Business Manchester December 2018 by The Samuel James Group

Manchester Airport soars to 28 million passengers

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£20m ‘Made Smarter’ page 2 December 2018

Peel L&P reveals new look for iconic MediaCityUK building ONE of MediaCityUK’s most photographed office buildings, ‘The Victoria’, is undergoing a major refurb and has repositioned itself simply as ‘The Vic’, to reflect a more modern, flexible and people-focussed design ethos. Investing in a £9m transformation of the 115,000 sq ft building and its external spaces, Peel Land & Property (Peel L&P) is pitching The Vic as one of the most desirable and ‘chilled-out’ waterside office locations in Greater Manchester. With a focus on health, wellbeing and mindfulness, The Vic has been redesigned to appeal to the needs of the modern occupier looking for spaces to serve a range of working styles. Designed around themes of collaboration, creativity, relaxation and healthy living, The Vic will offer areas for exercise, socialising and lush green outdoor spaces to promote calm and quiet contemplation, all against the backdrop of a tranquil waterside setting. Newly added on-site amenities include a bike store, locker and shower scheme, an enhanced ‘Bean’ café and dedicated spaces for Yoga and Pilates. Tim Taylor, leasing manager for Peel L&P, said: “The Vic is a complete rethink of one of

our largest and most prominent buildings in MediaCityUK. The well-documented evidence that workspaces need to serve the ever-changing attitudes of the modern occupier inspired us to evolve the proposition for the building to one that is more relaxed and fluid in its design. We also wanted people to connect more with the calming influence of natural landscaping and water. “We’ve included little touches like outdoor breakfast bars on the waterside terrace meaning you will be able to grab a coffee from Bean and work in the fresh air, connected to the WiFi,

whilst overlooking a lush, green, waterside setting. There’s not a lot of places in Greater Manchester where you can do that so we’re excited about our plans and we think it will prove popular with businesses who care about the wellbeing of their staff.” Using the latest research and stats on wellbeing, which reveal that people who can see a green environment from their workspace are healthier and more productive, Peel L&P has transformed and repositioned The Vic to support the ultimate healthy work-life balance.

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A NEW £20 million initiative, designed to embed advanced digital technology across the North West’s manufacturing sector to boost productivity, was officially launched recently as part of Digital Manufacturing Week. Backed by Government and some of the world’s biggest businesses, the Made Smarter North West programme is set to engage with 3,000 SME manufacturers based in Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region. Greater Manchester companies which get involved in the project will get the chance to access match funded support and advice regarding how industrial digital technologies (IDT), including robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing and the Internet of Things (IoT), could revolutionise their manufacturing processes. A number of Greater Manchester firms will also qualify for more intensive business support, gaining access to match-funded grants, bespoke consultancy, mentoring and other resources which will help them to accelerate commercial growth. It is anticipated that by becoming a test-bed for new types of technologies and advanced processes, the region’s manufacturing sector could generate a 25% increase in productivity and add £115m to the North West economy. Embracing the principles of Made Smarter could also help to open up new markets, increase exports and create hundreds of additional high-skilled, highvalue jobs across Greater Manchester. This follows an announcement in the recent budget that up to £121 million of additional Made Smarter programme funding would be made available across the country as part of government’s £1.1 billion Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. As well providing significant funding to

£20m ‘Made Smarter’ programme launched to boost

manufacturing sector across Greater Manchester

underpin the Made Smarter concept, Government has also worked closely with industry to drive the programme. A formal partnership between the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the private sector, the programme is overseen by the Made Smarter Commission. Co-Chaired by Business Secretary Greg Clarke, and CEO of Siemens, Juergen Maier, the Commission includes representatives from 17 leading employers and organisations directly linked to manufacturing. As well as Siemens, who employ 1,000 people in Greater Manchester, other members of the Commission with a major presence in the North West include Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Airbus and Jaguar Land Rover. Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens, said: “Made Smarter has the potential to kick start a new industrial revolution for our manufacturing sector and be a catalyst for new investment in the latest digital technologies. At its core will be helping local businesses to innovate, creating new growth and

December 2018

technology opportunities in the process. “It’s a hugely exciting time for Greater Manchester, and I believe this is truly a once in a generational opportunity to boost productivity and create the high value, highly paid jobs of the future.” Made Smarter will be delivered across Greater Manchester by the GC Business Growth Hub, while its regional roll-out will be co-ordinated by Donna Edwards, Managing Director for Business Support and Business Finance at the Manchester-based Growth Company. Donna Edwards, said: “Growth Hub advisers across Greater Manchester regularly engage with manufacturers who are interested in adopting new hi-tech processes but are unsure how to go about it. There are also worries about how much to invest and deciding which technologies will bring the greatest benefits. “Made Smarter North West has been developed specifically to address these needs, and through advice, support and a programme of match-funded grants it will offer hundreds of Greater Manchester companies the chance to tackle existing challenges, explore new ideas and drive economic growth.” Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “From cottonopolis to graphene, Greater Manchester has a long tradition of leading the world in new forms of manufacturing and commercial innovation. “Through Made Smarter North West, we now have a fantastic opportunity to embed digital technology and advanced manufacturing throughout our manufacturing industry and wider supply chains.” The Made Smarter North West launch took place as part of Digital Manufacturing Week and the Manufacturers Leaders’ Summit. The Summit is a national conference hosted at Liverpool Arena dedicated to the latest digital manufacturing technologies. Also present were several North West SMEs who already have developed or deployed IDT within their manufacturing processes. These included Rochdale’s Crystal Doors, a vinyl door manufacturer which uses robotics, 3D modelling and hi-tech dust extraction technology across their operations. Richard Hagan, Crystal Doors Managing Director, said: “When I tell people we make doors, many of them picture a sawdust-filled workshop, tins of wood stain and boxes of door handles. However, when they visit our facility and see the level of automation we utilise, and the precision technology which we apply to production, they are genuinely stunned. “The efficiencies such processes bring also impact massively on our bottom line and I would encourage any Greater Manchester manufacturer, from any sector, to explore how an initiative like Made Smarter North West could change the way they work.”

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WELCOME

CONTENTS DIGITAL 6

...to the December 2018 edition of Business Manchester. In this issue, we look at how the region’s manufacturing sector is set to benefit from a £20 million programme.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

We also learn more about the founding partners of the Tackle4MCR imitative and how Bolton is top for job satisfaction.

EDUCATION 12

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 and business centres.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

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. We hope you enjoy this edition. If you have a story for either online orthe newspaper, please email the press release with a picture to Editor@businessmanchester.co.uk Finally, a Merry Christmas from everybody at Business Manchester.

CONTACTS & CONTRIBUTORS

AWARDS 16 19

INTERNATIONAL 28 ACQUISITIONS 29 TRANSPORT 32 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

APPOINTMENTS 35 PROPERTY 39

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December 2018

Founding Partners of Tackle4MCR announced THE founding partners of Tackle4MCR, a campaign to tackle rough sleeping and led by Vincent Kompany and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, have been revealed. It comes after both Manchester City and Belgium captain Vincent Kompany and the Mayor urged those ‘with a big heart for Manchester and the means to make a difference’ to become Gold or Platinum Partners of Tackle4MCR, whilst launching the project in September. Wealth management company Equilibrium, fit-out specialist Workspace Design & Build, the UK’s number one cloud services provider ANS, regional mid-market private equity firm Palatine and one of the UK’s leading concert promoters S.J.M. Concerts are now the official Founding Partners of Tackle4MCR. The funds raised by Tackle4MCR, a special fundraising vehicle set up in the form of a limited company for

one year by Andy and Vincent, will go to the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Homelessness Fund, and more specifically the recently launched ‘A Bed Every Night’ campaign which states ‘Nobody should have to sleep rough on the streets of Greater Manchester’. Vincent Kompany, who has pledged to make use of the momentum generated by his testimonial season at Manchester City to assist the Mayor as one of his top priorities, said: “The commitment of the five Founding Partners of Tackle4MCR is heart-warming and sends out a powerful message about this project. “We’re looking forward to working with them over the next 12 months as we aim to tackle what we have set out to do.” This comes after Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham pledged, on his first day in office, to end the need for rough sleeping in the city-

region by 2020, while also setting up The Mayor’s Homelessness Fund. Alongside the fund and donating 15% of his salary to it each month, the Mayor established the Greater Manchester Homeless Action Network which brings together local authorities, charities, voluntary, social enterprise, faith and community organisations from across the cityregion. Together they have set out their ‘A Bed Every Night’ action plan which is now live. Funds raised by Tackle4MCR will bring this plan to life. Those who do sign up to Tackle4MCR will follow a considered approach spanning the full length of the football season, incorporating a unique gala dinner, a participative city-wide #FootballFriday campaign, with an important awareness element around rough sleeping aimed at schools, culminating in a testimonial gala match at the Etihad Stadium following the close of the 2018/19

season and courtesy of Manchester City. Every penny of Tackle4MCR charity funds will be managed by the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Homelessness Fund. The Fund will utilise the money raised efficiently and transparently to support the ‘A Bed Every Night’ action plan. Andy Burnham, said: “Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in Greater Manchester is my top personal priority. Over the coming winter, our aim is to provide a place for every person sleeping rough, starting this month and running right through until 31 March. “We are working hard on raising the funding we need and I am very pleased that Tackle4MCR, a project spearheaded by Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, is backing our work. Every penny raised during this, his testimonial year, will go towards supporting A Bed Every Night."

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Manchester Tech Trust launches new angel group THE Tech Nation Report 2018, published earlier this year, says that the number one challenge faced by start-ups in Manchester’s tech cluster is access to funding. This is particularly acute in early stage funding which is typically provided by angel investors. This is why Manchester Tech Trust have launched Manchester Tech Trust Angels, a group of experienced technology investors which recently made its first investment of £350k in biomedical AI company, Biorelate, in a £700k round alongside Maven Equity Finance and Catapult Ventures. In their 2014 report, Technology Enterprise in Greater Manchester, Manchester Tech Trust said that “for the start-up or small SME, finding funding can be a chaotic process” because, although “there are many active high net worth individuals in the NW who regularly make significant investments in early stage businesses their profile is low, preferring to stay within their small networks and usually behind the more public face of corporate finance or funding aggregators”. Four years on, and despite the significant growth of the digital

and tech economy and the many new companies, initiatives and workspaces, Manchester Tech Trust believes that Manchester remains critically underserved by angel investment when compared to other major UK cities, and decided to do something about it. In 2017, they organised a dinner with a number of angel investors from the NW and invited Peter Cowley, chair of the Cambridge Angels, to join them. Over dinner, they heard how the highly successful angel network was brought together to invest in technology in Cambridge, and discussed how Manchester might learn from their experience. It was agreed that Manchester Tech Trust would organise meetings to introduce potential investee companies to the angels and, following several meetings, this culminated this year in the investment in Biorelate. Founded in 2014, Biorelate uses existing knowledge to help scientists solve difficult biomedical challenges, enabling smarter and faster research and development. The company’s technology uses AI to curate data and information that’s relevant to biomedical concepts from

published literature such as journals, patents and clinical trials. Biorelate’s technology platform extracts more value from data in science texts, 80% of which is unused. Its initial focus is in working with companies in the very early stages of drug discovery to help them make better use of this data on the path to producing viable new treatments Its CEO, Dan Jamieson, has a background in biology and bioinformatics and is supported by a highly skilled and dedicated senior management team. Dr Daniel Jamieson, CEO at Biorelate, said: “Manchester Tech Trust gave us a platform in which to engage with a credible group of high-profile Manchester-based angels who I’m now delighted to be working with. It’s unlikely we would have had this exposure without the help of Peter and his colleagues and I very much hope that other early stage businesses can benefit from the professionalism we encountered.” Nathan Day, Manchester Tech, Trust Angel added: “Like

many investors, we’re looking for scalable businesses in high growth sectors, so Biorelate was a good fit from the outset. We were also impressed by Dan and his team and this gave us confidence to look at the business fundamentals and then syndicate the investment across the angel group. I was delighted to join the Biorelate board and look forward to working with Dan and the team. Peter Lusty, CEO at Manchester Tech Trust, said: “We have known Dan for some time and were pleased to provide a substantial proportion of the investment in his latest round. Biorelate appealed to our angels because it has highly innovative technology that solves problems in a complex and mature industry. This is the first of, hopefully, many investments for Manchester Tech Trust Angels, a group that we have been nurturing for just over a year. We look forward to raising our profile over the coming months as we introduce new tech angels to the group.”

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Quotezone encourages students to apply for fintech scholarship QUOTEZONE, one of the UK’s leading financial comparison platforms, is encouraging higher education students in Manchester to apply for its new fintech scholarship, provided they aren’t studying finance or computer science. The fintech firm’s contrarian approach to fostering greater diversity in fintech has been hailed by leading academics, politicians and business leaders. NB Pedersen, FinTech Programme Leader at Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “FinTech is a diverse and growing sector which is open to people from all backgrounds. No matter who you are, if you have a big idea and combine this with grit and passion, the sky is the limit. That said, you don’t have to do everything yourself. FinTech is all about people, collaboration and sharing.” Lady Borwick, former member of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, added: “It is vital that we do all we can to create jobs and opportunities for the next generation, investing in our young people in order to enable them to drive innovation forward. “Whether it’s in banking, financial services, technology, media or the arts, finance and technology training is vital. That’s why this scholarship

matters, because it gives young people the opportunity to explore these vital skills, which can in turn help them to take advantage of all the possibilities and career options that arise for them in the future.” Daniel Broby, Course Director, agreed: “Initiatives like this are exactly what the Fintech sector needs. The financial sector is being reinvented and we need

people not technology. Those industries, sectors and nations that prosper are those that fully recognise that the real valueadded of technology lies in how it is integrated with new work, skills, roles and organisational forms." Launched in 2005, Quotezone has grown to become one of the UK’s leading financial comparison platforms,

bright students to think out of the box. In this respect, diversity of backgrounds is a proven recipe for success.” Chris Ivory, Professor of Technology and Organisation at Lord Ashcroft International Business School, added: “This scholarship underlines the increasing realisation that the future competitive advantage of digital technology lies with

processing almost 3 million price comparisons each year. Greg Wilson, the fintech entrepreneur behind Quotezone. co.uk, commented on the company’s new Fintech Scholarship: “Talented graduates are the lifeblood of the fintech sector, but our industry faces a looming talent shortage in the not-too-distant future. “As an established player in

this sector, Quotezone is keen to connect with students that may never have considered a career in fintech, and encourage them to explore how they can be part of this dynamic, fastgrowing industry no matter what degree they’re currently working towards. “While tech companies like ours continue to need computer scientists, and many financial services companies depend on finance graduates, the fintech sector also has a lot to gain from attracting a diversity of other skillsets to the industry, whether that’s law students, liberal arts majors, engineers, philosophy scholars or life scientists. “In fact, although I’m the CEO of one of the UK’s leading financial comparison platforms, I graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, which many of today’s university students might not view as a typical entry point to a successful career in fintech. That’s why our new scholarship programme is specifically designed for students that may never have considered a career in this sector. “The financial services industry has a lot to offer graduates, but we need to demonstrate that our industry cares about these young professionals and is committed to advancing their careers, no matter which degree programme they complete.”

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BJSS dedicates resources to inspire and encourage young women into STEM BJSS, the UK’s leading privatelyowned IT and business consultancy, and recent winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, has announced sponsorship of Digital Her: Inspire & Empower Roadshow to expand its support in inspiring and empowering girls in Manchester to engage with STEM-related subjects. The programme, launched by Manchester Digital, will be rolled out across Greater Manchester to inspire as many young women in the region into careers in the digital industry. The visits will educate school pupils on the opportunities available to them in the industry and provide them with practical experiences to help them make informed choices and expose them to industry role models. According to estimates, women make up between 11% and 17% of the UK technology industry. BJSS is proactively spearheading an increase of female representation across the industry and sees this partnership as a key part in its mission to encourage greater gender diversity across the tech industry. Key BJSS female role models will participate in these events and inspire delegates through interactive workshops and sessions. As part of the company’s

award-winning CSR programme, BJSS is also the official partner for Turinglab, an organisation dedicated to teaching fundamental coding skills to school children aged between 11 and 16. Part of this initiative is aimed at a number of state funded girls schools in Manchester, Leeds, London, Nottingham and Glasgow to ensure a fairer gender balance in STEM education. Managing Director at Manchester Digital, Katie Gallagher, said: “We are very pleased to have BJSS on board as partners for our Digital Her programme. Inspiring young women to take up careers in digital and tech really isn’t possible without support from industry. Forward thinking companies like BJSS are committed to working with us to make a difference and ensure that our industry is inclusive and diverse.” Matt Whalley, Head of Delivery for Manchester, commented: “We are proud to be an advocate for diversity in the technology sector, and very pleased that Manchester Digital is joining our portfolio of award-winning CSR partners. Together we will continue to promote our shared values of digital diversity and help shape the exciting future of technology in the North.”

Vincent Kompany invests in sports tech business Vincent Kompany has been named as a strategic advisor and investor at Rezzil. Rezzil powered by MiHiepa is a unique performance and analysis technology, created to develop mental resilience, decision making and matchreadiness in players at the highest level. The Manchester City and Belgian captain will bring his knowledge and experience to the product’s development, at a time when Rezzil is being installed at a number of highprofile football clubs across Europe and beginning expansion into the global market with its first New York office. Rezzil combines a VR headset and sensors to create a real-world training experience, allowing players to develop or rehabilitate in engaging sessions and drills. Vincent said: “There is evidence that a player loses a significant percentage of his/her cognitive abilities when injured. I’ve always tried to keep my mind sharp during recovery by combining the physical work with cognitive work like watching my team mates train and play games, attending team meetings or studying. Rezzil offers intelligent cerebral solutions to physical problems, which makes recovering more fun. “I decided to invest in Rezzil because I think their approach to the future of cognitive development in football is cutting edge. I feel very passionate about this and I’m excited to get involved.” Rezzil helps players develop mental

and cognitive resilience and helps to find the players who will perform in the first second of their debut and the last second of a final. Vincent Kompany’s storied career is a case study in resilience and makes him the perfect ambassador for the platform, from winning the Belgian Golden Boot at age 18 while at Anderlecht, to beating persistent injuries to be named Premier League Player of the Season, going on to win three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, three Football League titles and two Community Shields. Andy Etches, Sports Director, added: “Vincent is one of the few players who have played at the top level for over a decade. He brings an immense amount of experience that only truly elite players like him can bring. His advice and input will help us shape Rezzil into a platform that helps elite players stay at the top of their game whilst improving the skills of thousands of young players across the world.” Adam Dickinson, Development Director, said: “Experience has told us that development of cutting-edge product is all about the quality of research and rapid iteration. So, the investment, knowledge and partnership that Vincent brings to the table is extremely exciting, as it is truly second to none. It ensures both our elite and academy platforms will reach their true potential, whilst bolstering the capabilities of our planned consumer products on the next generation of consoles.”

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WonderBill choses Manchester as a hub for technology talent WONDERBILL, a bill management and switching service backed by Shell Ventures and BCG Digital Ventures, has officially selected Manchester as a key hub for technology talent, opening up its Manchester office. The new UK office sits in the heart of Spinningfields and one fifth of the WonderBill team is now based in the city. WonderBill launched in 2016 in order to help the

public manage its household bills via a simple app. Currently headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, the company already has around more than 50 employees, with over 115 connected household providers available. Users of the app are not only able to manage their household bills (including, electricity, gas, TV, broadband, mobile telecoms and water) and subscription services (such

as Netflix and Spotify), but can also switch energy tariffs, mobile & broadband plans and insurance providers at the touch of button. WonderBill analyses a user’s bill data to make personalised switch suggestions based on ‘actual’ usage, versus current deals and bundles, to ensure up-to-date, accurate savings amounts. This regional expansion was driven by a spike in consumer demand as an increasing number of Brits

strive to become ‘bill brave’, seeking to take control of their household finances with the use of WonderBill. As demand increases, the company’s need to recruit the very latest technology talent has also grown and the firm considers Manchester to be the perfect location to support this expansion. Gary Higham, the VP of Engineering at WonderBill, explained: “The business is in a time of exponential growth

and our next move is critical to our continued success. Manchester has an extensive talent pool for skilled software engineers and developers, so it’s clear to see why it’s a prime location for us to start expanding our WonderBill development team. We are actively looking for ambitious candidates for our new office location as we look to enhance our app’s functionality and meet the growing demand of bill-savvy consumers.”

10 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

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Workplace mental health – tips for employers Stevie Hoyle from Farleys Solicitors shares her thoughts Stress awareness and mental wellbeing has never been so topical for employers and rightly so. According to figures released by HSE, it is estimated that 526,000 workers are suffering from work related stress, depression or anxiety. It is further estimated that 12.5 million working days were lost as a result of work related stress or anxiety in 2016 to 2017, at a huge annual cost to UK businesses. These statistics suggest that approximately 14% of work related stress, depression or anxiety is caused by lack of support and around 44% is attributable to an individual’s workload. Your duty as an employer Health and safety legislation obliges employers to assess the risk of stress in the work place and take steps to reduce it. Further, with mental ill health allegedly being accountable for around 40% of all workplace absences, it is important that employers are able to effectively manage the stress levels of their employees and can spot the warning signs of work related stress, depression or anxiety. HSE recognises six main areas of an employee’s work life which can affect stress levels and should subsequently be monitored by employers. • The demands of the job. Employees may become stressed if they cannot cope with the volume or level of work they have to do. • The level of control over work. Employees may perform poorly if they feel they have no control over how and when they do their work • Lack of support from managers and colleagues can lead to higher levels of sickness absence. • Relationships at work. Failure to build relationships based on good behaviour and trust can lead to problems related to discipline, grievances and bullying. • How a role fits within the organisation. Employees may feel anxious about their work if they are unaware of what is expected of them or understand how their work fits into the objectives of the organisation. • Change and how it is managed.

Employers should be mindful of these scenarios outlined by HSE and should consider how they may negatively impact their employees. It is also important to consider the fact that different employees may react to stress in different ways. For example, factors such as, age, skill, experience or disability may all affect the way in which a person reacts to stress. Minimising stress in the work place So, what can you do as an employer to minimise stress in the work place? • Promote positive mental health Mental health is still regarded as a “taboo” subject by many and therefore employees may feel uncomfortable discussing their mental health with their employer. Promoting a positive culture around mental health and wellbeing could reduce stigma, subsequently reducing stress in the work place. It may be helpful to make employees aware of how mental health is managed within an organisation and maintain an open dialogue around the subject. Further, it is important that employers ensure that their managers are empathetic towards an employee who highlights that they are feeling stressed at work.

• Provide adequate training Many employers will be less comfortable dealing with someone with mental health problems than someone with a physical disability. In order to manage this problem, it is essential that line managers are trained on how to recognise and manage common mental health problems. Similarly, it is essential that new employees are given sufficient training to ensure that they feel confident in carrying out their duties. This reduces the likelihood of employees feeling unable to handle their responsibilities, therefore reducing the chance of stress. • Manage employee absence Employers should ensure that they actively manage employee absence in terms of both occasional and long term absence. Employers should also consider holding “return to work” interviews to provide an opportunity to establish the problem and make a plan with the employee going forward. Employers may also wish to consider the involvement of Occupational Health proffesionals, particularly in cases of long term absence. • HR Policies Employers should also consider their HR policies, making sure that they are up to date and take into account how their grievance, dispute or redundancy processes could affect an employee’s mental health.

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12 EDUCATION

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UCFB reveals which ‘Next 25’ students have been selected for a full degree scholarship TWENTY-five students will be receiving a once in a lifetime opportunity to study a degree with all tuition fee costs covered at the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB). Recipients of the ‘Next 25’ fund, launched in partnership with Kick It Out to celebrate their 25th anniversary and worth over £500,000, will complete degrees at either UCFB Etihad Campus in Manchester or UCFB Wembley in London. The Next 25 fund gives recipients full tuition fee scholarships – worth up to £54,000. UCFB recently introduced the Next 25 at UCFB Etihad Campus and discussed Kick It Out’s education work across all areas of football. UCFB’s Chief Marketing Officer Sharona Friedman said: “We are thrilled to be gifting this once in a lifetime opportunity to the 25 scholars and are very excited to welcome them to the institution, where they will begin their extraordinary journey. “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. Our partnership with Kick It Out can only be described as a natural synergy. “The recipients of this award will not only receive a first-class education to begin their career in the football and sports industry, but the opportunity to represent Kick It Out and UCFB around the country is truly a one-off experience.” Approximately 2,200 students currently study across UCFB’s bases with the iconic Etihad and Wembley stadiums at their heart. And 90% of UCFB graduates are in employment or further education within six months – with almost two-thirds working in sport. The recipients of 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. Keeley Baptista, Programmes Manager at Kick It Out, said: “We aspire to educate everybody through the power of football and successfully promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

Bigger site for University employment centre that has helped 4,000 people into work THE University of Manchester’s employment centre, The Works, is set to move to a significantly larger building which will enable it to provide more training and opportunities to help local people in to work. Since 2011 the Works has been located in Moss Side but, after helping over 4,000 people into employment, and faced with growing demand from across the region, it is relocating to a much larger building a very short distance away in Ardwick. The new building is owned by the Salvation Army and has been refurbished with the

generous support of Wilmot Dixon, a University contractor. It has a large outside space which will enable the Works to offer practical constructions skills training and a catering area to provide hands-on experience to job seekers and operate as a café for the local community. The university’s Assistant Director of Human Resources Steve Grant MBE, who founded and oversees the Works, said: “Our centre in Moss Side has helped many thousands of people get jobs, at first within the University, and latterly with companies all across Greater Manchester

who are coming to us wanting to get involved. It has been the perfect base for almost eight years, but the numbers of people coming to us in search of work means that we have outgrown the space. “With more space we can equip more people with the skills which employers need and at the same time create a genuine community hub. With a central location and access to public transport we can serve not only our neighbouring communities, but also people in other boroughs of Greater Manchester.” The Works will be located

“As a society, we have made huge steps forwards in becoming more of a multi-cultural society, however, there is still a lot to be done and we are hoping the Next 25 scholars will help us achieve this.” One scholar, Ilias Pajoheshfar said: “A football is shaped like a globe and I believe that everybody should get to experience the beauty of the sport, regardless of a person’s ethnicity, gender and sexuality.” Roisin Wood, Chief Executive of Kick It Out, added: “Kick It Out and UCFB are dedicated to educating the leaders of tomorrow in the importance of diversity and a level playing field in all sectors of the game. This unique scholarship is the perfect way to promote inclusion and help spread the word on diversity in football. “As Kick It Out proudly celebrates how far we have come on our 25th anniversary, I am excited to see how the Next 25 scholars will play a pivotal role in helping us move forward over the next 25 years.”

than in shops. Recently, the Works has also been backed by the Government with £320,000 of funding from the Department for Education’s Construction Skills Fund. This money will provide for an additional tutor, equipment and careers guidance on site. on Grosvenor Street close Steve Grant added: “The to many major construction University of Manchester is a projects, including the major employer in the city and University’s own Manchester the wider region in addition to Engineering Campus our role as a local employer for Development. It was on this the communities closest to us. site that the Works’ 4,000th “Through our partnership graduate, David Seville, gained with The Growth Company employment last year. we’ve been able to support As well as offering skills many more people from the training, the new Works areas around our campus into building will have a café and work. shop on site which will serve “We will continue to be a the community in an area skills resource for the regional that currently has limited and local economy and deliver facilities. At the same time as more opportunities for people offering experience and skills to fulfill their potential to volunteers, local people will thus impacting on their be able to meet and purchase own lives, their families and essential items at a lower cost communities.”

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BUSINESS technology solutions provider, Brother UK, has hosted Tameside’s fifth annual HACK event as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, in partnership with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. Students from local high schools and colleges visited Brother UK’s Audenshaw headquarters over two days, taking part in a programme of activities designed to explore science, technology, maths and engineering (STEM) subjects and the associated career opportunities. forty students entered the Grand Challenge, taking inspiration from Brother UK’s current product ranges to imagine the next fifty years of technology. With a focus on increasing efficiency, boosting productivity and encouraging collaboration in the workplace, the students were challenged to develop a product that Brother could be making, selling or working with between now and 2068. Phil Jones MBE, Managing Director of Brother UK, commented: “The technology we supply to our customers now is very different to the technology we were working with when we first started out. 50 years of innovation have gone into making us the business technology solutions supplier that we are today – it’s been great to meet some of the brightest

EDUCATION

Brother UK promotes STEM careers with local students

minds from local schools to see what they think the next 50 years could bring.” To judge the competition, Phil

Jones was joined by Andy Johnson, Head of Product Solutions at Brother UK, and Naomi Timperley, cofounder of Tech North Advocates,

an organisation which champions the North of England’s potential as a world-class hub for tech and digital businesses. The judges were on hand to support the students as they brainstormed business ideas, reviewed market trends and developed their digital skills. A series of inspirational talks was also delivered throughout the two days, to offer guidance with the Grand Challenge as well as broader career advice. The winning team in the Grand Challenge was called ‘Foreseers’, from Longdendale High School in Hollingworth. Their virtual reality contact lenses idea impressed the judges for being well-researched and well-presented, with features including smartphone connectivity and a virtual assistant called ‘Brother’. The winners were presented with £100 Amazon vouchers, a pile of Tameside HACK goodies and a Brother UK office solution for their school or college. A sub-challenge was set to find a new technology or software solution that would make life easier for people with disabilities. The winners were ‘Computerspiele’, from Fairfield High School for Girls in Droylsden. The team proposed a synthetic wrapping product to protect vulnerable body organs, with sensors that link to an app.

Alliance Manchester Business School partners with Audi UK ALLIANCE Manchester Business School has partnered with Audi UK to design its new Audi Leadership Excellence and Development (LEAD) programme. The programme, which

has recently launched, will focus on leadership and change management and support more than 350 Audi leaders and aspiring future leaders working in the premium German car maker’s UK retail network. The automotive industry is changing. While emerging trends such as electric cars,

connected cars and digitalisation open up new opportunities to businesses, they also add a layer of complexity that needs to be addressed. This programme will equip Audi employees with the skills to effectively manage change, innovate and lead others so that they remain competitive in the market. Commenting on the partnership, Heather Davies, People Development Manager at Audi UK, said: “The new Audi LEAD programme represents a major investment in existing and emerging talent across our retail network. We are tapping into Alliance Manchester Business School’s expertise to deliver a robust leadership

programme that will help our people to identify future business challenges and devise solutions to address them effectively, which will ultimately make a significant contribution to the continued success of all Audi Centres.” Professor Graham Winch, Academic Director of Executive Education at Alliance Manchester Business School, added: “It will combine online study, residential modules, action learning and reflective practice. We hope the syllabus will help to build confidence in Audi delegates to come up with solutions to tackle obstacles in business.”

EDUCATION December 2018

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Manchester Metropolitan represents North West in European green project THE Fuel Cells & Hydrogen and Joint Undertaking, a €1.4billion programme to support research and innovation in green energy across Europe, has published a major international report, with Manchester Metropolitan University representing the North West region of England. The University officially opened the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre (MFCIC) in September 2018, a £4.1m facility in the heart of the city centre, dedicated to developing new sources of sustainable, emission free energy and making it available to small businesses in the region. The report, titled ‘Fuel Cells and Hydrogen for Green Energy in European Cities and Regions’, finds that fuel cell and hydrogen technology could create 30 million jobs across Europe, and enhance the continent’s economy by $2,000 billion in annual sales.

A more localised report, published in May 2018, concluded that hydrogen power in the North West of England could boost the regional economy by £1.6bn and create more than 5,000 jobs. Amer Gaffar, Director of the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre, said: “We are proud to represent the North West in this significant project that spans Europe, demonstrating that the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre is at the cutting edge of research and innovation in hydrogen and fuel cell energy. “There are huge economic, social and environmental benefits to be gained from the deployment of this emission-free energy, and we aim to open up these benefits to as many people as possible, across Greater Manchester, the UK and the rest of the world.

“We’ll do this through working with business and industry on how to harness sustainable hydrogen power, going into schools to teach kids about green energy, and through shaping regional policy.

“The wide-scale adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technology will generate more jobs, a stronger economy, a healthier environment and better quality of life for everyone.”

Gelmetix to develop back pain treatment UNIVERSITY of Manchester spin-out Gelmetix Ltd, has raised £1.2 million in funding to help develop non-surgical treatment for chronic lower back pain. The company, which was founded on the back of discoveries made at the University, has had a primary focus on the development of a revolutionary, nonsurgical, gel-based treatment for chronic lower back over the past 15 years. Gelmetix secured the funding on crowdfunding website SyndicateRoom and has created a noninvasive injectable microgel as a cost-effective alternative to surgery. Gelmetix CEO Dr Philippe Jenny said the high-tech gel can be delivered via a non-invasive procedure into the gaps left by

degenerating discs to help restore functionality and relieve lower back pain. Despite innovation-related technical hurdles, the gel has now been fully validated for human application and a unique manufacturing process has been designed to produce the gel to scale with all the required quality and regulatory assurance. The company has obtained a Medical Device Manufacturer ISO certification and is currently in discussion with the MHRA and the FDA. Whilst the company’s initial product for the spine is anticipated to enter first-in-man clinical trials in the first quarter of 2019, a second product is being developed to address pain and loss of mobility in osteoarthritic small joints. Additionally, at the end of July 2018, Gelmetix entered into an agreement with a Portuguese company to further develop a third gel, which is intended to contribute to the repair of cartilage damages in the knee joint. This unique gel adheres to the cartilage and helps cells to repair the deficit. Dr Philippe Jenny, commented: “The signing of this Agreement is a great step forward as it provides the company with a portfolio of minimally invasive

solutions. These fill a gap in the continuum of care and will treat numerous patients suffering from pain in the joints or back due to the most common incapacitating diseases: joint and back degeneration and osteoarthritis.” Professor Tony Freemont, Director of MMPathIC (Manchester Molecular Pathology Innovation Centre), an MRC/EPSRC Molecular Pathology node funded with £2.9M to translate novel medical technology discoveries into use within the NHS, and Founder and Board Member of Gelexir, has hailed the treatment’s potential significance for back pain and OA sufferers. He said: “It has taken nearly 15 years of basic research and translational development to reach this point. It is so exciting to see this completely novel approach to treatment pass through all the regulatory processes and reach a point where we can evaluate it in patients with debilitating back pain, for whom there is no other hope for pain relief. The development of this product, and the work of MMPathIC are just two ways in which The University of Manchester is working towards improving patient lives through research.”

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EDUCATION

SystemPioneer moves through the gears with University support A YOUNG business owner has hailed the value of businesses and universities working together after launching his first product following collaboration with a University of Manchester Masters student. 21-year-old Gary Cheetham founded SystemPioneer, which creates innovative content management systems and websites for a range of businesses. Gary and his team of software developers have now created a website of their own, MotorbikeValuations.com, which aims to help its users to accurately predict the price of second-hand motorcycles they may be looking to sell or buy. Gary needed specialist

support to help bring the website to market, as it would rely on machine learning, a field of artificial intelligence that uses data and statistical techniques to ‘learn’ and improve performance around a task, to ensure the site’s price predictions were accurate. Therefore, he sought support from GC Business Growth Hub, part of The Growth Company. Karen Dudley, an innovation advisor at the Hub, introduced Gary to the Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester. This led to a six-month collaboration with University student Anna Komodromou to create the algorithm that would allow the website to

accurately predict the prices of motorcycles. Anna, who was able to use the research as part of her dissertation, was working towards an MSc in Business Analytics and was put forward by her tutors because of her expertise in the area. Gary said: “Being able to access the expertise and knowledge of someone of Anna’s calibre goes to show that Manchester is a great place to do business, and somewhere where a worldclass university can work with a small local business on a real-world business problem, and together create the technology that powers MotorbikeValuations. Anna said: “It was good to be given a chance to apply what I have learned at

Manchester Business School as part of my dissertation and create a useful algorithm for a real company. It was very challenging for me to work and find an algorithm for accurately forecasting the price of used vehicles. The help of Gary and, of course, the guidance of my lecturers was invaluable in completing this innovative project.”

Karen Dudley of GC Business Growth Hub, added: “This is the start of an ongoing relationship between Gary and the University. As an organisation that continually innovates, keeping ahead of competitors by harnessing academic input into future projects will be key to business growth and maintaining a competitive advantage.”

16 AWARDS

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Visualsoft wins e-commerce agency of the year award

MANCHESTER-based eCommerce and digital agency Visualsoft is celebrating after winning the prestigious title of ‘Large eCommerce Agency of the Year’ at the Northern eCommerce Awards. The ceremony took place at Manchester’s Hilton hotel and brought together the very best in online retail across the North of the UK. The team’s entry was praised for its strong focus on client success and tangible demonstration of results, as well as strong passion for the work it carries out on a daily basis. The company, which supports 1,200 retail clients in growing their business online, prides itself on investing heavily in innovation and forging partnerships with industry heavyweights such as Google, Klarna and Amazon. Having just celebrated its 20th year in business, Visualsoft has also recently been named by Google as a tier one agency in

Europe, highlighting its ongoing commitment to developing services for the benefit of its clients. This award recognised the company’s industry-leading service offering, including its eCommerce platform and online marketing services, as well as Shared Success – an innovative revenue model in which client fees are based on a percentage of their sales. Dean Benson, CEO of Visualsoft, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award. 2018 has been a fantastic year for the business, we have recently celebrated our 20th birthday, increased staff headcount by 19% and have announced plans to move our Newcastle operation to the city’s iconic Grey Street. Our continued success is a result of our expert team and the amazing clients and partners we have the honour of working with.”

2018 Manchester PA award winners THE winners of the Manchester PA Awards have been revealed at a ceremony held at Emirates Old Trafford, celebrating and rewarding the incredible talent of PAs, EAs and VAs across the region. The not-for-profit awards, organised by the Manchester PA Network and event partner Make Events, were hosted by television and radio presenter, Gethin Jones, and saw more than 720 professionals from across the country come together to celebrate the best of the best in business support roles. Judged by industry experts with representatives from the likes of the Manchester PA Network, EPAA and UKFast, the winners chosen exceeded expectations and have exemplified hard work, dedication and passion within their roles. Those picking up accolades included Jo Wilson, from Hall Brown Family Law, while Melanie Sheehy and Amanda Hargreaves were recognised for their services to the city’s PA industry through the Manchester PA Network.

Co-founder of the Manchester PA Network, Melanie Sheehy, said: “Once again we were overwhelmed by the wealth of talent nominated for the awards, which is evidence of all the hard work EAs, VAs and PAs are putting in to support businesses across the region. Lawrence Jones, chief executive officer at headline sponsor UKFast, said: “PAs and EAs play an incredibly important role in any business and are often the unsung heroes, so it’s fantastic to be able to pay tribute to them and the work they do. It’s a real honour to help celebrate their success and shine a light on the leading talent through the awards”. Organisers raised £5,300 at the event which will go towards the Christie fund and Manchester PA Network’s target to raise £200K for the charity by 2020. For the first time, the awards also recognised those working outside of Manchester with the introduction of the External PA Network Award which was picked up by the Birmingham PA Forum.

The full list of winners for the 2018 Manchester PA Awards is: Best Event – Fiona Hardman, Guenther Bakeries UK Ltd

Team of the Year – Chiesi Support Services Team

Brand Ambassador – Jemma Carr, Victorian Chophouse Company

Virtual Assistant – Jules Aston, Aston Assists

Business Leader of the Year – Doug Hann, Indigo Planning

UKFast Excellence – Sarah Muench, Sky

External PA Network – Birmingham PA Forum

Above and Beyond – Martine Tempest-Mitchell, Timpson/The Christie

Fundraiser of the Year – Jo Booth, Stocks 2015 Limited Internal PA Network – Arup UKIMEA Secretarial Network Leader of the Year – Catherine Hunt, PwC Lifetime Achievement – Stella Corbett, Brother UK Limited Rising Star – Lawrence Adlum, KPMG Social Media Champion – Sam Johnson, SES Engineering

Special Recognition Award for Company Culture – Addleshaw Goddard Services to the Manchester PA Industry – Melanie Sheehy and Amanda Hargreaves, Manchester PA Network Manchester PA of the Year – Jo Wilson, Hall Brown Family Law

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Awards

Northern Property talent celebrated at British Council for Offices’ NextGen awards

HEATHER Evans, Head of Sustainability Consultancy at Rider Levett Bucknall UK was named the Rising Star of the North, North Wales and Northern Ireland at the third annual British Council for Offices (BCO) NextGen Awards. The Awards are part of the BCO’s NextGen programme, which sets out to mentor and encourage the next generation of professionals to become future leaders in the industry, whilst providing a platform for new talent to share ideas. The awards dinner in London was attended by the country’s top designers, developers, architects and occupiers under the age of 35. It celebrated the achievements and successes of young professionals in the commercial property sector across the UK, and the individuals who mentored them. The BCO NextGen Rising Star award recognises an under 35’s outstanding contribution to the office sector in their region. Heather Evans was named as the North of England, North Wales and Northern

Ireland’s winner by a panel of local judges. The judges noted Heather’s remarkable career history, joining RLB as an Environmental Assistant in 2014 and progressing to her current role as Head of Sustainability Consultancy in under four years with the company. Heather, who is based in the Manchester office, has had a key role in developing RLB’s Sustainability offering, helping them to build the market-leading SKA consultancy service they offer today. Her team has also recently certified the first Gold, Silver and Bronze SKA Higher Education projects in the country. Working alongside RICS, Heather developed the criteria for the SKA scheme, and has been instrumental in raising the profile of SKA nationally. Heather’s passion for sustainability and wellbeing in commercial workplaces led her to speak at the BCO Conference in Berlin on a panel discussing how the industry can design for healthy, inclusive working environments. She

also regularly presents workshops on wellness, multigenerational design and sustainability as part of her roles across a wide range of industry groups; including BCO NextGen, Forum for Tomorrow, pro-Manchester, Manchester Young Professionals and Women in Property. Katrina Kostic Samen, President of the BCO, said: “Heather left a lasting impression amongst the judging panel, her dedication to the industry and determination to constantly challenge herself and her team is particularly admirable, many congratulations, Heather!” Matt Brooker, National Head of Commercial for RLB, said: “We are delighted that Heather has been recognised as the Rising Star of the North at the awards, an acknowledgement that is incredibly well deserved. Nurturing and developing our staff is one, if not the, most important roles we can do as in turn this drives the services we offer our clients, our reputation and our business success.”

Altrincham firm named in The Times Best Law Firms 2019 ALTRINCHAM law firm Myerson is celebrating after being recognised as one of the leading legal practices in the UK. The Times Best Law Firms 2019 features 200 legal practices that have been acknowledged as the best in their field. With a heavy London-bias and just a handful of firms from the North of England, Myerson is the only Altrincham-based firm to feature in the list which recognises its company and commercial expertise. Carl Newton, managing partner, said: “This was a complete surprise to all of us. Naturally, we’re ecstatic. “Coming hot off the heels of being named Best Mid-Sized Law Firm at the Manchester Legal Awards earlier this year shows that we’re doing something right. Long may it continue. “We have always positioned ourselves as offering a high quality and cost-effective alternative to city centre firms. Plaudits like this are a testimony to the fact that clients appreciate our approach and enjoy dealing with our talented and friendly team.”

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Awards December 2018

UKFast scoops Employer of the Year Honour CLOUD technology firm UKFast was awarded Employer of the Year at the prestigious Lloyds Bank National Business Awards in London. The Manchesterbased firm was also highly commended in the Customer Focus category during the ceremony held at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, which was attended by 1,200 business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians and media representatives and

included a keynote speech by Joanna Lumley. The flagship National Business Awards programme has recognised and rewarded excellence across all sectors in the UK for the past 17 years, recognising companies they believe to be setting new standards for their industries. UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of the team’s amazing achievement at this year’s National Business Awards. It’s incredible to be commended

for all of the hard work to make UKFast an amazing company, both for our team and our clients. “The culture at UKFast really is like no other and is driven by the team themselves. We’ve created an environment which allows all departments to work and interact together and allows each individual to continuously learn and develop, which is hugely important in keeping people happy and motivated.

“With the growth we have experienced recently, some might have expected that we’d lose a touch of this culture but, in reality, it has grown even stronger. “Winning this award shows the importance of investing in the people at the heart of UKFast and makes us even more determined to continue to be the best we can be.” Sarah Austin, The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards Event Director,

said: “I’d like to say huge congratulations to all of this year’s winners. Our entrants face the most rigorous of judging processes, so it’s no mean feat getting on the shortlist of The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards, never mind actually winning. But that’s why the awards are an accolade to true, world-class achievements, offering British businesses the credibility and encouragement to continue in their ambitious success.”

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Irwin Mitchell Private Wealth’s Manchester office soars high THE latest results from leading independent legal directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners saw Irwin Mitchell’s Private Wealth division top ranked for the region. The Legal 500 results saw the family law team in Manchester retain its toptier ranking for another year in the North West, with National Head of Family Law and Regional Managing Partner for the office Ros Bever listed as a leading individual and partner, Nat Groarke making the ‘next

generation lawyers’ list. Chambers & Partners also ranked the Manchester family team as a tier-one practice with just one other firm, with Ros and partner Katie McCann, both appearing as ranked lawyers. The Manchester office’s private client offering has massively expanded this year with the introduction of a will, trust and estate disputes team in May headed by senior associate Nazia Nawaz. The team has since grown to include associate Heather Roberts and paralegal Lucy-

Allena McIlroy. The family team has also considerably grown with the appointment of partner Katie McCann and senior associate Carole Nettleton in 2018, with Lara Tucker being promoted to associate earlier in the year. Ros, regional managing partner for Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office, said: “I’m so pleased with our results this year, both in the private client division and across the rest of the office, where we have seen our colleagues in personal and business legal

services highly ranked too. “Manchester is fast becoming a hub for legal excellence and we are glad to

have been recognised by the directories for another year as at the forefront of the market in multiple sectors.”

Rapid machine installation keeps NEMA flying high A SPECIALIST North West aerospace supplier is targeting further growth after securing £2.3m sales and investing in a new CNC horizontal turning centre. NEMA Ltd, manufacturers motors, actuators and electromechanical

assemblies for UTC Aerospace, BAE Systems and Airbus, and has installed a Hardinge GS200 at its factory in Rochdale. The company acted quickly after a previous machine had failed, causing significant downtime and turned to Engineering

Technology Group (ETG) for support in quickly identifying a replacement. “The last twelve months have seen us delivere a number of complex and demanding projects for the aerospace sector and that has placed a lot of pressure on our

machining capabilities,” explained Andrew Wilding, Managing Director of NEMA. “This resulted in a spindle bearing failure on an existing machine. It wasn’t practical for us to try to repair it, so we instead took the longer-term approach of replacing it with a new

machine. “ETG was quickly briefed and its response time was excellent, coming back to me with an option that we were happy to invest in. This was quickly specified, delivery agreed and a training plan put place so that we didn’t lose any production time on

our motor housings and end plates. “Our ability to get involved in early stage design is helping us secure a lot of new orders, boosting our turnover to £2.3m and necessitating the need for five more people – taking our workforce to 40.”

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Sharks hit top gear with CVSL partnership SALE Sharks has signed leading car leasing and contract hire specialist CVSL as the club’s official car supplier for the 2018/19 season. Staff and players at the club have been equipped with Citroën C4 Cactus vehicles from the Altrincham-based supplier, branded with the club’s logo and signature navy and white colours. A fleet of six vehicles have been provided to help drive success on and off the field for Sale this season and support the club’s bid to establish even stronger relationships with businesses and organisations across the region. Through the partnership, CVSL will also benefit from national brand exposure through signage at the AJ Bell Stadium, as well as hospitality packages, player appearances, dedicated space in match day programmes and access to Sale’s fast-growing Business

Club, which brings companies across the North West together through rugby. Mark Cueto, Sale Sharks’ Commercial Director, said: “It’s fantastic to have a new car supplier on-board for the season and we’re thrilled that CVSL will be helping our players and staff get out and about. “CVSL is widely-regarded as one of the biggest names in car leasing and hire in the UK and they’re right on our doorstep in Altrincham, so we’re really pleased to welcome another leading North West business as an official partner.” Tony Poole at CVSL added: “Although we’re a national firm, we’re heavily invested in our local communities and that’s why we’re delighted to be building on that with this new partnership.

BUSINESS SUPPORT December 2018

Salford company secures exclusive battery energy storage supply deal INDEPENDENT energy generation specialist, Ylem Energy Ltd, has secured the exclusive UK rights to large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) from a leading global provider. The deal is a coup for the Salford-based firm as it underpins its expansion into the flexible energy market, which helps balance the electricity grid when demand fluctuates and can help businesses save money by reducing their reliance on peak-time energy tariffs. For the last thirty years, Ylem Energy been a pioneer in generating environmentallyfriendly electricity from biogas fuels – such as that captured from landfill sites and anaerobic digestion (AD) plants that utilise waste organic materials from sources such as food and drink manufacturing, farming and sewage treatment works. Packaged into a shipping container, the company’s new battery technology can store and release up to 1MW of electricity,

enabling it to quickly respond when required, much faster than other types of generation systems, making it ideal for balancing the grid at peak times. With more local, decentralised power generation systems being installed throughout the UK – especially renewables such as solar PV and wind, there can be fluctuations in output, which need to be managed and battery systems can help match production with demand, especially when they happen at different times of the day. Ian Gadsby, managing director, commented: “We’re really delighted to secure this deal for the supply of battery energy storage systems, our partner is a global player and its systems are cutting edge, which will be a big boost for our region and further afield throughout the UK. This will create new employment opportunities and draw on the technical and engineering skills we’ve developed over the last three decades.”

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Bolton best for job satisfaction BOLTON has ranked the highest for job satisfaction in the country by one of the world’s largest job and recruitment websites. The town topped the table in Glassdoor’s ’25 Best UK Towns & Cities to Work In’. The list, which is now in its third year, found Bolton rated the highest for job satisfaction, matching Cambridge. Glassdoor has more than 42 million reviews and insights from employees on more than 800,000 companies in 190 countries. The report is compiled by comparing 50 of the most populated UK towns and cities with populations above 100,000 people. Job satisfaction is based on at least 80 company reviews shared by employees on Glassdoor over the past year. Bolton and Cambridge both shared an overall Glassdoor Job Satisfaction rating of 3.6 out of five, where five means ‘very satisfied’. Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “These results show Bolton is firmly placed as one of the best places in the UK to live and work in. “We are delighted to top the rankings for job satisfaction. Bolton has a diverse workforce and we work closely with employers to ensure that there are a variety of opportunities to meet the needs of our residents.” The town was also once again ranked ninth best overall town or city to live in, retaining its spot from 2017. This ranking was determined by three factors: how easy it is to get a job; how affordable it is and employee satisfaction. Bolton’s ranking eclipsed some of the country’s biggest urban centres such as Oxford, Leeds and Liverpool. And the authority is working

to attract more inward investment to continue to make Bolton a place where people choose to live and work. Cllr Adia added: “Bolton has something that is quite distinctive – we have a strong retail, leisure and cultural mix. Investors have the choice about where to put their money and they are choosing Bolton. “Just one success story is Logistics North, one of the largest and most successful developments of its kind in the North of England. When complete in 2019, the site is expected to create up to 7,000 jobs. “We will continue to work with and grow our existing businesses as well as bringing in new ones. “We are driving forward our £1bn masterplan to reshape the town centre. Our regeneration blueprint has already secured £250m private sector investment. “We are also looking at the changing requirements of businesses and making sure we firmly establish Bolton as digitalfriendly to meet the needs of employers, staff and residents.” Iain Thomson, Head of Communications at Harworth Group, the developers behind Logistics North,

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added: “We’re not surprised at all by these fantastic results given what’s happened at Logistics North. “In the past five years, 5,500 jobs have been created with leading employers including Amazon, Aldi, Whistl, Lidl and with investment into built space by the likes of M&G Real Estate and the Lancashire County Pension Fund. “The reason for this is simple – Bolton has a great workforce and is well-connected to other parts of the UK. With its retail and cultural offer continually improving, this investment is bound to grow.” A spokesperson for Bolton Regeneration Limited, the private consortium planning to redevelop the Crompton Place Shopping Centre, said: “Job creation and skills training are at the very heart of our ethos. “Our plans for Bolton are centred on the retention and growth of a wide range of long-term employment opportunities and a work force skilled to match the changing requirements of employers. “We are also focused on generating an environment that will not only ensure the retention of employment but attract new employers and employees to the town.”

Stars shine for JD

BURY-based JD has brought together an unparalleled lineup of global talent as part of its biggest ever Christmas campaign. With a social media reach of over 85 million, it includes boxing icon, Anthony Joshua, Manchester United superstar, Jesse Lingard and US artist and actor, Jaden Smith. They’re joined by TV and radio host Maya Jama, global music artists Anne Marie and Ella Eyre, grime star Bugzy Malone and singer/presenter HRVY. The campaign will air in the UK, France, Holland, Spain, Italy and Ireland and will also be screened in cinemas in Malaysia and Singapore. Campaign imagery will feature in JD stores and on outdoor media across 13 countries. It will be supported across both JD’s and many of the stars’ social media platforms. Images from the campaign and the ad itself will appear on JD’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which passed a million followers this week. Group Marketing Director, Stephen White, said: “We chose the line-up because they are aspirational and influential to our audience and provide a huge reach across social media platforms. The campaign and the icons who appear in it echo JD’s global market leading position.”

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BUSINESS SUPPORT December 2018

DJ set for commercial hit with launch of Stockport record store DJ and music producer, Joe McBride, is launching a new record store and café in Stockport using an £8,000 loan from the Stockport Business Finance Scheme through their funding partner GC Business Finance. Based on Little Underbank in Stockport, SK1 Records will specialise in new and second hand vinyl records along with CDs, cassettes and accessories such as art prints and label merchandise. The business already trades successfully online, and the new premises will include a café selling locally sourced coffee, soft drinks and cakes. Performing as Synkro, Joe has been making music and DJing at festivals and clubs across the world for the past ten years, amassing a collection of over 7000 records which will form the

initial stock for the new shop. He is investing the £8k loan in refurbishing the shop, sourcing additional music, introducing new services such as a professional record cleaning service and hosting events with local DJs. Joe said: “I know the music industry inside out, but have never had to raise finance before, so being able to go to Stockport Council and find all the support I needed in one place has made an enormous difference to the pace at which I’ve been able to get SK1 up and running. They put me in touch with GC Business Finance and, from start to finish, the process of securing the funding took less than five weeks. “That meant that I was able to focus on finding the right premises and getting SK1 up and running,

being able to get the right advice and knowing that the financial side of the business was taken care of. What we’ll be bringing to the new shop is a unique collection of contemporary electronic and pop music and memorabilia, designed to meet the demands of customers who love vinyl but want something that reflects what they’re listening to in clubs and festivals.” Ashley Alletson, Loan Manager at GC Business Finance, said: “Joe is a great example of an ambitious young business that we have been able to work closely with Stockport Council to support. He has a great track record in the music industry, which he is now able to draw on to source his stock, to increase awareness of his new venture and to attract DJs and musicians to

the new store, which will play a big part in Stockport’s impressive leisure and retail renaissance.” Councillor Kate Butler, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “We’re committed to working with young businesses like Joe’s to help them thrive and succeed here in Stockport. One way we do this is by making sure entrepreneurs can get access to the right advice at the right time and have the opportunity to benefit from great schemes such as the Stockport Business Finance Scheme. I wish SK1 every success for the future in our Underbanks and would encourage other companies and entrepreneurs to look at the business support that is available to help them.”

Contact Editor@BusinessManchester.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Blink-Photo re-launches fast fashion studio LEADING commercial photography agency, BlinkPhoto, has relaunched their Manchester studio with a specialist fast fashion offering. The relaunch saw the studio turning around campaign imagery in as little

as four hours, with a team of 12 fashion specialists on hand to manage every aspect of the process – from initial styling to the final edit. Blink-Photo Director, Steven Livesey, said: “Since our launch in 2006, fashion

photography has changed beyond recognition. Manchester has been at the heart of this revolution, so it was only fitting that when we were looking to introduce a dedicated fast fashion offering we looked to the

studio space we already had in the city.” Dave Box, Creative Director at Blink-Photo’s Manchester studio, added: “Redeveloping the studio into a truly versatile space has given us the ability to

quickly adapt to our clients’ constantly evolving needs. Our Manchester team, with years’ of hard won fashion photography experience, are ready to offer the very best model, still-life, video content and production.”

Moose Juice celebrates the sale of its 2.5 millionth can with listing in Sainsbury’s GREATER Manchester business, Muscle Moose, has celebrated a major listing of their hero product, Moose Juice, in national supermarket Sainsbury’s, joining their existing supermarket listing in Asda for other products in the range. Muscle Moose is a pioneer of the highest quality protein products and operates across the UK, Europe, Canada, New Zealand and the Middle East, whilst Moose Juice is an innovative, functional beverage, leading the way in the drinks category for health and wellness, an industry worth in excess of $4.2 trillion. It is zero sugar, has added BCAAs (protein) and B vitamins and has a legion of loyal fans who are strong supporters of the brand. Managing Director Claire Harper, said:

“It’s a proud moment for us to achieve our first supermarket listing for Moose Juice. We’ve experienced rapid growth over the past 18 months and it’s rewarding to see hard work paying off and our customers having increased convenience for choosing a healthier alternative energy drink. "People are more aware now than they have been previously of what they are putting in their body; protein and increased functionality are now moving into mainstream and that is a huge positive from a health and wellness perspective. Protein is no longer seen as a niche just for body builders, it is a key part of a healthy diet and we’re pleased to partner with retailers committed to offering their customers healthier alternatives.”

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BUSINESS SUPPORT December 2018

Business is booming for beauty brand Catax opens new office in Manchester SPECIALIST tax consultancy, Catax, has opened a new office in Manchester after a year of rapid growth that saw staff numbers increase by two thirds. The Manchester firm outgrew its previous base in just 10 months after its team soared from 54 in 2017 to 90 in 2018, due to an expanding client base and the acquisition of R&D tax credit consultancy, Fast Track. With a varied portfolio of 14,000 clients nationwide, Catax’s turnover rose by nearly 20 per cent from £7.4m in 2016/17 to £8.7m in 2017/18. The new office named Catax House in Scott Drive, Altrincham was officially unveiled by Sir Graham Brady, MP for Altrincham and Sale West. The new larger headquarters will support the firm’s plan to treble in size by 2021 and the move comes just one month after Catax launched a new Scottish HQ in Glasgow to target Scottish firms that it said were “chronically underserved” in realising the value of their innovations. Catax, which assists businesses with the complex process of claiming tax relief on Research and Development (R&D), Capital Allowances and Patent

Box relief on intellectual property, now boasts five offices across the UK in Manchester, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Channel Islands, Catax research shows that while 78 per cent of companies across the UK could be eligible for R&D tax relief, only 45 per cent of these firms have ever claimed it. Since the average R&D tax relief claim is worth £49,000 for firms in all sectors nationwide this suggests innovative businesses are missing out on tens of billions of pounds in unclaimed tax relief. Catax chief executive Mark Tighe, commented: “We are delighted to be moving into this new larger premises which will support our future growth plans. “It has been an exciting 12 months, with multiple new office openings, acquisitions and client wins all fuelling our dramatic growth. “If we can advise more companies to claim the rewards they are due for their hard work and innovation, whether through R&D tax relief or the Patent Box relief, it will simply enable those same businesses to reinvest this money into further innovation and growth, benefitting the whole economy.”

A NEW, Greater Manchester based skincare brand has seen retail sales rocket to more than £1.8 million in the first year of trading. Skin Academy launched in January this year and in just eleven months has won major national retailer listings. The brand looks set to hit close to £2m in turnover by the end of 2018. Based in Bury, Skin Academy currently employs 20 people and specialises in a range of skincare products, including face masks, moisturisers and gel eye patches. Products are sold in a range of retailers around the country like Bodycare, Beauty Outlet, B&M Retail, BOYES, Semi Chem and are available to purchase online at popular e-commerce sites Boohoo.com and PrettyLittleThing. Antony Wagman, CEO of Skin Academy said: “It has been an incredible first year for the brand and it’s thanks to all the efforts of the team and the time we’ve spent in developing products which offer high quality skincare at affordable prices." “Our face masks in particular have

seen huge success since launch, using unique ingredients such as snake venom and charcoal. We have also developed a PURE range, consisting of products that are paraben, colour & fragrance free and ideal for sensitive skin, which have seen strong retail sales in the last few months, including winning listings with national retailers.” With the INK’D tattoo aftercare range now available, Antony plans to further expand the Skin Academy range over the next year with a range of specialist products, including moisturisers for specialist skin types, Natural and vegan friendly products. He said: “Skin Academy has seen huge success so far, but we want to build further on this. We have a reputation now for high quality skincare, at affordable prices and we want to grow the brand and develop new products targeted at different clients and different skin types. We are currently investing in a major research and development programme to expand the range further and we’ll have a number of new product launches and announcements to make over the coming months.”

Contact Editor@BusinessManchester.co.uk

Exhibition space being snapped up for the Greater Manchester Business Expo

BUSINESS SUPPORT

FOLLOWING the success of the Lancashire and Merseyside Business Expos, Shout Network’s first Greater Manchester Business Expo will take place at the USN Bolton Arena on Friday 17 May 2019. The Greater Manchester Business Expo will have 120+ exhibitor stands available to SMEs and organisations from around the North West, looking to promote their businesses to the anticipated 2,000+ visitors. Despite still being six months away, almost half of the exhibition spaces have already been snapped up and over 500 delegates have already registered. Risk Support Services, based in Wavertree, exhibited for the first time at the Merseyside Expo in October. Within 4 to 5 days of the Expo they secured approximately £6,000 of business from visitors to their stand, and further work is promised for the new year. Director of Risk Support

Services, Stuart Johnston said: “We approached Shout to exhibit in Liverpool as we wanted to expand our reach. The response was incredible. The amount of new business that came from the event means that it’s more than paid for itself. All that attended were there to do business, and the camaraderie with the other exhibitors created a great atmosphere. We’ve now booked with Shout Network for the Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside Expos in 2019.” Shout Network Director, Jordan Conlin said: “We’re delighted to say that the feedback from Stuart and his team at Risk Support Services echoes what many of the exhibitors at the Merseyside Business Expo have said, which is why so many of the exhibition spaces for Manchester have already sold. We expect the Manchester Business Expo to be another great showcase for North West businesses.”

Moorepay investing £100 million in Greater Manchester economy MOOREPAY, leader in SME payroll & HR solutions, has announced it is investing over £100 million in the local economy with the opening of a new hub in Lowry Mill, Salford. The decision shows Moorepay’s commitment to the region and local talent, following its acquisition earlier in the year. The level of investment also demonstrates confidence in the area as the ideal place for business growth. Moorepay’s investment in the Greater Manchester economy over the next ten years includes; £90m on people costs, training & development across 180 employee, £1.2m investment into the Apprenticeship Scheme with 27 graduates already hired in the summer of 2018 and a further

commitment of £4.5m over the next nine year and £5m in property, facilities management and utilities, with a strong focus on local purchasing and suppliers. Alistair Blaxill, CEO at Moorepay, said: “At Moorepay, we strongly believe in regional investment. This includes our office, graduate and apprenticeship scheme, and our commitment to regional suppliers and local customers, all of which is aligned with the HM Government's Northern Powerhouse strategy. “Today marks the beginning of an exciting new phase of growth for us as a company.” The new Northern Hub was officially opened by Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, who said: “We are proud to have another great

business in Moorepay who buy into the vision we have of the area. It is about building partnerships and creating jobs where people can learn new skills and have opportunities to progress in their careers. Salford

is a great, vibrant city that’s really going places, investments like this show the business community is recognizing that, and seeing our city as the perfect place for ambitious businesses to prosper.”

BUSINESS SUPPORT December 2018

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Leisure trust invests in multi-million pound ‘lasting legacy for Stockport residents’ LIFE Leisure, a charitable trust and not for profit social enterprise company, which manages sports and leisure facilities, including 12 in Stockport, has taken ownership of flagship facility Stockport Sports Village (SSV), to create what it claims will be “a lasting legacy for Stockport residents”. Purchasing the multi-million pound, 23 acre site, from Woodley Sports Social Club Ltd, is the operating company’s first venture into land ownership and is thought to reflect a rent vs mortgage differential of circa £14 million for the trust. Life Leisure first took over rental and management of the site in 2012. Since then SSV, which in June 2018 was named

National Leisure Centre/Health Club of the Year by health and fitness industry body ukactive, has achieved year-on-year growth, attracting over 1000 users a day to facilities including a 5,000 sq ft Gym, aerobics, HIIT and dance studios, 17 3G football pitches, and club standard tennis courts. The site’s conference and banqueting facilities also support Stockport’s wider hospitality and corporate economy. Since its launch six years’ ago, SSV has also been an important addition to Stockport’s education infrastructure, providing a base for Stockport College to deliver many of its sport-related courses to ensure students receive access to the latest technology and training environments.

Investment in the site hasn’t stopped. This year a saw Life Leisure invest in launching a new on-site outdoor training facility for obstacle course races (OCRs), including its own Tough Tribe event, and an outdoor Laser Combat course, making SSV one of the UK’s largest and most diverse sport and fitness facilities. For Life Leisure Group CEO Malcolm McPhail, the successful purchase of SSV marks the start of a new era for the organisation and also a milestone for Stockport. He said: “As a leisure trust, we currently face unprecedented competitive pressure at all levels, from major private chains and boutique gyms, through to budget operators. It’s a market environment which

means you have to believe in and commit to every single business decision wholeheartedly, buying SSV is the perfect example of this. “It’s unusual for a trust, let alone a trust of our size, to be in a position to buy such a major asset but we could see SSV’s potential and its importance to Stockport from the outset, so when the call for interested parties first went out around three years ago, we knew it was absolutely something worth pursuing. “I also always knew this was a direction I wanted to go with Life Leisure. The amazing team here has enabled us to build a reputation for operational excellence, it’s one of the key reasons we were successful in our bid over other contenders. I felt the time was right to build on that reputation by becoming an owner and establishing a major anchor on our balance sheet. I should also say at this point that Lloyds Bank, Paul Wilcox from GDP Funding, our legal advisors DWF, and Bruce Poizer from real estate brokers Cushman and Wakefield were fantastic throughout the entire process. “As a social enterprise, everything we make goes back into the facilities and services we offer, so in that sense, every single one of our members now has a piece of SSV. The outcome of this deal really is a lasting legacy for Stockport residents, a world-class, award winning facility they can be proud of for years to come. “As an operating company, we have been able to do some amazing things, including launching one of UK’s first health intervention focussed centres (Avondale), and developing training facilities and programmes for Stockport Metro, a club which has produced more medal winning swimmers than any other. Building on that legacy with a facility like SSV now under our ownership is an incredibly exciting prospect.”

Contact Editor@BusinessManchester.co.uk

Kuits advises on Coronation Street fraud trial storyline MANCHESTER commercial law firm Kuits is advising Coronation Street on a major ongoing story. The firm’s specialist regulatory and business crime lawyer consultant, Wendi Bussin, has been working closely with producers of the soap on a key plot development, that of character Sally Metcalfe, who was recently arrested for fraud, bribery and money laundering. Wendi has advised on many aspects of the plot since Sally’s arrest, including the procedure of the denial of bail, the subsequent imprisonment of the popular character and all of the court proceedings including the trial. Using over two decades experience of tax fraud defence work, Wendi has been helping to ensure the script is as accurate and authentic to real life legalities as possible. Kuits has been supporting the long-running soap for a number of years and has resulted in the development of a strong and trusted relationship between the firm and Coronation Street producers and researchers. Wendi, said: “Coronation Street continues to deliver hard-hitting storylines that aren’t afraid to address criminal and fraudulent issues that can affect everyday lives. “Due to the technicalities and complexities of criminal law, advising on this storyline and translating it for purposes of dramatic television, was an extremely rewarding challenge of our expertise.” A spokesperson for Coronation Street added: “It’s always important to make sure legal storylines are portrayed accurately and we thank Kuits for the assistance they’ve given us.”

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Manchester skatepark exceeds initial crowdfund target PROJEKTS MCR seeks more community support as it stretches Crowdfunding campaign target further, following £12,000 of last minute donations. The not-for-profit Cooperative and Community Benefit Society, which is looking to use the funds to create a vibrant community space for local young people and their families, set a target to raise £50,000 before 13 November. With less than twenty four hours to go, Projekts hit the initial £50,000 target and then stretched the goal to £75,000 before 1 December, due to ongoing interest from local businesses and the community. Projekts MCR developed this community fundraising campaign, by offering the city’s community the chance to help shape the identity of Manchester, by owning a share of a pioneering space under the Mancunian Way as it is transformed into one of the largest managed concrete skateparks in the UK. Anton Schultz, Social Investment Manager at One Manchester, said: “We’re delighted to help Projekts reach their funding goal. This project fits really well with our social priorities, as they share our focus on engaging young people in the communities we operate in, providing them with a social space, and creating a

skate park which has capacity for all users, of all abilities. It’s a great opportunity for us to invest alongside other supporters in a sustainable community business that will have a long term impact.” The organisation’s aspiration over the next year is to expand its current ramp capacity by an additional 700sqm of concrete ramps for all abilities, allowing the team to work with up to 10,000 more of Manchester’s children and young people each year. The skatepark is in one of the most deprived areas in England, with eight council wards that fall within the 10% most deprived in the country within a two mile radius of the park. For the last five years, Projekts MCR has seen skatepark attendance from people living in those areas shoot up with the creation of female only classes, adults’ classes and reaching over 3,000 children

a year through skateboard coaching classes. This crowdfunding offers the community the opportunity to own a share of the organisation, in return for vital funding which will facilitate the growth of the skatepark and enable it to offer even more educational, health, well-being and work programmes for hard to reach members of the community. John Haines, CEO of Projekts MCR, said: “In recent years we have seen a real appetite from the community to support the vital work we do here at Projekts MCR. They are as passionate as we are about offering a positive space for Manchester’s children and young people to thrive and we feel that offering them a chance to actually own part of the organisation as it grows is the best way to say thank you and deliver on our commitment to help more and more people.”

28 INTERNATIONAL

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Social Republic announces expansion with New York office

SOCIAL Republic has announced its first office opening outside of the UK, with a base now established in New York. The Manchesterbased social media agency, supported by the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, has established a global presence since being founded in 2015 by, Rob Illidge. Utilising a network of over 300 global freelance experts has allowed the agency to attract clients outside of the UK, assigning talent and teams to projects on-demand. CEO, Rob Illidge said: “Opening an office outside of the UK has

always been a dream of ours, and New York is the perfect home. “We have seen a noticeable increase in enquiries from U.S based brands whom wish to develop their social media campaigns, working with an experienced and flexible agency. “Our team in the city that never sleeps, will allow us to develop brands and build our offering, as we sleep on this side of the pond. “As someone who lived and studied in the United States, I understand the culture, determination and appetite for success of American businesses.”

Bidooh wins contract to roll out 10,000 screens across South Korea BIDOOH, a real-time, real-audience, digital billboard advertising platform, has signed a contract with DBDB Labs, a full-service media agency based in Seoul, to utilise its digital billboard platform across 10,000 screens in South Korea. The 10,000 screens will be rolled out over a period of three years. 2,000 screens currently in operation will be fitted with a Bidooh Box and a further 8,000 new screens will be deployed. The deal follows the successful trial of a screen currently live in a corporate office in Seoul, which uses facial analysis technology to provide targeted, real-time advertising. The screens will be installed in book stores, corporate offices and shopping centres across South Korea. By using Bidooh’s GDPR compliant technology platform, any business, no matter

how small or local, can become an advertiser and any screen can become an advertising screen by plugging a Bidooh Box into the HDMI port. As has been demonstrated with the UK Test Network, the high footfall and direct exposure to shoppers make shopping centres particularly receptive to Bidooh’s platform. The installation of screens in book stores and corporate offices extends Bidooh’s presence to new environments and provides access to two significant new marketplaces. The contract in South Korea follows on from the recently announced agreement to roll out Bidooh’s technology across 3,000 screens in Eastern Europe and the support of major digital exchanges such as OKEx. Abdul Alim, co-founder and CEO, commented: “This contract expands our digital billboard platform to a new

territory, demonstrates the scale of Bidooh’s commercial traction and ties in with our strategy of building quality partnerships across the globe. The South Korean marketplace has a highly sophisticated understanding of blockchain’s benefits and we consider this contract a further vindication of our decision to adopt this technology to improve transparency and engagement on our platform.” Che Min Jang, CEO of DBDB Labs, added: “Bidooh’s digital advertising platform is changing outof-home advertising by significantly reducing costs for advertisers, while increasing speed of delivery and

transparency. Bidooh’s platform is available to businesses of all sizes, which opens up out-of-home advertising to smaller advertisers where there is clear demand. We are excited by the opportunity to leverage Bidooh’s technology across 10,000 screens in South Korea and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

ACQUISITIONS

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Manchester corporate lawyer leads purchase of national haulage company SERIAL entrepreneur Andy Scott, who has just achieved his tenth corporate takeover in two years, with the acquisition of national haulage firm Bison Transport Group, has funding in place to purchase six more companies and actively seeks further investments. Bison, which owns and operates 50 trucks from two depots with a £12 million turnover,

is the latest in a list of takeovers which includes London-based Contraband Events, one of UK’s largest entertainment agencies, a group of London pubs including The Chelsea Lodge and The Chelsea Pig, and a portfolio of leisure and construction recruitment businesses based out of London, Ipswich and Manchester. Helen Wong MBE, partner at Clarke Willmott LLP, who led the team providing

Scott’s legal support on all these deals, said: “In just two years Andy Scott has built a sizeable portfolio of complementary businesses, creating good synergies and centralised systems. “He is a true entrepreneur, and I hugely respect his commercial acumen to turn around and maximise profitability in the target companies he acquires. We wish him much continued success and prosperity.”

Mistoria Group purchases Student Haus MISTORIA Group, owners of Mistoria Estate Agents, North West specialists in residential and student property sales and lettings, has purchased Student Haus, the Salford based lettings and estate agency who have approximately 150 properties under management across the whole of Manchester and Salford. The acquisition of the business is part of Mistoria’s continuing growth strategy and follows on from the launch of their third estate agency office in Bolton and the acquisition of Pick My Pad earlier this year. All Student Haus staff will continue in the new business and the brand will continue to trade under its own name. The firm currently

manage properties for more than 100 landlords covering city centre locations based around the main universities in Manchester and Salford. Mish Liyanage, Managing Director of The Mistoria Group commented: “We are delighted to take over the management of Student Haus, including properties, landlords and tenants and to consolidate our position in Salford. Dilan and Edouard have done a great job with Student Digz / Haus over the last five years in Salford by building Student Haus into a very a successful business. "Over the next few months, we will be implementing best practices in both businesses that will benefit

both our tenants and landlords.” Commenting on the sale, Dilan Omari-Clark, said: “We started the company when we were 23 years old after graduating from University. The past five years have been a great adventure and we are proud of what

we have achieved. “It felt like the right time to sell and we are now ready to take on the next challenge. We are pleased that Mistoria have taken on our staff and we wish Mistoria all the best for the future.”

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December 2018

Global payment and risk management solutions for the North West ESTABLISHED in 1979, AFEX is a world leading global payment and currency risk management specialist, with 22 offices and 35,000 corporate, institutional and private clients worldwide. Over $20 billion of transactions are conducted every year. AFEX aims to provide an unrivalled, more personal, customer service which meets the needs of their clients. Commenting on why AFEX chose Manchester, Wayne Mitchell, General Manager EMEA for AFEX, said: “Since opening the Manchester office in 2016, we have experienced considerable success in providing our innovative and cost-efficient FX and international payments solutions to a wide range of companies. The Manchester office has grown significantly since its inception and the North West has now become a key market for us, with its strong business community and

• Multi-currency account to send and receive funds globally • Competitive foreign exchange rates with no wire fees • Guaranteed same-day delivery of funds for major currencies, with a full range of exotics capabilities • Dedicated account management team to provide ongoing global payment and FX support • 24/7 access to our market leading online trading platform • Tailored hedging strategies to protect from market volatility currency risk

a highly developed, and growing, import and export market. We’ve seen an increasing amount of interest and activity from businesses within the region looking to maximise their growth into European and International markets, and through our market leading products and services we are working hard to help aid that growth. The Manchester team have also built successful partnerships with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and other Chambers in the North, further committing to supporting the business community in the North of England, ultimately helping businesses protect their bottom line and mitigate their currency risk.” Furthering their commitment to the North West, AFEX have been sponsors of St. Helens R.F.C for the past four years. AFEX continues to work very closely with ex-rugby league players Barrie McDermott, Adrian

Morley, Paul Sculthorpe and Mark Flanagan, raising awareness within the community on how businesses can successfully manage their international payments and foreign currency needs.

At AFEX we have a rich heritage in pioneering personalised foreign exchange since 1979, becoming one of today’s largest privately owned non-banking providers of global B2B payments and risk management solutions. We are a trusted partner to more than 35,000 businesses and individuals worldwide, helping client’s process payments to more than 180 countries around the clock. Our team of experts specialise in assisting businesses manage their FX trading and hedging strategies in the volatile and often complex world of foreign exchange. Our ultimate aim and purpose is to save you time and money when transacting currency. AFEX is a trusted partner for four main reasons: 1. Competitive foreign exchange rates 2. Excellent proactive service, advice and market guidance 3. FX experts on hand to develop and execute FX hedging policies built around clients specific requirements 4. Providing international payments and risk management solutions to the North West since 2016 With 22 offices around the world and covering all time zones, AFEX offers a comprehensive range of foreign exchange services which seamlessly operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, trading over $20bn in foreign exchange each year.

© 2018 Associated Foreign Exchange, Inc. All rights reserved. Associated Foreign Exchange Limited, which does business under the trade name of AFEX (registered in England and Wales, Company Number 4848033, Registered Office Address: 4th Floor, 40 Strand, London WC2N 5RW), is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (Register Reference: 502593) for the provision of payment services and is registered as an MSB with HM Revenue & Customs (Registered No: 12159000). All clients must have a fully completed and approved application and other necessary documentation on file with AFEX, including a list of authorised traders, if applicable, to initiate valid and legally binding funds transfers orders and other orders and instructions (including cancellations and amendments) (collectively ‘Order’) on client’s behalf. For more information, visit www.afex.com.

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32 TRANSPORT

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Manchester Airport soars to 28 million passengers MANCHESTER Airport is celebrating 28 million passengers passing through its three terminals for the first time in its history. In its 80th year, the UK’s third largest airport saw more than 2.5 million passengers use the airport in October, an increase of 6% on the same month in 2017. That brought the rolling annual total to 28,022,344 passengers. Numbers were bolstered by the October half term, with many families getting away for an Autumn break. And the positive news has continued since the end of the month, including the launch of

the only direct service in the UK to Mumbai outside of London, as Jet Airways started flights. The five a week service had its inaugural flight on 5th November and left the Northern hub 96% full. Ryanair, easyJet and Jet2.com have all added capacity to their winter schedules, which will continue to bolster overall passenger numbers. Plus, the North will soon have a direct route to the heart of Africa as Ethiopian Airlines start flights to Addis Ababa in December. October saw a total of 18,192 aircraft took off and landed at the UK’s third busiest airport, an average of 587 flights per day. Almost 11,000

tonnes of cargo were also carried to destinations across the globe, the equivalent of 870 London busses. October also saw the airport celebrate three major milestones on its £1bn transformation programme. Firstly, a topping out ceremony was held to mark the extension to Terminal Two reaching its highest point after just more than a year of construction. Secondly, a 45m, 85 tonne bridge that will connect the terminal extension with the new multi-storey car park was lifted into place. Finally, the main structural work has also been completed on the car park building and will be fully completed

by the middle of next year. Andrew Cowan, Manchester Airport CEO, said: “Hitting 28 million passengers is another significant milestone for the airport. Our growth means more choice for passengers, more jobs for people across the North and more economic and trade opportunities as we connect Manchester with key global destinations. “All this is being delivered as we press ahead with the biggest investment in our history, which will not only transform our terminal buildings, but the experience our customers enjoy as they travel through Manchester.”

Thousands of jobs linked to new Manchester Airport road MORE than 5,000 jobs will be created in Manchester thanks to a new road improving connections in and around the city to its airport. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has officially opened the A6 Manchester Airport Relief Road, which the Department for Transport contributed £165million towards and which is already shaving a tenth off motorists’ journey times. The £290 million dual carriageway, which links the A6 at Hazel Grove to the M56, also provides better connections to the £1billion Airport City business park and development sites in Handforth Dean and Woodford – and will deliver a £2.5 billion boost to the regional economy. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, said: “We are investing more in improving our roads than

ever before, making it easier, safer and quicker for people to get where they want to go. “This new road will not only make it easier for people to get to the airport and away on holiday, but it will help businesses in the North West improve their access to world trade through flights from Manchester. “It will also lead to the creation of thousands of jobs, boosting the economy and further demonstrating the strength of the North West’s role in the Northern Powerhouse.” Alongside the road, a new pedestrian and cycle path is giving people alternative travel choices to the airport and nearby business park. Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “This new road connects Manchester Airport with the people and businesses of Stockport,

Manchester and East Cheshire. It was only made possible by Department for Transport and Greater Manchester Combined Authority funds and it is a good example of central government working together with a city-region to deliver major infrastructure that improves people’s lives. “The A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road will enable people to make quicker and easier journeys, and will cut congestion, especially on local roads. The supporting cycling and walking infrastructure will also make active travel more attractive and safer for more people and supports our ambition to make them the first and natural choice for short journeys. “Greater Manchester is emerging as a world-class city-region and we want to work with Government to deliver a transport system to support it.”

The government is investing £3 billion in improving journeys on the North’s roads and motorways, and tackling congestion, including upgrading stretches of the M1 and M62 into smart motorways. The Df T will also make available funding of more than £109 million towards other local road schemes in the area – Poynton Relief Road, Congleton Link Road and Middlewich Bypass. Greater Manchester also received a £69.5 million boost from the Budget, bringing its Transforming Cities Fund total to £312.5 million. This fund is designed to improve public transport links to jobs, and the council has decided to invest in better cycling and tram links across the city.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

UKFast helps Wood Street Mission LOCAL children’s charity, Wood Street Mission, aims to ensure that thousands of children in Manchester and Salford will make many happy memories this Christmas. Set up in 1869 to alleviate the effects of poverty on local children and their families, the charity provides thousands of children up to the age of 14 with presents every Christmas. This Christmas the charity is appealing for donations of new toys and gifts as well as treats such as selection boxes and advent calendars. The presents are new so every child is made to feel like any other when opening their presents on Christmas morning, and unwrapped so that parents and carers can come and select the gifts themselves in the run up to Christmas. The Appeal is run from the Charity’s headquarters in Manchester City Centre. Manchester and Salford combined have over 48,000 children living in poverty, with families struggling each day to make ends meet, many of them in low paid and insecure work. The festive season in particular can be a real struggle for many parents. Not only is there the expense

PROUD TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE:

of presents and a Christmas Dinner, there is also the extra costs of providing meals for their children, when they might normally receive free school meals during the week. The charity relies greatly on support from the local community who organise collections of toys or simply add an extra item to their own shopping in the run up to Christmas. Local companies and manufacturers have been fantastic with donations of presents and many are showing their support through social media and helping highlight the cause by using the hashtag #woodstreetxmas Hosting company UKFast is throwing its weight behind the appeal by acting as a drop off point for donations and providing advertising support to help deliver the biggest campaign the charity has ever seen. UKFast Managing Director Gail Jones said: “I feel incredibly fortunate that I am able to provide for my own family so really do feel for the families who are struggling to make ends meet. It’s unimaginable, which is why we have been supporting organisations throughout the year. “The team here at UKFast has always

backed our drive to ensure children in the Greater Manchester area have something to open on Christmas Day, so we are thrilled to be supporting Wood Street Mission’s Christmas Appeal this year. It’s wonderful to hear that the campaign covers other celebrations including Chanukah too. We are appealing for help not only from within UKFast but also the wider community, whether that’s donating gifts, creating awareness or helping to organise the presents. Everyone can play their part and make a child’s day.” Des Lynch, Manager of Wood Street Mission, said: “Every year the level of support we receive from our local community is outstanding. We are incredibly grateful to UKFast for their generosity throughout the year and their ability to place our name in lights really is the icing on the cake. This level of profile places our Appeal right at the heart of the business community and alongside their willingness to share our cause across their networks, it’s going to make for a very exciting Christmas and enable us to help more children this Christmas.” AS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT TO BEING A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN

CSR December 2018

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Andy Burnham Printerland teams up with Works4U to champions Creamline glass bottle campaign promote inclusion through sport SALE Sharks sponsor, Printerland, has committed to promoting inclusion through sport via a new partnership with Works4U Support Services, an alternative education provider in Tameside. Printerland has given away tickets for the 2018/19 Sale Sharks season to Sports and Behaviour Management students at the specialist provision centre in Stalybridge. The centre offers an alternative to mainstream education for young people aged 14-24 with significant learning barriers, including moderate-severe learning difficulties, mental health struggles and confidence issues. This collaboration is part of Printerland’s ongoing inclusion programme, which aims to introduce more young people to sport across Greater Manchester. Khalil Hussain, operations manager at Printerland, said: “This collaboration with Works4U Support Services is a fantastic opportunity to engage local young people in sport, whilst supporting our inclusion efforts. We’re excited for the Sports and Behaviour Management students to watch the Sale Sharks team in

action throughout the season, and hopefully be inspired by what they see. “To date, we have given away over 20,000 tickets to a variety of schools and community groups across the North West. We have ambitious plans to roll this activity out further as the 2018/19 season progresses, and look forward to working with many more young people from all walks of life in the months to come.” Wendy Mackie, managing director of Works4U Support Services, said: “Our partnership with Printerland is excellent news for our young people. Many have never attended a rugby game before, so it’s a great opportunity to introduce them to the sport. “Sport is an integral part of our curriculum, with many of our students demonstrating a real interest in the industry. We are grateful to Printerland for its generous gift and commitment to ongoing support. It’s also fantastic to be involved in a project that celebrates inclusion, something that we’re extremely passionate about at Works4U.”

CREAMLINE, the Trafford based dairy and ‘Best of Local’ home delivery service, has joined forces with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, as part of its ongoing mission to reduce plastic pollution within Greater Manchester. Encouraging the people of Manchester to convert from single use plastic to traditional glass milk bottles, the launch of Creamline’s ‘Glass is Greener’ environmental campaign has already seen over 10 million glass bottles delivered to homes and businesses across Greater Manchester in 2018 alone, saving a staggering 183 tonnes of plastic from local landfill. Campaigning for people to make a small change that can bring about a big difference, Creamline is calling on customers to switch from plastic to environmentally conscious glass bottles, predominantly delivered by the business’ fleet of electric vehicles. With backing from Mayor Andy Burnham, the leading dairy has set its sights on the next generation, calling on schools across Greater Manchester and Cheshire to make the switch. Every week of the school year approximately 500,000 third pints of milk are consumed by school children, served in plastic bottles. By switching to glass milk bottles and re-useable cups, millions of single-use containers could be avoided from heading to landfill or recycling. Commenting on the company’s environmental plans, Chris Swallow, joint managing director at Creamline, said that he – along with the rest of the British public – had been shocked by the devasting effect plastic had on the world’s oceans and was inspired to take action. "We knew as a company we wanted to help make a difference and luckily our customers are just as committed as we are. We’ve been proudly delivering

glass milk bottles for over 70 years. It’s something we’ve always been passionate about and with millions of tonnes of plastic entering our oceans and rivers each and every year, it’s great to have both the Mayor and the people of Manchester support this campaign so strongly. "By switching to glass, you can help wave goodbye to single use plastics, heading back to traditional glass bottles, which are returnable and reusable for years to come. With schools across the region backing this campaign too, we can make a significant impact to help protect the environment for the next generation.’ Andy Burnham, added: “We want to make Greater Manchester one of the greenest city regions in Europe. But we’ll only achieve that if we work together and start to make some serious changes to the way we live our lives and do business together. “As public tolerance of plastics falls, people are looking for alternatives, which is good news for businesses like Creamline that are already making big adjustments to help deliver a cleaner, greener Greater Manchester. “In March 2019, we’ll be holding the follow-up event to our Green Summit where we’ll be inviting businesses from across Greater Manchester to share their achievements so far, and looking at the progress we’re making towards eradicating single-use plastics and becoming carbon-neutral by 2038 – a full decade earlier than first planned.”

APPOINTMENTS

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pro-manchester announces new joint chairs of Property and Regeneration sector group PRO-MANCHESTER has announced two new co-chairs to support their work with the 12 key sectors in Greater Manchester. Suzanne Benson, regional managing partner at Trowers & Hamlins and Heather Gray, business development manager at Bruntwood will share the role of Property and Regeneration sector committee chair. Made up of outstanding individuals who are currently achieving great things in the property and regeneration sector, the committee steers pro-manchester’s activity of events and puts forward the best speakers from their network. Ilona Alcock, sector group manager said: “I’m delighted both Suzanne and Heather

have agreed to co-chair our Property and Regeneration committee. Both have been very pro-active at pro-manchester events, sharing their insights and putting speakers forward. “Their first task as chairs will be our upcoming Property and Regeneration Lunch, at which Heather is chairing, and Suzanne is sharing her wealth of knowledge on our placemaking panel. “I am confident we will achieve great things together and shout about the great things currently happening in Manchester’s booming property sector.” Of her appointment, Suzanne Benson said: “I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to work with

Heather to take forward the work of the Property and Regeneration committee and to deliver some of the great ideas the group has already come up with for events in the next 12 months." Suzanne is the managing partner of the Trowers & Hamlins Manchester office and leads the North West real estate practice, specialising in the development of home ownership products. Heather Gray is business development manager for leading northern property company, Bruntwood, where she builds key partnerships and works on expanding their professional network in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Champion Accountants expands R&D tax team CHAMPION Accountants’ Manchester office has welcomed group tax planning associate, Martin Frain, into its specialist Research & Development (R&D) team to support the growth in tax relief claims. Martin played a key role in Champion Contractors’ expansion into Scotland earlier this year and spent the past six months coordinating the opening of its new Falkirk office. Martin first joined Champion Contractors in March 2010 and moves to the Group’s specialist tax division to support its R&D clients and manage the growing number of tax relief claims, as well as focusing on wider tax planning projects. To date, Champion Accountants has helped SMEs across the UK claim more than £21m in R&D tax relief, with a 100% success rate. Having completed his AAT with Champion

Group, Martin is now working towards his ACCA qualification. He said: “Now that the Contractors’ Scotland office is up and running, I’m ready for a new challenge. “My focus will be on our SME clients, ensuring that claims are dealt with professionally and that we maximise each claim’s full potential, whilst continuing to build Champion’s reputation as the goto source in R&D tax relief.” Group tax director, Gill Molloy, added: “It’s great to welcome Martin on board. The continued success of our R&D Service is down to our team of qualified, professional and committed tax advisors. “Despite the rise in claims, R&D tax relief is still underutilised by many SMEs and recruiting Martin lays the foundation for further growth; allowing us to provide tax relief and specialist tax planning to a larger portfolio of businesses.”

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APPOINTMENTS December 2018

BDO promotes 72 people in the region ACCOUNTANCY and business advisory firm BDO LLP has promoted 72 people across the North West. The promotions span the firm’s tax, audit, BDODrive and advisory practices, as well as its support functions. Ed Dwan, partner at BDO in the North West, said: “We have had a strong year of growth and that is down to the hard work and determination of our people. Being able to watch individuals progress and develop their careers is easily one of the most rewarding parts of our role as partners, so

it’s brilliant to be announcing so many promotions across our Liverpool and Manchester offices this year.” BDODrive combines BDO’s business advisers’ expertise with its technology ecosystem to help unlock growth potential and make doing business easier. Katherine O’Carroll and Laura Stuffins have both been promoted to director within the team and Ishfaq Ahmed is now senior manager to manage client demand. The firm has also continued to invest in its mental health

and wellbeing programme and is offering ‘performance under pressure’ resilience training to its 4000 people UK-wide. Ed Dwan added: “The rise of technology and social pressures means the divisions between our personal and professional lives have become increasingly blurred. Having happy and healthy people who feel supported by the firm is hugely important. “Our vision is to create a positive working environment where people can thrive and bring their best selves to work each day.”

New Partner joins Ward Hadaway’s Matrimonial team THE Matrimonial team at Ward Hadaway has been further strengthened with the recruitment of new Partner, Charlotte Beck. Charlotte has a great deal of experience in acting for clients not only in divorce and cohabitation disputes, but also in wider areas of property disputes. She brings with her particular expertise in advising on complex high net worth financial cases and intricate children disputes. “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Ward Hadaway. The firm has a first-class reputation for the quality of legal services it provides across its three offices. “The focus on client care and longterm planning stands out. I am proud to become part of that and thrilled

that the Ward Hadaway team have asked me to help take this philosophy forward. “It is immediately clear to me that as well as being a Top 100 law firm, Ward Hadaway values first-class legal services and relationships across the board. I am looking forward to sharing in the firm’s values.” Martin Karran, Partner at Ward Hadaway, said: “Charlotte is someone whose work we have been familiar with for some time; it is great to welcome her to the team. “Charlotte stands out as a practitioner who shares our values. That ethos of understanding longterm client needs and respecting our role in the community has been our guiding light in building our team.”

Datacentreplus welcome Lewis Stonier to Engineering team MANCHESTER-based Datacentreplus has announced that Lewis Stonier is the newest member to join their technical team in Manchester. Lewis will primarily be providing first-line support to customers who have dedicated servers with them. Lewis said: “It’s great to be working at Datacentreplus and I especially love that I am encouraged to always speak to our customers, instead of just using a ticketing system. I have a great team of colleagues

supporting me and that makes a big difference”. Communications Manager Rachel Waters, added: “As the company continues to grow, we are thrilled to have Lewis on board and it gives us great satisfaction that we can attract such great talent. For our customers, it means we can provide even quicker responses to any problems that might arise”.

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APPOINTMENTS

Join the Dots bolsters visual communications offer with dedicated creative team GLOBAL consumer insight agency, Join the Dots, has established a dedicated creative team due to the growing success of its visual communications for the company and its roster of global clients. Sarah Batten who has worked for the company for five years is joined by senior creative Nick Tomlinson and junior graphic designer, Dan Towns. The team was formed in response to Join the Dots’ demand for creative output to complement its delivery of insight and research findings for clients. Together they oversee all aspects of visual communications, from brand identity and concept to graphic design, digital illustration and print. Sarah explained: “More and more we’re finding insights need to reach a wider audience than the core research team, it’s crucial that findings are communicated clearly and in an engaging manner. We work with the client and researcher to diagnose what the best type of output would be,

given the audience and message, whether that’s physical print such as booklets or brochures, or digital creative in the form of e-books or an animated infographic.” Nick continued: “Having worked with external agencies, you don’t always receive that connection and

be beneficial for other areas of the business and vice versa.” Kate Rhodes, marketing and brand manager at Join the Dots, added: “After twenty years in the insight industry, we know how important it is for research to make an impact within an organisation, and visual communication is a key part of us delivering that for clients. Our creative team help ensure that we produce work that our clients are proud to share as their own. “Our objective is always to deliver high quality outputs; having won the AURA Communication award five times is a testament to the standard of the team’s work and ensures our research has a positive understanding at the individual level. As business impact all round. We hope a team we have the ability to be extremely to expand on this and plug in to the creative hub that surrounds agile, which is becoming a real selling point in the industry at the moment. We our head office in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, to offer more are also now focussing on offering our creative expertise to clients outside of creative services and added value as the research industry, which is going to we grow.”

Cowgills grows Manchester Corporate Finance team with new appointments COWGILLS has appointed James Kennedy as assistant director of corporate finance to further expand its business in Manchester. James, who joins from Clearwater International, will operate from the firm’s Spinningfields office at XYZ. The Manchester corporate finance team is led by Director Sam Davies, who also joined Cowgills earlier this year and, with the additional appointment this month of corporate finance executive Josh Harper, the lead advisory team now numbers 13 in Manchester. The corporate finance team’s rapid expansion comes after a number of recent deals including, the sale of Bright Futures Care to Livingbridge Equity Partners, the sale of Cleanline

Waste Water Solutions to National Response Corporation (USA), the sale of How Planning to GVA and also advising Communicate Better Group on three acquisitions over the summer. James, who trained with Deloitte, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to join a young, dynamic and fastgrowing team in the heart of the city’s financial district. Coupled with the fact that we also have the backing of a highly experienced team based in Bolton and the ability to deliver a full financial service offering, means we can support clients through the lifespan of their business. I think that makes for an extremely strong offer. The firm has huge ambition to build its Manchester base and I’m really excited to be part of those plans.”

APPOINTMENTS December 2018

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New appointments strengthens The Landing FOUR new appointments have been made at The Landing, at MediaCity UK, as part of a new ten-year plan designed to ramp up support and drive rapid growth for tech start-ups. The management team is being strengthened by the appointment of a new financial controller, Kelly Byrne, and the Landing is also putting more support in place for its resident businesses, with the creation of a specialist business services

team. Former community manager at The Landing, Shu-Ling Li, has been promoted and will lead the new team as head of business services. The new team will be built around the needs of the tech start-ups based at The Landing and will work closely with these businesses to help them achieve rapid growth. Shu-Ling will be supported by three new appointments. As business and community

Clare Bradbury appointed as top-tier tax hire for accountants

ALEXANDER Knight & Co in Manchester has boosted its team with the appointment of experienced tax specialist Clare Bradbury. Clare is an experienced tax specialist and advises SME’s on tax planning issues as well as guidance on tax issues on corporate transactions. During her career she has worked at EY, KPMG and Mazars in Manchester. Murray Patt, founder of Alexander Knight & Co, said: “There is high demand for specialist tax advice in the region and we are delighted to have appointed Clare to our team. We are confident that our clients, who range from fast-growth businesses to seasoned entrepreneurs will be well served by her specialist tax skills.”

manager, Chris Stephens, will work closely with Shu-Ling in supporting over 100 companies based at The Landing. His remit will also include supporting The Landing’s important community activity. A new role is being created to increase visibility of The Landing across Greater Manchester. James Summerton will take on the fastpaced role of business development manager. Finally, a marketing apprentice, Holly Lindon, has been appointed to support businesses based at The

Landing. Holly’s role will seek to increase exposure for the start-ups based at The Landing by creating a greater volume of social and video content to help drive their growth as well as the continued growth of The Landing. She will also be responsible for the creation of The Landing’s own YouTube channel, The Landing TV. The Landing is an international rapid growth facility for start-ups in the tech sector and also runs ERDF funded workshops for the benefit of tech entrepreneurs across Greater Manchester.

Davis Blank Furniss grows Family team LAW firm Davis Blank Furniss has appointed Brigid O’Malley as a solicitor in its Family team. Brigid will be based at the firm’s headquarters in Manchester but will also handle cases out of its Glossop office. Her new role will see her acting on behalf of clients seeking advice and assistance in relation to family matters including divorce, civil partnership dissolution, nullity, domestic abuse, financial proceedings and children proceedings. She will be working closely with Caroline Bilous partner and head of the Family team.

Caroline commented: “I have previously worked with Brigid so I know she is a talented and compassionate lawyer. She brings with her some fantastic experience and a caring approach to her work which I know will benefit our clients.”

Brigid added: “Davis Blank Furniss prides itself on putting its clients first which is important to me. I have worked with Caroline before, and know we make a great team, so I was really excited at the prospect of working together again.”

PROPERTY

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AZ Real Estate brokers £4m investment in Manchester hotel for Russian investor AZ REAL ESTATE, the London and Moscow based real estate consultancy, has brokered a £4m investment in the Hilton Hotel, Manchester Airport, on behalf of a private Russian equity investor. The £4m equity is part of a wider pool of overseas investment into the hotel, with the fund management process being overseen by Regency Project Management. Scheduled to open in 2021 and with a GDV of £116m, the scheme is being developed by Versant Developments and will form part of the wider hotel district at Manchester Airport. It will comprise 600 rooms and become one of the leading hotels in the £1bn Airport City Masterplan taking place across a period of 12 years, which includes a series of new consumer facilities including circa 50 food, beverage and retail outlets as well as technological improvements and expansions to the airport terminals. The brand new hotel district, which will see the construction of four new hotels between now and 2021, will capitalise on the 25 million customers that pass through Manchester

Airport every year. Alisa Zotimova, founder and CEO of AZ Real Estate, commented: “With an increasingly transient generation and globalised business environment, hotels are fast becoming some of the most reliable assets for investors with long term potential. They

represent an excellent opportunity in areas with guaranteed high footfall, and the combination of Manchester’s rapid growth and £1bn airport masterplan looks set to make this a highly successful transaction.” “The investment serves as further evidence of overseas investors

increasingly looking beyond the confines of the capital’s residential asset class when it comes to portfolio expansion. The regions, particularly the likes of Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds are fast-becoming some of the UK’s most attractive and sustainable investment destinations

as vast regeneration projects take shape.” Danilo Lacmanovic, Regency Project Management, commented: “Manchester’s revival has been a real success story for the UK and investors are keeping tabs on the opportunities available across commercial assets

in particular. The rapid growth of the tourism sector coupled with Manchester’s status as a leading business destination makes the Hilton Hotel one of the most attractive commercial investments in the region and we look forward to its opening.”

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Property December 2018

Salford recruitment agency relocates to Altrincham SALFORD Quays based agency Jump Lane Recruitment has relocated to Altrincham. The agency facilitates three primary sectors, Freight Forwarding & Logistics, Health & Social Care and Construction & Civil Engineering. It has extensive knowledge and experience of each sector with a team of industry trained consultants who provide a proactive, high quality and professional service, tailor made to meet the needs of both clients and candidates.

Marc Lane, director, Jump Lane Recruitment, said: “We were looking to relocate and Altrincham was high on our list both from a business and personal perspective. My Buro provided the ideal space in a great location opposite the market”. Daniel Lee, director, Regional Property Solutions, who acted for the landlord Landmark Property Group Ltd, said: “This high spec office suite let very quickly reflecting not only the quality of the space but the growing popularity of the town centre.”

Historic building set for facelift as brothers look to expand their businesses A DERELICT historic building will be revitalised with a £700,000 investment to enable three brothers to grow their businesses under plans drawn up by architects Atelier MB and interior designers Sheila Bird Group. The two-storey former assembly rooms on Lower Bridgeman Street, Bolton, has been empty for a year and has now been acquired by the Pope family. Adam, Dominic and Nick Pope currently run their businesses from Bayley House in Bolton but need more space to meet their expansion goals. They currently employ 25 staff across their companies, Get Claims Advice, Polar Energy and MacFarlaine and Brooks IFA and are aiming to double the size of the combined workforce. The grade II listed building was constructed between 1845 and 1847 as a public baths and

assembly rooms. The former baths is now a veterinary practice under separate ownership. The assembly rooms were used for civic functions and parties until the 1980s, when they were converted into offices and many of the original features destroyed. The building is currently known as the Bolton Business Centre.

Manchester-based Atelier MB, which specialises in projects for historic buildings, has submitted refurbishment plans that include a new mezzanine floor and a small glazed rooftop extension. Ray Makin, chairman of Atelier MB, said: “The former assembly rooms are in a state of disrepair, and we are delighted to be working with Sheila Bird Group to revive this landmark by creating high-quality contemporary office space in an area of the town centre which Bolton Council is seeking to redevelop. Atul Bansal, of Manchester-based Sheila Bird Group, said: “This exciting scheme will bring out the striking qualities of the building while reflecting its heritage. “Having been asked by the Pope family to help them with their new base, we have assembled a great team to deliver this project.”

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Property

Icon Industrial’s development for The Hut Group moves one step closer

PLANS for a logistics and global content creation studio in Manchester for one of the world’s largest online beauty and wellbeing businesses have taken a step closer to becoming reality. The proposed development, called ICON, will house The Hut Group’s (THG) new logistics and content creation studio in a warehouse as well as providing office space over four floors. The development is part of THG’s co-location at Manchester Airport which includes a new sq ft office building at Airport City North. The development will be delivered by Icon Industrial at its 45-acre warehouse and logistics site at

Manchester Airport. ICON could house up to 2,000 people who will work on the company’s expanding logistics function and video production and photography to be used across THG’s digital offering. Dan Gallagher, joint managing director of Stoford Developments, said: “We are delighted to welcome THG to Icon Manchester Airport and their arrival is a fantastic boost for the North West. They have recognised that the site is in a key strategic location at the very heart of the Northern Powerhouse and its unrivalled airport connectivity will enable THG to reach its worldwide market.

“This project is the second exciting development on the scheme and the remaining land presents potential occupiers with an excellent opportunity to have a unit built to their specific requirements. “The connectivity this site offers occupiers makes it a hugely significant site as an important logistics hub for South Manchester and the region as a whole. We can’t wait to get started on delivering this exciting development on behalf of THG.” Matthew Moulding, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Hut Group, said: “Following THG’s acquisition and integration in 2017 of

Hangar 7, the UK’s leading content studio, ICON is now the next step in expanding the Group’s content production and logistics capabilities dramatically. We look forward to expanding even further from here, attracting and retaining the most innovative and inventive talent from across the globe.” Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “As a first phase investor in Airport City Manchester, THG’s arrival is a major vote of confidence in the city and begins to unlock the major potential of Airport City as a hub for employment.”

Property December 2018

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Orchard Street completes refurbishment at Bauhaus ORCHARD Street Investment Management, is nearing completion of a comprehensive refurbishment of Bauhaus, its prime Grade A office building on Quay Street in Manchester city centre. Bauhaus benefits from a wellconnected and established city centre location, immediately opposite Manchester’s Spinningfields financial district and adjacent to the St John’s Quarter, which has attracted £1 billion of investment. Facilities and services that have been incorporated into the relaunched nine-storey building

include a full tenant concierge service, an exclusive business lounge, coworking spaces, a new cycling and shower hub, 29 secure basement parking spaces and electric vehicle charging points. Sarah O’Connell, Asset Manager at Orchard Street Investment Management, said: “This significant refurbishment project has provided us with an excellent opportunity to deliver prime office accommodation of considerable scale, in a superb location. We have created a unique style of offices and each floor of 6,000 sq ft provides the flexibility to allow a

broad range of occupiers to create their own bespoke workspace environment. "Our emphasis has been to ensure that the refurbishment carried out has been completed with an entirely occupier-led focus. The newly restored

office scheme will appeal to the increasingly diverse range of businesses expanding their presence in the city, particularly those companies looking to create offices which help attract and retain the best talent. ”

CallisonRTKL moves into Manchester One CallisonRTKL, represented by international real estate advisor Savills, has acquired office space at Bruntwood’s Manchester One building on the corner of Portland Street and Sackville Street in Manchester city centre. The global architecture, planning and design firm has

agreed a new five-year lease at the 21-storey property, where Bruntwood has invested more than £2 million in redevelopment and refurbishment including the creation of a new reception and redesigned communal spaces. Andrew Cooke, associate in the office agency team at

Savills, commented: “Manchester One’s high quality office space, firstclass fibre connectivity and proximity to the city centre’s transport interchanges and amenities was the perfect fit for CallisonRTKL. We are delighted to have secured this deal on their behalf.” “This is an ideal

location for us,” said Mark Slocombe, CRTKL Director. “It not only allows us to continue growing but to play a stronger, more meaningful role in the Manchester community.” Joshua Hancock, Head of Commercial at Bruntwood Works added: “We are delighted to welcome

CallisonRTKL to our Manchester One community, which provides the ideal location for such an innovative global company to grow its presence at the heart of the city centre. “Their arrival also means we have only one suite left at Manchester One, which is a great

testament to the inspirational workspace and community environment created in the building following its renovation. We are very excited to see the final fit-out and design CallisonRTKL delivers and look forward to supporting them closely with their future plans.”

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Property

Aviva Investors lets distribution unit in Heywood THE industrial agency team at property advisor JLL has let a new distribution unit in Heywood on behalf of Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva plc. The unit was developed on a speculative basis in a joint venture between Aviva Investors and Graftongate, the industrial developer. McCormick, the international herb and spice manufacturer listed on the New York Stock exchange, has taken a 10-year lease on the property called Link95,. It plans to retain the manufacturing unit it occupies in Littleborough, Rochdale, and use Link95 as additional distribution space in the region. The unit is located on Hareshill Distribution Park in Heywood and is within two miles from the M66. Neighboring occupiers include Yearsley Group and Martin Brower. Richard Johnson, director at JLL in Manchester, said: “There

is robust demand for units of Link95’s size and quality in prime locations, which continues to outstrip Grade A supply in the region. McCormick’s requirement was for high quality distribution space in North Manchester to store packaged sauces that are manufactured at their Littleborough facility and supplied to McDonald’s. Colin Lawrence-Waterhouse, Asset Manager at Aviva Investors, said: “Link 95 is a new, detached distribution unit built to an extremely high specification and benefits from excellent motorway access. Acquiring high quality logistics assets such as Link95 through new development or refurbishment of existing buildings aligns with our client’s strategy of investing in quality assets in core locations. Greater Manchester is a core market for Aviva Investors and a location where we have strong appetite for speculative development. We are delighted to have secured a long-term let to the global manufacturer McCormick and look forward to building a strong relationship with them.”

Property December 2018

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BAM appointed to create new Welcome Building and lake at RHS Garden Bridgewater THE Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has appointed BAM Construction’s North West to design and construct their new Welcome Building and lake at RHS Garden Bridgewater on the site of the former Worsley New Hall. BAM is the Salford-based company behind the construction of over many buildings across the region including universities, offices, schools and leisure centres. The multi-million pound project involves the construction of a new Welcome Building comprising of an arrivals hall, learning facilities, café, plant centre and gift shop, together with associated hard and soft

landscaping and a new lake. The scheme forms part of the RHS plan to create a 62 hectare garden in Worsley, Salford, which is currently the largest gardening project in Europe and the Society’s first new garden in 17 years. It is anticipated that it will attract up to 700,000 visitors per year by its 10th year of opening. Ian Fleming, Director for BAM in the North West, said: “The Welcome Building has high quality finishes throughout from the exposed concrete columns, concrete floor finish and glulam timber roof structure to the elevations of curtain walling and larch cladding. “We are now ensuring the

design is ready for procurement and construction activity. Construction work is expected to start in January. “I’m delighted the RHS has trusted us with this special scheme. One of BAM’s great credentials is an adaptable and genuinely collaborative approach. We are good at getting inside a scheme and a client’s mind set, and we are looking forward to a very productive partnership as RHS Garden Bridgewater starts to become a reality.” Planning permission was granted in June 2017 and the RHS anticipates opening in 2020. John Pye, Capital Projects Manager for RHS Garden Bridgewater,

said: “The appointment of BAM Construction to design and build our new Welcome Centre and lake is an important step in RHS Garden Bridgewater becoming the worldclass destination for horticulture in the North West that we envisage. The Welcome Building and lake in the entrance garden will be the first impressions that visitors receive of the new garden, and with BAM’s track record of delivering outstanding buildings throughout the UK we are confident we have chosen the ideal local partner to realise our vision. We are looking forward to working with the team as the project progresses.”

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THE office agency team at JLL in Manchester has been appointed on Exchange Quay at Salford Quays, one of the North West’s largest office developments. JLL joins existing letting agent, Canning O’Neill, on the development which continues to evolve, with Ekistics acting on behalf of the owner following an initial £10m investment implemented by Hunter. Exchange Quay is one of the

largest office developments in the North West with over 3,000 people working from the six buildings within the acclaimed riverside development. The scheme has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment programme to deliver Grade A office space, as well as extensive remodelling of the public realm, the introduction of several retail outlets, occupier amenities and launch of a Kids Planet children’s day nursery.

Ekistics is continuing the development’s transformation with the next phase of refurbishment in Number 3 close to completion, which will deliver further high quality offices along with a new café/bar branded ICE. Exchange Quay lies at the gateway to Salford Quays/Media City, approximately 1.5 miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. It boasts its own dedicated Metrolink tram stop

Property and is strategically located just off Trafford Road which links Salford Quays to both Manchester City Centre and the major motorway networks via the M602. Axel Waldecker, Managing Director at Ekistics, commented: “We are pleased to welcome JLL to our team at Exchange Quay at such an exciting time in the development’s transformation. In addition to our commitment to delivering the highest standard of office accommodation, a major part of our focus has been on enhancing the occupier experience. We have listened to our tenants and introduced a host of amenities to

45 ensure that this is a vibrant and exciting place to work. This has attracted a range of new occupiers to Exchange Quay in recent months as well as ensuring the retention and expansion of our valued existing tenant base and we are confident that our agency team will continue to drive the scheme’s success.” Richard Wharton, director for office agency at JLL, said: “The ongoing refurbishment at Exchange Quay provides an essential supply of high quality, great value office space to Greater Manchester, with excellent on site amenity and transport links. “We are operating in a very competitive market where amenities can be a crucial differentiator. The provision available at Exchange Quay makes it a very attractive option for companies focused on attracting and retaining the best staff."

Expansion for Piccolino Manchester OWNERS of Piccolino’s flagship Caffé Grande, Manchester, have announced plans for expansion. The premium Italian restaurant, which enjoyed a £1.3m refurbishment in spring 2016 and is a popular haunt of Manchester’s business community, celebrities and sport stars; is to develop a private dining and event space on the lower ground floor. The opulent space will include two private dining rooms, complete with

a private cocktail bar and kitchen for larger and bespoke events. Work on the private dining room and event space will commence in January 2019 and see a £400k investment. Speaking on the plans, Ettore Cicchetti, who has been at the forefront of the restaurant since 2003 said: “I and the team here at Caffé Grande are really excited about the addition of the private event space;

it will be a brilliant extension of the restaurant. “Whilst the recent fire was minor, the water damage was extensive and we have worked tirelessly to ensure the restaurant is back open for the

festive season. The understanding and patience we have received from our loyal guests has been incredible and I would like to thank everyone for their kind words of support.”

YOUR FREE Business Newspaper

Property December 2018

TalkTalk chooses Salford as new HQ

TALKTALK plans to relocate its headquarters from London to Salford to support its next phase of growth. The move is the second major investment by the FTSE 250 telecoms company in the North West in recent years. The company opened a large office in Salford in 2017, which is home to the firm’s technology and business teams. The state-ofthe-art site replaced previous offices in Warrington and Irlam. TalkTalk said the success of its Soapworks site in Salford had exceeded expectations, improving

collaboration between teams, supporting a more flexible working environment and enabling the company to attract and retain the best talent. Since moving to Salford, the company was recognised as one of the UK’s best Large Workplaces by Great Place to Work. TalkTalk now wants to build upon its success in the North West, transferring its HQ from London to Salford as part of its strategy to simplify its operations. The company will relocate several hundred existing roles from London in 2019, supporting employees with their relocation plans. TalkTalk

will also create new posts, in part through the continued expansion of its graduate and apprenticeship programmes. Tristia Harrison, Chief Executive of TalkTalk, said: “We’re excited to be moving our headquarters to Salford. We’ve always had a base in the North West, but we want to build on that heritage and create a world-class campus for the whole business. “As with any change, we are committed to supporting all of our colleagues during this transition period. Bringing all of our teams together will make us a simpler business, where it’s easier for teams to work

together and deliver the very best service for customers.” Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Salford is already home to the second largest cluster of digital businesses outside London and the city is working hard to grow the digital skills and talent for the future. TalkTalk relocating their headquarters and executive team here and creating hundreds of new, high quality, technical, digital jobs speaks volumes for the success of our investment in a digital future. Rebecca Long Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles added: “Following the success stories of leading

businesses moving to Salford, it’s great to hear the news that TalkTalk will be doing the same in moving their headquarters to the city from London. By linking up with the company’s technology and business office which opened in Salford in 2017, I hope the move will open up opportunities for Salford residents. “This announcement provides further evidence that businesses can find success and growth outside of London, provide investment to the area, and job opportunities for people here in Salford.”

Contact Editor@BusinessManchester.co.uk

Property

Housebuilding on the rise as CPUK appointed to £6.6m Oldham scheme LEADING North West-based building group Construction Partnership UK (CPUK Group) has been appointed to deliver a £6.6 million housing scheme on a brownfield site in Oldham. The contract is the latest in a string of residential projects that Lancashire’s CPUK is working on across the North West as the region’s housebuilding sector continues to gather strength. It will build 54 homes on the Wellyhole site for Hale-based House Crowd Developments, part of the multi award-winning House Crowd group of companies. It is its second negotiated project with the

developer. The homes designed by Oldham architects Hall Needham Associates, will be built on the site of a demolished mill and a filled in millpond. CPUK will carry out remediation work before starting the construction phase. CPUK has extensive experience in the residential sector, and has a growing number projects across the North of England. It is also working for House Crowd on a 36-home residential development in Mossley in Tameside in a £5.3 million negotiated project. And in a successfully negotiated £5.4 million contract with a repeat

client, Newpark Group of Prestwich, CPUK is building 44 homes on redundant farmland off Crescent Road in Crumpsall. CPUK managing director Steve Burke says the Wellyhole project is an indication of the growing strength of the residential sector across the region: “It is fair to say the residential sector is buoyant. We’re continuing to see an increase in the number of homes being built across the region as developers rise to the challenge set by the Government to step up the pace of housebuilding. “The aim is to increase the number of homes built across the UK from

220,000 a year to 300,000. It’s an indication of the need to build that exists across the country. “Buyer demand is also strong and the now well-established Help-toBuy scheme has done a good job in both kick-starting and growing the market. “It has helped people to both get on and move up the property ladder. All in all, the residential sector in the North West is in a good place with developers eager to start on sites. “At Wellyhole we’ll be bringing a brownfield site back to life and creating much-needed quality homes for local people.”

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