EXTRA DATES ADDED FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER DANCES THIS YEAR… Due to the popularity of our dinner dances this year and we are now fully booked for next weekend’s events we have added to more options for you! Join us on Monday 23rd December or Tuesday 24th December for a Classic Christmas Dinner Dance Event here at the Best Western Brook Hotel Norwich – Delicious 3 Course Evening Meal will be served on arrival followed by an evening of entertainment with our resident DJ playing all your favourite songs to take you through to midnight – Just £19.50 per person!
We are winding down for Christmas this week as the corporate activity slows down, the staff have all worked extra hard since the middle of November with the rush of coach groups staying to come and see the Thursford Christmas Show and for a City Shopping Break, our Dinner Dances and Staff Parties started on 22nd November and have been going on most evenings since and our Christmas menu for lunch and dinner in the Restaurant has been proving very popular too!
This has all cooled down for a few days so the stff are having a wll earned rest today and tomorrow ready for the weekend’s events and then we have the big Christmas Break – lots of guests all staying for 4 nights to share their Christmas with us here at the Brook along with many local residents fro around the Norwich area joining us for our fabulous four course Christmas Day lunch – this is also now fully booked which is fantastic news!!
With it being slower on the corporate front though we have bedrooms available which means we can share our last minute availability with you at some fantastic rates…
If you are out celebrating this week why not make the most of it and stay overnight here at the Best Western Brook Hotel? We can offer you a room Wed, Thurs, Fri or Sun for just £50 for 2 people sharing and if you want, we will also throw in a free breakfast the next day for you! (Saturday night will be £65)
We also have spaces available on our last 2 Christmas Dinner Dance Events and can offer these places for just £10 instead of £19.50! If you are interested in booking a room or a table for one of the Dinner Dance eventssimply call us on 01603 741161
Global-leading energy technology services company Proserv is looking to increase its workforce and presence in East Anglia as the manufacturing side of the business continues to expand.
Involvement in new projects means Proserv plans to recruit more than 90 people in the region over the course of the coming year. During 2013, the firm added 60 additional personnel in East Anglia.
Customer demand for the company’s industry leading subsea control and communications equipment has also led to Proserv submitting a planning application to extend one of the workshops in Great Yarmouth.
Proserv’s chief executive officer, David Lamont, said: “This growth signifies another major milestone in the successful evolution of our company and one that further reinforces our rapidly-evolving status as a leading energy services company in the marketplace.
“With a very healthy order book for the forthcoming year and as we look to launch a number of exciting new tools and technologies to market for the first time, 2014 looks set to be another significant year for the company.”
Exceptional international growth has seen the firm treble the size of its Europe West Africa (EWA) region headquarters in Aberdeen and announce it will be taking on new staff throughout its business sites.
Within the past two years alone, Proserv has experienced a phenomenal 75% rise in turnover from £112million ($181million) in 2011 to around £196million ($316million) in 2012 with expected turnover for the year ending 2013 anticipated to further increase by up to 40% to circa £269million ($434million).
In addition to this, the company has grown its talent pool between 2012 and 2013 by around 25% from 1,600 to over 2,000. Proserv is also actively looking to recruit a further 150 personnel over the next six months with around half of this job creation expected to be in Aberdeen City and Shire.
Earlier this year, the company’s outstanding growth was industry recognised when Mr Lamont won Private Equity Backed Business in the EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 awards.
Mr Lamont, who was also named EY Scottish Entrepreneur of the Year, was praised for the company’s impressive acquisition strategy, its geographical reach and the opportunities for further expansion while he was also recognised for moulding “a phenomenal business of a truly global nature” at the Scottish awards.
Through establishing a significant 40-year track record for delivering high-value bespoke technologies and services, which are underpinned by its dedicated engineering expertise, Proserv has fast emerged as a leading energy industry specialist particularly in the drilling, production, subsea and marine market sectors.
The company operates worldwide across several regions and currently employs more than 2,000 people globally.
The Region’s Business and Leisure Sectors get excellent air links with Scotland from Norwich International Airport
Only a few weeks ago, Scottish airline Loganair announced it will commence new services between Norwich and Edinburgh as it marks its fifth year anniversary with franchise partner, Flybe. From the end March 2014, when Flybe withdraws from the Norwich route, Loganair will base a second aircraft at airport, take over the service and increase the frequency of its services between Norwich and Scotland’s capital from a single daily to a three daily service to provide a convenient business schedule. As an extra boost to passengers, a Sunday service will also be added, with Sunday frequency increasing to two flights during the peak summer season.
This is fantastic news and the feedback from the business and leisure community has been great. This news is also positive for the airport as it highlights the airline’s continued commitment and further investment into Norwich International Airport and the region. The carrier’s decision to base another aircraft will deliver new jobs and significantly improve connections between the Norwich and Edinburgh business centres for the benefit of both business and leisure community in the Edinburgh area, Norfolk and Suffolk. The region’s business and leisure sectors have asked for better connections to Edinburgh – the airline and Norwich International Airport have listened and delivered.
The region’s business and leisure sectors continue to be vital parts of the region’s economy. The Airport will continue to work closely with both sectors to deliver greater choice of direct business and leisure flights to key domestic and European centres.
Improved connectivity from your local airport will help your business to grow more efficiently. Your business’ input into new route development is valued – we would like to hear from you and learn more about your business travel destinations currently not served from the airport so that we can work with the airlines and deliver the air links that your business needs.
Adapt Commercial is looking for an experienced and successful sales professional to assist the group on a consultancy basis to further develop its portfolio of work. Click here for more information.
Interested individuals should return their CV and covering letter to Angela Larke, Senior Administrator and Head of Commercial Administration via a.larke@uea.ac.uk by 12 noon Monday 13th January 2014.
On 1 February 2014 Norwich based Image Display & Graphics Ltd celebrate 25 years in business. An award winning exhibition, display and graphics company they specialise in the design, creation and management of a wide variety of exhibition stands, displays, graphics, signage and events.
Launching as Image Development in February 1989 they commenced trading from a small city centre office in Norwich. By June of the same year they had moved to newly built manufacturing premises at Hellesdon Park, on the Norwich north-west ring-road. One unit became two within the first quarter and it wasn’t anytime at all until those 2 units had grown to 4. Some 25 years on Image are still at it and continue expanding and investing in their business. Having again outgrown rented premises in Bowthorpe they relocated to Fletcher Way Norwich in December 2012. Purchasing the property in July the building was completely gutted, refitted and refurbished during the following months to provide an energy-efficient, modern, purpose designed headquarters for their relocation ready for the New Year of 2013.
MD Iain Cosham had this to say about their 25 years in business and their recent major investment to remain in Norwich. “Over the years we’ve seen many changes and experienced many challenges. We’ve seen our industry change beyond all recognition from the days of the trades union closed shop arrangement which declined in the early 90’s to the advent of digital technology and the birth of the internet back in 1995. Since then it’s been a matter of continued investment in new technologies, production processes and materials to keep pace and remain competitive. For example we outgrew conventional large format printing several years ago and expanded into “grand format”. This added new exciting eco solvent machines to our print plant increasing the range of media’s we can print on but then we also needed more space to house them. Although our core focus remains mainly on exhibitions and events, signage and graphics have again become an increasing part of our day to day workload. So 25 years on our repertoire remains as comprehensive as ever and investment continues. The new building was a huge financial commitment to secure our future in Norwich but having been here a for just a year we’ve already found the needed to add another new large format Canon, fine art printer, just in time for Christmas”
Norwich Research Park hosted the signing of the City Deal, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on 12th December 2013.
Norwich’s success in securing a City Deal will bring new prosperity to the region, according to Dr Sally Ann Forsyth, Norwich Research Park’s Chief Executive. She says:
“Research into new ways of improving food production, human nutrition and health has always been a key focus for the research institutes on the Norwich Research Park.
“However in recent years greater understanding of genetics – the code of life – has opened up opportunities for new types of research. We are fortunate to have The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) located on the Park and their cutting edge technological platforms, knowledge and key expertise in this area to help translate research into new businesses.”
A good example of this is Procarta Biosystems, a spinout from the John Innes Centre, that is developing a new approach to antibiotics. Procarta’s patented approach takes away the ability of the bacteria to control its own genes. This form of attack is completely new to bacteria and therefore makes it difficult for the bacteria to develop a resistance to drugs developed with this technology.
Dr Michael McArthur, co-founder and CSO of Procarta says that being on the Park has been hugely beneficial to the company. “As the science grows so does the company and we are actively recruiting. We want to play a key part of the scientific revolution that is going on at the Norwich Research Park. The UK government has backed us through its scientific funding body, the BBSRC, and there has always been an expectation that we will generate value and jobs. I am glad to reciprocate.”
Norwich Research Park has one of the largest concentrations of microbiologists in Europe and this has created an exciting hub for drug discovery and research. Collaboration across the Park – between the University of East Anglia (UEA), UEA’s Norwich Medical School, the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and the research institutes; The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), John Innes Centre (JIC) and the Institute of Food Research (IFR), plus the on-site Clinical Trials Research Unit – has started to fast track a range of new developments.
Other areas of expertise include; medical technologies, nutraceuticals, functional foods, industrial biotechnology, clean technologies and biofuels.
Norwich Research Park is keen to increase collaboration with regional companies. Its Centrum building, due to open in the spring, has flexible meeting spaces to create an environment that encourages networking and access to knowledge. It also has lab and office space for growing companies that want to locate there in order to benefit from the resources that are available in both terms of specialist equipment and expertise.
Sally Ann Forsyth says that entrepreneurs and regional businesses are actively encouraged to contact the Norwich Research Park office to talk about opportunities on the Park.
“Many of the companies we support have been able to access funding and grants as a result of working with partners on the Park and we can also arrange access to expertise and specialist equipment. We invite people to get in touch and see for themselves the opportunities that are on offer.”
Norwich International saw a 7.6% rise in passenger number in 2013 with over 460,000 people from the region using the city’s airport.
The passenger boost was a result of growth in a number of different sectors at the Airport. The biggest jump was in the holidaymaker category which increased by 45% on 2012, with over 107,000 people enjoying the benefits of starting their holiday from their local airport. A significant portion of the growth was generated by Thomson First Choice who doubled their activity in Norwich in 2013, compared to 2012. The holiday firm has reconfirmed its commitment to the Airport in 2014 by increasing the number of weekly flights to Palma Majorca and offering better flight times for holidaymakers as a result of designating an aircraft to live at the Airport throughout the entire summer season.
Offshore helicopter traffic enjoyed yet another year of record growth with over 98,000 passengers travelling offshore, an increase of 18% on the previous year. The Airport’s drive to be the location of choice for operators and their energy company clients is bearing fruit and Norwich is now the UK’s busiest offshore heliport after Aberdeen.
KLM’s hub feeder service to Amsterdam Schiphol had another strong year as a result of the addition of the fourth daily flight throughout the summer months. This service continues to play a key role in connecting the region’s economy to the rest of the world and the popularity of the service continues to grow with the region’s business and leisure travellers alike. KLM will be reintroducing the fourth daily flight from 30 March 2014 due to the success of the 2013 operation.
Passenger numbers using services to both Jersey and Edinburgh fell in the year caused by the reduction in the number of flights to both locations. However Flybe’s recent announcement that Loganair will assume the operation of the Edinburgh route from 30 March 2014 ensures that frequency will be restored to multi daily flights and the route will once again be able to offer flexible day returns and greater opportunity for short breaks in both Edinburgh and into the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, via Loganair’s wider network. Andrew Bell, the airport’s Chief Executive commented, “Posting strong passenger growth is good news for Norwich Airport and good news for the region, as ultimately the flights that are operated from the Airport must be used by the travelling public if they are to remain on offer. The addition of frequencies on the Edinburgh and Amsterdam services is testament to this. However, at the Airport we recognise that we still have a great deal to do in order to satisfy the demands of the region’s business and leisure travelers alike. We are working hard to bring back routes that proved popular in the past, and to identify new route opportunities that are being highlighted in our ongoing corporate demand survey. Whilst we do this, our focus remains fixed on ensuring that passengers’ experience when they fly from or arrive into Norwich International Airport is first class.”
Chadwicks are pleased to announce that Daniel Harvey, who secured a rare starred First in his economics degree from UEA, has joined theNorwich-based Independent Financial Advisers.
Daniel, who was also ranked top of his cohort for each year of his degree course, said ‘ I wanted to be able to combine my interest in finance with meeting and helping people – the thought of sitting in front of a screen in a trading room all day really didn’t appeal to me – so becoming a financial adviser seemed the ideal choice. I preferred the idea of working for a smaller company where I could make my mark and Chadwicks really stood out as a company that was committed to helping their staff develop.’ Chadwicks, who specialise in advising business and investment clients, are supporting Daniel to become qualified to Chartered level.
Director Richard Ross said ‘I met Daniel when I was studying at UEA myself and I am delighted he chose to work with us. He is our second graduate trainee and follows in the footsteps of Radostina Dencheva who joined us a couple of years ago.’
Radostina, who secured a distinction in her Economics Masters, also at UEA, is in the final stages of the CISI Masters in Wealth Management. She works as a technical paraplanner looking after the firm’s wealth management clients. ‘ I have learned a vast amount since joining Chadwicks. Our approach of constant improvement means there is always something new to focus on.’ Richard added ‘having bright young team members who bring fresh ideas gives us a perfect balance between enthusiasm and experience. We need people with a strong grasp of technical detail if we are to continue to attract clients with more complex financial planning needs.
Chadwicks Limited are independent financial advisers based in Norwich and have been trading since 1996. The firm has five employees and specialises in advising business owners – it supports a clear value chain: the creation, realisation and enjoyment of business value Corporate clients range from plcs to self-employer consultants; individual clients are from all walks of life.
Chadwicks are accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority as CPD providers. Director Richard Ross is a Chartered member of both the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment; holds an MBA from UEA, a Masters in Wealth Management and is currently studying for an Msc in Experimental Economics at UEA.
The company is committed to continual improvement and aims to make its clients finances ‘one less thing to worry about’.
For more information or to speak to someone at Chadwicks call 01603 251687 or visit www.chadwicks.co.uk
Our Matt has been listed in Building Design Magazine’s ‘Top Ten Architects to Follow on Twitter’. The ‘BD Twitter 100’ uses an automated ranking device called Peer-Index to list architectural Twitter users according to their connectedness and level of activity, but the ‘Top Ten’ also includes a hefty slice of subjectivity from the magazine’s editorial staff.
‘Twitter has opened up the possibilities for architects to share knowledge and opinions, open up independent discourse on architecture, and expand their influence and visibility, and over the last two years large numbers of architects have really embraced it’, explains BD’s Anna Winston. ‘For our top 10 we chose the architects we thought were a good combination of entertaining, influential, responsive, engaging and knowledgeable.’
Matt Tweets mostly as @ruralise, in connection with his website www.ruralise.co.uk