Category Archives: Midlands News

Appointments, Law, Midlands News, News

Midlands law firm mfg Solicitors announces ten partner and associate promotions

Midlands law firm mfg Solicitors has announced ten promotions which includes five new partners and two senior associates.

Residential property specialist Javed Ahmed is promoted to partner and will continue in his role as head of the firm’s Residential Conveyancing team. In the same division, Nichola Wilson also becomes a partner.

Family law expert Rupinder Nandra has also been promoted to partner, alongside Lisa Morrison in the firm’s Commercial Property department, and trusts and estates lawyer in the Private Client team, Tom Evans.

mfg has also announced two senior associate promotions within its award-winning Agriculture and Rural Affairs team who look after the interests of farmers, landowners and rural businesses – with highly respected lawyers Tom Bell and Hannah Taylor being promoted.

Meanwhile, the firm has also confirmed that wills and probate specialist Ellie Newman, corporate lawyer Matt Allen, and litigation expert Stephanie Rushfirth, have each been promoted to associate level.

Maynard Burton, partner and chairman of mfg Solicitors said: “We are expanding in a variety of areas with more and more people and businesses looking to us for professional advice. This means we must have nothing but the best teams in place so I am delighted with these latest promotions across a wide spectrum of expertise.

“To see five hugely experienced lawyers step up to become partners is another proud moment for us and they will prove to be superb appointments in the months and years ahead.

“Meanwhile, having many more rising stars stepping up to become senior associates and associates shows we are well prepared for the future in a number of specialisms.”

The confirmed list of annual promotions is as follows:

 

Partner promotions:

  • Javed Ahmed – Residential Property
  • Nichola Wilson – Residential Property
  • Rupinder Nandra – Family
  • Lisa Morrison – Commercial Property
  • Thomas Evans – Private Client

 

Senior Associate promotions:

  • Tom Bell – Agriculture and Rural Affairs
  • Hannah Taylor – Agriculture and Rural Affairs

 

Associate promotions:

  • Ellie Newman – Private Client
  • Matt Allen – Corporate
  • Stephanie Rushfirth – Litigation

 

The biographies of each specialist can be found on our website through https://www.mfgsolicitors.com/site/people/.

Business Advice, Midlands News, News

Leading business support provider, BizSmart®, celebrates 10th anniversary

Leading business support provider, BizSmart®, has celebrated its 10th year in business with an event attended by around 40 of its loyal members.

Hosted at the Chase Distillery in Hereford, attendees marked the impressive milestone with an exclusive tour of the distillery, followed by speeches from BizSmart® founder and director, Kevin Brent, and the wider leadership team.

The event also celebrated the official launch of Kevin’s first book, The Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System, which delves into the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and provides a practical step-by-step guide for business owner-managers to navigate the challenges they face.

Having helped over 1000 business leaders escape the ‘owner-manager’ trap and scale growth through its dedicated ‘Flight Academy®’ programme and wider service offering, BizSmart® has established a leading reputation within the business community – particularly across the Worcestershire and Herefordshire regions, where it has secured and delivered multiple growth support programmes.

Kevin Brent, founder and director of BizSmart®., said: “The last 10 years have been an incredible journey for BizSmart®. We have not only had the privilege of working with and supporting the growth of hundreds of business owners, but we have also worked very hard to establish a leading and proven brand within the business support industry.

“We are very grateful to everyone who took the time to celebrate with us at our anniversary event and are now looking forward to the next chapter of growth, as we build on our newly developed franchise model and extend support to hundreds more business owners UK wide.”

BizSmart®’s 10th anniversary follows a period of significant growth, having accelerated its annual turnover by 130% during 2021 – forecast to increase further by the close of 2022.

In November 2020, BizSmart® launched its own franchise model, which gives proven professionals the opportunity to establish their own business support offering under the BizSmart® umbrella.

Awards, Cleaning & Facilities Management, Midlands News, News

Incentive FM Scoops Presigious European Cleaning & Hygiene Award

Incentive FM are delighted to have taken home a coveted European Cleaning & Hygiene Award in the highly contested ‘Excellence in Client-Contractor Relationships’ category for its work at Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre in Leicester.

Leading service providers, manufacturers and distributors from Europe’s cleaning and hygiene sector came together to celebrate the very best of the industry. The event took place on 28th April at Hotel Le Plaza in Brussels.  After over two years away, the awards received an unprecedented number of entries, with the judges reviewing over 160 nominations. With 39 finalists across 10 categories, the winners were finally unveiled at the gala dinner event.

Glenn Wilson, Director – Retail & Distribution, Incentive FM said: “We are thrilled to have won the Excellence in Client-Contractor Relationships this year. We were up against some fantastic finalists from across Europe, so to have been crowned a winner is incredibly special.

“This award is a testament to the sheer hard work, dedication, and exceptional service delivered by our team at Beaumont Leys, combined with an exceptional and truly collaborative client service partner relationship.  A huge congratulations to everyone involved!”

Michelle Marshall, founder of the ECH Awards and editor of ECJ, said: “We are delighted to award Incentive FM our top prize in the Excellence in Client-Contractor Relationships this year. It was a record year for entries and the standard was so high, but we really felt that Incentive FM was a deserving winner. Congratulations to the team and all our 2022 winners.”

Midlands News, News

West Midlands Mayor backs Grayson Thermal Systems to become global electrification leader

Hundreds of jobs could be created in the West Midlands with zero-emission technology advancements creating global export opportunities for Grayson Thermal Systems.

That was the clear message presented to Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, during a recent visit to the firm’s Tyseley base, with bosses at the 44-year-old firm convinced that the switch to greener transport solutions presents a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity for their company and the region as a whole.

Managing Director Stuart Hateley believes the area’s traditional strengths in innovation and R&D are already paving the way for new contracts across the world and wants the Government to get behind this drive by making sure that all publicly funded projects feature initiatives that ensure UK-produced goods are given a boost.

His own company is doing its bit, recently investing £2m in R&D, employee upskilling and state-of-the-art testing technology to help it bring a range of zero-emission vehicle products to market that are now being sold into the battery, electric and hydrogen fuel cell, on-highway, off-highway and rail markets.

These solutions are headlined by its Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS), which keeps zero emission vehicles batteries at a stable temperature improving efficiency and extending life.

There has also been significant interest in its complete Vehicle Thermal Management System (VTMS), MagDrive Pump and Electric Water Heater, the latter providing an instant source of clean heat generation that can be transferred for passenger or driver comfort.

“West Midlands manufacturers have really embraced the electrification drive and are exploring ways where they can take conventional technology and transform it into products that will help OEMs achieve zero emission targets,” commented Stuart, who runs Grayson Thermal Systems with his brothers Ian and James.

“From the beginning of 2021 we have enjoyed significant success in the UK, mainland Europe, North America and even further afield with our new suite of products and this is just the start…the potential is huge, with £millions of contracts up for grabs that could create hundreds of jobs here and throughout the supply chain.”

He continued: “It was great to welcome Andy Street to look at our technology developments, which have led to our recent successes and discuss ways in which we could work together to ensure that Government-funded projects deliver even more benefit to the local area.

“A lot of the time it is about making the powers that be aware of what we do in the region and the amazing technical expertise and proven technology we have on our doorstep.

“The conversations were very positive and there was a genuine desire from all parties to explore ways where we could accelerate the development of the region’s ‘electric’ supply chain, boosting domestic and international trade in the process.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, added his support: “We have a unique opportunity to lead the UK in electrification and the Green Industrial Revolution, and we’ve already enjoyed several funding successes that will help build a more sustainable future – not least when it comes to transport infrastructure.

“But we must continue to explore ways in which we can ensure the full benefit of our greener future can be felt by local businesses, who have the technology, skills and expertise required to bring our plans to life.

“The visit to Grayson Thermal Systems gave me a first-hand insight into the technology we have here in the West Midlands and the opportunities this can bring both locally and on a global scale, as well as the challenges faced by our regional manufacturers. I look forward to continuing to work with firms like Grayson Thermal Systems as we drive the West Midlands forward into a new era.”

Birmingham-based Grayson Thermal Systems has bounced back from the pandemic and is enjoying a surge of new projects, contract wins and orders for its zero-emission range of thermal management products.

Group turnover will grow by another 15% in 2022 and more than 40 new jobs have already been created, with further positions now available across engineering, operations and administration.

Midlands News, News

Marches region awarded £10 million of funding for innovation projects

Nearly £10m of funding has been awarded to organisations in the Marches to develop innovative projects tackling issues as diverse as sustainability, an ageing population and Covid challenges.

Innovate UK approved nearly 30 projects for the funding in 2020/21, with the majority awarded for business-led innovation in response to the global disruption caused by the pandemic.

One of the largest awards made nationally was for a collaborative project led by Veolia, which will result in the development of the UK’s first dedicated recycling line for trays and non food bottles, unlocking the UK tray recycling capability. The project was awarded £34.7m and will take place over 3 years.

The figures were revealed today by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership’s business support service, the Marches Growth Hub (MGH). The MGH works with Innovate UK to promote funding for research and development projects in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

LEP Access to Finance champion Paul Kalinauckas said Innovate UK funding was vital to developing and delivering projects which make a real difference to regional economies and communities.

“Nearly 30 different projects secured funding in our region tackling issues such as an ageing society, health and nutrition, waste in manufacturing,  home learning and working during the pandemic and innovation in medtech and healthcare in direct response to the Covid crisis.

“It is fantastic to see not just the innovation being explored in these projects, but also the wider economic, social and environmental challenges which are being addressed.

“This is just one of a huge number of finance programmes and opportunities the Marches LEP and Marches Growth Hub help support which can provide companies with much-needed funding to drive growth.”

Telford software development company Bronze Labs is behind the Tribe Project – which won nearly £50,000 for a collaborative bid to develop technology to support the co-ordination of volunteers and communities during the Covid lockdown.

Richard Howells, Managing Director of Bronze Labs, said: “Our proposal centred on a digital approach to facilitate the scaling of ‘trusted’ community groups which responded to COVID-19 community demand. The focus was on providing a solution to facilitate coordination, planning and action of broad spectrum community need between voluntary organisations and local government.”

The company developed app technology to categorise and ultimately predict the movement of community ‘need’ across society through use of machine learning. The Tribe Project has used the technology to support and co-ordinate volunteer efforts including reaching vulnerable members of society during the Covid lockdowns.

Other successful funded projects include:

  • Leominster-based Grove Design secured £74,000 to develop a design and prototyping of a clear face mask which allows lip reading for those who are deaf or have hearing loss.

 

  • Earth Rover, based at the Agri-Epi Centre near Newport, led a consortium bid for £175,000 to build prototype equipment which will contribute to solving the problem of a shortage of seasonal agricultural labour required to pick crops due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit. The robots use an AI-powered vision system to select in-spec broccoli and leave crop growing so reducing crop waste.

 

  • Shrewsbury-based Interactive Opportunities Ltd secured £49,000 to scale-up its online platform designed to support learning from home during the pandemic. The project provides a community, support and advice for parents, carers and teachers while making the most of the creative talents of teachers, celebrities and entertainers who are keen to help others.

 

  • Stok.ly in Hereford received £74,000 to develop the Stok.ly “community eCommerce” platform – an innovative solution to enable local retailers such as butchers, bakers, cafes, delis and grocers to sell their goods online to local communities from a community website.

 

Businesses interested in applying for Innovation UK funding can find out more at https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/support/innovate-uk/

Awards, Midlands News, News, Property

Sam scoops Rising Star award at prestigious Props

Bromwich Hardy graduate surveyor Sam Cooper has been named the Midland’s rising property star – after just one full year in his job.

Sam scooped the Rising Star award at the inaugural Midlands Props awards after judges heard the 25 year old concluded 34 separate in his first full year worth millions of pounds.

Sam said he was hugely honoured to have won the title and paid tribute to his colleagues at Coventry-based Bromwich Hardy for their part in his success.

“I have been fantastically fortunate to start my career at such a wonderful company and to be learning so much from a remarkable team,” said Sam.

Judges were told Sam had secured £1.4million of lease deals for 202,000 sq ft of space, 22 separate industrial lettings worth £1.1 million and six office lettings equating to 40,000 sq ft.

Awards host Jonnie Irwin – of TV’s Escape to the Country and A Place in the Sun – told guests at the awards ceremony at Birmingham’s Grand Hotel that Sam was like ‘a machine’.

Sam, who joined Bromwich Hardy in July 2022 and who is halfway through a Masters in Real Estate at Birmingham University, added: “It was a real shock to be shortlisted and I never dreamed I would actually win.

“I have had an incredible first year in the job and would like to thank all my clients, colleagues at Bromwich Hardy and most importantly founding partner Tom Bromwich for taking me under his wing and passing on some of his expert knowledge.

“I have my sights firmly set on becoming a chartered surveyor so there is still plenty for me to learn and lots of hard work ahead.”

Tom said: “Sam is a remarkable young man who has made a huge impact both on our business and the commercial property market in the Midlands in general in his first year in the job.

“He has a maturity beyond his years and an understanding both of the industry and – more importantly – the people we do business with, quickly winning their confidence and trust. He is already a key part of our team and we look forward to working together for many years to come.”

Bromwich Hardy was shortlisted for three awards at the event, also being nominated for best regeneration project with Complex Development Projects for a scheme which including the creation of the Telegraph Hotel Coventry, whilst Tom was shortlisted for office deal of the year for the sale of Bishops House on Tachbrook Park, Warwick.

The awards recognise the leaders making a difference in the world of Midlands real estate and raise funds for Variety, the Children’s Charity.

Appointments, Midlands News, News

Chambers of Commerce appoint two vice presidents

Two dynamic business leaders have been given key positions with organisations that represent the interests of more than 1,000 companies.

Scott Jones is well known across the Midlands and the south of England as the CEO of full service digital marketing agency 123 Internet Group whilst Reemesh Patel is the driving force behind several award winning businesses, including The SK Group and M&M Family Investments.

They have now taken up essential roles as vice presidents on the board of the multi-award winning business support organisations – Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce.

Scott, who has been a member of both Chambers for seven years and one of their Platinum business partners since 2019, said: “I’m hugely excited to be moving from a non-executive role on the board to the role of vice president.

“These Chambers have won a host of awards over recent years because they consistently put the needs of their members at the heart of everything they do.

“I know they’ve got lots of exciting developments planned for this year and I can’t wait to be a part of them.”

Reemesh originally joined the board three years ago and has belonged to Northamptonshire Chamber since 2017.

He said: “I’m truly honoured to be voted in as vice president alongside Scott.

“Northamptonshire Chamber and Milton Keynes Chamber are already great Chambers but I’m very excited to help move them further forward for the benefit of all our members.”

Chamber board president Robyn Allen, of personal insurance specialists Robyn Allen Solutions Ltd, welcomed Scott and Reemesh to their new roles.

She added: “I’m incredibly excited to have Reemesh and Scott supporting me in leading the board.

“Between the three of us we have a wide variety of skills and knowledge and our businesses are spread across Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes so we’re in a position to represent the membership incredibly well.

“I know they’re going to do a great job acting on behalf of the members and I can’t wait to see them in action.”

For further information about Northamptonshire Chamber visit www.northants-chamber.co.uk or call 01604 490490. To learn more about Milton Keynes Chamber visit www.chambermk.co.uk or contact 01908 733082.

Midlands News, News

New training and enterprise centre opens in Shropshire

A new skills and enterprise training centre has officially opened in Shropshire with the ambition of supporting hundreds of young people into work or education over the next five years.

The new Landau Training and Enterprise Centre in Wellington will allow people who are currently not in work or education the opportunity to gain hands-on practical experience in several sectors including construction, hospitality and hair and beauty.

A fully-equipped hair salon, nail bar, café, construction skills suite and various teaching spaces feature in the new facility, which is located in the former Barclays Bank building on Church Street.

Award-winning charity Landau, which will operate the facility, has also moved its headquarter operations from the town’s Tan Bank to the new, larger site.

The investment demonstrates the charity’s ongoing commitment to skills and training in the county and forms part of its ambitious plans to get more than 500 young people upskilled and into work.

A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the opening of the centre on Friday, April 29, with the Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Anna Turner, doing the honours. She was accompanied at the event by Shropshire’s High Sheriff Selina Graham.

A number of civic dignitaries were also in attendance including Telford & Wrekin Mayor Councillor Amrik Jhawar, Mayor of Oakengates Councillor Stephen Reynolds and former Mayor of Wellington Councillor Anthony Lowe.

Landau Chief Executive Sonia Roberts said the new training and enterprise centre would play a significant role in helping to raise educational attainment across the county by providing a range of opportunities for young people who are currently unemployed or not in education.

“Landau has a successful track record of supporting people through training and into sustainable employment regardless of any barriers that they may have encountered previously, and this new facility will enable us to expand that support to help even more people,” she said.

“It marks a real milestone in our delivery and demonstrates our continued commitment to promoting opportunities and changing lives.”

Elliot Shipley (21) has been receiving support from Landau for the last three years after the transition from school to college proved too challenging for him.

He is among the first group of learners to move into the new building and is currently taking part in the Landau Study Programme.

He will sit his Level 2 exams in English and Maths next month before progressing onto the IN2 programme which supports young people into further education and employment.

He said: “I would not be where I am today without the support of Landau. I aspire to be a paramedic one day, but I did not suit a mainstream college, so Landau have helped me to fulfil my potential. I’m a really caring person and to be able to help someone in their hour of need is my dream so they’re helping me to achieve that.”

The new centre will offer training in a range of vocational qualifications including NOCN Entry Level 3 Introduction to Construction; Level 1 and 2 in Customer Services; NOCN Beauty and Hospitality accredited qualifications and VTCT awarded NVQs up to Level 3 in Hair and Beauty, as well apprenticeships and certificates in general functional and employability skills.

For more information on the courses and training available, visit https://www.landau.co.uk/.

Landau works in partnership with a number of organisations across the Shropshire area to deliver its projects and support services and last year it was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its work in Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).

Midlands News, News, Recruitment

Jarell Group expands business through recruitment firm acquisition

A Midlands workforce solutions specialist has expanded through the acquisition of two recruitment companies in the East Midlands and Yorkshire.

The Jarell Group, which is headquartered in Birmingham, has finalised the takeover of jobs and recruitment firm, KHS Personnel, and its sister company, Bridge Recruitment.

Both firms, which employ 17 people across their offices in Nottingham and York, will now become part of Jarell Group with the new owners retaining both brands and pledging to create more jobs.

James Cronin, Group Commercial Director of The Jarell Group, said the acquisition of both firms, which were founded by managing director Kevin McCormick in the 1990s, is part of the company’s strategic growth plans in the East Midlands and North Yorkshire regions.

He said: “KHS and Bridge Recruitment are respected recruitment businesses with long and successful histories.

“We have worked closely with Kevin and his team over several months to conclude the acquisitions and I am delighted to get the deals across the line.

“Customers will benefit in so many ways. Vitally, it will allow for faster access to a wider pool of experts and will see us making substantial six-figure investment into technology, systems and the team.

“With KHS and Bridge Recruitment now part of a wide network of 10 recruitment firms under our Group umbrella, it will also allow for the attraction of new candidates and a broader net to draw in the best quality talent.

“We want to grow further into the East Midlands and Yorkshire and ultimately add more jobs. Both firms are the perfect fit and expand our presence in Yorkshire alongside Qualtech Resourcing, our existing recruitment business in Dewsbury.”

Mr Cronin confirmed that immediate investment would be made into the infrastructures of KHS Personnel and Bridge Recruitment, along with a focus on the development of their systems and processes.

The deal is expected to create further jobs to boost Jarell Group’s 150-strong workforce nationally going forward.

With offices in Birmingham, London, Leeds and Walsall, The Jarell Group was founded nearly 30 years ago and has since gone on to become a trusted workforce solutions provider for hundreds of businesses across the UK.

Readers can visit www.jarell.co.uk for further information.

Midlands News, News, Tech

OGL Group continues rapid expansion with record new recruits and major site refurbishment

Company initiates recruitment drive with plans to exceed 350 employees by end of 2022

After a record 12 months due to several new multi-year contract wins and growth of its workforce to over 300, OGL Group has laid out plans to maintain its position as one of the largest technology solutions providers in the Midlands.

Following significant growth in 2021, OGL Group reached a real milestone with 300 staff members across its Midlands and London office locations and is well on the way to exceeding its target of 350 staff by the year end having already seen 20+ new recruits joining its workforce in the first quarter of 2022.

This exceptional growth, particularly during a pandemic, is being driven by organisations (both in the private and public sectors) wanting to invest in digital transformation solutions to deliver greater efficiencies, as well as cyber security to strengthen their posture against the growing threat from cyber-crime. This has led to the need to employ more staff to meet the demands of their growing customer base.

To accommodate its expanding team, OGL Group has recently undertaken a major development and refurbishment project at their Kidderminster site which is almost complete. “We are just putting the finishing touches to areas such as our gardens, which now form a central feature at the site and will be a great space for our staff to relax and take time out”, says Debbie Barton, Chief Operating Officer.

The development project has seen the addition of over 10,000sqft following the acquisition of a number of surrounding properties. The newly upgraded site boasts a suite of high-tech rooms kitted with the latest AV and networking technologies, an interactive reception area and garden-facing meeting rooms, welcoming visitors and OGL Group’s growing workforce.

The OGL Group’s cyber security arm, CyberGuard Technologies, has attracted talent from across the UK, and grew its team by 20% in the last three months with plans to expand by a further 50% by the end of 2022. Increased investment in cyber security by organisations within manufacturing, financial services, building societies and NHS trusts, is driving demand for CyberGuard’s services due to their reputation as a leading MSSP in these industries.

“The fast pace of the industry, and the ever-evolving technologies being adopted by CyberGuard, is what is really attracting people to us as they want to build their career within a thriving and successful business. And the backgrounds of our new recruits are also as varied and interesting. One of our latest recruits has come from a military background, where he was managing communications for the SAS”, says Sean Tickle, Head of CyberGuard.

Thanks to its reputation as a local business who place a real emphasis on providing career progression opportunities, many of OGL Group’s current employees are long service team members. From a workforce of over 300, almost 80 have been with the company for more than 10 years. Phil Hawkes joined the Company in 1983 and is now Senior Software Consultant, and one of the team behind the development of its ERP business software, prof.ITplus, the predecessor to OGL’s new Profit4 system.

Debbie continued: “We are generating lots of job opportunities for both experienced professionals but also those wanting to join the industry, either from school or college at entry-level, through to someone looking for a career change into IT. Our new recruits are saying that they chose to come and work with us because of our reputation as a progressive and career development focused employer, and because we really care about our staff and encourage and recognise exceptional service.   

“Coming from a variety of backgrounds, some of our new recruits are switching from careers in fields that have nothing to do with IT, but no matter where they have started their career path, if they have a passion for working in the technology industry then we welcome applications for any of the vacancies we currently have advertised. And even if we don’t have the right vacancy available now, we encourage anyone who really wants to work with us to send in their CVs as all our teams are growing fast so our needs are constantly evolving.”

OGL Group is currently recruiting for a number of positions, including roles in technical support, sales, cyber security, as well as software development and administration.  One of their newest recruits, George Harper, knew he wanted to work at OGL from a young age and follow in his father’s footsteps. George’s father worked at OGL back in 2000 – 2008 as a Senior Networking Engineer and George remembers being taught all about computers so when he was given the opportunity to join OGL he commented: “it’s a dream come true; they are a great company to work for. OGL has not only provided me with an amazing opportunity, but being on the VDI team allows me to help customers every minute of the day which appeals to my nature of wanting to help others.”

For more information on those vacancies, visit https://www.ogl.co.uk/opportunities