The Yorkshire-based maker of sustainable linseed paint, Brouns & Co, has appointed real estate expert and developer Duncan Melville to its board as it gears up for further expansion in 2025.
Harrogate-based Melville, the founder and owner of student property developer Primus Property Group, has over 30 years’ experience across all components of the built asset lifecycle.
From funder to management consultant, to investor and developer, Melville has held senior leadership positions with Northern Rock plc, global real estate advisory firm Cushman and Wakefield, and global built asset firm Arcadis on project and programme delivery, before setting up his own PBSA development company over 10 years ago. He also holds an MBA with the University of Leeds.
Since its launch in 2015, Brouns & Co has grown to be one of the most established producers of historically accurate linseed paints and stains in the world.
Following a period of growth, and a move to local manufacturing in order to reduce carbon footprint, the business relocated in 2023 to a new warehouse and manufacturing facility in Sherburn in Elmet, between Leeds and York.
After another year of solid growth in 2024 with rising exports to the US market, the business has just opened a US warehouse in New Hampshire and established a US subsidiary and a dedicated US market eCommerce website.
“Our progress in recent years, and our expansion to the massive US market is a really exciting time, and we needed to deepen our board experience as we look to scale the business significantly in the coming two years,” said founder Michiel Brouns.
“Duncan’s experience within the sector is going to be critical to our UK and overseas expansion, and his understanding of how to help grow a business to take advantage of market opportunities is exactly what we need at this crucial stage of our growth,” he added.
Melville said: “I’ve known Michiel and Brouns & Co for some time, and I’ve been an advocate for natural materials and products where possible in our developments, so I’m excited to come on board to help the business at such a key stage in its growth.
“The remarkable rise in demand for linseed paint and coatings is driven by a need to preserve and protect historic buildings, where Brouns & Co have always had a strong track record with the Natural Trust and RIBA in the UK.
“But increasingly, the commissioners, specifiers and designers of new buildings and structures are demanding that natural methods, materials and components are used.
“The carbon footprint and sustainability of 100% natural paints and stains puts the business in a very good place, at just the right time,” he added.
Brouns & Co views the huge US market as a key area for growth, driven by a combination of consumer preferences for natural products, and the huge volume of wooden homes that are built and maintained in North America due to climate differences.
Two surveyors from Trident Building Consultancy’s Leeds office have been promoted to the company’s senior team.
Christian Watkins and Usmaan Mehboob, who work at the office at Carlton Tower, St Paul’s Street, have both been appointed to Associate Director from the role of Principal Surveyor.
Christian, who specialises in fire safety surveys, joined Trident Building Consultancy in 2017, passing his APC qualification in 2019.
Through his role as an APC counsellor, he also supports younger colleagues through their professional qualifications.
Christian Watkins
Usmaan also joined the company in 2017 and qualified in 2019, now specialising in large office refurbishments and other commercial surveying work.
He also sits on several management committees within the business, including those dedicated to sustainability, HR, and the Building Safety Act.
Christian said: “I’m delighted to join the senior team here at Trident Building Consultancy as it will enable me to play a more meaningful role in guiding the future direction of the business, and help to help more of my colleagues.”
Usmaan added: “I’ve always loved my job at Trident, so being promoted to Associate Director is a real source of pride. As an EOT, Trident is owned by its employees which means it is managed very much with our people in mind. This, we believe, is the secret to the business’s ongoing success.”
Dan Roe, Managing Director of Trident Building Consultancy, congratulated Christian and Usmaan on successfully taking the next step in their careers.
He said: “We are extremely fortunate at Trident Building Consultancy in that we have a great track record of recruiting and retaining talent.
“This is helped by being an EOT, meaning everyone who works at the business has a hand in making key decisions and shares in our financial success.
“To ensure this continues, we are keen to reward the hard work and talent of our people by helping them to get to the position they want to in their careers and fulfilling their potential.
“These well-deserved promotions are a reflection of that.”
More than nine in 10 (91%) private business owners in Yorkshire and the Humber are confident of delivering growth in 2025, according to KPMG UK’s first ever Private Enterprise Barometer.
The new poll gauged optimism among 1,500 private business owners, including 128 in Yorkshire and the Humber, across a range of sectors including professional services, finance, technology, industrial manufacturing and retail.
Increased demand for products and services was identified as the main reason for this confident outlook – cited by nearly half (48%) of respondents – while a similar number (46%) highlighted plans to introduce new technologies into their business as reason for optimism.
Indeed, Yorkshire-based businesses are amongst the most likely to recognise the benefits of introducing new technologies, with almost three quarters (71%) highlighting it as an important area for investment, compared to just 63% of privately held businesses nationwide.
Cited amongst the key reasons for such investment were a clear desire to improve customer service (52%) and decision-making (52%). Indeed, firms in the region are 10 percentage points more likely than the national average to be investing in customer relationship management (CRM) tech.
However, securing and developing the necessary skills for businesses to capitalise on growth and digitalisation opportunities continues to represent a challenge. More than a third (37%) of firms in Yorkshire and the Humber were said to be finding it difficult to recruit people with the right skills.
Firms in the region were also found to be more likely than the national average to be struggling with retaining newly recruited staff (32% vs the national average of 25%).
Phil Murden, Leeds Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, said: “Having weathered many storms in recent years, it’s down to the true resilience of Yorkshire and Humberside’s private business community that confidence is so high.
“Regional business leaders’ clear focus on customer proposition, improving products and services, and better understanding business performance, will continue to help them to deliver growth. Also identifying where new technologies can support key strategic goals is the smart way to future-proof and stay ahead of competitors.
“Guiding the region’s business community through unprecedented digital opportunity and disruption will require businesses to get their hands on the right skills. Taking the plunge and investing in talent is key.”
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 Rob Shaw, CEO at HUB.
As CEO of an integrated marketing agency, I liaise with clients across various sectors
utilising diverse advertising channels. Looking towards 2025, my focus is on the implications of the recent budget which remains to be fully realised.
One key element involves rising employment costs, including increases in employer NI
contributions and changes to employment rights – both of which I believe will slow the rate of new jobs in 2025.
Subsequently, I believe retailers will double down on e-commerce advertising which does not have such a direct impact on headcount as high-street retail. Retailers have significantly pushed their online activities and sales campaigns in Q4, and I expect this to continue into 2025.
Another area we monitor closely is the evolution of TV advertising, and HUB has long
collaborated with ITV, Channel 4, Sky and others to secure advertising space that delivers
results for our clients. With the growth of streaming platforms, and the evolution of ITVX and programmatic advertising from Sky, TV advertising is becoming more accessible to brands with smaller budgets thanks to the ability to target tightly defined audiences.
We are seeing more companies take their first steps into TV advertising on these platforms
as part of a wider marketing campaign to great effect, and I expect this to continue for years to come.
While 2024 presented commercial challenges for many businesses, we remain optimistic for
2025. Companies with the right products or services leveraging the most suitable marketing channels will always find themselves well-positioned to succeed.
The once in a generation £300m development plan for the former RAF Scampton air base, in collaboration with development partner Scampton Holdings Ltd, is back on the table after West Lindsey District Council officially submitted an expression of interest to acquire the site.
The regeneration opportunity was paused when the Home Office intervened using emergency powers, to use the site for asylum accommodation. However, on 5th September this year they confirmed they would not proceed with its asylum accommodation plans on the site.
The Home Office declared the site as surplus to their operational requirements and listed the site on the government’s Electronic Property Information System.
This triggered a 40-day expression of interest period, during which time any public sector organisations could set out their case for acquisition. The deadline for submission of expressions of interest was 12 December.
Peter Hewitt, Chairman of Scampton Holdings Limited welcomed the news and said: “This is a chance to reignite our plans that prioritise economic growth, historical preservation, and community needs. We are committed to doing what we can and continue to work hard with the Council to ensure a bright future for RAF Scampton.”
Cllr Trevor Young, Leader of West Lindsey District Council confirmed the council officially submitted its expression of interest in acquiring the site.
He said: “With the site now officially surplus to Home Office requirements, the council sees an opportunity to revisit and advance our development goals in partnership with key stakeholders. Subject to Home Office decision making, this will enable us to continue our journey to secure the significant investment and regeneration of this key, strategic site
“RAF Scampton is a site of immense historical and economic importance, and we remain committed to unlocking its full potential for the benefit of our community.
“While the past two years have brought challenges, we are determined to pursue our original vision and ensure the site is used in a way that respects its legacy and supports sustainable growth.”
The council’s plans aim to honour RAF Scampton’s heritage and create business, aerospace, space and education opportunities to stimulate the local economy. The opportunity at RAF Scampton is included in the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan, which has been named the Best Plan in the East Midlands by the Royal Town Planning Institute.
The council has submitted an expression of interest which sets out the case for site acquisition and how the site can support the mission for inclusive, sustainable, growth and regeneration. The Council will continue to engage with residents, businesses, and stakeholders to ensure a collaborative approach to its future. Further updates will be provided once the outcome of the expression of interest is known.
Biffa has been awarded the City of Lincoln Council’s £5.5m-a-year waste/recycling and street cleansing contract, starting on 1 September 2026 and running for at least eight years.
This redesigned, respecified, and repackaged contract reflects the council’s commitment to delivering improved efficiency, enhanced sustainability, and high standards of service for Lincoln’s community.
The waste/recycling service includes comprehensive collection of residual waste, dry recycling, garden waste, and clinical waste.
The street cleansing service includes street sweeping, litter collection, fly-tipping removal, clearing abandoned vehicles, and graffiti cleaning.
The new contract will also include improved environmental credentials, including the use of electric vans and solar panels at the depot.
The tender process attracted significant interest from leading industry players, ensuring a strong competition. Biffa’s bid was selected based on a combination of factors to assess the value for money that each tenderer provided.
The award has been made in good time to permit opportunity for specialist vehicle procurement, and opportunity to plan for the delivery of the various changes required by the new contract format.
This new partnership emphasises sustainability, aligning with the council’s vision for a cleaner, greener Lincoln. Key investment in new vehicles and modern IT, will ensure the city’s services continue to develop positively while reducing the environmental impact.
Cllr Bob Bushell at City of Lincoln Council, said: “This new contract represents a significant step forward in how we manage waste and ensure our city’s cleanliness.
“As a council, we’ve incorporated innovative and environmentally friendly measures to meet the evolving needs of our community and to address our upcoming Vision 2030’s priority, ‘Let’s address the challenge of climate change’.
“City of Lincoln Council is proud to have secured a contract that balances quality, cost, and environmental responsibility for the benefit of Lincoln residents and visitors alike.”
Innovative technology behind Siemens Mobility’s British battery trains has been rolled out in the East Brandenburg network in Germany.
More than 30 of the company’s Mireo Plus B trains are being phased in on the Berlin Brandenburg metropolitan region, and are said to be the latest proof of the technology that underpins the Desiro Verve project in Britain, which would be assembled at Siemens Mobility’s new Train Manufacturing Facility in Goole.
Sambit Banerjee, Joint CEO at Siemens Mobility UK & Ireland, said: “It’s fantastic to see the innovative technology that will underpin our British Desiro Verve trains already being put into action. The completion of these latest journeys demonstrates that the technology for our British battery trains is here, is working and is ready to transform rail travel.
“The Desiro Verve would be assembled at our state-of-the-art Goole Rail Village in Yorkshire and offers an integrated solution to replace Britain’s aging diesel trains without having to electrify hundreds of miles of track, saving the country £3.5 billion over 35 years and providing a practical path to decarbonising British railways.”
In June, Siemens Mobility identified how the Desiro Verve could save Britain’s railways £3.5 billion over 35 years compared with using diesel-battery-electric ‘tri-mode’ trains. This would support the Government’s aim of removing diesel-only trains from Britain’s railways by 2040.
The British trains would be powered by overhead wires on already electrified routes, then switch to battery power where there are no wires. That means only small sections of the routes and/or particular stations have to be electrified with overhead line equipment, making it much quicker and less disruptive to replace diesel trains compared to full electrification.
More than 900 people attended the 26th Doncaster Business Awards ceremony organised by the Chamber of Commerce.
Dan Fell, the Chamber Chief Exec said: “A dependable highlight in the calendar, the Awards always showcases our city’s business community at its finest. And while the competition is fierce year after year, I must confess to being absolutely bowled over by the calibre of 2024’s various nominees & winners.
“The judges have selected some truly incredible organisations and entrepreneurs, all of whom are a credit to Doncaster. Indeed, the astounding entrepreneurialism, fierce tenacity, bold innovation, inspiring behaviour, and general excellence on display last night was quite something to behold.
“It was therefore an immense privilege to be in the room with everyone celebrating all of the exemplary success stories that are unfolding right here on our doorstep and it instilled with me great confidence about where Doncaster is heading in the future. With that said, I would like to thank everyone who made this inspiring evening possible, from our hosts at Doncaster racecourse right through to our amazing roster of finalists, our generous sponsors and, of course, the fantastic team I am privileged to lead at the Chamber.”
A special lifetime achievement prize was given to Richard Sprenger, Founder and Chair of the market-leading Highfield. President of Doncaster Chamber, Fabian Braithwaite, said: “It was a privilege to present this accolade to Richard, who has done so much to put our city on the map and whose individual contributions cannot be understated. Indeed, over the course of his storied career, Richard has been a distinguished pilar of the community and a great ambassador for South Yorkshire on the international stage.”
The winners were
Lifetime Achievement Award – Sponsored by DN Colleges Group
Richard Sprenger, Chairman of Highfield – Winner
People’s Choice Award
Exceed Learning Partnership – Winner
Campaign of the Year – Sponsored by MultiWebMarketingYorkshire Wildlife Park – Winner
Self-Employed Person of the Year – Sponsored by Yorkshire Wildlife ParkQuinlan Couture Bridal – Winner
Partnership of the Year – Sponsored by Polypipe Building ProductsClub Doncaster Foundation – Winner
Green Business of the Year – Sponsored by The University of Sheffield and South Yorkshire Sustainability CentreEnviro Electronics – Winner
Micro Business of the Year – Sponsored by Aggregates R UsBerjen – Winner
Local Impact of the Year – Sponsored by Westfield Health
First Bus – Winner
Charity of the Year – Sponsored by Eco-Power GroupFlourish Enterprises – Winner
Medium Business of the Year – Sponsored by King Asia FoodsUrban Burgers Group LTD – Winner
New Business of the Year – Sponsored by Launchpad
Stride Yorkshire – Winner
Innovation of the Year – Sponsored by Haith GroupAutomated Analytics – Winner
Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by the South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub
Liam Thorton – Certex – Winner
Small Business of the Year – Sponsored by Sheffield Hallam UniversityBST Detectable Products – Winner
Employer of the Year – Sponsored by Orb RecruitmentDolphin ICT – Winner
Education Provider of the Year – Sponsored by KeepmoatTrinity Academy – Winner
Customer Service of the Year – Sponsored by HandelsbankenFireplace Studio – Winner
Large Business of the Year – Sponsored by TwentyFour IT ServicesHighfield Group – Winner
The UK has become a fully-fledged member the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, potentially boosting the UK economy by up to £2 billion a year.
CPTPP is a major trade bloc whose members – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and now the UK – have a combined GDP of £12 trillion.
Membership means that businesses will face lower tariffs and fewer barriers when selling to economies across three continents, with the financial services, manufacturing and food and drink sectors in particular set to benefit.
CPTPP is designed to expand over time, further growing the economic and strategic benefits of the agreement. Costa Rica was recently announced as the next country to go through the process of joining, and other economies such as Indonesia – the largest economy in Southeast Asia, with a GDP of over £1 trillion and home to around 280 million people in 2023 – have already expressed an eagerness to join the bloc.
CEO of HSBC UK Ian Stuart said: “Being part of the CPTPP signals that the UK is open for business with some of the world’s most exciting growth markets. Since the announcement of the UK’s accession in July 2023, we have seen an increase in payments between the CPTPP markets and the UK, and we expect this growth to continue.
“As the world’s leading trade bank, with deep roots across many CPTPP countries, we are well-positioned to connect UK businesses with growth opportunities in markets such as Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Australia.”
Elland-based green energy business FeTu has won one of applied physics’ most prestigious
accolades, the Institute of Physics Business Innovation Award.
The award recognises the company’s work in developing technology converts low-
temperature waste heat into electricity, and building it into a viable commercial enterprise
with a product that the IOP judges described as a “revolutionary heat engine”.
FeTu technology enables industrial firms to recover their waste heat and convert it to electricity, vastly reducing both energy costs and carbon emissions.
Founded in 2016 by Yorkshire-born designer Jon Fenton, FeTu has grown to a team of 15, securing over £12m in sponsorship, investment and grants. In October the firm established a new manufacturing arm in Huddersfield to enable the commercial roll-out of its clean-energy technology with a pan-European pilot programme. A group of blue-chip food production firms, data centres and industrial manufacturers are rigorously trialling the product this winter.
Mr Fenton said: “It is a real honour to receive this award. FeTu is a beautiful example of British ingenuity, overcoming the impossible to enable access to abundant green energy sources that already exist.
“Our ability to generate electricity from heat sources as low as 40°C is a critical development for the UK to recover £4bn in industrial waste heat into free, green electricity.”
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