News In Brief

ADG advising Trust

01/06/2008

PLYMOUTH Hospitals NHS Trust has appointed ADG, the Architects Design Group, to advise on projects under consideration for the hospital’s campus at Derriford and on land under its control on the nearby Plymouth International Business Park.

Truck feat helps hospice

01/06/2008

READY-MIXED concrete company Plymcrete thought no-one would be

able to pull its new 16-ton mixer truck at a charity event on The Hoe – and

director Sam Pridham even bet Dave “The Shed” £500 that he couldn’t do it.

But Dave did – for 40 metres – and the company, whose customers include

Plymouth City Council, paid the money to the Children’s Hospice South West.

Big win for rental fi rm

01/06/2008

NATIONAL Car Rental franchisee Vehicle Save UK has won a three-year contract with Babcock Marine at Devonport Dockyard to provide vehicles ranging from vans

and cars to fl atbed trucks. Vehicle Save’s MD Jim Howard says: “We were delighted to win the contract, particularly as we were up against some very
strong competitors.”

International trade help

01/06/2008

THE Chamber is holding a seminar on becoming an Authorised Economic Operator on 26 June at the Marine Skills Centre, Picquet Barracks. Book online on the International Trade pages of the Chamber website.

Hardwick moves up

01/06/2008

HUMAN resources consultancy Hardwick HR has just moved to the Airport Business Centre in Plymouth. The firm’s Carolyn Giles says: “With plans for growth of the business we needed more than just office space. The Airport Business Centre was able to offer the flexibility and support to enable our planned growth.”

Presence in Saltash

01/06/2008

STYLUS Engravers, the Plymouth trophy and gift engraving company established
in 1981, has just opened a shop in Fore Street, Saltash. Wife and husband team Carole and Patrick Fort also have a store in Plymouth.

A foot in the door

01/06/2008

FOOT Anstey is the only law fi rm in Devon and Cornwall – and one of only

16 nationwide – to be selected for the NFU’s legal panel. The Plymouth

fi rm was chosen after the NFU interviewed 41 legal firms.

Taxi software hailed

01/06/2008

NATIONAL cab-finding firm Taxibank won new customers at the London Business Travel Show after showing off its new booking software that can help it access 90,000 taxis at any one time, wherever they are in the country. The software was created as a concept by the Plymouth-based Company Of Designers England then built in India by one of the agency’s former clients.

The import of export

01/06/2008

THE CHAMBER’S International Trade Department will be having a stand at this year’s UK Trade & Investment Explore Export event on 30 June at Exeter University. As part of International Month, the exhibition can help your business discover

exciting new overseas markets, help those who have never exported before, further assist those who have just started trading overseas, and help established exporters maximise new developing markets. To book your place, register at www.keystone-group.co.uk/explore-export or call Susie Davies on
01453 833 668.

Mitchell adds a surveyor

01/06/2008

BUILDING surveyor Chris Morris, 36, (pictured) has joined Mitchell Architects in Plymouth after working in other practices and traditional surveying firms in the South West. Mitchell Architects’ MD Adrian Mitchell says he brought Chris in to broaden the firm’s field of professional expertise to include town planning and building surveying.

Rok to rescuers’ rescue

01/06/2008

A BUILDING being demolished by Rok to make way for new industrial accommodation at Marsh Mills in Plymouth has been lent to Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service’s special operations unit to recreate emergency situations and train with state-of-the-art equipment including sound location devices, search cameras and specialist concrete cutting equipment. Rescue service spokesman Colin Rockey says: “The specialist nature of our work means we have to train in circumstances as real as possible and the confined spaces on the site were ideal for this.”

Mentoring club launches

01/06/2008

A4E is launching Plymouth’s first Business Mentoring Club on Friday 20 June to showcase the work it does to get Plymouth’s long-term unemployed back into work. Anyone wanting to attend the launch should ring 01752 221620 or e-mail kkelway@a4e.co.uk

Barbican Kitchen’s back

01/06/2008

TANNER brothers Chris and James were due to re-open the Barbican Kitchen this month after the February fire that severely damaged it.

SSG couldn’t do better

01/06/2008

SSG Training & Consultancy is celebrating a record set of results with its students achieving a 100% pass rate in the March exams set by the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health.

Solution’s easy as ABC

01/06/2008

ABC Logistics is giving free secure storage to four £4,600 mobility scooters bought by a charity. ABC Logistics’ group general manager Ray Johns, responding to an appeal in the Herald, said: “The team at Scoot-A-Long are so passionate about

helping disabled people, especially children, get out and about. We are pleased to support them and help raise awareness of how diffi cult it is for some people to visit the places that many of us take for granted.”

888 leaders on the way!

01/06/2008

PLYMOUTH YMCA has joined forces with Sports Leaders UK to train 888 people
in Plymouth in motivational, communication and teamwork skills over the next three years. The partnership will use sport and dance to deliver leadership qualifications and awards that will act as a gateway to employment, further education and volunteering. “These leadership courses can really turn lives around,” says YMCA business and development manager Mark Rowles.