Development

Grants available for Chesterfield businesses affected by Covid-19 Omicron variant

Businesses trading in Chesterfield’s hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors which have been affected by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 are being encouraged to apply for a support grant.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant provides grants from £2,667 up to £6,000 to support local businesses impacted by the pandemic.

Applications for funding are now open, and will close on 11 February 2022. A business will be eligible for the grant if:

  • it was registered for Business Rates on 30 December 2021
  • it was trading on 30 December 2021
  • it is one of the hospitality, leisure or accommodation business types that are eligible for this payment (some exclusions do apply as per the BEIS guidance)

Businesses that may qualify for this grant are being contacted by Chesterfield Borough Council’s business grants team directly. However, if you think you are eligible and have not been in touch with anyone from the council about this yet, you can complete the application form here.

A business will not be entitled to a payment if it has entered into administration or insolvency or has exceeded the permitted Business Grant Subsidy Allowance.

Only the Business Rates payer at 30 December 2021 is entitled to claim this payment.

If you are eligible to receive a grant payment, you will receive this within seven days of your application being assessed and no later than 28 February 2022.

Meanwhile, the Government has also recently announced a new Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) and published guidance on the operation of the fund and details of the funding allocation for each local authority.

Chesterfield Borough Council is in the process of drafting the scheme ready to publish on its website during January 2022. Businesses are encouraged to keep checking Chesterfield Borough Council’s website and social media for further updates.

Find out more about the COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund.

To find out more about some of the other business support available for companies in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , , , , ,

£58 million to be invested in Derbyshire’s road network in the coming year

A £58 million investment in the county’s roads and pavements has been revealed by Derbyshire County Council.

The work, to be carried out from April 2022 to March 2023, will include resurfacing and surface dressing roads and pavements, traffic safety schemes, draining improvements and maintenance to bridges and retaining walls.

Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, said: “This huge investment in roads, footpaths and pavements across the county is the second year of a three year £120m programme.

“More than 44% of the money next year will be spent on resurfacing or surface dressing 375 roads across the county.

“We’re also going to make improvements to pavements, drains and spend money on measures to prevent flooding.

“To help reduce accidents on the roads, money will also be spent on a variety of safety schemes which aim to reduce the numbers of people killed or seriously injured in accidents. Improvements will also be made to the cycle network.

“Much of this work will need us to close roads to make sure it can be done safely, and where possible we will work at off-peak times. I’d like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused to all those affected by these improvement works and thank everyone for their patience.”

The money will be spent in the following way:

  • roads £25.8million
  • pavements £3.6million
  • drainage and flood management £4.7million
  • bridges, structures, retaining walls and highway boundary structures £8.1million
  • signs, lines and signals £3.1million
  • street lighting £2.7million
  • rights of way £1million
  • cycle routes £0.6million
  • greenways £0.6million
  • traffic management £2.8million
  • key cycle network investment £0.1million
  • local cycling and walking investment £0.1million
  • sustainable transport £3.1million
  • air quality £0.1million
  • road safety £1.8million.
  • Total 2022-2023 programme £58.2m.

Centrally located in the UK Chesterfield is superbly connected, has an abundance of new business premises and room to grow. Well served by the M1 and the Midland Mainline Chesterfield is within one hour’s drive of four major airports and London is under two hours by rail.

Find out more about the great investment opportunities in the town at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home, Property and Construction, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , ,

Made in Chesterfield praised by businesses, schools and pupils

An impact report has revealed that nearly 200 students from North East Derbyshire’s schools got a hands-on taste of manufacturing and engineering careers during the Made in Chesterfield festival in November last year.

Businesses, teachers and pupils have all praised the Made in Chesterfield initiative.

Nick McGowan, assistant headteacher a teacher at Whittington Green School which visited Woodhead Construction’s enterprise centre site, said: “We’ve been teaching construction in the school for the last 15 years and one thing we have always struggled with is access to site so the visit was absolutely brilliant. The visit opened the student’s horizons to the jobs and opportunities within the construction sector.”

In a review of the month-long annual festival undertaken by Direct Education Business Partnership (DEBP) which coordinated Made in Chesterfield in conjunction with Destination Chesterfield, it also found that there was no demand for virtual school visits, indicating that schools are keen to re-engage face-to-face with the business community despite the pandemic.

Ivan Fomin, Managing Director of MSE Hiller and Destination Chesterfield’s board member responsible for manufacturing and engineering in the borough, said: “The uptake of the physical workplace tours by schools for Made in Chesterfield was very encouraging given the current climate of uncertainty. There is a very real appetite amongst schools to give young people the widest exposure to careers and job opportunities.”

He added: “It is so important that we highlight the local career and job opportunities to young people as they are an intrinsic part of Chesterfield’s growth ambitions.”

Virtual workplace tours were launched last year amidst the pandemic, however with Covid restrictions eased physical workplace tours were reintroduced for 2021.

Pupils from Whittington Green School, Springwell Community College, St Mary’s Catholic High School, The Bolsover School, Shirebrook Academy and Heritage Academy all took part in visits to local engineering and manufacturing businesses, including Aztec Oils, Woodhead Construction, CBE+, Penny Hydraulics, Superior Wellness, Morgan Sindall, Weightron Bilanciai, MSE Hiller and United Cast Bar.

Carol Claydon, Head of HR at Superior Wellness which hosted students from Springwell Community College, said: “The tour organised by Made in Chesterfield was a fantastic opportunity for our business. Our team members thoroughly enjoyed explaining more about the business, their roles and their work experience to the students. It was brilliant to see how inspired the students were and I think it opened their eyes to the various career opportunities within the local area.

“The campaign is a fantastic way to inspire the next generation and hopefully showcase the different sectors and opportunities available within the town of Chesterfield.”

Ben Jones, Project Manager at Weightron Bilanciai which hosted students from Bolsover School added: “Hopefully we have inspired young people to be interested in what they want to do as a career so they can start thinking ahead now to what they should be studying and also whether they want to go to university or follow the apprenticeship route.”

Charlie Goodwin, Projects Officer at DEBP who compiled the report commented: “We are so grateful to the many businesses who got involved with Made in Chesterfield and worked with us to make it a success in 2021. We appreciate that everyone continues to experience challenging times, however the feedback from those who participated has demonstrated the value in providing meaningful insights into the working world and the role this initiative has in inspiring future employees.”

Launched originally in 2013, the annual Made in Chesterfield campaign, has since introduced thousands of young people across North East Derbyshire to the possibility of a career in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) sector.

The hands-on campaign aims to bridge the careers information gap between education and industry by giving schools and pupils access to workplace tours, a range of careers videos and the MyFuture virtual careers fair.

Made in Chesterfield 2021 was made possible thanks to funding and support from The Chesterfield College Group, Chesterfield Borough Council, D2N2 LEP and Careers and Enterprise Company, Derbyshire North Career Hub, MSE Hiller, United Cast Bar Ltd and NatWest.

Emily Carter, Operational Careers Hub Lead at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership added: “We are ever grateful to our cornerstone employers and local business partners for supporting opportunities such as the Made in Chesterfield open doors programmes, supporting young people’s career awareness and aspirations, again this year despite the challenges still faced by industry.

“D2N2 Careers Hub is excited to fund the expansion of this successful model to bring more open doors programmes to young people across the wider D2N2 region during the rest of the 2021-22 academic year.”

Julie Richards, Principal and Chief Executive of the Chesterfield College Group said: “I am delighted to hear that once again the Made in Chesterfield initiative has been a great success. We are proud to support the programme of activities which take place to connect the future workforce with local employers. It is very encouraging to hear how so many schools and employers benefited. It is critical we excite and educate the next generation to understand the fantastic career opportunities for engineering and manufacturing in Chesterfield to build the workforce for the future and secure local economic growth.”

A number of the businesses involved in the Made in Chesterfield campaign are keen to continue to work with schools throughout the year. If your school would like to arrange a workplace visit, please contact DEBP on 01246 212 535.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , , ,

SDE Electrical & CCG join forces to offer a one stop shop for all EV requirements

Chesterfield-based SDE Electrical has agreed a nationwide partnership with Car Charge Go to support domestic and commercial customers converting to electric vehicles.

The number of EV vehicles in the last 12 months has increased by 67%, whereas sales in petrol and diesel vehicles have fallen significantly. Battery EV uptake has doubled, but the new car market remains well adrift of pre-pandemic levels.

SDE Group says that while the demand for Electric Vehicles is at an all time high, the EV charging and infrastructure network does not currently support the uptake. The announcement of this strategic partnership will help support the gap by offering customers a complete end-to-end solution for all EV needs.

Both SDE & CCG have both secured nationwide contracts in their own fields with global companies, with SDE being a commercial EV specialist and CCG specialising in the domestic market.

Furthermore, SDE has successfully secured a contract with Gridserve for the rollout of new rapid chargers. The contract is for both installation and maintenance across the electrical highway (motor services, Ikea stores etc.) from Lands End to John o’ Groats.

This contract is set to help increase the EV infrastructure across the UK. Car Charge Go will support SDE by providing administration & technical support.

Jonathan Bennett, Managing Director of SDE Group commented: “The change in behaviors in consumers and businesses looking to convert to electric is phenomenal when you look at the numbers.

“Along with the environmental benefits and financial savings attached, key policy changes set by government and events such as COP 26 have helped create this uptake, therefore this partnership is critical to support all our customers and aid the transformation for consumer and businesses. We are looking forward to working with Kate and the team at CCG.”

SDE Group supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

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Local charity receives national recognition from the BBC’s The One Show

North East Derbyshire based local charity – crafting2gether which has supported over 1000 businesses during the pandemic, has received a surprise visit from the BBC’s The One Show to thank their founder, Shelagh Cheetham.

The charity, formerly Shelagh’s Sewing Circle, has supplied over 77,000 face masks to frontline workers and businesses and has now received recognition for their dedication to helping those in need.

The charity has expanded and is not just about crafting, people are welcome to join the group for a cup of tea and a chat, helping people to combat loneliness and isolation as well as developing a new skill if they wish.

BBC’s The One Show surprised founder Shelagh at Dronfield Sports Centre and was broadcast to millions of viewers on national TV where she was thanked for her incredible efforts to help key workers, businesses and local communities.

TV star and fashion business owner Patrick Grant was in attendance to surprise Shelagh and thank her.

North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr Alan Powell said, “I am delighted Shelagh has received the recognition she and the other volunteers deserve. I cannot express enough how grateful we all are to have such inspirational members of our community helping others selflessly through the pandemic and beyond.

“I am proud to say we stepped when it was needed most to offer space in our leisure centre at Dronfield so the BBC could attend and put crafting2gether on the National stage.

“Our authority is here to support our local community groups – like crafting 2gether and it’s a great privilege to support the work they do which has helped thousands of key workers and charities worldwide. Thank you.”

Pauline Memmott, a volunteer with crafting2gether, said “We are very grateful to Dronfield Sports Centre for letting us use their venue for the BBC’s One Big Thank You surprise for our founder, Shelagh Cheetham.

“The success and growth of the Charity is all down to Shelagh, although she would say it’s the volunteers!

“With Shelagh’s commitment, we’ve provided thousands of masks to key workers, helped a charity in Armenia by knitting scarves and at a local level, we help combat isolation by providing social contact for members of our community.

“Everyone is welcome to join us to create or just have a cuppa and a chat.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Home, Leisure, Love Chesterfield, Uncategorised, VisitingTagged in , , , , , ,

Thinking of launching a new business in 2022? Here’s why Chesterfield is the perfect place to start

Have you been thinking about a career change lately? Maybe you’ve always dreamed of starting your own business and following your passion.

Well there’s no better time than now to make those dreams a reality, and here in Chesterfield there’s a wide array of support available to kickstart your new business.

Find out below about what’s on offer to help you start the ball rolling, and why 2022 could be the year you become your own boss!

Vision Derbyshire business start-up support scheme

driving business success

In light of the difficulties faced by businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Vision Derbyshire initiative was set up to help would-be entrepreneurs based in Derbyshire get their businesses up and running, to help create jobs and keep the local economy thriving.

A team of local expert business advisors are in place to offer free advice and support and funding of up to £10,000 per applicant is also available as part of the scheme.

More Information

D2N2 Business Starter Programme

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, but aren’t quite sure how to get a new business set up, D2N2’s Business Starter Programme is a great place to begin.

It’s a dynamic project helping people in communities throughout Derbyshire to start their own business through a programme of themed workshops and one-to-one support.

The scheme has successfully supported over 190 businesses to start and thrive in Derbyshire, and your’s could be next!

More Information

D2N2 Growth Hub

The good news is that the support on offer doesn’t just help you with getting started, there are a number of schemes in place to help you along your business journey as you continue to grow.

The D2N2 Growth Hub provides businesses in our region with a single point of access to business support.

The team of Growth Hub Business Advisers and a dedicated telephone enquiry service have the knowledge, skills and expertise to signpost you to the right initiatives and resources to support your business growth.

More Information

Chesterfield Digital High Street

If you’re setting up a new company in the modern age, it will be important to ensure your business is as visible and resilient as possible.

That’s where the Chesterfield Digital High Street scheme comes in. Support and funding is available to help you set up a fully search engine optimised e-commerce website.

Alongside this, a team of expert advisors will be able to signpost you to a number of great new ways to attract customers and sell goods, both in-person and online!

More Information

Chesterfield Innovation Support Programme

Chesterfield’s Innovation Support Programme (Chesterfield Borough Council) is a project which aims to increase the level of support available to businesses in the Chesterfield area.

The project has been set up to offer a variety of funded support which includes:

  • one-to-one business reviews
  • workshops, seminars and networking events
  • access to specialist innovation advisers
  • support to identify potential funding choices

For further information on the Innovation Support Programme, contact Adrian Williamson, Innovation Support Project Manager at: adrian.williamson@chesterfield.gov.uk

Great workspaces available to suit your every need

Dunston Innovation Centre - Business Chesterfield

Another benefit of setting up your business here in Chesterfield is the ability to get your hands on quality, affordable office space to suit all budgets and requirements.

Here’s a list of some of the places you may want to look into:

  • Dunston and Tapton Innovation Centres – Chesterfield Innovation Centres are designed to assist small to medium sized businesses to successfully innovate and grow. They can offer you professional help in a friendly atmosphere.
  • Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre – This brand-new development is due for completion in early 2022 and will provide modern office space for start-up and medium sized businesses on the site of Holywell Cross (Donut) car park, right in the middle of town.
  • West Studios – West Studios’ main aim has always been supporting SME growth within the creative sector and within Chesterfield. Situated on the Chesterfield College campus, the building has a range of shared studio spaces and offers a virtual office service too.
  • Great 2 – Great2 supports local entrepreneurs and growing small businesses across Derbyshire. The company also offers business operations and marketing support services to help owners scale up.
  • Monkey Park- This community organisation thinks about workspaces differently, and provides a great place to work with none of the strings like leases attached.
  • Loundsley Green– Alongside providing affordable office space, the Loundsley Green Enterprise Centre is able to provide 1-to-1 enterprise coaching to people considering starting their own business and working for themselves.

If there’s nothing on the above list that suits your needs, there’s no need to worry! Chesterfield Borough Council’s expert economic development team can run a property search and help you find the perfect location.

Contact the team on 01246 345255 or email: economic.development@chesterfield.gov.uk Or find out more about commercial property in Chesterfield here.

Join Chesterfield Champions and become a part of the local business community

Champions breakfast Ringwood Hall

If you are growing your organisation in Chesterfield or North Derbyshire and are looking for marketing and business support, Chesterfield Champions is a great way to get your name out there locally.

For a small annual contribution towards the wider marketing of the town, the initiative can help you build relationships with likeminded organisations and keep up to date with local news and developments.

There are a range of opportunities for Chesterfield Champions from senior networking events and priority invitations including consultation events to media opportunities and a profile on the Chesterfield business directory.

More Information

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Employability and Skills Conference to address future skills needs of young people to help the area meet its growth ambitions

With thousands of jobs set to be created in the borough as part of the regeneration of Staveley, business leaders and the education community are being urged to address the future employability and skills of young people now at a free conference next month.

Tickets are available now for the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference which is organised by Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield, with support from D2N2 North Derbyshire Careers Hub.

The conference, which returns in person for the first time since Covid hit, is taking place on Wednesday 9 February at Speedwell Rooms in Staveley, between 8:00am – 11:00am.

The annual conference, which is now in its sixth year, aims to strengthen links between education providers and local businesses to ensure that school leavers are work ready and have the skills required by businesses in the area.

This year the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Employability and Skills Conference will address the future skills and green growth agenda and also examine the current recruitment challenges that employers face.

Speakers at the event will include Ivan Fomin, Chair of Staveley Town Deal and Fiona Baker, Head of People and Skills at D2N2 LEP and Councillor Amanda Serjeant, Deputy Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and Vice Chair of Destination Chesterfield.

Ivan Fomin commented: “The regeneration programme in Staveley is very exciting and has the potential to create thousands of jobs. It’s important that businesses, the council and education and training providers work together to make sure these opportunities are fully realised for local people. The Chesterfield & North Derbyshire Employability & Skills Conference is the first step in making this happen.”

Councillor Amanda Serjeant, deputy leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I’m proud to be hosting the sixth annual skills and employability conference. This event is important because it helps strengthen the links between business and education, which ensures that young people in our borough can develop the skills local employers need. This year the conference also looks ahead to the skills needed to support green growth in Chesterfield, which is vital to helping meet our climate change commitments. We all need to work together to ensure that young people have a bright future in our borough and that they are developing the skills needed for the future.”

Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield added: “We’re delighted to be able to hold the conference in person once again. The last 19 months have been particularly difficult for both education and business. It has never been more important for these sectors to work together to ensure Chesterfield has the right skills to grow and recover from the challenges of Covid.

“There are so many exciting regeneration projects in the town, including Chesterfield Waterside, Northern Gateway and PEAK, and a lot of opportunities for young people. It’s crucial to ensure we nurture local talent and provide the right training to bridge those gaps and enable people and businesses in the borough to thrive.”

A number of local skills providers based in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire will also be showcased in an exhibition at the event.

Places at the free conference are limited. To book your free place at the event, please visit: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/events/chesterfield-north-derbyshire-employability-skills-conference/.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Love Chesterfield, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , , , ,

Chesterfield’s Superior Wellness announces partnership with Canadian firm

Chesterfield based Superior Wellness has announced an official partnership with Canadian based SpaBerry Hot Tubs owned by VisionWerx Inc. to bring their SpaBerry brand to the world.

Starting in 2022 with expansion into the UK and Europe providing direct delivery of SpaBerry hot tubs to customers’ homes through SpaBerry’s unique online marketing platform.

SpaBerry has recently announced the opening of a new North American Distribution Centre located in Calgary, Alberta Canada. The partnership makes this new Distribution Centre a reality with Superior Wellness’ ability to mass manufacture and ship tens of thousands of SpaBerrys globally every year. Superior Wellness will be manufacturing and distributing SpaBerry hot tubs across the UK and Europe.

Jeff Knight, President at SpaBerry said: “In the 30 plus years I have spent in the industry I have never met or worked with a better group than Superior Wellness. Their company culture and dedication to the end user customer, their ability to build in mass quantity while keeping quality at the forefront, has made them a perfect fit for SpaBerry.”

Customers throughout the world have gone to online purchasing at unprecedented rates with 16.1% of global retail purchases happening online. Experts say that by the end of 2024 that 24% of all retail purchasing globally will happen online, amounting to a quarter of all retail purchases.

SpaBerry’s unique approach to online marketing through video/chat/text/email communications’ algorithms and the power of the Superior Wellness team at mass manufacturing capabilities, along with their organisational strengths of distribution and service makes the partnership a perfect fit. SpaBerry’s new Global Sales & Marketing Centre, a state-of-the-art Global Multilingual Internet Sales Centre, designed to operate 24 hours a day and 365 days a year is opening February 2022.

Rob Carlin, Managing Director, Superior Wellness said: “We are delighted to announce this global partnership with SpaBerry. The hot tubs are already in production and we are excited about the first customers receiving them.”

Gareth Ward, Sales Director, Superior Wellness said: “SpaBerry is a great product and we know that customers in the UK and Europe will love it. The partnership is a perfect fit as we are both focused on ensuring quality is at the forefront particularly when we are producing large quantities.”

Jeff Knight at SpaBerry said: “We believe in the culture and the drive that has been established at Superior Wellness and are extremely proud that our global expansion efforts have the support of their team.”

Superior Wellness supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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£1m funding boost to expand the work of the D2N2 Skills Access Hub

An additional £1m in funding has been secured to expand a project aimed at helping businesses and employees access skills and training across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

The D2N2 Skills Access Hub was set up in April 2020 to provide tailored solutions and flexible delivery to meet the skills and apprenticeship priorities of employers and employees across Derby Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The Hub was created with an award of £4.8m from the European Social Fund has been supporting 888 small and medium-sized businesses to access skills provision and 2,220 individuals to improve their own skills attainment.

By agreeing the extra £926,633 of funding, Nottingham City Council can increase the number of businesses supported to 1,060 and the number of individuals supported to 2,650.

Half the funding will come from the European Social Fund and half will come from Skills Access Hub delivery partners including the University of Nottingham, West Nottinghamshire College, Futures, Direct Help and Advice, and Nottingham College.

Around half the project participants are expected to be based in Nottingham with the rest in Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire.

Will Morlidge, Interim Chief Executive at D2N2 LEP said: “It’s great to see this additional funding for the Skills Access Hub programme, which will allow even more businesses and individuals in the D2N2 area to achieve the skills needed for our region’s economic growth.”

Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Skills, Growth and Economic Development, Councillor Rebecca Langton, said: “We were pleased to accept this funding so the project can be widened to include even more businesses and workers so that they can thrive and achieve their potential.”

To find out more about a number of business support initiatives available here in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

Selling for Non-Sales People

 

 

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North Derbyshire technology firm completes £2.1 million investment raise

A Clay Cross based Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution provider is celebrating a record 12 months in style after it completed a successful £2.1 million investment raise.

Konektio, the new name for InVMA, is taking advantage of the industry sector’s desire for digital transformation by rolling out its AssetMinder SaaS platform to help clients improve processes, runtime, safety and environmental performance by dynamically connecting people, process, places and things and providing intelligent insights and recommendations every day.

The funding round for Konektio was led by fund managers Mercia and Foresight, investing from both the Midlands Engine Investment Fund and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and included existing investor Tern plc.

The additional capital will allow the firm to embed its technology in the operations of even more customers across industries including food processing, manufacturing, logistics, and water/waste treatment industries – monitoring and analysing thousands of things every day.

It will also facilitate the recruitment of additional staff both in the UK and in its recently opened first overseas office in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, United States.

“We are entering the exciting scale-up period of our business and fully expect to significantly grow revenues over the coming months, leveraging the power of our solutions and the reach of our channel partners, including Dexis, ECA, PTC and u-blox. The institutional investment secured, including further support from Tern, will help us achieve these goals,” explained Peter Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of Konektio

“The next industrial revolution is about empowering people to do more with less and our rebrand to Konektio reflects that. It cuts through the buzzwords and all the terminology to focus on what our technology does best – connecting everyone with everything and providing intelligent insights people need.”

Al Sisto, CEO of Tern Plc, added his support: “We are very pleased that Konektio has secured a significant institutional investment in order to fund the next phase of its growth. We welcome the Mercia funds as our partners, alongside the management and founders of Konektio, to help the business achieve its full potential.

Konektio’s main product is AssetMinder, an IIoT SaaS product that dynamically connects people, process, places and things – from on-site factory floors to the remotest locations they operate in, all designed to drive value across a business with value added insights, recommendations and targeted data driven analysis.

The technology gathers data from assets and devices and displays it to all members of the customer’s team via a single interface, allowing them to make informed decisions on maintenance, servicing, tweaks to processes and how they manage their energy usage.

Thousands of assets – from conveyor belts and fans to crushing equipment and robotic lasers – are currently connected to AssetMinder, with companies using it to consistently deliver increased runtimes and productivity, not to mention achieving greater control of their environmental footprint.

The core AssetMinder solution is already being utilised across 15 different sectors, with a number of new ‘extensions’ being launched in 2022 to offer customers even more features.

Co-founders Patrick Nash, Jan Hemper and Jon Hill, continued: “Companies have started to cut through the confusion around digital manufacturing and the next industrial revolution and now share a real appetite to see how the intelligent use of data can deliver short and long-term returns on investment.

“This is really good news for our business, and we are looking to capitalise on this fast-growing trend by investing significantly in product development, R&D and in supporting our global customers by creating a network of international offices.”

“The US technical centre is an important first step in this plan and will allow us to provide on-the-ground support to clients in this territory, as well as identifying new opportunities in that market.”

Peter concluded: “Our name change from InVMA to Konektio, reflects our ambition to be a company that creates true connected Industrial IoT communication and collaboration for a wide range of businesses.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund projects are supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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Heathcotes recruitment drive champions opportunities in care

Chesterfield-based care provider, Heathcotes Group, has launched a recruitment drive with an aim to attract a new intake by championing the benefits and career opportunities available within the sector.

With plans to open new care provision in the next six months, the company is offering around 180 permanent roles across the Midlands, the North West, London, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for residential services in support of adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs.

As the sector adjusts to the post-pandemic impact on its workforce, Heathcotes has stepped up its talent acquisition strategy, advocating the job security, funding for professional development, potential for long-term progression and fulfilling aspects of a career in social care.

Heathcotes Recruitment Business Partner, Jon Burton, said: “It’s well known that, since Covid-19 vaccination became mandatory in CQC-registered care homes in England, care providers have lost a percentage of their frontline colleagues who are reluctant to take the vaccine. Heathcotes have been affected by that, but I’m pleased to say that the overwhelming majority of our colleagues chose to be vaccinated in time for the new legislation, and we are now looking to attract a new generation of support workers and team leaders, across all ages and backgrounds, to join them at our services.

“As care providers planning a post-covid future, it’s important to make the case for our profession to prospective employees, and I believe that we have plenty to talk about in that respect. The pandemic gave everyone a greater appreciation of the value of frontline work in health and social care – employers need to build on that shift in perception and highlight the life-changing differences we make each day in support of some of the most vulnerable people in society. We also need to emphasise the access to fully-funded training available in our profession, facilitating the development of skills and qualifications throughout a career in care.”

Earlier this year, Heathcotes introduced an Employee Support Programme for colleagues throughout its organisation, providing a wide-ranging benefit scheme and wellbeing resource assisting all aspects of their personal life and work life, including financial and legal advice, diet and exercise planning, 24/7 access to a support team and access to expert counsellors providing confidential advice. The company believes that such initiatives are vital to support the care workforce and attract new talent to the sector in the coming years.

Jon Burton said: “Heathcotes’ Employee Support Programme programme has a key emphasis on lifestyle and mental health, which is important to recognise following one of the most challenging periods most of us have ever faced in our working lives and personal lives. I believe that companies will be better placed to recruit and retain if they can demonstrate that commitment alongside the opportunity to progress to senior roles – with the right backing from employers, care is a career with a very high potential for upward mobility.”

Heathcotes Group supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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