Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber names Chief Executive’s successor
Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce has announced Carrie Sudbury as successor to Chief Executive Andrew Denniff, as part of the organisation’s future plans.
Carrie’s appointment was confirmed by Chamber directors at a recent board meeting, following a competitive and rigorous recruitment process. She will take up her new role next year, ensuring a smooth transitional period, ahead of the planned retirement of outgoing CEO Andrew Denniff, in June.
In her new role, Carrie will be responsible for representing the interests of more than 1,100 members based within South Yorkshire, helping to ensure the voice of local businesses are heard, as well as collaborating with Board Members, Council Representatives, and regional strategic partners to help build and strengthen the local business economy.
Carrie is no stranger to the influence of the Chamber in South Yorkshire. Since joining the member-led organisation in 2013, she has worked as an integral part of the Chamber’s team, and overseen Chamber Skills Solutions, which provides specialist training to businesses. More recently, she has helped local businesses to prepare for Brexit and supported local companies to navigate their way through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Carrie will become just the third Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber and the first woman in the role, following the merger between the two town Chambers in 2007.
Reflecting on her appointment, Carrie Sudbury said: “Chambers of Commerce are imperative in representing, supporting, and helping businesses to overcome the challenges they face. Being appointed as Chief Executive is an incredible honour, and I am looking forward to building on the success Andrew has delivered, by helping Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber to play a vital role in developing a strong local economy.
“Over the next few months, Andrew and I will work together closely to provide a smooth transition period ahead of his well-deserved retirement next year.”
Matthew Stephens, president of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: “On behalf of all our members, I would like to wish Carrie every success in her new role. Carrie is no stranger to the local business community, and under her leadership the Chamber will go from strength to strength, continuing the significant results Andrew has delivered over the past 12 years.
“More recently, our Chamber has recorded some of the highest levels of membership retention in the UK, as well as continuing to grow as an organisation. This is due to the hard work of both Andrew and Carrie, and under Carrie’s leadership the Chamber will continue in its mission to provide support and representation to the local business community and help make both Barnsley and Rotherham great places to do business.”
WANdisco signs $31m agreement with global telecommunications supplier
WANdisco, the data activation platform with its UK HQ in Sheffield, has signed an agreement worth $31m with a second tier 1 global telecommunications supplier. Half of the $31m will be paid in advance following the commencement of the project.
The telecommunications sector is a key strategic target market for the company as it supports a number of industry verticals with their own Internet of Things (IoT) use cases. In this case, the client is one of the largest global service suppliers of IoT applications. Initial use cases are expected to include smart meter, automotive, manufacturing and natural gas related data.
WANdisco was chosen as the preferred provider because of its ability to migrate data at scale without requiring any system downtime, along with its capacity to automatically migrate data changes as they occur, ensuring data consistency.
David Richards, CEO and chairman of WANdisco, said: “This is the second tier 1 global telecommunications company to choose WANdisco’s solutions this year, underpinning our unique ability to seamlessly and securely migrate large scale data from edge platforms to the cloud. This contract represents a record initial agreement for our business, with the potential for this value to grow further as we have seen with other customers.
“The IoT use case of moving data from edge platforms to the cloud, is continuing to drive a significant pipeline of opportunities for our business. Companies across multiple industry verticals face significant challenges in successfully executing this data movement and unlocking the full capabilities of the cloud. Our unique solutions and proven experience in the IoT market make us well placed to continue winning market share and supporting global clients in these use cases.
“Following this agreement, bookings for FY22 are now expected to be significantly ahead of market expectations.”
Advanced automation and robotics specialists join AMRC
Advanced automation and robotics specialists, Loop Technology has become a member of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), following collaborations on a number of key automation technology projects.
Loop Technology specialises in state-of-the-art industrial automation technology and undertakes projects aimed at high-value manufacturing sectors including aerospace, automotive and renewable energy, aligning with the AMRC’s key strategic focus research areas.
Over the past six years, Loop Technology has worked with the AMRC on various research and development (R&D) programmes, including advanced automation projects for the aerospace industry and most recently, robotic ‘Distributed Automatic Cutting System’ – or DACS as it is known – to develop novel automation technology for the construction industry.
Gary Ottley, business development manager at Loop Technology, said: “We see the AMRC as a very proactive and capable organisation. In this formalised relationship, we are keen to develop an open working environment between our engineering teams to benefit us both.
“We look forward to supporting them with our experience in technology implementation, and working collaboratively with the AMRC and fellow members in the future.”
Loop Technology has joined as a Tier 2 member at the AMRC, which is part of the High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult network of research centres. The new partnership allows Loop Technology to participate in, and obtain the results of all generic research projects, as well as being represented on the AMRC’s industrial board.
Ben Morgan, research director for the AMRC, said: “Robotics and automation are critical technologies that will help the UK solve its productivity challenges. Loop Technology is at the forefront of the UK response to that challenge, specifically in the high value sectors such as aerospace.
“The AMRC and Loop Technology have a strong history of working well together and I am thrilled that through this partnership, it will create even more opportunities to collaborate with the team.”
Cheers! Government plans longer pub opening hours for the Coronation
Pub licensing hours are set to be extended under proposals published by government to mark King Charles’s Coronation.
A consultation exercise will propose extending licensing hours from 11pm to 1am from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 May in pubs, clubs and bars in England and Wales.
The Home Secretary, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, and the Coronation is an occasion which will see our country united in celebration across the Bank Holiday weekend.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “His Majesty the King’s Coronation will be a historic moment that will see our great nation and the entire Commonwealth joined together in celebration.
“Our country, and in particular our hospitality industry, has faced many challenges in recent years and the King’s Coronation is an opportunity to give a boost to our local businesses, and celebrate with our local communities.
“Over the Bank Holiday weekend we can raise a glass to our new monarch, and with our friends and families wish him a long and successful reign.”
The extension of licensing hours for the Coronation will be subject to public consultation, and follows the government’s announcement of an additional Bank Holiday on Monday 8 May, with public events and local community celebrations being planned across the country to mark the historic occasion.Yorks & Humber sees SME share of innovation funding balloon
SMEs in Yorkshire and the Humber have greatly increased their share of Innovate UK grant funding in the past year, at a time when the economic contribution of smaller businesses is under the spotlight.
A study by innovation funding specialist Catax shows that, of all innovation grant funding that went to business projects started in the region this year, the proportion awarded to SMEs rose to 98.5% — up 31 percentage points from 67.4% in 2021.
For projects begun in 2022, Yorkshire SMEs were awarded £17 million while larger companies in the region were awarded £264,000.
For 2021, SMEs in Yorkshire secured £31.4 million, while larger firms were awarded £15.1 million.
On a national basis, the proportion awarded to UK SMEs rose to 88.2% in 2022 — up 16.4 percentage points from 71.8% in 2021, itself little changed on 2020.
Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. The way SMEs are handed the lion’s share of business funding is testament to the important research and development they undertake.
And yet it is SMEs that have recently come under attack from the Government. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced in the Autumn Statement last month that the amount of tax relief SMEs receive would be reduced for expenditure incurred from 1st April 2023.
SMEs are currently allowed to deduct an extra 130% of qualifying costs from their profits but this will reduce to 86% (plus the normal 100% deduction). For loss-making companies, SMEs will be entitled to a tax credit worth up to 10% of the total surrenderable loss, instead of the current 14.5%. Conversely, the Research & Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) scheme for larger companies was made more generous.
Laura O’Neill, grants manager at innovation funding specialist Catax, said: “These results show very clearly how smaller companies are fundamentally important to the drive for innovation taking place in the UK. The vast majority of innovation grant money awarded to businesses is won not by large corporations but by SMEs.
“Yet the contribution SMEs make to the UK economy is at serious risk of being overlooked. Many of them are the larger companies of tomorrow, whose journey to success and growth is often obscured by the inevitable interest of other companies and subsequent acquisition.”
Innovate UK also awards grants to charities, public sector organisations, academic institutions, Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs), Research & Technology Organisations (RTOs) and catapults. These were excluded for the purposes of the study.
Yorkshire companies collaborate on clean energy supply project in Paraguay
Doncaster-based green hydrogen technology and manufacturing company CPH2 has bought shares worth £1.5m in Leeds company ATOME Energy.
In March this year the firms entered a purchase order for the sale of a 1MW MFE220 electrolyser to be deployed in ATOME’s Paraguay mobility project. The two companies also entered into a non-binding collaboration agreement in respect of potential future orders of electrolyser units for ATOME’s international hydrogen and ammonia projects, and to investigate and discuss a potential joint venture for the future production of electrolysers in-country to serve the Latin American market using CPH2’s technology and know-how.
This investment in ATOME accelerates both ATOME’s and CPH2’s roll out of green hydrogen electrolysers across South America, and is a demonstration of CPH2’s commitment to ATOME’s Mobility Division, which is expected to be the first commercial production of hydrogen for transport in Paraguay when it starts next year.
ATOME is an international company focused on green hydrogen and ammonia production with advanced plans for up to 500MW of projects located in Paraguay and Iceland with a signed Power Purchase Agreement with ANDE, the Paraguayan National Power Company, for a 120MW dedicated green ammonia facility. In the 12 months to 31 December 2021, ATOME recorded a loss for the period of US$2.2 million.
Jon Duffy, CEO of CPH2, said: “Today’s announcement marks an extension of our ongoing collaboration with ATOME for the use of CPH2’s electrolyser units in ATOME’s international hydrogen and ammonia projects. The Company’s investment in ATOME is expected to accelerate ATOME’s plans for the commercial production of hydrogen in Paraguay employing CPH2’s MFE220 electrolyser and therefore accelerate the roll out of our electrolysers across South America.”
Diverse range of tenants sets up home in Caistor development
A dog groomer, a classic car company, and a manufacturer of hand-dyed yarn are amongst the tenants of Caistor’s newly-opened Hillcrest Park, which is made up of of 17 rural enterprise units.
The park is home to 11 businesses from a wide range of sectors which West Lindsey District Council leader Owen Bierley was thrilled to visit. He said: “Having closely followed this site’s progress I was especially pleased to learn how it has supported such a diverse range of businesses. I find it of great interest that the occupants of the site have all relocated from within a small local radius. This reaffirmes the importance of ensuring that local business development can occur to support rural economies and community vibrancy and prosperity.”
The development was given planning permission in 2016 and sought to regenerate an empty site in a strategic and prominent location alongside the A46. The development was supported by funding from the Rural Development Programme for England.
Property Developer and Investor Oliver Lawrence said: “As someone who has grown up in Caistor I knew there would be strong demand for the premises. It’s been a challenging process to achieve the vision we set out with a few years ago, but we’ve got there, and it really is fantastic that Hillcrest Park has turned a dilapidated site into one that is now thriving with local enterprise”.
Cllr Steve Critten of Caistor Town Council and Caistor Community Trust said: “It is great to see the site is finally complete and active with tenants.
“I am very keen to highlight engagement opportunities for businesses as part of the Caistor Neighbourhood Plan review that is now underway. The current plan adopted in 2016 supported development of the Hillcrest site via its policy which sought to support the development of business and start up units particularly by conversion of existing empty previously developed land. Speaking to the developer and business owners it is clear we need to try and ensure that when businesses do expand there is opportunity to do so in Caistor and this needs to be reflected in the review of the Neighbourhood Plan”.
BCC blasts Government on potential broken promise over energy support
Urging Government to provide certainty to businesses on energy support ahead of Christmas, British Chambers of Commerce Director General Shevaun Haviland says a promise is on the edge of being broken.
“Just over a month ago, the Chancellor promised businesses that they would receive a plan on the future of the energy support package before the end of the year. With 24 hours left until Parliament rises, businesses have one simple question: ‘where is this plan’?
“According to a recent BCC survey, almost half of UK SMEs said they will find it difficult to pay their energy bills when Government support ends.
“Firms deserve far better from Government than broken promises for Christmas during these incredibly difficult times. They now face an anxious and uncertain festive period, unable to plan for the New Year.
“The Government has repeatedly assured us of their commitment to confidence and stability. However, their failure to stick to their promises and provide businesses with the certainty they need does not fill anyone with confidence, nor does it promote stability.
“Government is now left with two options. They can pull a rabbit out of the hat and come up with a plan before they break for Christmas. Or they must explain why they are leaving businesses in the dark.
“Without a clear plan before January, many businesses will be left vulnerable to extortionate prices at the end of March, especially SMEs and energy intensive businesses. Those businesses will have no choice but to start preparing their workforce for potential redundancies, leaving employees vulnerable and weakening the economy further.
“Now more than ever, we need to provide businesses with confidence so they can invest, grow and power the much-needed recovery of the UK economy in the months ahead.”
Our region misses the cut as location for first Rolls-Royce SMR factory
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have failed to make the cut as Rolls-Royce SMR announces its final shortlist of three potential sites for its first factory – but could still be in the running as sites for two more have yet to be announced, meaning that Catterick, Grimsby, and Ferrybridge are still in with a shout.
The three locations which could host the heavy pressure vessel factory are on Teesside, Sunderland, and Deeside. One of them will be the home for the vessel fabrication facility, the largest and most complex of Rolls-Royce SMR’s three proposed factories, and will create more than 200 jobs at the winning location.
Tom Samson, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR, said: “This is part of the process to build the first of at least three factories that will manufacture components for a fleet of small modular reactors and will present an incredible opportunity for a region of the UK. Our power stations will be built in British factories situated in the north of England or Wales and will generate tens of thousands of long-term highly skilled jobs, accelerating regional economic growth.”
Rolls-Royce SMR will make a final decision on the first site early next year. Negotiations with the winning site owner will begin once the firm is in formal discussions with the UK government about deploying a fleet of its power plants.
Rolls-Royce SMR announced its initial list of seven potential locations, selected from more than 100 submissions, in July. All submitted locations will also be considered as potential sites for Rolls-Royce SMR’s other two factories – one will manufacture civils modules, while the other will focus on mechanical, electrical and plumbing modules.
Former Lincolnshire County Council offices hit the market
Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) have been appointed by Lincolnshire County Council to dispose of its former offices at The Avenue, Lincoln.
The offices, which are distributed across two pairs of semi-detached buildings and a further detached building, offer some 15,780 sq ft of accommodation between them.
The period buildings occupy a prominent location within Lincoln city centre and will be offered for sale as a whole or in up to three separate lots.
Andrew France, associate director at LSH, said: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire some landmark heritage assets in a prime central location. The configuration of the buildings offers enormous redevelopment potential and we are looking forward to seeing proposals come forward.”
Council agrees major strategies to shape York’s future
City councillors at a meeting of Full Council considered and approved the York 2032 strategy framework for the city.
Comprised of a city vision and three interrelated strategies (Climate change, health and wellbeing and economic), York 2032 sets out the key priorities, ambitions and targets for the city over the decade ahead.
The strategies are the result of an extensive 18-month programme of engagement which included Council’s scrutiny committees, ‘Our Big Conversation’, stakeholder roundtable workshops, focus groups and sessions in Explore York. The engagement sought to find out from residents, businesses and communities what they want York to look like in 10 years, focusing on three major strategic challenges – reaching net zero by 2030, strengthening the economy post covid and improving the health and wellbeing of residents. Thousands of comments were received, which shaped the final strategies and informed the action plans.
The three strategies lay out aspirations and a vision for the city in the coming years that ‘York will be a vibrant, prosperous, welcoming and sustainable city, where everyone can share and take pride in its success’ and sets targets which include:
- Increasing number of green jobs
- Reducing York’s gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest communities
- York being among the top 25% of local economies in the UK in terms of productivity, pay and skills
- Reducing poverty, with actions around food, fuel, housing, financial inclusion and the resilience of the community sector
- Being among the first cities in the UK, and lead the region, to be carbon net zero, with carbon emissions reduced every year
Proposed new vision for Sheffield approved
The proposed Sheffield Local Plan, an ambitious vision for the city, was approved at Full Council, paving the way for investment and development across the city’s communities.
Along with the proposed Plan, the consultation strategy has also been agreed, setting out how the Council will engage with local people to get their views on important aspects of the city’s future and to agree the final content.
The Local Plan brings together proposals around housing, environment, development, economic growth and transport, looking at these as one big picture, addressing the challenges of how they each impact the other, and how they will bring benefits for everyone in Sheffield.
Cllr Terry Fox, leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “This Plan is for the people of Sheffield, setting out an exciting and ambitious, yet realistic vision for the city and all our communities.
“It will have implications for how all of us live our lives, setting how and where the city will develop over the next 15-20 years.
“Local people have told us what’s important to them – quality neighbourhoods, protecting green space, a revived city centre, better connectivity – and it’s been a huge challenge incorporating all of these priorities along with meeting Government housing targets and our environmental commitments. But I’m confident that what we’ve developed meets these needs and requirements, and working together with our communities we can deliver this for our city and our future.
“Our plans will enable more than 35,000 homes to be built, in the right places, with sustainability and affordability at the heart of development. 43,000 new jobs will be created, feeding directly back into our economy and our residents’ livelihoods.
“We need this up-to-date Local Plan to ensure we are not conflicted between short term economic goals and longer term environmental and social outcomes. It will provide an important tool to honestly, properly, fairly and publicly, make the right decisions for this city.
“I’m proud and honoured to champion this Plan, because it encompasses all the things that Sheffield, its people and environment need and deserve, and together we are building a brighter, stronger, fairer and better-connected future for us all.”
Before being taken to Full Council, reports have been presented to the relevant committees – Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, and the Strategy & Resources Policy Committee – for consideration and approval, which included both the proposed plan and the consultation strategy.
Following agreement at both committees, the proposed Plan was also given the go ahead at Wednesday’s Full Council meeting.
Councillor Fox added: “It’s taken us a while to get to this point, but this decision is a significant milestone and although we know there will be challenges along the way, it’s a very positive step towards this ambitious vision for the city.
“Our aim is to adopt the Local Plan by 2024 and we are now in a position to carry out further public consultation early in the new year, with local people and stakeholders, around the proposed final content.
“This is a hugely important part of developing Sheffield’s future, and we want to do this with every one of our communities because this impacts all of our lives. We will share details about how people can get involved as soon as this is available. I look forward to hearing your comments and creating a Sheffield we’re all proud of, together.”
Consultation is planned to take place throughout January and February 2023.
Work to start on £3.2m redevelopment of Grade II Listed arts centre in Barnsley
Regeneration work to bring Barnsley Civic back to its former glory and a bright new future will get underway early in the new year, as the town’s cultural and creative offer continues to grow.
The striking Victorian building, which originally opened in 1877 as the Barnsley Mechanic and Institute Public Hall, became a theatre in the 1960s before closing its doors to the public in 1998 following a period of decline.
Barnsley Civic reopened in 2009, with a new theatre space and contemporary art gallery but the front doors on Eldon Street remained closed, with the beautiful entranceway, elaborate mosaics and original ceiling hidden from public view.
Now, the much-anticipated work is finally set to get underway to complete the original vision and bring the creative arts hub back into full working use.
A new programme of comedy, music, theatre, dance accompanies the redeveloped Barnsley Civic and the arts centre will remain open during the redevelopment work.
As well as reinvigorating Barnsley Civic’s original entrance on Eldon Street, a new café, bar and restaurant will open on the ground and first floor.
Flexible office space will be created to attract businesses and creative community spaces for events and workshops will be available to hire in the new-look venue. Toilet and lift facilities will also be significantly enhanced.
The work is being funded by Barnsley Council, Historic England, and other funders, including a grant of £1.2million from the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone for repairs to the historic frontage on Eldon Street.
Fundraising by Barnsley Civic is also underway to achieve a contribution of £150,000 to the redevelopment.
Barnsley Civic Chief Executive, Anthony Baker, said: “September 2023 is going to be the beginning of a new era for Barnsley Civic, with work starting on the transformation in January 2023.
“We’ve waited 25 years to open our front doors onto Barnsley’s busiest street, Eldon Street. Barnsley Civic will be the jewel in the crown of the town centre transformation.
“Barnsley Civic is the only large contemporary arts centre in the borough and it is our mission to give the people of Barnsley high-quality inspirational cultural and creative experiences that will appeal to them, which is why we are changing our programme from September.
“We are incredibly excited about 2023 and can’t wait to share our new programme with you later this year.”
Planning permission has already been granted for the development, which is viewed by Barnsley Council as integral to its wider redevelopment of the town centre and the growing, diverse cultural offer.
Cllr Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, said: “This is an important scheme that will hugely complement the major improvements we have made to the town centre over the last five years.
“Barnsley Civic has lacked an active frontage onto Eldon Street for many years but this work will not only provide a fabulous cultural resource for the people of Barnsley, it will also conserve and celebrate the unique heritage of the building.
“We are thrilled to be able to fund this work along with Historic England as part of our four-year partnership project, which will greatly improve the physical condition of Eldon Street – one of Barnsley’s most historic streets.”
Bryan Davies from Historic England said: “The redevelopment of Barnsley Civic is one of the most important schemes in the Eldon Street High Street Heritage Action Zone as it will improve the appearance of the street, re-open up the historic entrance, as well as create a thriving new business and community hub.”
Project work is expected to last nine months with the front doors of Barnsley Civic expected to open in September.
Work will begin in January, with external scaffolding and the removal of the replica canopy on Eldon Street. The canopy was not an original feature of the building and although it has existed in various forms over the years, it will not form part of the new-look frontage, which will remain true to the original form.
Hull Prop Tech firm raises further £575k
A Hull Prop Tech business whose software helps companies to meet new building safety rules has raised a further £575,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The latest funding round for Bimsense follows the introduction earlier this year of the Building Safety Act, which is designed to improve standards in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. Bimsense’s software Operance helps building owners meet the so-called ‘golden thread’ requirement and show that safety has been considered at every stage of a building’s lifecycle, from design and construction to management.
The latest funding will enable the company to develop new modules to meet other parts of the Act – in particular the need to register high-rise residential buildings (HRBs) and produce a safety case report.
Bimsense was founded in 2016 by Ian Yeo and Scott Pilgrim as a consultancy specialising in building information modelling (BIM). They developed Operance in 2020 with the help of an initial investment from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance. It has since won multiple industry awards and is now used by well-known industry names such as GallifordTry, REDS10, Algeco, Morrison Construction and RLB.
Scott Pilgrim, chief product officer at Bimsense, said: “The new Building Safety Act has introduced the most sweeping reforms in living memory for the construction and residential property sectors. By bringing building intelligence together in one place, Operance can help them meet the challenge. NPIF and Mercia have backed us from the start and the latest funding will allow us to add new features and provide further support for the property industry.”
Maurice Disasi, investment manager at Mercia, said: “The Bimsense team have created the world’s first purpose-built ‘golden thread’ solution and we are pleased to have been able to support them. Operance will play a key role in helping building owners to comply with the rules and creating safer, more efficient buildings for everyone.”
East Riding dental practices pair with Dentex in latest deal
Two East Yorkshire dental practices – Hedon Dental Practice and Edward House Dental Studio – have been sold to Dentex.
Hedon Dental Practice is a four-surgery, mixed income practice situated in a prominent high street location in the market town of Hedon in East Riding. Edward House Dental Studio is a predominantly private practice with four surgeries and a fifth in development. It occupies an attractive period property and enjoys a prominent central location in the market and minster town of Beverley, also in East Riding.
The two practices were owned by Principals Dr Jason Spence and Dr Claire Shipley who relocated to Claire’s hometown of Beverley to live and work. In 2000, they set up East Yorkshire Dental Studios.
Following the sale of their other practices which were in partnership with Dr Christopher Maher, Brough Dental Studio and Grimsby Dental Studio, to Dentex last year, they decided to market their remaining two.
Hedon Dental Practice and Edward House Dental Studio have now also joined Dentex in a partnership that brings the group to four practices within the Dentex group.
Chris Lekkas, partnership & acquisition manager at Dentex, says: “In September 2021, we were delighted to welcome two outstanding practices from the East Yorkshire Dental Studios (EYDS) group into Dentex.
“Our ambition was to create an environment where both the principal owners and their teams felt supported in every way by Dentex, so they could continue delivering excellent patient care.
“Over the last year, Dentex have delivered on its promise and, after creating a successful working relationship together, we have agreed to acquire the two remaining practices of the EYDS group. Having now completed on Edward House Dental Studios and The Hedon Dental Practice, this completes the EYDS journey and reunites all four practices.
“Dentex have enjoyed a productive experience working with the teams at Brough Dental Studio and Grimsby Dental Studio over this last year, and we are now looking forward to also collaborating with the teams at the two new locations that have recently joined.”
Tom Morley, associate director – Dental at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, says: “It has been an absolute pleasure to act for Jason and Claire in this successful sale and to have completed the circle of all four sites.
“Many congratulations to them both for their excellent work over the years and to Dentex, too, for completing on the entire EYDS portfolio. I would also like to thank Chris Lekkas and Tom Laybourn at Dentex for their hard work in reaching a successful conclusion and Jonathan Tyson and his team at Knights who expertly acted for the sellers.”
Hedon Dental Practice and Edward House Dental Studio were sold for an undisclosed price.
Forgemasters takes on 15 apprentices
Sheffield Forgemasters has recruited 15 apprentices for its latest intake, all of whom will get fully-funded training, working towards a professional qualification whilst getting paid.
The positions, across a wide range of disciplines, were filled during the summer and include roles ranging from Accounts, Project Management, Moulder/Coremaking, Patternmaking, Steel Production, Machining, Metallurgy (Degree Apprenticeship) and Mechatronics, but earlier this month was the first time they have been assembled on site after terms at college.
Rick Franckeiss, learning and development manager at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “This is very positive time in the company and it offers significant career development for our apprentices as we adopt the latest technologies and shift to Industry 4.0 manufacturing to deliver one of the country’s most advanced manufacturing businesses.”
Sheffield Forgemasters is a major employer in the Sheffield City Region, with 600 employees and an apprenticeships programme which makes up around ten per cent of its workforce at any one time.
Rick added: “Most of our apprentices remain with the company and many go on to further education after initial training, due to our continued investment in the development of our people.
“We consider apprentices to be the future leaders of the business and can proudly boast that our chief operating officer and board director, Gareth Barker, started out at Sheffield Forgemasters as an apprentice and worked his way up through the company to one of the most senior positions.”
2023 Business Predictions: Luke Gidney, Managing Director at HOP
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Luke Gidney, Managing Director at Leeds estate agent HOP.
HOP is predicting a slowdown in the housing market in 2023, rather than a crash, and expects property values to fall by approximately 8% due to increased interest rates, which follows several years of high price growth.
The company also manages one of West Yorkshire’s largest rentals portfolios, worth more than £245 million, and expects rents to increase by 7% in 2023, slightly lower than the 10% year on year increases over the last few years.
Rising interest rates have disrupted the property market in recent months and although further increases are likely, we don’t expect them to go as high as some forecasts. We predict interest rates will peak at around 4% in 2023.
The property market is very much linked to confidence in the economy, as well as employment, interest rates and the supply of housing stock. Employment rates are high with more job adverts than workers available, and there’s still a shortage of property available for sale, which will help to support prices.
Although the cost of fixed price mortgages soared following the mini-budget, they are now falling again and should stabilise early next year as more products become available, which will give borrowers a greater degree of certainty. Borrowing costs will still be higher than what we’ve become used to over the last 15 years or so, and with 300,000 fixed term mortgages coming up for renewal each quarter, it will be an anxious time for those who are re-mortgaging.
Therefore, after several years of rapid house price growth, it’s likely that this spring, sold prices will be approximately 8% lower than they were at the same point 12 months ago, but it will be a slowdown in the market, rather than a full-blown crash. There will be a small drop in transaction volumes and this will mean a slight reduction in asking prices, down around 5% in 2023.
The growth we’ve seen in recent years will give sellers more room to negotiate on their asking price though and we will see a shift to an environment that favours buyers. This could be good news for some, including cash buyers and first timers, especially now that the Help to Buy scheme has come to an end.
Ultimately, things will be calmer, and the market will level out in 2023, making the role of an experienced estate agent, with strong local knowledge and accurate marketing advice, more important than ever for sellers looking to negotiate an evolving market.
Bradford cleaning and hygiene specialist acquires Irish firm
Christeyns UK, the Bradford-based cleaning and hygiene specialist, has completed the acquisition of Gannon Chemicals based in Claremorris, County Mayo, Ireland.
Already a key player in the Irish marketplace, this acquisition provides a firm footing to further build Christeyns’ Irish business and forms part of the company’s strategic plans to become the supplier of choice in all markets in which they operate.
Dave Aveyard, who takes up the position of Managing Director for Christeyns Operations in Ireland, said: “We are delighted to conclude this strategically important acquisition, of Gannon Chemicals.
“Christeyns already has a strong presence in Ireland with business in the Food and Beverage, Commercial Laundry, Hospitality and Construction sectors and this acquisition will provide us with a manufacturing and warehouse base as well as increasing our share of the cleaning and hygiene market. Our goal is to become the dominant player within Ireland and this acquisition is a key step in achieving this ambition.”
Gannon Chemicals was founded in 1972 and has a proud tradition of supplying hygiene products to businesses across a number of sectors with an established reputation in the hospitality and food and beverage sectors.
A family run business headed up by Paul Gannon, the firm is an expert producer of sustainable cleaning solutions and performance measurement systems using evidence-based approaches in its design and manufacture of cleaning chemicals.
With sustainability a key element of Christeyns operating practices, both in its chemical manufacturing and its water and energy saving technology, Gannon Chemicals is a natural fit and sits well in the portfolio of sister companies under the Christeyns UK umbrella.
Paul Gannon, Managing Director of Gannon, said: “The coming together of Christeyns and Gannon is great news for our customers and employees. The combined strength of our heritage and the huge portfolio and technical expertise Christeyns possesses will position the newly combined business as the supplier of choice.”
Neil Jones, Managing Director for Christeyns U.K. & Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to conclude this acquisition which demonstrates our commitment to growth and investment in Ireland which we believe will bring benefits for our customers, our partner distributors and our employees.”
Paul Gannon will transfer with the business and continue his leadership role.
Yorkshire firms help with environmental project on Lincolnshire river
Companies from Doncaster and Wakefield have worked with the Environment Agency to ‘reset’ a stretch of the River Witham above Grantham to capture of more than 100 tonnes of carbon, help drought and reduce flood risk downstream.
Breheny Civil Engineering, which has a base in Doncaster, and Ebsford Environmental from Wakefield have worked with a landowner and the Environment `agency own the scheme.
The restoration is in a rural river valley where there are no properties or roads within the confined valley floor that can be impacted by the wetter landscape.
The project involved infilling the river channel with soil to allow water to spill out and choose the direction it takes. This will create wetlands and smaller streams. Fallen timber has been added to slow the flow of the water leaving the site.
The wetlands act like a sponge, they encourage water to spill out onto the flood plain during wet periods but also release water back into the river in low flow periods. This means the wetlands will help support wildlife during drought as well as reducing flood risk downstream. The wetlands will also help to trap nutrients and fine sediment resulting in cleaner river water downstream, benefitting fish and other animals.
The works have already raised groundwater levels across the site by 1.5 metres, creating a wetter environment that may not have existed for 2,500 years. This work has combated the historical drainage that took place for land drainage and milling purposes.
Project Manager Katie Murphy from the Environment Agency, said: `”These works link to other projects across the UK and the US where this technique was developed. The project also links to a wider catchment-based floodplain restoration approach led by East Mercia Rivers Trust and the Wild Trout Trust. They have been instrumental in supporting delivery of projects on the Upper Witham.
“It will be fascinating to watch the site, river and wetlands develop and evolve over time. This is especially true now that the river has the freedom to choose its own shape and form without human interference.”
Storage and distribution business names new transport operations director
Boroughbridge-based temperature-controlled storage and distribution business Reed Boardall has promoted Norman Hartley to transport operations director.
Previously head of transport operations, Norman joined the business in 2006 and has progressed through various positions including operations shift manager and planning manager.
In his new role, he will be responsible for reviewing and developing processes to drive efficiency and achieve organisational growth.
Chiefg Exec Marcus Boardall said: “Norman is a confident leader who has constantly demonstrated his ability to manage, motivate and develop teams to deliver operational excellence.
“He’s a fantastic example of one of our many long-serving colleagues who, through hard work and talent, has built a career with us. This latest promotion is well-deserved recognition of his commitment to the company and we believe he will make a valuable contribution in his new role.”
Norman said: “Reed Boardall is a great family-based business to work for and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last 16 years here. I’m looking forward to this exciting and challenging new role and the opportunity to use my knowledge and experience to help drive the company forward to continued future success.”
Reed Boardall is one of the largest temperature-controlled food distribution businesses in the UK, storing and delivering frozen food from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets. It operates round the clock seven days a week, and has 200-strong fleet of vehicles moving an average of 12,000 pallets a day. It employs more than 800 staff.
