Category Archives: Midlands News

Midlands News, News

Bright future as lighting company makes the switch

A specialist lighting company from Herefordshire has transformed its production process and expanded its workforce thanks to support from the Marches Growth Hub.

Hector Finch Lighting Ltd received a £30,000 Business Growth Programme grant to help owners Hector and Emma Finch expand into new premises in Leominster. As a result of the move, the business has brought its manufacturing processes in-house and created up to eight new jobs.

It was supported by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership’s business support service, the Marches Growth Hub, delivered in Herefordshire by the LEP’s partners, Herefordshire Council.

Emma said: “The grant from the Business Growth Programme (BGP) supported the purchase of kit-out costs in our new home at Easters Court as well as creating a new loading bay and bringing the production in-house.

“The Marches Growth Hub was hugely helpful in supporting us to access the funding and we initially aimed to create three jobs but we’ve created more than that. The whole experience has been extremely positive for us.

“Our ability to grow since we have been at Easters Court has helped to deliver 50 per cent growth in the last two years. We would never have managed that in our old premises because we just physically didn’t have the space, either for the stock or the production, the boxes or the staff.”

Hector Finch Lighting designs and manufactures light fittings, about 80 per cent of which are exported to American interior designers working in high-end properties. The business also fulfils some commercial contracts with quality hotels and restaurants.

Emma said contract details for the new premises meant that the BGP application process was very time sensitive. The company was supported in the application by the Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire team from Herefordshire Council.

She said: “We worked closely with the Marches Growth Hub to put the application together as it can be demanding but it was an interesting process. In many ways, it helps you discipline yourself to really think about what you are wanting to achieve out of the project and to put together a business plan and really work the figures through in a meaningful way. I would say it was a pretty positive experience all round.”

Hector added: “With the new investment we have tried to make it much more of a full manufacturing process. What we buy in is the basic raw material, which is mainly brass, and we manufacture most of our components here on site with our new CNC machinery.

“The lights are then metal-finished and wired in-house. This is a big change on where we were a short time ago, when a lot of all the components, and the finishing and any painting, were all outsourced.”

Amongst the new employees are skilled local engineers who had previously been made redundant. Emma said the new premises were also helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint, both by reducing the number of miles components were being transported and through better insulation and energy saving.

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Birmingham City Council, the Business Growth Programme offers grants of £2,500 to £1,000,000 and is designed to strengthen supply chains, stimulate innovation and help businesses grow. The programme is available to both start-ups and existing B2B SMEs in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Grant funding is limited and subject to availability for companies which meet the eligibility criteria.

For more information about the Business Growth Programme and other grants available to businesses, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk

Midlands News, News

West Midlands ready to ride the storm amid gloomy financial forecast

Despite gloomy economic forecasts, business leaders in the West Midlands are optimistic about their growth opportunities for the year ahead.

According to data from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker*, mid-market optimism in the West Midlands has rebounded across all indicators monitored:

Profit growth expectations have grown +47 percentage points (pp) since October

Revenue growth expectations have risen +33pp since October

Economic optimism has risen +29pp since October

The results indicate that businesses are confident they can weather this economic downturn. Optimism regarding their funding position has risen +37pp since October. Over half (60%) are also confident that they have sufficient working capital to manage the impact of a recession for six months or more.

The top concerns for the region’s mid-market heading into 2023 are industrial action and the rising tax burden, both of which they feel sufficiently prepared to manage.

The mid-market continues to struggle to attract and retain talent, with 56% of respondents experiencing unusually high attrition rates. Over half (56%) are also struggling to recruit for open roles.

But employers are pulling out all the stops in a bid to remain competitive. Over three quarters of respondents (78%) are planning to offer their people a pay rise in line with, or above, inflation, while 92% are also reviewing their employee benefits package to make it more competitive. Over a third (44%) are also planning to invest more in skills development over the next six months.

The research also finds that the mid-market is starting to look for ways to reduce its reliance on people, with over three quarters (88%) agreeing that they are increasing their use of automation and digital.

James Brown, Partner and Practice Leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “The market’s positivity levels are surprisingly at odds with the forecasts from the Bank of England and the government. Optimism levels have rebounded significantly since the shock and uncertainty from October’s mini-Budget plummeted mid-market optimism to some of the lowest recorded in our Tracker.

“The certainty provided since last October seems to have reassured the market. Even though we know the economy is not likely to significantly improve in the short term, it is perhaps better to know what is happening even if the news is bad rather than grappling with surprises that can’t be planned for.

“While a potential recession seems to be looming, our survey shows that the labour market remains a concern. Employers are trying to improve efficiency and productivity, while also managing cost levels, which is demonstrated by high investments in technology and people.

“Having seen first-hand how our region responded to the challenges of recent years with determination, agility, enterprise and innovation, I am confident that businesses in the West Midlands will find a way to survive and thrive during the months ahead. Given the encouragingly high optimism levels, it would seem that the local market shares this confidence in its prospects for 2023.”

Midlands News, News

Gloomy economic forecasts fail to dampen mood for East Midlands businesses

Despite gloomy economic forecasts, business leaders in the East Midlands are optimistic about their growth opportunities for the year ahead.

According to data from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker*, mid-market optimism in the East Midlands has rebounded across all indicators monitored:

Revenue growth expectations have risen +36 percentage points (pp) since October

Profit growth expectations are rising – increasing +24pp since October

Economic optimism has risen +22pp since October

The results indicate that businesses are confident they can weather this economic downturn. Optimism regarding their funding position has risen +20pp since October. Almost three quarters (74%) are also confident that they have sufficient working capital to manage the impact of a recession for six months or more.

The top concerns for the region’s mid-market heading into 2023 are the rising tax burden and wage increases, both of which they feel sufficiently prepared to manage.

The mid-market continues to struggle to attract and retain talent, with 64% of respondents experiencing unusually high attrition rates. Over half (62%) are also struggling to recruit for open roles.

Employers are pulling out all the stops in a bid to remain competitive. Over three quarters of respondents (84%) are planning to offer their people a pay rise in line with, or above, inflation, while 76% are also reviewing their employee benefits package to make it more competitive. Almost half (44%) are also planning to invest more in skills development over the next six months.

The research also finds that the mid-market is starting to look for ways to reduce its reliance on people. Over three quarters (76%) agree that they are increasing their use of automation and digital.

James Brown, Partner and Practice Leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “The market’s positivity levels are surprisingly at odds with the forecasts from the Bank of England and the government. Optimism levels have rebounded significantly since the shock and uncertainty from October’s mini-Budget plummeted mid-market optimism to some of the lowest recorded in our Tracker.

“The certainty provided since last October seems to have reassured the market. Even though we know the economy is not likely to significantly improve anytime soon, it is perhaps better to know what is happening even if the news is bad rather than grappling with surprises that can’t be planned for.

“While a potential recession seems to be looming, our survey shows that the labour market remains a concern. Employers are trying to improve efficiency and productivity, while also managing cost levels, which is demonstrated by high investments in technology and people.

“Having seen first-hand how our region responded to the challenges of recent years with determination, agility, enterprise and innovation, I am confident that businesses in the East Midlands will find a way to survive and thrive during the months ahead. Given the encouragingly high optimism levels, it would seem that the local market shares this confidence in its prospects for 2023.”

Appointments, Care, Care Home News, Midlands News, News

Lindsey takes the helm at Woodcroft

A new manager has taken over the reins at a care home run by Shropshire’s leading care company.

Lindsey Arnold, 48, has joined Coverage Care Services as manager at Woodcroft in Market Drayton.

She has brought with her more than 30 years’ experience in the caring profession and is committed to continuing the high standards established at the home.

Lindsey said: “My mindset is very person-centred and I set very high standards when it comes to treating each person as an individual, with dignity and respect at all times.
“I am very much hands-on with the care when needed, and I like to coach and work alongside the staff.”

Lindsey previously worked as a carer, senior carer, nursing assistant and training officer with another Shropshire-based company before taking over as manager.

Coverage Care Chief Executive Debbie Price said: “We are delighted to have appointed Lindsey as our manager at Woodcroft. She brings a wealth of professional experience to the role which will enable us to continue to deliver a high-quality standard of care for our residents in the Market Drayton community.”

After a successful recruitment drive at the home, one of Lindsey’s first big tasks will be to ensure that all new staff get to know the residents at Woodcroft and their families.

Woodcroft has 50 bedrooms and offers small group living as well as respite and short-stay care. It also includes specialist care for people living with dementia.
Coverage Care Services operates 12 homes across Shropshire and employs in the region of 1,000 people.

Food & Drink, Midlands News, News

UK music venue to offer West African street food in latest collab

Swingin’ soul and retro music venue, The Night Owl has partnered with West African food suppliers Plantain to offer high quality street food for when the dancing demands a break.

The venue has won many fans in recent years with its packed programme of events and is now adding fresh dining options to its Finsbury Park HQ.

Plantain Kitchen offers the perfect partnership. Founded in 2019 by Toby Oladokun, the street food brand finds a gap in the market for West African cuisine which was previously under-represented around the area. This fits with The Night Owl’s ethos of spinning original vinyl featuring racially diverse and eclectic musical genres at its weekly club nights.

The vendor offers a pop-up service on-site around the nightclub’s events and offers visitors the chance to enjoy some quality food whilst soaking up the atmosphere. Its menu is primarily a takeaway format with some seating available.

Plantain Kitchen aims to capture the energy of West Africa, presenting simple, deeply flavourful dishes with style and panache. The cuisine places an emphasis on fresh, nutritious dishes with a signature selection of jollof rice bowls, burgers and desserts including traditional West African hot doughnuts.

Another standout dish is the Suya honey fried chicken. Suya is a classic west African rub made from from peanuts, ginger and chillies which is mixed with honey to give the chicken a sweet and spicy finish.

Vegan diners are also well accommodated for with dedicated variations of their trademark dishes. Plantain Kitchen was recently labelled “Vegan Food at its Best” by the Vegan Review.

The plantain – a tropical fruit variety of the banana – from which the kitchen derives its name, features heavily in the cooking, offering an exotic, totally unique twist on the now ubiquitous street food experience.

The venture started out as a joint effort between Toby and his mother Sika in marketplaces across London before finding wider acclaim on online food delivery company, Deliveroo. The kitchen was nominated for the ‘Best Newcomer’ award in 2020.

The Night Owl’s endorsement now offers the company exposure to an even broader audience. Arith Liyange, CEO and founder of The Night Owl said: “Since opening for us in early December, Toby and his team have cooked up a storm with his winning mix of Western African fayre.

“This new dining option brings something completely different to the area and slots in seamlessly around our current drinking and dancing offering.”

Commercial Property, Commercial Property News, Midlands News, News

Jewellery Quarter welcomes new flexible workspace following £5m investment

The Jewellery Quarter has welcomed a brand-new flexible workspace following a £5million investment. Formerly known as the ‘Big Peg’, the newly launched JQ Modern offers a range of private offices, both fully serviced and managed, for businesses from 1 to 50 people.

The impressive 100,000 sq ftt landmark sits on Golden Square in the centre of the Jewellery Quarter and provides stylish affordable and versatile private office space. Designed to provide everything a business needs, JQ Modern’s occupiers benefit from one monthly payment and flexible contract options.

Private offices have been paired with break out and collaborative spaces, stunning facilities across seven floors, on-site yoga classes, and much more. It also boasts spectacular panoramic views of the city skyline, boutique communal lounges, two boardrooms for up to 15 people, and six meeting rooms for smaller groups.

Sales and Marketing Manager, Tara Elwell, comments: “We have put a healthy work environment at the heart of JQ Modern; with abundant natural daylight, opening windows, and stunning private workspaces. The Jewellery Quarter is the original creative hub of Birmingham, and JQ Modern now provides a fantastic opportunity for creators and entrepreneurs to work in a re-imagined space in the historic heart of our brilliant city.

“As well as the fantastic physical attributes of JQ Modern, we also provide businesses with contractual flexibility and high speed internet, which makes joining our entrepreneurial working community an easy decision!”

Tara adds: “We’ve grown our team from three to 10 people, with a great focus on providing five-star customer service and are looking forward to bolstering the existing community of digital and creative businesses in the area as exciting new businesses join us.”

JQ Modern sits in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, with a tram stop and train stop a few yards from the front door, and a 600-space car park immediately adjacent. The area boasts some of the best independent coffee shops, cafés, bars and pubs in the city, and the newly renovated building offers businesses space to foster their individual identity rather than be lost in a big brand shared workspace.

Charity & CSR, Midlands News, News

Sigma Connected donates £5,000 to help vulnerable people at Christmas

Business process outsourcing provider Sigma Connected has donated £5,000 worth of supermarket vouchers to 50 financially vulnerable people to help them cope with the expensive Christmas period.

Sigma, which offers ‘white label’ customer contact centre services across the energy, water, retail, financial services and telecommunications sectors, has given £100 vouchers to 50 people identified through its ground-breaking ReachOut initiative which supports customers who are struggling to manage their bills due to financial, mental health or other personal issues.

The company launched ReachOut in 2020 with the initiative gaining international recognition and winning countless awards over the past two years for how it has assisted and signposted vulnerable people to access the best possible support with a range of charities.

Gary Gilburd, CEO of Sigma Connected Group said: “I am proud that alongside our clients we are a business which is aware and acts on the big issues affecting people and communities.

“Our ReachOut initiative is part of that. It is unique as it allows our Pathfinder team to successfully engage with hundreds of people every week who are struggling to pay their bills. They are people we help to get back on track and therefore we asked the team to identify 50 people who they felt a £100 supermarket voucher would help.

“Christmas is a special time but more than anything, I hope it makes things that little bit easier for people we know have had a tough time coping personally, financially or mentally.”

Sigma Connected is headquartered in Birmingham. It offers contact centre services from its offices across the UK, South Africa and Australia.

Awards, Midlands News, News

Innovation drive helps Brandauer claim Medium Business of the Year at the Masters

One of the UK’s best kept manufacturing secrets has been named as the Medium Business of the Year at the Business Desk Masters Awards last night.

Brandauer, which produces millions of high tolerance metal pressings and stampings every week for customers in 25 different countries, beat off competition from across the region to claim the prestigious prize in front of 250 people in Birmingham.

The company was praised by judges for the way it diversified during the pandemic, creating its largest ever innovation project that has seen it become the lamination expert of choice for companies involved in electrification.

It’s an approach that has already delivered £1m of sales and seen it work closely with Jaguar Land Rover, Ricardo and Saietta on Government-funded projects.

Stuart Berry, Manufacturing Director at Brandauer, picked up the award: “The pandemic was tough for everyone, but it did give us time to consider the future and where we wanted to take the business.

“We had growing expertise in creating wafer thin laminations and wanted to innovate the bonding process so we could offer ‘stacks’ used in motors and stators in electric drivetrains. This has been achieved and we are now able to commercialise this in the UK and overseas.”

He continued: “The Business Desk Masters Award, which was sponsored by Azets, is a major honour for our company and underlines that SMEs can innovate their way out of difficult circumstances. A big thank you to all 69 staff, this prize is for you and your hard work, commitment and passion for UK manufacturing.”

Brandauer has increased its workforce by 20% and successfully secured more than £1m of lamination work as a direct result of the transformation project.

This includes rotor/stators for a tier 1 Slovenian automotive supplier of HVAC systems and a global tier one, the latter using them in a new $3m Supercar.

The final contract success is a £250,000 deal, which uses its in-house bonded stack capability to drive the motors in the next generation of military reconnaissance drones.

Construction, Construction News, Midlands News, News

Causeway’s acquisition of Yotta set to drive synergies across works execution and asset management

New solutions set targeted at driving efficiencies for contractors and local authorities alike

Construction technology provider Causeway Technologies has announced that it is leveraging its recent acquisition of Yotta, the UK’s leading provider of connected asset management software and services, to deliver synergies to contractors and local authorities across both works and project management and infrastructure asset management and maintenance.

Causeway’s acquisition of Yotta creates a single, truly integrated end-to-end solution that unites and manages the interface between asset management and works execution for local authorities and their contractors, giving both parties a single provider to reduce data silos and improve asset management simplicity.

Causeway will deliver capability across two key areas. The first, Causeway Maintenance Management, is targeted at contractors working on infrastructure asset management projects. It is essentially a project management tool that provides the ability to schedule job or enquiry tasks quickly and efficiently to project teams working out in the field.

Causeway Maintenance Management surpasses existing software solutions in this area in multiple ways including the use of forms to simplify the capture data from site with the use of customisable layouts for ease of data entry. It also provides enhanced job management capabilities, for example, providing the ability to save filters generically or for specific users:

The second major focus for product synergy is targeted at both local authorities and contractors and by integrating Yotta’s Alloy connected asset management solution and Causeway Project Accounting (CPA). This will deliver a seamless process which covers the whole life of an infrastructure asset from initial design right through asset maintenance and has the potential to brings local authorities and contractors together as a single team working on an infrastructure project.

Manish Jethwa, formerly Chief Product and Technology Officer of Yotta and now Chief Product Officer at Causeway, said: “The integration of processes and data is essential for all local authority contracts executed by contractors. With our new combined offerings, data will flow seamlessly between local authorities and their contractors in one single end-to-end solution, ensuring the needs of all stakeholders are met without compromise.

“The acquisition combines Yotta’s fantastic knowledge of the asset management needs for local authorities with Causeway’s own, well-established expertise in contractor job and resource management, thereby creating a team with an unparalleled depth of understanding.

“The synergy between the Causeway and Yotta products will drive efficiencies for both contractors and local authorities long into the future as the journey to enhanced functionality continues. Our team now has an expert understanding of both groups and the specific operational challenges that they are facing. Contractors can have confidence that the technology they work with at local authorities will be able to deliver the capability and intelligence they need and that will make them more productive and efficient as a result.”

***

About Causeway Technologies  

Causeway Technologies was established in 1999. Headquartered in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom, it serves over 2,800 customers and has over 400 employees. Causeway provides enterprise and cloud software solutions to the construction and infrastructure maintenance industries and spans the full value and supply chain.

About Yotta

Yotta (acquired by Causeway Technologies in June 2022) transforms the management of the built world to create safer, cleaner, and more sustainable places for everyone.

Its Alloy and Horizons cloud-based asset management software connects people, systems, and assets so that organisations can make better, more informed decisions and manage their infrastructure assets with greater efficiency, speed, and clarity than ever before.

Based in the UK, Yotta has an international network of partners, supports over 200 public and private customers and its software is used to manage more than 35 million assets.

Yotta was acquired by construction technology provider Causeway Technologies in June 2022. Established in 1999, the company serves over 3,000 customers and has over 400 employees. Causeway provides enterprise and cloud software solutions to the construction and infrastructure maintenance industries and spans the full value and supply chain.

Midlands News, News

Celebration event to mark 200 years of the Chance Brothers Glassworks

The iconic Chance Brothers ‘Glassworks’, which once employed 3500 people in its prime, is holding a special celebration later this week to mark 200 years since it first opened.

Held on Saturday October 29th at West Smethwick Park, the Bicentenary Celebrations will aim to raise the cultural and historic profile of former industrial sites and how the Black Country town has played such a prominent role in British engineering and technology.

It will also highlight the Chance Heritage Trust’s plans to transform the derelict site into a new urban village that will unlock over 20,000m2 of development for business, leisure and much-needed housing.

The event, which is the culmination of a community engagement programme funded by the Government’s Community Renewal Fund through the West Midlands Combined Authority, will also mark the success of #MadeinSmethwick.

Visitors are being encouraged to head to the Pavilion and the marquee between 10am and 4pm on the day, where there will be activities for children, heritage and art displays, an interactive display from the Trust’s Lighthouse Mapping Project, dance performances and the chance to take part in an Antiques Roadshow where experts will be on hand to tell you more about your ‘Chance’ memorabilia.

“The gates on Chance Glassworks closed in 1981 and, ever since, the buildings have remained derelict and are fast decaying – we need to find a solution, as it is such a waste of one of the West Midlands’ most historical sites,” explained Mark Davies, Chair of the Chance Heritage Trust.

“It used to be such a vibrant site and played an important part in the Black Country’s industrial heritage. The dream is to create a modern-day urban village that can drive jobs, drive investment and become a tourist destination that we can all be proud of.”

He continued: “The celebration event is a fantastic opportunity to get these messages out to the wider public, as we aim to raise the money needed to turn the vision into reality.

“We want to bring back some of our engagement activities for local communities to enjoy and hold space for people to share memories, forge new connections, and to help shape proposals for the future of important heritage sites in their area.”

Driven by the vision of the Chance Heritage Trust (CHT), the ambitious scheme could bring 2.2 hectares of derelict land and buildings back into use over the next five years, with 500 jobs set to be created if the plans are realised.

The proposed scheme will include a small conference facility, café, retail space, heritage educational centre, cultural and enterprise space and an iconic 30-metre-tall lighthouse – a stunning reminder of the world class work it did in supplying all the glass for the Crystal Palace and specialist lenses to 2000 lighthouses across the world.

Tonia Flannagan, a Director on the Board, concluded: “Smethwick has suffered from a lack of investment and continues to struggle with high unemployment and a lack of skills.

“Bringing the Chance Brothers Glassworks site back to life gives us the perfect opportunity to address some of these issues”.