Business Manchester

The Top food suppliers, servers and manufacturers in England to be rewarded

Sam Whitear

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22/09/2017

The annual Food Awards England are back for a fourth year following the enormous success of last year’s ceremony. The list with finalists has now been compiled based on the tremendous number of nominations received from the public.

The awards seek to recognise the hard work and efforts of the English food industry. Accolades will be presented to the best restaurants, takeaways, pubs, hotel restaurants, cafes and bistros, as well as shine the spotlight on the wonderful local producers who supply their delicious ingredients.

The black tie event will take place at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel on Monday the 2^nd of October, when the crème de la crème of the English food industry will come together for a glamorous night to celebrate the success of professionals and businesses in the sector.

The Food Awards England promise to be the biggest and most memorable event in the food industry calendar this year with a range of accolades to be presented to the most deserving professionals and establishments in the field, including Meat Supplier of the Year, Chef of the Year, Cooking School of the Year, Restaurant of the Year and many more.

Irfan Younis of event organisers Creative Oceanic said: “The tremendous amount of nominations received from the English public is a testament to the hard work of all those working within the food sector. With fierce competition this year, we are looking forward to welcoming those who provide and supply us with gastronomic delights. Last year’s winners were great ambassadors and I am confident this year’s finalists and winners will follow in their footsteps. We would like to wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

Creative Oceanic have been delivering the Food Awards for the past five years in Belfast, London, Glasgow, Cardiff and Manchester with the winners having often commented that the platform from the awards has helped them to increase their business by almost 100%.

The finalists for the Food Awards England Click here

Shearings becomes Wigan Warriors Official Main Club Sponsor and Travel Partner

Sam Whitear

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22/09/2017

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Wigan-based Shearings Holidays, the UK’s largest escorted tour operator, has announced a 15 months agreement with the Wigan Warriors to become the club’s official main club sponsor and travel partner

As part of the partnership, Shearings will work with the Wigan Warriors on a range of initiatives that help celebrate the history of the club and the community, whilst also recognising the loyalty and passion of the Wigan fans.

As part of the deal the Shearings logo will appear on the reverse of the Wigan jersey for the 2018 season, in-addition to club marketing collateral. Shearings will also have exclusive official rights to organise any supporters’ tours.

Wigan Warriors Executive Director, Kris Radlinski, said: “Everybody knows of Shearings and to partner with a great Wigan company that has such a large and local workforce who all support the Warriors is a great coup for the Club.

“Having met with Richard Calvert, Chief Executive at Shearings, several times it is clear that this is going to be a really positive partnership for everyone involved. He understands the history of our great Club and the role that the Club plays within the local community. We have many ideas that will celebrate our glorious history and look forward to sharing them with the Shearings workforce and our loyal fans very soon.

Richard Calvert said: “I’m absolutely delighted for Shearings Holidays to be named as the Official Travel Partner of Wigan Warriors. Shearings Leisure Group is a national company with a team of over 2600 employees located across all of the UK, but is immensely proud of its Wigan roots and to be headquartered in Wigan.

“We work hard in the community and also pride ourselves on offering great value for money and service to our 1.1m loyal customers. Wigan Warriors is a worldwide brand, an amazing club which is synonymous with success. They are a partner with whom we share the common values of honesty, pride and ambition. Our exciting partnership will involve many facets, including player, fan and staff based initiatives all across the UK and I can’t wait for it to get underway.”

As the official travel partner, Shearings will be selling exclusive packages to the Wigan Warriors ground breaking tour of New South Wales tour in February 2018. Wigan fans, who wish to travel to Australia to see the team play, can choose from 3 bespoke travel packages starting from £1,997. All packages include tickets to the first Super League Game against Hull and both games at the ANZ stadium (Wigan V South Sydney Rabbitohs and Hull FC V St George-Illawarra Dragons).

Shearings offer a broad range of holidays and hotel breaks to more than 170 destinations across the UK and Europe.

NCC Group launches dedicated automotive cyber security facility

Sam Whitear

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21/09/2017

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Global cyber security and risk mitigation expert NCC Group has opened its first dedicated automotive cyber security assessment, research and training facility, as part of its ongoing commitment to raising security standards across the industry.

The new facility in Greater Manchester provides the company’s specialist automotive team with a dedicated space to carry out its cutting-edge research, perform training and complete practical security assessments on client vehicles.

Current security concerns in the automotive sector range from vulnerabilities in telematics and infotainment systems, to V2X technologies and autonomous sensors. The facility will ensure NCC Group’s automotive specialists remain at the forefront when it comes to the latest vulnerabilities and advanced threats in this area.

The facility is owned and operated by NCC Group’s Transport Assurance Practice, which performs research-driven security testing and provides expert advice and guidance on cyber security resilience across the automotive, maritime, aerospace and rail sectors. The Practice also provides security assurance and escrow services to vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers.

Andy Davis, Transport Assurance Practice Director at NCC Group, said: “Consumer demand for the newest functionality often results in manufacturers developing new features without proper consideration for the potential security implications. Furthermore, where vehicles are constructed using a variety of components from different manufacturers, the number of vulnerabilities grows significantly.

“With the rising popularity of connected cars and the growing trend for automation in the automotive sector, cyber security is an increasing concern. It’s important that the issue of cyber resilience is addressed if we are to detect and defend against evolving threats and that is our specialist automotive team’s primary focus. The new facility means that we can continue to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to identifying and helping to mitigate automotive vulnerabilities.”

£1 billion blueprint that will shape and transform the future of Bolton

Sam Whitear

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21/09/2017

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A £1 billion blueprint that will shape and transform the future of Bolton town centre up to 2030 and beyond has been published.

The masterplan contains proposals to redevelop the town centre by creating 1,800 new homes, 7,400 new jobs and generating economic activity worth an additional £412 million over five strategic sites.

The areas identified are: Trinity Quarter, Cheadle Square, Crompton Place, Church Wharf and Croal Valley.

Bolton Council announced initial details of the plan in July 2017 and the authority has since approved borrowing £100 million to kick-start the project. The remainder of the plan will be funded by private sector investors.

The £100 million will be used for a range of priorities including site assembly; getting sites ‘development ready’; public realm, and infrastructure.

It is hoped that work on the first phase of site clearance could start as early as Spring 2018.

The strategy aims to remodel key areas of Bolton town centre with housing – a major proposal within the framework – to attract families, young professionals, older people and students.

Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Cliff Morris, said: “This masterplan shows how forward thinking and ambitious this council really is.

“We now want to get to work as quickly as possible. We are already speaking to a number of developers and partners about delivering the different schemes outlined in the framework.

“Although it is ambitious we are confident that this is an achievable vision that identifies key areas of the town centre, and it will be a game-changer in terms of transforming the centre of Bolton.”

Some of the main proposals include:-

• Trinity Quarter – creating a mixed Grade A office and residential development. A new hotel, office block and a multi-storey car park could be built at ‘Trinity Gateway’. The council is already in talks with NCP about the car park. A new pedestrian route through Trinity Quarter is also proposed, anchored by open space via four interlinked squares.
• Cheadle Square – developing housing and apartments on the former bus station site. On Queen Street creating student housing and a mixed used development to complement cultural venues such as the Octagon, Museum and Library, and establishing a pedestrian route between the Town Hall and Le Mans Crescent with Queens Park.
• Crompton Place – the framework envisages transforming the empty BHS store with an upper floor food court overlooking Victoria Square, exploring the possibility to expand Primark and creating a new pedestrian access between Bradshawgate and Hotel Street.
• Church Wharf – Church Wharf would be designated a new town centre ‘quarter’ with a mix of apartments and town houses, as well as a new pedestrian route along the River Croal.
• Croal Valley/Central Street – opening up the River Croal with an improved environment to make it a town centre feature – proposals include building houses and flats which would overlook the improved river frontage. A series of ‘pocket parks’ are proposed along the river.

Cllr Morris added: “It is no secret that town centres across the country continue to face tough challenges. We are also realistic that the plan may need to change and adapt over the years to reflect changing economic conditions.

“What we do know is that without the council’s direct intervention, there is a risk that the necessary pace and scale of change that is required will simply not be achieved.

“This is not simply looking at one or two compact areas in isolation – it is joined up, strategic planning to transform the town centre for decades to come.

“It is part of the huge jigsaw in our town centre regeneration plan, which can be clearly seen already with the new Interchange, the improvements to Newport Street, our plan to revamp Oxford Street and Knowsley Street, and the support we have given to the fantastic improvements to the Market Place Shopping Centre, with the Vaults and the new cinema.”

International design company BDP was the lead consultant on the strategy. The masterplan is proposed to be formally adopted on Monday (September 25) at a Cabinet meeting.

Manchester Central Library’s Start-Up Day could help get your business moving

Sam Whitear

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21/09/2017

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The free event – from 10am to 7pm – is being held today (Thursday 21 September) and features a number of invited speakers, including Martyn Walsh from the Inspiral Carpets – along with several workshops teaching a variety ofuseful business skills.

The day’s events and activities will help aspiring entrepreneurs transform their ideas into a successful enterprise by bringing together successful experienced entrepreneurs, speakers and teachers for a full day of inspiration and networking.

Martyn Walsh will be among the successful speakers from the business world who will reveal their inspiring stories throughout the day. Martyn is set to become a Creative Industries Guru in residence for Central Library’s Business & IP Centre Manchester (BIPC). He will be holding regular advice sessions in the BIPC for businesses in the creative and media sectors.

Names behind some of Britain’s biggest brands will inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, including Suzanne Brock from pet food company Nutriment, and Jason Bailey from GRUB, a Manchester based street foods events company.

Attendees will also have the chance to find about the resources on offer for start-ups in Central Library’s BIPC.

In the last year Central Library’s BIPC has supported more than 4,000 people to set up and grow new businesses, and there will be a chance to meet some of the BIPC’s success stories at the ‘Made In Manchester’ panel event.

Free practical workshops will inform attendees on how to protect their idea, write a business plan, develop a marketing strategy and research the market using the libraries’ up-to-the-minute intellectual property and business databases.

Representatives from Virgin StartUp and Google Digital Garage will be on hand to advise aspiring entrepreneurs on issues surrounding funding and will explain how to maximise their online impact for today’s digital age.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Manchester City Council’s executive member for Schools, Culture and Leisure, said: “Start-Up Day promises to offer a wealth of help, advice, and networking opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to help launch their business.

“Whether you have a great business idea, are just starting up, or are in the process of getting your enterprise established, being able to access the right help and support will boost your chance of success and our team at Central Library’s Business & IP Centre are there to help get your business moving.”

The free event is open to all but spaces should be booked in advance at:

https://manchesterbipc.eventbrite.co.uk, or email [email protected] for more information.

CLIENT RETENTION AND TEAM INVESTMENT DRIVES UKFAST REVENUES

Blog
Finance

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21/09/2017

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Manchester technology brand UKFast is reaping the benefit of its investment in people, announcing half-year revenue of £22.9m, up 18% on H1 2016.

The firm increased average employee numbers by 26% with a recruitment drive in 2016 and is on track to turnover £46m, with an EBITDA of £21m this year, up from £40m and £17.6m respectively in 2016. CEO and founder Lawrence Jones MBE now employs over 400 people across his technology businesses.

Last year, 48% of UKFast’s revenue growth came from increased demand from existing customers, with 52% delivered through new client wins.

Jones said: “This is a culmination of 18 years’ hard work from a brilliant team that works continuously around the clock for incredible clients.”

Alongside investment in the UKFast team, the firm committed significant capital investment of £4.1m in infrastructure in the first half of this year, on top of the £7.6m spent last year.

Jones continued: ““A symbiotic relationship between cutting-edge tech and industry-leading customer service comes together to form what UKFast is all about.

“Investment in the very best equipment alongside investment in our people creates an incredible platform to provide outstanding service to our customers, giving us a brilliant foundation to build on and the capacity to continue growing in coming years.

“We’ve evolved this year, creating two divisions – UKFast and UKFast Enterprise. We continue to see increased interest in the eCloud brand, with Hybrid and Private cloud being a substantial growth area for our enterprise division.

“Our growth and retention demonstrates there is a need for our style of service. We don’t charge extra for bandwidth, processing power or for our outstanding support. We leave the surprise billing to our American friends! We offer an all-inclusive, no nonsense approach without hidden costs.

“Our customers are high-bandwidth industry professionals who need the absolute best service, with people on the phone day and night. And that’s our commitment to the industry.”

UKFast is set to double the size of its HQ in the second half of 2017, as it moves into the 40,000 sq ft building adjacent to its current campus, which it acquired in October 2016.

NEW MANCHESTER CODING SCHOOL LAUNCHES

Sam Whitear

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20/09/2017

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A brand new coding school has launched in Manchester, giving anyone with an appetite for digital the chance to learn to code.

Code Nation has been created to help curb the mounting digital skills shortage facing businesses across the region. The school has also partnered with business leaders in the North West, including N Brown trading as JD Williams who have, amongst others, pledged their support to Code Nation, be it through advice, insight, or crucially – by offering future work placements for students – Code Nation’s biggest USP.

Alex Belford, managing director at Code Nation, explains: “There’s no getting away from the fact that every business – regardless of sector – has had to transform and digitalise itself in recent years.

“A lack of digitally skilled workers though, means that technical advancements have been both a help and a hindrance to businesses who want to embrace the changes, but just don’t have the people to do it. Code Nation will help leaders in their quest to fill this gap; we’ll be training people across the North West region, teaching them how to code so they can help to reshape the way business is done round here.

“Add to that the supporters we have already lined up from the business world, and we’re confident that Code Nation will be a great success in the region – and hopefully across the whole of the UK in the near future.”

Over the summer, Alex has been assembling his Code Nation team with lead teacher Stuart Kirby brought in from Amaze; Alex has also enlisted the support of university academics from around the country who will lend their knowledge to Code Nation’s programmes.

Code Nation students will be able to begin applying for their places straight away, with two types of course available; the one-week ‘Begin’ course and the 12-week ‘Master’ course. Alex continued: “We have decided to offer two types of courses so that we can accommodate more students; whether they’re graduates looking to embark on a 12-week course to top up what they’ve learnt at university, or someone already established in a similar industry who wants to add to their skills with a one-week course. The more people we train to code, the better for businesses in the region!

“There’ll be an inevitable entry criteria to ensure students can grasp the digital basics, but beyond that we’re open to welcoming people of all abilities to sign up. Upon completing their courses, students will be awarded a diploma and accreditation, as well as joining Code Nation’s alumni community.”

Code Nation is a subsidiary of global recruitment and talent business Rethink Group; explaining his decision to invest in a school of this kind, Rethink’s CEO Andy Lord explained: “We operate in multiple markets in Europe, the UAE and Australia so it’s fair to say that we’re acutely aware of the failings of businesses, government and the education sector in getting people interested in digital.

“Digital has permeated every aspect of business now. We see this across Rethink clients; massive organisations which just a decade ago looked and operated completely differently. The change brought on by the digital revolution keeps on coming for them and right now, there simply aren’t enough tech skilled people to actually make the transformation happen. Code Nation’s been a big ambition of mine for a few years, especially as I’ve seen that skills shortage become more prevalent and bizarrely fall to the back of the queue in terms of business priorities.

“It’s time to change that. And Code Nation students will be a big part of the revolution moving forward. Why not come and be one of them?”

For further details about Code Nation including fees and course dates, visit: http://wearecodenation.com/ – the pilot one week ‘Begin’ course kicks off in October, with the first 12-week ‘Master’ course starting in January.

MAG launches new “Connect” programme to support people to find a job at their local airport

Sam Whitear

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20/09/2017

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MAG, the UK’s biggest airport group, is launching a major new recruitment drive, called MAG Connect, in response to expected growth in the coming years.

MAG Connect, which is being announced as part of the MAG’s 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility report, will take MAG’s recruitment drive out of its airports and into nearby areas where it will have the greatest impact. The first MAG Connect initiative started this week as London Stansted Airport held a jobs fair in Tottenham, an area of London which is only 35 minutes from the airport by train, with fares subsidised by 80% for airport employees, but which has relatively high unemployment. The jobs fair kicks off a new partnership between London Stansted Airport and Tottenham Job Centre Plus, which is designed to prepare the airport for further growth.

The MAG Connect scheme will benefits the communities around MAG airports while also improving MAG and other on-site airport employers’ ability to make local hires, particularly in communities where jobs are most needed but may be under-represented at airports because of factors including cultural differences, lack of awareness, or under-developed transport links.

MAG will continue to develop MAG Connect in key target areas around its airports at Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth. Other more long term elements of the MAG Connect scheme will include a new Technical Skills College at London Stansted Airport, a partnership with Harlow College.

The new initiative will support MAG’s plans for significant growth at its airports in the coming 10 to 15 years. The Group is expecting to play a key role in meeting growing demand for air travel before a new runway is built in the south east, as it operates the two biggest airports in the UK with significant current runway capacity. At Manchester Airport, MAG is investing £1bn in new terminal and airfield facilities over the coming decade, and at London Stansted a new £130m arrivals building is planned.

The announcement comes as new figures demonstrate the ever-growing economic importance of airports to their national and regional economies. MAG’s four UK airports generated economic activity worth £7.1bn in the last year, a 15% increase year on year. In the last year alone, 5,000 jobs were created on airport and in the supply chain as a result of this growth, in industries like construction, tourism and transport, and in industries that rely on connections to global import and export markets.

Minister for Employment, Damian Hinds, said:

“With record levels of employment, businesses should be looking for new ways to fill vacancies. Today’s announcement will not only help more local people find work, it’s also an excellent example of a company working innovatively with Jobcentre Plus to benefit the local Tottenham area.”

Cllr Joe Goldberg, Haringey Council Cabinet Member Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, said:

“I am delighted to support MAG Connect, this is an exciting development for Haringey and fully supports our broader ambitions to create sustainable economic growth and help residents take advantage of the many employment opportunities available in the borough and beyond. I look forward to further developing the successful partnership we have already with MAG to ensure that this initiative delivers the maximum benefits to our residents.”

Charlie Cornish, MAG CEO, said:

“Our airports are critical contributors to the ongoing economic health of the country, providing a gateway for welcome foreign investment and ensuring that the UK is able to meet the growing demand from international leisure and business travellers. Increasingly, our airports are also providing hubs for a vibrant global air cargo industry, spurred on by the huge growth in e-commerce.

“We also know that delivering growth in the right way is key to securing the support of our stakeholders, and as our airports continue to grow over the coming years, we recognise the importance to local communities of being able to deliver this growth while managing the environmental impacts associated with our operations.”

To access MAG’s CSR Report click here: http://mediacentre.magairports.com/mag-launches-new-connect-programme-to-support-people-to-find-a-job-at-their-local-airport/

Pareto FP recruits five new starters to meet client demand

Sam Whitear

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20/09/2017

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Pareto Financial Planning has hired five recruits, including an operations manager to meet an upsurge in client demand.

The Manchester-based financial services company, which specialises in providing independent advice and hands-on assistance to owner-managed businesses and high net worth private clients, has also launched a new servicing department to widen its offering and support growth.

Nicky Aspray joins Pareto FP as operations manager, bringing a wealth of experience with her, having previously worked in the industry for close to two decades. While Martyn Scobbie, who also boasts 20 years’ experience in finance roles – is now finance controller.

Chartered financial planner Marcus Pilkington has been named as the latest recruit on the advisory team. Marcus will be working closely with a new client win, a leading North West based accountancy practice – one of a wide network of professional firms Pareto FP has introducer agreements with.

The award-winning firm is expecting to add to its team of advisers over the next 12 months, and is currently recruiting both trainee and senior independent financial advisers to fill vacancies in recently won introducer firms.

New adviser support team member Andrew O’Nions, who started his career at Halifax, has his sights set on becoming diploma qualified at Pareto FP and ultimately working within the growing paraplanning team – which has also seen the arrival of paraplanner Richard Duncan.

Pareto FP managing director John Stevenson, who co-founded the company alongside George Chantry, has appointed Joanne Walsh as his PA.

John said: “As the business continues to grow, we remain fully committed to maintaining strong and lasting relationships with our existing clients.

“We now employ 36 members of staff and believe these recent hires are talented individuals that will only enhance our offer.

“Nicky Aspray for instance, has a wealth of experience in financial services and is a fantastic addition. She will be instrumental in the continued development of our adviser support team, and play a significant role in our future growth.

“On top of that, our new servicing department will ensure we continue to uphold our outstanding levels of client support.”

Pareto FP’s total funds under influence is currently more than £500 million, with the company’s end of year financial results due to be revealed soon.

New operations manager Nicky Aspray said: “When Pareto FP approached me to join as operations manager, there really was only one answer I could give. Having worked with John and George and several other members of the team before, I knew what a great company I would be joining and I am therefore glad to be back in familiar territory and in financial services once again.”

Earlier this year Pareto FP announced its sponsorship of England and Lancashire cricket star Haseeb Hameed.

The Manchester company is Bolton-born Haseeb’s exclusive ‘back-of-the-bat’ sponsor, meaning the firm’s logo features on the back of the cricketer’s bat.

North-West Agrochemical Discovery Company Redag Crop Protection Ltd raises £1.5m to Advance its Lead Assets

Sam Whitear

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19/09/2017

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Redag Crop Protection Ltd, an agrochemical discovery company, has secured £1.5 million in funding from existing shareholders which include institutional funds managed by Seneca Partners, and private individuals. Manchester-based corporate finance boutique Acceleris Capital arranged the funding.

Redag Crop addresses the declining innovation in the agrochemical sector through the use of world-class chemistry to develop a range of highly effective crop protection products for a global market. The company’s unique approach reduces development times, redundancy in biology testing and the cost of the discovery-to-market cycle.

The Company has made impressive progress in the development of its portfolio of assets since the previous capital raising in 2016. The lead asset, a fungicide aimed at controlling Oomycete diseases, is undergoing field trials in the UK currently.

According to Bill Thompson, Redag Crop’s CEO, the Company’s approach to improve agricultural productivity remains the go-to technology for proven results in weed disease and pest control;

“It is possible for agrochemicals to deliver up to 100% control reliably in a wide range of cultural and environmental conditions, however, to be truly effective, rapid innovation and cost savings are essential to combat the 30—40% reduction in yield caused by weed competition, diseases and insects.”

Already revenue generating with this new round of funding, Redag Crop will be able to advance its lead assets further and, by licensing these products for further development, bring new innovative products to customers seeking novel compounds to commercialise.

“Following a period of success in discovering active compounds, protecting the IP and securing collaboration deals, this current fundraise enables us to accelerate development and address the global challenge of food security”. Thompson added that the industry has seen a declining number of compounds in development following a period of consolidation across large agrochemical companies, alongside an increasing number of compounds being deregistered or withdrawn for health, safety or environmental reasons.

“Right across the industry there is a strategic need for new compounds to replace the older compounds,” he said, explaining it could be in the provision of greater safety or new modes of action. “Redag Crop will play its part as the engine of discovery. We will continue to do what we do best and grow our business to provide competitive solutions for our industry partners.”

Norman Molyneux, founder of Acceleris Capital and non-executive director of Redag Crop has been involved in multiple several funding rounds for the company since incorporation. He said: “There is a clear product innovation requirement within the agrochemical industry and a ready base of customers seeking novel compounds to commercialise in the market. Following a successful period for Redag Crop, Acceleris are delighted to have arranged a further development fundraise for the Company and we look forward to another period of growth for the Company.”

Redag Crop boasts a highly experienced and skilled management team whose previous roles including senior positions at Syngenta and Dow across both research and commercial areas.

The Company will be attending the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London on 17th and 18th of October.