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Ambitious digital, creative and tech companies urged to join Greater Connected accelerated growth programme

Sam Whitear
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With the next Greater Connected cohort just around the corner, GC Business Growth Hub is looking for ambitious digital, creative and tech companies in Greater Manchester to take part.

The fully-funded programme, which starts on 25th June, is designed to give business owners the time, skills and expertise they need to grow in their own way.

Greater Connected is made up of two-and-a-half days of learning spread across six weeks, with team sessions giving access to tailored expert advice from some of the best digital, creative and tech practitioners in the area.

Each company also has a designated growth advisor to help identify where they need to focus to achieve their business goals and develop and implement a tailored plan to make that happen.

Rob Sethna, Digital, Creative, and Tech Growth Coach, for the programme said: “With such a thriving digital, creative and tech community in Greater Manchester, we created the Greater Connected programme to help businesses in those sectors not only survive in today’s economic climate, but really accelerate growth.

“It’s often the case with small businesses that founders and CEOs find themselves working in the business rather than on the business, and that’s what this programme aims to change.”

With 13 cohorts to date, the Greater Connected programme, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has helped over 140 business owners to kickstart their growth journey.

Speaking of her experience with the programme, Stephanie Shuttleworth, founder and creative director of independent marketing and operations agency for the beer industry MASH Marketing, said: “Before joining the Greater Connected programme in 2018, I was running my company solo with help from a few freelancers.

“I was doing as much as I needed to survive but didn’t have the confidence to take risks or access to the resources I needed to grow.

“I now have a full-time contractor working with me and have plans to hire at least one more full-time member of staff this year. I have also doubled the value of several key contracts.”

Manchester tech company expands globally following Growth Hub support

Sam Whitear
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An award-winning research company has gone from strength-to-strength and created eight new jobs following support from GC Business Growth Hub.

The Insights People launched in 2017 and has quickly established itself as a global leader in kids and family market intelligence.

Through its Kids Insights service, the company surveys more than 1,600 different children a week (80,000 a year) across six countries, including the US, UK, France and Germany.

The company’s CEO, Nick Richardson, initially approached the Hub, part of The Growth Company and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, in 2017 looking for support developing both the firm’s online platform and range of client-facing products.

As well as helping with this, Hub advisor Paul Halliday also acted as a sounding board for Nick as the company looked to implement its aggressive targets.

In addition, Paul also put The Insights People in touch with the Department for International Trade (DIT) so that the company could benefit from the support of the British Government in its efforts to expand overseas. Among other assistance, the DIT team in the North West provided the company with funding support to help them attend the Kidscreen conference in Miami and the MIP Junior conference in France, both in 2018, with the trip to Miami leading directly to the launch of The Insights People’s Kids Insights US service and the opening of a US operation in New York in October 2018.

Furthermore, the Hub also supported the company’s entry into the 2017 Innovation Showcase Competition with its participation in the final at Venturefest Manchester 2017 leading directly to investment from Adam Kara, who is now a non-executive director of the company.

The Insights People now employs 15 members of staff, among the eight roles created with assistance from the Hub, a chief commercial officer, a developer and a researcher were all hired.

The company is also currently in discussions with one of Greater Manchester’s leading universities to establish a strategic partnership to collaborate on a range of projects including the utilisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop the next phase of ground-breaking portal developments.

Nick Richardson, CEO of The Insights People, said: “Our vision has never changed, but with such an aggressive growth strategy we have needed to not only recruit a team of highly capable individuals who share our vision but have the aptitude to make it happen.”

Paul Halliday, added: “It is a joy to see the success The Insights People have had since I first met them. Nick and his team are a very talented and dedicated bunch operating in what is a fascinating area of research, the thoughts and concerns of our children, including such things as their favourite brands, their media consumption and the activities that make up their everyday lives – and so, it is no surprise that such high-profile brands have signed up to receive the company’s insights.”

Catax to open Canada office

Sam Whitear
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Manchester specialist tax consultancy Catax is opening an office in Canada as part of its first overseas expansion.

The firm is setting up in Vancouver to help businesses take advantage of Canada’s Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax relief, which is very similar to the UK’s R&D tax credits. Canada was the first country in the world to introduce an incentive scheme for R&D in 1944 and now provides over $3bn in tax incentives for over 20,000 claimants each year.

This is the first time Catax has opened an office outside the UK since it was founded in 2008.

Catax, which currently works with businesses across the UK to claim R&D tax credits, Capital Allowances and Patent Box tax relief on intellectual property, will initially focus on building a client base around Vancouver in British Columbia, with plans to quickly expand throughout Canada.

The Canadian team will be led by Richard Hoy, president of Catax Canada, who joins the company from Ledcor, where he was senior vice president of operations.

Richard brings 28 years’ business experience having held senior leadership positions at Xerox, Lucent, Cable and Wireless, TELUS and Ledcor.

During its 11 year history, Catax has since helped its portfolio of 14,000 clients claim back £221million in tax relief.

The company achieved turnover growth of nearly 30% to £11.3m in 2018/19. This came after a 20% jump from £7.4m to from £8.7m the previous year.

Catax opened new offices in Scotland 2018, and has seen staff numbers soar from 54 to 90 following the acquisition of London-based R&D tax credit consultancy Fast Track SME Ltd. This growth is all part of the firm’s ambitious plan to triple its revenue by 2021.

Catax chief executive Mark Tighe commented: “We’re really excited about our first permanent overseas division. We have chosen Canada as our next target market because the Canadian SR&ED scheme is very similar to R&D in the UK, giving us a good starting point.

“It’s a well-established scheme with a lot of claimants, but there is still a huge gap in terms of the number of potentially eligible businesses versus the numbers claiming. So, there is a lot of work for us to do in Canada to help businesses get the most out of their tax relief entitlements.”

Richard Hoy, president, Catax Canada, added: “Canada has a long tradition of incentivising businesses to invest in innovation so there are existing tax consultancy businesses in Canada, but few have the level of in-house expertise and breadth of service that Catax can offer. We’re looking to revolutionise the way specialist tax consultancy is carried out for Canadian companies.

“Catax’s unique approach to helping businesses report on and claim the tax credits they are due will differentiate itself as a premium resource to clients.”

Portrait of New High Sheriff of Greater Manchester officially hung

Sam Whitear
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The Lord Mayor and Mayoress of Manchester were just some of the high profile faces in attendance as the official portrait of the new High Sheriff of Greater Manchester, Mark Adlestone OBE DL, was hung at Manchester Crown Court.

Mr Adlestone, who is also the chairman of 100-year-old jewellers Beaverbrooks, was chosen by Her Majesty the Queen to become the High Sheriff in March, and was officially installed in April.

He will now take on the role for 12 months as an unpaid Keeper of The Queen’s Peace in Greater Manchester. One of the main features of a High Sheriff role is to support and contribute to the voluntary sector, encouraging the growth and development of charities.

Mark, who was awarded an OBE for his services to business and charity in the North of England in 2015, introduced the concept of charitable giving at Beaverbrooks, which donates 20 per cent of its retained profits to charity. Since 2000, the company has donated in excess of £13m to over 750 charities.

Mark, who was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester in 2017, and also recently appointed UK’s Best Leader by Best Companies 2019, said: “The High Sheriff is a well-established tradition and it is a great honour for me to take up the role, especially in Beaverbrooks’ 100th birthday year. I look forward to supporting Greater Manchester and making further contributions to the community.”

Manchester business recognised in global health battle

Sam Whitear
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Delivered Health Solutions has been shortlisted at the prestigious Antibiotic Guardian Awards, which are hosted by Public Health England, for their pioneering introduction of TecCare – one of the world’s most advanced cleaning solutions.

This state-of-the-art infection prevention and control line has been academically researched as providing the most potent impact possible, delivering an incredible impact in a host of NHS and social care settings, reducing the threat of ‘super-bugs’.

Antibiotic resistance has been recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the most significant threats to global health. To meet this challenge, the national Antibiotic Guardian campaign has urged healthcare professionals to pledge to drive down inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and share best practice in tackling this threat.

Delivered Health Solutions are a national organisation and market leaders within their field.

The Awards, which take place on 27 June in Birmingham, have been judged by leading figures from organisations such as NHS England, Public Health England, DEFRA, the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, and major academic Institutions.

TECCare is a cutting-edge cleaning solution provided exclusively by Delivered Health Solutions. It has been independently assessed as providing world-class antimicrobial impact and challenging the spread of bacteria, viruses, fungi and bacterial spores across surfaces, air and skin. The product twins the highest possible standards of antimicrobial efficacy with an incredible level of safety, setting it apart from all competitor disinfectants and solutions. It is provided in a host of solutions, including canisters, wipes, spray and pump dispenser, ensuring it can be safely and effectively applied in all clinical and care environments.

Since its introduction to the UK market, the product has delivered a remarkable impact in improving standards in a number of NHS and social care settings. In one of the UK’s largest dementia care homes groups, it reduced the number of days in which their portfolio had been affected by norovirus outbreaks from 330 in 2014 to 130 in 2016, an astonishing 61% reduction. This impact has been matched by the clinically assessed introduction of the product in a large NHS Foundation Trust, with researchers finding that TecCare generated an 80% improvement in cleanliness in the testing of 24 key hospital locations.

This success follows Delivered Health Solutions being recognised in three categories of the 2018 National Care Awards, in the Dignity in Care, Training and Development, and Ancillary Worker categories respectively – a unique achievement for a non-care provider organisation .

Barbara Meeks, Managing Director of Delivered Health Solutions, says: “We are committed to bringing the most effective possible solutions to the UK and health care sector. It has been proven with a host of academic trials and in the real-life adoption of this line in many clinical settings that TecCare offers an unparalleled impact in creating cleaner, safer services. In doing so, it enables care services to deliver better outcomes, perform at their best and ultimately can help save and extend lives.

“The threat of antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest challenges to humanity today. We can only overcome this by embracing new innovations, transforming traditional practices and ultimately delivering the best possible infection prevention and control systems possible. This award nomination recognises the impact that the TecCare line can have in responding to these challenges. We are excited by the impact that it will make across the health and care sectors in the years ahead.”

Manchester Central welcomes new Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Sam Whitear
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Irene Hamilton joins Manchester Central as Director of Finance and Corporate Services. In her new role, she will lead Manchester Central’s finance and corporate services functions, which include HR and compliance.

Joining the business from ACC Liverpool, where she spent almost ten years, Irene brings with her extensive experience across the full range of event industry disciplines.

Beginning her early career in event and venue management roles, a move to Jersey saw Irene take on the position of Head of Conference Sales at the prestigious Hotel de France. From there, she became Deputy Theatre Director at the Jersey Opera House, where her commercial responsibilities inspired her to begin training for her accountancy qualifications.

Now a Fellow of the ACCA, the world of events remains Irene’s industry of choice.

Irene said: “Over the last few years there’s been a real shift in event organisers starting to see the North West as a viable alternative to London.

It’s clear that Manchester is a hugely ambitious city and having a thriving convention centre, uniquely at its heart, is a crucial part of realising those ambitions. I’m thrilled to be part of Team Manchester Central and look forward to shaping plans that will achieve growth for the venue and wider city.”

Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central, said: “Irene joins us at an incredibly exciting time when we’re looking at ways to take the venue to the next level. Her background in not just finance, but the wider events industry, meant that she was the ideal candidate for this position and the whole team at Manchester Central is looking forward to working with her.”

Bury used car business on-track for £100m turnover

Sam Whitear
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Fast growing North West used car dealership group cartime, based in Bury, is celebrating another successful year of growth after doubling in size by adding two new showrooms, and reporting a year-on-year rise in turnover of over 29 per cent.

In its latest financial year (April 2019), cartime has achieved a turnover of £43,030,000 (up from £33.4m in 2018) and a pre-tax profit of £1,154,000 (up from £908,000 in 2018).

The impressive figures come alongside a £5m inward investment into new premises, technology and site facilities. £1m is currently being spent transforming a former Aldi supermarket in Rochdale into a new state of the art dealership, which is due to open in early summer 2019.

cartime is also predicting yet another year of heavy growth, with plans to open two further sites this year and achieve a record turnover of £100m by 2021.

Employing 91 staff, cartime’s operation occupies a total of 3.5 acres set across two showrooms, a 70,000 sq. ft preparation centre, a 70-vehicle collection centre and additional stocking facility. It is currently undergoing a recruitment drive to further grow its team, specifically within senior management positions.

The recent opening of its specialist 4×4 centre, which is the largest in the North of England and adjacent to its original showroom, has allowed it to capitalise on consumer demand for a wide selection of larger, prestige vehicles available on one site.

The opening of the Rochdale site, which is expected to generate an additional turnover of £25m in 2019, will create a further 20 jobs and allow cartime to expand its customer base in the North West. The new showroom will feature many state-of-the-art features, including a show-stopping stage and car turntable that will make every car handover a theatrical event – with lighting and smoke effects as the vehicle is unveiled.

Managing Director Matt Kay, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating another successful year of growth, what the team has achieved in the past 12 months is a fantastic.

“My original vision for the business was to provide a customer-centric experience that wasn’t available elsewhere – especially within the used car marketplace – and I believe this is something that has been instrumental in our success and really driven the company forward.

“Each and every vehicle we purchase is subjected to a rigorous 62-point mechanical check to ensure it is in ‘as-new’ condition, with any vehicle that does not meet our stringent criteria being put to auction. This has ensured we have built up a very strong reputation within the industry and continue to get repeat custom and referrals.

“Everything we do is focused around the customer and utilising new technologies, something that has really allowed us to set ourselves apart from the competition.

“We’re not resting on our laurels, however. We have very strong ambitions – and projections – for the coming year, including the launch of our new Rochdale site and up to three additional showrooms, which we are expecting to accelerate our growth even further.

“There is a lot to achieve but we’re confident we have the systems and team to keep moving forward at the level we have enjoyed this year.”

Trio of wins for Koncept ID

Sam Whitear
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A Manchester-based interior design consultancy has secured a trio of contracts for hospitality giant, Accor.

Koncept ID is working alongside contractors Morgan Sindall and Czech-based developer Geone on the launch of three new Novotel hotels based in Liverpool, Leicester and Prague. Liverpool and Leicester hotels are being developed by Liverpool City Council and Charles Street Building, respectively.

The interiors expert will be responsible for the design and fit-out of 450 rooms altogether in addition to public areas. These will include the lobby café and co-working space, as well as restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and gym.

Jenny Denton, director at Koncept ID, said: “The opportunity to work on a series of new sites allows us to truly exercise our creative flair. It’s been an exciting project from the offset and we look forward to seeing the designs come to life.”

Hotels will feature light installations, sweeping statement staircases and a unique blend of classic textures and contemporary finishes.

Ana Jorge, Director of Design & Technical Services at Accor UKI said: “We are renowned for offering distinctive hotels in key locations and these new sites make a fantastic addition to our portfolio.”

McAlister Family Law welcomes new recruits

Sam Whitear
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The North-West’s fastest growing family law firm has added to its specialist children law teams with four new recruits.

Joining the award-winning McAlister Family Law, which has offices in Manchester city centre and throughout Cheshire, and is ranked in the latest edition of the Legal 500, are Jessica Horsman, Laura Phillips, Nina Rawlings and Natalie Kralski.

Jessica Horsman, solicitor, who joins the children law team from Bromleys Solicitors, specialises in children law, including child protection matters, and is particularly experienced in representing the interests of parents and grandparents in proceedings.  She is an accredited Children Panel member and an accredited police station representative and regularly carries out her own advocacy in court.  “My new role at McAlister Family Law is both exciting and challenging, and I am thrilled to be working with lawyers who are some of the most experienced and respected in their fields of expertise,” she said.

Laura Phillips, assistant solicitor, joins the firm from Stephensons Solicitors; she will be covering matters such as care proceedings, adoption, and residence and contact disputes. Nina Rawlings, paralegal, joins the children law team headed by Donna Roberts, a team which specialises in adoption, carrying out work on behalf of the children’s guardian, parents and local authority.  Natalie Kralski, also paralegal, joins the specialist guardian team headed by panel solicitor and partner Nick Hodson; the team represents and fights for the rights of some of the country’s most vulnerable children.

Amanda McAlister, managing director, said: “As a family law firm, we are passionately committed to the welfare of children and delivering the highest levels of service to those who need us, and we are careful to recruit only those whose beliefs echo this commitment. We are therefore delighted to welcome these four new recruits to the business.

“McAlister Family Law is not yet two years old, but we have experienced an overwhelming demand from those looking for a strength and depth of experience unrivalled outside of London, as a result of which, our business continues to grow exponentially.”

Equitus Engineering founder named as a national judge in diversity awards

Sam Whitear
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The founder and CEO of Greater Manchester-based, Equitus Engineering, has been selected as a national judge for the MSDUK Innovation Challenge, with the initial pitches taking place in July.

Raam Shanker will review entries made for the Industry 4.0 segment of the 2019 MSDUK Innovation Challenge, which invites ethnic minority businesses (EMB) or business leaders to submit innovative ideas, with the winner receiving the support they need to make the idea a reality.

Founded in 2006, MSDUK has worked with over 125 global brands and more than 1500 EMBs, introducing hundreds of new ideas, products and supply chain solutions.

The organisation inspires the next generation of ethnic minority founders, offering them a platform to showcase their innovative ideas, and provide them access to knowledge, investment and markets to help them grow and achieve their dreams.

Raam was chosen to be a judge following the success of his mechanical engineering solution business, Equitus Engineering, which utilises a people-centric approach when designing, developing and investigating engineering solutions for a range of businesses including The European Space Agency, Autodesk and playground equipment manufacturer, Wicksteed.

Raam said: “Innovation isn’t just for global giants like Apple, Samsung and Google. SMEs also play an instrumental role in creating ground-breaking and life-changing solutions. These awards highlight and celebrate these aspects within the ethnic minority community.

“I’m proud to have been selected to be a judge for the 2019 MSDUK Innovation Challenge. At Equitus Engineering, we are continuously looking for ways to better design and develop our solutions, speaking with end users as well as manufacturers, to ensure we are always creating solutions that are effective, consistent and efficient.

“I’m excited to review the entries and watch the shortlisted semi-finalists pitch to myself and the other judges in London in July.”

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