Home Blog Page 929

Belle Vue drives off with honours at UK Coach Awards

Sam Whitear
-
0

A driver at Stockport bus and coach hire firm Belle Vue Manchester has been crowned the best in the UK.

Miguel González was named top UK coach driver at the 2019 UK Coach Awards.

He was among a clutch of Belle Vue winners at the 11th annual awards, a national scheme which recognises and rewards excellence in the industry.

Miguel, a married father-of-two who hails from Tenerife, joined Belle Vue in 2016.

He mainly drives on school and college routes and has become hugely popular with pupils and students. He plays their favourite music radio channel and allows them soft drinks and snacks. In return, the youngsters help him clear up their coach at the end of their journeys.

On one occasion, when Miguel switched routes, students successfully organised a petition demanding he be reinstated as their driver.

Phil Hitchen, managing director of Belle Vue, said: “Miguel is a great asset to the team and we are thrilled for him in winning this accolade.

“He has a friendly, helpful and professional attitude and receives numerous commendations from customers for his punctual, efficient and safe driving performance.”

The judges said: “School contracts are the bread and butter for many coach operators, so to find a driver who is able to keep unruly pupils under control assuring a safe and well-behaved journey while also becoming the children’s most popular driver is quite exceptional.”

Miguel was a coach driver in Tenerife until tourism waned and work became more difficult to come by. He contacted Phil on Facebook, saying he found Belle Vue appealing because of its ethos of caring about teamwork.

Phil was impressed and invited him over for a trial. Miguel studied online to get to know the main routes across Manchester and the motorway network and, after a successful trial, landed a full-time job.

Miguel said: “Just being chosen from more than 60 drivers to represent Belle Vue at the awards made me extremely proud.

“I’m so happy that everyone has welcomed me to the business and the area, and to win the award is a tremendous honour.

“I’m so very grateful to the company, and especially to Phil Hitchen, for giving me the chance to work here. Without his belief in me, my dream could never have come true.”

Belle Vue’s other winners at the awards included transport supervisor George Docherty, who won gold in the unsung heroes category.

Contracts manager Mike Mitchell won silver and mechanic Adam Tailby took bronze in the customer service and support staff category. Maintenance manager Jason Cotgrave won silver in the engineer of the year category and Belle Vue picked up silver in the innovation category for its use of the iMA teambuilding and management programme.

Phil said: “It’s great to see so many of our staff recognised in this way, demonstrating the strength in depth of our entire team.”

George, 56, was praised for literally going the extra mile in his role. He looks after route planning, co-ordinates vehicle repairs, driving assessments and training, is a fire marshal and health and safety team member, and helps out as a driver at a moment’s notice when required.

He works six days a week and organises charity events, as well as co-ordinating transport for large events, including the One Love Manchester concert in 2017.

The judges said: “George is shown to be someone who is happy to get stuck into whatever job is needed. He has a good eye for detail, even for tasks that he’s given at short notice. He regularly goes above and beyond and is a true unsung hero.”

Hugh Jones Solicitors makes senior appointment

Sam Whitear
-
0

Manchester-based specialist law firm, Hugh Jones Solicitors, has appointed a consultant solicitor to provide additional expert services to the firm’s Court of Protection team.
The multi-award winning firm boasts the largest team of Court of Protection lawyers in the UK and the latest hire paves the way for an ongoing recruitment drive throughout 2019.

Georgina Rowley brings with her a wealth of experience in Court of Protection welfare cases, including end of life treatment cases, withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatment, disputes on decisions to grant and withhold continuing healthcare funding and inquests.

Rachel Dobson, managing director of Hugh Jones said: “As one of the largest private client firms in England and Wales, we are always looking to bolster our workforce with the sector’s most knowledgeable experts.

“Georgina will play a vital role in ensuring that the Court of Protection services we offer continue to lead the industry, extending our expertise into treatment and welfare disputes. She’s a valuable addition to our biggest team and perfectly placed to provide clients with the support required to help them navigate what can often be a testing time or ongoing process.”

Georgina is an accredited mediator and passionate about promoting the benefits of mediation in Court of Protection and treatment cases. Her experience as a solicitor in this area enables her to understand the complexities and sensitives involved in these cases. She lectures widely on the benefits of mediation in these cases and has trained the health and social care sector on conflict management and communication in partnership with the Medical Mediation Foundation.

Georgina commented: “Hugh Jones has built an impressive reputation for its Court of Protection and mental capacity work. I look forward to working alongside a team of individuals who share my passion for providing quality advice in these areas and have no doubt that the team will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Businesses to compete as cricket frenzy takes hold

Sam Whitear
-
0

As cricket frenzy grips the region, companies across the North West are being invited to enter a team into the Business Cricket Tournament being held in Wilmslow on Friday 26 July. 

Officials, umpires and scorers for the event will be provided by Warwickshire Cricket Club to ensure fair play, while the Lindow Cricket Club has been chosen as the host venue because of its stunning location and facilities.

The afternoon will also feature inflatables, hot tubs, food and drink stalls plus VIP areas, alongside music and DJ, making it a great family-friendly event for those who want to spectate.

Organised by online marketing agency DigitalNext, all proceeds will be donated to the Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN).

Justin Blackhurst, CEO at DigitalNext, said: “We wanted to support the amazing work of the GMYN.  With the Cricket World Cup being held in the UK, closely followed by The Ashes, a cricket tournament seemed the obvious choice.  As well as giving businesses something to compete for, there’ll be lot of entertainment for those who just want to come and watch.”

Alex Fairweather, CEO and founder of GMYN, said: “GMYN has never been involved in a cricket tournament before so we were delighted when Justin suggested it as a fund raiser.

“Events like this enable us to continue changing the lives of disadvantaged young people – those who are either in care, care leavers or living in poverty.  By delivering a range of programmes that help them develop basic life skills, they are able to make a successful transition into adulthood and become valuable and contributive members of society.”

Visualsoft ties up contract renewal with Daniel Footwear

Sam Whitear
-
0

eCommerce and digital marketing agency, Visualsoft, has announced a contract renewal with premium fashion company Daniel Footwear, extending their partnership for a further two years.

The new agreement builds on a longstanding relationship between the two businesses, which began with Visualsoft’s creation and implementation of a new digital marketing model for the retailer in 2014.

The contract extension means that Daniel Footwear will continue to benefit from Visualsoft’s Enterprise+ retail platform – an all-in-one solution which includes an extensive range of bespoke, rationalised and retailer-tested integrations and features.

In addition to the provision of services including videography, PPC, social media and SEO, Visualsoft will continue to host the Daniel Footwear eCommerce site on its platform as part of the renewal.

Daniel Footwear, which was founded in 1993, has reported consistent 20-25% online growth year-on-year and a 16% boost in site traffic since the commencement of its initial contract with Visualsoft.

Mark Buxton, head of eCommerce at Daniel Footwear, said: “We have found Visualsoft to be a very proactive platform and marketing agency. The team has helped us consistently grow online every year that we have partnered with them and I cannot recommend them enough.”

David Duke, COO of Visualsoft, said: “Daniel Footwear has been a fantastic client to work with for the past five years and we look forward to seeing the business continue to grow online in 2019 and beyond.”

Mitchell Charlesworth announces raft of new client wins

Sam Whitear
-
0

Manchester accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has secured a raft of new client wins across Manchester and the North West.

Six local businesses have appointed Mitchell Charlesworth to provide a full range of financial and business advice services, including audit and accounts, tax planning, VAT, R&D tax credits, payroll and strategic planning. 

Mitchell Charlesworth’s new client wins include notable companies in its portfolio such as the award-winning North West recruitment agency, Jobwise, which has been assisting local businesses and job seekers for over 40 years and recently won a hat trick of awards at the Greater Manchester Business Awards in February; and Manchester-based HairShark, an innovative haircare tool that is the world’s first 2-in-1 backcombing brush and gives a perfect bouffant hairstyle. 

The firm has also been appointed by Thrive Media Group which owns Add People, one of the UK’s largest digital marketing agencies. Headquartered in Altrincham, the company specialises in helping SMEs with their digital marketing. It has 150 employees advising over 3500 clients across the globe on their digital marketing strategies. 

Other recent business wins for the firm include Urmston-based Kin Bakehouse & Kitchen, an independent cafe bakery business run by two female entrepreneurs; Rochdale charity Link4Life which encourages people to live more active, creative and healthy lifestyles; and Yozu, a specialist software development company that designs intuitive desktop and mobile applications.

Alison Buckley, partner at Mitchell Charlesworth’s Manchester office, said: “This is a very exciting time for us with such an influx of innovative and successful new clients and it really is a testament to the strength and expertise of the team that we are celebrating these wins.”

Jamielee Johnston, associate at Mitchell Charlesworth, added: “We look forward to working with our new clients and supporting their ambitious growth plans by providing strategic financial advice as well as general accounts and tax services.”

Freedom Finance appoints new Chief Customer Officer to drive digital transformation

Sam Whitear
-
0

Manchester Fintech platform Freedom Finance has appointed Jake Ranson as Chief Customer Officer (CCO) to further drive its digital transformation. Jake joins from Equifax where he held the position of Chief Marketing Officer for Europe.

Jake will be responsible for furthering Freedom Finance’s customer strategy, helping potential borrowers to understand and unlock the power of their personal data to achieve the best possible outcomes for their individual circumstances. He brings significant expertise from the UK’s consumer finance market, particularly in creating digital products that make financial decisions engaging and straightforward.

Freedom Finance provides customers with clarity, rather than endless personal finance options. Coupling relevant data with innovative technology, its unique lending platform provides customers with the most suitable range of options and rates by combining multiple data sources with bureau soft-searches and services like Open Banking.

At Equifax, Jake worked on the implementation of the world’s first live Open Banking journey with HSBC, a service that Freedom Finance integrated within its online applications in February.

Jake, who brings extensive knowledge in commercial strategy, digital innovation, and end-to-end product lifecycle management, will also lead the development and capabilities of Freedom Finance’s app, which removes complexity from applications to help every customer make the best decision from the products available to them. Jake’s appointment follows Freedom Finance’s rapid growth in customer numbers year-on-year.

Brian Brodie, Chief Executive Officer at Freedom Finance said: “Jake’s appointment comes at a time where Freedom Finance is investing in technology and people to help carve-out exactly what borrowers want in the digital market. Freedom Finance recognises how, coupled with secure and sophisticated technology, financial information has the potential to improve borrowers’ financial lives.

“With years of experience in one of the largest data businesses in the world, I am delighted to have Jake join us at Freedom Finance. I have no doubt that his experience will further strengthen our leadership team and how the business meets customers’ requirements in a highly digitised world.”

Jake Ranson, newly appointed Chief Customer Officer at Freedom Finance, stated: “Personal finance can be complicated and unnecessarily daunting for some. Many consumers still feel alienated and confused by the industry and end up with the wrong products as a result.  Freedom’s ability to mesh digital technologies, analytics and human support provides unrivalled levels of advocacy on the journey to making a financial decision. Freedom Finance’s ethos of combining digital and human interactions has earned tremendous reviews from its customers and is something I feel is well worth championing in today’s market.

“Freedom Finance has unrivalled capabilities and huge growth potential, which drew me to the business. I look forward to working within a talented team dedicated to delivering experiences and outcomes which inspire customers to return”.

Talentful on a mission to bring London-based tech candidates to the North-West

Sam Whitear
-
0

Last year, 10,200 people made the move from London to Manchester, with many making the move back to the region after leaving the North-West for the capital.

Talentful, the team building specialists for the world’s biggest tech brands, is committed to increasing this number even further by showcasing some of the North-West’s best tech companies at an exclusive event in the capital next month to attract the top London-based jobseekers to the region.

Manchester is now the UK’s biggest tech hub outside of London – the digital tech turnover in the city climbing by 4% to £3.2bn last year, with over 70,000 digital jobs, and the event in Shoreditch, London will raise awareness of tech opportunities in Manchester to the best London-based candidates.

The event, hosted by Talentful’s Director of Manchester, Liam Waite, on 13 June, will also provide further information about what makes the North-West such a brilliant place to live and work.

This event is part of a commitment by Talentful to facilitate the continued growth of the technology sector in Manchester, which also includes recently partnering with Code Nation. Code Nation are on a mission to enable individuals from all walks of life to thrive in Industry 4.0, as well as to solve the ever-growing digital skills shortage in the UK, and Talentful are delighted to be supporting Code Nation in the mission.

Liam Waite, Talentful Director of Manchester, said: “I was born and bred in Manchester but, like a lot of people, moved to London to begin my career after university. I have recently returned to Manchester and haven’t looked back! At Talentful, we have immersed ourselves in the thriving tech community here in order to continue the growth of the region.

Now, we’re really excited to be promoting working and living in Manchester directly to the most talented London-based tech candidates, some who may be looking for a move back to the region and some who would be experiencing the North-West for the first time.”

Combined Chemical Services wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

Sam Whitear
-
0

Warrington based Combined Chemical Services has received a 2019 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

Established in 2008, the chemical distributor was honoured as a result of its success in developing its global reach, providing chemical solutions to countries including USA, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Singapore and Australia. Selling to major blue-chip organisations, Combined Chemical Services has enjoyed sustained growth over the past 3 years and last year achieved overseas sales of £1.8m, which accounted for 52% of the overall turnover.

Specialising in high purity and commercial grade inorganic chemicals, the firm provides chemicals for a variety of uses, including water treatment, metal finishing, catalysts, renewable energy and pharmaceutical purposes.

Commented owner, James Marshall: “Winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade is a great honour, since it demonstrates how much we have developed as a global business. As well as offering a range of chemicals, we also provide technical support and innovative solutions to our portfolio of clients which includes some of the biggest companies in the chemical industry.

“What makes Combined Chemical Services different is that we keep a wide range of chemicals in stock at all times, allowing us to distribute them immediately to our UK and international clients as they are required.”

Paul Cooper Announced as new MediaCom North COO

Sam Whitear
-
0

Media agency MediaCom North Group has named Paul Cooper as its new chief operating officer, as part of a raft of senior promotions across the group.

After joining MediaCom North as regional head of digital in 2011, Paul launched i-LAB, MediaCom’s digital performance specialist division, and oversaw the merger of the business’ digital, direct and TV operations into a fully integrated communications agency – more than doubling it in size.

He played a leading role in the acquisition and integration of digital agency Code ComputerLove in 2016 and creative agency Cheetham Bell JWT in 2018.

Going forward, Paul will be responsible for leading the group – which consists of media, digital and creative businesses MediaCom North, Code and Cheetham Bell. Key to this will be evolving the group into a business that works with clients seamlessly across all areas of their marketing ecosystem, helping to deliver business transformation and growth.

Evidence of the growing importance of MediaCom’s regional operations to the UK business, Paul also joins the executive committee for MediaCom UK, which has recently been ranked number one media agency in the UK by Campaign.

Further promotions include Nicola Marsh, who becomes managing director of MediaCom Manchester.

She now takes full responsibility for the Manchester office’s operation while retaining overall accountability for the group’s digital media proposition, centralised in the Manchester office. Having previously led i-LAB, Nicola has been deputy managing director of the Manchester office for the last 18 months.

Matt Hatton becomes group managing director, commercial & trading, having been responsible for all commercials, contractual and trading across MediaCom North’s media businesses for the last two years. Matt brings a wealth of experience to the role, ranging from TV investment to agency management, and will also join the boards of Code and Cheetham Bell – giving him a commercial view of the group as a single entity.

And Ffion Turner has become the managing partner for MediaCom North’s Business Intelligence division. Previously Business Intelligence Board Director, Ffion has been at the business since 2004. She will also join the MediaCom North board.

In other group moves, Danielle Bateman has been named deputy managing director at MediaCom North’s Leeds office. Danielle joined the business as an account director in 2011 and has since held a number of roles within the business, most recently as managing partner. In her new role, Danielle will be supporting managing director Simon Price with the day-to-day running of the business and will be playing a larger role in the direction of the Leeds operation.

In response to the changes, Paul commented: “I’m excited to take on the role of COO at a time when MediaCom North continues to see significant growth. In the past three years, we’ve grown from an agency of just over 250staff, to over 400 today. As a result, 2018 was the most successful revenue year in MediaCom North’s history.

“Investing in our senior team will help us shape the business for continued growth in a rapidly changing environment.  We will also continue to focus on making MediaCom North a great place to work, in line with our philosophy ‘people first, better results’. Through this, we can continue to achieve fantastic outcomes for our clients.”

£2.3 million tech investment into Manchester announced

Sam Whitear
-
0

Dutch-owned software provider, TOPdesk has announced a further potential £2.3 million investment into its Manchester operations.

It comes as the UK tops the world ranking for inward investment, having over-taken the USA, which previously held the number 1 spot since 2014.

TOPdesk creates service management software and is based in Delft, the Netherlands. It has been in Manchester since 2014 and today has announced a substantial expansion in the city.

Its new hub was unveiled at premium business location, City Tower, building upon its initial investment in the city centre over the past 5 years. The business’s expansion in the Manchester area was supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT) in partnership with the region’s inward investment agency MIDAS.

The expansion in the city represents plans to solidify the Manchester office as its UK growth hub in tandem with its London office. The larger site will allow the company to meet its growing client list in the area and take advantage of Manchester’s competitive operating costs, skilled graduate population and community of tech innovation professionals.

The new office replaces previous premises in Barclay House, providing a larger space with the potential to create around 40 new jobs, adding to the 750+ people currently employed across 10 countries.

Recent OECD figures show that by the end of 2018, the UK had more investment stock than Germany, Spain and Poland combined. This represents the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for foreign investment, which reached a record high of $1,890 billion by the end of 2018.

Graham Stuart MP, Minister for Investment said: “TOPdesk’s new expansion in Manchester is a further sign of the city’s growing tech talent. Increasingly the world’s biggest tech names are looking to the North of England to invest and are solidifying the UK’s position as undisputed tech leader in Europe.”

“Our tech sector earned £6.3 billion in venture capital investment in 2018, contributing to our position as the top destination for FDI flow in the world”.

David Cape-Brown, Branch Manager & Head of Recruitment at TOPdesk UK said: “Our TOPdesk adventure in Manchester has been hugely rewarding so far and location has been a key ingredient of the continued growth of our customer base here in the UK.

“Excellent trade fairs like the IP Expo at Manchester Central and superb Universities with a fresh supply of top talented graduates is integral to our networking and recruitment success.

“Our northern hub has amplified our powerhouse status within the software industry and facilitated the positive impact of TOPdesk events such as SEE and TOPdesk on Tour.”

Tim Newns, CEO of MIDAS said: “Since helping TOPdesk establish operations in Manchester in 2014, we have continued to work closely with the team to embed them within the city region’s diverse cluster of innovative tech companies and establish a reputation as a leading, Northern software firm.

“As well as being responsible for attracting new business investment to Greater Manchester, MIDAS also helps existing companies grow within the region and TOPdesk is a shining example of how we can help international firms tap into Greater Manchester’s academic and professional resources, as well as the city’s deep talent pool, in order to thrive here.”

1...928929930...1,106Page 929 of 1,106