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Manchester-based L&G Childcare To Purchase Third Site Following £200,000 Funding From Santander

Sam Whitear
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Altrincham-based nursery operator L&G Childcare, which currently has two established nurseries in the North West, has acquired Bungalow Day Nursery in Denton following £200,000 funding from Santander Business Banking. The long-term plan for the business is to add an additional two nurseries as the group capitalises on strong demand for high-quality childcare in Greater Manchester and across Cheshire.

The family owned business has operated nurseries for over 12 years. Currently run by Gary and Lisa Kirkwood and their daughter Natasha, the business employs over 30 members of staff and looks after over 120 children. They acquired Heathfield House Day Nursery in 2006 and Little Weavers Day Nursery in 2012 located in Warrington and Northwich respectively.

With the existing two nurseries now well established, the funding from Santander Business Banking was used to purchase Bungalow Day Nursery in July this year. The new site will enable them to offer a high standard of childcare for up to 50 more children in the Denton area. They are committed to promoting healthy eating, outdoor activities, quality education and family values. They have already completely refurbished the setting with major redecoration inside and installation of a beautiful astro turfed outside area which has become a real feature for the children.

 Gary Kirkwood, Owner, L&G Childcare said: “We are thrilled to be able to purchase our new site and expand our business. Opening our third nursery is a great milestone for us and we are pleased to be in a position to respond to the demand for high quality childcare in this part of Manchester. The support from Santander has been exceptional and really helped us expand and invest for growth.”

Luke Rowbotham, Relationship Director at Santander Business Banking said: “L&G Childcare is a family run business that really knows the local market. The growth and success of the business is a testament to the hard work of the Kirkwood family, and we are really looking forward to seeing the success of the third nursery and helping the business seize additional opportunities when they appear.”

Lagan Building Contractors to host supplier engagement event in Salford

Sam Whitear
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Lagan Building Contractors are seeking suppliers to work with them on a number of construction projects across the North West of England, including the Outwood Wharf project in Salford. In partnership with Constructionline, the leading construction group will be hosting a supplier engagement day on 24th October in order to discuss opportunities to work with them.

The event will give subcontractors the chance to meet face-to-face with key decision makers within Lagan Building Contractors in order discuss upcoming projects and aims to foster lasting and productive working relations. Lagan Building Contractors are looking for support in trades including: roofing and cladding, internal partitions and ceilings, painting, wall tiling, joinery, plastering, landscaping, groundworks and steelworks.

Jon Adams Managing Director at Lagan Building Contractors, said: “Lagan Building Contractors is a family owned business and we are fervent believers in investing in people and building strong long term working relations with our Customers and Supply Chain Partners. There is a wealth of upcoming projects in the pipeline with some lucrative opportunities for work in the North West. We hope to meet both Constructionline members and non-members at the event on the 24th October and hope that it will prove a beneficial day for all attendees.”

The event will take place at the AJ Bell Stadium – home of Salford Red Devils and Sale Sharks – on 24th October from 10am – 3pm. For details on how to attend, please click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lagan-building-contractors-supplier-engagement-day-salford-tickets-38798119219

North West FTSE businesses give region £2bn boost

Sam Whitear
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The third quarter of 2017 has seen the North West’s listed companies add almost £1.9bn to their total values, according to business advisory firm Deloitte.

The latest North West Share Index reveals that the value of the region’s listed businesses has risen by four per cent in the last three months, with total market capitalisations jumping from £43.7bn to £45.6bn.

This impressive result is largely attributable to the strong performance of the region’s largest listed businesses, those ranked on the FTSE 350 index. In total, six of the 18 [KD(-M1] companies achieved double-digit growth, with cyber security firm NCC Group seeing a 32 per cent increase in its market capitalisation, which now stands at £598m. The firm has enjoyed a period of consistent growth over the last six months, with its value jumping 63 per cent since March 31st.

Meanwhile, Pets at Home, the UK’s largest pet supplies retailer, saw its value jump 33 per cent to surpass the £1bn mark. This follows a buoyant summer period, which saw sales jump five per cent after the introduction of a new pricing strategy.

In contrast, the value of those listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) suffered a minor dip, falling by a total of £7m. Despite this, some of the North West’s smaller companies still achieved positive results. Revolution Bars, amidst strong rumours of a £100m takeover by pub group Stonegate, almost doubled its value from £53.5m to £106m.[KD(-M2]  However, the transaction’s collapse has seen the company’s share price fall 10 per cent in recent days.

The North West’s retail sector has performed exceptionally well in the last quarter, with the overall value of businesses in the sector jumping five per cent to almost £20bn. Although May 2017 saw sales figures hit the lowest growth since April 2013, sales values were up 5.6 per cent in August compared to the same period last year, according to the Office for National Statistics. This was followed by a strong month of trading in September, as reports indicated like-for-like store sales had grown by an annual 2.9 per cent.

Doug King, director at Deloitte [KD(-M3] in the North West, said: “The North West is represented by a number of outstanding global brands, many of which have performed well in the last quarter. With the likes of JD Sports and B&M headquartered in the region, the retail sector is an important part of the North West economy, as the values of these companies make up nearly half of the region’s funds on the public markets.

“As a result, it is unsurprising that the retail sector has performed so strongly in the third quarter of the year. Many retailers will have benefitted from the ‘back-to-school’ boost, and many consumers will have hit the high streets to make most of the summer sales.”

PHSO RELOCATES 340 STAFF TO CITYGATE

Sam Whitear
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PARLIAMENTARY AND HEALTH SERVICE OMBUDSMAN (PHSO) RELOCATES 340 STAFF TO CITYGATE IN MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE

Manchester, 16th October 2017 – The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is relocating 300-plus staff to more than 31,000 sq ft of prime Grade A office space over four floors of the Citygate building in Manchester in a major letting brokered by global real estate advisors Colliers International.

Acting on behalf of an institutional investor, the Manchester office of Colliers agreed a 15-year lease with PHSO for a total of 31,193 sq ft on floors one to four of the remodelled five-storey property on Mosley Street.

Citygate has recently been comprehensively remodelled to provide a total of 38,513 sq ft (3,578 sq metres) of open plan Grade A office space on five floors, with the ground floor let to Barclays.

Scott Shufflebottom, national offices agency at the Manchester office of Colliers International, commented: “Citygate provides high specification Grade A office space in a highly sought-after location. We are now marketing the last remaining top floor suite, totalling 8,073 sq ft with on-site secure basement parking.”

Mark Baldwin, associate director at the Manchester office of real estate advisors GVA advised PHSO and said: “We were delighted to be appointed to act for PHSO with a strong track record to deliver the right result, against a very tight timescale. It was a fantastic GVA team effort with a very satisfied high-profile client. Citygate has been transformed thanks to an outstanding refurbishment with its open plan design being ideally suited to the requirements of PHSO.”

 

Colliers and TSG Property Consultants are joint letting agents at Citygate.

PUTTING ECCLES ON THE MAP

Sam Whitear
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Legendary TV presenters Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara and Charlotte Jackson joined commercial property agents at Orbit Developments’ offices in Eccles on Friday 29th September to launch the rebrand of City Approach.

Over 40 of the region’s leading property agents attended an invitation only event to meet the celebrity guests, view the refurbished office space and see the new marketing campaign designed by Richard Barber & Co.

Led by Orbit Developments’ Leasing Director Dean Richards, attendees heard an overview of the positive changes in Orbit’s property portfolio and benefits of choosing Eccles as a business location.

Situated on the M602 on the approach to Manchester city centre, City Approach is in a highly prominent location with almost unequalled transport connectivity to anywhere else in Greater Manchester with Eccles town centre offering train, bus and Metrolink public transport services in addition to easily accessible road links.

Guests were treated to a live Q&A with Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson and Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara. Although he is best known for his live pitch-side punditry of premier league football matches on Sky’s Soccer Saturday, Chris Kamara is also co-presenter and football analyst for Sky Sports Show Goals on Sunday and presenter on ITV’s Ninja Warrior UK and talked about his career development from being enlisted in the Royal Navy, becoming a professional footballer and manager of Bradford City.

Dean Richards, Leasing Director of Orbit commented: “Throughout the rebranding and repositioning project, we have invested a lot of time, money and resources into the buildings at City Approach and really wanted to put the development on the commercial property map.” “Eccles is overlooked as a business destination, yet it has so much to offer companies looking for an easily accessible and great value office base.” Commercial property agents Canning O’Neill are retained on the scheme.

Director James Dickinson commented on the event: “The launch event was a great success, attracting Manchester’s property agents who had never visited the property before.” “Positive feedback was received from all attendees in terms of the both the plans for the 1 and 2 City Approach and the value for money that the office accommodation can offer an occupier.” “City Approach is a very attractive alternative to schemes in Salford Quays or Old Trafford for the more cost-conscious business, whilst simultaneously providing high quality and presentable office space.”

Equilibrium Asset Management’s ‘Social in the City’ at Rosso hailed a resounding success

Sam Whitear
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More than 100 high-flyers attended Equilibrium Asset Management’s first ‘Social in the City’ event at the lavish Rosso Restaurant & Bar.

The after-work event offered drinks and canapes, meaningful networking opportunities and the chance to get to know partners of the Chartered wealth management firm.

Prizes were also handed out following a business card raffle. One guest landed a two-night luxury five-star European break, which included flights and accommodation.

Equilibrium owner and founder Colin Lawson also presented a £250 Flannels Voucher, a £250 Harvey Nichols voucher, a £50 Rosso voucher and a bottle of champagne to other lucky winners.

It comes after Cheshire-based Equilibrium, which employs 63 staff and manages over £700 million of assets for over 850 families, recently revealed record breaking results following the fiscal year end in August – with turnover rising to more than £7 million.

Speaking after the event Colin, who was accompanied by Managing Partner Gaynor Rigby and Partner and Head of Client Care Debbie Jukes, described Manchester as a booming city that hosts a growing number of high-net worth individuals.

He said: “Equilibrium is in the midst of enjoying a fantastic year after being crowned as the fifth best small company to work for by The Sunday Times and landing more than £100m of new assets under management for the year.

“With that in mind, we wanted to hold our first Manchester ‘Social in the City’ event and meet new people in a stunning yet relaxing environment.”

He added: “Manchester is well on the way to becoming a truly international city and destination and is an important region to Equilibrium.

“I’d like to thank all those who joined us at the social and will look forward to nurturing some new relationships.”

Equilibrium, which was founded more than 21 years ago and also has a Chester office, was named ‘Best Adviser Firm UK’ at the International Adviser Best Practice Adviser Awards earlier this year.

In September the company launched its new one-stop-shop online finance portal, MyEQ. It allows clients to view their own investment portfolio through the MyEQ app on their laptop, phone, desktop or tablet.

Equilibrium Managing Partner Gaynor Rigby said the multi-functional portal will give users a snapshot into their finances, with the added ability to keep track of investments, see a true picture of their net worth and even calculate property values.

New report shows Drax generates more than £1/2 billion for the northern economy and supports over 6,000 jobs

Sam Whitear
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British energy business Drax Group contributed almost £1.7 billion towards UK GDP in 2016 and supported thousands of jobs across the country, including £577m across the North of England – Yorkshire and Humber, North West, and North East, termed as the ‘Northern Powerhouse Region’.

The findings were revealed in a new report looking at the economic impact of Drax’s UK operations, which includes Selby-based Drax Power Station. The Power Station, which employs around 900 people and has seen three of its six generating units converted in recent years to use compressed wood pellets, generated 16% of the country’s renewable electricity in 2016 – enough for four million households, the equivalent of Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool.

Researchers at Oxford Economics used three measures to calculate Drax’s GDP contribution: the economic activity associated with the day-to-day running of the business; the activity created by the purchase of goods and services from its suppliers; and the wages the company’s employees and suppliers’ employees spend in their local area.

In the past year, Drax Power Station’s activities have supported employment in a wide range of sectors including high-skilled manufacturing of industrial components, engineering and technical machinery, construction, IT, professional business services and transport.

Drax Power CEO, Andy Koss said: “This new report demonstrates that as well as being of major significance nationally as the country’s biggest power generator, Drax Power Station continues to play a crucial role in supporting the northern economy.

“Thanks to a sophisticated supply chain that spans both the east and west coasts of the country, Drax supported over 6,000 jobs across the North of England last year and generated more than £1/2 billion in economic activity. Drax works with hundreds of businesses across the Northern Powerhouse region to ensure millions of homes across the country have the power they need each day.

“The North of England has a rich heritage in providing energy to the rest of the UK. Companies like Drax have an important role to play in delivering a low carbon economy as part of the Government’s wider industrial strategy for the country”.

Alan Waddington, Managing Director of TEi Ltd, a leading engineering company based in Wakefield, said: “Our specialist team of engineers have been working at Drax Power Station for a number of years, using their technical knowledge to support its transition to become the largest source of renewable power in the country.

“As a British business we are proud to support this nationally significant asset that generates enough clean electricity to power Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and Liverpool.”

Osman Ismail, Senior Economist at Oxford Economics, said: “Drax Group makes an important economic contribution to Yorkshire and the Humber, and the UK more widely. Its activities generated almost £1.7 billion in GDP last year, and sustained thousands of jobs across the nation.”

MANCHESTER AIRPORT ADVISES PASSENGERS OF NEW TERMINAL TWO DROP OFF LOCATION

Sam Whitear
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As part of Manchester Airport’s £1bn Transformation Programme (MAN-TP), the drop off location at Terminal Two will be changing from tomorrow (19th October).

Instead of using the ramp at the front of the building, from 00:01 passengers are being asked to drop off at the ground level in a specially commissioned forecourt.

Works began this summer on the £1bn MAN-TP, which will deliver a world-class customer experience and state of the art facilities at the UK’s third biggest airport.

Through 2019/20, passengers will see major changes to the airport, with Terminal Two growing by 160% and offering the latest technological advances in travel, and a wealth of new retail and food and beverage outlets.

A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “As we look to transform Manchester Airport through our £1bn development, we have made some changes to the drop off area at Terminal Two.

“From 19th October we are asking customers to drop off at the ground level, before using lifts to access the departure level. Drop off remains free of charge.

“We want all passengers to have a smooth and stress-free experience, so we will have marshals and traffic signs in place to help passengers find their way. We have also been posting helpful information on social media to pre-warn people.”

For further information on the transformation programme, passengers can log onto a dedicated website where maps of the new location can be found. www.mantp.co.uk

MANCHESTER’S SMALL BUSINESSES AND CHARITIES BUILD THEIR DIGITAL SKILLS

Sam Whitear
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Representatives of businesses and charities across Manchester yesterday attended a Digital Garage training session, hosted by Lloyds Bank, to boost their digital skills and better understand the benefits of being online and what this can bring to their organisation.

The free workshop hosted in collaboration with Google, covered sessions on how to optimise a website so it is accessible from any mobile device along with guidance on using Google My Business, which helps businesses improve visibility in search engine results.

The workshop also gave attendees the opportunity to network with representatives from similar organisations as well as specialists from Google and Lloyds Bank.

The event was held at Lloyds Bank’s Manchester business hub, which forms part of its new flagship store on Market Street. The branch was designed specifically to meet the needs of the local Manchester community, bringing together a number of new services to create a very different high street banking experience.

Daryl Moore, who attended the workshop, is an Enterprise Business Coach for People Plus – an employment support and training company that supports start-up businesses in the Northwest.

Daryl said: “The information I learnt at the workshop today will help the businesses I support a great deal and the new business space at the branch will be a fantastic facility for our start-ups in the region.”

Jo Harris, Managing Director, Business Banking, Lloyds Bank, said: “We are passionate about helping businesses and charities to benefit from increased digital skills. A digital presence might seem something only large firms need to worry about but, if done properly, it can help to transform an organisation. 

“It’s great to be able to support Manchester-based organisations as they develop their business skills and the event brought a real buzz to our new business hub. We’re looking forward to seeing those skills in action and using our Manchester flagship branch as a resource for businesses in the community.”

Nick Williams, Lloyds Banking Group’s Ambassador for the North said: “Our latest Business Digital Index report has shown that around 33% of small organisations in the North West lack basic digital skills. Better websites and an engaging social media presence can unlock so many benefits. For charities, that can include increasing the number of supporters or donors, and businesses can grow their sales and target new markets. I’m delighted that, through our collaboration with Google, we can support organisations across Manchester to become more digitally capable and to recognise the benefits of being online.”

MHA Moore and Smalley advises on Hylomar deal

Sam Whitear
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The corporate finance team at MHA Moore and Smalley has advised on the sale of a global sealants and adhesives manufacturer to a leading private equity firm.

Hylomar – a world leader in the manufacture of adhesives and sealants for the automotive market – has been acquired by PHD Equity Partners for an undisclosed sum.

The company, which employs 28 staff at its factory in Wigan, supplies products to many of the major car manufacturers as well as aerospace and industrial clients. Hylomar exports to over 60 countries and has subsidiaries in the US and Germany. Around 70% of its products go to export markets.

Stephen Gregson, corporate finance director at Preston-based MHA Moore and Smalley, led the team that advised the shareholders of Hylomar on the sale to PHD Equity Partners. Rob Dobson of the corporate team at Preston-based Napthens solicitors provided legal advice to the sellers.

PHD Equity Partners will support the management team as it pursues plans to expand the business in both new and existing markets. The acquisition follows the untimely death last year of one of the major shareholders, Howard Ball, and will allow the retirement of the two remaining shareholders, Mr Ball’s wife Patricia and the chairman, Peter Rowley.

Stephen Gregson said: “Having been able to introduce Hylomar to PHD Equity Partners, it is incredibly pleasing to see this deal through to completion. Hylomar is a profitable business with a strong management team who can now look forward to the next stage of growth with the financial backing and expertise of the team at PHD Equity Partners.”

Established in the 1950s, Hylomar was part of the US industrial group MacDermid Inc until 2001 when it was acquired by Peter Rowley, who introduced Mr and Mrs Ball to help him operate the business.

Hylomar is now renowned globally in the automotive market as a leader in its field in terms of its technical ability and the quality of its adhesive and sealant compounds.

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