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More than
420 guests gathered to honor the county’s greatest business success stories at
the Staffordshire County Showground.
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sben
LCBEP proudly sponsored the Small business of the year category – a highly
competitive category won by the Wool Packaging Company based in Stone – Judges
comments included: ‘A highly enthusiastic and
driven leadership team’, ‘fantastic innovative and sustainable product’, ‘pushing
boundaries and a market leader’.
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Our congratulations also go to sben members Stone Computers.
Martin Ruston told us: ‘ Stone were delighted to be announced as the first
winners of the new Environmental, Low Carbon category. To be recognised for our commitment to continued
business impact reduction, is a great tribute to the efforts of all our staff
and one in which they can be very proud.’
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Staffordshire
businesses now have the opportunity to get involved with BIFoR (Birmingham Institute of Forest Research)
in Norbury near Stafford - an industrial-scale experiment in a Staffordshire forest
helping to fill gaps in knowledge about climate change. The scientists behind
the experiment want to find how forests will respond to the levels of carbon
dioxide expected in the atmosphere by the middle of the 21st Century.
 The project has created an outdoor laboratory by encircling trees with 25m masts gushing high levels of carbon dioxide
Following
a very successful sben visit on 24th May, Professor Rob MacKenzie, Director of BIFoR, University of Birmingham has issued an invitation
to work with businesses in the Staffordshire area.
Visit our website for more information.
Small and medium-sized Staffordshire businesses can find out
more about how they could get the backing to transform under-utilised buildings
into productive use and access a range of support at an event later this month.
The Grow Your Workspace workshop on July 27th will help businesses
understand Staffordshire County Council’s Rural Enterprise Programme and how to
apply for grants. There will also be a presentation by Cannock Chase Council’s
planning team in addition to talks on the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent
Growth Hub and the Low Carbon Business Evolution Programme.
When and Where: 2pm, 27th July. The Aquarius Ballroom , Hednesford.
Visit our website for more information or sign up here.
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The sben Annual Networking event at Tillington Hall on Wednesday 12th July was a resounding success, much enjoyed by the many members who again attended this year.
sben members made full use of the opportunity to network with fellow members and applauded as Peter Ulleri of 2050 Logistics was awarded the 2017 trophy for Outstanding Support of sben.
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The High Sheriff, James Leavesley, provided an insight into the benefits to both large and small businesses of pursuing The Queen's Award for Enterprise (one of the UK's most prestigious business awards) particularly in the Sustainable Development Category.
The closing date for this year's applications is 1st September. Click here for more information
The indisputable highlight of the evening was a captivating keynote address provided by guest speaker Jonathan Porritt, who's thoughts ranged from the onset of the 6th Mass Extinction globally, the improving pace of technological change (in particular the electric car) to how a 'smart Brexit' should include the intelligent use of targets and legislation to improve both our economy and the environment.
 Jonathan Porritt's keynote speach was followed by a lively question and answer session.
The Mercia Centre for Innovation Leadership is a fully funded prestigious 'Innovation Leadership Programme'. It's being delivered by Keele University, and it aims to help address the distinctive organisational and leadership challenges for innovation-led, knowledge-intensive SME businesses, across the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership area.
Quotes from current (Cohort 1)
participants...
"The programme has helped
determine a number of strategic opportunities and innovations for our business.
The quality of the speakers and advisors is excellent, and in some cases World
Class. The return on this for our business will be significant"
"As a result of being on this
programme we have embarked on a full business planning exercise, involving the
entire staff team. This will not only result in system change, but changes in
our organisational culture too"
Places are limited, and Cohort 1
(May to October) was oversubscribed, so if you are interested then act on this
quickly!
Click here for more information of to express an interest. Alternatively call Andrew Bowker on 01782 733604 or email Andrew
Tenders
are invited from interested parties for the provision of Smart Energy Supply
Chain Business Support Services as part of the delivery of the Smart Energy
Network Demonstrator (SEND) project.
The Supply Chain development programme will target 217 ERDF eligible SME
businesses of which 15 will be new businesses within the entirety of the
Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire LEP area
Estimated Value: £350,000
More
information and to express interest: click here
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