Featured News
World cycling event set to boost local economy
Warwickshire will take its place in the world sporting spotlight next month when the Aviva Women's Tour passes through the county.
Stage Two of the internationally-recognised race will see the world’s leading female cyclists go head-to-head on a challenging 140km ride from the north to the very south of the county on Thursday 16 June.
The event is being hosted by Warwickshire County Council, in partnership with the University of Warwick, and has as its main sponsor supermarket chain Aldi, which employs over 500 staff in its head office in Atherstone in the north of the county.
Given its strong connections with Atherstone and Warwickshire, and its high profile support for UK sport as the official supermarket of Team GB, Aldi is an ideal sponsor for the Aviva Women’s Tour in Warwickshire.
The Tour will bring a significant economic boost to North Warwickshire and the county as a whole as thousands of spectators and tourists come to watch the event - and Warwickshire is showcased globally as an outstanding place to work and invest.
The route will be lined by up to 70,000 people, more than half of whom will travel in from outside the county, with the result that around £1.5m will be pumped into the local economy, primarily in hospitality areas.
The benefit will be felt throughout the county from the north, where around 5,000 people will attend the start in Atherstone, through Kenilworth, Leamington and Warwick and on to Stratford-upon-Avon where 10,000 people will watch the finish.
And Warwickshire County Council, with the support of North Warwickshire Borough Council, is working hard with the region’s businesses to maximise their support and engagement in the Tour and the economic opportunities that it will bring.
Leader of Warwickshire County Council, Councillor Izzi Seccombe, said: “I’m delighted that we have Aldi as official sponsor of the Aviva Women’s Tour in Warwickshire.
“They are one of our major employers and, given their strong links with Atherstone, where this internationally significant sporting event will begin, and with Warwickshire as a whole, they are perfect partners in helping us to boost awareness of the Tour and the lasting legacy that it will bring to our beautiful county.”
Councillor Philip Johnson, chair of Warwickshire County Council’s Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee, said: “The Aviva Women’s Tour brings with it an excellent opportunity to showcase Warwickshire as a place to work, invest and visit. I’m sure that Aldi’s sponsorship will help us put the county on the map as somewhere that has the talent and infrastructure to make a sporting event on this scale, and all the benefits that it brings, a big success.”
The www.warwickshire.gov.uk/womens-tour website is packed with information about the Tour, the route through Warwickshire and the plans for Race Day itself. The site will continue to be updated with information as the Tour gets ever closer, so keep checking back.
You can follow the latest Aviva Women’s Tour in Warwickshire news by following @ChooseMoveWarks on Twitter, following the #AvivaWT2016 hashtag and liking the ChooseMoveWarks Facebook page.
Small businesses helped to grow by council grants
Small businesses across the county have benefited from £437,736 worth of funding for projects helping them to grow.
Warwickshire County Council has so far awarded the grants to 21 firms following the announcement last October of £1 million available to small businesses over three years.
The grants, worth £5,000 to £35,000, have been awarded to a wide range of small businesses for capital assets such as buildings, plant, machinery and equipment.
Businesses funded include canal boat and repair company Lime Farm Services, based at Cathiron, just outside Rugby, for whom the grant has proved "pivotal" to their expansion, according to co-owner John Brady.
The award of £16,800 (with match funding of £25,200 from the business) for a new dry dock will enable Lime Farm Services to serve customers much more quickly and at a fraction of the cost and inconvenience.
"The new dry dock means we don't have to bring in a mobile crane which is both expensive and unreliable," said Mr Brady. "It often takes a crane a week to arrive, then we use it for a week, then it takes another week for it to be taken away. Removing those delays is a huge help.
"The grant means we will have the dry dock probably 18 months ahead of schedule. That means that other things can also be brought forward so it has been great for us."
Projects funded in the north of the county include Arrowsmith Engineering of Bayton Road, Exhall, which has been awarded £15,480 (with £23,220 match funding from the business).
The grant will go towards a new metal degreasing plant to help deliver products to customers in the aerospace and automotive sectors.
Jason Aldridge, managing director of Arrowsmith Engineering, said: "We are a very specialist company and a change in a lot of regulations which meant we had to purchase a lot of new machinery.
"It was a major project but the grant allowed us to complete it quickly in a way which meant that we could maintain existing customers and also attract new ones.
"The funding has made a big impact on us because it has allowed us to grow the business."
Ag-Con (UK) Ltd, based in Shipston-on-Stour, received a grant of £11,306 (with match funding of £16,958 from the business).
Claire Plant, a director of the company, which supplies agricultural and construction equipment, said the funding was hugely helpful - and refreshingly easy to access.
"The grant was spent on equipment which enabled us to bring a lot more work in-house, meaning we can offer more bespoke solutions to customers. We have also taken on a full-time employee directly due to the grant.
"The funding has been brilliant for us and was really simple to access. People can be put off applying for grants because they think it must be really complex but that wasn't the case. Of course you have to provide a plan - nobody's just going to give you cash! But it was really straightforward."
The funding is designed to help businesses access capital investment that will help them diversify or modernise their operations, leading to increased turnover and job creation or protection. The grant can be up to 40% of the total costs.
It has been directed towards small enterprises (fewer than 50 employees) primarily in the following sectors identified as key growth areas for the local economy:
- manufacturing/ advanced engineering
- automotive
- intelligent transport systems
- IT services/ digital media and creative industries
- low carbon technologies
- business and professional services
For more information and to check the eligibility of a project please visit: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/businessgrants or contact Warwickshire County Council’s Economy and Skills Group on Tel: 01926 412709.
JLR expansion is "great testament" to the Warwickshire area as a place to do business
Jaguar Land Rover's major expansion of its site near Whitley on the borders of Warwickshire and Coventry has moved a step nearer with the granting of outline planning permission.
The 105-hectare development, to be built on land either side of the A45 between Festival and Tollbar islands, could generate up to 4,000 jobs for the region.
And the unanimous decision by Warwick District Council’s planning committee to grant outline permission for the scheme has been warmly welcomed by Jonathan Browning, chairman of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
“This is extremely positive news for Coventry and Warwickshire and the wider West Midlands," Mr Browning said. “The expansion of Jaguar Land Rover’s research and development centre at Whitley will create new jobs and improved infrastructure."
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, believes that JLR's renewed commitment to the site is a real tribute to the area as a business-base.
“The fact that Jaguar Land Rover is continuing to expand and invest here is a great testament to everything the sub-region has to offer,” she said.
Under a condition of planning permission, JLR must commit to occupying 10,000 square metres of floor space, double the 5,000 originally suggested. The development also includes a new countryside park, a hotel and small shops alongside the new offices and research buildings.
JLR's global property developer Mike Crone believes the plans are exciting, both for the company and the region.
“JLR has expanded rapidly over the last five years and this expansion is set to continue," said Mr Crone. "Our current UK sites are at full capacity and we can’t continue this growth without new sites. This development will allow JLR to establish deep roots in the area.”
Rugby firm directs its expertise to counter-terrorism
Rugby-based firm Lenoch Engineering have joined the battle against counter-terrorism by devising and constructing a groundbreaking anti-explosive device - with the support of Warwickshire County Council.
The remarkable piece of kit is a 1.5 metre cubed box into which suspect items can be placed and detonated in the knowledge that the impact will be absorbed by the casing and safely contained.
In these dangerous times, it is a great idea which was first worked on by academics in Sheffield before Lenoch took it over and advanced it to the point where it is now ready to go to market.
The firm, based in Somers Road, have long-enjoyed a high reputation for precision engineering, mainly in the automotive industry. But now an interesting summer awaits as they explore the potential of this fascinating new dimension to their business.
"It is something different for us and we think it's pretty exciting," said managing director John Rushbrooke. "We think we have spotted a bit of a niche.
"We first heard about it from one of our salesmen. It was being developed up in Sheffield where they got a grant of a million pounds from the university but then ran out of money.
"So we took it up. Academics can only take an idea so far of course!"
It is difficult for a layman to comprehend how a detonated bomb can be contained in such a tiny space. So how does it work?
"Basically, the box has two casings," said John. "When the explosive goes off, the inner-casing turns into a ball and soaks up the blast and all the heat before it reaches the outer-casing which is made up thick square tiles threaded through with copper wire.
"So if a suspect package is discovered, at an airport, railway station or a major sports event for example, it can be dealt with in absolute safety.
"We are pretty excited by it. Now the next step is to get it out into the market-place which is what we'll be doing this summer."
It is another great example of Warwickshire expertise and innovation leading the way - and the county council is delighted to have had a significant input to it.
After receiving initial advice from the Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub, Lenoch received a small business grant of £35,000 (with match funding of £131,738 from the firm) from the council towards the manufacture and marketing of the device.
"The grant was a huge help to us said Mr Rushbrooke. "We used it to construct a containment building and also a CNC machine to help with the manufacture of the product.
"The funding will also go towards marketing which is the next step and overall the grant enabled us to move the project forward a lot more quickly than we otherwise could have."
* Warwickshire County Council has so far awarded grant £437,746 to 21 firms following the announcement in October 2015 of £1 million available to small businesses over three years.
Grants, worth £5,000 to £35,000, have been awarded to a spread of small businesses for capital assets such as buildings, plant, machinery and equipment.
For more information and to check the eligibility of a project please visit: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/businessgrants or contact Warwickshire County Council’s Economy and Skills Group on Tel: 01926 412709.
A great way for any business to support the community
Johnsons Coaches, based in Henley-in-Arden, have been doing all they can to support Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service for almost half a
century.
Ever since Peter and John Johnson, third generation of the family which founded the business in 1909, came on board in the late 1970s, staff have been not only allowed, but encouraged to become retained firefighters.
And when asked why, as a business, they take such a proactive approach, operational director Peter Johnson's reaction is a quizzical: "Why wouldn't we?"
"I don't think there was ever a conscious decision to allow our staff to become retained firefighters," said Peter. "It's such an obvious thing to do.
"We all know what a brilliant job the Fire and Rescue Service does and this is a great way to support them.
"I think we have had retained firefighters on the staff ever since I came on board. The depot was only about 400 yards from the fire station so it couldn't have been easier for our employees to get to there - and it's just grown from there.
"We are a community provider. We don't see ourselves as a bus or coach operator, we are part of the community and, as such, anything we can do as members of that community to support it, we will."
Two of Johnsons' mechanics are currently retained firefighters, though for the vast majority of their time in the workplace, nobody would know. The interference of their firefighting duties into their working days is minimal, confined only to emergencies.
"There are occasions when people are called away," said Peter. "But you handle it. You know the situation so are always aware of that possibility and have a contingency plan.
"It's not as though they are called away every five minutes. And when they do get the call, you know it's an emergency. Somebody badly needs their help.
"Retained firefighters give so much commitment to what they do, doing all their training out of work time and during holidays, the least we can do is support them."
Johnsons Coaches' ongoing support was recently recognised by the presentation of a Community Support Award at Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s annual awards ceremony.
It is a connection, Peter insists, which will run and run.
"I would encourage any business to encourage their employees to consider becoming retained firefighters," he said. "There are no disadvantages - and everybody benefits."
If you are interested as an employer in releasing staff to become retained firefighters, further information can be found at:http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/beextraordinary.
Thousands of supply chain opportunities to be explored at HS2 event
Warwickshire firms of all sizes and types will have the chance to find out how they can benefit from thousands of supply chain opportunities to be created by HS2 at a roadshow event in Coventry in July.
Businesses interested in exploring how they can get involved are invited to come along to the event at The Manufacturing and Technology Centre at Ansty Park on 7 July 2016 from 8:30am to 1:30pm.
The event will include presentations, face-to-face time with HS2 experts and other networking opportunities.
Participants will hear from, and get the chance to meet, the HS2 teams and industry partners responsible for a range of areas of expertise including Supply Chain, Health and Safety, Community Relations, Building Information Modelling, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Skills, Employment and Education and Environment.
During the event, visitors will discover the scale and timing of contracts and what their businesses need to do to express an interest in getting involved in the supply chain.
Opportunities from the construction of HS2 will be created across many business sectors, requiring a wide range of capabilities and suppliers of all sizes. These include:
- design services;
- professional services;
- enabling works contracts;
- main works civils contracts (tunnels, portals, shafts, surface route);
- stations;
- railway systems;
- rolling stock.
The event in Coventry is one of 11 roadshow events taking place across the UK.
For full details of the roadshow and how to register, please visit:
www.hs2roadshow2016.co.uk
Booming pet supplies business broadens its horizons from rural Warwickshire
Further recruitment, an expansion of premises and increased exports are all on the cards for Warwickshire rural-based business PetShop.co.uk.
The on-line business is reaping the benefits of a much higher on-line profile driven by the brave decision to change the company name.
A change from 'PetShopBowl' was felt necessary by the firm, which delivers pet food, medicine and a range of accessories to customers, in order to harness potential demand. It has worked well with the business going from strength to strength.
Co-founder Adam Taylor is taking nothing for granted. The success story so far is based on hard graft and a lot more of that is needed to maintain the upward curve. But a success story it undoubtedly is.
And from his office at Hatton Rock, between Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, Adam is quick to flag up the crucial role played in the company's rise by a grant from Warwickshire County Council.
A £96,000 Micro Enterprise Grant, accessed via the Warwickshire Rural Growth Network, was quite simply "a game-changer" he said.
"We are very pleased with the progress so far," Adam said. "The name change was a bit of a leap of faith but we felt that PetShopBowl sounded a bit too niche and the new name of PetShop.co.uk complemented our goal to be the 'go to' pet shop in the UK.
"We were a little bit concerned because it was a big change but the switch to PetShop.co.uk has gone really smoothly. We now have a great presence on Google and are in position one for the search terms such as “pet shop” and in top positions for Pro Plan dog food, Iams cat food & James Wellbeloved.
"We have taken on further staff, now up to 12, and in the next two or three years will be looking for a bigger and more permanent base, definitely still in Warwickshire and hopefully within ten miles of where we are now."
And although the business will remain Warwickshire-based, its customer-based is reaching increasingly further afield.
"Our export market is an area with a lot of scope to expand and we plan to set up dedicated platforms, through language-translation websites, for Germany, France and Spain which are our principal markets in Europe.
"It has been an exciting journey and it wouldn't have been possible without the micro enterprise grant from the county council. That was very helpful at a time when we really needed that bit of extra support, both in terms of finance and also the excellent advice we received.
"Effectively, the grant revolutionised the business. It was a game-changer.
"We regard ourselves still very much as a Start-up. We know that 99 per cent of pet-owners don't know we exist. But we excited by the challenge and making good progress!"
Young engineers to benefit from WMG Academy’s partnership with Aston Martin
A successful partnership between Warwick Manufacturing Group Academy for Young Engineers and Aston Martin is celebrating the launch of an enhanced design and production engineering facility at the academy.
The partnership between Aston Martin and the Academy was started following a Skills for Employment seminar, hosted by Warwickshire County Council, in April 2015. The county council is investing £2million over the next three years to develop new and stronger business and school relationships.
The WMG Academy for Young Engineers appealed to Aston Martin as a ‘recruitment pipeline’ of young talented engineers. And after winning a £40,000 grant, the partnership focused on developing enhanced design facilities with extra computers, new industry-based software and facilities to broaden the access of learning real-life business skills.
Karen Botting, Head of Learning and Development at Aston Martin said: “We are addressing the requirement for CAD Body Engineering by training students in Siemen’s NX software used by engineers at Aston Martin. This is a great opportunity to help students develop a range of skills that set them up to apply for our advanced apprenticeship at Aston Martin.
"Our car design software supplier, Majenta PLM, outlined the attractive free offer of Siemen’s software to schools.”
Andrew Kyprianou, Head of Engineering at the Academy added: “The grant and partnership with Aston Martin has accelerated the delivery of the enhanced design facilities at the academy, which will greatly benefit students and their employability skills. At the academy we aim to make the learning experience relevant to business needs.
"The CAD facilities will aid the experience of Designing-Creating–Doing which is a core ethos of the academy. Working with Aston Martin has opened up other student opportunities. We have an exciting programme of work placements over the coming months that help shape career choices and personal skills such as confidence and business knowledge.”
Glenn Robinson, Skills for Employment Programme Manager at Warwickshire County Council, said: “The new facility illustrates the win-win benefits when you develop strong relationships between local businesses and schools. The partnerships help to identify the needs and opportunities which develops the skills and attributes which employers require.”
The state-of-the-art design studio has 22 computer-aided design platforms equipped with industry-standard software used in the auto and manufacturing industries, provided free-of-charge by Siemens.
Technology park progress is good news for Nuneaton
Nuneaton has received another big boost to its economy as the major redevelopment of a technology park in the town moves on to its next phase.
Construction has started on the third multi-use building at the Mira Enterprise Zone in Nuneaton, marking the beginning of Phase Two in the work programme.
The 27,200 square-feet building, North West 3, represents an investment of almost £7million by the Horiba Group and will house a number of global companies within six secure facilities within the building.
The announcement follows the completion of Phase One of development in February. The construction of key infrastructure on the site has paved the way for Phase Two, including the East, South and Centre Sectors of the Technology Park.
The new building is located in the North West sector and complements three other multi-tenant buildings constructed for various companies, alongside bespoke facilities created for Swedish company Haldex and for Aston Martin. Under construction by local company Deeley Construction, it is due for completion in November. When fully let, it will accommodate 140 staff, including many roles new to the Mira Technology Park site. Total jobs created at the Enterprise Zone since 2010 stand at almost 450 and that figure is expected to rise to more than 2,000 as the park nears completion in 2025.
Terry Spall, commercial director at Mira Technology Park, said: "Phase Two is now well underway and will create much-needed space for new and expanding businesses to join us on site. We are also expecting to be breaking ground on a further three new buildings this year."
For more details visit www.miratechnologypark.com or www.horiba-mira.com
Using technology to improve - and potentially save - your business
Businesses who choose not to embrace the advance of technology will not just stand still but "fall further and further behind."
But while some remain with "their heads in the sand", the good news is that many businesses are wising up to the need to back up their data and beef up their defences against the threat from cyber-criminals.
That is the view of Sarah Windrum, chief executive officer of the Leamington Spa-based Emerald Group, a group of companies specialising in technology support and consultancy.
Sarah works with businesses keen to secure the data which has effectively become the lifeblood of the commercial world in the 21st century.
The hard fact is that the risk of failing to take such action is colossal.
"Any risk of loss of data is huge," said Sarah. "It's what all our businesses are based upon. People who don't think they need to take some precautions are burying their heads in the sand.
"It is an issue with businesses at any level. Some think they can ignore technology but by doing that they are not even standing still, they are going backwards while everybody else is embracing technology and moving forwards. They are going to fall further and further behind.
"It is something that all businesses, whether a sole trader or with 1,000 employees, should be thinking about.
"It doesn't need to be frightening. People can be frightened by technology if they don't understand it, but technology is scaleable. Whatever size of business, you can do it in stages and cost-effectively."
Cyber-security is one of the big issues facing the business world in 2016 and it is one which Warwickshire County Council is fully embracing with the Business Watch initiative.
No company, whatever size or however traditional and apparently non-IT-related, should ignore the dangers, believes Sarah.
"We do a lot of work with architects because they have a huge amount of data that they need to store and have access to when they are out and about," she said. "We work with Hitchman Stone, in Warwick, who are long-established in the area and are a very traditional family firm, but they have still used technology to make their service better without losing their values.
"It's not about reinventing the wheel, it's about using technology to make your service better.
"One of our customers, a skip-hire company, is now a completely paperless operation and runs so much more smoothly. And they have gone from a £300,000 turnover five years ago to £2.4million. That shows what technology can do. It streamlines everything.
"You wouldn't think of a skip-hire company being at the cutting-edge of technology but they knew they needed to do it and they did it really well.
"Another of our clients is a sealant manufacturer in Nuneaton. Their factory burned to the ground and within 24 hours they were up and running again because they had a disaster recovery plan so we had all their critical systems and data on a back-up server in a data centre. "
* For more details about the Emerald Group visit www.emeralditms.co.uk
For information about Warwickshire Business Watch please visit www.warwickshirebusinesswatch.co.uk
"Important investment" into Rugby project
A major housing and commercial development in Rugby has taken a step forward after securing a loan from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
RadioStation Rugby is a joint venture between Urban&Civic and Aviva Investors. The HCA's Large Sites Infrastructure Fund has loaned £35.5m to the project to fund a new link road which will lead to the development of 6,200 homes, commercial space and schools.
Outline planning permission for the regeneration of the site was granted in May 2014 and it will be completed in phases over a 20-year period. The first 250 homes will be built by Davidson's Homes.
Richard Coppell, development director of Urban&Civic, said: "We welcome this important investment into the Rugby project.
"The scale and location of this site puts it on the national radar as well as being locally significant. RadioStation Rugby delivers much-needed housing for a growing town as well as being a key driver of local economic growth – and this is why the link road in particular is so important as it facilitates a vital connection to the town centre.
"We hope to have the road complete by the end of 2018 and we look forward to announcing further land parcel agreements with housebuilders as we progress the wider scheme over the coming months."
Mark tasting sweet smell of success from his Nuneaton base
"Fudge-taster required: Apply within."
It's the sort of vacancy that might spark a bit of a stampede.
So Mark Johnson, owner of Oooh! FUDGE, based at the Centenary Business Centre in Nuneaton, had better be ready when he recruits an apprentice in the summer. The position comes with considerable perks!
In truth, of course, there will be much more to the apprenticeship than chomping fudge. It will be a case of learning the skills and techniques which have helped Mark, a trained confectioner, establish his business as a small but serious player in the highly competitive confectionery market.
Oooh! FUDGE has operated from the Warwickshire County Council-run Centenary Business Centre for three years since Mark took the "leap of faith" of starting his own firm after 20 years working in the leisure industry.
It has provided the perfect base for a business which has targeted a niche market with sufficient success to have already warranted expansion to bigger premises within the centre.
Oooh! FUDGE is a business which began, like all successful ones do, with a good idea. Then came that leap of faith, the catalyst for which was - and this can't be said of too many businesses - Weston-Super-Mare pier.
"After the pier burned down I was part of the operations team working on its restoration," said Mark. "We had to restock everything including the confectionery and wherever I looked I just could not source any premium fudge.
"I stored that thought - and the more I thought about it the more I felt there was a niche market there; for fudge that, instead of being just brown, looks like what it tastes of. So Eton Mess fudge looks like Eton Mess and Tutti Frutti looks like Tutti Frutti etc."
That idea, powered by a lot of hard graft, has taken off, generating a customer-list which now spans the country.
"It was very hard going, particularly at first," said Mark. "I made plenty of mistakes - but that's how you learn.
"I have been in the leisure industries all my working life so know the market and, touch wood, it is going well. I supply a lot of sweet-shops and delis and one shop has asked me to devise an own-brand product for them which will be very interesting.
"It has helped me a lot to be based at the Centenary Business Centre. We are really close to the transport network here and the centre has everything you want as a small business. Also, the camaraderie and support from other traders here is great."
There was one thing that Mark did have to learn the hard way though. About that product-tasting...
"In the first three months of the business I put on about two stone," he recalls. "I am a bit more restrained now...but you have got to taste the product you are sending out to customers!"
Kenilworth railway station moves a step closer
A major boost for businesses in and around Kenilworth has moved a step closer with the awarding of the contract to build the new Kenilworth Rail Station to Graham Construction Ltd.
Construction work on the site will begin this summer and be completed in early 2017, with passenger services from Kenilworth operational later in the year.
Graham have decades of experience in and around rail infrastructure, having worked on significant rail projects such as Ibrox Station, Adelaide Depot and the award-winning Tennison Road bridge in Croydon.
Network Rail will be carrying out significant infrastructure works in spring 2017, including construction of new track at Leamington Rail Station, signalling upgrades and the relaying of the track through Kenilworth. A change to the schedule for the opening of Kenilworth Rail Station means this work will now be complete before passenger services start from the new station.
Warwickshire County Council and train operator London Midland are working hard to ensure that everything is in place for the start of passenger services in 2017, including sourcing the appropriate diesel rolling stock to operate the service at a time when diesel trains are in high demand.
The new station will be built in Priory Road in Kenilworth. The project is being funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), Warwickshire County Council and Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) as part of the Growth Deal initiative.
It is part of a major rail enhancement scheme designed to encourage economic regeneration between Nuneaton and Leamington Spa. The station will be served by a new local train service between Leamington Spa and Coventry.
Stuart Robertson, Contracts Director at Graham Construction Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and SLC Rail on this significant new station project and look forward to delivering the new transport facility for the community of Kenilworth and surrounding areas.”
Cllr Peter Butlin, Portfolio Holder for Transport & Planning at Warwickshire County Council, said: “I’m delighted that Graham Construction have been chosen to construct the station and we can now move into the next phase of delivering this project.
“We’re working hard with our partners and the rail industry to ensure that the people of Kenilworth have the transport links they deserve. This is against a backdrop of great change and improvements across the rail network and increased demand for rolling stock to deliver new passenger services across the country.
“The construction of the station and the resulting new train service will not only improve local public transport but will also provide a link to rail services beyond the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region, giving improved access to the economies of London and Birmingham while boosting our own local economy and tourism.”
Cllr Philip Johnson, Chair of Warwickshire County Council’s Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee, said: “I’m very pleased that we have a building contractor in place and that Kenilworth residents will begin to see construction work on the site of their new rail station in the coming months. The station will be a real boost to the town and provide a much valued transport link to other parts of the region and beyond.”
Nick Abell, a board director of the CWLEP, added: “Growth Deals were set-up by the Government to give LEPs the freedom to fund projects which will benefit the local area and economy.
“The building of a new Kenilworth Rail Station will provide local people and businesses with a vital link between Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa and is a major positive for the region.”
For the latest news and more information on the project, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/kenilworthstation.
Funding opportunity for micro and small enterprises in North Warwickshire
Small businesses in the north of Warwickshire have until June 10 to apply for the latest round of grants from the North Warwickshire & Hinckley & Bosworth LEADER Programme.
Grants of between £4,000 - £25,000 are available for businesses with under 50 employees, including new businesses and social enterprises.
Eligible businesses will be those which aim to deliver projects which will have an impact on the local rural economy, including the creation of new jobs, increased turnover, creation of new products and use of new technologies.
Activities eligible for funding include: construction costs or establishment costs for workshops, factories, premises and facilities; purchasing equipment (not consumables); and setting up an I.T. business.
Expressions of interest for the latest round of grants will close on June 10th, after which approved bids will be invited to complete a full application.
To be eligible projects must be:
- in the LEADER area
- an existing business with under 50 employees OR a new start up business
- having an impact on the local rural economy
Any small business interested in applying for a grant is invited to call the LEADER Programme Team on 01827 719 356 or email: leaderproject@northwarks.gov.uk.
Business Watch alert system up and running
An alert system set up by Warwickshire Business Watch to make businesses aware of crimes and potential cyber-threats in their locality has made a strong start.
The system, which also supplies the business community with tips for staying safe online, is one of the first initiatives put in place by Warwickshire Business Watch, which has really taken off since being introduced in the March issue of Warwickshire Means Business.
Run by Warwickshire County Council, and created in partnership with Warwickshire Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner, Business Watch has been created to raise awareness of the threat of cyber-crime at a time when the threat is escalating yet, remarkably, some business people remain slow to take it seriously.
Alex Williams, business crime advisor for Warwickshire Business Watch, revealed that safeguarding your online operations does not require measures of great sophistication and expense. Simple precautions can be highly effective.
"It is said that if basic measures are followed, 80% of cyber-attacks would be prevented," said Alex. "We would urge all business to put those measures in place as, for relatively little time, it could save a whole lot of trouble.
"If a business falls victim to a cyber-attack, it has to contend not only with the cost of a breach but also the wider-reaching impact on reputation and potential data losses which could have a devastating impact on their future."
Some of the top tips for businesses in relation to protecting themselves online include:
- Firewall and Anti-Virus – Use firewalls but it is also important to use anti-virus software along with this. If restricted by cost, weigh up what you need to protect in relation to expenditure.
- Update (Patching) – Always update software, updates are released to fix vulnerabilities.
- Use strong passwords – Use as many different passwords as possible and make them as complicated as you can. Try to update these regularly and encourage staff to do so.
- Back up data – This can be physically or via the ‘cloud’. This ensures that if data is lost, it can be recovered.
- Be wary of anything you receive that does not seem genuine. This may be an unusual email (Phishing), unexpected information regarding a delivery or attachments in an email.
- Follow business protocol when handling personal data to avoid loss - data protection and handling of data is of paramount importance.
- Train staff to be aware of all of the above and instil good practice.
There are an array of websites which cover a variety of topics in relation to protecting your business online. Please visit the ‘Useful Links’ section of the Warwickshire Business Watch website at www.warwickshirebusinesswatch.co.uk
If you would like more information and advice, you can visit the ‘Advice Sheets’ section of the website, or you can contact the Business Crime Advisor at alexcharleswilliams@warwickshire.gov.uk. You can also visit the website to sign up to the Alert System.
In the next issue of Warwickshire Means Business, Alex will look in more detail at some of the things you are protecting yourself against online and give an update on proposed changes to Data Protection Legislation.
Independents come together to promote Kenilworth
Independent traders in Kenilworth have banded together to help deliver the best possible collective service to shoppers and visitors to the town.
Kenilworth Independents is an informal group which exists to support retailers in an additional but complementary way to the town's chamber of trade and Kenilworth Town Centre Partnership.
It's informality is deliberate. The group has no constitution or officers but meets regularly in one of the town's many thriving cafes and pubs to discuss how best to mutually support each other and offer their customers the best shopping experience.
It is the brainchild of Catherine Colby-Johnson, owner of sensory shop Aunty Agatha's in Talisman Square.
Catherine, who grew up in Waverley Road in the town, opened the shop in July 2014 and quickly realised that a great camaraderie among her fellow traders was there to be tapped into.
"We are an informal group committed to increasing footfall in Kenilworth by helping each other deliver the best possible experience for visitors," she said. "We get together for a coffee morning once a month but are always chatting to each other to see who needs what and how we can help each other.
"We hold regular activities. At Easter, 22 retailers were involved in our 'Bunny Hop' whereby children were given a town-centre trail and had to get their cards stamped, so it wasn't just a case of looking in the windows, they - and hopefully their parents - went into the shops. It was really successful."
Although the retailers involved in the Bunny Hop were small independents, prizes for it were donated by two of the town's big stores - Waitrose and Wilkinson's.
"We really appreciated that and it was a great example of all the town working together," said Catherine. "Kenilworth Independents are not an insular group. We work alongside the Chamber of Trade and the Kenilworth Town Centre Partnership, for whom Paul Garrison has been fantastic with us."
A busy summer of events in the pipeline includes a special bicycle-themed day in June to coincide with the Aviva Women's Tour cycle race passing through Kenilworth.
"To have the Women's Tour coming through Kenilworth is really prestigious for the town and a lot of us will be dressing up bikes appropriately to our businesses," said Catherine. "It will be a great way for us as a business community to get involved in what is a great day for Kenilworth."
For more information about Kenilworth Independents please contact Catherine at info@auntyagathas.co.uk
Liz's business nurtured by positive atmosphere at Centenary Business Centre
A lettings agency based at the Centenary Business Centre in Nuneaton has come a long way in a short time thanks to a lot of expertise and hard graft - and the "brilliant" assistance of staff at the centre.
The expertise and graft has come from Liz Taylor, director of Liz Taylor Lettings.
Liz was recently short-listed in the Property Services section of the FirstPro 2016 Coventry and Warwickshire Professional of the Year Awards at the Ricoh Arena.
The nomination continued the strong progress of a business which has blossomed since early 2014 when Liz, having worked for a letting agency in the area for seven years, decided to get fully qualified, take the plunge and go it alone.
Even when you have the confidence of knowing the business and the area inside-out, that's a big decision to take.
So for Liz, the turn she happened to take one day while driving round Nuneaton, into Hammond Close and the Centenary Business Centre, turned out to be a most productive one.
"I was fairly confident that I could build a good business, but you do still go in at the deep end," said Liz. "Especially at the start you need all the support you can get so finding the business centre was a real lucky break for me.
"With only a small amount of money in the bank any long-term lease would have wiped me out so the sort of short-term deal they offer here really took the pressure off.
"The facilities are perfect. I have already moved into a bigger unit within the centre which allows me to meet clients in space and comfort. The free parking is also a real asset.
"And the reception staff are brilliant. They take in paperwork and keys for me when I'm not in the office and are always great to deal with and make the centre a pleasant place for people to visit which is so important."
That welcoming approach suits Liz's business philosophy in a sector which sometimes receives bad press for its customer-facing approach.
"I pride myself on very high standards of customer care," she said. "For example, I carry out viewings from 8am through to 7.30pm on weekdays and also on Saturdays because a lot of prospective tenants work from 9am to 5pm. Some agencies insist on viewings between 9 and 5 to suit their own office-hours. I don't think that's good enough.
"I do advertise in a small way but the majority of my customers come from personal recommendations from other landlords and tenants."
Talent recognised and rewarded at FirstPro gala dinner
The depth and breadth of business-related talent within the Coventry and Warwickshire area was celebrated at the Coventry and Warwickshire First Pro gala dinner.
Warwickshire County Council hosted guests from the county's business and professional services sector, at the prestigious event on April 21.
Local professionals were nominated across a range of categories including: Banking Professional, Legal Services Professional and Property Professional. Nominees were assessed against three criteria: performance at work; their contribution to Coventry and Warwickshire; and the intangible x-factor!
The event, attended by over 200 people, culminated in the announcement of this year’s winners with many the staff of many well-known local companies receiving awards:
The category winners were:
- Legal Professional: Emma Gamble, Shakespeare Martineau
- Finance Professional: Rachel Horner, SFB Tax Solutions Limited
- Banking Professional: Ravinder Bagri: Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking
- Property Professional: Paul Rice, Wright Hassall
- Business Services Professional: Phil Ewing, Harrison Beale & Owen
- Young Professional: Jenny Simpson, Stewart Fletcher & Barrett
Louise Richardson, a senior investment officer in Warwickshire County Council's Invest in Warwickshire team was short-listed for the Property Professional award. "Her knowledge of the area and her response rate to requests are second to none," Louise's citation said.
Jenny Simpson, of Stewart Fletcher and Barrett, who carried the Olympic Torch in 2012 in recognition of her contribution to the local community, was crowned overall professional for 2016 after impressing the panel of judges.
Fire and Rescue Service now offer training courses for all businesses
“Few providers in the county can match the experience, knowledge and resources behind Warwickshire Fire and Rescue’s new training services.”
That is a bold statement, but one behind which Fire and Rescue Service Partnership training manager Dave Carter firmly stands.
And all businesses can now take advantage of that Fire and Rescue expertise with the service's training skills out in the market place on a not-for-profit basis with any funds generated going back into delivering and improving services for the public.
It is an increasingly common example of a public service using commercial nous to get more out of its existing assets, skills, and knowledge.
After all, who better to train staff in fire safety than the people who last year attended 825 fire related incidents and advised over 670 businesses?
Warwickshire fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) already count among their clients:
The service's expertise stretches far beyond fire-safety. As well as annual fire warden, fire awareness and fire risk assessments – which are required by law – WFRS are also providing courses for
- First aid/refresher training, emergency first aid and first person on scene
- Category B+E towing courses
- Manual handling, working at height, water awareness
- National Examination Board in Occupational Health and safety (NEBOSH)
- Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
If you are a business which has any training needs, please visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/wfrstrainingservice for more information.
Rugby businesses served up great advice with breakfast
"Growing your business in 2016/17" was the theme of a highly successful business breakfast held by Warwickshire County Council's Invest in Warwickshire team in Rugby.
The Invest in Warwickshire team welcomed over 130 delegates to the event, co-hosted with our partners from Rugby Borough Council and Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub, at the Benn Hall in Rugby.
A broad spectrum of advice and information from a range of experts was put before delegates.
Mark Pawsey MP and Clive Hickman, chief executive of the Rugby-based Manufacturing Technology Centre, gave an insight into the cutting-edge research and development activity taking place locally.
A panel of leading business representatives then fielded questions around business growth, sharing their own experiences. A key objective of the morning was to showcase the wide range of business support services available to local companies and Rich Warren, account manager for the Growth Hub, presented an overview of support available to companies.
Additionally, many business support agencies were on hand to network and talk to the businesses who attended. They included the University of Warwick, UKTI-Export, Business Connectors, CWRT, Warwick Manufacturing Group, the MTC and the Intellectual Property Office while local membership organisations the FSB and Chamber of Commerce were also available to give out advice and guidance.
Representatives from both the county and district councils were present to let companies know about the support services they provide to business, including the Apprenticeship Hub, Skills for Employment and Invest in Warwickshire commercial property search service.
The event closed with a networking session, providing businesses with an opportunity to meet and get to know other local firms.
Tech Central launched to showcase Warwickshire as leaders in innovation
Warwickshire County Council has joined forces with Warwick District Council and local technology business owners to showcase Warwickshire as a hub of innovation capable of rivalling London’s Tech City.
The group kicked off with a social event in Leamington followed by a code-sharing ‘Cod-e-oke’ session. In the summer, they plan to launch workshops run by businesses supporting the tech community including legal firms, branding, marketing and growth specialists.
“Tech Central began to evolve after a networking event in London at which I heard for the 100th time that nothing exciting in technology happened outside of Tech City,” said Sarah Windrum, CEO of The Emerald Group, part of the founding team. "We need to change this perception so I spoke to the district and county councils and got in touch with local business-owners in the technology sector.
"We have such a range of talent from games developers to cyber-security experts and we all felt it was time the world knew about us.”
Chris White, the MP for Warwick and Leamington, opened the launch event and spoke enthusiastically about the venture. “It was great to see traditional businesses like Baxi networking with start-up software development companies and all discussing creative new ideas. It reminded me how important it is for every business to innovate and we have all the skills and talent we need right here.”
Warwickshire County Council works extensively with many businesses in the digital sector.
Council Leader Izzi Seccombe said: “Tech Central is all about collaboration and I am delighted that local government, education, and businesses are working together to expand the digital economy.
"We are already working on some exciting new projects, especially in skills, and our role is to ensure that we provide a supportive environment for all businesses to grow.”
Business premises - are there enough in Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull?
Warwickshire and Coventry Federation of Small Businesses has launched a survey to ascertain whether the amount of business premises available in the area is adequate.
The FSB is working with the councils in Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull to ensure there is sufficient work space for small firms to run and grow their businesses - whether that be in an office, industrial unit or shop.
Now they are asking for the help of all small business in the region to establish what they think about the availability of places from which businesses can be run and managed.
All businesses are asked to complete this short anonymous 8 question survey.
Any business needs its peacocks, panthers, owls and dolphins
A recent event with an intriguing twist inspired delegates from across north Warwickshire to review their teams to ensure they have the right people in place to help their businesses thrive.
The popular Info2Grow event was held at Twycross Zoo and adopted an ‘animal’ theme. Delegates heard about animal profiling and the importance of having the right blend of staff personalities to get the best results for a company.
"Info2Grow: Use You Animal Instincts for Business Success" was organised by Stewart, Fletcher & Barrett (SFB), LDJ Solicitors, HSBC Bank, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, Cambron Limited, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Hinckley BID and the Federation of Small Businesses.
One of the key messages arising from it was: ‘There are no right or wrong personalities within your business - having a combination helps your business look at every angle and reap the rewards.’
Speaker Paul Carvell said: “Too often people hire others like themselves thinking that will be the way forward. But actually it makes business sense to have a combination of ‘peacocks,’ ‘panthers,’ ‘owls’ and dolphins’ to enable your team to win work, maintain customers and provide continual high quality, enhancing your reputation.”
Delegates heard how Twycross Zoo, a 50-year-old business, has been successfully transformed. Chief executive Dr Sharon Redrobe delivered a fascinating talk on the £55 million investment program that will develop the zoo’s 34-acre site over the next 20 years and double visitor-numbers from currently 500,000 a year to one million.
SFB director Shelley Harvey said: “It was great to see 100 attendees at the event to hear about the new developments at Twycross Zoo and to learn how profiling can improve their business.”
If you are interested in attending future business growth events, please email events@sfb.uk.com to be added to the Info2Grow event mailing list.
Provide your business perspective on the Living in Warwickshire survey
Business people have been urged to take part in the Living in Warwickshire survey which gives Warwickshire residents the chance to comment on a range of public services within the county.
The survey, carried out by Warwickshire County Council, is designed to provide an opportunity for people to have their say on what living in the county is really like.
The research will gather people’s views on a variety of topics including health and wellbeing, community safety, local neighbourhoods, transport, and public service provision.
Input from the business community, giving their unique perspective on the range of issues in question, would be very welcome.
Since the survey was launched in April the response has been very strong from a community which clearly cares deeply about what is going on within it.
The early indications are that the top five things areas in which people would like to see improvement in Warwickshire are:
- Income and cost of living
- Transport links
- Sports and leisure facilities
- Shopping facilities
- Road and pavement repairs
Results from the survey will highlight key issues experienced by people on a day-to-day basis, including information on how they live and their needs and challenges. This will inform future council work-programmes to address these local needs and shape services for the future.
The survey can be completed online only and all respondents, who must be aged over 18 years old, will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to a win a Warwick Castle Family Annual Pass (for four people). A further 10 pairs of tickets to Warwick Castle will also be awarded.
The survey will close on May 31st. To complete it, please visit: warwickshire.gov.uk/survey
June event devoted to the future of the automotive industry
The automotive landscape of the future will be outlined to visitors to UKTI-backed event 'Future-Proofing the UK Automotive Supply Chain' next month.
The event on Wednesday 15th June will showcase the UK’s strength and depth in new technologies that will drive, shape and be fundamental to the future evolution of the automotive industry.
The UK has emerged as one of the most globally attractive locations for automotive investment and this event will focus on all aspects of the industry. With a growing supply-chain opportunity, transformational R&D capability and a supportive business environment, the show, at the LIverpool Exhibition Centre, Kings Dock Street, Liverpool, will bring together a range of experts to showcase all this country has to offer: leading-edge firms, world-class facilities and universities, a global centre for motorsport and a comprehensive funding package, to help develop and commercialise technological innovations.
For details please visit Future-Proofing the UK Automotive Supply Chain
Applications open for Goldman Sachs Small Business Programme
Applications are now open for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme.
The programme is designed to provide high-quality practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
The initiative consists of over 100 hours of business and management education involving a blend of online and in-person residential sessions.
This is a national growth programme that has been established since 2010 and has shown to impact the businesses taking part.
Participants benefit from a broad package of management education and business coaching delivered by specialists and professional practitioners, with a strong focus on structured peer learning and the creation of a community of entrepreneurs.
The emphasis throughout the programme is on learning what is applicable to you and what can be implemented in your business straight away. This is achieved by providing the practical tools and resources to help lay the foundations for long-term sustainable growth and job creation in your business.
Among many to have already benefited from the programme is Ian Vickers, managing director of MET, graduated from it in 2014.
"It is a challenging yet highly rewarding programme," said Ian. "I wish it had been available to me 10 years ago as it would have helped me accelerate the growth of MET significantly. If you are lucky to be selected to take part in the next cohort then grab it with both hands.
For further information and eligibility criteria please visit our website.
To be considered for the cohort starting in September 2016, applications must be completed by 6thJune.
For further details please contact Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Community Team, The Aston Centre for Growth
Aston University. email 10ksb@aston.ac.uk or call 01212043225.