Category: News

Last week IMET held its inaugural international leadership gathering at the picturesque Domaine des Monedieres in France.

This was an opportunity for the various IMET team leaders from the US, France, Czech Republic, and the UK to come together in a spirit of collaboration, fun and friendship.

There was of course a serious business element to the event in sharing the company’s vision for growth and reassociating the group with our company values.

It was also important that people felt at ease and that the planned activities were challenging yet fun and that all the participants could contribute.

Team away days are a bit like marmite – you either love them or hate them

A lot of this stems from employees being forced into doing things they don’t like.

For others it may even go back to the school sports day when someone may have been ridiculed for not being as fast or coordinated as their classmates.

On the other hand, team events are an excellent way to bond and to get people together outside of the normal work setting. The team challenges and activities are also a great way for employees to assess their own abilities within a team environment.

It doesn’t take long for people to realise what their strengths or weaknesses are during activities and its fascinating to see who the analysts are as opposed to the strategists or innovators.

The tasks we selected included constructing wind-turbines out of different materials including bottles, timber, and extruded plastics. The teams were also asked to build towers made of spaghetti, string, and marshmallows! Otherwise known as the marshmallow tower challenge!

The IMET group (formed into 4 teams) performed very well, particularly when it came to building a wind-turbine that had to generate 2 volts of electricity when placed 1 metre from an electric fan.

Some of the structures were very impressive, achieving the 2-volt output although I don’t think renewable energy companies like Siemens Gamesa have much to worry about yet!

        

Companies often kick the team away day into the long grass for several reasons

There are the usual time constraints and how to fit an away day into a busy calendar. There is also a perception that they are a waste of time, not to mention the general apathy of employers and employees alike when they hear the words ‘Team Building exercise’.

This was perhaps long overdue for IMET and was prompted by a specific need to launch the next phase of our growth strategy that will inevitably raise many challenges along the way. The team day was a great forum to engage the team leaders and prepare them for those challenges.

What we found most encouraging was how well the group gelled. Many of the group already knew each other from previous visits to their international counterpart’s plants, so for them it was more of a reacquaintance with colleagues, many of whom have become friends.

For others it was a chance to get to know their overseas colleagues in an informal setting and despite the geography are still part of one team sharing processes, vision, values, and culture.

‘Culture eats Strategy for breakfast’ – Peter Drucker

We spent an afternoon exploring the essence of good teamwork, before assessing the company values that have been central to IMET’s growth since opening 11 years ago.

Rather than telling the team the values that they need to adhere to, we let them decide by a process of elimination of the values that best represent IMET and were most important to them. Values must be genuine and meaningful if they are to be effective.

This was a fascinating session as the values identified as the most meaningful to the group were practically identical to those that we established all those years ago and have been integral to IMET’s growth to-date.

There is a clear relationship between leading organizations and brands with unique values and financial performance – a 2019 Glassdoor report showed that 83% of companies with positive comments on their performance also received positive comments about their values.

The post event feedback has been very positive, and our team-leaders went away with renewed vigour. The next and equally important stage is to maintain the post event legacy and to keep the refreshed values at the heart of our strategy.

We look forward to meeting again!

*This article was originally published on the IMET website, click here to view*

Like most organisations do for their teams, we want everyone who works at IMET to enjoy a healthy work-life balance. Work is important, but it should never be all-consuming. So we encourage our team to pursue their outside interests and help wherever we can.

Euan Hurter, our engineering and technology manager, is a lifelong sailor. His skill and dedication to his sport (being on and in the water during freezing wintry Yorkshire weather takes some grit) mean he’s now competing at a world-class level.

We’re proud to sponsor Euan in his Musto Skiff, a boat Euan tells us is:

‘…a high-performance one-design single-handed dinghy (in lay speak, it’s fast, difficult to sail, and all the boats are identical).’

This year Euan is competing across Europe in national and international races. He aims to finish in the top five at the world championships, the top three at the UK national championships, and win the Scottish and Northern Musto Skiff Traveller series. With a win in April in Yorkshire, Euan’s campaign has got off to a cracking start, and the whole IMET team will continue to cheer him on.

Of IMET’s support, Euan says:

‘After discussing my 2022 sailing plans with the IMET team, I was overwhelmed by the support they so readily offered to help realise my sailing, from both a work and personal perspective. From my boss providing the needed flexibility and financial support to colleagues helping with gym regimes and mentorship to maximise the quality of my training and preparation, it’s all testament to IMET’s commitment to deliver excellence in every situation.

With the support from IMET, this is the most motivated and excited I have ever been for a sailing season. I remember when joining IMET, they said having a good work/life balance was a necessity – they weren’t joking!’

You can read more about Euan’s recent competitions below, the reports are so entertaining we’re all thinking of taking up sailing now.

4^th at the Europeans in Mallorca

1^st at a Scottish and Northern Traveller Event

2^nd at the 2022 Ullswater Daffodil Regatta

The original post on the IMET Alloys website can be viewed here.

 

At Indigo Unified Communications we pride ourselves on only partnering with Market Leaders. Whether that be our IT offering, our Mobile Telephony offering, connectivity or even our Print services.

That is why we are proud to partner with 8×8.

An 8×8 Business Telephone System gives you the flexibility to grow and change, lets your people work on the move or even from home, just as if they were in the office. Inbuilt collaboration tools to hold online meetings enabling the sharing of content and video and provides a new avenue for communicating with customers, suppliers and other members of your team.

The 8×8 telephone system is the world’s first Unified Communications system that easily and seamlessly connects employees.

Features
There are many features that are included and can be added onto the 8×8 office phone system. One of these being the free desktop and mobile app that comes with every licence purchased. The mobile app enables every employee to make mobile calls using their office number, forward/transfer calls, view your company directory, join conference calls remotely, just as they would on their desk phone. If like us, your company promotes home working/remote working, then this app will ensure that none of your employees miss a call.

With the 8×8 phone system, all UK, national, local and mobile calls are included within your monthly subscription. We also offer a wider range of business calls and lines.

The 8×8 phone system makes it easy for users to hold video conferences with anyone, anywhere.

Are you wanting your phone system to be able to provide you with company-wide call reports? With the 8×8 phone system you can have just that! 8×8 can deliver rapid analytics and real-time information based on all extensions that are on the 8×8 platform. The reporting is pulled off an easy to use, customisable web based tool.

With our business VoIP service, you will always have the latest and greatest. Whenever a new feature becomes available, or an existing feature is improved, updates are automatically applied. As a result, not only does this make 8×8 truly future proof, but it also means that the system is always compliant with all current and future legislation.

As we prepare for the great ISDN switchoff, we need to be looking to the future. And as far as we are concerned, 8×8 is the best in the market. Reach out to find out more.

The original post on the Indigo website can be viewed here.

 

Delivering an excellent performance on the pitch, starts with the correct support off the pitch and Celtic Football Club have taken the correct steps when it comes to their company mobiles. As of March 2022, Indigo Unified Communications have become the official mobile supplier of Celtic Football Club.

Indigo and Celtic have a long-standing relationship going back to when we were the Official sponsor of the Womens team in 2019. It made sense then, that when the opportunity to fix one of their pain points came up, that there was only one name on the Team Sheet, Indigo Unified Communications.

During discovery calls, it was identified that Celtic were having a lot of issues with their previous suppliers. There was no pro-active Account Management, Limited Alerts to identify overspend or control of the usage. This becomes a lot more obvious when the club is playing in Europe. Finally, the lack of out of hours support meant that during midweek games, if there was an issue with one of the SIMs during a midweek game, Celtic did not have the support they needed.

In step Indigo, with our pro-active Account management, we do mobiles right.

We worked within the cost parameters and delivered a solution that works for one of Scotland’s biggest clubs and offered sponsorship back to the club as part of the deal.

With the removal of downtime, and properly maintaining the clubs need for Additional Bolt-ons when they are playing abroad, Celtic can now shine on and off the park.

This was all implemented over a period of two days, allowing the internal IT resource to support the swapping of sims over. Every single mobile checked in over the two days and are now being managed by our Account Management team.

It pays to be with Indigo Unified Communications. We only partner with the best in class, whether that be our Print offering, our Hosted offering, our Mobile offering or our IT offering.

The original post on the Indigo website can be viewed here.

AAC Clyde Space announces that the Company has entered into a conditional agreement for the acquisition of the privately-owned Swedish company Omnisys Instruments AB (“Omnisys”), a leading developer and manufacturer of measuring instruments for advanced space projects (the “Acquisition”).

The purchase price amounts to approximately SEK 75 million, where SEK 25 million is paid in cash and approximately SEK 50 million is paid through 17,340,100 newly issued consideration warrants in AAC Clyde Space. The completion of the Acquisition of Omnisys is, inter alia, conditional on the issue of the consideration warrants being approved at an extraordinary general meeting.

Gothenburg based Omnisys, develops and manufactures measuring instruments for advanced space projects. Omnisys has 20 years of experience developing profitable high-performance electronics hardware, including world-class sensors. Omnisys has a proven track record developing sensors for weather data in order to create reliable weather forecasting and data for climate research. Several interesting areas within AAC Clyde Spaces growth plans including Space Data as a Service offerings.

Among Omnisys customers are ESA, Airbus Defense & Space, the Swedish Space Agency, as well as a wide range of commercial companies in Europe and the USA. Omnisys is renowned for complex problem solving and innovation. Omnisys has recently developed a new type of microwave-based sensor that provides weather data with superior quality, which has gained strong interest from both public and private customers.

In 2020, Omnisys generated revenue of SEK 34.9 million and EBITDA of SEK 1.9 million. Omnisys currently has an order book valued at SEK 133 million, and AAC Clyde Space had, per 31 December 2020, an order book valued at SEK 156 million.

Earlier in March, Omnisys was awarded a EUR 12.2 million (SEK 124 million) contract to supply Microwave sounding sensors to the ESA project Artic Weather Satellite (AWS). AAC Clyde Space is the intended provider of avionics systems to the same contract. This is the pilot project, laying the path to a potential next phase, a constellation of 16 satellites.

“We have tracked Omnisys for several years and have grown increasingly impressed with the quality of the instruments they provide for advanced space projects, among other sensors that will allow us to build constellations that can provide high quality data with great sampling frequency to a data hungry market. An excellent example is Omnisys microwave sounders where we will gain a leading position in space based weather data, a field set to grow strongly as new technology enables dramatically improved forecasts” says Luis Gomes, CEO of AAC Clyde Space.

“We are delighted to be joining the AAC Clyde Space group at this exciting stage of our development. The combination of our advanced sensor technology with AAC Clyde Space’s leading capabilities in small satellite design, manufacture and deployment offers exciting opportunities to a fast growing and truly global market. Our track record in providing sophisticated sensors will allow the group to gradually open up new market segments in need of data from space” says Martin Kores, Managing Director of Omnisys.

The world of cattle breeding is constantly evolving and next month, Irish cattle breeders will hopefully be offered the opportunity to utilise in-vitro production (IVP) on a commercial scale. While the abbreviation IVP may be new to most, many would have heard of IVF (in-vitro fertilisation). IVP is actually the correct name for the whole procedure, with IVF just one step in the overall process.

The IVP procedure has taken place on Irish soil already, but never at a large-scale commercial level, with work undertaken on farms. Having worked in the cattle breeding sector over the last decade specialising in reproduction techniques, vet Paddy Buckley spotted a gap in the market.

With Paddy’s experience growing and Ireland still not offering bovine IVP, the decision was made to start the new venture, AB Ireland. This new company will be headed by Buckley, but will also include a further two team members, including trained vets and veterinary nurses who specialise in embryology.

“It has been an ambition of mine always to bring the technology back to Ireland. The lab is now fitted in Carrigaline, we’re just waiting on the final approval from the Department, but we hope to be operational by March.”

Read the full article in the Irish Farmers Journal

IMET Alloys, the Scottish-based European leader in processing and supply chain management of titanium and superalloy materials, today announced a €10million investment to establish Europe’s first dedicated aerospace grade titanium processing facility.

The plant will be built and equipped by IMET at Saint Georges-De Mons, near Clermont-Ferrand in central France.

IMET, headquartered in Livingston, West Lothian, uses the most technologically advanced techniques in the world to provide the melters of titanium and superalloys with furnace-ready products to melt ingots which are used in the aerospace, oil and gas, power generation and medical sectors.

The new plant will convert titanium generated by aircraft manufacturers and their subcontractors into clean, furnace-ready material. IMET channels this directly back into the world’s titanium melting facilities displacing primary ore and helping create a circular economy within Europe’s aerospace manufacturing supply chain.

Chief Executive Officer Ruaraidh Williamson said: “We’re delighted to be establishing our first dedicated titanium plant and European headquarters in France. The facility will be designed and purpose-built by us to handle titanium alloys of today and tomorrow.

“We will be employing exclusive technologies developed by IMET to cement our position as the processor and supplier of next generation alloys utilised in the latest energy-efficient engines.

“Our commitment to this project is a vital step for keeping titanium materials in Europe while reducing the carbon footprint of titanium melting activities through the displacement of ore based primary raw materials.

“IMET’s unique value proposition is vital to the creation of a European aerospace circular economy, completing the circular flow and efficient use of titanium materials. Delivering environmental, climate and socio-economic benefits ranging from reduced transportation needs to lower raw material imports and a more self-sufficient European titanium supply-chain.”

IMET Alloys is one of the world’s largest specialist companies processing and managing titanium and superalloys with two UK facilities in Livingston, two plants in the United States and one in the Czech Republic.

Clients include the world’s leading commercial aircraft engine manufacturers such as American conglomerate General Electric, Rolls-Royce and Safran SA, the French multinational aircraft engine, rocket engine, aerospace-component and defence company.

Ruaraidh said: “We do what others can’t. Our people and processing techniques are the most technologically advanced in the world. They define the industry standard. They’re why we’re the first-choice company to process the next-generation alloy and they’re how we consistently deliver materials that meet the stringent specifications and rigorous quality standards the industry demands.”

IMET Alloys was founded in 2012 backed by Scottish entrepreneur Hugh Stewart OBE’s investment vehicle, private equity specialists Coralinn LLP.

Hugh said: “IMET is enjoying significant success delivering innovative solutions to the aerospace sector. We are delighted with its progress.

“In 2000 Ruaraidh was recruited as the first graduate into our highly successful graduate recruitment programme. Through training, continuous learning and mentoring he is now an outstanding CEO.

“For many years the UK and in particular Scottish SME’s continue to fail to invest in succession planning. At Coralinn we are committed to develop the managers and leaders of tomorrow.”

IMET’s announcement today is underpinned by a 10-year service agreement with France-headquartered EcoTitanium signed at the recent Paris Air Show. Building of the new facility in France will start in July 2020 and the plant will be operational by 2022.

IMET Alloys’ other plants are in Livingston, Monroe in North Carolina, Plainsville, Connecticut and Prague, Czech Republic. The company recently invested $3million in an expansion at the Monroe facility which will be officially opened later this year.

Today, IMET employs just under 100 people in the USA, UK and Czech Republic and, when fully operational, there will be around 50 people at the new St Georges-De Mons facility.

The company has an expected turnover this year of $60m and is eyeing further expansion.

THE restoration of the iconic Blairtum House in Rutherglen has been recognised by a prestigious award from the Scottish Government.

There had been fears for the future of the landmark building after it became derelict and was then set on fire by vandals two years ago just as a project to renovate it had started.

But after a £3million investment by Livingston-based Rosewood Homes restored both the historic house and the surrounding grounds, the recently-finished site has won the national award for “Innovation in any architectural building or place” at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning.

The awards celebrate achievements in planning from the detail of processing to the final result.

Rosewood Homes Construction Director Lou Lauder said he was delighted to receive the award which was presented by the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart at a ceremony in the Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh.

Mr Lauder said: “South Lanarkshire Council planners were looking for something different for this site and the design team at Crawford Architectural delivered that. Working closely with planning department throughout the project helped with the success and quality of this development.

“This was a very challenging project, particularly after Blairtum House was ravaged by fire. We are very pleased our efforts in revitalising the existing building by creating new living space in it and through the homes we constructed to complement it have been recognised at this level.”

From a burned-out shell, Blairtum House was converted into a three-bedroom penthouse and two, three-bedroom luxury flats with the wider development including four, five-bedroom villas. Most of the properties have already been sold but two flats are still available.

Mr Lauder added: “We’d like to thank South Lanarkshire council who were hugely supportive from the very early stages of the development, the planning process and throughout the delay caused by the fire.”

Rosewood Homes has been involved in multiple private and public projects in central Scotland including building socially-rented accommodation for Clyde Valley Housing Association.

Rosewood Homes is backed by private equity company Coralinn LLP.

A LANDMARK building in the centre of Carluke, derelict for seven years, has been bulldozed and replaced with luxury flats.

The Welfare Hall in Sandy Road, once a popular venue for dances, snooker enthusiasts and local events, was disused and became an eyesore after it closed around 2010.

Now Rosewood Homes, whose construction director is Carluke man Lou Lauder, has built a luxury development of 10, two-bedroom apartments, and two, three-bedroom penthouses on the site.

Prices range from £120,000 – £149,995 with three of them already reserved and show apartments will be available for viewing every day over the Easter weekend. All the flats will be ready for entry in May.

Lou said: “Carluke is growing fast and is increasingly popular with commuters to Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding areas both by train and by road.

“Sandy Road is in the centre of town within easy walking distance of schools, shops, medical centre, railway station, bus routes and the M8 motorway so it’s an excellent location.

“We pride ourselves on the quality of the homes we build and the reaction we’ve had from people who have already reserved flats in this development, and others who are currently considering buying after viewing them, is a terrific endorsement of what we do.”

This is the third major project undertaken by Rosewood in Carluke in the last two years. Last February the company handed over the first phase of an affordable homes development at Shieldhill Road to Clyde Valley Housing Association and the second phase is due to start in March.

The company is also building six luxury detached houses at Luggie Road, Carluke. The date when work is expected to start is to be confirmed.

Lou added: “We have established a reputation for delivering high-end workmanship over many years and because of that the Sandy Road and Luggie Road projects are already attracting attention from potential buyers.”

Rosewood is backed by Coralinn LLP, the investment vehicle of leading entrepreneur Hugh Stewart OBE.

CORALINN LLP has announced it has sold its 28% in Clyde Space, Europe’s leading manufacturer of miniature satellites, allowing the merger of the pioneering Scottish company with Swedish satellite builder AAC Microtec.

With Coralinn (along with Nevis Capital) the primary financial backers from 2011, Clyde Space’s turnover grew from £1million in 2010 to £7m, the number of employees rose from 16 to 80 and the range of customers for its pioneering miniature satellites extended from the UK Space Agency to NASA.

Hugh Stewart OBE, managing partner of Coralinn LLP, said: “We are delighted to have participated in both the growth of Clyde Space and in the development of Craig Clark as CEO.  For Scotland to have developed a leading company in this niche area  is a significant achievement.

“All government agencies have participated in helping the company achieve its objectives. The merger with AAC will bring significant synergies and the opportunities, particularly in the USA, should bring further significant growth”.

The newly merged company, now known as AAC Clyde space, is listed on the Swedish NASDAQ (AAC.ST) with a current share value of £60m representing a substantial return for Coralinn.

Hugh added: “Coralinn are long term investors. We participate in helping develop leaders and companies achieve international scale. By participating in setting strategic objectives, helping with implementation and ensuring management development we can see our investment companies develop each year”.

Thanks to Coralinn’s involvement, Clyde Space attracted considerable attention including visits from Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister Alex Salmond and other senior politicians and business groups.

John Wardlaw, who represented Coralinn on the Clyde Space board, said: “I have watched the company grow over the years and the commitment of Craig and all employees has been outstanding.

“Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government along with the UK space Agency have been significant supporters of the company and have been keen to help in any way they can”.

Coralinn’s legal adviser during the merger negotiations was Anna Brown of international business law firm, Addleshaw Goddard.