Drax takes its place as a founder of a new BCC business council
Drax is one of the founding partners of a new business council being set up by the British Chambers of Commerce to design and drive the future of the British economy.
The BCC says the founding partners will be uniquely placed to shape the BCC’s policy and influencing, with the Council forming part of the organisation’s new national offer to businesses.
Drax, Heathrow, IHG Hotels & Resorts and BP have joined the Council as the first founding partners.
Ross McKenzie, Interim Group Director of Corporate Affairs, Drax, said: “We are proud of our long-standing and successful relationship with the British Chambers of Commerce. Joining their newly formed Business Council as a founding member is the next step in our journey with the organisation.
“We look forward to working with the BCC and other leading businesses through the Council to help tackle some of the key challenges facing the UK. This includes ensuring that the country has the right policies in place to deliver its Net Zero commitments.”
Shevaun Haviland, Director General, BCC, said: “Over the past few months, working closely with the Chamber Network, we have been talking to the nation’s largest corporates and it has become clear to us that they are looking for a different kind of representation.
“These businesses want to be part of a framework that’s rooted in their local communities, but with the ability to shape the national and international debate.
“The Council is a long-term project and will bring together leaders from across UK industry to consider the key policy issues faced by British businesses, andwork on Future of the Economy initiative, convened by our President, Baroness Martha Lane Fox. This initiative will focus on five challenges: Digital Revolution, People and Work, Net Zero, Global Britain and the High Street.
“These challenges will form the backdrop to the next general election, which we know will come before the end of next year, and which everyone in Westminster is already gearing up for. The voice of business needs to be heard loud and clear, and now is the right time for us to speak up.”
BGF backs IDR Law with £3.25m growth capital investment
Harrogate-headquartered IDR Law has secured a £3.25 million growth capital investment from BGF – one of the largest growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland.
IDR Law is the only UK law firm to specialise solely in the resolution of contentious wills, probate and trust disputes. As a result of IDR Law’s unique position in the market, the majority of the firm’s work is generated by referrals.
This is underpinned by the firm’s IDR Network (IDRN). Launched in 2022, it now provides hundreds of members with an online referral and support space for contentious issues, along with extensive training, general resources and commentaries.
The deal will allow IDR Law to invest in industry-leading talent and proprietary legal tech, as well as expanding its office network to the Midlands, North East and London.
Commenting on the deal, Martin Holdsworth, founder and CEO of IDR Law, said: “By its nature, our work is very emotive, so it’s crucial for us to deliver the best possible service to referrers and clients, which is reflected in our exceptional client and referrer NPS scores.
“We have identified opportunities for significant growth, but we will only take on cases where we genuinely believe we can help someone reach their goals. BGF understood what we are looking to achieve and that it’s essential we continue to do this in the right way.
“Our business is built on strong foundations because of our focus on our people and culture. From day one, we were set up to work remotely so we could offer our lawyers the opportunity to work flexibly with paid overtime and a healthy balance between work and home.
“Because of this, we’ve been able to attract the best talent with a 20-strong team based across the UK with 90% of our workforce made up of women. It’s also the most productive and engaged team I’ve experienced working with.”
The deal was led by Chris Boyes and Linda Nguyenova, investors in BGF’s Yorkshire team.
BGF investor Chris Boyes added: “Martin has taken an entrepreneurial and innovative approach to a traditional industry and has experienced excellent growth to date, while creating a great place to work. With fresh investment and BGF’s experience of adding value to businesses as they scale, IDR Law is perfectly placed to accelerate its expansion.”
Following an introduction by BGF’s Talent Network, Charles Layfield, will join the Board as non-executive chair (NXC). Following a career as a solicitor and law firm partner, Charles is now on the board and chairs a number of businesses in the legal and connected sectors, bringing a strong track record of driving growth.
IDR Law’s new management board comprises existing partners Richard Thomas, Cara Hough and Eleanor Stenson along with head of marketing, Lindsay Gibson and Richard Stewart as incoming new head of finance.
Advisors to BGF on the transaction were: legal – Freeths (Dahren Naidoo and Bradley Adams), tax – Tax Advisory Partnership (Russ Cahill and Toyan Williams).
Advisors to IDR Law were: legal – ALT Legal (Anna Ashford and Jessica Roberts), corporate finance consultant – Paul Lupton.
Five-months of regeneration work will revive historic street I Leeds
Work is under way on the latest phase of a major regeneration programme to support local businesses and revive the traditional character of one of Leeds city centre’s most historic streets.
The New Briggate High Street Heritage Action Zone programme – a partnership between Leeds City Council and Historic England – has provided grant aid for significant repairs and refurbishments to a row of shops and commercial units opposite Leeds Grand Theatre.
The work – including timber sash windows and the reinstatement of traditional design features to shopfronts – is expected to take about five months to complete.
This phase of the programme follows positive recent progress on other HAZ-funded improvements to New Briggate, including the restoration of stylish terrazzo paving at the entrance to the Grand Arcade.
The HAZ work feeds into a wider transformation of the area that is designed to give shops and other independent local businesses an ideal environment in which to trade and flourish. Key elements of that wider transformation include:
- The council’s pedestrianisation of the lower end of New Briggate to create a traffic-free space complete with trees, benches, ‘street cafe’ seating and a spruced-up entrance to the historic St John’s churchyard;
- The delivery by the council of other enhancements to New Briggate’s highway infrastructure, including wider pavements and new cycling facilities;
- Public realm improvements – including new surfacing and footways – on Merrion Street, which sits a stone’s throw from New Briggate and plays an important part in the city centre’s night-time economy;
- Opera North’s completion of the £18m redevelopment of its buildings on New Briggate and the adjacent Harrison Street.
New stables project includes solar panels at Beverley Racecourse
Beverley Racecourse has installed a state-of-the-art solar PV installation on its newly rebuilt stables – a significant milestone in its commitment to environmental stewardship and reducing its carbon footprint.
The 26-panel, 14.17kW solar PV system was installed by the Green Building Renewables team from York. Working with Malton-based Transcore, the racecourse’s new stables have been metiulously redesigned to provide modern and comfortable racehorse accommodation.
John Morley, Head Groundsman at Beverley Racecourse said, “The new stables offer incredible facilities for the horses that race here. The racecourse has been a part of Beverley for over 300 years, and installing solar energy on the new stables ensures that we are now ensuring it for future generations. It is a real, local success story to see the new stables built and the solar PV installed by another Yorkshire business from just down the road in Malton and Dunnington, respectively.”
Green Building Renewables MD Chris Delaney said: “The new stables are a real example to other racecourses and sporting venues around the country on how they can future-proof themselves against volatile energy prices and meet environmental targets.”
Transcore Contracts Manager Simon Handley added: “We have built something special at the racecourse. The reconstruction of the stables at Beverley Racecourse demonstrates the commitment of the racecourse to maintaining high standards and providing the best possible care for the horses. It was a great opportunity to work with another local business in helping the racecourse modernise.”
Bradford project supports ex-offenders back into the world of work
An initiative called Project ReMAKE offering ex-offenders a chance to regain a foothold on the employment ladder is running at the University of Bradford.
The nine-week programme introduces participants to the business skills needed to build, launch and sustain self-employed businesses.
The project was inspired by a similar programme in the USA, operated by Stanford University – Project ReMADE – and is designed to break the cycle of reoffending.
Seventeen people are enrolled on the first course to be run at Bradford, with classes online ahead of an in-person graduation set for late July. Successful participants go on to either set up their business or are offered employment through ReMAKE’s corporate partners.
Professor David Spicer, Director of Business and Community Engagement in the university’s School of Management, said: “ReMAKE is a programme of support for prison leavers, which has run in London but is now coming to Bradford.
“Those taking part will be given a chance to learn entrepreneurial skills with a view to turning a business idea into reality. Participation in the course is designed to show employers they have a level of commitment and the skills to become employable.”
New product development aims to make vaccines more efficient
Croda International has signed two new partnership agreements that will help the pharmaceutical industry move towards a more sustainable supply chain for chemicals which make vaccines work more effectively.
The first is an exclusive license agreement with Amyris, a leading synthetic biology company, for the supply of biotechnology-derived, pharmaceutical grade squalene to boost immune responses. Squalene is commonly sourced from shark liver, whereas Amyris’ sustainable squalene is derived from sugarcane, providing an identical molecule with higher purity.
The second is with Botanical Solutions Inc to produce a sustainable pharmaceutical grade QS-21 chemical for the production of the next generation of vaccine development. Today, QS-21 is produced by harvesting mature soap trees to extract QS-21 from the bark, whereas BSI’s adjuvant is derived from plant tissue culture.
Daniele Piergentili, President Life Sciences at Croda, said: “Our partnerships with Amyris and BSI are fully aligned with Croda’s commitment to be the most sustainable supplier of innovative ingredients across our growth markets and with our pharmaceutical strategy to “Empower Biologics Delivery”.
“Our ambition is to be able to offer vaccine developers the most appropriate systems to maximise the efficacy of their antigen. These sustainably-sourced technologies are a perfect extension to our broad spectrum of cGMP vaccine adjuvants, and we eagerly look forward to leveraging it globally across our customer base”.
New business growth board and economic advisory council set for South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is creating a new Business Advisory Board and a Mayor’s Economic Advisory Council, to allow more businesses to convene and engage with decisions undertaken at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
The Business Advisory Board will be made up of private sector representatives from a range of industries, building on the success of the Local Enterprise Partnership which has informed local economic policy, driven growth, and helped create more than 45,000 jobs since 2010.
Alongside, there will also be a new Mayor’s Economic Advisory Council (MEAC) established which will see the development of a strategic economic council with sector-specific national and international expertise from business, Government, and academic leaders. Their role will be to assist the mayor in setting and delivering a long-term economic plan for South Yorkshire to create jobs and grow productivity.
The MEAC will focus on evidence-based advisory outputs, with an emphasis on building stronger, collaborative offers across the north for transport planning, trade and investment promotion and innovation capabilities.
South Yorkshire’s mayor Oliver Coppard said: “I am determined to grow South Yorkshire’s economy; to harness our talent and potential, and to create thousands of new jobs in the industries of the future. South Yorkshire has to be a place where everyone has the chance to thrive. But we can only build a bigger, better economy if we work in partnership with our business community, with them playing a full role in shaping our policies and plans.
“The two new advisory boards we are setting up will not only deliver on my commitment to make our formal structures better reflect our business community, but will also bring in world leading academics, businesspeople and leaders to challenge, support, and shout about what we’re doing here in South Yorkshire.
“Our region is turning a corner. We’re more ambitious, more confident and we’re working better together across South Yorkshire. With these two new boards in place, I’ve no doubt that we’re going to build that bigger, better economy we all so desperately want and need.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of the LEP since its inception in 2014. Their hard work has helped to shape our growth agenda, guide our economic policy, and brought significant investment to South Yorkshire. This new chapter is all about building on the legacy of that work so we can continue to improve the lives of people right across our communities.”
Richard Stubbs, LEP chair and CEO of Yorkshire & Humber Academic Science Network, said: “Across South Yorkshire we have been working for some months now on plans to evolve the great work of the LEP and to build on the positive impact it’s had on our region for the past decade.
“The new Business Advisory Board will allow elected leaders to engage with and convene a wider pool of businesses, harnessing a broad spectrum of expertise to make key decisions on how to grow South Yorkshire’s economy.
“The function of the Mayors Economic Advisory Council will be to shape the long-term vision for South Yorkshire, to use their expertise and look ahead at what it could be like in the next 25 years by harnessing the shared ambition across the business community, academics, and elected leaders.
“The LEP has made a significant contribution to our region’s economic growth and job creation over the past decade, and it has been a true honour to be a board member for several years, and to conclude my time on the LEP as chair, working alongside hard-working representatives from our business community who all give their time voluntarily for the good of our region.
“We now have an exciting opportunity to build on the years of positive work of the LEP, to collaborate more effectively with the ultimate goal of creating a South Yorkshire that everyone can be proud of, thrive in, and where people want to invest in.”
South Yorkshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership will evolve into the Business Growth Board and the Mayor’s Economic Advisory Council from September this year. In the March Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that LEP’s would be integrated with local authorities by March 2024.
Lincolnshire plant supplier acquired by international Agronomy-Services group
Origin Enterprises, the international Agronomy-Services group, providing specialist advice, inputs and digital solutions to promote sustainable land use, has acquisired British Hardwood Tree Nursery Limited (BHT).
Headquartered in Lincolnshire, BHT is one of the UK’s leading specialist wholesale suppliers of bare root trees, shrubs, hedgerow plants and planting accessories to the forestry, farming, estate management, corporate and landscaping sectors.
Sean Coyle, Chief Executive Officer, Origin Enterprises plc, said: “The addition of British Hardwood Tree Nursery complements recent acquisitions and further strengthens the Group’s amenity, environmental and ecological portfolio.
“Tree planting will continue to play an important role to help tackle climate change and restore biodiversity. We welcome British Hardwood Tree Nursery to the Group and look forward to working with the team, utilising their expertise in offering planting advice, horticulture and the supply of quality plants.”
Gateley “pleased” with performance as revenue grows
Legal and professional services group Gateley says it is “pleased” with the group’s performance for the year ended 30 April 2023.
A new trading update highlights a year of further revenue growth, which the business says demonstrates “the resilience of the group’s diversified business model.”
Revenue for the year is expected to be not less than £161m, a 17% increase on the prior year (£137.2m), with underlying adjusted profit before tax expected to be in line with market expectations.
Rod Waldie, Chief Executive Officer of Gateley, said: “I am pleased with the performance of the group, in what has been a challenging year politically and economically. I would like to thank our ever-expanding client base for their trust and support and our people who continue to work tirelessly to constantly deliver for our clients.
“Whilst the macro challenges facing the economy remain, we look forward to continuing to grow and diversify the business further, both organically and via acquisition. We remain committed to our purpose of delivering results that delight our clients, inspire our people and support our communities, and deliver strong returns for all of our stakeholders.”
Easby Group snaps up Matrix Electronics
Easby Group, the North Yorkshire-based specialist electronics company, has acquired Matrix Electronics, an electronics kitting and supply chain solutions provider.
The deal has been completed by its subsidiary business, Delta Impact, and is a major milestone in Easby Group’s strategic development to become the independent technical distribution partner of choice, for a full range of added value services across electronics supply chains.
The announcement follows the £24 million management buy-out of Easby Group which was backed by NVM Private Equity in February 2022.
Delta Impact MD, Eamon Francis said: “This is a significant step in our goal to be the electronics industry leader in kitting and tailored solutions that help customers to optimise their electronics supply chain performance. On a personal level, I am delighted to be welcoming David Piddington, Delta Impact’s founder, back into the business.”
Matrix Electronics MD, David Piddington said: “We are thrilled to be joining the Easby family. The Matrix and Delta Impact businesses are highly complementary and the merger of skills, knowledge and shared values in our new combined facilities will take us to new heights and create the next chapter in our growth story.”
Easby Group chairman, Jonathan Simpson-Dent said: “We are excited to bring together two dynamic and focused businesses under Eamon and David’s joint stewardship. This is an important step on our journey to expand Easby Group into a real market leader in electronics supply chain solutions.”
