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Hi Kent Business Community

Welcome to this week’s Kent Business Newsletter.

Kent businesses have delivered some big moves this week. Team Tactics has doubled down on its East Kent roots with a larger HQ in Selling. Brachers and Kreston Reeves have landed Deal of the Year for steering Orchard Plumbing into employee ownership. Stannah has strengthened its service network with two new branch leaders. DBSJ has taken the crown as the fastest-growing business in the South of England.

Dover’s first major solar farm has broken ground. Bedfont is expanding asthma testing access across India. Foodari has secured a strong sustainability ranking on its first attempt. Big Motoring World has launched a Christmas giveaway with serious prizes. Plus, Azets shares practical cashflow tips for Kent SMEs.

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.

Team Tactics, one of the UK’s best-known corporate events specialists, has moved into a larger headquarters in Selling, signalling fresh investment in its East Kent base after nearly 30 years in the area. The family-run firm has taken a five-year lease at Gaskains Ltd., Norham Farm, just a few miles from its old home, giving its 10-strong team more space to collaborate and create.

Founder Tina Benson says staying local is key to the company’s culture and values, with Faversham’s rural energy and London connections offering the best of both worlds. For Team Tactics, the move isn’t just about space, it’s about doubling down on community, creativity and long-term growth.

➡️ See how this Kent success story is keeping business local while going national. 

Brachers has scooped the Kent Corporate Finance Alliance’s Deal of the Year Award 2025, sharing the win with Kreston Reeves for their work guiding Orchard Plumbing into employee ownership. The Maidstone firm advised the Kent-based business on its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust, allowing the founders to sell up while securing the future for its 40 employees.

Led by James Bullock, Brachers’ Corporate team worked alongside Kreston Reeves, Girlings and Crowe to deliver what judges called a smooth, locally driven deal that puts people at the heart of succession. A big moment for employee ownership, and a proud one for Kent’s professional community.

➡️ Find out how the deal was done - and why it’s set to shape future successions across the South East. 

Stannah is strengthening its Maintenance and Repair arm with two fresh faces taking charge of its Birmingham and Orpington branches. Beth Stannah, representing the sixth generation of the family business, steps into her new role in early 2026 after a varied career spanning factory work, marketing and top-flight sales. In Birmingham, long-time team member Peter Bailey takes the helm, bringing two decades of engineering and leadership experience to the post.

Both join under the guidance of new regional managers as Stannah pushes to deepen its local service and leadership network.

➡️ Want to see how this next chapter could shape the future of one of Britain’s most trusted names in lifts? Read the full story. 

Interiors fit-out specialist DBSJ has clinched the top spot in the 2025 UK Fast Growth Index for the South of England, alongside the national title for Fastest Growing Firm in Construction, Building and Property Services. The recognition caps a remarkable period of expansion for the company, which has rapidly carved out a leading position in the fit-out market through bold design, innovation and precision delivery.

CEO Darren Hill credits DBSJ’s rise to a relentless pursuit of excellence and a team that “never stops pushing the boundaries” of what inspiring interiors can be. The win places DBSJ among an elite group of firms driving UK growth through creativity, enterprise and ambition.

➡️ Read how DBSJ’s bold approach is reshaping the industry and what it means for the future of workplace design. 

Construction has started on the Chalkpit Solar Farm near Guston, marking the first UK project for German renewable energy firm greentech. Once complete in summer 2026, the 25-hectare site will generate enough clean power for around 7,500 homes, cutting local CO₂ emissions by 10,000 tonnes a year.

Built with biodiversity in mind, the design allows sheep grazing and adds wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and new tree areas, boosting habitats by over 50%. Dover MP Mike Tapp called the project “vital” to the UK’s energy security as the district pushes toward carbon neutrality by 2050.

➡️ Could Dover’s quiet fields now hold the key to Kent’s green energy future? 

Bedfont Scientific has teamed up with Indian distributor Rbeck Healthtech to bring its NObreath® FeNO testing device to clinics across India. The move marks a big step in tackling the country’s huge asthma challenge, which accounts for more than 13% of the global burden.

The NObreath® device measures nitric oxide levels in exhaled breath, giving doctors a clearer picture of airway inflammation and helping tailor asthma treatments more precisely. With many asthma sufferers in India still underdiagnosed or untreated, this partnership could make a real difference to patient care.

➡️ A simple breath test could change how asthma is diagnosed in India - find out how. 

Kent-based fresh produce supplier Foodari has landed a Bronze Sustainability Rating in its first-ever EcoVadis assessment, placing it among the top 35% of food and drink companies worldwide. The score reflects solid progress across four key pillars: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.

Managing Director Jonathan Parker called the rating an “important milestone” and a strong foundation for future improvements. The company plans to build on this success through 2026 with new initiatives already underway to push for an even higher score.

Foodari’s first result is impressive, but the next chapter could be even more revealing.

➡️ So how far can they go on their sustainability journey? 

Big Motoring World is feeling festive after a record-breaking year. The used car giant is running a nationwide Christmas giveaway that will see three lucky buyers win back the full price of their car, up to £20,000. Anyone who buys a vehicle between 1 and 21 December is automatically entered, with weekly draws taking place right up to Christmas.

The Blue Bell Hill-based company has also extended its £750 finance contribution on all used EVs until 31 December, after the offer helped boost electric car sales by 30%. With over 8,000 cars in stock and record sales topping £100 million a month, Big Motoring World is closing 2025 on a high.

➡️ Who knows - your next car could end up being free. 

Azets’ Five Cashflow Management Tips For Kent SMEs

Small changes to policies and processes could help Kent SMEs improve their cashflow levels, a senior finance professional has said.

Adam Anstey, Partner and accounting and advisory services specialist at international accountancy and business advisory group Azets, is encouraging business owners to think strategically about their terms of trade and customer relationships, and review their debtor days, and payment processes and policies. 

Azets has Kent offices in Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury, Sandwich and Sidcup.

His five key tips are:

1. Implement robust terms of trade: clearly setting out terms and conditions at the start of a new working relationship puts everyone on the same page and gives the business protection if a client fails to pay or becomes insolvent. These documents should be reviewed by a commercial lawyer and updated as the business grows and evolves so they cover any new ways of working and changes in processes.

2. Have a process for ending relationships with clients who don’t pay you: a clear policy setting out when and why a client will cease to be a client allows a business to professionally walk away from relationships that aren’t working as soon as it can. This should be part of a business’s terms of trade, and firms should have a process for alerting clients that they haven’t met their payment deadline and informing them about the steps they’ll take if their invoices aren’t paid within a certain timeframe.

3. Be proactive with your debtor days: many businesses set debtor days, but they should be treated as the start of a process rather than a figure to be monitored. Keep a strict eye on them, and take action if people go over them – it’s a very easy way for a firm to improve its cashflow and its ability to pay its own bills more comfortably.

4. Use payment gateways and direct debits: payment gateways provide an easy way of settling an invoice via a link or QR code which makes it quicker and easier for clients to pay, while agreeing payment via direct debit guarantees the payment date and takes away some of the hesitation around paying that’s typically associated with cash or BACs transactions. 

5. Consider early payment discounts: offering early payment discounts to carefully selected customers can help boost cashflow, save money on warehousing and storage costs, and potentially free up time during busy periods by allowing certain goods and services to be shipped or delivered earlier in the year. This is best offered on products and services with a high margin and only when doing so benefits the supplier.

Adam added: “Cash is king in business and keeping a close eye on who owes you money, how you tackle your debtors, and how you can make it as easy as possible for your customers to pay can have real tangible benefits – for your business and your bank balance.

“A lot of these ideas may seem like common sense, but we find they aren’t typically common practice and at a time like this when costs are rising and many firms are concerned about paying their bills, implementing them could lead to a better financial position and less worry for the business’s owners, directors and staff.”

For more information about Azets, visit www.azets.co.uk

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Joining Jules and Paul on the business bunker this week for a really interesting interview was Claire Fowler of Oasis.

Domestic abuse affects many people across Kent and Medway. Adults, young people and children often live in fear inside their own homes, with some starting each day worried about their family’s safety. Abuse damages emotional wellbeing and leaves long-term scars. Oasis believes everyone deserves a safe, supportive environment and works to help survivors rebuild their lives. The organisation is committed to delivering strong, reliable services for local communities and will keep strengthening its work so it can support those who need help now and in the future.

To listen to this week’s show in full visit Kent Business Radio

Kent Business Community, before you go… 
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