New hub to be launched to 'transform' careers advice
A New Anglia Careers Hub is to be set up involving 32 local schools and colleges in Ipswich, Norwich and along the A140 corridor to improve careers education as part of a £5 million government scheme involving 20 similar initiatives across England. The hub will work with universities, training providers, employers and career professionals and will be delivered by New Anglia LEP with a group including the Chantry Academy in Ipswich and Norfolk and Suffolk county councils. The aim is for every school and college in the scheme to achieve all eight Gatsby Benchmarks by July 2020 and have a trained and accredited senior careers leader in place. It also aims to engage with the New Anglia Enterprise Adviser Network and for every young person to experience at least one “‘meaningful’ employer encounter” each year from year 7-13. Doug Field, chair of New Anglia LEP, said:“Our ambition is for the New Anglia Careers Hub to transform the careers advice offer for our young people. “
Firms urged to avoid complacency on Brexit
With research showing just 10 per cent of firms are currently developing or implementing a contingency plan for Brexit ahead of the March 2019 deadline, Grant Thornton is urging the region’s companies not to be complacent and to carefully consider how their operations will be affected. Its survey found that 22 per cent have not begun to form any kind of Brexit strategy and a further 42 per cent thought it unnecessary. Hazel Platt, practice leader at Grant Thornton’s East Anglian offices, said: “Whilst unknowns and uncertainty at policy level remain a hindrance to planning, local businesses cannot afford to sit back and do nothing. There are a number of actions they can and should consider now to stand them in good stead post-Brexit. These include forecasting for the various scenarios which could play out and identifying mitigating actions. Also ensuring businesses have the right, skilled people in place to take their operations forward during the transition period and beyond, and where applicable, the capabilities to manage exports and customs functions.”
MBO at Gt Yarmouth-based marine group
A management buyout has been completed at Gt Yarmouth-based Richards Dry Dock and Engineering and its subsidiaries – which includes Alicat Workboats - from Gardline Group. As a specialist provider of bespoke marine and engineering services, Alicat was set up in 2009 as a subsidiary to established shipbuilders and engineers Richards Dry Dock and Engineering. The business will continue to operate from its site in Gt Yarmouth. Law firm Birketts and accountants Lovewell Blake advised Steve Thacker and Simon Coote on the completion of the MBO. Ed Savory led Birketts' legal team which included support from Andrew Ridout (commercial property), Laura Jones (commercial property), Lottie Fletcher (banking and finance), William Kemp (corporate) and Karl Pocock (tax). Ed Savory said: “I believe that Steve and Simon have a great opportunity to continue the success of this highly regarded Norfolk-based business.” Corporate finance partner Matt Crawley advised from Lovewell Blake.
Services firms outperform manufacturers in Suffolk
Manufacturing firms are seeing a weakening performance although firms in the larger services sector are faring better and both sectors remain in positive territory on most measures, according to a quarterly economic survey from Suffolk Chamber. The balance of manufacturing firms seeing an increase in domestic sales in the second quarter fell to +17% from +33% previously. But the balance of services firms reporting higher domestic sales rose to +32%, up from +27% previously. Paul Simon, Suffolk Chamber communications and marketing manager, said: “The Suffolk figures suggest a further readjustment from the highs reached in the last quarter of 2017, especially for manufacturing.”
New jobs in prospect as Peterborough engineering company moves
Peterborough engineering company Silo Services is expanding into new purpose-built premises and creating job opportunities supported by banking facilities from Barclays. The firm has designed and built its own 8,400 sq ft premises on a 0.55 hectare plot next to its existing site on Kingscliffe Industrial Estate where it has been renting space. The new building has five offices and a purpose-built fabrication warehouse to take on large-scale projects. It plans to take on more skilled workers in M & E engineering, fabrication and welding to support new contracts. Founded in 1990, Silo Services is a UK leader in dust extraction and bulk powder handling systems and has contracts for large materials groups such as Cemex, Hanson, London Concrete, Aggregate Industries, Breedon and others. Managing director Paul Wright said: “The new premises allow us further scope to expand into new markets and increase our presence in existing markets. We have a good workforce which will only be strengthened in the coming months.”
Paul Judd, area business manager at Barclays, Peterborough, said: “This is a great example of a Peterborough engineering company that is leading the way in its field of expertise.”
Photo (l to r): Paul Judd, (Barclays) Graeme McIntyre (Director, Silo Services), Reg Wright (Director, Silo Services) Paul Wright (Director, Silo Services) Geoff McDonald (Barclays).
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Law firm occupies new offices near Bury for ‘mid-region presence’
Regional law firm Ashtons Legal has recently moved over 90 staff to new purpose-designed premises at Fornham Business Court in Fornham St Martin, near Bury, as it seeks to create one large mid-region presence alongside its offices in Cambridge, Norwich and Ipswich. The firm’s staff previously in Kempson Way and Guildhall Street in Bury are now together at Fornham Business Court. In mid-2019 the firm will occupy a second building and bring a further 60 staff from its Thetford office to the new site. Edward O’Rourke, CEO at Ashtons, said: “This is an exciting time for us and our staff have embraced the new location which provides spacious offices, lots of meeting rooms and plenty of parking for clients and staff alike.“ The costs of refurbishing The Long Barn at Fornham Business Court and to build a second office building were provided by Barclays.
Photo: Ashtons’ staff outside Suffolk Long Barn, Fornham Business Court.
Suffolk firms work together on new offices for energy business
Four Suffolk companies have been working together on a new office extension for energy utilities business BUUK based in Woolpit. Wincer Kievenaar Architects and employers agent Gill Associates were initially introduced to BUUK by Superstructures to conduct feasibility studies for BUUK, which has staff spread over four building on Woolpit Business Park. Barnes Construction has now started work on a three-storey building which will double the capacity of the firm’s existing main office at Energy House. Paul Edwards, customer services director at BUUK, said: “The collaboration of these local companies working together as one team, has proven to be a great experience for all of us at BUUK.The new extension is progressing smoothly, and we look forward to providing some new and improved facilities for our staff when completed early next year.”
New business park 'well advanced’
The developer of Suffolk Park in Bury recently told over 50 members of Suffolk Chamber that the 114-acre park with potential for 2m sq ft of business, logistics, and industrial space is now well advanced. Local company Treatt is building a 200,000 sq ft international hq in the enterprise zone on the site; local company Sealey has bought a 7-acre site for expansion; two speculative units totalling 350,000 sq ft are under construction and will be available from November and all the infrastructure, main estate road and landscaping have been installed and there are plans for further development. Jonathan Lloyd, director Hazells Chartered Surveyors, said: “Developer Jaynic has confirmed their confidence in the market by building two speculative logistics units and are very much ahead of the competition in satisfying the pent-up demand for well-located space that will be ready for occupiers to move into.”
Space in demand on new building on innovation park
St John’s College, with development manager Turnstone Estates, marked the completion of the Maurice Wilkes Building on St John’s Innovation Park in Cambridge recently. More than 100 guests including family members of computer pioneer Sir Maurice Wilkes watched a plaque being unveiled by master of St John’s College, Sir Christopher Dobson. The speculatively developed building has 65,653 sq ft of Grade A office and R&D space and was fully committed ahead of completion to occupiers including Darktrace, PwC and Mewburn Ellis. Savills are joint agents on the scheme with Carter Jonas.
Law firm advises on sale of IT security firm
Birketts has advised the shareholders of NotSoSecure Global group on its sale to Claranet Group. Founded in Cambridge, with operations in India, US and UK, NotSoSecure is a specialist IT security firm delivering IT security consultancy and training which has become globally recognised in penetration testing and hacking training. Dan Haagman, commercial director of NotSoSecure, said: “Birketts has become increasingly active in the tech space and is one of only a very few firms in the East of England that is capable of completing a transaction of this nature. Birketts previously acted for me on the sale of another business, so I knew we had an excellent team advising us.” Birketts, led by Adrian Seagers, advised on all legal matters providing corporate, employment and corporate tax advice.
Bank doubles its unsecured loans to SMEs to £100,000
Barclays has doubled its maximum for unsecured business loans for SMEs from £50,000 to £100,000. The bank says it has also identified more than 40,000 SME clients in the UK that could be eligible for the higher levels of lending which could be in their accounts within days. Barclays says the move will help SMEs in East Anglia get faster access to finance and seize opportunities they might otherwise miss out on. It also means business owners will not have to use their business premises or home as security. Matthew Peek, head of SME, Anglia at Barclays Business Banking, said: “Many people think taking a business loan is stressful, or are put off by the perceived bureaucracy and time involved. At Barclays, we are tackling this head-on, making small business lending faster, simpler and easier.”
Hub launches new website to mark anniversary
New Anglia Growth Hub is marking four years of offering advice to businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk. Set up in 2014 to provide free face-to-face business support, its advisers have since engaged with 7,381 businesses and given 35,920 hours of support; equivalent to 24 hours of business support a day, 7 days a week. The Hub has recently launched a new website, designed by Norwich-based agency Affinity. Recent businesses supported by the Growth Hub include: Rendlesham-based skincare brand HBD Europe, which received a £120,000 grant to build a new manufacturing plant and create 50 new jobs and ASAMS, a Great Yarmouth company which received a £12,500 grant for a new milling machine. Nigel Best manager of New Anglia Growth Hub, said: “Our business advisers have been working hard over the past four years to ensure that local businesses get the support they deserve. The positive feedback we get from many of these companies tells us that we’re making a difference to the local economy.”
See Profile New Anglia Growth Hub
Chance to trade alongside major brands
Five local emerging business owners will win an opportunity to operate from the shop floor of the Fenwick department store in Colchester in a competition, launched by Colbea and Fenwick. Winners will have the chance to trade alongside brands like Moschino, Paul Smith and Hugo Boss in Fenwick’s 90,000 square ft Colchester high street store. The winners will be chosen from the graduates of In the Market for Success, a NatWest- funded programme of start-up support for businesswomen provided by Colbea.
Law firm wins technology award for new app
Gotelee Solicitors has won the Innovation in Technology Award at the annual UK Warehousing Association Awards Lunch in London last week. The award is for a bold and innovative response to the changing market, by the introduction of new technology, products or processes. The Gotelee Guardian product safety app has been designed to assist those in e-commerce distribution, such as Fulfilment Houses and warehouse keepers, to comply with product safety rules. The app user is taken through a simple series of defined steps to check the safety properties of products that they are handling. Gotelee faced tough competition from nominations which included Kardex Remstar, Neopost, Bito Storage and Avery Weigh-Tronix. UKWA chief executive Peter Ward said: “We had an exceptional level of entries this year both in quantity and quality; congratulations to all the worthy finalists”.
Howard Catherall, transport and logistics law Partner at Gotelee said: “We’re thrilled to have been selected for this award, having been chosen from such a strong field”.
See Profile Gotelee Solicitors
Director at law firm retires after 37 years
After 37 years of service at Thompson Smith and Puxon (TSP), director and clinical negligence solicitor, Julian Wilson, has retired from the practice. Originally qualifying as a barrister, he joined TSP in 1981 and became a partner in the firm and head of the litigation team in 1985 and was the firm’s managing partner and finance director for 25 years before retiring from the position in January 2016. During his time as managing partner, he led the firm in its move from North Hill in Colchester to the firm’s current premises at Stable 6, where it has grown and raised its profile regionally. The litigation team has also grown significantly and he leaves a thriving team working in personal injury, civil and commercial dispute resolution and Julian Wilson’s specialist practice area, clinical negligence. In 1998 Julian Wilson acted for Mr Barrett in Barrett v Enfield London Borough Council; a landmark case which went to the House of Lords and changed the law – establishing that children who have been taken into care were owed a duty of care by the local authority. He has also helped a number of children who have been injured at birth, and their families, in a number of cases winning multi-million pound settlements. Julian Wilson said: “It has been an absolute privilege to have worked for the many clients who have sought our help over the last 37 years. It has also been a privilege to have worked alongside the very able and committed partners and staff of TSP over that time.”
Photo: Julian Wilson (left) and TSP managing partner Steve Webb (right).
Major shipment at Port of Lowestoft
ABP Lowestoft’s marine team has guided one of its largest-ever barges out of the port and into the North Sea. Carrying two bridge sections weighing almost 2,000 tonnes, the barge was 122m long by 30.5m beam and was close to the maximum size the port can accommodate. As with a recent power generation module shipment, the bridge sections were constructed by Sembmarine SLP in the port and they are the next key components in Maersk Oil’s Culzean gas condensate development; the largest gas field in UK waters since 1990 which is expected online in 2020. Andrew Harston, ABP short sea ports director responsible for the Port of Lowestoft, said: "This has been a first class partnership between the Sembmarine SAP team and our experienced marine team, which demonstrates the technical expertise and the important role ABP Lowestoft plays in serving the growing UK offshore energy sector.”
Funding to look at new business hub in Felixstowe
Felixstowe Chamber of Trade and Commerce has secured funding from East Suffolk Partnership for a feasibility study into the need for a new business hub in the town. Roger Abbott, chairman of Felixstowe Chamber, said: “The study will show what is currently on offer to local businesses and identify barriers to future growth and success. It will also look at the potential for partnership capabilities, incubation units, hot desking, start-up and on-going support, along with what services would be required to maintain and stimulate business growth.”
BMW dealer on the move
Cannon BMW is expanding with a move into a former Big Cars showroom in Witham, Essex after 12 years based at the Power Station in Braintree, in a deal managed by Fenn Wright. It will enable Cannon BMW to expand with a range of fully electric Zero Motorcycles, a new café and a 'ride-in' service reception. Sue Cannon, owner of the dealership, said: “Fenn Wright’s success in securing the new Witham premises convinced us to use them for the sale of our Braintree showroom.”
Opportunities at Cambridge cleantech conference
More than 150 delegates attended the Cleantech Futures, annual conference organised by Cambridge Cleantech at Trinity Centre in the city last week. “Our 2018 annual conference brought together world-class opportunities for our members to collaborate around cleantech innovation. We believe that the connections made at events like this are invaluable in helping our members to thrive and build a smarter, more sustainable future,” said Martin Garratt, CEO of Cambridge Cleantech.
