MEMBERNEWS Memorial centre is completed


Franklin Ellis Architects has announced the completion of a new £3.9m memorial centre in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, which will remember local men who died in two World Wars and bring new facilities to the local community. Nottingham-based Franklin Ellis


Architects was appointed by Mountsorrel War Memorials Trust and Mountsorrel Parish Council to design and provide architectural services for the new 13,700sq ft multi-purpose community centre, which includes a community hall with stage facilities, a café, meeting and conference rooms and two retail units. The memorial centre, which had


a 12-month construction period, features an engraved memorial in its reception, which lists the names of local men who lost their lives at war. The plaque has been designed to mimic the famous monument on Castle Hill in Mountsorrel. Matthew Kirk, Project Architect


at Franklin Ellis Architects, said: “This is an important centre for Mountsorrel that will bring much-


‘The facility will attract more businesses and people to the area, but most importantly it will preserve the memory of those who lost their lives at war’


The memorial centre at Mountsorrel


needed facilities to a significantly expanded population. “We worked alongside


Nottingham-based construction


company Stepnell to transform the site and create a space which the community can be proud of. “The facility will attract more


New equipment leads to a surge in business for Mercia


Mercia Image Print, the Little Eaton-based commercial printer and Chamber Business Awards Manufacturer of the Year finalist has reported an upsurge in its direct mail business, having recently invested in new equipment to bring the whole process in-house. Direct mail was a big casualty of the electronic marketing


boom, when many businesses pulled back, believing that email marketing would replace the traditional 'envelope and stamp’ approach. But consumers were soon


inundated with hundreds of marketing emails and spam and began to automatically delete many before seeing any message. Of late, this trend has arguably reversed. Amanda Strong, owner and Managing Director of Mercia, said: “At Mercia, we stayed true to our beliefs and confidence in the power of direct mail. So, during the lean times, we invested in new product innovation, new 'personalisation' software and new equipment to bring our direct mail offering totally up to date and, most importantly, all in-house. As a result, we have secured lots of new business by convincing customers of the renewed benefits of this very effective business channel.” Alongside the commitment to direct mail, Mercia has also


‘At Mercia, we stayed true to our beliefs and confidence in the power of direct mail’


introduced a new Cloud-based web two-print portal, which clients can access 24/7 from anywhere in the world. The system uses editable artwork templates which can be amended by users without design skills. Users can tailor and personalise text, images and graphics while branding remains locked down.


Owen Conti


Demand for on-site IT on the increase


A former fraud specialist for high street banks is helping to protect Midlands-based businesses through a new company specialising in IT support. Owen Conti, of Code 56, is using


his experience in a variety of IT roles, including fraud protection for credit card companies and banks, to offer businesses a unique set of tailored on-site support. With demand for such services


increasing, the company, which only started last year, is already looking to recruit additional staff and is hoping it will encourage more businesses to put IT at the forefront of company planning. Owen said: “I think the flexibility


Amanda Strong


we offer is something that has really appealed to businesses. It is personal, on-site IT support, like having an extra member of the team you can call on when you need.”


business network December 2017/January 2018 15


businesses and people to the area, but most importantly it will preserve the memory of those who lost their lives at war.”


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