Business News
Mythe Barn: Based in Atherstone, Mythe Barn is an award-winning wedding and corporate events venue. A new website and marketing strategy has increased corporate event leads, resulting in a 27 per cent increase in Mythe Barn’s turnover. The countryside venue has already seen its bookings for 2017 match those of last year, as well as having 43 bookings for 2018.
The Belfry Hotel & Resort: In 2016, The Belfry successfully entered new territory by introducing family friendly activities and facilities, including mini-golf, a Woodland Walk, a playground, a sports camp and family bedrooms. Growth in the spa market also exceeded expectations, with The Belfry Spa revenue increasing by 63 per cent. Building on the resort’s golfing heritage, the Corporate Golf team also delivered a 120 per cent increase on events.
Excellence in Retail
Loki Wines Ltd: Continual growth since 2012 and now focussing on wine and gin tasting events. Based in the Great Western Arcade, Loki plan to open further stores in Moseley and Harborne.
Judges (left to right): Mark Smith (director of enterprise and employability, Birmingham City University), Victoria Lineton (president Future Faces and bid adviser at lawyers Mills & Reeve), Russell Jeans (chief operating office, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce), Axel Wittenberg (chief financial officer, Yazaki Europe Ltd) and Alan Gilmour (head of acquisition and retention at Police Mutual)
Excellence in people development (Sponsored by South & City College Birmingham)
A-Plant: A-Plant is a Walsall Wood-based plant hire company, which has a workforce of 3,300 and says that people development is a key driver for its business. The firm operates a major apprenticeship scheme, which ensures ongoing training and support for employees, and can take up to four years to complete. A key component is health and safety.
Rock Power Connections: A family business based in Solihull, which specialises in electrical engineering, including the design and installation of sub-stations. The company has 46 employee and runs an extensive training programme, which it says helps to motivate its staff. In this way, it hopes to buck the trend in an industry which it says is known for ‘poor, slow service’.
NEC Group: The NEC Group is a well-known international business which specialises in live event. The group has 1,500 permanent staff, and 300 casual workers. The NEC says people are at the heart of its business, and their needs are looked after by an in-house learning and development team.
Creative Alliance: A learning provider based in Digbeth, Creative Alliance is a social enterprise which focuses on helping the development of young people in the creative and cultural industries. The business is the only independent learning provider in a sector where it is helping to grown the number of creative, digital and marketing apprenticeships.
Common Purpose: Common Purpose is a leadership and training company, and is based in central Birmingham. It is a not-for-profit organisation which works to help people to develop their leadership skills, and its work ranges from finding new board members and trustees to helping ex-offenders re- integrate into society.
Excellence in Sales and Marketing
Amplify: Part of the NEC Group, Amplify are the official hospitality providers to the Genting and Barclaycard Arenas in Birmingham. The business has consistently grown over the last three years and now sells over 40,000 hospitality packages per annum. The success of a new business sales and marketing strategy and positive revenue growth has led to the Amplify team doubling in size.
CV-Library: This innovative job board has worked tirelessly to bring on board new clients, with account numbers growing by 24.1 per cent in 2016. The business has continued to expand across the UK, with a team of five in its Birmingham office already billing £274,012, as well as an additional £96,600 in signed contracts.
Great Escape Cars: The Redditch-based classic cars firm have increased their turnover from 2014 to 2017. They have achieved this by refining their existing product offer and identifying add-on sales opportunities. This includes repackaging their core classic car hire offer into unique road trip and taster driving experiences.
Rachel Simpson Ltd: The Kings Norton design and manufacturer of bridal footwear and accessories has developed a family-style culture. Exports have become a key growth area and now account for half of the business. Attendance at international trade shows has helped to develop global trade.
Selfridges: Over the past four years, the store has continued to invest in Birmingham. The transformation of the store is part of a £20 million “Masterplan” and has striven to be the creative heart of retail in the city. Their activities run alongside work with Birmingham-based charities, schools, colleges and universities.
Sipsey Lingerie Ltd: The Solihull-based company is driven by offering much more than just lingerie by educating women and young girls about body confidence by delivering talks and presentations to groups and schools. Their main aim is to reduce the 70 per cent of women who wear the wrong size bra.
The Underfloor Superstore: Launched online in 2013, the Burton-based company has now grown sales and has six employees and two agents. They believe their success has largely been due to customer service through the use of social media and commitment to staff development.
Excellence in manufacturing
Apollo Chemicals Ltd: The Tamworth-based firm is a privately-owned liquid adhesive, sealant, coating and primer manufacturer. Apollo supplies high- performance products worldwide across a range of industrial, construction, roofing and end-user markets. Three sub-brands – Apollo Adhesive Solutions, Apollo Construction Solutions and Apollo Roofing Solutions – allow Apollo to supply customers with market-specific products and services.
Oldbury UK & Boughton Engineering Ltd: This company is a manufacturer of waste handling handling equipment and mobile platforms, serving waste management companies and defence contractors. The business has undergone a significant turnaround. Among its success stories was the design of a new skiploader, which in 12 months outstripped its sales forecast by 50 per cent.
Radshape Sheet Metal Ltd: Radshape specialize in sheet metal fabrications, assemblies and bonded structures. The company landed a major contract with Bentley Motor Cars, supplying the brightware for the new Mulsanne for the next five years. The contract win secured the jobs of 30 people and created new jobs for up to 10 people.
Keytracker: Rowley Regis-based Keytracker has seen its turnover and workforce increase substantially after expanding its product line and entering new markets. The key and equipment management firm has also invested significantly in research and development. Turnover has increased while employee numbers have grown.
Sorion Electronics Ltd: Sorion designs and manufactures some of the most advanced electrical test and assembly process control solutions. The Ladywood firm boasts Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Dyson among its clients. Over the last 12 months, Sorion has supplied equipment to Eastern Europe and the Far East, as well as winning six-figure contracts to supply electrical test equipment to the automotive sector.
March 2017 CHAMBERLINK7
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