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Last updateMon, 17 Nov 2025 1pm

Unveiling the Ground Source Energy Expo 2017

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Complimentary tickets to the ‘Ground Source Energy Expo 2017’, hosted by the Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA), are currently up for grabs! The Expo will be taking place on Wednesday 6th September 2017 at Aston Marina, Stone, Staffordshire and is designed to educate, promote and raise awareness of the significant benefits of ground source heating and cooling. This year’s Ground Source Energy Expo is delighted to be welcoming key players in the sector including Ofgem and the Environment Agency and is sponsored by MGS and Iftech. A number of key companies in the industry will be exhibiting and on hand to answer any specific queries. GSHPA would also like to thank our main sponsors Dragon Drilling, Vailant and Teckna Group.

Improving education by creating buildings fit for purpose

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A UK population growth spurt has led to a bigger demand for school places than ever. Bob Mortimer, UK & Ireland Sales Manager of leading education flooring provider Heckmondwike, explains how good building design and specifying durable materials can future proof schools and even improve staff retention and productivity.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK population is projected to rise by 9.7 million by 2039. What impact will this increase have on education quality and provision? It is estimated that the number of primary and secondary school pupils will increase by an additional 729,000 by 2020. To cope with this influx, more than 2,000 new schools (24,000 classrooms) must be built in England during the same period.

IGF constructs £200k funding line for construction firm Rubico

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IGF, the leading commercial finance provider for SMEs, has delivered a £200k invoice finance facility for Lincolnshire-based construction and maintenance firm Rubico.

Rubico sought a new finance partner to provide an injection of working capital into the business, and began working with IGF in July 2017. The facility will allow Rubico to win larger contracts across the wider retail sector, particularly within the food and beverage industry, as well as meet its future ambitions to hire more staff and expand outside of its current premises in Stamford.

Please mind the office design – how the right carpet can make all the difference

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The third edition of the “What Workers Want” survey, a joint publication from the British Council for Offices (BCO) and Savills, found that neglecting office design can have a negative effect on employer’s well-being and performance. A total of 25% of employees surveyed would be willing to commute an extra 30 minutes to work in the perfect office. This highlights not only the opportunity for occupiers to expand their potential labour pool but shows that employee loyalty increases if businesses fit out the office to their staff requirements.

Absenteeism among the existing staff could also notably decrease when a fit for purpose office is provided, while productivity would be on the up. This notion receives support from the 2015 guidelines of The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which stress the link between employee well-being and work output. UK businesses are losing 6.9 days a year per employee due to the absenteeism trend, which could be a contributing factor to the UK’s productivity being 27, 30 and 35 percentage points lower than in France, the US and Germany in 2015. The latest Stoddart Review research has revealed that an effective workplace can improve business productivity by 3.5%, which could add up to £70 billion to the UK economy, according to economist Duncan Weldon.

Local FD manoeuvres through South America for Charity

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‘Challenge Yourself’ was the task set by Mick George Ltd to its employees, management and directors throughout the business, in an attempt to raise money for its two selected charities of the year.

One person who has certainly embraced that notion, is the companies Finance Director Jon Stump, who is seeking to defy all odds, by trekking across Costa Rica, in what will certainly be a daunting coast-to-coast expedition.