Stopfords Chesterfield LLP are proud to welcome graduate Joshua Paget to their team. Joshua has joined Stopfords through the RISE recruitment programme and will be working in a marketing role.

RISE is a scheme created in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield University and Sheffield City Region. It aims to increase graduate employment in small and medium sized enterprises within Sheffield City Region.

Joshua said:-

“I am fresh out of university with a degree in, and the only way I could have secured a position in such a role is through the RISE scheme and Stopfords. I am very pleased to be starting this job.

“It enables me to learn and develop in a role I have an interest in. The RISE team were very supportive and informative throughout the whole process and I have had a warm welcome from all the staff at Stopfords.”

Martin Swain, Partner at Stopfords, comments on Joshua’s appointment:-

“I am delighted to be able to welcome Joshua to Stopfords. The scheme not only benefits the local community and businesses copious amounts, but also saves us, the employer, a lot of time and resources.”

Regional estate agency Redbrik has expanded its sales team with the addition of a ‘highly-skilled’ valuer.

Emma Louise Wilson, from Brampton, Chesterfield, will be working alongside the busy sales team at Redbrik’s Chesterfield office, based on Glumangate.

Having worked in the property industry since 2011, Emma’s previous employers include Blundells and William H Brown.

Emma said:-

“I have always admired the Redbrik way of working – as a company, they really understand their audience and have a fantastic reputation in the area as a result of their strong brand and brilliant marketing.

“Making the move to an independent estate agency has been quite a change for me but I am thoroughly enjoying my new role and I look forward to developing my skillset with the company going forward.”

Mark Ross, Director at Redbrik, said:-

“Emma is a highly-skilled valuer with a wealth of experience, great local knowledge and, like all our team, prioritises fantastic customer service.

“She really understands the property market and exemplifies the Redbrik ethos, so I am certain that she will play a vital role in expanding our sales portfolio.”

Il Mondo Travel will soon be opening its doors within the innovative cluster of shops at 131 Chatsworth Road in Chesterfield.

The independent travel agency are set to specialise in all aspects of travel including cruises, tailor-made, luxury, family, holidays, short breaks, river cruises, rail, flights, business travel, honeymoons, escorted tours, solo and travel extras.

Catering for every need, taste and budget, Il Mondo hope to open a world of totally new adventures around the globe to their customers; offering a bespoke, tailor-made service to create trips that can’t be booked online from their agency on Chatsworth Road.

Jo Bunting, with 38 years’ experience in the independent travel sectors, takes the helm of family-run business as Company Director. She says:-

“I like to be able to offer that personal touch and a truly bespoke service tailor-made to individual travel needs.

“Our reputation in the independent travel sector has been developed through in-depth product knowledge and personal first-hand experiences. Our ethos is centred on the key principle that to confidently recommend a product one has to experience it.

“I believe the opening of Il Mondo marks the dawn of a new era of travel in North Derbyshire.”

Il Mondo will be hosting an open day on Saturday 14 October offering guests a range of coffee and cakes in the afternoon and drinks and canapes in to the evening.

Shorts are delighted this month to announce the appointment of Michelle Frost as Practice Director.

Michelle joins Shorts following seven years working within a large manufacturing and distribution group where she oversaw a large multi-disciplined team in her role of Financial Operations Director.

The role of Practice Director is a newly created role for Shorts; directly responding to the significant growth experienced by the firm in recent years.   A Chartered Accountant, Michelle has extensive experience of leading a team through companywide management programs, including operating systems migration and process automation; her expertise will prove invaluable during the continued development at Shorts.

Andy Irvine, Partner at Shorts Chartered Accountants, commented:-

“We are delighted to welcome Michelle to Shorts. Her appointment is another important step in the growth of the firm and we are confident she will be able to contribute significantly to our future success.”

Michelle added:-

“Shorts have a proven reputation of excellence and I am really excited to be joining such a growing and talented team.  I look forward to developing a role that supports client experience and enhances internal talent.”

A quest to find the most successful and inspirational local businesswomen will launch this month.

The hunt for nominations for the 2018 East Midlands Chamber Enterprising Women Awards begins on 13 October and Chesterfield business women are being encouraged to apply.

It formally starts at a two-course lunch at the Quorn Grange Hotel, Leicester, where the guest speaker will be the inspirational mother-of-two, businesswoman and investor Alex Peace-Gadsby.

Alex runs several businesses, including the clothing company Musto, and is also involved with charity work both locally and nationally.

Based in Nottingham, she was appointed as the Chief Scout Commissioner for England in 2015 after being involved in Scouting for 11 years.

She will share her experiences as a woman in business, a journey that is both interesting and motivating.

The lunch will be hosted by the Co-Chairs of Enterprising Women – Jean Mountain, a Past President at East Midlands Chamber, and Eileen Richards, of ER Recruitment, both members of the Chamber Board of Directors.

Eileen said:-

“The awards are all about finding and recognising women who make a serious contribution to the regional economy, often successfully balancing work, keeping home and motherhood, but not always being acknowledged for what they achieve.

“Alex does all of the above and more, which makes her a perfect choice of speaker for the event that launches this year’s quest.”

There are six awards to be won this year – the 21^st year of the competition: Inspirational Woman of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to Business, Enterprising New Businesswoman of the Year, Enterprising Women Team of the Year, Enterprising Woman in the Community and Rising Star.

Entries have to be in by Friday 5 January 2018. Entry is by nomination, but can be self-nominated. The winners will be announced at a glittering, ‘little black dress’ dinner on 2 March – coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Jean said:-

“By highlighting their contribution and telling their stories, hopefully we can inspire other women to pursue their business dream, which is why I would urge as many people as possible to send in nominations for this year’s awards.”

Chamber membership is a requirement for nomination. For more information visit http://bit.ly/2wQylGm.

Things are looking bright for an award-winning Chesterfield firm that’s used an energy-saving grant to go 100% LED.

Penny Hydraulics, which makes swing lift cranes for vans and lorries as well as its own range of goods lifts, installed the low energy lighting after receiving £15,000 from the Derby and Derbyshire Energy Efficiency scheme (D2EE).

Not only are the LEDs helping save money on energy bills, they’re also enhancing the quality of the Clowne-based firm’s products due to the improved lighting.

Robin Penny, Managing Director at Penny Hydraulics, said he was pleased to have received the grant which meant he could replace all the lights at once, rather than over a longer period of time which would have been disruptive. He said:-

“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved.

“In particular paint spraying and assembly has been made much easier and better due to the incredible improvement in light quality. The fact that there is also a large cost saving is a real bonus.”

He added:-

“It would have been difficult for the company to justify the expense of going 100% LED in one go and so the grant has brought forward quality improvements, overhead reduction and the corresponding CO2 savings. A real win-win situation.”

The D2EE scheme is a partnership between us, Derby City Council and the University of Derby and is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It aims to help SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) audit their energy use and introduce energy-saving measures.

Around 20 companies have benefited so far, but there are still up to 180 grants available for firms across the county interested in using less energy and saving money.

Mr Penny added:-

“The grant application went very smoothly and only took a week to get approved. Without it we couldn’t have afforded to change all of the lighting in one go, we would have had to do one building at a time, which would have caused a lot of disruption.

“The guys in the factory are happy as it makes their jobs much easier and it is a better place to work.”

Councillor Tony King, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at Derbyshire County Council, said:-

“Small and medium-sized businesses are a vital part of Derbyshire’s economy and by supporting this project we are giving them access to state-of-the-art equipment and technical expertise designed to improve efficiency and innovation.

“Grants are available to SMEs in Derbyshire and Derby and I urge companies to get in touch.”

Penny Hydraulics employs 85 people at its plant on Station Road, Clowne, which has been on an energy saving journey through modernisation of its premises including solar panels on the roof, an upgrade to some of the lights and an advanced heating controller.

The £15,000 grant was put toward the total cost of the project which was £40,000.

The firm’s finance director Ashley Holmes said the investment in energy-saving technologies helped the company become more resilient for the future as it was less affected by changes in energy prices.

He said:

“Having LED lights throughout the factory will go a long way in supporting our commitment to the environment and help with our ISO 14001 environmental management application.”