Made in Chesterfield

Mortgage 1st go ‘back to school’ to teach students about future financial planning

Mortgage 1st, a Chesterfield based Mortgage Advice firm have been ‘Back to School’ this October delivering a lesson they created for year 9 students as part of the schools personal development topic, the lesson focuses on future financial planning which is a very important and key life skill for young people.

The team at Mortgage 1st are passionate about supporting young people, they already offer an ‘Apprentice to Adviser’ program to school & college leavers and more recently have taken part in the My Future Platform which is a virtual careers fair showcasing the jobs available in their industry to inspire the next generation.

Developing a partnership with local schools and designing a lesson plan based around financial planning, mortgages and buying a house is something HR & Marketing Director, Lisa Stones has been keen to do for a while and after linking with Shirebrook Academy earlier this year the project took shape.

Along with her colleague Carly Montisci, Senior Manager at Mortgage 1st, Lisa delivered the lesson to 6 tutor groups, over 150 students in total, over a course of 3 weeks. The lessons were well received by the tutors and students alike even after the shock of discovering the actual cost of buying a house!

Many students expressed an interest in the financial service industry as a career option they may now consider but most importantly a seed has been planted with the 13 year olds about the importance of budgeting and sensible money management to enable a financially stable future.

Lisa Stones, HR & Marketing Director, Mortgage 1st said: “I am thrilled to have been able to see this project through, I wasn’t going to let any COVID restrictions get in my way this year! The team at Shirebrook Academy have been fantastic and provided me with all the guidance I needed to create an interesting and engaging lesson for the students. The feedback from the tutors has been great and the level of engagement and questions from the students was amazing, they were genuinely interested in what is a fairly complex and ‘grown-up’ subject. This is only the start as we hope to be able to offer this programme to more local school on a regular basis.”

Mortgage 1st will soon be on the lookout for their next new young apprentice to join their head office team in Barlborugh, Chesterfield. Details will be published on their website and social media later in the year.

Mortgage 1st supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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

East Midlands Chamber launches Enterprising Women Awards 2021

Female entrepreneurs, directors, employees and apprentices in the East Midlands will once again have a platform to showcase their success stories as the Enterprising Women Awards returns for 2021.

Applications are now open for the awards, which provides recognition to outstanding women in business across the region across various stages of the career ladder.
The annual showpiece event is organised by East Midlands Chamber and led by Eileen Richards MBE and Jean Mountain, who co-founded the Enterprising Women social network in 1997.

The 2021 awards features the same eight categories as this year’s event – which was held in early March as one of the last awards ceremonies before lockdown – including an honour for Outstanding Contribution to Work in STEM, which was introduced for the first time in the 2020 event.

Eileen, who owns the Leicester-based agency Eileen Richards Recruitment and is the Chamber’s vice-president, said: “These awards are really special every single year, but 2020 has brought to light so much resilience and innovation.

“We’ve all had breaking points and as women, we’re not always good at admitting that, but we’ve kept going during some tough periods.

“So having the chance to showcase the achievements of women in our region from these times is going to be an incredible moment and I can’t wait to see the entries.
“We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors once again, many of which have returned to support what they believe to be a hugely important event for the East Midlands.”

Jean, a past president of the Chamber, added: “I am so delighted to see the Enterprising Women network, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2022, go from strength to strength, and the awards are always a special event.”

The categories, and their sponsors, are:
• Social Commitment Award (sponsored by PPL PRS)
• Apprentice of the Year
• Employee of the Year (sponsored by Smallman & Son)
• Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Team of the Year Award
• Small Business of the Year (sponsored by Unique Window Systems)
• Outstanding Contribution to Work in STEM (sponsored by Pick Everard)
• Business Woman of the Year (headline sponsored by Futures Housing Group)

This year’s event was launched during a virtual Zoom event held yesterday (15 October).

It featured a talk by Neeyantee Karia, the co-owner of Leicester-based “street food on-the-go” brand Jake & Nayns’ and the 2020 Business Woman of the Year, who reflected on the challenges she had encountered during a 20-year career in business.
The deadline for entries is Monday 21 December at 5pm.

Finalists will be announced on the week commencing 25 January and they will find out if they have won their category at a gala dinner planned for 12 March, subject to the Covid-19 situation.

To enter the Enterprising Women Awards, visit bit.ly/2NZoR3W.

Some categories are still available to businesses that want to get involved with the event. Anyone interested in sponsoring a category can contact Sanjib Sahota on 07776 596889 or email Sanjib.Sahota@emc-dnl.co.uk.

Posted in Business, Destination Chesterfield, Home, Made in Chesterfield, UncategorisedTagged in , , , , ,

Chesterfield food producer among the Great Taste winners of 2020

A food producer based in Chesterfield, The Crooked Pickle Co, has won Great Taste awards for two of its most popular products.

The Korean Pickled Garlic was awarded a 1-star Great Taste award, which means judges dubbed it a food that delivers fantastic flavour, and the Bread & Butter Pickles achieved a 2-star Great Taste award, which means judges dubbed it above and beyond delicious.

Judged by 144 of the most discerning palates, Great Taste is the most coveted of all food and drink awards. As well as a badge of honour, the unmistakable black and gold Great Taste label is a signpost to an outstanding product.

There were 12,777 entries from 106 different countries into Great Taste this year and of those products, 205 have been awarded a 3-star, 1,294 received a 2-star and 3,818 were awarded a 1-star accolade.

This year’s winners have been found through a combination of remote judging and socially distanced judging sessions, after the lockdown began just one week into the schedule. This necessitated a swift and comprehensive reinvention of the Great Taste process, all in time to provide a much-needed boost for food and drink producers during the all-important Christmas period.

Recognised as a stamp of excellence among consumers and retailers alike, Great Taste values taste above all else, with no regard for branding and packaging. Whether it is cake, coffee, kippers or kombucha being judged, all products are removed from their wrapper, jar, box or bottle before being tasted. The judges then savour, confer and re-taste to decide which products are worthy of a 1-, 2- or 3-star award.

The panel of judges this year included; cook, writer and champion of sustainable food, Melissa Hemsley, cook, writer, stylist and voice of modern vegetarian cooking, Anna Jones, celebrated Spanish chef, José Pizarro, Kavi Thakrar from Dishoom, food writer and cook, Xanthe Clay, and baker and author, Martha Collison, as well as food buyers from Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose. These esteemed palates have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winners to finally agree on the Golden Fork Trophy recipients and the Great Taste 2020 Supreme Champion.

The Crooked Pickle Co were also finalists in last year’s Chesterfield Food & Drink Awards under the Food Producer of the Year category.

Felix Mendelsohn, founder and owner of The Crooked Pickle Co. explains: “Having a keen interest in all things food since as long as I can remember, being awarded for both my Bread & Butter Pickles and the Korean Pickled Garlic is pretty awesome. I just wanted to share my love of these wonderful pickles and now I’m an award winner. Time to order new labels complete with our new awards logo I think!”

“I’ll be celebrating with my wonderful family at the weekend, enjoying a few ice cold beers and maybe some home made burgers topped of course with our now famous pickles. Heaven!”

Great Taste 2020 will reach its exciting finale in late October, when the Golden Fork trophy winners and the Great Taste Supreme Champion 2020 are announced at the virtual Great Taste Golden Fork awards event.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Robinson Packaging CEO highlighted in the ‘Women to Watch’ 2020

Dr Helene Roberts, Chief Executive of Robinson PLC – the custom manufacturer of plastic and paperboard packaging headquartered in Chesterfield, has been named in a national report as a ‘woman to watch’.

The Women to Watch 2020 supplement is produced by Cranfield University’s School of Management Gender, Leadership, and Inclusion Centre. Its aim is to highlight the impressive talent pool of female business leaders and board members of the future. The Women to Watch 2020 is launched alongside the Female FTSE Board Report, an annual analysis of women on boards.

Dr Patricia Pryce, Director, Beauwest Consultancy Ltd; Visiting Fellow, Cranfield School of Management says: “This year we have spotlighted 100 leading female professionals who are ideally suited for consideration as non-executive directors (NEDs) on the boards of FTSE350 companies, now or in the near future.”

“Over the last 20 years we have seen significant improvements in gender representation in the workplace, particularly at more senior levels and in many traditionally male-dominated industries – gender has been on the agenda! Our hope is that the impact of COVID-19 does not cause this progression to falter or regress. As businesses re-emerge after lockdown and organise themselves for a different kind of future, the business imperative for realising women’s potential (and that of other underrepresented groups) in the workplace remains.”

Dr Helene Roberts is delighted to be on the ‘Women to Watch’ list 2020: “I am very proud to be leading the team at Robinson in what is a challenging but exciting time to be in both plastic and paper board packaging. Robinson is a well-established business, built on strong social and environmental principles and working with key international brands. This provides a great foundation on which to take a holistic and all-encompassing approach to sustainability that will form the backbone of our growth going forward in both the UK and Europe.

“We are proud to be an inclusive employer and growing in diversity. Being a woman has never been a career issue for me and we make sure we work closely with our teams to ensure everyone is empowered to prosper and grow in their chosen field. I have to thank the Robinson board for appointing their first female CEO.”

Helene has extensive knowledge of sustainable materials technology, global sales, marketing and innovation, and people leadership. She has a degree in Materials Engineering and a PhD in Polymer Engineering.

Helene’s career started with M&S, initially as a materials technologist based in Hong Kong before spending seven years as food and drink Head of Packaging. She then spent two years with Sealed Air Corporation as European Executive Retail Director followed by three years at Benson Box, initially as Group Marketing Director before taking on the role of European Director of Marketing, Innovation and Design for Graphic Packaging International.

Helene was most recently Managing Director at Klockner Pentaplast, responsible for the UK, Ireland, and Australian business across four sites, a position she took over after a period as Director of Global Marketing and Innovation. Her key achievements have been leading and developing the business’ sustainable strategy, overseeing structural change to deliver improved results from all areas in the company.

When asked for her advice on what women should do when starting their careers Helene said, “spend time listening and talking to thought leaders in your business and your industry and always reach out and network.”

Robinson PLC supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 180 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Local businesses invited to find out more about Talgo UK supply chain

Local businesses are being invited to take part in an event that will help them understand how to get involved in the Talgo UK supply chain.

The virtual event, focused on supply for train manufacturing and servicing, is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 21 October.

Businesses must submit an expression of interest form by Monday 12 October in order to take part.

Last year Spanish train manufacturer Talgo established its UK Headquarters in Chesterfield and in January they announced plans to develop a training and innovation centre in Barrow Hill. This combined with its investment in a manufacturing plant in Scotland will help ensure the company can access the expertise and knowledge needed to build and export its state-of-the-art trains.

Jon Veitch, Managing Director of Talgo UK, said “I am absolutely thrilled with the interest shown by so many people, businesses and potential long term partners with Talgo establishing here in the UK and especially close to us from the Chesterfield area. I am particularly grateful to colleagues in Chesterfield Borough Council with their continued focussed support and I really looking forward to this next event.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with Talgo UK, its investment in Chesterfield will bring much needed good quality jobs. Talgo’s ambition to work with our local businesses and bring them into their supply chain further shows how this investment will bring long term benefits for lots of local businesses.”

The virtual event will begin with a presentation from Jon Veitch, followed by one to one meetings where selected organisations can speak individually with Talgo UK and find out more about the supply chain and contracts available.

Find out more about the online event and how to register here.

Talgo train factory bid could create thousands of jobs

Please note: Images were taken in January 2020

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

D2N2 to provide funding to revitalise the heart of Chesterfield

D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire has approved an investment of £650,000 towards the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project (RHOC).

The funding, provided by D2N2 via its Local Growth Fund allocation, will support the £3.25m upgrade of the improvement works to the outdoor market as well as an extension of the public space in the town’s Northern Gateway area.

The Local Growth Fund enables D2N2, to invest in projects that benefit the local area and economy, supporting greater numbers of jobs, homes, and learners.

The D2N2 funding will support the creation of 66 jobs as well as safeguarding 80 jobs on the outdoor market.

The upgrades to Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway which includes Packers Row, a key pedestrian route into the town centre and Market, will re-balance the space available to the public in favour of pedestrians whilst also encouraging outdoor seating for restaurants and cafes.

The route will also feature a greater number of trees to help improve air quality for users of the street.

The new revitalised outdoor market will include better lighting and power; improved access and stall configuration; general paving repairs; and new flexible trading areas as well as the repair of all existing stall structures.

Overseen by Chesterfield Borough Council, the improvements to Packers Row will be complete by March next year with the redevelopment of the outdoor market due to be completed by November 2021.

D2N2 has provided funding for several infrastructure projects based in Chesterfield including the Hollis Lane Link Road, sites required the development of the HS2 station, improvements to the A61, and the Chesterfield Centre for Higher Level Skills.

D2N2 Interim Chair David Williams said: “D2N2 is pleased to be able to provide funding to revitalise the centre of Chesterfield which is an important step in the ambitious regeneration of the town.”

“Town centres will no doubt have an important role in our economic recovery from the pandemic and the firm commitment to maximising public space for pedestrians and local businesses should be a sign of how our urban centres will evolve in the years ahead.”

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “The Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield project will allow us to bring new life to our town centre and famous outdoor market, enabling us to attract more footfall and visitor spend, which will help support our local businesses and allow them to thrive.”

“This project will also ensure that the town centre, and the local economy, is well placed to recover as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Luke Hall MP said: “We want to level-up towns across the country, ensuring they have the investment they need to continue to grow and thrive so that prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone.”

“That is why we are investing £650,000 in the Revitalising the Heart of Chesterfield Scheme which will improve the outdoor market, create new jobs, and make it easier for restaurants and cafes to set up outdoor seating.”

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards, Chesterfield Retail Awards, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Construction to start on office accommodation at Chesterfield Waterside

Construction of the seven-storey office building in the Basin Square neighbourhood of the £340million Chesterfield Waterside scheme is due to start in October.

Chesterfield Borough Council has secured a forward funding agreement with the developer, Chesterfield Waterside Ltd, as a key strategic investment opportunity for the town.

Funding for the delivery of the high-quality office building, which already has planning consent in place, was approved as part of Chesterfield Borough Council’s ambitious growth strategy. The investment is designed to kick-start the town’s economic recovery from Covid-19 and will spearhead major developments around the train station as part of the council’s HS2 Station Masterplan.

Tenants have already been secured for some of the Grade A office accommodation, enabling the developers to bring forward construction of the circa 35,000ft² building, which is being overseen by project delivery partner, Bolsterstone Group Plc.

Peter Swallow, Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc, said: “Chesterfield Waterside continues apace. Since receiving planning approval for the office accommodation last year, I am delighted that we have been able to secure tenants and bring forward the delivery of high-quality office accommodation for Chesterfield in conjunction with Chesterfield Borough Council.

“It is an exciting time for Chesterfield Waterside with Avant Homes also building out new homes in the Waterside Quarter neighbourhood. Despite the pandemic, 2020 will be a formative year for the scheme with a significant amount of construction activity planned and more investment proposals in the pipeline, benefitting the local economy.”

The new office building, known as No.1 Waterside Place, will provide office accommodation of the highest specification. It represents the first step in delivering the commercial element of Chesterfield Waterside’s Basin Square neighbourhood.

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing forward this state-of-the-art office building with Chesterfield Waterside Ltd, which will deliver supply chain opportunities for local companies during the construction phase and new jobs for local people with the companies that will be taking space at No.1 Waterside Place.

“These are uncertain times, but we must not stand still. We must continue to invest in this and other growth projects if we are to meet the council’s objectives of making Chesterfield a thriving borough and improve the quality of people’s lives. No.1 Waterside Place is just the start of what we believe will be a very special journey for the people of this great town and borough.”

Cllr Tricia Gilby and Peter Swallow

Construction of the offices is expected to be completed in August 2021. Britcon (UK) Ltd, a leading Civil Engineering, Building and Steel Frame Solutions company, has been appointed as the main contractor to construct the office building.

As part of the contract with Chesterfield Borough Council, Britcon will utilise local labour and local contractors across the whole build process and will also be working closely with Chesterfield College to provide opportunities for their students.

No.1 Waterside Place will boast two passenger lifts, raised access flooring, air conditioning, LED lighting, a high-quality entrance foyer, showers and cycle parking facilities onsite.

Chesterfield-based accountancy firm BHP Chartered Accountants, a Sunday Times Top 100 Employer, will occupy an entire floor within the building. The firm will be relocating its Chesterfield office to No.1 Waterside Place to benefit from the high-quality specification and unparalleled location at Chesterfield Waterside.

Planning approval for the office building, which was designed by Bond Bryan Architects, was granted by Chesterfield Borough Council last year bringing forward commercial negotiations with BHP alongside other tenants who are also in advanced discussions.

As well as office accommodation, the building also offers ground floor retail space and Chesterfield Waterside Ltd. is already in discussions with a number of potential occupiers.

The new large-plate office accommodation is designed to complement the start-up and incubator units at Chesterfield Borough Council’s Enterprise Centre scheme, which is currently under construction at Saltergate.

It is also anticipated that the new offices will be highly sought after by organisations looking to move out of larger cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham and establish regional hubs around mainline train stations in an effort to COVID-19 proof their operations.

Basin Square is the first commercial element of Chesterfield Waterside. When complete, the  £75m Basin Square neighbourhood will also see the delivery of 320 Built-to-Rent apartments, a hotel and multi-storey car park, all sited around a high quality public realm area overlooking the already constructed canal basin.

This latest step forward for the project follows the announcement that Avant Homes has opened the showhomes at the Waterside Quarter neighbourhood where it is building 174 two, three, and four-bedroom homes. Avant reports strong interest in the development and has already taken a number of reservations.

Recognised as being one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects, Chesterfield Waterside is being led by Chesterfield-based Bolsterstone Group Plc working in conjunction with Arnold Laver Group and Chesterfield Borough Council.

FHP Property Consultants and Knight Frank have been appointed as letting agents for the office space at Chesterfield Waterside.

For further information about Chesterfield Waterside, click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Cashless parking coming to Chesterfield

Paying for parking in Chesterfield has just got easier as Chesterfield Borough Council partners with PayByPhone, the global leader in mobile parking payments, to offer drivers the option of cashless parking when visiting the town centre.

Cashless parking payments will be introduced to all of the council’s pay and display car parks from 7 September 2020 and will mean motorists no longer have to search for the right change.

Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The new car-parking system will offer you a quick and convenient way to paying for your parking. You’ll no longer need to queue at the ticket machine, and you’ll be able to pay from the comfort of your car.

“Over recent months, we have been encouraged to make cashless payments where possible to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, and we think that this new way of paying will help to do this.

“This new system will help to ensure that we continue to play our part to stop the spread of the virus, as well as offering more flexibility for people who are visiting our town centre and supporting our local businesses.”

PayByPhone will be available in the following car parks: Holywell Cross, Durrant Road, Devonshire Street, Theatre Lane, Spa Lane, St Mary’s Gate, Station Road, Queen’s Park Annexe, Queen’s Park North, Queen’s Park South, Coach Station, Derbyshire Times and Albion Road.

Drivers will be able to pay for parking on their phones through the PayByPhone app which is available to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, meaning that they can pay for parking from the comfort of their car. The app is quick and easy to install and use. It also gives drivers the added benefit of extending their parking sessions remotely.

Adam Dolphin, Sales Director for PayByPhone UK, said: “We are very excited to launch PayByPhone in Chesterfield and we encourage everyone to download the PayByPhone app so they are ready to take advantage of this new service.

“With one in 10 adults in the UK now choosing to lead a largely cashless life, and seven in 10 using contactless payments, the shift away from using notes and coins is not only the smart and safe choice, but also one that should be relatively easy for most.”

Frequent visitors can also purchase parking at a reduced rate on a weekly, monthly or annual basis through the PayByPhone app.

Motorists can continue to pay by cash if they prefer by visiting the pay and display machines as usual. The scratch card parking will also continue to be valid and visitors can continue to purchase these from the Visitor Information Centre.

More information on car parking in Chesterfield and how to use the app can be found at www.chesterfield.gov.uk/pay-for-parking-by-phone

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Visiting

Local residents asked to share views on Staveley’s future

Residents are being invited to have their say on the future of Staveley through an online consultation organised by Chesterfield Borough Council.

The feedback will contribute to the development of a new vision for Staveley that will be used to support the Staveley Town Deal.

The Staveley Town Deal is aiming to secure up to £25m of funding to help build a stronger economy for Staveley. This consultation will be used to support a new ‘place vision’ for Staveley; Chesterfield Borough Council want to know what makes the Staveley area special, how you feel about the area, and how you would might like to see it develop in the future. The consultation is open until Tuesday 15 September.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “It’s vital that local residents and businesses have their say on the future of Staveley. We need to work together to ensure that we are delivering the projects that matter most to the people of Staveley.”

Ivan Fomin (pictured), who is chairman of the Staveley Town Deal Board and Managing Director of local business MSE Hiller, said: “It is a great chance for local people to be involved in deciding how this funding should be used. A key measure of the success of the project will be the level of local benefits that can be achieved for the local community.”

The Town Deal will allow Staveley the opportunity to build on the foundation of previous regeneration activity. For example, the council previously worked with Staveley Town Council on the refurbishment of Staveley Hall which was funded by Heritage Lottery and European Regional Development Fund. This has enabled the renovation of the listed building and the creation of managed workspaces and a community café.

There are also plans for the development of the Chesterfield Staveley Regeneration Route and work is progressing on the remediation of the Hartington site.

The new ‘place vision’ will be used to support the Town Investment Plan which the council aims to submit to Government in the Autumn. It has already submitted a bid for accelerated funding to help kickstart several projects that will have an immediate impact.

A total of five projects were put forward for consideration from this accelerator funding including new CCTV equipment for the town centre, sports pitch development at Staveley Miners Welfare Football Club and new play equipment for King George V Playing Field.

A Staveley Town Deal board has been established and this will help oversee and guide projects that deliver the most value for residents of Staveley. The board is composed of elected members from Chesterfield Borough Council, Staveley Town Council and Derbyshire County Council, both local members of parliament, representatives from local charitable organisations, Derbyshire Police, education leaders and representatives of the local business community.

The Town Deal Board is also appealing for project ideas to be submitted to be considered for inclusion of the bid. Some projects have already been identified, but more are welcome.

Find out more about the Staveley Town Deal and share your views here: www.chesterfield.gov.uk/business-and-economic-growth/regeneration-and-economic-growth/staveley-town-deal/get-involved-in-the-staveley-town-deal

You can also make suggestions for projects here: https://mytown.communities.gov.uk/town/staveley-derbyshire/

Staveley Hall

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield

Local MP praises innovative Derbyshire manufacturer

Bolsover MP Mark Fletcher has praised a Chesterfield manufacturer for its resilience and hard work amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.

Mr Fletcher, who is campaigning to bring more jobs to Bolsover, made his comments while visiting Blachford UK, which designs and manufacturers acoustic insulation products for industrial vehicles.

Since resuming production post lockdown, the company has created more than 20 brand new full-time roles at its Holmewood site thanks to a booming order book.

Commenting on the visit to the company, Mr Fletcher said: “It was fantastic to visit such an innovative and brilliant manufacturer based in the heart of Bolsover and a real pleasure to meet so many of their team and to understand how passionate they are about their work. Blachford pride themselves on the quality of their products which makes them global leaders in their industry. To have them here is a source of pride to our communities and our constituency.”

Jason Lippitt, Managing Director of Blachford UK, commented: “I am delighted that Mr Fletcher was able to find time in his busy schedule to visit us. We were really keen to show him first-hand that it is not all doom and gloom in the UK right now. There are challenges, but I believe we should face these head on and with positivity. Our parent company fully supports us and sees its UK arm as being central to delivering solutions across Europe.”

Blachford UK is part of the global Blachford group, benefitting from an extensive supply chain and distribution options. Formerly TMAT, Blachford Acoustics Group acquired the Holmewood-based business in 2014 from former owner and current Managing Director Jason Lippitt.

The acquisition of the business enabled Blachford to provide common, coordinated solutions in both North America and Europe. The business was rebranded to Blachford UK in 2017.

Serving Bolsover since 2019, Conservative MP Mr Fletcher is for unlocking the untapped economic potential of Britain, particularly in the Midlands and the North; a desire Mr Lippitt also shares.

Jason added: “We have a strong business here in Derbyshire. Our expertise and products are world-leading and in demand. There are many other companies like Blachford who are doing well, however we just hear the disaster stories right now. We need to move forward, celebrate success and send the message to Europe and the world that Britain’s manufacturing sector is in business and doing well and will continue to do well regardless of Brexit or the pandemic.”

Since July 2020, the company has increased its workforce by 20 per cent. People interested in working at Blachford, should email recruitment@blachforduk.com

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Made in Chesterfield

Work progresses on site of Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre

The erection of the structural steelwork frame for Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre marks a major milestone in the development’s progress.

Work on the site has been progressing safely through the Coronavirus pandemic with work on the foundations beginning in April and now the steelwork is being erected, which means that the new Enterprise Centre is on track to be completed and will be a key contributor to the town’s economic recovery.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, who visited the site said: “This is both an exciting and an important development for Chesterfield, and I’m pleased that work is continuing to progress despite the current challenges.”

“This Enterprise Centre is key to ensuring that Chesterfield remains a thriving borough and will create lots of new opportunities for local businesses and people, supporting the sustainability of the town centre.”

The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is an important development in Chesterfield’s post-Coronavirus economic recovery plans. It is also a key part of the plan to regenerate this key area of the town and to ensure the town continues to thrive.

Robert Woodhead Limited’s Project Manager, Daniel Cove, said: “Our current works on site centre around the installation of the steel frame and are expected to be completed within the next two weeks. This will then allow us to bring back the ground workers, install the lift pit, the underground tanking and the perimeter blockwork to allow for the installation of the ground floor slab. We are also expecting to receive delivery of the pre-cast concrete stair and the composite metal decking at the end of August to allow for the installation of the roof and expect to be watertight by mid-October.

“We are working with local companies on this project, the ground worker we have contracted for the works is DJ Newbury who employ a number of Chesterfield residents. Going forward we hope to engage with local supply chains for a number of trades including dry lining, flooring and painting and decorating.”

Andrew Dabbs, Board Director at Whittam Cox Architects, said: “As a local practice we are delighted to see progress being made on site.”

“The Enterprise Centre is an important part of the Northern Gateway regeneration in Chesterfield, providing a new and unique commercial offer which is designed to be a catalyst for further investment and development.”

As well as providing high quality facilities for businesses wanting to locate in the town centre, the architecture will provide a new contemporary landmark which will enrich the urban fabric of the town. This building is further evidence that Chesterfield can deliver its ambition and realise a building fit for a long and sustainable future.

Scheduled for completion in Spring 2021, the new building will provide 32 high-quality offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors. It offers a shared reception and lobby area, meeting rooms, first floor break out area, bicycle store, shower and changing facilities, air conditioning throughout, lift access, internal bin store, kitchenettes on each floor for use by occupants, individually metered power supplies, access control to all office doors, CCTV coverage to internal communal areas and external area. IT fibre connection into building with maximum speed multi bandwidth and WIFI is provided throughout.

Office space is offered on easy in and out letting terms and tenants at the Enterprise Centre will also benefit from access to a range of other council services and venues, including business support and corporate rates for leisure passes, parking permits and conferencing facilities.

With its town centre location, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is easily accessible by car, train, bus and cycle users. It’s situated opposite the new Saltergate multi-story car park and close to all major bus routes and Chesterfield Train station.

The building has been designed to have sustainability principles at its heart, minimising its impact on the environment and achieving considerable efficiencies in energy use.

The new centre is an important addition to Chesterfield Borough Council’s commercial property portfolio and will hopefully be a key component in Chesterfield’s post COVID 19 recovery.

The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre project has benefited from grant funding support from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund.

To find out more about your business being based in the Enterprise Centre email either claire.cunningham@chesterfield.gov.uk or hannah.ramsdale@chesterfield.gov.uk.

To find out more about the Northern Gateway development, click here.

Architects for the centre, Whittam Cox have produced a virtual walkthrough of the building which you can watch below:

Posted in About Chesterfield, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Featured, Home, Leisure, Made in Chesterfield, Summer

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