Pictured: Gizelle Higginson of Phoenix Health & Safety,
Surjit Kooner of Midven and Nick Higginson of Phoenix Health &
Safety
An innovative health and safety training company that has
increased its turnover eight-fold in three years, has received
backing from the Exceed - Midlands Advantage Fund.
The Cannock business, Phoenix Health and Safety, is being
supported with a £255,000 investment from Midven's Exceed
Fund which is backed by Lloyds Development Capital, Advantage West
Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund.
Phoenix which provides accredited health and safety training and
consultancy services, was set up by Nick and Gizelle Higginson in
2005. The company employs over 20 staff and is on track to achieve
turnover in excess of £3 million in its current financial
year.
"Phoenix is a great example of an entrepreneurial business that
has had a single-minded focus," said Surjit Kooner of Midven who
has overseen the investment.
"This is a company that started life on the kitchen table but
today is on track to deliver an annual turnover well in excess of
£3 million. The company has built up a strong reputation and
is beginning to benefit from repeat bookings from individuals and
corporate clients including Schneider Electric, Northern Rail and
the Ministry of Defence. Phoenix has also taken its own advice -
investing significantly in the training of its own staff and
developing new systems and products," said Mr Kooner.
The additional funding from Midven is to help accelerate growth
through the provision of additional courses, new staff,
establishing new training locations and international
expansion.
Founder and Managing Director Nick Higginson who previously had
extensive experience working in the health and safety sector, said
he was delighted with the support and backing of Midven.
"We've grown the business rapidly and expanded our operations to
cover the whole of the country - as well as introducing courses by
distance and elearning. We have also broadened our offering to
appeal to a greater number of individuals and businesses. We
operate in a very competitive environment - and that means we have
to be both agile and continually mindful of our customers' needs,"
said Mr Higginson.
Company Secretary and Director Gizelle Higginson added "the
financial backing of Midven will allow Phoenix to extend our range
of products and areas of operation, as well as improving the
quality of services for our existing clients. This means that
Phoenix will be able to compete at the very forefront of the
industry, and accelerate our already phenomenal growth."
For more information about Midven, please visit their website
here: www.midven.co.uk