The UK Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) is celebrating after a double victory at the Derbyshire Times Business Awards on 10 November. An audience of local business leaders, assembled at the Casa Hotel, saw UKATA awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in the Small Business of the Year category and UKATA General Manager Craig Evans named Business Person of the Year.

Held annually, The Derbyshire Times Business Awards recognise and celebrate the very best in local business and commerce and this double success is recognition of a highly successful 2016 for UKATA. The Markham Vale office has spearheaded a series of successful national initiatives, including Train Safe, Work Safe, Keep Safe; with UKATA members offering free asbestos awareness training to small businesses throughout the country.

Craig Evans, UKATA General Manager, commenting on the awards said:-

“I am obviously delighted to have been named as Business Person of the Year.

“However, my award, and the commendation in the Business of the Year category are fitting recognition of all the hard work of both my colleagues and our members this year. It is a proud moment for me personally and UKATA collectively and we certainly couldn’t have made the progress we have this year without the backing of a great team.”

While UKATA is a national organisation with members throughout the UK, the Association does a great deal of work in the region, both on asbestos awareness and training and in support of local charities.

Craig continued:-

“At UKATA we recognise the importance of playing an active role in the local region, both in terms of asbestos awareness and supporting local charities.

“It’s great these awards recognise the contribution of both individuals and organisations like UKATA in the local community. We joined Chesterfield Champions to support efforts to raise the profile of the town and these Awards demonstrated there are a lot of really impressive businesses and business people operating in this area, and we are proud to be among their number.”

On November 11 2016, Morclean Ltd travelled to the Houses of Parliament in London to attend the Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice. The Green Apple Awards, which are sponsored by the Environment Agency, are dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.

Morclean Ltd, based in Staveley won not one, but two awards at the glittering presentation where other like-minded companies, councils and communities attended to receive recognition.

Morclean, specialists in a wide range of industrial cleaning equipment, had two products up for an honour in this year’s awards including the popular WashPad vehicle wash system and the LowFlow pressure cleaning system. Both of the systems left the award ceremony with an accolade and received a silver award each.

Peter Morley, Managing Director at Morclean, said:-

“The aim here at Morclean is to always develop products that are more friendly for the environment and promote these the best way possible. This will be the 4^th Green Apple Award we will have received and we always enjoy the recognition presented to companies that work to help the environment.

“We wish to thank everyone involved in the Green Apples Awards and look forward to continuing to develop and launch products that the environmentally-minded love.”

Local design company and Chesterfield Champion, Jumble Creative Design, have recently been announced as finalists in the Derbyshire Times Business Awards.

The Chatsworth Road based designers are entered in the Innovation Category following their expansion in to wide-format and vinyl printing.

This new print and cut technology enables Jumble to offer a wide range of products including posters, pop up displays and banners, window graphics, vehicle graphics, signage, cut vinyl, packaging labels and stickers.

Jumble has also undertaken training to learn new skills, as part of their innovative approach to design, offering clients services to partner with these product including the application of window and vehicle graphics, sign making and mounting wide format graphics to board and other substrates.

With an innovative focus, Jumble are attracting the attention of other innovative local businesses, having recently worked with local food producer, and Food and Drink Awards winner, Teresa Lambarelli to re-brand her packaging.

Andrew Everitt, Owner of Jumble Creative Design, said:-

“Like us, Teresa is always looking for ways to improve her offer, regularly developing and creating new tastes. We were able to create a new look design, a quick turanound and offer a flexible approach to quantity depending on stock levels.

“We are always looking for creative and innovative ways to meet the customer needs.”

Their focus on innovation has allowed Jumble to grow bigger year on year. Projects they have recently worked on include designing print and commemorative beer labels for the Chesterfield Food and Drink Awards and producing vinyl graphics for Chesterfield Theatres.

East Midlands Chamber has announced Geoff Poyzer as its President for 2016/17.

He received the chains of office from outgoing President Jean Mountain at the Chamber’s annual general meeting this morning.

Geoff is Managing Director for the Highways Division at North Midland Construction PLC, a national contractor with a turnover in excess of £225m, and has expertise in managing large construction projects at director level.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) from Nottingham Trent University, Geoff has been employed by NMC, located in north Nottinghamshire, for over 28 years.

He has been a member of the Chamber Board since October 2008.

Geoff, a married father of two grown-up children, who lives in Nottingham with his wife Jacqueline, said:-

“It is an honour and privilege to be elected President of the biggest business-representative body in the Midlands and one of the largest Chambers of Commerce in the country.

“I would like to extend my personal thanks to Jean Mountain, my predecessor, for choosing me as her deputy for the past year and for all her hard work during her 12 months in office.

“I promise to uphold the dignity of this office and to be the best ambassador that I can be for the Chamber, for the region and for business generally.”

He said he had four areas on which he wants to focus during his year in office – Brexit, the difference between management and leadership, helping business to keep pace with the rapidly changing world of technology and promoting the ‘great’ East Midlands as a great place to live and work– all areas where the Chamber is already active.

“I make no apology for slipping ‘great’ in there. I was born and bred in this region and truly believe it to be great.”

Geoff also intends to back devolution, by supporting the Midlands Engine for Growth and Midlands Connect, and locally-focused education systems.

Robert Mayo, Development Director for the Welbeck Estate, where his role is to bring about the transformation of one of the most significant groups of listed buildings in the East Midlands, has been elected Vice-President for 2017.

He is a graduate in Art History from the University of Nottingham and has a Master’s degree in Conservation Studies.

Board changes announced at the AGM include the appointment of Steve Midgeley and Hari Punchihewa as Directors and the retirement of Past-President Liz Fothergill, who was this year made High Sheriff of Derbyshire, and Richard Horsley, Managing Director at QED Public Relations.

Steve is the founder and Managing Director of Chamber member Fairgrove Homes and Hari is Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director at the University of Derby. Both were co-opted to the Board in August.

Directors David Merifield, Ian Greenaway and Richard Wilkins have been re-elected unopposed to the Board.

The Spireites are delighted to announce SBK Computers as their new IT partner.

SBK Computers, who are based in Chesterfield, have been engaged to maintain the IT system at the Proact Stadium.

Chris Turner, Chesterfield FC Chief Executive, said:-

“I am delighted to award SBK Computers with the contract to look after the total IT system for the stadium, including The HUB, which is operated by the Community Trust.

“We have been working very closely with Steve Coe and his team for a while now and Steve is also a keen supporter and valued sponsor of the club.”

Ashley Carson, Chesterfield FC Director and Company Secretary, added:-

“I have been very impressed with the technical expertise of the staff at SBK and we are looking forward to working more closely with them.

“IT is a crucial part of our business and it is vital that we have a solid, reliable company we can rely on. There have been many errors in the past with the IT in the stadium and it is reassuring that we can now place our trust in Steve and his team.”

Steve Coe, Managing Director of SBK Computers, said:-

“We are delighted to have been awarded the contract to support our local football club and the process will now begin to look at all aspects of IT and communications at the stadium.

“We need to determine what can be improved and more importantly, what cost savings can be introduced from the massive overspend when the stadium was built.”

SBK Computers, who have successfully delivered IT Solutions since 1998, have been a dedicated long-term sponsor of the club.

Law firm and Chesterfield Champions, Banner Jones, have further bolstered its established business legal services division with the appointment of Director and Solicitor Cathy Thomas, as well as Associate Solicitor Sam Matkin.

Joining the firm’s Sheffield-based Commercial Property team Cathy brings with her more than 10-years’ experience advising on matters including freehold and long leasehold sales, acquisitions and leasing.

Having studied at Liverpool University before joining Nabarro, and subsequently BRM Law, Cathy has particular expertise in landlord and tenant work, as well as asset management in the shopping centre and industrial estates arena.

Associate Solicitor Sam Matkin has also joined the firm’s growing Business Legal Services division and is based at its Chesterfield headquarters.

The announcement follows recent international recognition for Banner Jones as part of this year’s Legal 500 – the most comprehensive worldwide coverage on recommended law firms broken down by area of specialism – in which its family law and personal injury teams ranked for the fourth consecutive year.

Chris Sellars, Executive Director and Head of Business Legal Services, said that the appointments would ‘further strengthen’ Banner Jones’ award winning legal services team, as well as ensure that the firm was well placed to meet growing demand from a rapidly expanding Sheffield City Region-based business community.

He said:-

“Cathy is a welcome addition to our established commercial property team – bringing with her considerable expertise and experience, and further bolstering our ability to meet increased demand fuelled by an ever expanding business community based within the Sheffield City Region.

“Similarly, the support that Sam will bring to our Chesterfield-based team will be most valued, and we very much look forward to welcoming them both.”

Banner Jones also received regional recognition recently when it was awarded an East Midlands Chamber Business Award for Excellence in Customer Service.