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Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Kent Business Newsletter…
This edition follows a Medway driver turning operational experience into fleet software, a major Aylesford logistics award, Europa’s push to put technology at board level, and fresh South East research on how inheritance expectations are shaping financial planning.
Each story offers a different view of the businesses, decisions and people influencing Kent’s commercial landscape.
➡️ Got a business launch, win or story to share? Send it to [email protected] and we’ll help spread the word - for free!
If you missed previous editions you can catch-up here.
In this issue: Kent Business News | Kent Business Spotlight | In Brief | Kent Business Events | Kent Business Radio
This Week’s Kent Business News
➡️ From the cab to code: Medway HGV driver builds software around the working day
Medway HGV driver and Rivetway founder is developing a fleet and field-operations platform around the practical pressures of transport work. The early-stage business is being built alongside regular driving shifts, with day-to-day experience shaping what the software is designed to solve.
Rivetway’s focus is on the routines that can create friction for drivers, operators and mobile teams. The founder says the project is still being tested and developed, but its starting point is deliberately close to the working day rather than a generic software brief. It is intended to reflect tasks that people handling loads, schedules and records meet repeatedly as they move between vehicles, customers and depots each day.
➡️ Panattoni Park Aylesford named Best Overall Logistics Park at IAS Awards
Panattoni Park Aylesford has been named Best Overall Logistics Park at the IAS Awards, recognising the development’s performance in the industrial and logistics market. The Kent site is Panattoni’s first completed logistics development in the county and has been positioned as a key location for occupiers needing strong road connections.
The award comes as the developer pursues further ambitions in Kent. It underlines the continuing importance of well-located, modern logistics space to businesses managing distribution, manufacturing and supply-chain requirements across the South East. For local firms, the recognition is a reminder of the infrastructure choices that can influence recruitment, investment and customer service. It also reinforces Aylesford’s role in Kent’s expanding logistics corridor.
➡️ Europa adds two technology directors to Board as digital investment grows
Europa Worldwide Group has promoted Paul Hinchley and Chris Mitchell to Board-level director roles, placing software development and IT at the centre of its next phase of growth. The Dartford-headquartered logistics business says the appointments reflect a wider investment in proprietary systems, cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.
Europa’s technology teams support its international operations and customer platforms, including its Leonardo transport-management system and customs-focused Europa Flow service. The business says the Board changes will bring technology decisions closer to strategy as logistics becomes increasingly digital and regulated. The moves also recognise the scale of work behind customer visibility, compliance and resilient systems as the group serves markets across ten countries every day.
➡️ New data shows importance of inheritance to long-term financial security of working adults in South East
New Birketts research suggests that inheritance is an increasingly important part of long-term financial expectations for working adults in the South East. Nearly half of respondents said it would matter to their financial security, while the findings also point to widespread uncertainty about wills and succession planning.
The law firm says the results highlight the risks of assumptions about what happens when someone dies without a valid will. With many adults reporting that they do not have one, the research raises questions about affordability, awareness and the practical steps families take to plan ahead. They also underline why clear professional advice can matter before decisions become urgent for both business owners and households.
Kent Business Spotlight
Building Careers, Not Just Qualifications: Aaron’s Course2Career Story
What does it really take to turn training into a new career?
This week, we spoke to Aaron, founder of Maidstone-based Course2Career, about building a business designed to close the gap between the skills employers need and the people looking for a fresh start.
Aaron shares how the company grew from simple online adverts in 2019, why he quickly learned that “people don’t buy a course, they buy an outcome”, and how letting go of control helped him build a team and scale the business.
There is plenty of useful advice for other business owners too, from winning those first customers and building trust to knowing when to bring in people who are better than you at certain things.
He even explains why, if he started again, protecting his hairline would be near the top of the business plan.
Read the full interview with Aaron and discover the story behind Course2Career.
Other Kent Business News In Brief
➡️ Kent firms report improving sales, exports and confidence
Kent Invicta Chamber's Q3 economic survey reports an improvement in domestic sales, exports, recruitment, cashflow and business confidence among Kent and Medway firms compared with the previous quarter. Labour, utility and fuel costs remain significant pressures, while investment intentions are still subdued. The survey also found that four in five responding businesses are either using AI already or exploring how to use it. Read more.
➡️ New Aldi in Ashford will create 35 jobs
Aldi has confirmed its new Canterbury Road supermarket in Ashford will open at 8am on 22 October. The store will be managed by Matt Williamson and will support 35 local jobs, adding another major retailer to Ashford's expanding grocery market. Read more.
➡️ Ashford International Truckstop operator faces HMRC winding-up petition
The company operating Ashford International Truckstop is facing an HMRC winding-up petition due to be heard on 21 October. The 660-space M20 truckstop is one of Kent's significant logistics facilities and was recently named Logistics UK's Best Truck Stop of the Year. Companies House continues to list Ashford International Truck Stop Limited as active, so the petition should not be treated as confirmation that the company has entered insolvency. Read more.
Looking for business networking events in Kent?
Find them all here:
www.KentBusinessEvents.co.uk
Kent Business Radio Show
On the show this week Paul and Jules was Zoe Cairns of https://zcsocialmedia.com/zclive and Aly Young of https://ay-law.co.uk/
To listen to this week’s show in full visit Kent Business Radio
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