Business News
...from page 8
Close Brothers Asset Management: A financial services company which provides investment advice, planning and management. It works closely with individuals and businesses, and is a leading provider of financial education in the workplace. The firm says its approach sets it apart from its competitors and many employers have been partners for more than 15 years.
Hired @ UCB (Employability Department): Part of University College Birmingham, Hired helps prepare students for the world of work, via careers advice, industrial placement support and building partnerships with employers. Hired also runs Unitemps, which is the university’s on-site recruitment agency, focusing on helping both students and alumni find career opportunities.
Innovating Minds CIC: See Excellence in the Community.
Kingsmead School: Based in Hednesford, Kingsmead is a school which gained academy status four years ago. It is the best performing school in Rugeley and Cannock and it has experienced an improvement in performance in recent years due to initiatives such as one which encourages its students to ‘think for themselves’.
Services for Education: Specialists in providing music tuition for a wide range of organisations, including schools and local authorities. Recent initiatives include a collaboration with the University of Roehampton to establish a post graduate qualification for teachers delivering music provision in special schools in Birmingham.
Oxbridge Home Learning: See Excellence in Customer Service.
Awards Shortlist
RMF Construction Training Academy: This education and training provider is aimed primarily at helping offenders, those from minority ethnic groups and former military personnel. Its commercial partners are construction and rail companies. Initiatives include the installation of a rail track at Hewell Grange prison in order to help inmates with the practical elements of training for a job in the rail sector.
Excellence in Sales & Marketing
Amplify: The hospitality arm of the NEC Group. The past three years have been a story of major growth, aided by record sales and the implementation of an ambitious marketing strategy. New technology has also played a part in boosting sales, including a new ‘call back’ system.
Ark Media: See Excellence in Tech and Innovation.
EIB Professional Services: A professional services provider that helps businesses manage and win bids for contracts from the public sector. As part of this, the firm assists in the writing and production of bid documents and in the past three years has helped its clients secure more than £10bn of new business.
Lightbox Digital: A web design and digital marketing company which launched in 2005. It has recently moved into new offices, and counts a wide range of firms among its clients. Its main business is helping create new opportunities in digital marketing for its clients.
Liquid: This Birmingham-based firm claims to be the 25th largest PR consultancy outside London. One of its recent promotions was for the British Transplant Games, an event last year aimed at boosting the number of people signing up to donate vital organs.
Picture perfect: Selfridges are hoping for another snap-happy evening after claiming Excellence in Sales and Marketing last year
Millennium Point: See Excellence in Hospitality.
National Express: See Excellence in People Development.
Notepad: A branding and marketing agency which specialises in helping start-up businesses. In the past year it has helped more than 40 start-ups, including an inventor in Manchester, who launched the world’s first self- heating mug. This company achieved monthly sales of £20,000 within five months of the launch.
Excellence in Retail Sponsors: Bullring
Floral Jazz: Sutton Coldfield-based florist which provides flowers for any occasion and also operates floristry workshops. The firm helped Sutton Coldfield Town Council with its ‘Concert in the Park’ project, which involved turning old instruments into floral displays. The company also provided the flowers for the Lord Mayor’s annual dinner.
Loki Wine: This wine retailer began life in Birmingham’s Great Western Arcade before opening a second outlet in Edgbaston. The Chamber’s 2017 Business of the Year aims to make wine more accessible by creating an environment where people can explore and enjoy it without some of the pretence that is associated with the trade.
Selfridges: Birmingham’s best known retailer began trading in the city in 2003. Its striking building has four floors, selling everything from clothing to stationery. It has recently joined forces with Ikon Gallery to host ‘State of the Art’, which utilises various thought- provoking pieces of art work, including a giant shoe.
South Guys: This supplier of authentic Italian artisan food was set up by three men from southern Italy while they were studying for degrees. Today, the company sells its pasta products to three national retail chains and says it is providing a bridge between Birmingham and the guys’ home towns.
Specsavers: Solihull Specsavers has been investing heavily in its services, including its new ‘Enhanced Optical Services (EOS)’ initiative, which it says will help relieve the pressure on the NHS’ optical budget. EOS follows another initiative, Specsavers’ ‘Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS)’. Specsavers is also revamping its Solihull store, which is in the town’s High Street.
10 CHAMBERLINK April 2019
Toasting victory: 2017 Business of the Year Loki Wine, founded by Phil Innes, is looking to reclaim the Excellence in Retail crown
The Window Centre: A Solihull- based company which supplies windows, doors and conservatories. It has recently boosted capacity by moving to a new 2,000 sq ft installation depot and is poised to open a 6,000 sq ft showroom in Shirley. The company is also a sponsor of Shirley Carnival and the Knowle and Dorridge Fun Run.
Touchwood: Solihull’s main shopping centre is home to more than 100 stores and restaurants, as well as a nine-screen cinema. Touchwood attracts some 13.8m visitors each year, contributing to the economic prosperity of the town. The centre also hosts various initiatives aimed at boosting visitor numbers, including Costa del Solihull, where a beach environment is installed in Theatre Square.
Travel Club Elite: A travel agency specialising in family activity holidays, skiing and escorted touring and cruises. It was recently voted number one in the UK by an online consumer review platform in various categories including skiing, escorted touring and cruises.
United Carpets: A carpets, flooring and beds business, with one of its 70 stores based in Stechford. Despite online competition, the Stechford store has grown its business in the past four years and says it has “seen off competitors small and large”. It is planning to open at least one further location in Birmingham.
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