Business Manchester - August 2018 by The Samuel James Group

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August 2018

Barclays to open flagship Eagle Lab in Manchester City Centre to support entrepreneurs BARCLAYS has announced the bank will launch its first Eagle Lab in Manchester City Centre, a space for ambitious entrepreneurs to scale and grow their business and receive advice from dedicated Barclays experts. The flagship Manchester Eagle Lab will be located in Bruntwood’s Union building in Albert Square, and is set to open later this year. Eagle Labs are co-working and innovation spaces set up by Barclays to help businesses network, collaborate and grow. There are seventeen Eagle Labs across the UK, with Barclays staff on site offering entrepreneurs advice on how to grow their business, from access to funding, to mentoring and events. Situated at the heart of Manchester’s financial core, Union has recently undergone a £5m transformation to offer high-quality workspace and offers businesses a prime location opposite Manchester Town Hall. The 12,000 square foot Lab will be laid out over two floors with a coffee shop which will be open to the public,

an 80-seat auditorium, co-working and breakout space at street level and a combination of private offices, meeting rooms and breakout spaces on the first floor. Ben Davey, CEO, Barclays UK Ventures, said: “Manchester has thrived on a spirit of innovation and industry, a spirit that led to the development of the world’s first

programmable computer. Technology is now transforming the speed at which start-ups can grow and scale and by providing world class space and practical resources alongside our financial and business expertise, our mission is to help individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses to innovate, network and ultimately succeed.

“We recognise the importance of supporting entrepreneurs, start-ups and accelerating high-growth companies, and the vital role they play in creating a sustainable, prosperous Manchester economy.” Andrew Butterworth, Sales Director, Bruntwood said: “Outstanding locations and facilities that enable collaboration and open innovation are important ingredients for business growth and we’re delighted to be welcoming the flagship Manchester Eagle Lab to Union. “We know that Manchester’s small and medium sized enterprises will generate a staggering £12bn annually for the city’s economy by 2020 and programmes like Barclays’ Eagle Labs play a valuable role in boosting these ambitious businesses and giving them the tools and support they need to take the next steps in growing and developing their businesses.” The Lab will be supported by a dedicated Ecosystem Manager and Barclays High Growth Business Manager who will provide help and advice to local companies and entrepreneurs from across the City.

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WELCOME

CONTENTS

...to the August edition of Business Manchester. In our second issue, we again focus on the good news business stories of Greater Manchester. We also learn about an exceptionally rare opportunity Lego has to offer and how Bee in the City has businesses buzzing as well as many other good news business stories. As with every issue of Business Manchester, 10,000 copies will be available at a variety of locations across Greater Manchester, including Manchester Central, Manchester Airport, Spinningfields, seven large supermarkets and a variety of hotels. The digital version is available online at tsjg.co.uk/publications and is emailed to business contacts across the region, giving businesses in Greater Manchester a huge voice.

DIGITAL 6 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

EDUCATION 12 AWARDS 15 BUSINESS SUPPORT

INTERNATIONAL 28 ACQUISITIONS 30 TRANSPORT 31 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 36

We hope you enjoy this edition.

APPOINTMENTS 38

If you have a story for either online or the newspaper, please email it to Editor@businessmanchester.co.uk

PROPERTY 43

CONTACTS & CONTRIBUTORS Group Editor: Andy Mann 07951 731722 andy@thesamueljamesgroup.com Head of Sales: Paul Walmsley 07825 884106 paul@thesamueljamesgroup.com Editor: Phil Ghayour 01772 364152 07825 884003 phil@thesamueljamesgroup.com

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This publication is produced by The Samuel James Group Ltd, Unit 6/7 Eastway Business Village, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9WT. Reproduction of the contents of this newspaper in any form is not permitted, without the permission of the publisher. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors and/or omissions in advertisements, information, photographs or illustrations. The opinions and advice in this newspaper do not necessarily express the view of the company.

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August 2018

Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester recruits for dream job LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester is recruiting and it’s the ultimate dream role. The position of Master Model Builder will see the successful applicant tasked to play all day, every day, and not ‘work’ a day in their life. The unique position is one of only 24 in the world, less than a fifth of the number of trained astronauts. Putting the applicants through their paces will be Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester’s toughest panel of judges, the attraction’s very own Creative Crew, aged just six to ten years old. The mini panel will challenge applicants to prove their worthiness through a series of interviews and a creative build off, where applicants will have the opportunity to show they have ‘Bricks of Talent’.

The role, the first opening of its kind in the Barton Square attraction’s eight year history, boasts a generous salary and is anticipated to attract thousands of applications. Successful applicants will then be challenged to create the ultimate inspirational build, in response to the Creative Crew’s own design brief. A public event will provide fans with the opportunity to comment on their favourite and get hands-on themselves. “This is a hugely exciting time at Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester,” said Jenn McDonough, General Manager Manchester Cluster, Merlin Entertainments. “Such is the success of our popular family attraction, that we now need a second

Master Model Builder to join the fast-paced and brilliantly creative team here, to provide guests with an even more memorable and fun experience whilst visiting the attraction.” Creative Crew member, Samuel Barker, aged 10, from Longton added: “I think a Master Model Builder should be imaginative, know what they’re doing with the Lego! And, be a good, fun person to be around.” Applicants are encouraged to ‘stand-out’ upon registering for the role and to increase their chances of bagging a seat to compete at the build-off through sharing their creative ideas and designs via social media using the hashtag #masteroflego.

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VST Enterprises boosts public sector procurement profile

VST ENTERPRISES, which developed the technology allowing users to authenticate themselves across online transactions and interactions, has been accepted onto

the latest version of the Government’s cloud services framework, G-Cloud 10. The G-Cloud framework is an agreement between the Government and suppliers who provide cloud-based hosting, software or support services. Public sector organisations use this digital marketplace to buy services more quickly and cheaply than if they had to enter into individual procurement contracts with each supplier.

Since the basic terms of use have already been agreed between the Government and suppliers, public sector buyers can purchase services from VST Enterprises without running a full OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) procurement process each time. “There are several elements to our VCode/ VPlatform that are valuable to public sector enterprises,” explained Melissa Hendry, Operations Director,

VST Enterprises. “The technology can be used to authenticate the identity of users and secure transaction data, increasing the security of personal information and confidential records. It also enables full traceability, helping authorities to tackle counterfeiting and piracy and improve tax and excise practices.” In 2014, the EU commission passed legislation stating that all items entering the EU must prove their provenance. A report

robustness of its offering. One of the remits of the G-Cloud framework is to encourage smaller produced by the firms to pitch for European Innovation business. As of the end Network identified of last year, almost half VCode as the only (48%) of the £2.85bn of standalone technology sales generated went to that could address SMEs. this issue and VST “This is clearly a Enterprises has received healthy trend,” said the EU Seal of Excellence Hendry. “By working for its solution. with innovative UK Having a presence companies like us, the on G-Cloud is not a public sector gets access guarantee of winning to a wider range of skills public sector business. and expertise. A more However, VST diverse supply chain is a Enterprises already has key element in achieving a number of deals in the value for money in works with Isle of Man procurement as well as Post Office and York further developing the Council, proving the UK technology sector.”

MirrorWeb secures £1m in first round of funding MANCHESTER tech firm MirrorWeb has secured £1m of funding in its first round from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, led by Maven Capital Partners. The cloud-native web and social media archiving company has been valued at £7m due to its rapid-growth potential. MirrorWeb’s headcount has gone from five to 19 in the past three months and the capital investment will help fund a further twelve people to enhance product and market development by the end of 2018. MirrorWeb has developed an innovative, robust and highly scalable Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that enables frequent archiving of web and social media assets for businesses in the private, and public sector. In the last two years, the firm has amassed clients from some of the UK’s largest corporations and high-profile public bodies including UK Parliament, Welsh Government, BBC, The Bank of England, HM Treasury and House of Lords. In May 2018, it announced its contract win with The National Archives, archiving and indexing the UK Central Government’s online presence from 1996 to the present. The gigantic 120TB web archive encompasses billions of web pages and is the world’s largest digital archive. MirrorWeb Managing Director David Clee, said: “In the future, we should have a definitive understanding of what the digital world was like in real time so we can continue to learn from the past by

preserving the communication channels of the here and now. "We have already missed vast quantities of digital content. We founded MirrorWeb in 2012 to allow users to create permanent, unalterable records of all online communications, be that a website or social media platform. We now capture information of commercial, cultural and historical value curating it in a user friendly format so it will never be lost and will be accessible to future generations.” “We’ve grown exponentially since that initial idea and this investment is another benchmark moment in our evolution that will support MirrorWeb’s ambition to lead the preservation of the world’s digital heritage.” The company has developed a strategic relationship with Amazon Web Services, an on-

demand cloud-computing platform that allows MirrorWeb’s unique software to linearly scale the infrastructure automatically, which gives the firm an unparalleled capacity for moving and archiving data at high speed cost effectively. Jeremy Thompson, Investment Manager of Maven Capital, said: “MirrorWeb has developed innovative technology which has allowed the firm to build a cloud-based website and social-media archiving service. The team has already won some impressive customers including The National Archives and UK Parliament, and has developed a strong relationship with Amazon Web Services to enable the platform to scale up very easily. This investment will further strengthen the team in Manchester, as MirrorWeb looks to take advantage of growing demand as businesses and public sector bodies are increasingly looking for support to manage and monitor their digital communications.” MirrorWeb was founded in 2012 by David Clee, Philip Clegg and Karl Stringer who combine five decades worth of experience in IT, web, software development and entrepreneurship. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

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DIGITAL

Better use of data could improve health outcomes in multiple sclerosis A REVIEW of multiple sclerosis (MS) services in the UK suggests data and technology could improve health outcomes for more than 100,000 people living with the condition. ‘Improving care for people with MS: the potential of data and technology’ unveils a series of proposals from healthcare, industry, and technology specialists, which they believe could transform MS services and commissioning. The MS Society, which developed the report, says failing to better use data and technology will mean longer waiting times, difficulties monitoring treatments, and increasingly squeezed budgets. Consultant Neurologist Dr David Rog, from Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said: “MS services in the UK vary considerably

and, despite the best efforts of dedicated teams, are under increasing pressure. Effective use of data and technology can change that, for example by empowering people with MS to self-manage. As a Global Digital Exemplar, our Trust has been on a real digital journey, and can now not only identify the thousands of people with MS under our care, the treatments they’re taking and how they use the service, but also the people who haven’t been seen, and how we’re performing. “MS is a painful, unpredictable condition, and if simple changes can so obviously improve efficiency and sustainability, we can’t afford to ignore them and nor can our patients.” The report was developed in response to what the charity describes as an unacceptably slow pace of

change in health and care services for people with MS, and the recognition that something must urgently be done to support selfmanagement and address increasing NHS staff workloads. Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive at the MS Society, said: “The potential of data and digital technology to improve outcomes in MS is so vast, what’s being used today barely begins to scratch the surface. Sadly, this means 100,000 people with MS in the UK are still facing needless variations in care and increasingly restricted access to services. “We hope this report will be a catalyst for change, so we can finally have personalised, coordinated services that meet the complex needs of people living with MS. The Third Sector has its part to

play too, and we’re looking at ways to improve our own digital offering and leading by example. Together, we’re strong enough to stop MS.” The MS Society believes that through implementing these new recommendations, healthcare professionals and commissioners can help people with MS stay out of hospital, and empower them to take greater control over their lives. The charity is also in the process of establishing an ‘MS Technology Forum’, designed to bring together people with MS, tech developers, healthcare professionals and researchers to deepen our understanding of what technologies would best help people with MS self-manage. Jane is in her sixties and has secondary progressive MS. She said: “Technology has had a profound impact on

how I manage my MS. A few years ago I lost the ability to use my hands, but I’ve been able to keep my independence because of access to new technology, I can operate my computer by voice control, and have another system that lets me answer the phone and lock the door. Being able to participate in society, whether that’s speaking to friends, accessing news, or doing your own shopping, should be a basic right, but sadly I fear I’m in the minority. “If you can get a drone to deliver a kindle, it doesn’t make sense that MS services still feel in the dark ages for so many people. Technology can help you better manage your condition and vastly improve your mood, so I hope others don’t have to wait much longer to have the benefits I’ve had.”

NGC Networks opens North West office BUSINESS communications specialist NGC Networks has signalled its intention to grow its North West presence with the opening of a new office and the creation of 10 jobs. Yorkshire-based NGC opened the doors of its new office at Bury Business Park, Greater Manchester. The business has commenced a recruitment drive and has already appointed experienced mobiles specialist Alex Stephens, who brings a wealth of experience in sales roles with Vodafone, EE and O2. Steve Tipper, head of mobile, is leading the recruitment campaign, which has an initial emphasis on NGC’s Business Mobiles division.

NGC Networks specialises in implementing telecommunications and internet connectivity solutions for businesses across the North of England, with a focus on the Northern Powerhouse. Nikki Guest, director at NGC Networks, said: “We’re excited to announce our new office in Greater Manchester as part of a strategy to grow our customer base in the North West. “Alex is a fantastic addition to the team and we look forward to welcoming a number of new faces over the coming months as we build our regional presence. He said: “Having spent valuable

time learning within three of the UK’s leading networks, I have a wealth of experience that I intend to put to good use by helping companies to identify the right network for their workforce

along with the best product offering and price. NGC’s partnerships with all three networks means I’m perfectly placed to deliver on this promise.”

DIGITAL August 2018

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Flying start for UKFast’s AWS and Azure public cloud business

UKFAST has announced the launch of a new business, ClearCloud, that specialises in supporting public cloud offerings from Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure along with its own dedicated, eCloud Hybrid and eCloud Private solutions. ClearCloud is a subsidiary of UKFast and launches with the purpose of broadening the firm’s multicloud offering to its 5,000 clients, alongside winning new AWS and Azure customers looking for high-quality, UK-based support. Former AWS Global Architect Matt Bibby joins ClearCloud as Managing Director, bringing significant experience of public cloud in large-scale, complex sectors and enterprise digital transformation.

UKFast CEO, Lawrence Jones, said: “Last year we grew at 18% organically and our eCloud revenue has grown to 43% of our overall turnover. By widening our offering to organisations needing multicloud solutions, we are able to attract even more businesses to UKFast. “Our NPS score, which measures customer service, is at 79.20. That’s higher than any of our rivals that I’m aware of, and whilst AWS and Azure’s tech is equal to all suppliers, but what sets us apart is world-class support.” With 19 years’ experience delivering hosting solutions to businesses, UKFast specialises in hybrid and private cloud solutions, dedicated servers and colocation. The firm fully owns and operates five data centres in

Manchester. ClearCloud MD, Matt Bibby, said: “The hyperscale cloud providers depend heavily on technology partners to support the end customer. During my time at AWS I learned how some technology partners are doing things right, but also how many get it terribly wrong and lack the experience necessary to manage complex environments. “This is where ClearCloud comes in and where the fit with UKFast makes perfect sense. “The time I spent inside AWS was invaluable and taught me always to search for the next opportunity. The offer of working with Lawrence to grow a business under the UKFast umbrella is too big an opportunity for

me to pass up. “I’ve managed workloads on AWS for some of the world’s largest brands. This, coupled with Lawrence’s obsession for excellence and his passion for helping clients grow, is already proving a great success and we’re off to a flying start.” Jones added: “I’ve learned that the most important thing when you’re building a new venture is that success depends entirely on the people who underpin it. So it was essential that we brought in a specialist in that market. “It’s not easy to entice great people away from a fast-growing business like AWS, but Matt was impressed with our ethos and ambition. He’s a tremendous asset and I’m excited to see ClearCloud develop.”

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10 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

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Taking over the family business David Filmer, head of the corporate team at Harrison Drury, offers some advice for family business owners and those family members looking to take over the reins. Q. What would be your first piece of advice to someone taking over the management of a family business from a previous generation? Establish a succession plan. Many businesses lack such plans for two reasons: Either the older generation has not considered that one day they will need to step down from the business and transfer this to the next generation, or there is too much trust in the family that a formal plan is deemed unnecessary. A good succession plan should be in place years before the transition, however if one is not in place now, it is never too late to consider the legal and financial issues and the impact such succession will have on the business. The longer you get to spend on succession planning, the smoother the transition process is likely to be. Q. What are the main, or most thorny issues that next generation family business managers need to deal with? Dealing with conflict is a key issue for any business. It is important though to consider that when you add in long histories and family relationships, this can make the conflict potentially destabilising for both the family and the business. Because family members are involved, conflict can be more difficult to solve and can result in difficult endings. Misunderstandings at home could also be brought to the office and vice versa. It is therefore important to have a clear dispute resolution plan in place, which can be quickly referred to in order to minimise the impact conflict has. This can be as simple as engaging a non-biased manager or member of staff to help resolve the conflict. Q. Is it important for

the new managers to ‘put their stamp’ on the business? What are the benefits? And the risks? Enthusiasm is a key ingredient for a business, but it is important that any new manager considers the needs and best interests of the business before introducing new ideas. One of the greatest challenges with implementing change is the uncertainty over how it will affect the business. The older generation and long serving employees will understand what does and does not work for the business based on previous experience and provide a useful resource to brainstorm ideas.

Q. Should the previous generation maintain an advisory role in the business after handing over the reins? Again, what are the benefits and the risks? The majority of business transfers do not happen overnight and there tends to be a transition period whereby the older generation retains some involvement, often through minority shareholding or a consultancy role. This involvement not only allows the managers to benefit from the previous owner’s hands-on experience and knowledge, but allows the employees and clients of the business to remain confident that the business is in safe hands being guided by the older generation. However, despite playing a key role in the transition, it is important that the older generation recognise that they no longer control the company, and that their role is an advisory one. This is difficult to achieve when dealing with parents and their children, and the importance of an agreement or plan detailing each individual’s role is even higher.

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How North West businesses can benefit from e-commerce on global online platforms PAUL STOWERS, Head, UK Regions for North West and Northern Powerhouse at the Department of International Trade, explains how businesses can reach a global audience 24/7 via e-commerce platforms. we have a team of International Trade Advisers ready to help businesses explore e-commerce opportunities. Our advisers can counsel businesses on ways to become more digitised and target specific audiences online. They can provide one-to-one support and facilitate networking events with commercial partners - including Amazon.

In an increasingly digital and connected world, online market platforms offer businesses the opportunity to grow their presence internationally, helping to boost sales and grow their brands. As technology is revolutionising, consumer demand is changing. Wi-Fi is readily accessible, and smartphones and tablets enable instant purchasing at the touch of a button, anywhere, at any time. Businesses have the opportunity to access global online audiences in new, targeted ways, enabling unprecedented growth potential. The UK has the third largest e-commerce market in the world and is worth £77billion a year to our economy. In 2017, the exports of goods and services in the North West rose to £28.8billion, up 3.6% on the previous year. There are hundreds of opportunities available to North West businesses, ensuring the region continues to capitalise on its share of this expanding market. For small businesses in particular, a key benefit of e-commerce is that it helps reduce the costs associated with the logistics of exporting, minimising overhead expenditure and the need for staff on the ground in overseas markets. To help businesses get started with e-exporting, we work closely with many leading global e-commerce marketplaces, including Amazon and eBay, as well as those dedicated to specific sectors, such as USbased tech giant Newegg.

Amazon has revolutionised the way in which we trade, allowing exporters to sell goods to global consumers 24/7, without delay in payment. The total export figure from Amazon Marketplace sellers was nearly £2.3billion in 2017, up 28% from the previous year.

One firm making the most of online opportunities is Manchester-based, DOMU Brands. The company recently developed an e-commerce strategy and now successfully sells their home, kitchen and garden goods globally through Amazon Marketplace. The Department for International Trade (DIT) worked closely with the company to advise on its growth strategy and support its research into new markets. The business now uses its online presence to target customers across the world. E-commerce sales to the EU and North America alone make up 35% of its annual turnover. Businesses in the North West thinking about exporting, either through traditional means or via e-commerce, should get in touch with our team of advisers on 0333 320 0392.

We recently worked with Amazon over two days in Manchester. The first day invited businesses new to Amazon to learn more DIT’s E-Exporting Programme helps UK about trading online, where the second invited businesses already trading on Amazon retailers and brands to export their products to explore new opportunities that could help overseas via e-marketplaces. increase their presence within international There’s a real appetite for UK goods across markets. the world, and it’s our job to help get them out there, on or offline. If DOMU Brands To ensure businesses in the North West can do it, you can too. continue to succeed in this digital economy,

12 EDUCATION

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Manchester’s leading SME apprenticeship expertise spreads around Europe UK and European businesses will benefit from improved support and access to apprentices thanks to a unique partnership led by Manchester Metropolitan University. The Growing Apprenticeship Partnerships for SMEs (SME GAP) project sees Manchester Metropolitan working in partnership with Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and agencies in the Austrian capital Vienna and Cordoba in Spain, to better target the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and increase the number of businesses hiring apprentices. The project, which is co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme, will address issues that apprenticeship deliverers and policy makers face while ensuring greater numbers of SMEs are aware of the opportunities available to them. Over the past two years, each partner has been working with its local stakeholder organisations and deliverers of apprenticeship programmes on a series of events and awareness campaigns. The partners have been bringing together SMEs and apprenticeship providers to identify shared solutions that will close the gaps that currently exist in this area. Russell Yates, Enterprise Development Fellow at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “While apprenticeship systems vary between countries, all businesses have the same needs and face confusion about the systems available. This is compounded by a lack of understanding of the benefits of hiring an apprentice, with many businesses often noticing only the ‘cost’. “However, there is evidence to suggest that organisations can gain business benefits by hiring an apprentice while ensuring that they are able to develop the skills that they need.” Manchester Metropolitan will continue to work with its partners to promote the project’s activities widely and enable best practices to be embedded by training providers and business support organisations in the UK, Spain and

Austria. Russell added: “Businesses across the partnership have told us about the very positive experiences they have had when hiring an apprentice. We have been encouraging businesses to talk to each other about their experiences while helping the SME community by removing the barriers in their involvement. “As a direct result of the project, Greater Manchester will have directly involved over 650 SMEs in discussions about apprenticeships by the end of August 2018.” Delegates from the University of Cordoba have already visited Manchester Metropolitan to learn more about degree apprenticeships, with a view to developing the first of its kind in Spain, while a Manchester team visiting Vienna reached an agreement with the Austrian Ministries to implement more provision in the digital sector. Professor Julia Clarke, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “We are working with our partners to make apprenticeships simpler to understand through clear and consistent advice, enabling more employers to access high-quality apprentices and giving them the best chance to grow their business. “Welcoming our partners from Vienna and Cordoba to Manchester, alongside SMEs and policy makers, allows us to embed the work carried out to date into business support and training provision across Greater Manchester.”

UCFB launches fund that will see 25 students study football and sports degrees for free TWENTY-FIVE students are set to receive a once in a lifetime opportunity to study a degree for FREE at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). Recipients of ‘The Next 25’ fund, launched in partnership with Kick It Out and worth more than £1.25 million, will go on to complete degrees at either UCFB’s Etihad Campus in Manchester or UCFB’s Wembley Campus in London. UCFB’s Chief Marketing Officer, Sharona Friedman, said: "The Next 25’ fund will give recipients full tuition fee scholarships, worth up to £54,000, on an undergraduate or postgraduate university degree. “UCFB is committed to inclusion and diversity within the football industry at all levels, so we’re delighted to be able to partner with Kick It Out to offer this incredible scholarship opportunity. “The recipients of this award will not only receive a firstclass education to begin their career in the football industry, but the opportunity to represent Kick It Out and UCFB around the country is truly a one-off experience that shouldn’t be missed.” Approximately 2,000 students currently study across UCFB’s bases with the iconic Etihad and Wembley stadiums at their heart. 92% of UCFB graduates are in employment or further education within six months, with almost two-thirds working in sport. Recipients of the ‘The Next 25’ scholarship will become official ambassadors for Kick It Out across the football industry and act as peer educators on behalf of Kick It Out. Roisin Wood, Chief Executive of Kick It Out, said applicants should be able to demonstrate an understanding and passion for diversity and inclusivity. She said: “Kick It Out and UCFB are dedicated to educating the leaders of tomorrow in the importance of diversity and a level playing field at all levels and in all sectors of the game. This unique scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition fees, is the perfect way to promote inclusion and help spread the word on diversity in football.”

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EDUCATION

Building productivity through people A COMMUNITY of world-leading manufacturing businesses and SMEs in the North West is providing a blueprint of practical approaches for productivity gains and growth. ‘Productivity through People’ (PtP) programme, codesigned between BAE Systems, Siemens, Rolls-Royce and Lancaster University Management School - and part of the ‘Be the Business’ initiative led by the Productivity Leadership Group - first began in January 2017 and has supported 45 regional SMEs. Now PtP is recruiting a further 24 senior decision makers of manufacturing and engineering businesses in the region to access the evidence and experience of some of the sector’s most successful players, and join a pro-active network of SME leaders, “working on their business, rather than in their business” to deliver a productivity step-change. The programme is an important part of government and industry’s efforts to solve the UK’s productivity puzzle - the ongoing slump in productivity levels since the global recession of 2008/9. Nigel Whitehead, Chief Technology Officer of BAE Systems, is a leading member of the ‘Be the Business’ initiative (www.bethebusiness.com). He says: “Productivity depends on a strong grasp of the role of employee engagement and modern working practices. “An

engaged workforce is at least 20 per cent more productive than a disengaged workforce.” A 12 month programme, PtP helps manufacturing businesses create their own high performance workplace with a fully engaged workforce. Participants get unique access to BAE Systems, Siemens and Rolls-Royce with behind-the-scenes visits to learn from best in class. They take part in workshops with industry leaders and experts who have hands-on experience of workplace transformation. One of the initial participants, Michael Hall, Production Manager, Mettler-Toledo, highlighted several changes made since completing the programme. He said: “We are seeing a 5% increase in productivity. We have restructured our apprentice programme, as well as looking at 3D printing and additive manufacturing for future design ideas, plus tens of other small scale things such as my communication with staff. The vision we give as leaders and the shadows we cast are all things I now consider when I go about my work.” PtP has been made affordable for SMEs by investment from the major manufacturers involved as well as support from Lancaster University and the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership. To find out more about Productivity through People, call 01524 593583, email ptp@lancaster.ac.uk or visit lancaster.ac.uk/lums/ptp

EDUCATION August 2018

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New world-leading precision medicine campus set to open in Manchester PROPOSALS have been announced to create a world-leading precision medicine campus in the Corridor Manchester Enterprise Zone, located on the UK’s largest clinical academic campus, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. Greater Manchester’s ground-breaking partnership between academia, industry and the NHS, Health Innovation Manchester, has been working with global diagnostics firm QIAGEN on a joint project which will create and support up to 1,500 jobs, adding almost £150m to Manchester’s economy over a decade. The collaboration will also bring fast-tracked real health benefits to Manchester and Greater Manchester residents, and ultimately people nationally and internationally, through access to new tests and targeted treatments developed through pioneering research. Manchester City Council has approved a one-off investment of up to £21 million, underwritten by life science enterprise zone business rates, as part of

a public sector funding package to support a programme of research and development. Greater Manchester Combined Authority have already agreed to provide £3 million of loan funding. This will confirm Manchester as a world leader in this vital emerging industry with enormous growth potential. The Life Sciences sector already contributes more than £10.8 billion a year to the UK economy and was identified in the Northern Powerhouse Independent Economic Review as one of the North of England’s key strengths and opportunities and in the Government’s industrial strategy as a huge opportunity. Manchester is already a UK flagship for life sciences, with major innovation hubs in the Corridor Manchester Campus and nearby Alderley Park. The benefits for Manchester and its people from this oneoff investment will be twofold, delivering health benefits for residents by enabling strides to be taken in the prediction

and prevention of disease through new diagnostic tests which enable earlier detection of disease and development of personalised treatments, and by supporting and creating jobs in the city’s economy. This investment will directly create around 250 jobs and safeguard an extra 215 while supporting more than 1,000 more indirectly across Corridor Manchester, adding an anticipated £140m to Manchester’s economy over a decade. It will anchor the life sciences sector, acting as a market for related small and mediumsized enterprises as part of an Applied Health Innovation Campus and reinforcing the city’s reputation at the cutting edge of innovation. Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This will help confirm Manchester as a world leader in this vital emerging industry with enormous growth potential. This is an opportunity that as a city we cannot afford to miss. It’s a win-win, not just creating a raft of new highly skilled

health science jobs and an economic boost but crucially also opening up revolutionary new health benefits for people here. Manchester’s future success depends on building on our distinctive strengths and life sciences definitely falls into that category.” Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, said: “We’ve always led the way in Greater Manchester, whether it’s cutting edge science and technology, being at the forefront of social change, or pioneering partnerships across different sectors. The NHS was ‘born’ here in Greater Manchester in the middle of the 20th century, 70 years ago and last week we celebrated this. This week we secure our position in 21st century health innovation with this global deal.”

Rowena Burns, Chair of Health Innovation Manchester and Chair of Manchester Science Partnerships, said: “This is a hugely important step change for Greater Manchester’s already strong life sciences sector. The new health innovation campus, with QIAGEN at its heart, will support the continued growth of businesses which are driving the future shape of medicine and health care, and cement our position as a world-leader in precision medicine. This is precisely what Health Innovation Manchester was set up to do, and combined with our devolved health and social care system, places us in an incredibly strong position to address the health challenges of the population. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell,

President & ViceChancellor of The University of Manchester, added: “We are delighted by the announcement that Qiagen NV, a major and innovative diagnostic company will significantly increase their research and development activities in Manchester. This is excellent news for the city region and for The University of Manchester. This major inward investment demonstrates confidence in the city region and the University. At The University of Manchester, genomics, personalised medicine and early diagnosis of disease are major research activities, notably in cancer, one of our five ‘research beacons’. Qiagen has great expertise that is highly relevant to each of these areas.

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Award joy for MC Construction MC CONSTRUCTION has gained another accolade for its approach to staff training and development. The Salford-based company won the People Development category at the 12th annual North West Regional Construction Awards, which celebrate best practice and recognise exceptional companies and projects from across the region. In their citation, the judges said: “The judges were impressed by how this company truly captured the value of their human resource. The opportunities for personal development within this organisation are outstanding.” MC Construction will now be entered into the Constructing Excellence National Awards, which will take place in London in November. MC Construction operates a direct labour policy and the average length of service among its workforce is over 10 years. It has a policy of nurturing

talent from within its ranks and supports staff who wish to study for a degree by funding up to 80 per cent of the course fees. Currently more than 20 employees are working towards qualifications. The company’s ‘grow your own’ talent strategy has led to five of the seven current directors rising through the ranks, including David Lowe from apprentice bricklayer to managing director and Eugene O’Callaghan from assistant quantity surveyor to commercial director. David Lowe said: “We work hard to provide our staff with the best possible career and development opportunities, which helps us to combat the industry skills shortage, nurture our own talent and ensure our values are ingrained in our team. “The main reason for our success as a business is our staff, they are at the heart of everything we do and we engage with them at every opportunity.

Countdown begins for Venturefest’s innovation showcase entries VENTUREFEST, the North West’s biggest annual innovation conference and exhibition, comes to Manchester Central on Thursday 13 September, providing a unique networking platform for companies from across the region. The event, which brings together hundreds of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders, is also once again hosting the Innovation Showcase Competition. Now in its fifth year, the Innovation Showcase is open to investment-ready firms from any sector who believe they have a product, service or commercial idea which could grow rapidly with the right support and funding. Previous winners have gone on to secure substantial investment, with runnersup also experiencing great interest in their proposition from business angels, venture capitalists, potential customers and partners. It has been calculated that 2017’s entries alone generated over £4m of funding offers from having taken part in the Innovation Showcase initiative. The prestige of winning

has also seen firms being able to attract high quality staff and enjoy an enhanced reputation as an innovative, ambitious and successful business. In addition, the companies that scoop the top prize will win a package of business support worth thousands of pounds from partners of Venturefest’s organisers, GC Business Growth Hub. One example of how the Innovation Showcase contest can help transform a business is Nothing But Epic, a digital marketing agency based in Manchester who won in 2016 with their embryonic social networking platform, called Padoq. Two years on and they have already secured over £400,000 in private investment, have doubled their number of staff, and are about to launch the Padoq product globally. Further, their MD Mike Anderson is frequently asked to speak at major business conferences across the UK, and the company has a very strong media profile. Mike said: “Winning the Innovation Showcase was undoubtedly a turning point for us, as it helped put our agency and the

Padoq concept in front of investors we would never have been able to reach by simply knocking on doors or through standard networking channels. “It also helped us to attract some very talented employees, and it helped us forge lots of partnerships with both new customers and suppliers. “The incredible package of business support from the Hub has been another key element in our growth. With their help we have successfully evolved the Padoq proposition to a point where it is ready to launch commercially, and we have just relocated to new city centre offices. “It’s an exciting time for the business, and our journey to this point really started when we got involved in Venturefest and entered the Innovation Showcase.” This year there are four separate categories to enter: Product Innovation, Service Innovation, Digital Innovation and Innovative Established Business. There will also be an Overall Winner, plus a Venturefest Audience Winner chosen by a vote on the day.

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Why Your Business Needs to Innovate to Hit Top Gear

The Bloodhound Super Sonic Car in action. Get a closer look at Venturefest North West, where the show car will be on display. Credit: Flock London CHRIS GREENHALGH, Head of Innovation and Programme Development, GC Business Growth Hub, organisers of Venturefest North West, shares his views. 1,000 mph: that’s the target for the Bloodhound Super Sonic Car, which is making its world land speed record attempt next year. For an idea of just how fast this is, imagine covering the length of four-and-a half football pitches in one second. What an amazing feat of engineering, innovation and human courage it would be to reach that mind-blowing goal. Such triumphs require not just commitment and funding, but access to a wealth of specialist knowledge and expertise from a whole range of organisations, sponsors and suppliers, all of whom contribute towards addressing the challenge. The Bloodhound team will no doubt have experienced all manner of setbacks along their journey. That

they’ve found solutions to them is down in no small part to the sharing of knowledge and experience across all the parties involved. Collaboration is key. So what does all this have to do with your business? It isn’t just complex projects like this one which benefit from innovative thinking and collaboration. The principles apply equally to firms of all sizes that want to solve anything, from identifying market opportunities to understanding how they could translate into new products and services, and countless other challenges. Put simply, innovation is a critical component of business growth. Innovative SMEs not only have stronger turnover performances compared to non-innovative firms, they are also more committed to the development of their workforces and are more likely to export than noninnovative firms.

It’s important to underline here that innovation is not just about incredible challenges like Bloodhound and doesn’t even have to be about creating something entirely new. Innovation also means re-inventing a product or service for a new market, or changing the way to run a business by creating or adapting different processes and systems. Experience tells us at GC Business Growth Hub that most firms have innovative ideas and opportunities. Too often it’s difficult to get them moving and out of first gear, because of difficulties in developing and commercialising these opportunities, this can be due to a lack of finance, human resource, specialist knowhow, time, technology, strategy or even your business culture or lack of the right facilities. Help is available though to overcome these issues. Fortunately, in Greater Manchester and across the Northern Powerhouse there’s a wealth of expertise within our

entrepreneurial businesses, universities and many specialist organisations that can support innovation. And many of these will be coming together under one roof at Venturefest North West – the region’s biggest annual innovation event, with 1,000 attendees expected. So if right now it feels like you’re trying to drive your business forward with the handbrake on, what better time to find the spark you need. Register for free now at www.venturefestnorthwest.com. I hope to see you at Manchester Central on September 13th…and keep an eye out for the Bloodhound world land speed record car, which will be making a special appearance. Venturefest exhibition opportunities available: promote your business amongst the region’s entrepreneurs, investors and academics. If you're interested in exhibiting, contact Peter Gaunt at GC Business Growth Hub on 07753 418 033.

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Manchester’s Havas Lynx scoops Healthcare Agency of the Year at Cannes

A MANCHESTER healthcare communications agency is celebrating after claiming top honours at one of the world’s largest awards for the creative and marketing communications industry. Havas Lynx, which employs nearly 300 people at its office in Princess Street, Manchester, was named the Cannes Lions Healthcare Agency of the Year 2018, as well as collecting three prestigious Cannes Lions Awards. The Lions Health Awards are the most established and soughtafter awards for the sector and are recognised globally as the ultimate achievement in creativity. The evening started well for Havas Lynx as it picked up a Bronze award in Cinematography for ‘The Attack’, a tense and striking film metaphorically

comparing the unbearable pain of a heart attack to a shark attack out at sea. The impactful film is designed to urge cardiologists to keep treating heart attack victims to reduce the risk of often fatal second heart attacks. The company, who also has offices in London and New York, then went on to pick up two Silver Lions. The first was in the Product Innovation category for ‘Ouchie’, a campaign designed to raise awareness and support children with JIA ( Junior Idiopathic Arthritis). The second silver was in the Art Direction category for its inspired and inventive Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rollercoaster campaign. The ultimate win came when Havas Lynx were named as Cannes Lions Healthcare Agency of the Year 2018. This prestigious award is given

annually in recognition of the agency that obtains the most points across both wins and shortlisted entries. Havas Lynx CCO Tom Richards commented “This is momentous for Havas Lynx. To win three awards here was an amazing achievement, but then to go on and win Cannes Lions Healthcare Agency of the Year, was incredible. It is testament to the work and dedication of the whole team… we couldn’t be prouder to be bringing the trophies back to Manchester. “Winning at Cannes is a defining moment for us and it’s thanks to the continued dedication, determination and ambition of our team, not to mention the extraordinary work of our clients. They trust us to communicate their healthcare innovations in a way which challenges and subverts industry expectations.”

“We take great pride in our work and we continually strive to create bold, highly creative and powerful work, which resonates with both healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers to ultimately improve the future of healthcare and change lives for the better.” Havas Lynx has grown from a small creative agency formed in the Northern Quarter of Manchester into a global healthcare communications agency, offering campaign development, brand strategy, capability building and education services. It celebrated its 30th birthday in 2016 and over the last two years has grown almost 20%, creating over 60 new jobs to take its global workforce to over 300.

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Major award win for Manchestermade software tech

Manchester Fintech Start-up shortlisted for National Award MANCHESTER-based fintech company Arro Money has been shortlisted for a prestigious award by innovation drivers the Emerging Payments Association. Nominated for the Leading Payments Start-Up category of the Emerging Payments Awards, Arro Money was the only business based in the North to be nominated, with the other four finalists all London based. These annual awards recognise companies that have made significant advances in how we pay. Arro Money now has over 20,000 personal account holders and continues to grow month on month. The business has recently moved to larger premises in Stretford to accommodate its rapid growth. “Manchester has become an ideal

location to launch a new business and we’re proud to fly the flag for the North at a national level” said CEO and co-founder Muhammad Asim. “This shortlisting proves that fintech businesses can flourish outside the capital and our rapid growth is testament to our ongoing success.” In addition to offering an inclusive personal account with online money management functionality, Arro Money now also offer a business account for both limited companies and sole traders. “It’s a competitive category and the other nominees are impressive,” added Jonathan Farnell, fellow director and CRO. “However, I believe we’re a serious contender and look forward to hearing the results.”

EON Reality’s UK team, based just behind the Sharp Project in Manchester, is celebrating its success following a major tech award win at Tech XLR8, the European anchor event for London Tech Week. The ‘AR & VR Futureproof ’ Award was presented to the EON Reality Manchester team following strong competition from Nokia, Lampix and other large household brands. EON Reality’s ‘Virtual Trainer’ product is a multi-user, advanced VR software product which enables globally connected, centralised online training in lots of different industries, particularly where the real-life training can be dangerous, expensive – or both. Examples of this training includes procedures on large manufacturing lines, city disaster planning, medical and healthcare training, and health and safety compliance training. The training can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere in the world, in a true-to-life virtual environment that facilitates safe practice and the ability to make mistakes without disastrous and

sometimes fatal consequences. Virtual Reality helps to build confidence by allowing people to practice the same actions, motions and decisions that might be made in simulated scenarios. The Manchestermade Virtual Trainer product is regularly used in the Mining, Energy, Engineering, Manufacturing, Aviation and Logistics industries around the world. Mark Bridgeman, Global C.O.O. and Managing Director of EON Reality, said: “I am unbelievably proud of the whole team in Manchester. This is a real coup for the whole studio team and for the immersive technology industry in the UK. It demonstrates exactly that: we are futureproof.” EON Reality’s nomination was also noted for clearly demonstrating innovation, positive partnerships with businesses across the world, and evidencing how VR facilitates the safe practice of complex procedures in a variety of Learning and Development categories including onboarding, upskilling and more.

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Boohoo founder makes six-figure investment in Manchester’s Crème Creative JALAL KAMANI, founding director at Boohoo, has invested a six-figure sum in Manchester-based fashion and footwear creative content agency, Crème Creative. Crème Creative, launched in January 2017 by Emma and Katie Nattrass-Daniels, has a 10-strong team and a roster of high profile clients including Foot Asylum, New Balance, Lacoste, Mallet Footwear, isawitfirst. com and Koi Footwear. Kamani approached Crème Creative to make the investment in return for 50 per cent of shares in the agency. The investment has been earmarked for office and studio space in or near the city centre and the recruitment of a further 10 employees

over the next 12 months, including creatives with skills and expertise gained working inhouse at major fashion and footwear brands. Commenting on his investment, Kamani said: “What I saw with Emma and Katie was two talented individuals who have learned quickly on the job and are already doing amazing work with some of the world’s best-known brands. They both have the fire and drive needed to keep moving forward and I’m confident that with their creativity, business-acumen and people management skills I will get a solid return on my investment over the coming years.” Crème Creative Managing Director, Katie Nattrass-Daniels, said: “It’s

fantastic that a businessman of Jalal’s calibre and standing saw something in our work he thought was worth investing in. “Crème Creative was started at a dining room table, without any loans, and it has grown quickly, in the first year we won Lacoste and worked on projects for JD Sports, so the business soon began to turn a profit. It means we can think about how we spend this investment; we have the breathing

space to work to a strategy and grow at a steady pace, while ensuring quality and service levels are maintained. “One of our long-term goals is to bring more creative work into Manchester and we’re already working hard to encourage big names to look outside of London for their campaigns. It’s something we feel extremely passionate about as we know we can offer the same talent and expertise, but at a fraction of the cost.”

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£300m deals for Grant Thornton’s NW team GRANT THORNTON’S North West corporate finance lead advisory team, which specialises in advising growing mid-market companies and entrepreneurial management teams on mergers, acquisitions and investment deals, is celebrating a milestone year. The team, which operates across the region with offices in Manchester and Liverpool, has advised on 10 deals worth more than £300m in the 12 months to the end of June. Stand-out North West deals include: • Advising stock market listed home improvement products company Norcros Plc

on a £60m strategic acquisition of a business in the Irish Republic; • Advising leading midmarket private equity investor LDC on its investment in Cumbriabased cottage lettings business Lakelovers • The £16.5m sale of Salford-based e-commerce cloud hosting specialist Sonassi to AIM-listed Iomart; • The sale of Rochdale company EU Fire & Security and • The acquisition of Cheshirebased Healthcare Communications by a listed group for £15m. Partner Peter Terry, head of the North West team, said he is

“delighted“ with the achievements in his first full year at the firm. He said: “It’s been a great year for Grant Thornton. I inherited a great team here and it has been a privilege to work with them on some fantastic deals. “We believe this level of activity is market leading in the North West, and the team has worked on a range of deals across private equity, sell side and corporate buy-side. “The outlook for next year and beyond looks really positive. We have seen, and continue to see, strong levels of confidence from investors, be they private equity firms looking to back strong management teams with a compelling

growth opportunity, listed companies or overseas trade buyers looking for strategic acquisitions.” Mark Walsh, one of the founders of EU Fire & Security, commented: “The deal team at Grant Thornton has been excellent, providing pragmatic solutions in sensitive situations. Their

understanding of our objectives and culture has been evident and we really appreciate their support and advice.” Mike Cunningham, Managing Director of Healthcare Communications UK, said: “The Grant Thornton team played a pivotal role throughout

the transaction and their knowledge and expertise in the sector resulted in us finding the right buyer. They demonstrated resilience and tenacity during the process and provided excellent advice at all times and ultimately delivered a fantastic result.”

Chase de Vere announces stable profitability, increased revenue and increased adviser productivity CHASE DE VERE, the Independent Financial Advisers with offices in Manchester and Preston, has announced another year of profitability and increased revenue and adviser productivity in its Annual Report & Financial Statements for the year ending 31 December 2017. The Company reported a profit of £5.68 million before tax in 2017 (£5.77 million in 2016). This has been achieved despite the costs associated with the purchase and integration of Medical Money Management in October together with the migration to a new back office system. This is the Company’s fourth consecutive year of profitability. Fee income revenue increased from £51.8 million to £57.4 million and average fee income per adviser

rose from £245,000 to £286,000. Stephen Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Chase de Vere, said: “This was another excellent year for Chase de Vere. We have achieved profits in excess of £5 million, while integrating our first major acquisition following the purchase of Medical Money Management and successfully upgrading our back office systems.Both of these initiatives should help us to deliver significantly increased profitability in the future. “We have increased our fee income revenue and the productivity of our advisers and we have many opportunities for further growth in 2018 and beyond. This includes the development of existing and new affinity relationships and an increased focus on the

advice services we provide for the medical profession. “We have achieved this success while remaining committed to independence. In an environment where many other larger advice firms have chosen to give restricted advice, we remain committed to providing independent financial advice and putting our clients’ interests at the forefront of everything we do.”

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bet365 continues to expand its Manchester Plan operation Productions and remit

BET365, the world’s largest online gambling company, has announced it will use its fifth floor at its Spring Gardens operation to accommodate the rapidly expanding tech team. Buoyed by successful recruitment campaigns and high levels of retention, the company expects to add a further 100 employees to its already 200 strong team. “Manchester is a competitive marketplace. One where developers frequently move from company to company on what I call the Northern Carousel,” said Warren Hughes, Head of Systems Development, bet365 Manchester. “Growing our team to meet the demands of the business is key but doing so in a sustainable way that ensures longevity is crucial. Certainly, we’ve enjoyed rapid

growth since we came to the City two years ago but what’s equally encouraging is our ability to retain the talent we recruit.” Since arriving in Manchester in 2016, bet365 has employed nearly 200 software developers and testers to help support the delivery of projects at its main technology hub in Stoke-onTrent. The majority of whom are still with the company two years later. “When we looked at the Manchester market, it was clear that job hoping was the developers’ way of trying to achieve their career goals. Our fast growth and the amplification of the excellent working culture established in Stoke, has delivered organic progression and enabled us to buck this trend. Growth brings

opportunity and we ensure our people are clear on their career path and that we are serious about promoting from within,” said Hughes. “The Manchester office was initially focused on expanding and supporting the software development function in Stoke. Due to its success, we’ve taken the decision to broaden our remit further and have now started to recruit for infrastructure positions,” added Hughes. In addition to experienced professionals, bet365 will also look to tap into Manchester’s vibrant graduate market. The company is working with the University of Manchester to identify joint initiatives through which the two organisations can collaborate more closely.

launches in Manchester Manchester photographic company Plan Pictures has launched a full-service, stills production arm. The launch follows a raft of recent studio and location work featuring a host of high profile athletes and musicians including; Andy Murray, Anthony Joshua, the Wales Rugby Union team Bugzy Malone and Paloma Faith. Plan Productions will be led by experienced Producer Dean Young and will specialise in stills photography production services for sports, music and fashion brands. Plan Productions will deliver a full range of services including location scouting, casting, art buying, budget management and event management. The team is currently producing shoots in locations across the UK and Europe working with a roster of internationally renowned photographers, models, stylists and art directors as well as young, up-and-coming creative talent. The new structure will enable the team to project manage the entire

shoot from start to finish and retain greater control of quality, creativity and costs. Commenting on the launch, Dean Young said: “Being based in Manchester allows us to embrace the growing volume of work in the sport, music and fashion sectors in the North as we will be able to work directly for local brands. “Fashion and sports brand marketing is evolving rapidly, we’re seeing greater collaboration between brands, musicians and athletes. By developing our production offer we are better placed to embrace the significant convergence that is taking place in these markets, especially here in the North. “Manchester is home to some of the UKs leading sports fashion retailers such as JD Sports and Footasylum and global brands like Adidas and Under Armour. Coupled with Manchester’s burgeoning music scene and its musical heritage it’s the right time for us to provide a service that operates from the heart of the city.”

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Belmont Packaging celebrates its ruby anniversary CORRUGATED cardboard box manufacturer Belmont Packaging is celebrating its 40th year in business. The Wigan-based box plant, who specialises in the manufacture of small format transit cases and high quality printed SRP and display boxes, celebrated its historic ruby anniversary in July, making it a well-established manufacturer in the town. Established in 1978 by Mike Moloney, Belmont Packaging has been owned and managed for the last five years by the founder’s daughter, Kate Hulley, who has given the company a new lease of life with the aim of becoming one of the leading, independent, cardboard box manufacturers in the UK. 2011 saw the introduction of the e-commerce arm of the business, “Boxed-Up Packaging” which offers a wide range of off-the-shelf cardboard packaging, from house moving boxes

to subscription PIP postal cartons, available for next day delivery. Boxed Up boasts a five-star approval rating on Trustpilot. Kate Hulley, Managing Director, said: “We are very proud to be celebrating 40 years in business. From humble beginnings at the original site on Moss Industrial Estate, Leigh, we now operate from a large, eco-friendly manufacturing site in Hindley Green, Wigan. The factory is complemented by solar and geothermal technologies

amongst other green credentials. This operation is supported by a highly skilled, knowledgeable and friendly team that works with a wide range of customers including some of the UK’s biggest brands. “We are extremely proud of our local roots, our dedicated, loyal workforce and we will continue to fly the flag for British manufacturing for many years to come.” The company has recently added to its green credentials with the

installation of a geothermal ground source heating system, which will contribute between 20-30% of Belmont’s annual office heating requirements, further reducing its carbon footprint. Over the years Belmont Packaging has worked with businesses of all sizes across all sectors including Food & Drink, Sports & Leisure and Retail. Working with brands such as Aldi, ASDA, Hallmark, New Balance and Hotter Shoes.

New coffee laboratory and roastery to launch in Manchester A NEW coffee laboratory and roastery is set to open on the outskirts of Ancoats, Manchester. Grindsmith, the Manchester-born independent and self-professed coffeeconnoisseur, is revolutionising the morning cup of coffee as it embarks on its latest venture, converting an industrial unit into a brand-new Roastery and Laboratory. The Grindsmith Coffee Roastery has been two-years in the making and a 4,880 sqft space has been transformed into the state-of-the-art laboratory. The expansive space, set across two floors, has been renovated into the new home of Grindsmith’s brand innovation and will be the supplying all three of its stores with home-roasted coffee. It includes an industry-leading

Loring Smart Roaster machine, an odourless, flavour-locking roasting system with lower emissions, and a Tech Lab that will help the company push further boundaries within the industry when it comes to quality and taste. Phase two of the Roastery will also see Grindsmith launch a dedicated Barista training academy and Tech Lab later in the year Luke Tomlinson, co-founder of Grindsmith, said: “Opening a roastery has been a burning ambition for the company since we first opened the Pod in 2014 and enough blood sweat and tears went into this launch. “Coffee is our absolute passion so having a space dedicated to the roasting, tasting and development of our very own product is a fantastic milestone for the business.”

Grindsmith, co-founder, Pete Gibson, added: “Science and the quality control over product is becoming increasingly important. Our aim for the lab is that it becomes

a centre of excellence and innovation within the industry and helps Manchester push the boundaries of knowledge and research within speciality coffee.

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Myprotein to power up Sale Sharks with exclusive partnership LEADING sports nutrition brand Myprotein has agreed an exclusive deal with Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks to become the club’s official sports nutrition provider. The Cheshire-based firm will work closely with the club’s nutritionists and coaching teams to provide the first team squad, including England stars Denny Solomona and Tom Curry – and the Sharks Academy with a wide range of its award-winning products and supplements. Myprotein is Europe’s #1 sports nutrition brand, operating localised websites in 52 countries and in 33 languages. The firm was acquired by The Hut Group (THG) back in 2011 and now sells the largest range of sports-nutrition supplements in the industry to six million customers worldwide. Ex-England and Sale Sharks winger Mark Cueto, now the club’s Commercial Director, said: “As a player, Myprotein was a nutrition brand I used and held in very high regard so it’s fantastic to be officially bringing them into the Sharks family. “This partnership brings together two huge brands from the North West region and it comes at a great time for us with pre-season training just getting underway. As we look forward to an exciting season ahead, we’re really pleased to have such a well-respected sports nutrition brand by our side.” Rick Swaby, Head of Sports Science and Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach at Sale Sharks, added: “Myprotein is a fantastic sports nutrition company

that can offer us a vast, high-quality range of products that are already InformedSport approved for the specific needs of our players. “Getting the right nutrition is so important in top level sport, from building strength and increasing fitness levels right through to recovery after training and games. Small margins can make all the difference and a lot of our players already use Myprotein products as part of their nutrition programmes, so it’s great that the entire squad will now be able to benefit from the full range of products.” A spokesperson from Myprotein at The Hut Group, added: “We’re delighted to have confirmed a new partnership with Sale Sharks, reinforcing our commitment to sport in the UK and strengthening our ties with top-level rugby clubs in our local community. “As the North West’s only Premiership Rugby side, Sale Sharks has appeal right across the region with a squad full of world-class international players at the very top of their game. “Performance is at the heart of everything we do at Myprotein and I know the club shares the same ethos as us, working closely with the squad and individual players to ensure every aspect of their nutrition, recovery and wellbeing is looked after. “It’s a perfect partnership and we’re confident we can help fuel the club’s success this season, from the training ground right through to the pitch during each and every match.”

Treetop Manchester welcomes over 26,000 visitors in its first year TREETOP Trek and Treetop Nets in Manchester’s Heaton Park have just celebrated their first anniversary and revealed that to date, since opening in 2017, they have welcomed over 26,000 people, of all ages, to enjoy aerial adventures high up in the trees. The attractions were launched by Wigan-born entrepreneur Mike Turner and have proved to a hit with both locals and tourists alike, from young professionals through to multi-generational families.

Mike said: “The response in Manchester has been great, we’ve welcomed visitors all year round from all over Manchester and the surrounding area, including a large number of local schools and colleges. “People have been really receptive to both Treetop Trek and Treetop Nets and seem to value an outdoor attraction where they can get an amazing high ropes experience, be active together and enjoy the amazing green space that Heaton Park has to offer, it’s all here really."

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ABCUL launches employer engagement campaign ‘Work Not Worry’ ABCUL has launched a social media campaign Work Not Worry, to raise awareness of the benefits of partnerships with credit unions among employers and to encourage more employers to establish new relationships with their local credit union. Credit unions offer savings and affordable credit facilities with payments deducted from pay. Evidence suggests that financial stress costs the UK economy £121bn (Neyber 2016) and 30% of employees are making uninformed financial decisions about saving and spending (CIPD, 2017). 26 per cent of working age adults in the UK has no savings and 1 in 4 workers have lost sleep over money worries

(CIPD, 2017). For over 30 years, employers have used the services of credit unions in their workplace. These include household brands and institutions such as Admiral Insurance, Royal Mail, British Airways and the NHS. Research funding by Citi Foundation states that 70% of employees who take advantage of credit union partnerships feel more financially capable and better supported and 83% of employer partnerships demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility to staff by providing a material benefit at little or no cost to them. A majority of employers say working with credit unions improves the financial capability of staff and thus

helps create a more productive and better supported workforce. This is supported by the Money Advice Service research on employer best practices on financial challenges and their impact in the workplace which states that 59% of employees with current financial worries say money concerns prevent them from performing their best at work. A key problem in workers’ lack of financial resilience and reliance upon debt is the chronic lack of savings across the income range. However, credit unions’ Save As You Borrow method, which asks people to save a small amount while repaying their loan, has great benefits in creating savings habits. Research by

the Fairbanking Foundation found that while only 26% of credit union borrowers saved regularly before joining their credit union, 71% intend on saving regularly after repaying their loan. Matt Bland, Head of Policy & Communications at ABCUL, said: “In our conversations with employers, it is clear that many are not aware of the financial difficulties facing their staff. Those that do have sadly seen it become a serious issue in the workplace before they had chance to respond. We regularly hear horror stories of people falling into a downward cycle of repeated and escalating payday loans. “All employers have to do

once a partnership is set up is spend a couple of minutes making the deductions each pay day, one file transfer, one payment. All employees have to do is agree to a deduction of their choice per month and it comes directly from their salary, making life easy for everyone.”

BJSS retrains ex-military personnel to join the private sector BJSS, the UK’s largest privately-owned IT consultancy and recent winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise has introduced a Platform Engineering Academy for ex-armed forces personnel wishing to retrain for technology careers in the private sector. Delivered by BJSS in Manchester, and in association with AWS, this 12-week long programme equips candidates with a range of Platform

Engineering skills and is constructed on BJSS’ software delivery approach, Enterprise Agile. Upon successfully completing the programme, candidates wishing to apply for roles at BJSS are fasttracked through the company’s recruitment process. All three candidates who recently completed the programme have taken full-time permanent roles at BJSS as Platform Engineers and are now contributing to client deliveries. Through this initiative, BJSS has demonstrated that viable career opportunities are available to servicepeople when they leave the forces. Stephen Davies, former Corporal in the Royal Air Force, recent graduate of the BJSS Platform Engineering Academy, and Platform Engineer at BJSS, said: “Leaving the Military is stressful, but the help and support I received from the BJSS Platform Engineering Academy has made me a confident and competent Platform Engineer. Having been offered

a permanent role at BJSS and knowing that the company will still support me as I continue to learn, has made my transition into civilian life easier.” Matt Whalley, Head of Delivery at BJSS continued: “With the digital landscape set to become an even bigger part of Britain’s economy over the next few years, technology organisations such as BJSS have a role to play in ensuring that as many people as possible are equipped to pursue careers in this space. The BJSS Platform Engineering Academy allows our ex-servicepeople to develop the skills they need to transition into viable and rewarding technology careers in the private sector. This is a further demonstration of the commitment BJSS initially made in 2017 to the Armed Forces Community by signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant.”

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BUSINESS SUPPORT August 2018

Growth Hub gears up for “buzzness” with Bee in the City public art trail

GC Business Growth Hub is using its involvement in the Bee in the City public art project to champion local firms who produce a range of beethemed products. Bee in the City is a spectacular public art trail taking place across Manchester this summer, presented by Wild In Art and Manchester City Council. Over 100 1.5 metre high bee sculptures each featuring a unique artist’s design, will form an interactive art trail across the city centre from late July. GC Business Growth Hub’s bee, designed by cult Manchester graffiti artist Kelzo, will be called ‘Bee-lieve’ and will be positioned in a central Manchester location. Bee-lieve will carry a unique code that will unlock prizes and discounts on the Bee in the City app, which will be available from the Apple and Android stores. In line with the theme of the art trail, the Hub has partnered with a selection of Greater Manchester SMEs

who all have products which link to bees. Bespoke luggage manufacturer Kitkase is giving away £1,000 worth of cases embossed with the City’s worker bee symbol, while stationery company Greentingles will be offering discounted prices on greeting cards and notebooks featuring a unique bee design. Artworks from the Northern Quarter’s Sunflowers in the Sea gallery featuring bees, and the popular ‘Manchester’s legacy’ print from the Sense of Doubt art studio (which features a prominent bee icon at the start of the timeline) will also be up for grabs. Greater Manchester companies who use bee products are also getting involved with the Hub’s sculpture. Gourmet honey retailer Art of Honey is donating a 5kg jar of honey as a prize, Mrs Frisbee’s All Naturals will be offering 15% off beeswax skincare products, and Just Bee Drinks will have

honey-infused beverages and packets of wildflower seeds to give away. Bolton-based Soapy Skin, which has a number of honey-based soaps in their range, will also be taking part by offering free samples and discount codes. In addition, independent tea and coffee supplier Worker Bee will be donating some bee-branded mugs. Hilary Centeleghe, Senior Growth Manager, GC Business Growth Hub, said: “The Hub is all about supporting growing local businesses, so we wanted to use our involvement in Bee in the City to promote some of Greater Manchester’s most dynamic and exciting SMEs. However, we also wanted to reflect the overarching bee theme throughout our activity, so we looked to work with businesses who had bee-related merchandise. “As a result, we have everything from honey-infused skincare, soaps and drinks through to designer suitcases and artwork featuring the iconic Manchester worker bee symbol.

“Having such a diverse range of products to promote through our Bee in the City sponsorship, not only reflects the innovation within Greater Manchester’s thriving SME community, it also resonates with the creative spirit underpinning the Bee in the City project.” Drawing on Manchester’s cultural and commercial heritage, the Hub’s bee artwork by Kelzo is a dazzling clash of artistic styles, colours and imagery. The images reflect a number of key Hub themes, including civic pride, the city’s constantly moving commercial landscape and how creativity and commerce work side-by-side to generate opportunities and spark innovation. Running from 23 July until 23 September, the art trail is raising money for The Lord Mayor’s We Love MCR Charity through corporate sponsorship and an auction of the bee sculptures in October.

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BUSINESS SUPPORT

Kings Chambers set to break £35m billings barrier in 2018 KINGS Chambers is reporting record growth with billings for the first half of 2018 jumping 19.1 per cent to £17m to the end of June 2018. The civil set, founded in 1946, now boasts 110 barristers as members, including 19 QCs. Kings Chambers was recently named the first barristers’ set to become a Northern Powerhouse partner. It will work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to promote the North of England. The Chief Clerks at the set have attributed growth to an increasing volume of work secured from international sources including commercial litigation cases, international arbitration, contract issues, construction disputes, professional liability claims and company law cases. With a national and international client base, areas of specialism at Kings Chambers include chancery and commercial, planning and public law, personal injury and clinical negligence. Members are instructed by law firms to appear in cases involving major institutions, PLCs, limited companies and individuals. Members have been admitted to foreign jurisdictions including the Courts of the Dubai International

Financial Centre, the Bar of the Republic of Ireland, the Bar of Northern Ireland and the Bar of the British Virgin Islands. Bill Brown, Chief Clerk for Planning, Environment & Public Law, said: “I’m proud that we continue to secure instructions regionally, that would have traditionally been won by London sets. We have a national client base who recognise our barristers as ‘Market Leaders' practicing from our chambers in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.” Gary Young, Chief Clerk for Business, Property & International Law, said: “We have earned an excellent reputation for handling complex cases, giving individuals and corporate clients the very best representation in court. Our strong growth in the first half of the year reflects the calibre of our talent as we continue to attract the finest legal minds. All practice areas have had a part to play in helping us achieve these impressive results.”

pro-manchester to discuss progress of devolution at upcoming event GREATER MANCHESTER is growing, but so are the challenges of improving the travel to work time and experience of the workforce. The quality of the journey must improve but so too must the levels of air quality, if quality of life is to be maintained and enhanced. pro-manchester will be addressing the challenges of congestion and pollution in Greater Manchester at their upcoming Economics Conference. The conference will be giving insight on Greater Manchester’s Economy as experts review plans and objectives for the region in the current year and in the years ahead. pro-manchester will be joined by local authority leaders, economists and leading businesses with an interest in the city region, laying out the scorecards and checking the progress of the key areas under review. Now in its fourth year, the promanchester Economics Conference will be taking place on Thursday 18th October at The Lowry Hotel. The conference will be covering topics such

as devolution, employment, inclusive growth, housing, commercial real estate and much more. Dr John Ashcroft, pro-manchester Chief Executive and author of The Saturday Economist, said: “We are really looking forward to seeing how well the Greater Manchester devolution has benefitted our region. Last year our conference focused on the Greater Manchester economy and it was hugely successful. We expect even more success this year, with the introduction of the ‘Greater Manchester Balanced Scorecard’. It is going to be of huge interest to businesses and to the Greater Manchester community.”

Stockport distribution centre retains Health & Safety Gold Standard THE team at the Stockport distribution centre of magazine and newspaper wholesaler, Smiths News, is celebrating after being awarded an industry leading gold standard award for a second year. Presented by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) at an awards ceremony held in Birmingham, the distribution centre retained its gold standard for commitment to health and safety standards. Commenting on the centre’s success, Jonathan Bunting, chief operating officer at UK leading logistics specialist, Connect

Group, which owns Smiths News, said: “This award for the Stockport site demonstrates a continued commitment to health and safety standards and really shows the hard work our teams up and down the country put in to ensure a safe working environment is adhered to. “At Connect Group, the safety and wellbeing of our co-workers, and those at all of our locations is paramount to us, and these awards recognise the changes we are putting in place to ensure that this continues.”

28 INTERNATIONAL

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North West businesses get royal seal of approval during International Business Festival BUSINESSES across the North West showcased their achievements recently at the UK Innovation Hub at the International Business Festival, supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and attended by HRH Prince William. Taking place in Liverpool, the festival was an opportunity to meet 30,000 industry professionals and develop future trading and investment opportunities. It also educated visitors about how Britain’s businesses are adapting to the changing modern world, covering artificial intelligence, clean growth, the future of mobility and our ageing society. North West businesses, including Chill Buddy Food, were selected to represent the UK at the event, demonstrating how new ideas can lead to significant business growth, and operations in oversea markets. Chill Buddy Food manufacture special insulating products designed to prolong the life of perishables. The business has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with DIT who have worked to help the company make the most of overseas opportunities. HRH Prince William also attended the event, spending time with the North West team to hear

about the opportunities businesses in the region have already seized to maximise their growth potential. Speaking at the Festival last week, the International Trade Secretary Dr. Liam Fox, said: “The largest gathering of its kind, this year’s International Business Festival has brought 150 delegations from 90 countries to the Northern Powerhouse, where I am proud to see that UK innovation has been centre stage. “Research recently released by the Department for International Trade shows that UK firms are

optimistic about the success of their businesses abroad and increasingly interested in exporting, after seeing growing international demand for British goods. Around half of British businesses believe that the value of UK exports will continue to grow – more than double who think the opposite. “Through campaigns such as Exporting is GREAT, we have encouraged 130,000 companies to take the first steps to exporting. We provided £2.5bn in support of UK exports through UK’s credit agency, UK Export Finance, last year and

businesses are profiting as the value of exports rose to more than £625bn. “I know that British business is up to the challenge. Whether you are new to exporting or a seasoned international business, you have a partner in this Government ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.” Paul Stowers, Head of Regions, North West for the Department for International Trade, said: “The demand for UK goods and services abroad is huge and something we want to continue supporting wherever possible. This event provided businesses a fantastic opportunity to network and learn from international renowned speakers. “HRH Prince William also stopped by our Innovation Hub to hear about North West business’ exporting achievements, which was a great honour and surprise. “On the ground in the North West, we have a team of International Trade Advisers ready to help firms discover how exporting could benefit their business. During the festival it was a pleasure to see and support such strong North West businesses and celebrate the outstanding work they are doing.”

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INTERNATIONAL

Greater Manchesterbased Growth Company to help build next generation of export support services in the North West

Export Growth Partners is a new venture formed by four leading UK business support organisations. The pioneering collaboration consists of Business West, One Midlands, the Greater-Manchester based Growth Company and digital innovators Enterprise Nation. Their vision is to create an integrated, nationally recognised route to world-beating export support. As a new venture they will assemble bespoke export support packages from ‘best in class’ public and private sector specialists. The four founding organisations are a mixture of award-winning global trade specialists providing export services on behalf of Government, and private sector firms offering expert advice to businesses. Building on strong strategic partnerships with Department for International Trade (DIT), Department for Exiting the EU (DEXU) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Export Growth Partners will support the realisation of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and forthcoming Export Strategy. Export Growth Partners provides support across

all stages of the export journey, from market research, overseas market visits, finding buyers to fulfilling export documentation, right up to ensuring payment is received. Ahead of launching, the group has also negotiated preferred partner arrangements with specialist banks, translation agencies and shipping agents, to provide a comprehensive end-to-end support package for businesses. Speaking for Export Growth Partners, Mark Hughes, Chief Executive of The Growth Company, said: “Capitalising on global opportunities is vital for UK firms and this new collaboration will give businesses a clear advantage to get access to global markets, while building strong sustainable links in a post-Brexit world. “Many of our companies feel daunted by the complexity of exporting. Even those businesses that have seen the benefit of the extra sales that exporting brings, still struggle to know where to turn to for help, advice and hands on fulfilment – including how to get paid. “Export Growth Partners is going to

fundamentally change how we drive and assist UK companies to export – making it simpler than ever before to enter new markets with products and services. Combining our individual expertise, we will deliver an unrivalled range of international trade support from the public and private sector to companies up and down the country. “Technology has changed everything, and it has an important role to play in how we can make a difference to UK plc. Four of us pooling our resources together will be able to accelerate exports much faster than each one working alone.” By coming together Export Growth Partners will build on their market-leading strengths to transform how businesses trade internationally – redefining export support to meet the challenges and opportunities of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Between them, since 2015 these organisations have supported over 56,000 businesses to export, creating more than 14,000 jobs for the UK economy. Last year, they assisted UK businesses in achieving additional export sales of £2.26bn.

30 ACQUISITIONS

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Hearthstone Residential fund to acquire portfolio from Bovis Peer HEARTHSTONE Investment Management Limited, a residential property (PRS) institutional investment manager, has announced it has exchanged contracts with Bovis Peer LLP for the purchase of a portfolio of 34 houses and a low-rise block of 19 flats for £7 million. The assets will be acquired by HRF1, a ten-year closed-end private equity vehicle investing into the private rented sector in UK regions. The houses are situated in Doncaster, Hull, Nottingham, Wakefield and Wigan, in areas where there is solid rental demand and good local infrastructure, but where there is a lack of suitable quality rented housing stock. The properties comprise a mix of two to four bed residences in five separate clusters. The flats form a complete low-rise block and are located in Cardiff Bay, a new and developing suburb of the city with a wide variety of local amenities and excellent access to the city centre and beyond.

Andrew Smith, Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Hearthstone Investment Management, said: “While this is an investment portfolio of modern Bovis Homes-built properties, they are already tenanted and are

therefore income-producing. More specifically, the houses are located in higher yielding areas which will help the fund to achieve its stated income objectives.” Richard Otten, Partner and

Director of Asset Management, Hearthstone Investment Management, commented: “This latest acquisition is particularly attractive as portfolios of good quality, modern stock are rarely available. We believe that with some targeted improvement expenditure, we will add value to the portfolio.” Advising the vendor is Davis and Partners LLP while Charles Russell Speechlys LLP is advising HRF1. HRF1 is advised by Hearthstone Investment Management Limited, a 50:50 joint venture between the senior management team and Hearthstone Investments Plc. Five local authority pension funds, including the Derbyshire Pension Fund, Nottinghamshire Local Government Pension Fund, Staffordshire Pension Fund, Teesside Pension Fund and West Midlands Pension Fund together with the HRF1’s senior management team, comprise the group of cornerstone investors.

Kuits advises on sale of construction equipment firm MANCHESTER commercial law firm Kuits has advised on the sale of Finlay Plant (UK) to Molson Group, the UK’s largest independent construction equipment supplier with head offices in Warrington and Bristol. As part of the deal, Molson has secured full distribution rights for the complete range of Terex Finlay mobile crushing, screening and conveying equipment for England, Wales and the Channel Islands. Molson will also acquire the subsidiary and associated companies of Stafford-based Finlay Group as part

of the transaction, with the sales, hire and service organisations to remain largely unchanged. Kuits corporate partner Kirsti Pinnell provided a comprehensive advisory service around the sale, supported by solicitor Kate Gledhill and working closely with Barbara Shuttleworth of Finlay’s accountants, Topping Partnership. Kirsti Pinnell said: “Kuits was pleased to navigate this complex transaction by offering a bespoke commercial service to the Finlay Group, an established manufacturer

and supplier in the UK market.” Finlay Group managing director David Statham, said: “The corporate team at Kuits made one of the most difficult projects I could imagine progress smoothly, taking most of the strain and worry out of the deal whilst professionally guiding a board of directors to an excellent conclusion. “I’m very excited for the future direction and the growth expectations for both Finlay Group and Molson I look forward to ensuring a smooth transition for our staff and our clients.”

TRANSPORT

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easyJet announces largest ever expansion at Manchester Airport EASYJET, Europe’s leading airline, has announced that it’s to undertake its largest ever expansion at Manchester Airport in winter 2018, which will see the airline adding five new aircraft, carrying an extra 1.5m passengers annually and launching five new routes. With the expansion, easyJet will create 175 direct jobs and it’s estimated the move will also lead to 1500 indirectly, providing a boost to the economy of Greater Manchester with new economic connections for the region to new destinations of Innsbruck, Lanzarote, Faro, Barcelona and Bordeaux, the 1000th for the airline. easyJet flew over 3.5 million passengers from Manchester last year, having flown over 20m since the airline commenced operations in 2008. The increase in capacity from 12 to 17 aircraft to 5m passengers a year following expansion represents a 40%

increase in growth. The aircraft will include easyJet’s new A320neo’s which were introduced to the airport last year and enable a 15% reduction in fuel burn, a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 50% noise footprint reduction during the landing and take-off phases, compared to the current generation A320 aircraft, thereby significantly reducing impact on local communities. Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager, easyJet, said: “This announcement to expand our operations in Manchester is fantastic news for the North West and will create thousands of new jobs supporting the local economy and both inbound tourism, as well as even more choice for consumers in the North West. “Our growth of an additional five aircraft next summer will be the biggest single investment easyJet will make in

the entire network in 2019, and reflects our commitment to Manchester, providing customers even better connectivity with new neo aircraft to new destinations and more choice than ever before.” Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, added: “We’re delighted to see easyJet’s commitment to Manchester Airport and the region with the announcement of five new aircraft and five new routes. It will provide our passengers with even greater choice when they come to book their holidays. “Their growth will also create hundreds of jobs, which along with the £1bn investment we are making in the transformation of the airport, demonstrates the various ways in which the region benefits from having a thriving international gateway.”

Qatar Airways announces triple daily flights from Manchester Airport

QATAR Airways has announced it will be increasing the frequency of its flights between Manchester and Doha to triple

daily from May 2019. The middle eastern airline currently operates 16 flights per week between the

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, added: “This expansion by easyJet is to be welcomed and is clear evidence that Greater Manchester is a globally-facing city-region that’s open for business. It is vital that Greater Manchester remains a well-connected travel hub and the creation of five new routes from Manchester Airport will provide us with new business opportunities as well as exciting new travel destinations. “easyJet’s endorsement of the Airport as the base not only for new routes but their milestone 1,000th route demonstrates Greater Manchester is one of the world’s most outward-facing, dynamic and thriving city-regions. We look forward to continuing to welcome visitors from across the globe.”

two cities, double daily on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays with triple daily flights already operating on Mondays and Saturdays. From 18 September 2018, they will add the third daily flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 22 May 2019, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays will gain the additional frequencies. Qatar Airways connects Manchester’s passengers to more than 150 destinations around the world including across Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand and celebrated its 15th anniversary of operating direct flights from the UK’s third largest airport in April this year. Qatar Airways Acting Senior Vice President Europe, Mr. Ishfaq Jalal said: “Qatar Airways

enjoys a special relationship with Manchester as demonstrated by the ever-increasing amount of tourist and business traffic passing between our countries and through Doha to our global network. We remain committed to providing the levels of service quality and in-flight experience that has increased the demand for our airline.” Julian Carr, Aviation Director for Manchester Airport, commented: “We’re delighted to see Qatar Airways continue to grow at Manchester Airport. They’re a hugely popular airline with 22 million people in our catchment area. Since they started 15 years ago they’ve gone from four flights a week to the three a day they will operate from next May.”

TRANSPORT August 2018

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Manchester Airport celebrates strong stateside growth as flights to Seattle take off THE NORTH is better connected to the United States than ever before, leaving it well placed to capitalise on trans-Atlantic economic opportunities. The US is the UK’s single largest trading partner, accounting for around a fifth of all UK exports, worth more than £100billion in 2016. Of those exports, the majority were services, including travel which is one of the top five British service exports to the US along with telecoms and financial services. The number of American tourists visiting the UK is also set to grow this year. According to VisitBritain, there will be about 4.1m visit from US tourists this year, an increase of 18% on 2016. The North West is the fastest growing region in the UK for American tourists, growing at 21% year on year. Fresh data shows the North’s primary international gateway, Manchester Airport, saw the number of passengers travelling across the pond increase by 7% in the past financial year, nearly double the national average. It is now the sixth largest airport in Europe for passengers travelling to America, with 13 separate routes operating, the most recent launch in May was Seattle with Thomas Cook Airlines. It is latest route to be added from Manchester, with the likes of San Francisco, Boston, Houston and Los Angeles having launched in recent years. Manchester is the only airport outside of London to offer such connections. The growth in US connectivity is helping nurture key sectors, such as tech, life sciences and energy, by connecting the North with global centres of excellence in these fields.

Having a direct flight from Manchester to Boston is key to connectivity between the Northern Powerhouse and high potential markets in the US, stimulating research and development and driving growth on both sides of the Atlantic in the process. The US accounted for 27% of inward investment projects and 15% of jobs created in Manchester in 2017/18. The number of American tourists visiting the North West also grew by 21%, the largest growth of all UK regions, aided by the connectivity and a pan-Northern marketing campaign in the States. The US is the UK’s most valuable inbound visitor market, worth about £3.4 billion (in 2016). In terms of the most popular routes for Northern travellers, the number one destination is Orlando, followed by New York and Las Vegas, with San Francisco and Boston entering the top 10 this year as new services have been added. As well as a huge leisure market to the USA, 11% of passengers go on business. The airport’s continued growth across the West and East coasts has unlocked a wealth of economic and trade opportunities in recent years. A prime example being San Francisco, served by both Virgin Atlantic and Thomas Cook Airlines. International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP, said: “The Northern Powerhouse is the Government’s vision for a super-connected, globallycompetitive Northern economy with a flourishing private sector and highlyskilled population ready to take its place on the world stage. Manchester Airport’s connectivity with the US makes it even easier for Northern companies to do business with their

American counterparts and I’m pleased to see Seattle added to the list of direct flight destinations. “DIT will always support businesses in accessing global opportunities through a wide range of support such as our award-winning export credit agency, UK Export Finance, GREAT. gov.uk and our International Trade Advisors.” Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “Our continued growth to the USA is testament to the fact people want to fly direct from the North, rather than going via other airports. “It is incredibly pleasing to see that Manchester is above the average growth rate to the USA and our position in Europe is excellent. It cements our position as the hub for the North and the global gateway to the world. “Our growth is a massive benefit to the entire region, as well as journey time savings, our routes unlock a host of business and economic opportunities, as we plug Manchester into key US cities and destinations.” Sheona Southern, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester, said: “The US is a vital market for Greater Manchester and a key player in the region’s international growth ambitions. In tourism terms the US is responsible for the second highest number of international visitors to Manchester, just behind Ireland, with visitor spend providing a huge economic boost to the region’s businesses. “Much of this popularity is of course due to the direct connectivity provided by Manchester Airport. We’re pleased to see that this connectivity has grown steadily, and that we can look

forward to welcoming yet more US visitors, investors, and students to our unique region. “Marketing Manchester will continue its work to support direct routes from major US cities, working in-market across the US to promote Greater Manchester as an amazing place to visit, meet, invest and study.” Paul Hutchings, Managing Director of Operations at Thomas Cook Airlines, said: “We are proud to call Manchester our UK home. Our Seattle launch takes our total number of US destinations from Manchester airport to seven, making us the airport’s largest long-haul carrier. “We are pleased to see the growing demand to fly direct to the States from the North. Our 2018 Thomas Cook Holiday Report ranked the USA in the top five destinations for Summer 18, we have increased our New York flights to daily and San Francisco, where sales are up 54 per cent, to three times a week. “We look forward to continued growth from Manchester and with three million seats on sale this year to all our routes, we have the perfect trip for all passengers wanting to go either short or long haul from Manchester.” Shai Weiss, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented: “Our flights from Manchester are hugely important to Virgin Atlantic. Our customers often tell us they love our direct flights to the USA, so I’m delighted we’re able to continue our recent growth and offer more seats from the city than ever before.”

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TRANSPORT

HMG Advanced Colour Design provides winning formula

HMG Paints has utilised their industry leading Advanced Colour Design Service to assist with the restoration of the iconic 1970 Team Lotus Chassis number 5, which was famously raced by Emerson Fittipaldi. Clive Chapman, Managing Director of Classic Team Lotus, said: “Given my father’s constant focus on the future and the team’s perennial battle for more space, it is extraordinary that this car survived for so many years. I think it is a mark of the sentimental attachment that my father, the driver and the team had for her. I have really enjoyed the painstaking restoration to date and am keen to showoff the skill of all those involved.”

Every care has been taken to preserve the originality of what is such an important part of Team Lotus history. In particular the majority of the monocoque is intact and is still in the original paint along with some of the original bodywork and the rear wing. With reference to the original design drawings and with expertise from Team Lotus personnel of the period, the car has been rebuilt to exactly as raced to Grand Prix and World Championship glory. The monocoque has been reunited with one of the period engines and the gearbox is also period. By courtesy of HMG Paints’ expertise, this has extended to being able to paint the car in the

famous black and gold livery with cellulose paint as originally used. Fittipaldi was reunited with his restored World Championship winning car at the prestigious Amelia Island Concourse in Florida, the restoration received a firm thumbs-up from Emerson. Steve Kennedy, HMG Paints Advanced Colour Design Technician commented: “It’s been an honour to assist Clive and Team Lotus on this project. The work the team have done in restoring the car is remarkable, and we’re proud that the team utilised our paints to recreate what is considered one of the most iconic liveries in racing history.”

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TRANSPORT

BMW i8 ROADSTER DRIVES INTO NORTH WEST THANKS TO WILLIAMS GROUP MAKING its debut in the North West of England is the all-new BMW i8 Roadster, thanks to Williams Group, the family-owned prestige automotive retailer operating retail centres throughout the region. The eye-catching plug-in hybrid stole the show at the Williams BMW Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, courtesy of Williams BMW Liverpool being title sponsor of the event for the first time and ahead of the vehicle being available to purchase via Williams Group centres in Manchester, Bolton, Stockport, Rochdale and Liverpool. Combining a powerful electric motor with an extended range of 33 miles with the BMW TwinPower, turbo three-cylinder petrol engine, the BMW i8 Roadster offers acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.6 seconds and CO2 emissions of up to just 46g/kilometre. Designed to offer both dynamics and agility, the Roadster features an aluminium chassis with ultralight passenger compartment of high-strength carbon fibre, lightweight carbon fibre dihedral (gull wing) doors and an exclusive, all-electric soft-top roof for maximum effect. Complementing these striking features are optional 20” BMW light-alloy wheels and a wide selection of full leather interiors in a range of colours. The BMW i8 Roadster can be charged or refuelled with the BMW 360-degree ELECTRIC package with charging at home via the BMW I Wallbox or charging cable. Its imminent arrival at Williams Group retail centres extends the existing BMW i range to three vehicles alongside the i8 coupe and i3. In the summer of 2019 Williams Group will strengthen its presence in the North West with the opening of a £41m flagship automotive retail centre for BMW, MINI, Jaguar and Land Rover on a 14.3-acre site at Peel Land and Property’s TraffordCity development in Greater Manchester, adjacent to intu Trafford Centre and Event City. Current Williams Group showrooms will relocate from Upper Brook Street and Birchall Way in Manchester to TraffordCity with 240 of the firm’s total of 812 employees making the move and another 20 jobs being created. Nick Cook, managing director, Williams Group, commented: “Williams Group is genuinely delighted to have brought a local touch to the global launch of the BMW i8 Roadster with its introduction to the North West of England at the Williams BMW Liverpool International Tennis Tournament, a local event that attracts an international array of tennis players and we look forward to introducing our valued customers to this spectacular car in coming weeks.” Title sponsorship of the Williams BMW Liverpool International Tennis Tournament – the longest running and largest tennis exhibition in Europe now in its 17th year – reflects the ongoing commitment of the family-owned business to supporting sports and activities throughout the North West and to encourage talent at all levels, including the Williams’ Golf Alliance and the Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon.

36 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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Kellogg’s dishes up breakfast at 20th anniversary street party TO mark the 20th anniversary of its support of school breakfast clubs, cereal giant Kellogg’s hosted a community breakfast extravaganza in its new home in MediaCityUK and launched its new community programme, Breakfasts for Better Days in Salford. Kellogg’s served breakfast outside its Salford offices to celebrate with employees and key partners in the community who have been involved with the wonderful initiative. More than 60 primary school children from the local area attended the event, alongside Salford City mayor, Paul Dennett, and Kellogg’s managing director, Oli Morton. Primrose Hill Community Primary School, in Ordsall, and Willow Tree Primary School, in Langworthy, two schools Kellogg’s has supported

as part of its breakfast clubs programme, provided entertainment with a selection of breakfast poems, songs and jokes. In January Kellogg’s relocated its 420 UK office employees from Talbot Road to Media city after nearly 30 years of residence. The first project Kellogg’s is supporting is the Salford Food Share network and will provide food and funding for summer holiday projects in six locations of Salford. Speaking at the event, Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, said: “It’s great to be here to celebrate 20 years of Kellogg’s Breakfast Clubs and to share the occasion with two Salford schools that have benefited from Kellogg’s support over the years. “I’m delighted to hear that Kellogg’s is extending

this support to address food insecurity in the city. Over the past 20 years Kellogg’s has supported more than 3,000 school breakfast clubs with funds, food and training, providing school children with access to nutritious breakfasts in safe and social environments to tackle morning hunger." Kellogg’s managing director, Oli Morton, said: “Kellogg’s has provided 70 million bowls of cereal and over £3million over the past 20 years to enable children to have the best possible start to the day. “It’s wonderful to be able to celebrate this landmark moment in our new community with those who have been directly supported by the programme.”

Perfectly Clear sponsors Crompton Primary School Sports Day CROMPTON Primary School in Oldham hosted a sports day with a difference, as it was sponsored by drinks producer Perfectly Clear. Perfectly Clear donated £150 to the school to be spent on a range of sports equipment, alongside donating bottles of its still flavoured water, providing tasty hydration to the children and their parents throughout the day. Perfectly Clear, one of the first flavoured water brands to be produced in the UK, is encouraging children across the nation to get active and keep hydrated by sponsoring their school sports days. Headteacher Lara Beaumont, commented: “We were delighted that Perfectly Clear sponsored our sports day and helped to make the day such a success. The donation of £150 was really helpful and it will be invested on

new sports equipment for our school which we can use all year round. The donated water kept the children and their parents hydrated throughout the afternoon. What’s more, as an Eco School, the bottle recycling bin will improve our recycling efforts.” Katerina Gilbert, Marketing Director at Perfectly Clear, said: “At Perfectly Clear, we believe in healthy hydration and so we make sure all our flavoured water products contain zero sugar and they taste delicious, making them an ideal drink for an active day! Supporting the local community and influencing children (and adults) to be physically active while keeping hydrated is in important part of our social responsibility strategy for Perfectly Clear. “Sponsoring local primary schools’ sports days across the country has been

so much fun and seeing the kids joining in and having fun with sports is the ideal way to wrap up the school year on a positive note. We are pleased the

children at Crompton Primary School had a great day and we look forward to supporting other sports days in the future.”

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CSR

Tech brand tackles ‘Holiday Hunger’ with 18,000 meals HOSTING firm UKFast has announced its commitment to provide 18,000 meals to school children living in poverty in Greater Manchester over the summer holiday period. Recent statistics show that 32% of children in Greater Manchester are living in poverty, many of whom go without proper nutrition outside of the school calendar. Russell Feingold, UKFast’s Director of CSR, said: “More than 76,000 children across Greater Manchester receive free school meals during term time. That’s a huge number of extra meals for parents to find during the summer holidays, along with the spiralling overheads of childcare. For many families, their income doesn’t stretch that far. “Summer clubs are essential in bridging both the childcare gap and holiday hunger, which is why UKFast is supporting three projects across the region, delivering 18,000 meals throughout the summer.” UKFast is supporting Holiday

Hunger projects at initiatives across Greater Manchester, including Bolton Lads’ and Girls’ Club, One Manchester Housing Association and Manchester Youth Zone (formerly Factory Youth Zone). The firm’s support means more meals for more children in these areas

over the summer period. Karen Edwards OBE, CEO of Bolton Lads’ and Girls’ Club, added: “We are thrilled to be able to expand our holiday provision and be able to offer breakfast, lunch and an evening meal for our members. School holidays

are a critical time; fun, safe activities and regular meals are essential for healthy kids.” Gail Jones, UKFast MD, said: “The summer holidays should be a time of fun and making memories for families, instead the increased childcare costs add a huge weight to parents’ shoulders and is leaving many unable to make ends meet. Hearing that the loss of free school meals over the holidays can lead to a child losing half a stone in weight is simply unbearable. “Through our work with schools and young people, it became clear that this issue goes beyond a breakfast gap as we head into the summer break. We had to step in to help ensure these children get the nutrition they need and to ease the pressure on their parents.” UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones added: “Businesses have a huge amount of resources available at their fingertips. It’s up to us to use them to support the community we live and work in. You can expect to see more of this type of activity as we continue to grow.”

Business community comes together to raise £800 at Ward Hadaway charity BBQ THE sun shone and sausages sizzled at Ward Hadaway’s recent

fundraising BBQ in aid of The Booth Centre in Manchester.

Around 70 members of Manchester’s business community

enjoyed a good meal for a great cause and raised hundreds of pounds in the process recently. The BBQ event, which took place at Dukes 92 in Castlefield, raised over £800. Amy Hinks from the Booth Centre attended and spoke about the work they do to help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in Manchester. This allowed those attending to get a better understanding of the work of the centre.

Rachel Birks, Partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “It was a fantastic turnout from the business community in Manchester and was very well received by everyone. There was also a raffle with some fantastic prizes which were kindly donated by local businesses and organisations. “As a business, it’s vital we support the local community in which we all live and work. Homelessness is a really

visual issue in Manchester at the moment. “The Booth Centre provides the basics of life for people like hot drinks, freshly cooked meals and a place to get a shower, but it is also more than that. It is a real community where people can learn skills to help gain employment and take part in activities which develop self esteem. I would really encourage other businesses to get involved with the Booth Centre.”

38 APPOINTMENTS

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Hilary Meredith joins Broughton House board BROUGHTON House, the Salford home for ex-servicemen and women, has strengthened its board with the appointment of solicitor Hilary Meredith as a trustee. For more than 30 years, Hilary has dedicated her career to the welfare of armed forces service personnel, their families and military veterans. She chairs Hilary Meredith Solicitors, which has offices in Wilmslow and London and is widely recognised for representing those injured in or bereaved by

armed forces accidents. Hilary has also served on several House of Commons defence select committee inquiries covering topics including access to justice for the armed forces and their families, and Gulf War Syndrome. Hilary said: “Broughton House is a charity that’s very close to my heart. I am absolutely committed to supporting armed forces service personnel, veterans and their families. “Hilary Meredith Solicitors was the first law firm to sign the

Clough & Willis grows Private Client team with new appointment Law firm Clough & Willis has grown its Private Client team with the appointment of Sarah Greene who joins as an assistant solicitor. Sarah, who lives in Prestwich, will be based out of the firm’s Bury headquarters and its Bolton office in Little Lever. Her appointment follows an increase in the demand for Private Client services and the continued growth of the Bolton office since it opened in 2016. Her new role will see her handle all types of Private Client matters including Wills, Trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection and Probate. Sarah is STEP qualified which is the industry standard diploma focusing on the study of the law and procedures in trust and estate administration, tax and accounting. Sarah said: “Clough & Willis is a forward thinking law firm that still puts its clients at the heart of the business. That approach was a real attraction and I’m now looking forward to adding

value to the firm.” Lee Marston, managing partner at Clough & Willis, added: “Sarah is a great addition to the team and her arrival further builds on our Private Client offering. Sarah is a talented lawyer and will, I’m sure, become central part of the department’s future.”

Armed Forces Covenant and I am full of admiration for the work that Broughton House does to ensure veterans and their families can live in the knowledge that support is on hand.” Chairman, Sir Netar Mallick, said: “We are delighted to welcome Hilary as our latest trustee. Her skills, background and commitment to supporting Britain’s service veterans will greatly benefit the board as we enter a hugely exciting period for Broughton House.”

Scanlans recruits senior surveyor in Manchester

PROPERTY management and surveying firm, Scanlans, has bolstered its Manchester team with the appointment of Andrew Ashworth as a senior surveyor. Andrew has joined Scanlans from Nolan Redshaw, where he began his career as a graduate surveyor in 2008. Andrew said: “Joining Scanlans is a brilliant career move for me. The opportunity to join one of the most respected consultancies in the region is very exciting and I look forward to being part of the ongoing expansion and success at Scanlans.” Philip Manson, a Scanlans partner and head of valuation in the firm’s Manchester office, said Andrew’s arrival reflects growing demand for the team’s services. Scanlans is a national practice with eight partners and over 70 staff across its offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, London and Cardiff.

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APPOINTMENTS August 2018

Ardenton Capital backs PP Control & Automation as it expands Manchester team

MANCHESTER-based Ardenton Capital has backed PP Control & Automation in the investor’s second deal. Ardenton now owns a majority stake in PP Control & Automation (PP), which employs more than 230 people at its world-class manufacturing facility in the West Midlands. Established in 1967 and headquartered in Walsall, PP is an outsourced equipment and machine manufacturer that has grown to become one of the world’s leading providers of control and automation solutions. Canada-headquartered Ardenton differs from most private equity firms by investing with a long-term focus with no intention to divest

the businesses it acquires. Ardenton has also expanded its Manchester team with the appointment of James Worrall, associate investment director; and Jonny Nixon, investment manager as it grows its UK presence. Iain Marlow, Director of Ardenton UK, said: “PP Control & Automation is a great example of a world class UK manufacturer exporting its services and products all over the globe. “We are exceptionally proud to have the opportunity to partner with Tony Hague and his management team to help take the business into its next phase of growth. “We’ve also invested heavily in our team in recent months. With the addition of James and Jonathan

we’re well placed to respond to the wealth of promising investment opportunities, while continuing to support our portfolio companies as they target further growth.” Chief executive officer, Tony Hague, PP Control & Automation, said: “We knew from the very first meeting with Ardenton Capital that its differentiated approach to sustained investment, with no intention to divest, perfectly aligned itself to the way we do business and will ensure we deliver on our ambitious expansion plans." "Ardenton targets majority investments in businesses alongside strong incumbent management teams who they seek to support in delivering long-term sustainable growth for their businesses."

Tech startup mentors We Are Nova appoint Head of Marketing

FOLLOWING an impressive period of company growth, with 15 new businesses co-founded since the beginning of the year, Manchester based, We Are Nova has begun the first in a series of marketing recruitments. Paul Dodd, previously of Gyro and Bevie, has joined Nova to lead the marketing team through the next phase of business growth. Paul will be responsible for developing the growing marketing team and creating a strategic plan to support the increasing number of tech startup businesses that they co-found. Speaking of his new appointment, Paul said: “Throughout my career, I’ve loved creating and growing brands. This new role has given me the opportunity to work with, and shape, some of the tech businesses of the future. I’m excited to join such a customer-focused business that is aligned with my approach of using customer understanding and insight to build successful brands." Andy Davidson, We Are Nova CEO, said “We are delighted to have Paul on the team, his marketing experience and successes speak for themselves. He has brought with him some really exciting plans that will allow us to grow both Nova and our co-founded digital startups.”

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APPOINTMENTS

pro-manchester welcomes new Chair ALISTAIR Cree, Partner in Eversheds Sutherland’s core corporate group, has taken up the role as pro-manchester’s new Chair. The post, which is elected annually, has most recently been filled by Jane Forbes, Partner at PwC. The Chair is accountable to the board of directors and represents pro-manchester members to ensure the organisation is ran with members’ interests at heart. Alistair took the reins at pro-manchester’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 12 July. Originally from Northern Ireland, Alistair has lived in Manchester since 2002 and is a huge advocate of Manchester being a great place to do business. Speaking at pro-manchester’s AGM this week, Alistair outlined his plans for his year as Chair.Alistair aims to help pro-manchester to support Manchester’s business community to grow even further: “To me, one of the key aspects of generating growth and focusing on the future, is to ensure that young people, whether they be people coming out of Manchester’s universities, or indeed graduates from around the country, or internationally, view Manchester as a place they want to live and work. “A great statistic that I saw recently is that half of the global population is under 25 and that whilst 25% of the workforce is currently under 25, within 10 years, 40% of the workforce will be under 25. These people are globally wired, entrepreneurial, collaborative and change-orientated, and we need to make Manchester and its business community relevant (and attractive) to them. “If we can promote Manchester to people coming through, as a city that can

give you the best of both worlds – top rated work within an environment that ticks the boxes on the work/life balance, this is a powerful combination. We need to make Manchester famous for it.” Pro-Manchester, Deputy CEO, Sam Booth, said: “We’re delighted that Alistair is taking up the role of pro-manchester Chair for the next year. Alistair brings with him a wealth of experience in the Manchester business community and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next 12 months.” pro-manchester raises money for its chair’s chosen charity at various events throughout the year, raising nearly £3,000 for Smart Works Greater Manchester last year. Alistair’s charity of choice is The Booth Centre, a charity which aims to bring positive change to the lives of people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and help them plan for and realise a better future.

BDP appoints Manchester Studio’s Sue Emms to Principal ARCHITECT Sue Emms has been appointed as Principal at Manchester-headquartered BDP, one of the world’s largest interdisciplinary design practices. Sue leads the practice’s education sector in the North of England and is currently working on projects for universities at Coventry, Keele, Sheffield Hallam and Warwick. Sue, from Bramhall, Cheshire, has delivered some of BDP’s most innovative and award-winning educational projects and aged 44 is the youngest of the seven Principals at BDP’s Manchester

Studio. She says she is passionate about supporting new talent into architecture. “I am heavily committed to nurturing new talent by supporting and mentoring the next generation into the profession,” said Sue, who is a Visiting Practice Professor at the University of Sheffield and External Examiner at the Manchester School of Architecture. “We need to see new pathways to support the diversification of new entrants, so that we are a profession which reflects the

society we design for,” she added. Chair of BDP’s Manchester Studio Gavin Elliott, said: “We are delighted to invite Sue Emms to become a principal. Sue is a superb designer and a fantastic communicator and I am convinced that her star will continue to rise, both nationally and in Manchester, as her role brings greater profile to her expertise and projects.” BDP has also appointed Simon Thurstan, a Building Services Engineer at the Manchester Studio, as a Director.

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APPOINTMENTS August 2018

New leadership team for Intelligent Conversation

Growth in corporate events inspires two new appointments at TLC WITH steady growth in the private events sector this year, and an upsurge in corporate event enquires for 2018/19, events management company, the Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC), has strengthened its events team with the recruitment of two new event managers. Natalie Eastwood joins TLC from Silverstone Circuits and Lauren Worsley from Hallmark Hotels, both taking up the role of corporate events manager. The duo, both graduates in events management, bring with them over 15 years of events management experience across the international sports, corporate and private sectors. The appointments bolster TLC’s corporate team and is part of the strategic development plan for 2017-18 that also saw Ellie Barnes

promoted to the post of operations director earlier this year. “Business is growing. Corporate enquiries are already up by 30% for 2019. It’s clear from the increase that companies are keen to invest in quality business events.” said TLC’s managing director Liz Taylor “In spite of the economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit, I am seeing an increase in confidence by our corporate clients in their own marketing futures. Meetings, conferences and recognition events are firmly back on their agenda." “Natalie and Lauren have joined us at an exciting time and their roles give us the additional employee support to deliver a series of events lined-up this year, but also a platform upon which to secure further growth in 2019.”

AS it starts its 10th year in business, Intelligent Conversation has announced that Kate Jones and Fritzi Wemheuer will take on the day-to-day running of the agency as Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director. Agency founder Libby Howard will oversee the company as CEO. The changes herald a new era for the multi award-winning PR & communications agency, which was established in 2009 and is now a £1.3m turnover business with a heavyweight UK and global client list. Clients include Synectics plc, EMIS Group plc, Brother International Europe and Belgium-headquartered 3D printing pioneer Materialise. Recent client wins include Eddie Stobart Logistics, Denmarkbased DISA, part of the Norican Group and Swiss-headquartered global IT solutions provider Ascom. The new appointments were made from within the 14-strong Manchesterbased team. Kate Jones has worked with the business since its inception and Fritzi Wemheuer joined from international b2b agency Gyro in 2012. Kate Jones, Intelligent Conversation’s new managing director,

said: “The experience and expertise of our team is IC’s core strength and continues to attract new clients from across the UK and internationally. It is fantastic to be part of the success to date and now to drive the future

growth of the business.” Libby Howard said: “Our ethos has always been to develop and reward our team, so it is particularly pleasing to promote two such talented people who have grown with the business. “I look forward to working closely with Kate, Fritzi and the whole team as we take the agency to new levels of success. We have some interesting development plans that this new structure will help us to deliver.”

Expansion for Taylors TAYLORS Solicitors have made two key appointments to bolster its team, with Quentin Duckworth and Rebecca Horne joining the practice Senior Associate Quentin Duckworth joins the firm’s Commercial Property team and will be based in Taylors Manchester office. Quentin specialises in all aspects of commercial property law, including acquisition and disposals. He has over 13 years’ experience and joins the firm from Turner Parkinson. Quentin said: “It’s a really exciting

time to be joining Taylors and I am delighted to be part of such a successful firm.” Solicitor Rebecca Horne joins Taylors commercial litigation team from commercial firm Ozon Solicitors in Manchester. Rebecca said: “This move represents a big step in my career, Taylors has established a name for quality and expertise among the North West business community and it’s exciting to be part of it.” Managing Partner Elaine Hurn, said:

“The appointments of Quentin and Rebecca to their respective teams will provide even greater strength in depth." With offices in Blackburn and Manchester, Taylors is a commercial law firm exclusively acting for company clients. The dynamic and highly experienced lawyers at Taylors are committed to providing the highest quality service through a first-hand understanding of our clients’ business priorities and specific requirements.

PROPERTY

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db symmetry expansion continues with new Northern office NATIONAL logistics developer db Symmetry has reaffirmed its commitment to growth across the North with the announcement that the company is to move its Manchester headquarters to Victoria Buildings on Albert Square in Manchester city centre. The company will relocate from its existing residence at Old Bank Chambers, in St Anne’s Square, located in the heart of the city, the Grade II listed building is owned by LJ Real Estate and is home to occupiers including Royal British Legion Occupier and Lyons Wilson. Built in 1877, Victoria Buildings forms part of the Albert Estate, a community of dynamic businesses based in four iconic properties around Manchester’s Albert Square. The building, which was designed in the Gothic style by Manchester-

based architects Pennington and Bridgen, has been fully restored with workspaces fit for modern business needs. Andrew Cowell, Transactions and Asset Management, OBI Property said: “It is great news db symmetry is moving to Victoria Buildings. The building is home to a diverse range of businesses and it is great to see it now fully occupied.” The new office move, follows on from two senior appointments in the last six months at db symmetry. In March, Matt Claxton came on board as the company’s associate planning director and in December Paul Chatterjee was appointed as development director. Speaking about the new office relocation, Andrew Dickman, director at db symmetry, commented: “Relocating to

Victoria Buildings is a key strategic move for us as we continue to drive forward with our growth ambitions across the north. “Albert Square is a thriving hub at the centre of Manchester’s business and

New look for Manchester’s Universal Square

commercial district and is ideally suited for our business’ needs. As well as being located in a highly popular and soughtafter destination, the building has been fitted out to an incredibly impressive standard- so it ticks every box.”

MCR Property has completed a comprehensive refurbishment of Universal Square in Manchester city centre. The 280,000 sq ft office campus has been fully reclad and new windows have been fitted throughout. Internally the café and communal areas have been refurbished. The office space now benefits from new air conditioning, LG7 lighting, raised access floor and suspended ceiling. Occupiers at the scheme include, Carfinance 247, Uber, Softcat and Kaplan Financial. In recent months space has been let to Manchester City Council. Located on the eastern fringe of Manchester

city centre within close proximity to the Northern Quarter, Ancoats and Piccadilly, Universal Square also offers meeting/ conference facilities, an onsite gym, café/restaurant, outdoor breakout areas and a free shuttle bus into the city centre. Charles Denby, Asset Manager at MCR Property, said: “Our ongoing investment into Universal Square has undoubtedly helped to attract a number of high profile tenants to the scheme as well as SME’s which are thriving in our small business centre. We look forward to working with our agents to market the remaining space.”

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PROPERTY August 2018

Social housing tender success for Ward Hadaway WARD Hadaway has secured several new major clients for its social housing team. The team at the Top 100 law firm, which has offices in Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester, now represents Leeds Federated, Your Housing Group, North Star Housing, Mosscare St. Vincent’s and Broadacres Housing Association following tender wins. Together, these five social housing providers manage tens of thousands of homes across the North and are committed to building and developing many more social homes each year. The appointments mean that Ward Hadaway will advise the Housing Associations across a whole range of different legal services, including land, planning, property, employment and corporate matters. Each contract will be from two

to four years with possible extensions. Ward Hadaway’s Social Housing Group is headed up by John Murray and comprises specialists across the firm with particular expertise in social housing. This includes Property partners Helen O’Neill and Julia Thomson, Banking and Finance partner Julie Harrison, consultant Mitch Brown, charities and commercial partner Fiona Wharton, Employment partner Paul Scope, Planning partner Kamran Hyder and Employment consultant Joe Thornhill. Established in 1993 and operating largely in North Yorkshire, Broadacres is a notfor-profit housing association based in Northallerton. It owns and manages more than 6,000 homes. It elected Ward Hadaway to contribute to its aim of delivering excellent local housing and support services

across North Yorkshire. Your Housing Group currently has more than 28,000 homes across the North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands. The Group selected Ward Hadaway for its professionalism and understanding. Mosscare St Vincent’s are a community-based landlord with around 8,500 properties across the North West. It was formed by the merger of Mosscare Housing and St. Vincent’s in 2017, during which Ward Hadaway provided due diligence support. It plans to build more than 1,200 new homes over the next seven years. Leeds Federated is a housing association with around 4,000 properties across Leeds, Wakefield and North Yorkshire. Ward Hadaway will work with the provider as one of its panel firms across all areas of their business, including

building new homes and tenancy management. North East-based Housing Association, North Star, provides affordable housing and develops new homes across Tees Valley, North Yorkshire and County Durham. Ward Hadaway has also been appointed to the West Yorkshire Legal Framework for three years. The firm was selected as one of only a handful of firms to provide organisations with legal support in nine areas of law covering everything from childcare and community law through to employment and pensions law and public health. Local authorities who can access the firm’s services via the framework are Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council and Wakefield Council. The City of York Council is also a participant

within the framework. Head of Social Housing, John Murray, said: “Our success in all of these tenders further reinforces Ward Hadaway’s position as one of the leading practices in the social housing field and is credit to the unrivalled expertise and experience of our housing team. “We are absolutely delighted to be appointed to these legal services panels. They are significant appointments for Ward Hadaway and we are looking forward to growing our relationship with all of them. “This is hugely significant for the social housing team at Ward Hadaway and is recognition of the hard work we have been delivering in the social housing sector. The appointments will certainly further strengthen our credentials in the sector.”

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PROPERTY

Thompson Solicitors relocates to Orbit’s 55 King Street property THOMPSON Solicitors has moved into new city centre offices in Manchester after leasing 12,700 sq ft at Orbit Development’s 55 King Street property. The leading personal injury firm has moved its 117 strong team into the property following a comprehensive fit out. Ian Bounds, Estates Manager for Thompson Solicitors, has been managing a programme of nationwide relocations for the business. He commented: “55 King Street is ideal for our requirements as the business has been able to relocate all

staff onto a single floor, satisfying a primary relocation objective. Yet we have also managed to deliver a unique workspace that limits the sometimes distracting influence of large, open plan working environments, ensuring staff wellbeing and productivity.” Thompsons Solicitors’ team of personal injury specialists were previously based in Pearl Assurance House, spread across multiple floors, managing personal injury claims, road and workplace accident claims, medical negligence, industrial disease and asbestos claims.

Property marketing experts announce new work space, people and contracts BLAZE Marketing has moved to spacious, new, loft-style offices in The Ironworks on South King Street in Manchester city centre to accommodate a growing team and increasing workload from property sector clients. Graphic Designer Richard McLeod is the newest Blaze recruit, specialising in brand identity and print. Formerly with Neville Johnson, Richard brings high end innovative design experience to the Blaze service offering. Creative Director Kevin Whitter, commented: “Richard has a passion for illustration and photography which, combined with his branding experience at Neville Johnson, makes him an ideal fit for our team. He is already contributing to our bespoke full service solution for clients – from the initial branding of a property right through to its on and offline supporting collateral.” Blaze now employs five full-time staff and is the only property marketing specialist in the North West to have a qualified chartered surveyor working alongside creative professionals. Co-founder and RICSqualified Daniel Bourmad provides clients with a uniquely-informed perspective on what it takes to succeed in the sector.

Fuelling expansion at the agency is a cluster of high profile contract wins including Summers Quay for Cavendish Property Developments in Stalybridge. Blaze has been working on the £8million scheme of 67 one and two-bedroom apartments which is part of the stylish canal-side commercial and residential mix development. Kevin added: “We developed a detailed strategic plan for the site including a brand, brochure, signage, marketing suite and website and am delighted to say a third of the apartments were pre-let in the first month of release, six months prior to practical completion.” Thorngrove Land & Property is another client benefiting from a high quality marketing campaign of signage, brochures and website from Blaze in support of Copper Beeches, an exclusive development of four luxury homes in Sandbach. Daniel concluded: “We recently celebrated four years in the market and are really pleased with progress and excited about what 2018 will bring. We certainly have the people, skills and surroundings to increase our national client base, add further value to our current clients and enable further significant growth this year.”

PROPERTY August 2018

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One Manchester surpasses house building targets two years early

HOUSING provider One Manchester has exceeded its ambitions to build 500 new homes across south and east Manchester within five years, with a total of 663 new homes recently either completed, under construction, or with full approval to go ahead within the next few months. At its inception in April 2015, One Manchester committed to provide more affordable housing and tenure options for residents across the city. Just three years later and faced with an unprecedented rise in homelessness across the city, One Manchester is doubling the target of its original pledge and is now committed to delivering at least 1,000 homes by 2020. As a leading provider of quality homes, One Manchester’s mission is to act as much more than a social landlord. The organisation prioritises creating resilient communities and outstanding community resources, helping people to manage their money, gain new skills, start businesses and

stay healthy as well. With Manchester’s rapid expansion becoming more visible in the growth of major private developments and private rented accommodation, a lack of newer good quality and affordable housing is highlighting growing inequalities across the city. To help tackle some of these issues, One Manchester is looking at ways to intervene in poorly managed and maintained privaterented sector homes, particularly in East Manchester. The organisation is working with its partners and stakeholders to develop proposals and has sponsored a major conference in July, with the support of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, to bring together views on how interventions could work across the wider region. One Manchester is also investing in ending the plight of entrenched rough sleeping in the city, by contributing towards the SIB (Social Impact Bond) with Trafford Housing Trust

and Bridges Fund Management; a project which has now engaged over 500 rough sleepers and has so far resulted in over 60 people securing accommodation. One Manchester’s Group Chief Executive, Dave Power, said: “We set out to be ambitious with our initial plan to build 500 new homes in five years, so to have surpassed this target with two years remaining is an absolutely incredible achievement by all of the team.” In the three years prior to merger and One Manchester’s subsequent formation in 2015, Eastlands Homes and City South Manchester between them provided around 50 new build homes. Dave Power added: “The whole point of the merger was to pool our expertise and resources to help raise more money and drive efforts towards building much needed new homes across Manchester. It’s very encouraging to see from the results that this decision has proved to be so

effective. One Manchester manages more than 12,000 homes in central, south and east Manchester, and has launched a number of new build housing developments over the past three years. As well as creating new homes, One Manchester has also committed a £500,000 fund over the same fiveyear period to donate amounts ranging from £1,000 to £5,000, to community groups. The fund has developed into the city’s ever-popular Community Soup events. Community Soups have seen £325,000 invested into more than 150 community projects, benefiting more than 5,000 people living across the city. Dave concluded: “We’re remarkably pleased with everything that One Manchester has achieved in its first three years. We work alongside some amazing communities, and we’re really proud that everything we do creates a better place for residents to live and to enjoy their lives.”

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Bruntwood’s flexible serviced space attracts trio to Trafford house A TRIO of fast-growing businesses has located at Bruntwood’s Trafford House on Chester Road, taking three flexible serviced offices with the leading regional property company. Daniel Owen, a recruitment company specialising in the construction environment; Sauter Automation, a building management and room automation specialist; and Linear Recruitment, which specialises in construction recruitment, have all moved into new office spaces at the building. Trafford House is situated between Manchester United FC and Old Trafford Cricket Club on Chester Road in Old Trafford. The landmark building offers high-quality, flexible serviced office space, which is proving particularly popular with the fastgrowing SMEs. Many businesses look to stay and expand within the building and relish the opportunity presented by the short, flexible leases, which are available for as little as one month – ideal for growing companies with changing or temporary requirements. Andrew Cooke, regional director at Bruntwood, said: “Flexibility can be the difference between sink or swim for many small businesses, and that’s something we understand. Providing a location which supports and enables companies to thrive and grow is at the heart of our ambition for Trafford House and we’re so pleased to be welcoming two new businesses and continuing a valued relationship with an existing customer. “A lot of our customers grow with us, and as such, we also offer expansion space for businesses that want to move to a managed leased office option. We wish our new arrivals every success and

look forward to seeing them thrive in their new space.” Bruntwood has invested in a new wireless infrastructure which will allow customers to take their secure, high speed network beyond their desk, and into the new business lounge, meeting room and co-working booths. Furthermore, Trafford House is one of the most highly connected buildings in the area with speeds available today of up to 10Gb. Linear Recruitment has taken 12 desks in the building. The company offers temporary, contract and

permanent recruitment services across construction, rail, power and utilities, and industrial sectors. Adam Turner, Managing Director, Linear Recruitment, said: “We’re excited to further expand our North West operation by moving to Trafford House. As a well-established national construction recruitment brand, we work with major construction businesses across the North West region sourcing and placing high quality candidates in temporary, contract, and permanent roles, often working on an exclusive basis.

“I’m delighted Bruntwood has been able to accommodate the sustained, year on year growth we’re seeing in our business, and in the North West construction market as a whole. It’s an impressive office space which reflects our commitment to providing the highest quality service to all those we work with, and we’re looking forward to welcoming our clients and candidates soon. I wish Caroline Oberman, our Regional Manager, and her team every success in Linear Manchester’s new home.”

Regional Office: Ground Floor Units 6 & ‪7 Eastway Business Village Oliver's Place Fulwood PR2 9WT‬

Regional office: Tec Marina Terra Nova Way Penarth CF64 1SA enquiries@xcina.co.uk Tel 0800 999 3339

Head Office: Juxon House 100 St Pauls Churchyard LONDON EC4M 8BU‬