Latest news-in-brief from the region...
Green light for Frasers Group HQ plans on green belt
Plans for a huge new headquarters for retail, sport and intellectual property giant Frasers Group on green belt land in Warwickshire have been given the go-ahead by Rugby Borough Council. The proposed site near the village of Ansty for the campus style development spans almost 280 acres and plans reportedly include a 100-room hotel, swimming pool, warehouses, and research and development facilities. The council reportedly received around 200 objections to the proposals, including from eight parish councils.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/property/green-light-for-frasers-group-hq-plans-on-green-belt/
Britvic's Bold Bid to Cut Carbon and Costs in Factories
Drinks manufacturer Britvic is pouring over £1m into upgrading one of its key UK factories to reduce energy usage, costs and carbon emissions at its factory in Rugby, UK. This £1.15m will be supported by a £305,000 grant from the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
https://manufacturingdigital.com/articles/the-story-behind-britvics-carbon-cutting-cooling-towers
Advanced Propulsion Centre launches competition for £40m funding
The government-backed Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has launched a competition for UK-based automotive projects to receive a share of up to £40 million in funding. The competition is open to UK-registered businesses in late-stage collaborative research and development in areas including battery technology, fuel cells and clean internal combustion, among others.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/business-electric-vehicles/advanced-propulsion-centre-launches-competition-%C2%A340m-funding
JLR's tie-up with Tata Communications set to supercharge vehicle connectivity
JLR has announced a tie-up with Tata Communications, concerning the latter's MOVE platform, in a move, which is set to 'supercharge' vehicle connectivity. It will enable continuous connectivity to intelligent services across remote locations in 120 countries in JLR’s next generation software defined vehicles.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/jlrs-tie-up-with-tata-communications-set-to-supercharge-vehicle-connectivity/
Record turnover of more than £1.2bn at national electrical retailer
Turnover has jumped past the £1.2bn mark at an electrical products wholesaler which operates stores across the UK. CEF Holdings, which is headquartered in Kenilworth, owns City Electrical Factors. City Electrical Factors was founded in Coventry in 1951 and now has about 390 branches.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/national/record-turnover-of-more-than-1.2bn-at-national-electrical-retailer
Jobs at risk as games company set to close Leamington Spa office
Games developer Ubisoft is set to close its office in Leamington, among other restructuring.
The closure of the Warwickshire site and a restructuring of its office in Newcastle-upon-Tyne will put 100 jobs at risk. The move is part of a wider process to reorganise the French company's workforce, which will affect a total of 185 jobs across Europe. Ubisoft has been plagued by delays and the underperformance of some key titles, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, which was originally due for release in November but will now go on sale in March. Ubisoft closed its offices in San Francisco and Osaka in December and reduced production in Sydney, leading to a likely 277 job losses.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2jxzjgpplo
New office and lab facilities handed over at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre
OP has completed the construction of new office and laboratory facilities at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry. The phased project included the creation of a two-storey building in the warehouse process hall, housing 8,000 sq ft of open plan office space, meeting and conference rooms, and breakout facilities.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/new-office-and-lab-facilities-handed-over-at-the-uk-battery-industrialisation-centre
Self-driving vehicle showcased ahead of deployment at Belfast Harbour
Belfast Harbour has visited its automotive engineering partner HORIBA MIRA to observe testing of the Harlander, Northern Ireland’s first autonomous passenger vehicle, ahead of its delivery to Belfast in March. Harlander is Northern Ireland’s first self-driving vehicle and will operate in Belfast Harbour Estate from Titanic Halt Railway station to Catalyst through Titanic Quarter.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/ireland/self-driving-vehicle-showcased-ahead-of-deployment-at-belfast-harbour
Growing audio equipment firm takes next step with new Warwickshire HQ
An audio equipment supplier has secured a three-year lease on a new 1,035 sq ft premises in rural Warwickshire as the business grows. Make Noise Pro Audio has moved to 'The Old Vicarage' in Coughton, with the support of local agents.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/growing-audio-equipment-firm-takes-next-step-with-new-warwickshire-hq/
Coventry's NP Aerospace ramps up armoured vehicle assembly capabilities
NP Aerospace, the Coventry-based global vehicle integrator and armour manufacturer, is to ramp up its UK-based armoured vehicle assembly and integration capabilities. NP Aerospace is currently assembling and integrating more than 150 specialist armoured vehicle systems, with more expected throughout 2025. Since the announcement of the acquisition of the assets of Jankel Armouring Limited last June, NP Aerospace has novated several former Jankel Armouring Limited contracts.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/manufacturing-engineering/coventrys-np-aerospace-ramps-up-armoured-vehicle-assembly-capabilities/
Saputo Packing Operation Set to move to Nuneaton Facility
According to The Yorkshire Post, the owner of the site Saputo Dairy UK (SDUK) has confirmed it is planning to shut the facility and move its cheese packing operations to Nuneaton, following a major investment.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/yorkshire/jobs-at-risk-at-wensleydale-creamery-plant-which-could-soon-close
New owner for Warwickshire hotel which dates back to the 18th century - site features 50-cover restaurant
A Warwickshire hotel which dates back to the 18th century has been acquired by an Indian company for £2.5m in its first step into the UK hospitality market. Originally an 18th century farmhouse, Marston Farm Hotel sits on a six-acre freehold site and features 37 en-suite bedrooms.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/new-owner-for-warwickshire-hotel-which-dates-back-to-the-18th-century-site-features-50-cover-restaurant
Sales surge as 3D printing business celebrates King’s Award win
Sales have grown by almost 60 per cent at a Shipston 3D printing company during a year in which it secured a King's Award for Innovation. RYSE 3D, which was founded by university graduate Mitchell Barnes in 2017, has recorded an increase in sales of 68 per cent over the last 12 months, with turnover nearing £5m.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/sales-surge-as-3d-printing-business-celebrates-kings-award-win
CBS Arena eyeing more major events after successful 2024
Bosses at the Coventry Building Society Arena aim to bring more major events to the Midlands venue after hitting 1.2 million visitors last year, supported by its new live events proposition, which drove 50,000 new visitors.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/cbs-arena-eyeing-more-major-events-after-successful-2024/
Extra Room Self Storage to create 100 jobs with new facility
Extra Room Self Storage is supporting the creation of 100 jobs with its expansion in Nuneaton. A new self storage unit in Redgate is set to open on 3 February in a building formerly occupied by Countrywide Farmers before it went into administration. A 30,000 sq ft extension is being made to the Redgate facility, which now spans two floors and can provide an additional 500 storage units to the local area. The site will complement two existing stores in Fenny Drayton. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/extra-room-self-storage-to-create-100-jobs-with-new-facility
West Midlands businesses “bucking the trend and demonstrating resilience” – UKSE
West Midlands businesses remain optimistic and ready to grow says social impact lender UKSE as they plan to deliver investment for companies looking to expand in 2025.
UKSE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel UK Limited with a mission to enable and encourage businesses and the people behind them to create jobs, grow and prosper, within communities affected by current or historic changes in the steel industry and its jobs.
https://www.ukse.co.uk/news/lender-ukse-plans-year-of-investment-to-support-west-midlands-business-growth
£20bn plan to make the Midlands the centre of UK’s green energy ambitions
A £20bn plan for the Midlands to spearhead the UK's ambitions to be a green energy superpower has been launched. Proposals include rolling out small scale nuclear reactors, wider use of community solar farms and creating more sites for onshore wind generation. The plan could create almost 200,000 jobs by 2041.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/20bn-plan-to-make-the-midlands-the-centre-of-uks-green-energy-ambitions
Warwickshire hotels land green tourism accolade amid net zero ambitions
Two Warwickshire hotels have landed a world-leading certification for their green credentials after a bumper year of sustainability successes – as they strive to become net zero by 2040.
Mallory Court Hotel and Spa in Leamington and The Arden Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon have been recognised by Green Tourism – a certification that has been assessing travel, tourism and hospitality businesses’ approaches to sustainability for more than 27 years.
https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/news/mallory-court-230125/
Coleshill-based retailer The Works upbeat as it outlines new strategy
Stationery, crafts and toy retailer The Works said it saw a strong end to Christmas trading in December, which has continued into this month (January), as it launched a new strategy to continue the firm's recovery. The Coleshill company revealed it had cut its losses, made significant margin growth, and reduced its cost base in its first half of fiscal 2025 to November 3 last year.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/warwickshire-based-retailer-the-works-upbeat-as-it-outlines-new-strategy/
SMEs confident of growth next year but challenges persist post-Budget
New research from alternative lender ThinCats has shown that SMEs are confident they will grow next year but that challenges persist post the October Budget. The research was conducted among over 2,000 UK small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) after the Chancellor's Autumn Statement on October 30. The firms put the three biggest challenges ahead as: The general economy (people and companies delaying decisions or not spending) according to 37% of those surveyed, followed by cost inflation (37%) and competition (29%). After that, came energy (26%) and staffing costs (23%).
Despite this, 81% of businesses said they were confident that their business would grow in 2025.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/smes-confident-of-growth-next-year-but-challenges-persist-post-budget/
West Midlands event next month to connect suppliers to key customers
A 'Meet the Buyer' event is being staged next month for businesses signed-up to a programme to help SMEs across the West Midlands diversify their customer base. The invitation-only event, at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) in Dudley on February 4 will connect suppliers to key customers in the sectors of Very Light Rail, Light Electric Vehicles, and Micromobility.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/west-midlands-event-next-month-to-connect-suppliers-to-key-customers/
'Perfect storm' for UK businesses brewing in 2025, says Shakespeare Martineau partner
Law firm Shakespeare Martineau has carried out the analysis, which showed the West Midlands accounted for 9% of businesses in administrations - the sixth highest region in the UK. Retail, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and real estate were the worst-hit sectors for the second year in a row, collectively accounting for 55% of total administrations. National Insurance changes will stretch cash flows for companies that are already operating on thin margins.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/perfect-storm-for-uk-businesses-brewing-in-2025-says-shakespeare-martineau-partner/
Warwickshire towns among nine most expensive towns and cities to live in the West Midlands
A ranking of the most expensive areas to live in the West Midlands in 2025 has been made, based on recent research carried out by property company Zoopla. The nine include three from Warwickshire, including Stratford-upon-Avon, placed at number 1, and Warwick (4th) and Rugby (9th).
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/the-nine-most-expensive-towns-and-cities-to-live-in-the-west-midlands-2025