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Ex-Social Chain Directors launch Campfire Group and achieve six-figure turnover in first six months

Sam Whitear
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Campfire signed Missguided as one of its first clients and is responsible for the retailer trending globally at #1 on Black Friday

Previous Social Chain Directors, Joe Gradwell and Alex Brown, have announced six figure turnover six months after launching Campfire, a new social marketing agency based in Manchester.

Previously Media Director and Head of Video at Social Chain respectively, Joe and Alex built up a wealth of knowledge and expertise in building online communities from the ground up; amassing millions of followers via strategic social strategies.

The newly launched Campfire Group now focuses on three key services; creative content, paid targeting, and website optimisation, enabling the team to tailor and target content to specific audiences, which goes onto increase engagement, growth and conversions at each stage of the marketing funnel.

Since the launch six months ago, Campfire has gained a number of impressive client wins including Archie’s, UKFast and Missguided.

In order to help Missguided to dominate the online conversation on the busiest and most sales heavy day of the year, Black Friday, Campfire launch the #MakeMyFriday campaign. Within two minutes of launch the campaign was trending number one in the UK, before trending globally at number one within the hour.

The activity resulted in over 10 million impressions, over 130,000 entries and a number one worldwide trend, with #MakeMyFriday tweeted more times than #BlackFriday.

For the 2020 financial year Campfire directors are projecting growth to increase four-fold; by continuing to deliver best in class social campaigns and expand our team and capabilities.

Joe Gradwell, Campfire CEO, said: “As a tribe of social natives, we launched Campfire Group to offer groundbreaking, social first content alongside a detailed paid strategy to deliver consistent ROI for our clients.

“We’re delighted with the growth we have achieved in such a short space of time.”

Alex Brown, Campfire CCO, said: “Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snap are interesting spaces for brands right now, they’re allowing the Gymsharks and Missguideds of the world to challenge Fortune 500 companies. We’re excited to continue to work with ambitious brands and utilise digital media to its fullest potential.”

Welsh Government Adds Access To Digital Services Agency Roster

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based creative and digital agency, Access will be continuing its acclaimed work with the Welsh Government following its successful application to be a roster agency for the provision of digital services.

Access has enjoyed a 10-year long relationship with the Welsh Government, during which time it has created a number of highly effective multi-channel campaigns across various departments and types of projects.

Moving forward, Access will support the Welsh Government’s Digital Framework and apply its digital and public sector experience to create online solutions to meet the needs of departments within the government, local councils and community organisations.

Simon Landi, Access’ Managing Director comments: “We are extremely proud to have been once again included on the Welsh Government’s agency roster as they seek to develop digital experiences across many of their public sector projects.

“We have previously worked on several Welsh Government campaigns to help raise awareness, challenge preconceptions and bring about attitudinal change across a diverse range of subjects and initiatives. Projects have spanned violence against women and domestic abuse in Wales campaigns, to website developments with Law Wales, Transport for Wales and I Love Wales.

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“The Digital Framework agreement benefits everyone involved as agencies that are included on the roster have already proven their experience and ability to deliver the required services. We’re looking forward to building new connections with public sector organisations within Wales.

“Our relationship will commence with a series of Lunch and Learn meetings with marketing and digital teams within Welsh Government departments across Wales. Under our theme, ‘the art of the possible’ we will be highlighting ways in which digital technology and innovation processes can provide cost effective ways to reach and engage with audiences. We’ll be sharing best practice ideas and success stories of the application of digital technology in the public sector to spark conversation and ideas among Welsh Government employees.”

Slater Heelis welcomes new Partner Charlotte Beck

Sam Whitear
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LEADING North-West law firm Slater Heelis LLP has appointed Charlotte Beck as Partner, further strengthening the Family Team.

Charlotte, who joins from Ward Hadaway, has a wide range of experience in all aspects of family law, specialising in complex high net worth financial cases and complicated child arrangement issues.

Charlotte also has extensive experience in wider areas of property disputes.

Charlotte will be part of Slater Heelis’ Family Team, headed up by Partner Mark Heptinstall

Mark commented on the appointment:

“Our family team continues to go from strength to strength, so it’s extremely exciting to have Charlotte on board as we enter a new decade for the firm.

“Charlotte’s experience speaks for itself and her arrival will enhance the team’s offering to our valued clients.

Charlotte said;

“Slater Heelis’ family team is widely regarded throughout the North West, so it’s a privilege to become part of such a great team and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”
The family team has also featured in Slater Heelis’ Case Closed podcast, a series which aims to demystify different aspects of the legal world. Podcasts can be found on Spotify, iTunes or the Slater Heelis website.

Slater Heelis LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Manchester city centre, Sale & Timperley acting for clients across the UK and internationally. The firm offers a range of legal services to both private and business clients including: Construction & Engineering, Corporate Law, Crime (including Business Crime & Regulatory), Dispute Resolution, Employment & HR, Family Law, Personal Injury, Private Client (including Court of Protection services) and Property Law.

Begbies Traynor donates £7,500 to Manchester Mind

Sam Whitear
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A local mental health charity is celebrating after receiving a donation from insolvency and restructuring experts Begbies Traynor.

The committed team at Begbies Traynor in Manchester held a series of fundraising events throughout the year to raise £3,500 in aid of local mental health services.

Ric Traynor, Executive Chairman of Begbies Traynor Group, was delighted to increase the amount raised to £7,500 and said,

“We are delighted to have supported Manchester Mind and proud with the dedication shown by our staff, so we are only too pleased to contribute. We believe everyone in society deserves to be supported in their mental health needs and we are happy to play a small role in helping to achieve this in Manchester.”

Clare Abbott, Service Manager at Manchester Mind added, “Thank you to the inspiring team at Begbies Traynor as with your help we can continue to support 6,500 children, young people and adults in emotional and mental distress this year. 2019 marks our 30th Anniversary and this donation will enable us to make a real difference in the local community.”

Slater Heelis strengthens its Employment team

Sam Whitear
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LEADING North-West law firm Slater Heelis LLP has appointed Sally Tomlinson as a Solicitor in its employment and HR team.

Sally, who previously worked at a niche commercial law firm in Manchester city centre, specialises in non-contentious issues such as corporate support work, TUPE related advice, outsourcing and consultancy agreements, and new contracts of employment and service agreements.

Sally has a wide range of experience in employment law including advising on workplace issues from recruitment through to dismissal, enforcement of post-termination restrictions, complex executive exits and employment status issues.

Managing partner, Chris Bishop, commented on the appointment:

“We’re excited to have Sally onboard and are sure she’ll be a fantastic addition. Sally has great experience in non-contentious employment matters, and we’re confident she will help further strengthen the employment and HR team.

“2020 is already shaping up to be a strong year for the firm and with some key appointments we’re looking to hit the ground running.”

Sally said;

“I’m thrilled to be joining a forward-thinking firm who have a real passion for their work. I can’t wait to get going and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

Slater Heelis LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Sale, Timperley and Manchester city centre offering a range of legal services including, Corporate, Employment, Personal Injury, Residential and Commercial Property, Family Law and Private Client. The firm acts for clients across the UK and internationally.

DUO UK announces expansion of Manchester HQ and new recycling facility

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-headquartered packaging manufacturer and distributor DUO UK has announced plans to expand its head office site to 5,000 sq ft with a new extension and installation of a new Erema recycling machine.

The company has seen a significant increase in client demand for products using recycled polythene to create more sustainable packaging solutions for customers.

To handle this increase in demand, the business made the decision to sell its partner company Moorgreen Flexible Packaging in Derbyshire to Vickers-Lee Holdings Limited, owners of Cromwell Polythene, and will invest the funds from the sale into the expansion
of its site in Manchester to accommodate the new machinery.

The site extension, which received planning permission from Manchester City Council earlier this year, will enable Duo to streamline operations and improve efficiencies, as well as enhancing staff facilities with break out rooms and a large car park on site.

The installation of the Erema machine will allow Duo to recycle polythene waste on site and will eradicate the requirement for the transportation of waste material to off-site recycling centres, reducing the turnaround time of pellet production to meet the increased
demand for products with recycled content.

Anthony Brimelow, commercial director at DUO UK, said: “The environment surrounding plastic has changed in recent years and how a company handles the plastic used and disposes of it is very much a priority. As the industry is heading towards utilising a higher percentage
of recycled content and reducing dependency on virgin materials, these decisions are pivotal for our future success. The expansion of our Manchester site has come at the right time for the business and will allow us to respond to our customers’ changing requirements.”

Paul Stringer corporate finance partner at Cowgills, added: “We are delighted to have assisted Duo with the sale of Moorgreen and we wish the new owners every success for the future. The sale and the re-investment in the expansion of Duo’s Manchester site is a
testimony to the long range strategic and entrepreneurial vision of the directors and Cowgills are proud of their continued involvement and support of the group.”

The site development is expected to be completed in March 2020. In addition, the company will install another conversion machine and five-layer co-extruder, which allows for more recycled content to be included in the layers of a product without affecting the
performance of the product.

NEW DIRECTOR AT CLOTHES2ORDER TO HELP DRIVE GROWTH PLANS

Sam Whitear
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Ambitious Clothes2order has recruited a sales director to help shape the next phase of its expansion as it looks to double in size.

Mark Thomas has more than 35 years’ experience in the workwear and uniforms industry, having previously worked at other major players including Lyreco and Arco.

Clothes2order creates custom branded clothing for businesses, teams and communities by printing or embroidering logos and designs on to t-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, caps and other items.

It operates from a state-of-the-art production and distribution facility in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, where it employs 160 staff.

The company supplies customers across the UK and in more than 35 countries and has seen revenues soar from £4.4m in 2013 to over £13m, with plans to double in size over the next few years.

In a newly-created role, Mark leads the company’s customer service and account management departments and its recently-expanded team of field sales specialists, who together provide one-to-one technical, design and product selection support to clients.

He said: “I am hugely excited by the opportunity to help shape the next stage in the company’s development.

“Its vision and values chime with mine, in putting customer satisfaction ahead of short-term profit, maintaining the highest quality standards and offering ethically and responsibly-sourced products.

“We are in an enviable position at the forefront of our industry, having invested heavily in recent years in cutting-edge, eco-friendly garment customisation and printing technology, and we are looking to grow our product range to further broaden our customer base in the coming years.”

Managing director Sam Jones said: “Mark has extensive experience in the sector and a proven track record of success. He’s an excellent leader and motivator and has vast category knowledge which makes him the ideal person for this role.

“His appointment to this new position reflects our ongoing investment in the senior management team charged with delivering significant growth in the coming years.”

More Media Sales Announce City A.M. Partnership

Sam Whitear
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MANCHESTER-based multi-media advertising specialists More Media Sales, have expanded their portfolio of flagship London media after being appointed by City A.M. Media Group to represent them across print and digital in the regions.

More Media Sales, who sell Display advertising as well as Social and Programmatic, already exclusively represent The Evening Standard, Stylist and Time Out outside of the capital.

The addition of City A.M. London’s free business-focused morning newspaper and website means More Media Sales will dominate coverage of London’s affluent consumer audience, as well as the valuable business audience.

Andy Garner, Managing Director, said: “City AM is a perfect fit for More Media Sales. We have a team of media professionals based in Manchester who are at the top of their game and we work with an unrivalled partner set that City AM absolutely match.

“There is a considerable market in the regions with both clients and agencies looking for innovative ways to reach highly valuable London audiences. The values, partnership mentality and positive approach that City AM operate with matches our own approach and overall this is just a great fit and a superb product we are ready to help grow.”

More Media Sales have agreed an initial one-year contract term to represent City A.M. and will act as the trusted point of contact for advertising agencies outside of London.

Andy added: “This means agencies from Scotland, down to the West Country will be able to have more holistic conversations around target audiences.”

City A.M. Media Group’s Chief Operating Officer, Harry Owen, said: “In a rapidly changing media landscape, it’s important that clients know agencies are efficient routes to market, whether print or programmatic – we feel More Media Sales offer this robust product knowledge and a wider understanding of London’s media landscape, of which City A.M. is a major part.”

“We are all looking forward to working with Andy and the More Media team – it’s clear to us they have excellent relationships outside of London, that complement ours inside of London. We aim to work closely with them, to ensure our portfolio of innovative products are understood as well in Leith’s media community as they are in Charlotte Street.”

Roxy Leisure secure 7.5m roll out investment starting in Manchester

Sam Whitear
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A bar group whose venues offer a range of facilities including pool tables, ping-pong, bowling, shuffleboard, mini-golf, arcade gaming, and karaoke is set to expand after securing a £7.5m investment from Foresight Group.

Roxy Leisure, which operates sites under the Roxy Ball Room and Roxy Lanes banners, was founded in 2013, with Leeds based Matt and Ben Jones launching the first location in their home city which pioneered the trend towards in-bar activities and social competitive gaming

Fast forward seven years and the company currently has eight venues across Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham; offering pool, ping pong, beer pong, bowling, karaoke, shuffleboard, mini-golf, private hire and more! Their largest site to date is Roxy Ball Room Rainford Square – a 24,000 sq ft space situated in Liverpool’s popular Cavern Quarter.

The investment – which was made by the Foresight Regional Investment LP and the Foresight VCTs – will be used in-part as growth capital, supporting the company’s expansion into additional locations across the UK with multiple openings planned in 2020, including Birmingham early in the New Year and second venues in Manchester and Nottingham.

Rob Jones, investment manager at Foresight, said: “Roxy demonstrates some of the most attractive leisure sector performance metrics we have seen and the growth of the business in recent years has been impressive. The company is well-positioned to accelerate its growth with the additional support and guidance that Foresight will bring.

“Matt and Ben have built a successful business with a good corporate culture and we look forward to working with them to take Roxy through the next stage of its growth.”

Matt and Ben added: “It has been a pleasure working with Foresight’s experienced investment team who understood our business quickly and demonstrated a strong appetite to support our plans.

“Their pragmatic approach and experience in working with businesses and management teams in our sector made them stand out as the right investor for us.”

Roxy is already a firm favourite of many, however, their expansion is sure to bring booze & ball games to even more people up and down the country.

New figures show record business confidence after the December election

Sam Whitear
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A new report from Deloitte shows that optimism has jumped among Britain’s large companies after last month’s election, with many now increasing investment and preparing to hire more workers. The small business community is one section of the economy that relies heavily on confidence, as one of the areas most reliant on private investment and therefore the confidence of private investors to commit capital.

Schemes such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme have been a hugely important source of finance for start-ups and scale-ups in the last 25 years, providing £20billion of growth capital to businesses otherwise rejected by traditional finance sources. In 2017/18 the EIS experienced the highest amount of investment ever, with close to £2billion of support for growing start-ups and scale-ups. Because of this, IW Capital, a leading SME investment house based in Mayfair, has commissioned research across 2,000 investors to ascertain the optimism surrounding life post-Brexit and what opportunities will arise after 31st January.

How investors feel about Brexit:

46% of Britons believe that if handled correctly, Brexit could be the best thing to have happened to the UK economy
36% (10.5 million) believe that the UK will be a wealthier country, boosting their investment profile, post-Brexit
30% (8.7 million) said that while Brexit in itself had not affected their investment decisions, the Government’s handling of the negotiations did negatively affect their investment decisions
The research suggests that investors are positive about the UK’s prospects outside of the European Union and are keen to use their capital after certainty is restored.

Where do investors want to use their money?:

41% of investors would prefer to use their own capital to help catalyse growth in the UK economy and job market
34% of investors would like to invest in small businesses with growth potential in the next two years
19% of Britons will look to make significant investments in the next year, despite political uncertainty
27% of Britons will look to invest into businesses within the UK when Brexit is finalised
The first two statistics suggest that while investors are looking for certainty, there is a tremendous amount of ambition in terms of supporting growth focused SMEs in the UK that will be crucial to the overall health of the economy in years to come.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) make up over 98% of all private sector firms across the UK. They also account for 16 million jobs in the UK, while adding £1.9 trillion to the British economy.

Luke Davis – CEO of private equity house IW Capital – comments on the research:

“This research is very much in line with what we have seen from our investor base and from the entrepreneurs we work with. Both sides want to push on to make the most of opportunities that will present themselves when we do eventually leave the EU but feel somewhat let down by the Government and the way they have handled the process thus far.

“We have seen more demand than ever before to invest in growing SMEs, as well as more entrepreneurs looking for investment. Supporting and allowing this sector to grow at the pace at which it could will undoubtedly have a marked effect on the economy as a whole, creating jobs and facilitating growth at a scale that is almost unheard of in large businesses unsuitable to rapid change and adaptation to new conditions.”

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