Category Archives: South East

Twisted makes a splash with purchase of second marine engineering business

Twisted Marine has extended its capabilities with the acquisition of Brighton-based West Marine Services 

Twisted Marine, sister company to North Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive, is expanding its capabilities and resources after a deal to acquire Brighton-based marine engineering business, West Marine Services Limited. 

West Marine, which turns over circa £700,000 and provides powerboat service, repair and supply services, will join the Twisted Marine group of companies and continue to scale its operations as part of the larger business. 

Twisted Marine said the acquisition would support its plans to grow its market presence in the marine sector and cement its growing reputation for building and enhancing power boats based on solid marine engineering foundations.  

West Marine is an authorised dealer for Volvo Penta, Mercury Marine and Yanmar and the business will strengthen Twisted Marine’s dealership links to support customers across the whole of the south coast.  

Based in a 1900 sq. ft facility in a prime location on the Brighton Marina Village, West Marine was founded in 2005 and has developed a reputation as a one-stop shop for all types of leisure craft, from small tenders to large yachts. The business’s current owner, Mike West, will exit the business. 

Twisted founder Charles Fawcett says: “There are some excellent synergies between our two marine engineering businesses, which together will provide us with a wider client base and expanded capabilities across the south coast. The cultures within the two organisations are remarkably similar, which will ensure a smooth integration and enable us to quickly get on with scaling Twisted Marine further.  

“West Marine Services is a second-generation engineering company, with significant engineering knowledge to bring to the Marine Services Group of the future. We very much look forward to welcoming the West Marine team to Twisted, and working together with them to create a centre of marine engineering excellence, firmly putting Twisted Marine on the map as a household name in the marine industry.” 

Twisted entered the marine market in November 2020 when Fawcett acquired Devon-based SMS (Salcombe) Limited for an undisclosed sum and rebranded it as Salcombe Marine Services. Twisted Marine is currently reviewing a number of additional acquisitions to bolster its growth plans. 

Twisted Marine is run by Fawcett and MD Jake Cronk, a fully qualified marine engineer and member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineer who holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He joined the business following a successful career with the Mercedes AMG Formula 1 and Formula E teams.   

 

Picture credit:  

Back row (left to right): Carl Davey, Chris Bailey, Andy Cabell 

Front Row (left to right): Joe Bullen, Jake Cronk, Roz Swaffer 

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About Twisted Marine 

 Twisted Marine is part of the Twisted Group, founded in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, in 2000 by Charles Fawcett. 

 The group is globally recognised as the leading modifier of the Land Rover Defender, seeking to make the iconic vehicle the best it can possibly be through continual improvement with its team of in-house designers and engineers.  

 The business employs people across the globe – each committed to the shared ambition of making the best off-road vehicle better whilst never losing sight of what makes a Defender special in the first place.  

Following the purchase of a marine engineering business in Salcombe in 2020, the business was positioned to launch Twisted Marine. A team of experienced marine engineers and a management team with a pedigree in Formula 1, Formula E and Offshore Powerboat Racing now intend to grow the Twisted brand in the marine world. 

 Whether on land or water, the Twisted brands promise to deliver the best possible design and performance and are united in one mission; Making the best. Better. 

 Twisted Marine is headquartered in Salcombe. The Twisted Group has additional locations in Kensington, Salcombe, Silverstone, Austin (Texas) and Dubai and is headquartered in Thirsk. 

 Website: www.twistedmarine.com 

 

Morgan Sindall Construction completes hat-trick of hospital refurbishment in Norfolk

Morgan Sindall Construction has completed a new refurbishment scheme at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust following the successful delivery of two previous upgrade projects, signalling its total commitment to working with them long term.  

The Great Yarmouth-based hospital now benefits from refurbishment work to Ophthalmic Theatre 8, the latest in a series of three upgrades at the site totalling £3.8m 

The Morgan Sindall Construction Eastern Counties business had previously formed a strong partnership with the NHS Foundation Trust throughout two previous projects during the pandemic. The 872 sq. ft. refurbished operating theatre includes a separate prep and scrub room. 

Relying on its strong partnership with the hospital, Morgan Sindall Construction have ensured that the construction activity has not impacted the vital work of the live hospital site.   

Taking into account key considerations, such as the worksite being located in the middle of an active hospital where there are no out-of-office hours and that intricate surgery can take place just metres away, has been an important aspect of the project’s design and build.  

As part of the refurbishment, the pre-existing theatre was demolished, converted and refitted. In order to not disrupt the flow of the hospital, Morgan Sindall Construction built and utilised an external entry point. 

Alister Broadberry, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Eastern Counties, said: “This is now the third project we have completed on behalf of James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and it has been a privilege to build upon our previous partnership formed with the hospital.  

“Through this long-standing project we have formed a close relationship with the team and key stakeholders at the hospital. This, in addition to our experience constructing in delicate surroundings, has been beneficial for the whole project team when delivering the intricate refitting work required for the project. 

“It is not only the refurbished hospital theatre that the community will now benefit from, as Morgan Sindall Construction’s commitment to using local contractors and employing local people has generated additional value for the Great Yarmouth area.” 

Richard Varvel, Estates Capital Programme Manager at the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Located above and adjacent to the ‘live’ clinical areas, refurbishment work to create a new Ophthalmic Theatre has been particularly challenging.  

“Working closely with hospital staff, Morgan Sindall Construction managed the work with minimal disruption to patients, keeping to a tight project programme and within budget. Feedback from staff using the new Theatre has been great, allowing the hospital to increase surgical capacity for cataract operations and other eye surgery going forward.” 

Data Access and Security Leader Immuta Cements EMEA Presence

Scalable and automated data access is now available across the region as Immuta continues to expand globally 

Immuta, the leader in automated data access and security, is establishing its European headquarters in London to better serve its growing customer base in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Sweden. Immuta’s growing base of European customers includes Roche, Swedbank and Billie.

With its recently announced Series E funding, Immuta will continue to grow and support its sales, solutions, and customer success teams across Europe in an ongoing mission to meet growing global demand and deepen strategic partnerships within the region. 

This will be critical as organisations put more resources toward data security platforms. A recent Gartner report titled ‘Innovation Insight for Data Security Platforms’ reveals that “at least 70% of [data security platform (DSP)] expenditure will go to vendors of DSPs with broad capabilities” by 2027, and recognises Immuta as one such vendor. 

“As global organisations continue to migrate data to the cloud in unprecedented volumes, they will face the challenge of providing access to data at scale, while ensuring it is done securely and in accordance with rules and privacy regulations,” says Immuta’s CEO, Matthew Carroll. “Immuta’s data teams in the EMEA region can now provide automated data access control at scale across the leading cloud data platforms,” added Carroll.

Data-driven organisations use Immuta’s Data Access Platform to speed time-to-data, safely share more data with more users, and mitigate the risk of data leaks and breaches. It ensures that users have access to the right data at the right time, as long as they have the rights.  

Colin Mitchell, Immuta’s General Manager for EMEA, has vast experience in the international data space, and will continue growing the team and driving forward Immuta’s mission to address the data security and privacy concerns felt by European businesses. 

“We are delighted to expand our presence in Europe, as well as other key regions around the globe,” says Mitchell. “Our European and Australian presence really mark our commitment to our international customers and will help us address the growing demand for scalable data access that we’ve witnessed working with businesses across Europe.”

Immuta recently partnered with Nordic-Baltic based Banking Group Swedbank, one of the largest banks in Sweden and the third largest in the Nordics. The bank’s data team chose to integrate Immuta with its existing Databricks Lake architecture in order to execute its “Enterprise Analytics in the Cloud initiative,” and move its on-premises Hadoop-based data lake to the cloud.

Vineeth Menon, Head of Data Lake Engineering at Swedbank, said: “This strategic decision is enabling us to drive business innovation, improve data-driven decision making, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience, while mitigating risk and adhering to compliance and regulatory standards.” 

Immuta has also worked with Billie, the Berlin-based fintech company, to help the company speed up access to data ten-fold and double the usage of data across the company. A spokesperson from Billie said: “Immuta has given us significant acceleration. But, it’s not just about time. It’s about simplicity and granularity. Immuta gives us a precise instrument in our toolbox to explicitly see and grant access to data. It’s a great addition to our modern data stack.”

Immuta’s platform supports global financial services, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, transportation, retail, and public sector organisations, as well as leading tech firms. Many of the world’s top data-driven organisations, including Swedbank, Roche, Mercedes-Benz Group, IAG, and Billie, rely on Immuta every day to quickly, safely, and efficiently share more data with more users. 

Immuta’s growing partner network of top cloud data platforms includes SnowflakeDatabricksAmazon RedshiftGoogle BigQueryAzure Synapse, and Starburst. Recently, Snowflake approved Immuta as its first Snowflake Ready Technology Validation Partner in its “Data Security” category of partners. The validation recognises that Immuta’s Snowflake integration adheres to the platform’s best practices around performance, reliability, and security.

Chichester builders merchant supports homeless charity with funding

The Chichester depot of Covers Timber & Builders Merchants has donated £4,500 to Stonepillow, helping the local charity replace flooring in its Chichester hostel.

Formed in 1989, the charity supports and empowers homeless people across West Sussex by offering a complete recovery journey that focuses on improving health and wellbeing. It provides community outreach services to support rough sleepers, residential services to help people gain stability within the community, supported accommodation for those recovering from homelessness, and a residential community-based abstinence service for people recovering from substance misuse.

Stonepillow’s Chichester hostel has 11 individual bedrooms, bathrooms and a communal area. The charity relies on donations and funding, and received a grant to help with renovations, but needed further funds to enable the flooring in all bedrooms and the communal lounge to be replaced.

Hilary Bartle, CEO of Stonepillow, commented:

“We want to recognise the support that Covers has provided not only to Stonepillow, but also the wider community, over many years. We are deeply grateful to all that Covers and the Green family do to support Stonepillow and our community and for helping so rapidly on this occasion.”

Rupert Green, Chairman of Covers, added:

“We have helped Stonepillow support some of the most vulnerable in our community for many years by providing materials along with large cash donations. We were delighted to step in again to help replace flooring in the hostel, it looks great.”

Queen Mary University of London launches new guarantor service in association with Housing Hand

UK rental guarantor service Housing Hand and Queen Mary University of London have announced the launch of a new partnership: the Queen Mary Guarantor Service in association with Housing Hand. The partnership will provide students with a preferential rate for Housing Hand’s rental guarantor service. It is open to all Queen Mary students, irrespective of year of study and with no caps or limitations in place.

The Housing Hand guarantor service makes it easier for students who don’t have a UK guarantor to access accommodation in the private rented sector. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures show that this type of accommodation was students’ preferred option in 2020/21, with 27% of students opting for privately rented homes – more than lived in any other property type.

“We know that many of our students want to rent privately as part of their experience of attending Queen Mary University of London. Yet securing private rented accommodation when you have no credit history and no UK-based rental guarantor can be a tough ask. As such, we are delighted to be working with Housing Hand to offer each and every one of our students an easier solution to accessing the private rented sector.”

John Iveson, Assistant Director Estates and Facilities (Commercial Services), Queen Mary University of London

Housing Hand’s guarantor service means that students don’t have to pay rent up-front when moving into a rental property. The company guarantees the student’s rent for the whole of their tenancy, delivering a landlord-friendly proposition as well as a student-friendly one.

The Queen Mary Guarantor Service will significantly reduce the rental barriers that some students face when they are unable to provide a qualifying guarantor. This can be an issue for both domestic and international students. Queen Mary’s students are drawn from over 170 nationalities, and approximately 41 per cent are from overseas.

The newly launched guarantor service is not the first time that Housing Hand and Queen Mary University of London have worked together. The university has been referring students to Housing Hand for a number of years. That process was itself an evolution of the original Queen Mary guarantor service, which was an in-house provision capped at 50 students and with capped rental amounts.

We are very pleased to be supporting Queen Mary University of London as it expands the provision of a discounted rental guarantor service to all students. This will make it easier for many of the university’s students to find and secure suitable homes in London as the autumn term approaches.”

James Maguire, Head of Sales and Business Development, Housing Hand

Young people studying in London already face plenty of barriers to renting. Deutsche Bank data shows that London is the sixth most expensive city in the world in which to rent a two-bedroom apartment. With the cost of everything from food to energy spiralling upward at present, those seeking accommodation in time for the start of the 2022/23 academic year can at least cut out the need to stump up a vast amount of rent upfront, thanks to the new Queen Mary Guarantor Service in association with Housing Hand.

 

 

Comms365 Win ‘Best Wireless Connectivity Provider’ At CommsBusiness Awards

Milton Keynes-Based Business Stands Out Across the Channel Industry

Comms365, an innovative network services company specialising in bespoke data connectivity, network services and IoT, is excited to announce that it has won ‘Best Wireless Connectivity Provider at the CommsBusiness Awards.

The CommsBusiness Awards, which took place in London on the 21st of July 2022, celebrates businesses who build pioneering solutions, contribute to innovative projects, and nurture supportive workplaces. The independent awards’ judging panel includes industry experts Dr Lucy Green, Adam Zoldan, Chris Pateman, Itret Latif and David Terrar, who assessed each entry solely on the merits in front of them.

The Milton Keynes-based business was shortlisted earlier this year for ‘Best Wireless Connectivity Provider,’ under the ‘Connectivity Awards,’ alongside Contingency Networks, Jola, Pangea Connected and Spitfire.

Connectivity is a crucial factor for business continuity. And, as internet communications are no longer restricted to fixed-line only delivery, companies can now invest in a hybrid communications model of wired and wireless internet access that truly satisfies business needs – irrespective of location.

Comms365 understands the importance for businesses to work with an experienced and trusted partner that offers all types of connectivity solutions that all sites require; including offices, distribution centres, warehouses, construction sites and wind farms.

Ruth van Bunnens, Commercial and Marketing Director at Comms365 comments: “At Comms365, we thrive on helping businesses solve their simple and complex internet connectivity challenges, and our focus is to support our customers to deliver precisely what they need. Our award-winning solutions offer faster communications, access to bigger data, reduce exposure to network outages and put customers back in control of their data networks.”

As well as walking away from the awards as a winner, Comms365 was also one of the sponsors at the CommsBusiness Awards, and specifically sponsored the ‘Best Fibre Connectivity Provider’ category – which Neos Networks won. 

CommsBusiness is the leading media brand covering the UK’s ICT (Information Communications Technology) Channel and brings together ideas and information from vendors, distributors, MSPs (Managed Service Providers), resellers and other channel companies to help the community achieve customer success and business growth.

Ruth van Bunnens concludes: “We had a wonderful evening celebrating channel businesses’ successes, and are honoured to have been awarded as the Best Wireless Connectivity Provider. Congratulations to all of the other winners and finalists across the CommsBusiness Awards. To have our achievements recognised across the industry has been a privilege for Comms365, and we are unbelievably proud of the team. We look forward to seeing what the rest of the year will bring.”

About Comms365:

Comms365 is an innovative Network Services company specialising in bespoke data connectivity, network services and IoT.  It has gained a reputation for delivering an exceptional level of service and value-added solutions to the B2B market, from across its product portfolio; 4G, Bonded Internet, SD-WAN, IoT, ISP Services and Rental. 

The capability of Comms365’s technology and solutions is underpinned by its own high capacity resilient core network, which interconnects to the main mobile operators including EE, Three, O2, Vodafone and numerous fixed line carriers including (but not limited to), Virgin, BT, TTB, CityFibre and Sky. This highly advanced network delivers combined wireless and wired solutions that are agile and scalable to customer requirements.

We design, build and manage IoT network technologies – M2M, LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, Sigfox and Wi-Fi and offer both shared and private platforms

Covers Timber & Builders Merchants adds to its green ambitions

Covers Timber & Builders Merchants has added three brand new electric forklift trucks at its Chichester depot, further supporting the company’s ambitions of reducing its carbon footprint and reaching net-zero for carbon emissions.

The builders merchant is committed to increasing its fleet of electric machinery and road vehicles. The new electric forklifts at Chichester are in addition to the seven already being used at the depot.

In 2022, Covers has replaced eight of its diesel fork trucks with electric machines, and 11 more are due to enter service across the group in 2023.

Covers has also been working to reduce the carbon footprint of its road-going fleet by replacing traditional fuelled cars with alternative fuel, fully electric and hybrid vehicles. In the last year, 18 fully electric cars and 16 hybrid vehicles have been added to the fleet, and Covers is committed to replacing the remaining conventional cars in the next few years.

Adam Conrad, Group Transport Manager at Covers, commented:

“We are dedicated to minimising our impact on the environment and are constantly re-evaluating all aspects of our business.

“There have been significant improvements in technology for both plant machinery and road-going vehicles. By taking advantage of these modern electric vehicles, we can cut the emissions released from our depots and reduce our overall carbon footprint. Continually investing in new electric vehicles and forklift trucks across the fleet is one way we are doing this.”

In addition, Covers is changing their bulk bags to eco-friendly alternatives, which are made with a minimum of 30% recycled materials. The bulk bags are used for products such as sand, aggregates and shingle. Rubble sacks have already been switched to 30% recycled content, and brown paper bags have replaced plastic carrier bags in store.

These new electric vehicles and bulk bags are part of a range of sustainable initiatives Covers has implemented to help it reach its net zero goal. These include, installing solar panels to the roofs of the majority of its depots, utilising ultra-low consumption LED lighting, sourcing timber that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and increasing the amount of waste that is reused and recycled (currently this is at 80%).

CloudStratex signs sponsorship deal with Richmond Rugby

Enterprise IT advisory-to-execution specialist, CloudStratex, has agreed to a one-year sponsorship deal with Championship rugby union side Richmond Rugby.

CloudStratex will sponsor the South-West London club, whose men’s first team plays in the RFU Championship (Level 2) for the 2022/23 season. The company typically helps large enterprise organisations improve their IT operational efficiency and resilience through better use of technology such as the cloud.

Richmond will use the sponsorship money to upgrade and modernise the Club’s current IT system. As part of the agreement, CloudStratex will have a pitch-side advertising board at every home game throughout the season and a full-page advert in every home digital match day programme, as well as one match ball sponsor position with the opportunity to host up to 10 guests on a Richmond match day.

Brad Day, co-founder and Director of CloudStratex, said: “I am delighted that we have been able to agree on this sponsorship deal with Richmond Rugby. Having been a member of the club for over 20 years, I know how much of a positive impact a sponsorship agreement like this will have on the management and development of the club, and we very much look forward to working with Richmond over the course of the new season.

Jimmy Wallace, Group Commercial Director for Richmond Rugby, added: “We are thrilled to have an innovative IT company like CloudStratex on board as a Club Partner and on behalf of the club, I would like to thank Brad and all his team for their support so far and we look forward to welcoming them all down here to the Athletic Ground this season.”

CloudStratex, headquartered in the City of London works with mainly large, blue-chip organisations, many of which are in financial services, and is undergoing rapid growth.

In July 2022, CloudStratex was awarded a prestigious position on The Sunday Times 100 fastest growing private companies list, where it was ranked the 27th fastest growing independent business and the fastest growing IT provider in the UK.

For more information, visit:

https://www.cloudstratex.com

Nemco joins the Manufacturing Assembly Network as it aims to push sales towards £30m

One of the UK’s leading printed circuit board manufacturers has become the latest company to join the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), as it pledges to record a £30m turnover by 2026.

Stevenage-based electronics specialist Nemco posted an £11m turnover figure in the last financial year and believes its involvement in the unique collective of sub-contract manufacturers and an engineering design agency will play a crucial role in helping it reach the ambitious target over the next four years.

MAN, which employs more than 1750 people across 13 different factories, offers every engineering discipline imaginable, including aluminium casting, automation and control systems, forging, high-volume pressings, plastic injection moulding, precision machining, tube manipulation and welded assemblies.

Attracting Nemco to the group is seen as a huge coup, with the printed circuit board assembly experts boasting a diverse client base touching many different sectors, including aerospace, defence, industrial and medical.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of MAN, for the simple reason that the group boasts like-minded businesses who are progressive, ambitious and looking to grow,” explained David Duric, Sales & Marketing Director at Nemco.

“There is no competition within the group, so there is a great culture of transparency and best practice sharing that can only be good for our business. Importantly, we also offer new solutions that complement the core capabilities of other members in the Manufacturing Assembly Network.

“It has been a tough time in the manufacturing sector due to the global pandemic and its after-effects. We effectively lost a year somewhere and although there was a slight dip in the order book during the initial pandemic, we remained strong and diversified to weather the storm.”

He continued: “Thankfully we recovered because we acted quickly. We planned ahead and we kept on investing in new machinery and strengthening our purchasing department to offset the rising costs of raw materials. This combined approach has seen us emerge in a position of strength.”

Nemco, which was formed in 1985 by Dave Pearce and currently employs 122 people at its 60,000 sq ft Wedgwood Way facility, has identified significant opportunities in the renewable energy and EV sectors and is planning to make significant inroads in the months and years ahead.

It has also recruited two dedicated business development managers for the first time, who will spearhead a strengthened sales team, tasked with focusing on new opportunities and working with MAN to explore joint opportunities.

David added: “We are equally adept at providing finished PCB solutions or assisting our clients with their own processes.

“In some cases, they work up their designs and pass on to us to create. We make up to 24,000 in one week for one client in the medical sector, so our work is extremely varied.”

MAN, which works together to win new contracts and share best practice, comprises Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, Kimbermills International, PP Control & Automation and Muller Holdings.

The group has secured a string of contracts across automotive, electronics, medical and renewables following the easing of lockdown.

Oxfordshire-based agency owner providing free Digital Marketing masterclasses to the business community

Creative digital marketing agency owner, Aaron Rudman-Hawkins, has conducted the first of his Evergreen Masterclasses, one of only a few free marketing initiatives available to the business community. These free sessions provide businesses with strategic digital marketing expertise to navigate through one of the most economically challenging times they may face in many years.

Having seen the effect that the pandemic had on business in a variety of sectors, and with a recession predicted for the near future, Aaron Rudman-Hawkins, digital marketing agency owner and SEO expert with over 15 years of experience, decided that something needs to be done to best equip businesses to thrive difficult times, achieved by having a strong online marketing strategy. 

The newly released Evergreen masterclasses started this month in person at The Evergreen Agency’s head office in Bicester, Oxfordshire, with the purpose to educate businesses on how to create a strong digital marketing strategy through SEO, content marketing and paid media and how to implement it to ensure maximum success. These are aimed at businesses in specific sectors that The Evergreen Agency has continued to partner with over the past 8 years, acquiring vast experience, expertise and insights into how those businesses get the most from digital marketing. The select business sectors include retail & eCommerce, hospitality & leisure, home improvements, health & social care and professional services. 

Aaron Rudman-Hawkins has commented on his new initiative to help over 60 businesses in the next few months: 

“After 15+ years of digital marketing experience with eight of those years running Evergreen always in the same sectors, I am excited to share my expertise to help businesses future-proof themselves, despite what 2022 and 2023 may throw at them. 

Believe me, it has never been more important to have your digital marketing ducks in a row. The online world was a very different place the last time we had a recession in 2008-09, and I can almost guarantee most businesses didn’t have anywhere near as much of a reliance on digital marketing back then as they do now. I can’t stress the importance enough of how businesses need to be ready, so they prosper while competitors may struggle and I can’t wait to share this message with the first group of businesses that sign up for our masterclasses in the upcoming months.” 

The first masterclass, conducted earlier this month was a success, with those that attended from various local and national businesses commenting on how insightful the morning workshop was:

“Thank you for a great experience, it has provided me with a lot to consider from a marketing perspective. The masterclass was really clear and broken down so that from a management point of view I am now able to see what we need to do first and ensure we get our foundations in place.”

You can find further information, dates and availability for the new masterclasses here – https://theevergreenagency.co.uk/masterclasses/