouth and Poole College Network Infrastructure project includes the replacement of ageing network equipment to improve network bandwidth and throughput used by students, apprentices and staff. Improvements will further expand wireless connectivity, enabling students and staff to use their own device in college. This upgrade will support the increasing use of digital resources at the Lansdowne, North Road and Fulcrum campuses and will also support the online delivery of teaching and learning for those onsite.

Diane Grannell, Dorset LEP Board Member and Principal & Chief Executive of Bournemouth & Poole College concludes: “The recent pandemic has brought into sharp relief the importance of digital skills and digital infrastructure. We’re incredibly grateful to Dorset LEP for this investment, which will benefit our students and staff enormously. Not only will it support the continuation of education even during lockdown periods, but it will also enhance our ability to help our students develop the digital skills they need to thrive in tomorrow’s workforce.”

National Business Opportunity with HS2 for Dorset’s Businesses

Dorset Chamber regularly brings regional, national and international business opportunities directly to our members. The latest event on 22 January saw companies from different sectors in Dorset connected to the £multi-billion HS2 project via a dedicated, online Supply Chain event.

As the project moves into the construction phase, £12bn will be going into the supply chain with an estimated 400,000 contract opportunities. Andrew Stephenson, Minister of State at the Department for Transport and Robin Lapish, Supply Chain Manager, HS2 Ltd. spoke at the event, which provided an overview of HS2, an update on its procurement programme, explaining what HS2 is looking for from its supply chain and how suppliers of all sizes can get ready to be part of Europe's largest infrastructure project.

Andrew Stephenson MP, said: “HS2 may be an investment for the long-term to bring our biggest cities closer together and boost productivity, but it is creating jobs and opportunities right now, at a time we need it the most. With construction now underway, the project and its supply chain is already supporting more than 13,000 jobs, including over 400 apprenticeships.

“At peak construction, we’re expecting HS2 to support around 30,000 jobs, including up to 2,000 new apprenticeships. I am clear that the Government expects at least 95% of these to be won by UK based businesses, with around two thirds of those being SMEs. Dorset businesses could have a huge role to play here – and it’s not just construction and engineering expertise we need. And as the project grows, so will the breadth of skills and services it requires. HS2 is more than just a railway – it really is an opportunity for businesses across the board.”

Robin Lapish added: “We expect HS2 Phase One will create 400,000 supply chain contract opportunities. I’m glad to say that we are already seeing first-hand the impact that opportunities to work on this railway is having on communities. Dorset already has businesses who have worked on HS2 but the truth is Dorset is currently under-represented in the HS2 supply chain and I want us to start putting this right.”

Dorset Chamber is committed to bringing high-calibre opportunities such as this to the business community, through a mix of member-only and ‘open to all’ events. Not yet a member? Contact steve.bulley@dorsetchamber.co.uk to find out more, and #getbusinessdone.

4-year-old eCommerce company becomes the UK’s most trusted online marketplace

OnBuy’s exponential growth is furthered by eCommerce boom and remote recruitment success

It's no surprise that consumers have moved in their droves to buying online during the pandemic. But what IS a surprise is that the online marketplace which tops the Trustpilot tables isn't one of the long-established names, such as eBay or Not On The High Street. It's Dorset-grown eCommerce site OnBuy. com - founded just four years ago and already knocking the competition out of the park when it comes to customer satisfaction. But how has OnBuy created a culture of trust and satisfaction amongst its growing consumer base?

Having reported a record-breaking start to 2021, OnBuy.com has grabbed the top Trustpilot spot with a strong 4.6/5 customer rating across 20,000 reviews. OnBuy aims to bring fair, transparent, and ethical eCommerce around the world, offering customers more choice, savings and convenience while championing retailers’ success and creating growth for them. Trust among customers has been built from the business’s transparent model. OnBuy lists all the retailers selling a product on the product page – including each retailers’ price, delivery information and reviews – so customers are fully informed and can choose which retailer to buy from. Crucially, OnBuy showcases product price history to foster full transparency with customers. This transparent approach has enabled OnBuy to become a reliable platform for connecting retailers and customers, ultimately claiming its stake as the UK’s most trusted online marketplace.

With sales soaring from a run rate of £24 million to over £200 million and with monthly users trending at almost 7 million, OnBuy is quickly acquiring market share and has expanded its seller base by 10% each month since September 2020. Reviews for the marketplace on Trustpilot increased by 680% from 2019 to 2020, highlighting the popularity and credibility of the brand.

The company, founded in November 2016 by Cas Paton, witnessed a 800% growth in sales in January, compared to the previous year, and beat January 2020’s sales in the first three days of 2021.

Cas Paton, founder and CEO of OnBuy, said: “OnBuy has been built on the foundations of transparency. We’ve grown by offering retailers a better, fairer platform to trade on, which has attracted the attention of growing numbers of customers.

“Other marketplaces don’t always give customers the full picture, and some even promote their own products over those of the retailers selling with them. Naturally, this has led to a lack of consumer confidence in the online shopping experience.

“OnBuy set out to do things differently, with fairness, transparency, quality and trust for both retailers and customers being top of the agenda. That’s why becoming the UK’s most trusted marketplace, while achieving such incredible sales growth, is a welcome achievement for our team.”

OnBuy’s strong start to 2021 comes after the business announced its best year yet in 2020, which saw the marketplace achieve 605% year to date growth.

Cas said: “Four years of hard work have meant we’re in the position to maximise our ability to support retailers transitioning to online sales this year, bringing more deals and unbeatable service to consumers. Not only was there a huge shift to online shopping, but we also benefited from consumers looking for more ethical ways to shop and ways to support small businesses from home.

“We’re committed to bringing more value to customers through our fast-growing network of retailers - and as we’re a true marketplace, not a retailer, all of our success is shared by the independent businesses that trade through our platform. As we don’t hold our own stock, we’re never in competition with our sellers. It’s a fair, transparent and ethical business model which the figures prove is a winning formula.”

Commenting on what’s in store for OnBuy in 2021, Cas said: “Our plan is to double sales by June; we’ll soon be hiring for another 30 positions to bolster the team as we scale up into over 140 countries. We’ll also be opening our Series B funding round soon. We aim to secure backers that want to be a part of the groundbreaking journey we’re on to change the way the world looks at eCommerce.” www.onbuy.com

The President’s Column

by Liz Willingham Warning. As this is my last article as President, I am going to be self-indulgent!

After 27 months in the role, in what has potentially been the Chamber’s most historic and memorable chapter, it is of course going to feel a wrench to stand down. I feel a part of the wonderful team and have the Chamber business very much under my skin. However, I am so pleased to pass on the baton with the business in great shape, with a bold, brave way of thinking. Its reputation is at its strongest and its memberfocus razor sharp.

Now is the perfect time for a new set of eyes to take the Chair role and help steer it through what is going to be a challenging environment for a while yet.

I felt privileged back in 2019, our 70th year, to be asked to do a second term. I felt like I was getting to grips with where I could add value and it made sense. Then the Pandemic struck, and the role changed in some ways – for me anyway. The sense of protective ownership, almost a maternal instinct to ensure its survival kicked in and I have felt fully immersed on many levels, supporting Ian on some sensitive and difficult decisions as we navigated the past 12 months.

The traditional AGM is usually staged in December, but I was asked to stay in the role until a revised online version could be created which ticks all the important governance boxes. 25th March marks the date for the first ever online Dorset Chamber AGM!

Subject to voting, I will hand over to Caron Khan which we believe is the first time ever the presidency has been passed from one woman to another. The vice president role will go to Chair of the Ambassadors, Tony Brown. I know both are hugely committed to seeing the Chamber thrive – they will do a fantastic job to help Ian and team steer the ship.

I won’t be going far - as Past President I retain a position on the board and will continue my NED role on the British Chambers of Commerce board where I have an additional responsibility of Chair of the BCC’s Accreditation Committee.

It’s also a busy time in my own business, Liz Lean PR, with lots of exciting new opportunities. With the launch of our new podcast, ‘It Runs in the Family’ I am enjoying being a podcast host maybe a little too much! Interviewing generations of family businesses in a wide range of sectors, it’s an eye opening, almost documentarystyle look into how businesses have survived sometimes hundreds of years and where the blurry lines of family and business cross.

And my main Chamber ‘baby’ has only just started. I have raised my concerns surrounding stress in the workplace since my first day as president and I can confidently say that, on my last day, an initiative is well under way to help practically deal with this, specifically for business leaders. There is much advice and support out there for employers to ensure their teams’ wellbeing is managed. Rightly so. But my concern is also for the employers themselves. Especially at this time, with many having to go through redundancy processes or making critically difficult decisions for their businesses, I saw no obvious platform for support and felt that Dorset Chamber was the rightful place. So, with the help of Ouch Training, Ian and the team, Dorset Mind, Livewell Dorset, Caron, and many others, I am so proud to say that over a dozen amazing ‘Champions’ within the chamber membership have volunteered their time and are now trained as Mental Health First Aiders courtesy of Ouch Training.

The initiative, called ‘Got Your 6’ (or ‘GU6’), has been named after the term used by fighter pilots in WW2. A pilot would ask his wing man to ‘watch my 6’ – flying at the rear to protect his position in the sky. In other words, Dorset Chamber ‘has your back’ – our ‘Champions’ will be available to talk confidentially if you are struggling, with the knowledge to signpost to professional help or further support if a peer-to-peer chat isn’t enough.

There is lots more about the initiative to share, so look out for dedicated articles, events, social media posts about GU6 to find out how you can get involved or how you engage with our ‘Champions’ if you need us.

I am going to wrap up by thanking Ian, the team, and the membership for everyone’s support over the past two years. It has been a joy and I will take away many fond memories. Thank you all.

‘Over and out',

Liz x