Cathy Watson Associates - News http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/ Cathy Watson Associates 2010 Consultant helps Co-op save £100k An Uckfield business consultant has helped a branch of the Co-op save more than £100,000. Phil Edwards, of Weald Business Solutions, was involved in a review of costs which helped Chelmsford Star Co-operative Society - which runs convenience food stores, department stores, travel centres and funeral branches in Mid Essex - save 61 per cent on washroom services, 38 per cent on telecommunications and 27 per cent on waste and disposal. Phil said: 'Higher service levels were achieved as a result of the process which is all about managing expenditure and not about cutting corners.' The company's deputy chief executive officer Barry Wood said he didn't initially believe the savings were there to be made and was usually extremely sceptical about the claims made by management consultancy firms. But he was impressed by the methodology used by the consultants and liked the way they continued to work with his business to negotiate and implement cho... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/cost_savings.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT MP to open renewable energy centre Shadow energy minister Charles Hendry is to visit a pioneering East Sussex company which has become an authority on the generation and use of renewable energy. The Wealden MP is to open a Renewable Energy Centre designed, by Paynes Heating and Plumbing, to demonstrate the use of alternative power sources. The opening takes place on Friday, November 6, and invitations have gone out to councillors, architects and representatives of construction companies and housing associations to attend. Charles Hendry said: 'I am extremely pleased, as shadow energy minister, to be invited to open the Renewable Energy Centre at Paynes Heating and Plumbing. 'There is ever increasing interest in installing renewable energy systems, but people have inevitably been confused by the conflicting information they receive. 'It will be a great benefit for people to have a centre where they can go to understand the different alternatives so they can make the best decision ... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/renewable_energy.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Print Clearly is moving to High Street Business is booming for an Uckfield company which is moving into the centre of town next week. Print Clearly Ink and Media has been based above Bathrooms by Cannadines in Newtown since 2003 but is expanding and opening a shop at 67 High Street on Monday (Nov 2). Mark and Anne Dopson are planning a special celebration to mark the move on Saturday, November 7, and hope shoppers will call in during the day to join them. The couple, who live in North Chailey with their children Jack, aged 17, and Lara, 14, launched their business which supplies printer, laser and fax supplies and photo and copy paper, on the internet in 2001. Their customers are based locally and nationwide and include businesses, schools, colleges and home users. With the move to the parade of shops between the Post Office and Uckfield Electrics, they plan to expand their stock to also sell home and office stationery, computer products and home and office furniture. They will ... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/print_clearly.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT Beautician opens her own salon Beautician Maria Cornwall is opening her own salon in Uckfield at the end of the month and celebrating with an open afternoon and evening. Visitors are welcome to call in at The Beauty Spot, 76 Newtown, opposite the Shell garage, between 2pm and 8pm on Thursday, October 29. A glass of bubbly will be on offer along with the chance to enter a prize draw where the top prize is a non-surgical facelift valued at £350. Other prizes include eyelash extensions and money-off vouchers. Maria, who lives in The Drive, Uckfield, has two children, Bethany, aged five, and Charlie, four. She has worked with a variety of beauty salons and is delighted to be opening her own shop. 'I am very lucky that a family member has bought it and given me the opportunity to expand. I do hope people will come and help me to celebrate on October 29 the day before I open for business,' said Maria. The Leader carried a story about Maria's new shop on Thursday, October 22,... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/the_beauty_spot.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 BST Growing company moves office A company which has successfully been marketing other businesses during the recession is expanding and moving to new premises. The Marketing Eye has been based in a converted barn at East Hoathly for the past two years, but can now be found in the heart of Uckfield at Nelson House on the High Street. At the same time a new client director, Maxine Davenport, has been recruited to help grow the business, and a new marketing executive will shortly be sought to support the team. Managing Director, Neil Edwards, is looking forward to the future. The company has been growing steadily since it was launched in his Nutley home four years ago. In the early days, clients were predominantly one and two-man businesses, but now clients tend to turnover between £1 million and £20 million. They are committed to marketing their businesses, but either don't have a marketing department or, if there is one, look to The Marketing Eye for additional resources and... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/office_move.html Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Maria opens beauty salon Beautician Maria Cornwall celebrated a move to new premises in Uckfield at an open day held on Thursday. She is pictured here with staff and early visitors. The Beauty Spot can be found at 76 Newtown, opposite the Shell garage. Maria said she was overwhelmed by the support she received on the day. 'I am grateful to everybody who came along. There were at least ten people in the salon at any one time and more than 100 new clients walked through the door.' The Sussex Express reported on Maria's open afternoon on Friday, November 13, 2009, on p3. http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/salon_opens.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Shadow energy minister opens centre Architects, builders, engineers and manufacturers came from across the country for the official opening of a renewable energy centre in East Sussex last week. Shadow energy minister Charles Hendry, who is also MP for Wealden, unveiled a plaque and praised Paynes Energy Solutions for the work they had put into developing the centre at Blackboys. Mr Hendry is pictured, right, with Frank Payne the founder of Paynes Energy solutions. Mr Hendry said: 'It is fantastic to have a resource like this here in the middle of Wealden. It is fascinating to see a whole range of different technologies in just one room. Your organisation is going to attract people from many miles around.' The 'Green Room', as it has been dubbed by Paynes' employees, accommodates a working display of ground source, air to air and air to water heat pumps, water harvesting and solar products which can supply heating and hot water for homes and businesses. Mr Hendry said the country... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/centre_opens.html Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Firm turns dreams to reality Legoland ticket booths, a giant Tony the Kelloggs tiger sign and elaborate interior features at a refurbished casino in Holland have one thing in common. They were created by a company owned by Uckfield man Allan Curtis who now has his sights set on involvement in massive construction projects that will get under way in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics. Design & Display Structures prides itself on turning dreams into reality. Architects conjure up breath-taking features then this company uses its design, engineering, manufacturing and installation skills to build complex moulded shapes to complement their vision. Traditional domes and futuristic pods are created with equal aplomb using a variety of materials such as GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) and veneered timber depending on the job in hand. Most recently the company has finished work on a giant intricate 'nest' and canopy with feature lighting at the Holland Casino in Rotterdam. It is also ins... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/allan_curtis.html Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 BST British experts praised for work at casino British experts called in to design, build and install elaborate features in a casino in Rotterdam have been praised for their workmanship. Dutch project leaders said they would have preferred to recruit their own countrymen to interpret ideas for the Holland Casino, Rotterdam, but the level of expertise needed wasn't available. Allan Curtis, managing director of Design & Display Structures, was delighted when his company was asked for help. It met stringent demands and is currently putting the finishing touches to another project they are tackling at the casino. The challenge facing the company, which is based in Uckfield and has a factory at Woolwich, was to build both a giant curving nest wall to separate a restaurant from casino playing areas and an illuminated mushroom-style canopy which spreads upwards and outwards over those areas with a circular bar wrapped around the trunk. They worked with designers from America, architects... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/design_and_display.html Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 BST Sculpture of modern-day Christ is unveiled The eyes of the world focused on the Catholic community in Uckfield, East Sussex, as a sculpture depicting a modern-day Christ was unveiled on the church tower. 'Jesus in jeans sculpture unveiled' and 'Jesus in jeans statue depicts Christ as a cool dude' were just two of the headlines which flashed across the globe delighting parish priest Fr David Buckley and Baroness Cumberlege who led the committee which commissioned the work. The Pope's ambassador to this country, the papal nuncio Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz, unveiled the sculpture on Sunday (May 17) and the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton the Rt Rev Kieran Conry blessed it. Fr David said afterwards that while he had previously thought the ceremony would mark an end of the story he now wondered whether it was just the beginning. 'I am sure there is going to be a lot of interest in the sculpture in the future. People from newspapers on the other side of the world have been ringing a... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/sculpture_blessed.html Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 BST Cash incentives for car buyers welcomed Cash incentives which encourage drivers to scrap their old cars and buy new have been welcomed by south coast motor dealers, the Birchwood Group. Birchwood who supply Ford, Suzuki, Mazda and Skoda from sites at Eastbourne, Worthing, Bexhill, Hastings and Halland said the Government decision was great news. A scheme worth £2,000 to drivers looking to replace cars and vans over the age of ten years was announced in the Budget. It will run from next month until March 2010. The aim is to encourage them to buy new, more environmentally-friendly, models. At Birchwood operations director Pete Parker said the company would be looking to implement the scheme at the earliest opportunity. 'This is great news for the UK and local economies and will help the vast numbers of people employed in dealerships. While car sales to the conventional market remain strong for retailers of small cars, like those in the Ford range, this scheme will bring in huge ... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/scrappage.html Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 BST Instructor retains world karate title Uckfield instructor Will Miles retained his world championship title for the third successive year in the Ty-Ga karate finals held at Crystal Palace. He won the Men's Black Belt World Open Kumite (fighting) category, then added a Gold in the Kickboxing, Gold in the open team event and Silver in the Synchronised Team Kata (a pre-determined set of karate moves) to his tally. The Ty-Ga World Championships were held at the national sports stadium in Crystal Palace. Will, pictured right, third from left, a property manager from Halland, is an instructor along with Paul Carpenter, from Brighton, for Sussex Ty-Ga Karate which trains in Uckfield and Burgess Hill. Also in the picture, from the left, are Paul Carpenter, Stuart Peal, Rob Townsend, Declan McCraken, David Prestwich and Allen Townsend. Another Uckfield area man, Paul Adjayi, from Blackboys - who was away when the photograph was taken, struck gold in the championships in the Men's Colo... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/ty-ga.html Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT When engineer Malcolm Clear decided to re-roof his own house he little realised he was also building the foundations of a successful construction company. Neighbours were impressed by his work and asked him to replace their roofs. Word of quality workmanship spread and CRB Contractors was born. Over the years the company has nurtured the reputation for quality workmanship. It grew from a one-man band and its current workforce of 12 includes skilled craftspeople covering all sections of the building trade. Now as it celebrates its 30th anniversary in the middle of a recession the business is ready to take advantage of any upturn in the economy. Malcolm is still involved but son Ben is at the helm and keen to continue their fair customer-focused approach. He recognises the benefit of his father's attitude over the years and has honed a list of promises sent out with every quote. They include providing a professional, reliable and courteous team and continually investing in the best ... http://www.cathywatsonassociates.com/portfolio/crb_contractors.html Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 BST