Derby businessman sets up new training firm

A Derby businessman is celebrating the tenth anniversary of his first firm by launching a new company.

Adrian Radford, of Chellaston, Derby, has launched Exeve, a training company which aims to equip businesses, sporting and community organisations with confidence, team building, communications, leadership and management skills.

He started his first firm, Key Survival Equipment (KSE), at his Derby home in 2007, following a 25-year career in the Royal Air Force.

The firm provides advice and consultancy, support services, technical maintenance, technical documentation and safety and survival equipment training to the aviation and maritime sectors worldwide.

However, the former RAF engineer spotted a gap in the market to deliver ‘experiential learning’ – the process of learning through doing – to businesses, and sporting and community organisations, and the idea for Exeve was born.

KSE’s 13 staff will also work for Exeve, which is based in a recently-opened head office at Role Mill, in Canal Street.

Exeve has already created one new job and has invested heavily in training equipment in order to deliver bespoke training courses across the East Midlands.

It offers a wide range of engaging activities, both practical and mildly physical, which build confidence, develop key skills, boosts team working and morale.

It also delivers a ‘Train the Trainer’ programme, for HR and workplace training professionals, which has been accredited by the CPD Standards Office.

Radford said: “This is an exciting new venture for us. Myself and the staff at KSE have over 150 years’ of combined experience in the field of safety and survival equipment including consultancy and training.

“We believe that the knowledge and expertise within the team is completely applicable to the new venture and can be of huge benefit to local businesses, and sporting and community organisations.

“KSE is a highly-specialised business in a niche sector, so Exeve is a departure from what we normally do, but we believe our skills and expertise can be transferred into the workplace to help organisations communicate better, improve productivity and work more effectively while building on existing skills and knowledge.

“The beauty of experiential learning is that it is not industry nor sector specific and recently we have worked closely with sporting, media and construction sectors.

“We believe that boosting confidence is the key to helping someone achieve their full potential. Our bespoke programmes, which can be delivered in the workplace, are aimed at inspiring teams and individuals to work, lead, manage, communicate, collaborate and achieve with confidence.”

Radford is a lifelong Derby County fan and Exeve has just signed up to be a Rams Corporate Partner. It also counts the club as a client and has delivered training to directors and senior managers.

Derby County’s president and chief executive, Sam Rush, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Exeve on board as our latest club partner here at Derby County.

“We already have a very good working relationship with their team and we look forward to enhancing that with them in the future.”