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New era for stephenson STUDIO as Hamilton and Risley step up to take the helm

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based architectural practice stephenson STUDIO has announced that two of its long-standing team members have been appointed to lead the firm into a new era.

After almost 30 years in the practice, Keith Hamilton and Justin Risley have taken over as directors.

The move comes as the practice has undertaken a comprehensive rebranding exercise, which has seen it change its name to stephenson hamilton risley STUDIO to reflect Keith and Justin’s significant contribution.

Between them, Keith and Justin have designed and delivered many of the practice’s recent hero projects, including Chetham’s School of Music, Leonardo Hotel in Manchester, Halle St. Peters in Ancoats, Exchange Square in Birmingham, Carlton House in London, and more.

The practice has made a name for itself for its award-winning work on projects including concert halls, hotels, residential buildings, private houses, and masterplans that have contributed to the architectural heritage of Manchester, Birmingham, and London.

Keith Hamilton commented: “I know I speak for Justin and myself when I say that it’s an honour to be steering the ship at stephenson hamilton risley STUDIO, as we look to grow the practice and further diversify our brilliant portfolio of projects.

“The architectural ethos and modus operandi of the practice will remain the same as that originally established by the founding partner, Roger Stephenson OBE, so we can ensure the continued output of consistently high-quality designs. However, we’ll be taking some steps towards a more client focussed approach to design. Too often architects are seen as introverted and self-referential, with clients feeling unconsidered. We would like to pursue active engagement and creative dialogue with our clients to help engender a trusting partnership in creating buildings. We would like to grow the practice to work beyond Manchester and the region, expanding our horizons and taking our creative team with us on the journey. ”

Justin Risley added: “Working within this phenomenal team for so many years has been a real privilege. Having the opportunity to now lead them is a hugely exciting prospect for Keith and me.

“We’ll be taking care to preserve our vibrant studio atmosphere, which helps us attract the fantastic, creative client base that we do. Working with brands like Urban Splash, Capital & Centric, Property Alliance Group, and Nikal has energised the practice; architecture is a collaborative process, and when like-minded clients and architects go on the design journey together, it ultimately enriches the city and produces great architecture.

“Working on projects with such a diverse range of scale, use and clients forces us to constantly re-evaluate our output and design responses. We are keen to develop and grow the practice with our dedicated and creative team.”

stephenson hamilton risley STUDIO’s current projects nearing completion include Capital & Centric’s Leonardo Hotel on the fringes of Manchester city centre, which has been affectionately dubbed the ‘Jenga hotel’ by locals due to its unique design; a residential conversion of a Grade II* Listed Mill for Urban Splash at Avro; two city centre projects for Property Alliance Group and the completion of Exchange Square masterplan for Nikal. All are the product of a truly creative collaboration between the practice and the client.

Roger Stephenson OBE, who founded the practice in 1979, commented: “The Practice and its people have been a huge part of my life over many years. During that time I have been enormously privileged to have worked on a significant range of landmark projects with many talented architects, not least of whom are Keith and Justin who have been by my side for 30 years. It’s always difficult to let go but I genuinely couldn’t wish for anyone better than Keith and Justin to lead the Practice going forward. I’m very much looking forward to the next chapter of my life and delighted that I will have an on-going part-time role with stephenson hamilton risley STUDIO.”

Clean skincare brand expands to Manchester thanks to £830k growth round

Sam Whitear
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Skin & Tonic, a skincare and wellbeing brand founded in Hackney, London, has secured £830,000 in funding, enabling it to fulfil increased production demands and expand its operations to Manchester. Driven by GC Angels, this includes a £605,000 investment from the angel investment service alongside private investors, as well as a £225,000 loan from NPIF – FW Capital, managed by FW Capital and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

Founded in 2015, Skin & Tonic’s innovative, results-led products are formulated using certified organic, sustainably sourced ingredients and presented in recyclable or zero waste packaging. Originally sold at a local Hackney market and produced out of founders Sarah Hancock and Joshua Wade’s kitchen, the range of twenty products are now available across three channels: direct to consumer through the Skin & Tonic website, from a fast-growing stable of retail partners and via distributors in key markets including France, the Middle East, Hong Kong and Asia Pacific.

When the pandemic hit, Skin & Tonic was forced to shift its focus to ecommerce, which resulted in a significant uptick in operational needs and top-line growth. After seeking funding to further help Skin & Tonic deliver success, and following introductions from GC Angels, Sarah and Joshua were able to secure a total £830,000 investment, including £150,000 from GC Angels, £225,000 from NPIF – FW Capital, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and the remainder from a number of high-profile investors.

Focusing on the opportunity to decentralise Skin & Tonic from its home in London, the investment has also facilitated the rapid operational expansion of the business, including the opening of a new office at Canada House in Manchester City Centre, which required the recruitment of a Manchester-based sales director to expand the team’s local presence. The investment is expected to create eight jobs in the region.

Joshua Wade, Co-Founder and CEO of Skin & Tonic, said: “From the very beginning, we set out with the goal of helping people find moments each day to really take care of themselves – something that’s become ever more important of late. Jess and the team at GC Angels totally understood our core message and really got behind the brand, which meant so much for us when choosing where this investment came from. We are so excited to expand our footprint to Manchester and we’re looking forward to building on our already rich pool of talent, as we work towards becoming a leading UK skincare and wellbeing brand.”

Jess Jackson, Head of Investment at GC Angels, said: “What struck me about Sarah and Josh was their strong sense of purpose with Skin & Tonic. This made it easy to align our goals and work in tandem. It’s a brand that travels really well, and trading successfully in foreign markets made it an attractive investment for individuals from Bermuda, Dubai and the UK to join GC Angels in the round. It’s brilliant to see a brand like Skin & Tonic setting up in Manchester, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to grow the business.”

Simon Berry, Senior Investment Executive at FW Capital said: “It is so encouraging to see a business such as Skin and Tonic expanding their operations into the North of England, where they will continue their journey into new markets. Their use of sustainable, non-harmful ingredients and recyclable, zero-waste packaging means their products are more in demand than ever and they really set a benchmark in ethical, clean beauty. We are delighted to support Sarah and Josh and look forward to watching their continued success story.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

HOST’s newly established Security Operations Centre partners with the Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester

Sam Whitear
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HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology at Media City, in partnership with Salford City Council is bringing to market a unique Security Operations Centre (SOC), which will offer an affordable cyber security subscription-based support service to SMEs innovating and adopting digital and cloud technologies.

As part of this, it is partnering with the Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester (CRCGM) to offer Cyber MOTs, which will include security awareness training and a cyber security assessment.

The Cyber MOTs will be fully funded and initially available to businesses based in Salford. The package will also offer exclusive membership to businesses based or located near Media City.

The Cyber MOTs will help scaling businesses and their teams to understand the risks of cyber crime and identify and prevent potential security issues through a comprehensive assessment, with recommendations on how to integrate security best practice. The HOST SOC is also partnering with Siemens to support manufacturing and engineering businesses with an Industrial Cyber MOT, offered exclusively to SME manufacturers that are members of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce as part of their membership benefits.

This follows the UK government’s recent Cyber Security Breaches Survey, which found that nearly four in 10 businesses (39 per cent) have reported a cyber attack, while the average cost to companies that have been hit by cyber attacks in the last 12 months is estimated to be £8,460.

All businesses are at risk of hidden cyber security breaches and with organisations finding it harder to monitor employees working from home during the pandemic, they may be less aware of the attacks their staff are facing.

In response to this demand, HOST is developing a state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, which will house the 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) and Network Operations Centre (NOC) cyber support as a service. The centre will provide public sector organisations, enterprises and SMEs with a secure, tailored and scalable cyber solution.

HOST has also partnered with Lancaster University to develop collaborative activities to accelerate research, development and innovation with start-ups and SMEs through Innovate UK programmes such as the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) scheme.

The HOST SOC is unique as it comprises a Cyber Innovation Exchange, an open-source technology exchange that will also include a Cyber Innovation Sandbox, allowing for HOST’s incubated start-ups to accelerate and validate their IP across a real-world commercial environment. In the coming months, HOST will start to recruit up to 10 start-ups and scale-ups, looking to rapidly develop and commercialise disruptive cyber security solutions with AI and machine learning capabilities.

“I’m excited to work with HOST to shape an environment that puts innovation at the heart of acceleration. By bringing together business growth support, labs, testing and validation environments, access to training data along with input and oversight from leading academics and commercial specialists, we will offer first-rate support for the next generation of intelligent cyber solutions,” said Saskia Coplans, Director of Innovation for cyber, data science and AI at HOST.

The HOST SOC and Cyber Innovation Exchange working with GCHQ and leading technology partners such as Microsoft, will further enhance Greater Manchester’s capability of making the UK a world leading security power through scalable innovation.

HOST, operated by IN4.0 Group, recently announced its partnership with The Raytheon Cyber Academy operating within the Skills City campus. HOST will also deliver the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) CyberFirst programme, inspiring girls at secondary schools to pursue careers in STEM. HOST also provides an 8-week placement for CyberFirst bursary students.

Andy Beaden, co-founder of IN4.0 Group, said: “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with the Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester to help businesses in the region gain confidence in knowing that their operations have been thoroughly assessed for cyber threats, so they can take the appropriate actions to secure their business. Our Security Operations Centre is a perfect illustration of how public and private partnerships can forge a formidable infrastructure to support organisations to drive innovation and productivity, creating highly skilled jobs for local people.”

Neil Jones, Director of the Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester, said “The Cyber Resilience Centre is excited to be working with HOST to deliver fully funded Cyber MOTs to help protect our business community from cybercrime. The cybercrime threat to SMEs has never been greater, with cybercriminals taking advantage of the pandemic to carry out damaging attacks on businesses of all sizes as they increasingly work online. Working in partnership is in our DNA and helps us provide trusted, government-backed, easily accessible and practical support where it’s most needed.”

Steven Fry, Chief Digital Officer at Salford City Council, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have brought this collective together at HOST Salford to bring our knowledge and expertise to Salford businesses, creating new jobs and solutions to help shape the future of the country’s cyber defence.”

The CRCGM is a not-for-profit joint venture between Greater Manchester Police and Manchester Digital that helps to support and protect small businesses from the threat of cybercrime, which is estimated to cost the local economy over £860 million a year.

PRAETURA VENTURES HIRES FOUR INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS

Sam Whitear
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Former Apple executive and co-founder of Social Chain join firm as operational partners

Praetura Ventures, the Manchester-based venture capital investor, has announced the appointment of four industry heavyweights as it evidences its more than money approach.

Colin Greene, Dominic McGregor, Catherine Barber-Brown and Mark Slade all join as operational partners, a new role that will see Praetura Ventures bring significant intellect, energy and commercial experience on board to support the founders and entrepreneurs it backs.

Colin Greene, who has recently returned to the North West from Silicon Valley, has spent the last 30 years working for some of the world’s largest technology companies including NCR, Intel and Apple, where he most recently led its consumer retail business in the US. During his time at Apple he also held COO and Country CEO roles for Apple in Tokyo and Seoul, and since returning to the UK has taken on a number of advisory roles within tech and fintech start-ups.

He is joined by Dominic McGregor, the co-founder and ex-COO of Social Chain, one of Europe’s fastest-growing social media agencies. Dominic, alongside his co-founder Steven Bartlett, helped grow Social Chain from a standing start to a $200m turnover business with more than 750 staff in offices around the world, including New York, Berlin and London. He built a client portfolio that saw Social Chain work with some of the world’s biggest brands, such as Amazon, McDonald’s and the BBC, before listing Social Chain on the German stock exchange in 2019.

With more than 25 years’ experience across multiple sectors, Catherine is a creative and driven strategist. She spent her early career as an investment banker for Credit Suisse and Barclays, and has held senior strategy and change roles at The Co-operative Bank. She now specialises in helping businesses drive performance, growth and transformation, and is a non-executive director of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and a mentor for Tech Manchester.

The fourth operational partner to join Praetura Ventures is Mark Slade, the co-founder and now vice chairman of OSTC – a high-performing global derivatives trading and education company that has grown to become one of the leading proprietary trading companies in the world with 450 employees in five countries. Mark is also passionate about talent development, and acts as an executive coach and mentor through his role as a non-executive board member at several start-ups and multi-geographical SMEs.

These appointments follow the news that Steve Caunce, former CEO of AO World, joined Praetura Ventures as non-executive chairman and together the team, led by portfolio MD Andy Sumner, will enable the firm to better support high-growth businesses and meet increased demand for capital. This includes early-stage companies looking for smaller, seed-stage investments as well as capital and support for more developed businesses that are looking to scale.

Commenting on the appointments, Andy said: “When I joined the firm just over 12 months ago I was challenged to make sure our portfolio received more than just the capital we invest. Having spoken to the founders we back, we know it’s the constructive challenge, support and advice our team brings to the table that they truly value – so it was vital we increase our bandwidth to support an ever-increasing portfolio. These four people are not just business leaders in their own right, but each has a specialism that enables them to provide the advice and support our portfolio is looking for.”

David Foreman, Managing Director, Praetura Ventures, added: “This is more than money in action. The value our operational partners can add to our portfolio is huge, we’re bringing real experience of growing and scaling a business to each founders’ fingertips. These individuals are here to help our portfolio, to be available to them, to mentor them, to advise on any challenges they face, and they’ve hit the ground running.”

Praetura was the first to back rapidly growing SaaS delivery management platform, Sorted Group, and in August 2019 participated in the £15m investment round led by Merian Chrysalis Investment Company, which made Sorted Group one of the North West’s fastest growing tech companies.

The firm has recently invested in Maxwellia, a pioneering drug company poised to transform the UK’s self-care market, alongside its investments in Leeds-based RapidSpike, tech for good platforms Transreport and Enthuse, and communications platform PixelMax.

Huckletree launches virtual sustainability festival to address climate change agenda for brands, leaders, entrepreneurs and investors

Sam Whitear
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Creative workspace and accelerator Huckletree has announced it’s hosting Earthrise Summit, a virtual festival to unite sustainability leaders, founders, politicians, change makers and innovators from all corners of the world, to inspire people to take action.

Climate change remains the biggest long-term threat to global stability and the pandemic has made it harder to tackle, so on Wednesday 19th May, speakers including Lily Cole and Jimmy Chin will headline virtual stages, alongside fire-side Q&As, panels and curated workshops, to raise awareness and highlight the role we all need to play in fighting climate change, on a global and local level.

Earthrise Summit will lean into the UN SDGs around Climate Action but focus on solutions rather than problems. Putting a spotlight on how we can move forward with optimism and confidence is one of the key outputs we are driving toward across the event.

Model and actress turned activist and social entrepreneur, Lily Cole, will headline the festival, with her key session focusing on ‘Optimism, Ingenuity and Tackling the Climate Crisis’. Cole will be joined by Academy Award–winning filmmaker, National Geographic photographer, and a professional mountain climber Jimmy Chin, exploring ‘Environmental Stewardship & The Human Imagination’ in his talk.

Huckletree’s Earthrise Summit 2021 festival will bring together 60 speakers across 4 stages for 8 hours to discuss, debate and showcase how we can build a more sustainable future.
Confirmed speakers include
Lily Cole // Author, Activist, Super Model
Jimmy Chin // Oscar winning filmmaker, athlete and photographer
Lucy Yu // CEO, Octopus Centre for Net Zero
Gail Gallie // Co-founder, Project Everyone
Ben Goldsmith // Investor and Environmentalist
Claire Barnett // Executive Director, UN Women
Romi Sumaria // Founder, The Oblique Life
Sophie Dembinski // Head of Policy, Ecosia
Zoisa North-Bond // CEO, Octopus Energy for Business
Eleanor O’Keeffe // Head of Influencers, COP26
Peter Sanger // Founder and CEO, Green City Solutions
Charmian Love // Co-founder, B-Lab UK
Juliet Davenport // Chair and Founder, Good Energy
Lise Honsinger // CFO, Notpla
Siobhan Clarke // Operating Partner, bp launchpad
Martha Dillon // Editor, It’s Freezing in LA!
Sian Sutherland // Founder, A Plastic Planet
Saasha Celestial-One // Co-founder, OLIO
Chris Forbes // Co-founder, The Cheeky Panda
James Alexander // CEO, UK Sustainable Investment & Finance Association
Dave Harland // CEO Eden Project International
Tristram Stuart // Food Waste Campaigner
Key sessions include
Lily Cole – Optimism, Ingenuity and Tackling the Climate Crisis
Jimmy Chin – Environmental Stewardship & The Human Imagination
Climate Tech Bros
Creative Changemakers and the Road to COP26
Human Behaviour, Tech and the Race to Net Zero
Towards Plastic Free
Future Cities
The global food waste scandal
The Power of Purpose
Funding a Sustainable Future
Is rewilding the answer?
How to build a modern eco-focused brand

Patrick Keogh, Programming and Festival Director Huckletree commented:
“We took inspiration from the past year; the global pandemic has taught us that nature and innovation go hand-in-hand and that institutions are slow to act. We believed that the call to protect the future health of the planet is too great for any business leader or any community to ignore or pass accountability on. We also believe the climate issue is so serious that it needs serious creativity. Rather than silo-ing the agenda to one sector or one institution, we need as many diverse minds collaborating and weighing in, exploding the topic, taking it to new brave areas, and creating positive outcomes that are actionable today, tomorrow not just 10 years out.”

International law firm CMS, Silicon Valley Bank, and A/O Proptech are lead sponsors of the summit, and all three will provide support and services to Huckletree’s educational programmes and members too.

Keogh added:
“Our vision is to build a festival of ultra collaboration where artists comment on policy, climbers advise on marketing, academics get their hands dirty on product development, investors and venture partners weigh in on education. For us the event is all about raising mass awareness and tolerance through 8 hours of heated, actionable, no-holding-back collaboration and it’s open to anyone; entrepreneur or not. This is not the time to slow down. We have been building momentum off the back of our Alpha Accelerator which is themed around Sustainable Planet and the announcement of three Sustainability partnerships last month. We’re so excited to see 60 speakers take to the virtual stage for our biggest event of this kind in Europe.”

Find out more and buy tickets here: www.huckletree.com/education/sustainability-summit

Tactus creates £125m business with acquisition of e-commerce platform

Sam Whitear
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Tactus Group, specialists in the development of consumer technology products, has completed a landmark acquisition of PC gaming specialist CCL Computers in a deal that sees the group become a £125m business.

The acquisition sees Tactus increase in headcount to 110 people and adds an e-commerce capability to its offer.

Tactus Group is a technology expert, providing multi-branded IT hardware to global retailers and the public sector, developing a strong reputation and trading relationships with leading corporate technology businesses such as Microsoft and Intel. Its product portfolio includes IT hardware, smart home technology and tech wearable apparel, which it retails through partnerships with high profile ecommerce and high street retailers worldwide.

The deal has been funded by an £11.25m private equity investment, with lead investor Arete Capital Partners investing £10m, in addition to the group’s existing facilities. The primary deal team comprised Gav Jones of Tactus and Mike Fletcher and Andy Critchley of Arete.

CCL is based in West Yorkshire and specialises in building and reselling computer components to the fast-growing gaming sector. Working alongside leading gaming component suppliers including AMD, Intel and Nvidia, CCL builds bespoke PCs for customers ranging from retail consumers, businesses, public bodies, education and other resellers.

The firm has enjoyed a strong financial performance, with five consecutive years of double-digit revenue growth. Turnover for the last financial year hit £65m – a rise of 66 per cent on 2019 figures.

Scott Brenchley, CEO at Tactus Group, said: “A core part of our acquisition strategy over the next 12 months is to identify and bring together fantastic businesses that complement one another and can really drive our growth. CCL is a perfect example of this, with its longstanding reputation in the gaming market built on the outstanding talent it has at its disposal, as well as its dedication to providing the best quality products to consumers.

“Our aim now is to build on this foundation and grow the business exponentially over the next few years.”

Mike Fletcher, managing partner at Arete Capital Partners, said: “This is a fantastic acquisition for Tactus Group, and further strengthens its position as a disruptive consumer tech expert. CCL is ideally placed to bolster Tactus’ credentials in the gaming space, which has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing sectors in recent months. Driven by an ambitious management team, Tactus is now in a great position to accelerate its global growth, both organically and through further acquisitions.”

David Moore, chairman at Tactus Group, said: “The acquisition of CCL is a huge milestone for Tactus Group. In addition to creating a £125m turnover company, the deal provides us with the first opportunity to offer products directly to the consumer, making use of CCL’s outstanding e-commerce capabilities. This deal represents an enormous step forward for the enlarged group, and we will continue to actively acquire businesses that add value to ourselves and our clients.”

Huler launches its Human Experience SaaS platform, the HulerHub

Sam Whitear
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Huler, the UK-based work technology business, announces the launch of its new Human Experience SaaS platform, the HulerHub today.

HulerHub transforms the way businesses engage with their teams by introducing a people-centric and time-saving digital solution, coined the world’s first ‘Human Experience Platform’.

The much-anticipated flagship SaaS offering has already registered interest from global household names within the UK, USA and Canada, following an initial $7 million dollar investment. The platform feels intuitive, and offers a unique and premium experience normally associated with mainstream consumer software.

The current status quo for most businesses is to invest in more technology to engage with their dispersed workforces. But with an average employee having to access 41 systems on a monthly basis, there’s a clear decline in engagement and a rise in digital fatigue. As a result, the need for one streamlined system which brings together all of an organisation’s needs digitally, is at an all-time high.

This beautifully crafted platform offers a user interface designed to connect users to the links, software and systems they use in one engaging place. Huler saves time, which in turn helps drive business growth and profitability, whilst dramatically improving employee experience.

Nicky Hoyland, CEO of Huler, said “We’ve faced plenty of challenges over the last 12 months as leaders, forcing us to pivot and question whether our existing system architecture can adapt to change and ensure that we’re connected to our people. Above all, the pandemic forced us to rethink the importance of people-led rather than process-led technologies inside a distributed future of work.”

Nicky continues: “Huler provides a unique approach to work and personal technology, blending the two to give a fresh take to what was once old but now feels familiar, yet is still new. The average office worker wastes 21 days each year due to slow or outdated technology, which is more than most paid annual leave allowances. This demonstrates the vital need for a solution that is easy to use, is time-effective, and most importantly, won’t become obsolete. We designed HulerHub to give people what they need, when they need it, so they can focus on what matters most. Unlike all the generic interfaces out there, it provides organisations with a personalised, hybrid digital home to optimise the employee experience and save time.

This is not just another tech solution; it is the human experience we have all been longing for”.

Connecting infinite possibilities with HulerHub. Visit Huler.io to discover more.

KINAXIA AGREES 5-YEAR CONTRACT WITH ICONIC TOY COMPANY JAMES GALT & CO

Sam Whitear
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Galt has signed up for the sole use of a 100,000sq ft warehouse in Warrington, Cheshire, at the headquarters of Kinaxia company Mark Thompson Transport.

Kinaxia is investing £500,000 to fit out the new building with lighting, racking, handling equipment, CCTV and a warehouse management system.

The contract with Galt, which has its headquarters in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, will create 20 jobs at the site.

The new warehouse was completed late last year at Mark Thompson Transport’s base on the Stretton Distribution Centre in Appleton.

Galt’s range of toys, games, puzzles, arts and crafts and equipment such as trampolines will be distributed from Warrington to UK stockists including Amazon, Argos, Hobbycraft, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, The Entertainer and Waitrose, as well as independent toy and gift shops.
Items will also be picked and packed for export to Europe, Japan, China, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Australia and the United States.

John McDonnell, managing director of James Galt & Co, said: “The Warrington site is a wonderful location, being just 20 minutes from our offices and within easy reach of the motorway network due to its closeness to the M6.

“We explored numerous options when we were seeking a new warehouse and distribution centre, and this was the outstanding choice in terms of the quality of the people and the operation.”

The company, which was founded by James Galt in 1836 as a bookseller, employs 40 staff. It is part of the Jumbodiset Group.
Kinaxia comprises 13 freight and logistics businesses across the UK with over 1,600 staff and more than 800 vehicles.

The group, which has its headquarters in Macclesfield, Cheshire, has two million sq ft of warehouse facilities nationwide, offering contract packing, e-fulfilment, returns management and storage services.
It has seen significant and continued growth over recent years, with annual revenues now approaching £200m.

Vanessa Hope, sales and marketing director at Kinaxia, said: “We are delighted to welcome James Galt & Co to our warehouse facility in Warrington. It’s an iconic toy business with a fantastic client base.
“This is an extremely exciting contract for Kinaxia which will generate much-needed employment in the area.

“We are very pleased to be forging this link with such a well-known and respected brand, and look forward to working with the team over the coming years.”

London Lash Pro eyes international growth with backing from NPIF – FW Capital

Sam Whitear
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Bolton-based Lash House Limited, t/a London Lash Pro has received a £300,000 CBILS backed loan from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance, managed by FW Capital and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).

London Lash Pro is an online wholesaler of eyelashes and associated goods such as glues, cleansers and accessories, selling to eyelash technicians globally. Founded by CEO Hanna Putjato in 2014, she has grown the business from scratch into a global company with a turnover of almost £5M and recently won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2020.

At the start of 2020, the company was poised to expand its European operation significantly through holding increased stock at its German facility to reduce costs associated with Brexit. However, international lockdowns due to the pandemic have side-lined many beauticians, impacting London Lash Pro’s sales.

The company decided to continue with its plans and NPIF-FW Capital Debt Finance agreed a NPIF loan to support this growth.

Founder and CEO Hanna Putjato said: “Despite initial setbacks last year we didn’t want to slow down. The funding will be used to recruit a senior marketing and operations team to drive our international sales particularly in Europe and the U.S. We are now on target to achieve a turnover of £8M next year and £12M in 2023. We had a great experience with NPIF and FW Capital, they have been incredibly professional and helpful, and the loan application process went very quickly.”

FW Capital investment executive Loz O’Connor said: “London Lash Pro is a very strongly performing, highly profitable company. This NPIF loan backed by CBILS will aid worldwide sales, reduce costs and enable them to invest in key staff and properly market themselves for the first time. It is a really exciting business and we are pleased that we are able to play a part in this next exciting phase of its development”

Sue Barnard at British Business bank said: “It’s been a challenging period for many Northern businesses operating in the beauty sector, with the pandemic forcing closure of where many of London Lash Pro’s products are sold. NPIF is proud to be supporting the company in realising its growth targets over the coming years. Investments such as this demonstrate the importance of access to finance for Northern businesses.”

FW Capital provides loans of £100,000 to £750,000 to businesses based in the NPIF region with a focus on the North West, Cumbria and Tees Valley.

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Co-op snaps up Salford Rum First convenience listing in 90 stores across the country for booming Greater Manchester rum brand

Sam Whitear
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Greater Manchester’s Salford Rum has won favour with national retailer Co-op, with its Dark Spice Rum landing in 90 of its convenience stores across the UK this month – marking the brand’s first supermarket listing.

Spearheading its arrival is Greater Manchester’s Ten Locks – a purpose-driven drinks company that champions brands striving for positive change. Salford Rum sits in the company’s portfolio because of its dedication to innovation and unwavering allegiance to its local economy and community.

Becky Davies, head of commercial at Ten Locks, said: “The listing represents a significant step forward for Salford Rum and its founders, James Harrison and Tommy Gaughan, who – with incredible entrepreneurial spirit – set about making something new to rival the buoyancy we’re seeing in gin, while having a positive impact on their community.

“The Co-op will be the first retailer to make the brand available in the convenience sector; the move demonstrates consumer appetite for spiced rum as well as the enhanced role c-stores are playing at the heart of the community off the back of the pandemic. We’re proud to be driving Salford Rum forward and expanding its national footprint.”

Figures from Mintel show c-stores to be essential players in the local community, with the development of ranges crucial to engaging younger shoppers. Data from WSTA show the spiced rum category enjoyed a nine per cent uplift in volume sales in 2019, with growth expected to continue as consumers desire premium spirits to enjoy at home.

Davies continues: “Brands that stack up in terms of taste and purpose will really cement themselves in the year ahead, as consumers are more knowledgeable than ever after a year of making premium drinks and cocktails at home. Local stores are perfectly placed to win here; my advice is back brands that can attract consumers on all fronts, especially in smaller format stores where the challenge is to retain the shoppers they have serviced over the last year. Updating your range to reflect trends and proven consumer appetite is critical to longer term success.”

Co-op spirits buyer Jonathan Gray said: “Salford Dark Spice Rum will make the perfect addition to our spirits offering. It’s a well-crafted, versatile spirit that consumers can enjoy across a number of occasions. The trend for making premium drinks at home and experimenting with cocktail recipes has enabled smaller brands with national appeal, such as Salford Rum, to truly shine. It’s here to stay, with its effect a real opportunity for the convenience sector. We’re proud to stock a brand that is a proven hit with shoppers and who’s values and ethos reflect our own.”

Salford Rum’s expressions takes their flavour inspiration from the rums, fruits and spices from the Caribbean which were landing on British shores for the first time in in the early 1900s. Salford Dark Spice Rum (40% ABV, 70cl) combines specially selected pot and column distilled rums from the Caribbean that have been matured for up to eight years in ex-Bourbon, American white oak casks. A distinct spice blend, it has notes of vanilla, coconut, burnt caramel and cloves, which together, deliver a delicious dark spiced rum.

The company champions and is an official supporter of Salford Lads Club – an incredible resource dedicated to providing opportunities for young people in sports and arts in Salford, Manchester.

Striving to reduce plastic waste during production, every black ceramic bottle of Salford Dark Spice Rum is screen-printed with intricately drawn maps of Salford by local artist, Dave Draws.

Salford Dark Spice Rum will have an RRP of £26 for 70cl in 90 Co-op stores nationwide.

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