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AJ Bell profits surge following year of strong growth

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Annual profits at Manchester-headquartered AJ Bell have surged 29 per cent as the investment platform’s assets under administration have risen to nearly £40bn.

Pre-tax profits for the year to September 30 2017 grew to £21.7m from £16.8m as the company continued its strong growth of customer numbers.

The company provides online pension, investment and stockbroking services to customers across the UK.

Retail customers increased by 17 per cent to 164,557, while assets under administration rose 25 per cent to £39.8bn from £31.8bn.

The increase in assets under administration was driven primarily by £6.4bn of new business, up 78 per cent on the previous year’s figure of £3.6bn.

Revenue grew 17 per cent to £75.6m from £64.5m and AJ Bell is continuing its progressive dividend policy with a 10 per cent increase to 28.25p a share, equating to a total shareholder pay-out of £11.6m.

AJ Bell’s figures also absorb the cost of moving into its new head office at Salford Quays in the summer, providing the necessary space to support the company’s rapid growth.

It employs nearly 700 people, most of whom are based at the new HQ at Exchange Quay.

In November the company announced it would be bringing a further 100 jobs at the site by moving its stockbroking services from Tunbridge Wells.

The company is benefiting from the growth in popularity of self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs), a particular strength for AJ Bell, as well as low-cost, ready-made investment portfolios that were launched this year.

Andy Bell, chief executive at AJ Bell, said: “We are pleased to report another year of strong growth for the business, both in terms of the number of customers using our investment platform and our financial performance.

“To support that growth, we moved into our new head office in Salford Quays during the year and we are in the process of making that the main hub for all our core operations.

“As we go through that process in 2018 we will be recruiting locally to continue building a highly-skilled workforce who can help us achieve our vision of being the easiest investment platform to use in the UK.”

Bolton-based vaping company nominated for seven categories in E-cigclick Vape Awards 2017

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A vaping company based in Bolton has been selected for seven categories at the 2017 Ecigclick Vape Awards sponsored by VapourUK.

They have been shortlisted for awards in the following categories:

1.       Best Online vape store: UK

2.       Best Online vape store: DIY E-liquid

3.       Best E-liquid Brand: UK

4.       Best Value E-liquid

5.       E-Liquid: Best Fruit Flavour (Blackcurrant Tunes)

6.       E-Liquid: Best Beverage (Purple Slush Boss Shot)

7.       Favourite Facebook Group

Going against some of the biggest vaping brands in the UK, Flavour Boss offers vapers a vast choice of their own tried and tested DIY nicotine free e-juice shots known as ‘boss shots’, allowing vapers to create and combine their own e-juice recipes.

The company’s best-selling boss shots, Purple Slush and Blackcurrant Tunes, have been shortlisted for ‘best fruit flavour’ and ‘best beverage of the year’.

On the success of receiving nominations at this year’s E-cig awards, Graham McKenzie, Flavour Boss’ brand manager said: “We are absolutely ecstatic to be nominated for seven categories at this year’s E-cigclick Vape Awards.

“The team at Flavour Boss have been working hard to get to this level and be recognised in the e-cig industry for producing some of the best custom-made e-juices in the UK.

“It’s great to see our Flavour Boss group being selected for the ‘Favourite Facebook Group’ category at the awards, having reached over 15k dedicated followers over the past 2 years since we had created the group.”

“We are excited to see the final results and hoping to receive good news as we enter into the New Year.”

Stonehouse Salon & Spa opens its doors in Wigan

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The Stonehouse Salon & Spa has opened its door and welcomed its first customer – Singer and TV personality, Jenny Frost.

The Aveda salon, owned by creative director Craig Stonehouse and his partner Craig Harris, is based on Library Street, Wigan.

Craig Stonehouse will be leading the team, bringing 15 years of experience of hairdressing having worked at leading exclusive salons across London, as well as London Fashion Week.

Craig Stonehouse, creative and colour director said: “I wanted to bring the London salon experience to the people of Wigan, but without the hefty prices.

“Having your hair done should be an experience – not a chore. When stepping into our salon, people will be personally welcomed and pampered, as well as receive a personal bespoke service from a leading stylist.”

Stonehouse Salon & Spa is an official partner of Aveda. It operates via the same ethos and only uses Aveda’s naturally derived products, which are sourced without harming the environment.

For the opening weekend, all customers will receive 20 per cent off their first cut. Repeat custom will be rewarded with further discounts as part of its exclusive membership club.

Craig Harris, managing director of Stonehouse Salon & Spa said: “I was born and raised in Wigan and feel really proud to be able to return to my roots and launch this new venture in my home town, and be part of the exciting regeneration that is transforming Wigan.”

First dual-branded Manchester hotel names two key appointments

The dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites has revealed two new hires ahead of its much-anticipated opening early next year.

Gabriella Hanson is Conference & Events Office Manager for the Crowne Plaza after joining from The Lowry Hotel.

And Danielle Corbett has been named as Assistant Revenue Manager following almost three years at Hotel Gotham.

Known as a ‘double pack’ concept, the 19-storey dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites will open to the public in 2018.

The building, which will contain 328-rooms, sits on Manchester’s bustling Oxford Road Corridor.

General Manager Andrew Fletcher said: “I’m very pleased that both Gabriella and Danielle have decided to join our growing team as we continue to focus on the opening of the first dual-branded hotel under one roof in the north of England.

“Danielle is a Manchester Metropolitan University International Hospitality Management graduate and has also worked at Macdonald Townhouse, The Place Apartment Hotel and Malmaison Hotels.

“Gabriella also has great pedigree having been Event Planner and Event Sales Supervisor at The Lowry Hotel following stints at The Mere Golf Resort & Spa and Malmaison & Hotel du Vin properties – with both already making a strong impression on the team.”

While the Crowne Plaza will contain 212-rooms over 11 floors, a 120-cover upscale restaurant, seven meeting rooms catering for over 200 delegates and a gym. Staybridge will have 116-rooms on the eight floors directly above and offer a warm, social and home-like environment through a mix of studio and one-bedroom suites.

Andrew said: “The dual-branded double pack concept is emerging and picking up at a pace in Europe but isn’t something that has been offered to people staying in Manchester before.

He added: “Our location is truly unique as the building is situated on The Oxford Road Corridor, an innovation district running south from Manchester city centre that is home to 70,000 students and a workforce of 60,000 people

“With the fit-out programme very much in full flow, we will be announcing further appointments in the coming weeks and months.”

Hallmark Hotel Manchester reveals new look after quarter of a million pound investment

Hallmark Hotel Manchester, Wilmslow has unveiled a sleek new-look interior on the back of a quarter of a million pound refurbishment project covering the bar and restaurant, the health club and spa.

The hotel, which offers one of the largest event spaces in South Manchester and Cheshire, has revealed an upgrade to its leisure and event facilities, which are widely enjoyed by local residents as well as hotel guests. The work has seen a full refurbishment of public areas, including the creation of a stylish lounge bar with semi private booth seating, complimented by the upgrade of a Brasserie.

The work will continue to the end of 2017 with the hotel’s health club, which is open to all hotel guests and holds several hundred members from the surrounding area.

Linda Gregory, Cluster General Manager of the hotel, commented: “The fresh new design has breathed new life into our event spaces, which are a social hub for Cheshire residents as well as visitors to the hotel. The renovation work even saw the roof of our pool area  being lifted off – which was quite an astonishing sight! – but we’re so pleased with the final results and we’re confident our guests will be too”.

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Hallmark Hotels – Manchester

In recent months, the hotel has played host to numerous high profile events, including ‘When you Wish Upon A Star’s’ black and white ball attended by Coronation Street and Hollyoaks cast members and a ‘Ladies Lunch’ which saw over 350 Cheshire ladies descend on the hotel, hosted by former Key 103 presenter Chelsea Norris.

Hallmark Hotel Manchester, Wilmslow has 88 rooms and suites, a brasserie, wine cellar, lounge bar and health club and spa, with a 20-metre pool.  Three event spaces seat between 130 and 360 guests, and the hotel also offers a range of meeting facilities for business guests.

The hotel located just three miles from Manchester International Airport close to the M60 and M56 motorways in neighbouring leafy Wilmslow, allowing visitors to get quickly to and from any of the three terminals in just a few minutes by car.

MANCHESTER AIRPORT ADDS MORE PASSENGERS THAN ANY OTHER UK AIRPORT

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This November saw 1,731,446 passengers travel through Manchester Airport.

That is up 2% on the previous year and marks another month of growth for the UK’s third biggest airport.

It comes as CAA data reveals Manchester added more passengers than any other UK airport between April-September 2017. The airport added 1.27m passengers compared to Gatwick and Heathrow that added 1.25m passengers each.

Manchester Airport’s annual rolling passenger numbers now stand at 27,764,247, an increase of 9.7% year on year.

Growth has slowed at the airport due to the collapse of Monarch Airlines which has left some capacity unused for this winter season.  The airport remains confident that by the start of the summer season all capacity will be filled and this has already started with Jet2.com, TUI and Thomas Cook Airlines all already increasing capacity for next year.

The top five destinations in November were:

  1. Amsterdam
  2. Dublin
  3. Dubai
  4. Tenerife
  5. Paris – Charles De Gaulle

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said: “It is pleasing to see Manchester Airport continue to grow and fulfil its role of the UK’s global gateway in the North.

“Now the summer peak is over we are continuing to invest in the airport and passengers will start to see our £1bn transformation take shape and develop over the coming winter months.”

Last week saw the airport’s owner, MAG, announce its half year results, which saw the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester receive an interim dividend of £35.7m, an increase of 18% on the previous year. Through the airport’s unique ownership structure, this money is directly invested back into the region, funding vital projects.

MAG’s airports at London Stansted and East Midlands also all grew their passenger numbers, with East Midlands growing 20% year on year, and MAG as a whole serving 3.8m passengers in November (+4.1%).

First dual-branded Manchester hotel names two key appointments

The dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites has revealed two new hires ahead of its much-anticipated opening early next year.

Gabriella Hanson is Conference & Events Office Manager for the Crowne Plaza after joining from The Lowry Hotel.

And Danielle Corbett has been named as Assistant Revenue Manager following almost three years at Hotel Gotham.

Known as a ‘double pack’ concept, the 19-storey dual-branded Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites will open to the public in 2018.

The building, which will contain 328-rooms, sits on Manchester’s bustling Oxford Road Corridor.

General Manager Andrew Fletcher said: “I’m very pleased that both Gabriella and Danielle have decided to join our growing team as we continue to focus on the opening of the first dual-branded hotel under one roof in the north of England.

“Danielle is a Manchester Metropolitan University International Hospitality Management graduate and has also worked at Macdonald Townhouse, The Place Apartment Hotel and Malmaison Hotels.

“Gabriella also has great pedigree having been Event Planner and Event Sales Supervisor at The Lowry Hotel following stints at The Mere Golf Resort & Spa and Malmaison & Hotel du Vin properties – with both already making a strong impression on the team.”

While the Crowne Plaza will contain 212-rooms over 11 floors, a 120-cover upscale restaurant, seven meeting rooms catering for over 200 delegates and a gym. Staybridge will have 116-rooms on the eight floors directly above and offer a warm, social and home-like environment through a mix of studio and one-bedroom suites.

Andrew said: “The dual-branded double pack concept is emerging and picking up at a pace in Europe but isn’t something that has been offered to people staying in Manchester before.

He added: “Our location is truly unique as the building is situated on The Oxford Road Corridor, an innovation district running south from Manchester city centre that is home to 70,000 students and a workforce of 60,000 people

“With the fit-out programme very much in full flow, we will be announcing further appointments in the coming weeks and months.”

Digital ID Play it Smart with Acquisition

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Digital ID, the South Manchester based ID Card Company are pleased to announce the acquisition of Brighton & Hove based company, The Smart Card Store Ltd. Established in 2006 The Smart Card Store is one of the UK’s fastest growing ID card companies specialising in the supply of smart ID cards to a well-established client base of both end-users and trade customers. Guy Hudson will remain as Managing Director of The Smart Card Store which will continue to operate from Brighton with its own identity. The acquisition cements Digital ID’s position as the UK’s largest ID card company.

Jonathan Fell, Managing Director of Digital ID Group, said, “The Smart Card Store have an excellent reputation in the industry, an impressive team of staff and loyal client base. This acquisition enables the Digital ID Group to evolve its growth strategy to enhance the organic growth we have achieved already this year. I very much look forward to working with Guy and his team.”

Guy Hudson, Managing Director of The Smart Card Store, said: “We have been working with Digital ID for a number of years and as our main supplier they were the obvious choice when it came to looking for a suitable purchaser to take the company to the next level. It was important on a personal level that although the deal with Digital ID sees a change of ownership it doesn’t see a change of personnel, office location or day-to-day operation. Myself and the team look forward to working as part of Digital ID and the benefits we will experience from working within their ambitious and fast growing organisation.”

The Digital ID Group is on track to achieve an impressive 42% organic growth in 2017 and the acquisition of The Smart Company, with its £2.5m turnover, brings the group to an annualised turnover of £20m.

The deal comes at a great time for both brands with the launch of the new IDP Smart 51 card printer and Magicard Rio Pro 360 to the UK ID card market.

Manchester’s Arro Launches Unique Business Accounts Tailored to SME Entrepreneurs

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Manchester, UK, 12th December 2017 – Arro Money, a fast-growing provider of personal and business accounts, has launched its game-changing alternative to traditional business banking – a new B2B platform designed to provide easy access to a guaranteed acceptance account for instant payments.

Aimed at entrepreneurs, start-ups and contractors, these accounts will ensure businesses can start processing transactions immediately, as well as on-boarding payroll – a unique feature in the financial services sector.

A strong alliance with card provider giants, MasterCard, means Arro’s business accounts will offer higher spend limits and card balance than their competitors. This partnership ensures the Arro card can be accepted by millions of merchants globally.

The new business account has been specially created by Arro in the belief that all individuals and businesses – no matter their size – have a basic human right to a bank account. Due to stringent rules from traditional banks many entrepreneurs have been forced into using a personal bank account to operate a business –causing copious amounts of issues when it comes to managing taxes and managing the finances of a business efficiently.

Arro’s proprietary technology improves the way consumers and businesses access financial products by eliminating excessive credit checks and reducing the lengthy set-up times that are all too common at traditional banking institutions, helping to improve accessibility and financial inclusion. Moreover, the solution offers the same high security standards as traditional solutions. The only real-time account portal available on the market to be certified by an independent security quality assessor, the account ensures customers’ data is always protected.

Speaking about the new business account offering, Muhammad Asim, Director at Arro Money, explained: “We have spent the last four years building this solution. We took time to conduct first-hand research to establish what businesses truly needed from their bank accounts. We combined this with best practice across the industry to provide a flexible and unique solution which puts customers first.

“While other, now high-profile providers, rushed to market, Arro put the customer first to ensure that when our product was launched to market it had the best offering to meet the needs of the individuals using it.”

The launch of the new business account caps a successful year for Arro. Its personal account continues to go from strength to strength, with an active user base that is growing month-on-month, as the organisation continues to exceed its customer acquisition targets. The company also recently opened Series A Financing to raise further funds for investment in enhancing customer experience of the product, as well as building additional capacity in-house. 2018 will see Arro focus on acquiring 50,000 business accounts while maintaining an excellent personal account offering.

Manchester officially the best Christmas Market in the UK – and one of the best in Europe

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A Christmas miracle of Giant Santa proportions has come true as Manchester takes a coveted spot in the top fifteen festive markets across the continent.

Placing lucky number 13, Manchester shrugged off strong competition from a long list of 100 Christmas Markets, eventually being placed higher than stalwart Christmas destinations, including Dresden, Leipzig and Cologne.

Manchester is representing the British Isles as the only UK city to be nominated in the final 20 festive attractions by influential travel website, European Best Destinations.

The final positions were chosen by a European-wide vote by more than 200,000 people from 131 countries.

Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “Although it often goes without saying – that Manchester has the best Christmas Market in the UK – it never hurts to be told. We have fought off competition from some of the most popular Christmas cities in the world and our reign as the UK’s capital of Christmas continues.

Cllr Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council’s executive member for school, culture and leisure, said: “Thank you to everyone who voted for Manchester, it’s an honour to be recognised as one of the best Christmas destinations alongside such illustrious European cities. Only one week to go until the market closes for another year, so fill your stockings!”