David Beckford, Managing Director of Chesterfield Champion organisation Pronto Paints, was named as the new President of the British Coatings Federation (BCF) at the federation’s Annual Conference and Gala Dinner in Oxford in May.

During the event, outgoing BCF President Vincent O’Sullivan, of PPG Architectural Coatings handed over presidency of the BCF to David Beckford, of Pronto Paints.

Commenting on his new role, David said:-

“The coatings industry faces a number of challenges, including the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, the defence of TiO2 and continued pressure on raw material prices. It’s in times like these we need our trade associations, and I know the BCF will continue to work hard on our behalf to ensure that we have the support and knowledge to be able to adapt accordingly, so that we continue to grow and prosper as an association and industry.”

Vincent O’Sullivan thanked the BCF team and said it had been an honour and a privilege to serve as BCF President and that he was incredibly proud of the achievements of the BCF during his term.

The Gala Dinner followed a day long business conference, with topics ranging from the political and economic position of the coatings industry, recruiting and retaining talent, to apprenticeships and sustainability. The afternoon focussed on cybersecurity and how to protect your business online, and a review of the last 12 months from BCF completed the programme.

Tom Bowtell,  Chief Executive of the BCF, commented:-

“I’ve really enjoyed working with Vincent O’Sullivan as President – he’s challenged myself and the team to take things to the next level, and I look forward to working with David Beckford as we continue working on Brexit and other challenges, to support the future prosperity of the UK coatings industry.”

Thirty years on and going from strength to strength, ra Information Systems are proud to celebrate 30 successful years in the IT industry.

Initially ra started life in 1988 as a software house, writing bespoke software, predominantly for local authorities.

As ra has built relationships with their clients they found they wanted more from them and it quickly became apparent that there was a gap in the market for a company able to provide IT support and solutions. They therefore setup an IT Services division to complement the existing software development business and over the years the two parts of the company have complemented each other with customers regularly becoming clients of both sides of the business.

In 2008 ra outgrew its Sheffield premises and relocated to its current location, ra House, in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

As of today, ra has grown to become a leading IT company providing its services throughout the UK and wider Europe. ra’s growth has strategically been aimed towards providing expertise in all areas of IT and telephony. The company has grown to now have its own in-house helpdesk of IT experts – all 1st line support, two in-house software development teams, IT/infrastructure/telephony specialists and admin, sales and marketing teams.

Whilst IT support and infrastructure specialisms underpin the company’s service offering, ra has also created and developed three thriving software management solutions:

• ezytreev – Tree, TPO & Asset Management Software now used in over 100 councils, universities and housing associations across the UK and Ireland. (www.ezytreev.com)
•  ibcs – Business Centre Management Software used in over 120 business and conference centres. (www.ibcs-software.com)
• CLARITY CORE – Science Park, Innovation and Incubation Centre Software used in over 100 sites. (www.clarity-core.com)

Annette Dabbs, Director of ra Information systems, commenting on this anniversary,  says:-

“What a milestone to reach 30 successful years in business! It really is hard to believe but good to look back over the years at how we have developed and grown as a company, both in personnel, the breadth of expertise they bring, and the services we provide. Something well worth celebrating.”

“ra has achieved all of the above, throughout recessions and changing Governments, whilst moving forward alongside huge technological advancement. Overcoming these challenging factors to becoming the company ra is today is why this momentous 30th year in business is a cause for major celebration.

“Finally, ra would like to convey a huge thank you to all their existing clients for their highly valued custom over the years. Here’s to the next 30 years.”

The quest to find this year’s crème de la crème of regional commerce is coming to an end.

Organisations have just days left to take part in the East Midlands Chamber’s Business Awards – the only annual industry honours where submissions are judged purely by corporate peers.

And they are the only county-by-county accolades that offer winners a chance to compete on the national stage of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Awards.

The winner of the 2017 East Midlands Chamber Nottinghamshire Outstanding Growth Award – iCON Aerospace Technology, of Retford – went on to win the BCC High Growth Business of the Year Award for increasing turnover by 30% and creating 150 jobs in two years.

The company is a world leader in highly-engineered products utilising polymers in sealing, containment, propulsion and protection systems worldwide.

Scott Knowles, the Chamber’s Chief Executive, said:-

“You can’t overestimate the value of taking part in awards. They make organisations focus on what they do best, offer opportunities for outward promotion, raise the kudos of the firm and make employees more proud to belong to the organisation. It’s win-win at every level.

“The Chamber’s Business Awards are one of the most contested and prestigious awards programmes and the only ones that offer winning businesses on a county-wide basis the chance to compete on a regional and national scale.”

Organisations can enter as many awards categories as they like. The categories for each of the three counties are Apprentice of the year, Business Improvement Through Technology, Commitment to People Development, Community Impact, Education and Business Partnership, Entrepreneur of the Year, Excellence in Customer Service, Excellence in International Trade, Manufacturer of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Outstanding Growth and Small Business of the Year.

One of the category winners in each county will also win the Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Mazars, one of Europe’s largest accounting firms and headline sponsor of the Chamber’s awards programme.

The deadline for entries to this year’s awards is 5pm on Friday 18 May. For further details and to download county-specific application forms visit http://www.emc-dnl.co.uk/businessawards.

The Chamber will host gala dinners in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire in the autumn at which the awards will be presented.

Winners of specific awards from each county will go forward to the BCC regional awards for a chance to compete for a national accolade.

Following a sustained three-year period of significant growth, Shorts Chartered Accountants are delighted to confirm that they have joined Praxity Global Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of independent accounting and consulting firms.

As part of their long-term growth strategy, they wanted to enhance support for those clients who are exploring overseas opportunities, through joining an international association whose members provided a strong worldwide footprint.

Andy Irvine, Managing Partner at Shorts, explained:-

“Increasingly, commerce is becoming ever more global.  This trend, together with UK business starting to adapt to the longer-term implications of Brexit, has resulted in many of our most successful clients actively considering expansion overseas.  Being a member of Praxity will allow us to continue to provide these clients with the high-quality advice they require, confident in the knowledge that our partner firms in other territories are there to support and guide as appropriate.”

“We wanted to join an international alliance which consisted of independent firms very much like our own.  Shorts is focussed on giving the very best advice and service to our clients, whilst ensuring we never lose touch with the fact that people do business with people.  It was clear from the member firms we spoke to, that Praxity embodies these same core principles.”

Welcoming Shorts to the Praxity Alliance, Executive Director Graeme Gordon said:-

“The addition of Shorts enhances Praxity’s presence in the UK and underlines the Alliance’s continuing policy of effective growth based on quality firms in strategic locations. We are unashamedly selective in the firms we welcome to Praxity, each of which retains their own branding, independence and financial responsibility.

“We’re delighted that Shorts has chosen the Alliance to enhance the services it can provide those clients who are considering the opportunities of expansion in an increasingly global marketplace. We look forward to enjoying the distinctive experience and insight their continuing development will bring to the firms in the Alliance”.

Andy Irvine is clear about how Praxity membership can contribute to the future of the firm:-

“Our staff are excited by the news that we have joined Praxity, as this is another significant step in our growth strategy and will help with our goal to be recognised as the go-to firm in our region. The opportunity to work on more international work is one that I know they will find stimulating but they will also be pleased that the individual, independent culture at Shorts is not going to be subsumed into a large corporate monolith.”

Participant firms are handpicked for their size, strength, reputation, financial condition, leadership and strategic geographic relevance. As part of the Alliance, Shorts can connect with 65+ other participant firms and share expertise with the 47,000 people at Praxity firms in more than 100 countries.

Chesterfield Champion VHS Fletchers are celebrating continued growth of their business with a move to a new office building on Beetwell Street.

VHS Fletchers is a client-focused firm of solicitors dedicated exclusively to crime and regulatory law.  The solicitors acquired the criminal department, and its staff, of local firm Banner Jones in the Spring of 2015  in order to offer expert advice across the entire Derbyshire region, in addition to their offices in Ilkeston and Derby. Since 2015 they have shared their Chesterfield offices with Banner Jones.

The move not only marks growth in the business where other local law firms have closed their criminal offices but a desire to Invest in Chesterfield town centre. The new office, 50 yards from the police station, was chosen so that people needing to speak to the police and want a solicitor can simply pop in on their way past to receive expert advice which, at the police station whilst being interviewed by the police, is always free.

David Gittins, Partner at VHS Fletchers, says:-

“We had the choice to go to an out of town purpose built office but deliberately chose to re invest in the town centre for ease of clients and to assist in the regeneration of the town.

“We are also focused on investing in local people having recently recruited well known local solicitor Denney Lau in addition to local lad Ben Strelley who joined us from a Sheffield firm.”

Further to the move to new offices, VHS Fletchers are also extending their services, having taken the step of retaining a specialist full time Crown court department in Chesterfield to provide the full remit of criminal legal advice to the residents of Chesterfield and surrounding area.

A Derbyshire based law firm is celebrating after one of the firm’s trainee solicitors achieved full qualification. Irena Stavrinidou is now well on her way to carving out a successful career in the legal profession.

Irena is now a fully qualified Solicitor working in the private client team at Derbyshire Family Law Chesterfield, where she specialises in matters relating to private law children, care proceedings and injunctions.

The qualification is the culmination of several years’ hard work for the 29 year old who, joined the firm three years ago.

Irena said:-

“I am delighted to have achieved qualification. I am now looking forward to being able to develop my experience further with Family Law Group and continue to assist clients at a challenging and stressful time in their lives.

“I would like to thank all my colleagues, who have been there to guide and support me at every stage.”

Simon Leach, Director at Family Law Group, added:-

“We would like to congratulate Irena on her achievement. Right from when we met Irena over three years ago, we knew she was the sort of person who really saw family law as a vocation. She is an important member of the Chesterfield and Derby team and her qualification is a rich reward for her hard work.”

Chesterfield Champion GCL Products are proud to announce their new status as sole distributor of SoRoTo products for the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands.

The agreement covers the wholesale distribution, service and spares of the complete range of SoRoTo products, including forced action mixers, electric paddle whisks, belt conveyors, table saws, concrete mixers and other machinery and tools for the construction sector.

With 6 years of experience in the supply of materials, machinery and tools into the construction and landscaping sectors, GCL Products have successfully supplied SoRoTo products to the UK market since early 2016. This partnership between the two companies will help to provide enhanced service and spares supply to customers, as well as increasing the product range to both new and existing markets.

Established in 1986, SoRoTo are a market leading manufacturer of tools to the construction industry, particularly for concrete mixers and belt conveyors, and the original manufacturers of forced action mixers. The original SoRoTo forced action mixers, with their patented mixing system, have redefined standards for concrete mixing and have an unbeatable patented technology to ensure a smooth mix with unrivalled efficiency.

Fergus Slack, Managing Director of GCL Products, comments:

“We are proud to partner with SoRoTo, the original manufacturers of forced action mixers and belt conveyors. The UK needs tough, hard working machinery and we look forward to working with resin bound installers, tilling contractors and brick layers to show them the benefits of using the full range of products from SoRoTo.”

On 24th April 2018, GCL Products’ managing director, Fergus Slack, travelled to Paris to visit the concrete trade show, Intermat, and met with SoRoTo CEO Hans Rasmussen to sign the partnership agreement. SoRoTo attend the Intermat trade show annually to showcase their latest innovations and machinery relevant to the concrete industry.

Of the meeting, Hans Resmussen, CEO of SoRoTo, said:

“A good day and picture together that supports the good partnership we have started today in Paris. We are sure it will be a long and successful collaboration for both companies.”

Award winning law firm and Chesterfield Champion Banner Jones has further strengthened its Family Law division with the appointment of senior solicitor Shetal Gudgeon and the promotion of Kelly Parks to Director, who takes on the role of Head of Family Law.

Recognised as a recommended Family Lawyer in The Good Lawyer Guide – the independent guide to solicitors in England and Wales – and possessing a specialist accreditation in children related and domestic violence cases, Shetal brings with her 15 years of experience advising on a diverse range of complex family law issues relating to married, unmarried and same sex couples including divorce, financial, children and injunction proceedings.

She joins from Best Solicitors and will be splitting her time between the firm’s Sheffield and Chesterfield-based Family Law teams.

Her appointment follows the promotion of Kelly Parks’ to Director and Head of Family Law; overseeing all issues relating to personal relationships, relationship breakdown, high value financial disputes and child arrangement disputes.

Director and Head of Human Resources, Chris Sellars, said the expansion of the team’s offering was strategic, and would allow the firm to meet growing demand from family’s seeking advice.

He said:-

“Recognising talent, commitment and dedication is incredibly important at Banner Jones, and so I am delighted to announce Kelly’s promotion to Director and Head of Family Law. With 15-years’ specific family law experience which includes over five years at Stowe Family Law, the largest specialist Family Law firm in the UK, Kelly has become integral to the team and the service we provide our clients since joining us in 2017.

“We are also delighted to welcome Shetal who brings with her considerable expertise, further bolstering our ability to meet increased demand.”

Kelly commented:-

“With increasing scope to be involved in regional, national and international cases I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the Family Law team at Banner Jones during a period of growth and expansion.

“Shetal and I were trainee solicitors together 17 years ago and it’s great to be reunited; she is a welcome addition to our established Family Law team and it will be great to work with her again.”

Shetal commented:-

“This is a very exciting opportunity to join an award winning, ambitious law firm with a long-established reputation for excellence.”