Law firm continues to support LadiesFirst

A FIRM of solicitors operating in Leamington, Coventry and Nuneaton, has renewed its sponsorship of a Warwickshire ladies’ professional development organisation for a second year.

Alsters Kelley has renewed its headline sponsorship of LadiesFirst Professional Development, a network aimed at businesswomen across the region.

The business was launched in January 2014 by lifelong friends Lisa Kennedy and Julie Richardson to provide a platform for women’s professional development.

The organisation has attracted more than 800 business women to events throughout 2014 – a figure it is looking to build on this year.

Erica Kemp, head of family law at Alsters Kelley, said: “I firmly believe that women need to be given the confidence to go out into the world and make a difference and that is my main motivation in continuing to support LadiesFirst.”

Cambridge & Counties Bank reaches major lending landmark

CHALLENGER bank Cambridge & Counties is heading into 2015 having reached a major milestone in its growth – a quarter of a billion pounds in lending.

The bank, which is targeting SMEs in the West Midlands, is only in its third year of existence but has seen continuous growth every month since its launch in the summer of 2012.

The bank, jointly owned by Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Fund and Trinity Hall, a College of the University of Cambridge, has identified its leading customer recommendation rate of 99% as one of the major factors in that growth.

Mike Kirsopp, CEO, said: “£250m in lending is a landmark in our growth. But more importantly it shows that we are giving businesses what they need and what they cannot easily find elsewhere.”

2014 saw Cambridge & Counties Bank open offices in Bristol and Sheffield, extending its presence into new territories beyond its original heartlands in East Anglia and the Midlands.

HomeXperts praised for growth and recruitment strategy 

A WORCESTERSHIRE estate agency has been commended for its growth strategy and for the way it has recruited new staff.

HomeXperts, which is based in Worcester, has been recognised for its model in The Sunday Times Estate Agency of the Year Awards 2014.

HomeXperts, scooped both the Gold – Franchise Estate Agency of the Year 2014 and earlier this year the Bronze – Franchise Lettings Agency of the Year 2014 awards having previously received a Silver award and been shortlisted.

Judges recognised the measures the company had taken to ensure quality including strict recruitment processes and training standards, access to high quality marketing materials, expanding the services on offer and the hours of operation as well as investing in state of the art franchise software for excellent customer service and benefiting suppliers.

In the last six months the company has recruited an additional five members of staff at its head office – two seniors as well as two recent graduates and an apprentice. 

Direct mail firm Baker Goodchild targets growth after new investment 

BIRMINGHAM-based direct mail and print services firm, Baker Goodchild, is targeting growth after a fresh investment in new equipment.

The company has also upgraded some of its existing printing equipment and purchased a new mailing machine as looks to grow its production capabilities.

The latest purchase includes three Ricoh Pro 8120S laser printers, an AstroJet 3800 inkjet printer, and a new Kern 2500 Multimailer mailing and inserting machine.

The latest investments follow the recent purchase of an additional Konica Minolta Bizhub Pro C6000L and expand further Baker Goodchild’s range of cut-sheet print equipment.

Lorraine Burnell, managing director, said: “The direct mail industry is becoming very demanding and as a growing mailing house we are constantly investing and upgrading our machinery.”