High growth, lower costs

Vertically Urban launch Horti-Blade™ HE, an opexbusting version of their popular led grow light, a new member to the fold, designed to reduce the operating costs of vertical farm lighting. The new model represents a leap forward in output and energy efficiency. This innovation consumes up to 26% less energy to achieve a given PPFD when compared to a standard installation.

Andrew Littler, Vertically Urban’s CEO, said: “Whilst all our Horti-Blade™ models have been developed with energy efficiency in mind, the new ‘HE’ model takes this focus to a new level. As a result, we can now slash lighting OPEX for our growers by up to 26% through changing the luminaire alone.”

Like the rest of the family, Horti-Blade™ HE is an ultraslim, advanced LED grow light, designed for vertical and indoor farming applications. Manufactured in the UK by Vertically Urban’s dedicated team, each member of the Horti-Blade™ family is just 8mm thin and combines the latest in LED technology with custom optics to ensure the maximum number of useable photons reach the crop.

Clarion’s double-digit growth

Clarion’s rapid upward trajectory is continuing with the firm once again achieving double digit growth, seeing turnover rising by 16% from £23.2m in 2021 to £26.9m last year. As the firm strengthens its client base both nationally and internationally, it has also seen team numbers increase, welcoming its 300th colleague.

Roger Hutton, Joint Managing Partner said: “We’ve always had big ambitions and having proved our ability to rival the large national firms with offices in Leeds, we are increasingly winning work not only from London and across the UK, but also internationally as, postcovid, businesses look for the best value advice, regardless of location.

“With Leeds successfully establishing itself as the main UK legal hub outside London, we’re seeing an interesting dynamic with many talented lawyers looking beyond the capital and seeking challenging career opportunities which can also deliver a better quality of life.”

Accountancy Academy flourishes

At First Intuition, we pride ourselves on our ability to create a warm and inviting environment in which aspiring accountants can flourish. First Intuition’s Accountancy Academy plays a pivotal role in ensuring we consistently achieve this aim.

Our hugely popular First Intuition Accountancy Academies were launched in Leeds back in 2017. Since then, they have given many 16-18-yearolds from schools, academies, and colleges across Yorkshire the opportunity to find out what a career in accountancy is really about.

Our ability to shatter the usual myths (Isn’t accountancy boring? Isn’t it just grey suits and briefcases?) is, we believe, how we will attract the next generation of accountants. It shows ambitious teenagers the full breadth, range and variety of the roles accountancy offers and the different ways they can turn their interest into a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Airedale wins business accolade

Airedale by ModineTM, the critical cooling specialists cemented its position as a world class company following a year of domestic and international success, taking home the award for “International Business of the Year” at the Yorkshire Post Business in Excellence Awards.

Darren Farrar, Global Head of Marketing for Airedale, said: “This award is credit to the expertise and dedication of our skilled teams, in Leeds and at our plants in Co Durham, Spain, Mississippi and Virginia, US.

“In 2019 we won Manufacturer of the Year and announced our intention to ‘go global’, with investment into both the research and development of our products, and staff training. Since then, we have also launched production facilities in Spain, and a new plant and sales team in the US. In a relatively short space of time we have taken hold of a massive marketplace and look forward to an exciting global future.”