6 minute read
business bulletin
from Forum Autumn 22
autumn 22 business bulletin
Bringing you the latest developments, breaking news and exclusive updates from Entrepreneurs' Forum members…
George Galloway, Alan McBurney, Kevin Howell, Sarah Howell, Niall Quinn (The HTG Team)
Cloud experts HTG on expansion trail to achieve £30M turnover Secure cloud expert Howell Technology Group (HTG) is on the expansion trail, doubling the size of its premises in a move that will allow it to create at least 20 new jobs in the next year, and accelerate the firm’s bid to reach a £30m turnover in the next five years. Currently headquartered on Monkton Business Park in Hebburn, and with bases in London, Edinburgh and Belfast, HTG has announced it will move from its existing headquarters to a two-storey, 5,000 sq ft building, which will feature the region’s first Microsoft Centre of Excellence. The move has been supported by the Growth Fund, a £4.5m programme of investment, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and managed by North East business support organisation, UMi. CEO Kevin Howell said, “This move to a much bigger location comes on the back of a series of contract wins across the UK, thanks to our ability to apply the latest innovative cloud technology to solve business problems for clients in any sector and of any size, all backed up by great customer service. “We aim to build on our successful track record, and become the leading cloud provider across a number of sectors. This is a big move and an exciting time in our history.”
U Hold the Key Expands into South Tyneside with new site Leading North East shipping containers firm Parsons Containers Group has opened a new U Hold The Key self-storage site in South Tyneside. Situated on an industrial site on Wilson Street, South Shields, the location will enable the company to meet increasing demand for container self-storage from businesses and customers in the area. The development represents the latest stage of delivering the company’s growth strategy - U Hold The Key now operates on 12 sites in the North East and 13 in total. Ean Parsons, CEO of the Parsons Containers Group, commented, “We have opened the new U Hold The Key South Shields site at a time when there is a continued surge in demand for container self-storage. We identified the site as a key strategic location to serve customers across South Tyneside some time ago and I am delighted that it is now open.” Teesside software firm helps schools guard against cyber-attacks North East software developer Sapere Software has joined forces with educational tech firm Secure Schools to increase cyber security in schools. The result is an app which sits at the core of Secure School’s cyber security services for schools and academy trusts. Paul Drake, commercial director at Sapere, said, “Paul from Secure Schools contacted us through our website, having already created a detailed brief, which made the job of proposing a technology stack and solution easier. “It was a fantastic programme to work on, not least because they knew what they wanted, which is very rare. They had a great idea and it’s nice to see a start-up succeed.”
Hospitality group announces seven figure investment package Northumberland-based hospitality group, The Doxford Group have secured a £5.7m finance package from NatWest to enhance its current market-leading offering in weddings, private events and luxury accommodation. The financial support from NatWest will facilitate the ongoing expansion of Charlton Hall Estate with a new 15-bedroom hotel, restaurant and bar, set to open early 2023. The addition of the hotel will enhance guest
experience, elevate existing services and create a multi-visitor destination in the heart of Northumberland. Richard Shell, Owner and Director at The Doxford Group, said, “This is a monumental moment for The Doxford Group as it allows us to deliver on the short-term projects we’ve been working on for several months including the launch of our new hotel at Charlton Hall Estate making it a leisure destination in Northumberland like no other as well as our plans to develop Doxford Barns to enhance what we have built over the past seven years. Our plans will generate 40 new jobs within The Doxford Group which is great for the county.”
Communicate ramps up acquisition drive with £1.5m loan UK-wide IT telecoms and cyber security provider Communicate has delivered the next stage of its buy and build growth strategy with the acquisition of B2B telecoms company Zencom Telecommunications. The move has been facilitated by a £1.5m investment from independent asset manager BOOST&Co. Working for both individual companies and multi-occupancy business parks such as the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park and Discovery Park in Kent, Communicate provides managed IT services, cyber security, network infrastructure and infrastructure management from its North East HQ.
WilliamsAli supports The Lakes Distillery fundraise to aid future growth North East specialist Corporate Finance boutique WilliamsAli is pleased to announce that it has supported The Lakes Distillery in securing funding from specialist lender Beechbrook Capital. The funding comes at a time when the company is increasing its production of single malt whisky and is beginning to export the brand to major whisky markets such as USA, France and Japan. Abu Ali, Managing Director at WilliamsAli Corporate Finance, said, “It's been a privilege to work with Nigel and David on this project and to support such an iconic brand on its future growth. Being an independent and well-connected corporate finance boutique means that we delivered this despite the challenging economic backdrop whilst also raising significant funding from Beechbrook, who were fantastic to work with. This is testament to the strength of the brand, the tenacity of the North East deals market and our in-house technical expertise.”
Family business insures a bright future for North East talent Family business Weir Insurance is celebrating 50 years in the region by creating job and training opportunities for ambitious local young people and giving back to youth charities. Throughout 2022, every customer that successfully recommends another business will see a £50 donation made to one of three charities working across the North East region to help younger people. They are Teenage Cancer Trust, Shelter and one other local grass roots sport charity, which will change each month. Weir Insurance is also creating several new jobs including entry-level insurance roles and apprenticeships, with plans to recruit five new apprentices over the next five years. Managing Director, Karen Weir, said, “Technology has changed the insurance world so much, so it’s actually a great career choice for young tech-savvy people nowadays. Two out of three small businesses have been targeted by cybercrime and this means the industry needs new talent that understands the modern business risks. “The pandemic has led to many people working from home and remote working creates a new risk to business. Crime isn’t a physical thing anymore and data security throws up lots of challenges and risks we can help with.”
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Tom and Jack Atha (Atha Developments)
Atha Developments celebrate £12m portfolio University dropouts and twin brothers Tom and Jack Atha of Atha Developments are celebrating as the value of their property portfolio reaches £12m. Launching their business in 2011 with the purchase of a £70k Middlesbrough townhouse, which they renovated and turned into a buy-to-let, Atha Developments has now become a leading name for luxurious yet affordable student accommodation. Their most lucrative property to date within their portfolio is their flagship student accommodation block, St James Studios, which was completed and fully occupied by September 2018. They also own a business centre in the North East and are currently moving into the final stages of another large scale student accommodation development named Dorman House, comprising another 55 apartments on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough. This one is due for completion later this year.
