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Hurstwood Holdings acquires Bentley Motors HQ in Cheshire 

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Hurstwood Holdings, the Manchester based investment and development company, has boosted its growing £150 million property portfolio following the acquisition of Universal House, a 23,705 sq ft office building for an undisclosed amount. The modern headquarter building is fully let to Bentley Motors Limited on a long term lease.

The three storey building is situated on a 4.13 acre site on the popular Midpoint 18 Business Park, which is close to junction 18 of the M6 motorway and is home to a number of blue chip occupiers including Optima Logistics, B&M Bargains, Wincanton, Kuehne and Nagel, and Scottish Power.

Stephen Ashworth, Chairman of Hurstwood Holdings, commented: “As a nationwide commercial property investor, we manage more than 650 occupiers over 100 sites across the country and we are especially pleased to add this first class business such as Bentley to our growing list of top quality.”

Avison Young acted on behalf of Hurstwood Holdings with Gateleys providing the legal advice.  The vendor, a private investor, was represented by B8.

New Conister Finance and Leasing Business Development Manager will help SMEs to focus on their future

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Conister Finance & Leasing is committed to helping small to medium sized enterprises in the North West to grow, says new Business Development Manager Sid Ludbe. Sid, who is based in the company’s Spinningfields office, will be focusing his team’s efforts on helping SMEs to flourish through Business & Commercial Loans, Car Finance, Professional Practice Loans and VAT & Tax Loans.

Sid has worked in financial services for over 10 years and is a qualified financial adviser. A highly motivated and professional individual with a proven track record of achievement in compliant sales, banking and wealth management, Sid looks forward to what he described as “the fantastic opportunity to meet new challenges, build long-term client relationships and create brand awareness in the North West.”

Conister Finance & Leasing has assisted small businesses with affordable loans for over 20 years; the group offers a range of funding options which give businesses access to funds that they may otherwise struggle to obtain, helping to ease the pressure on cash flow and enabling growth.

“Conister Finance & Leasing fosters an entrepreneurial culture designed to help you develop your business” commented Sid. “We’re here to provide help and support when you need it, always acting in our customers’ best interests through the tailored range of lending solutions that we offer.

“Our straightforward approach and understanding of our customers’ requirements enables us to make quick, positive decisions so that we can offer facilities to customers and brokers alike. Funds are released within days of striking an agreement.

“I am keen to do business in our region, and Manchester in particular; I encourage you to get in touch so that we can outline the broad range of competitive facilities we are able to offer, and look for a solution for you.”

FLG now includes online digital “Fact Find” for capturing customer data

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FLG, the complete customer engagement platform, with offices in Burnley and Manchester, has further expanded a range of new features available to new and existing customers, the most recent of which is a revolutionary new way to capture “Fact Find” type information on customers – perfect for the finance and insurance industries.

The new feature, called Journeys, provides an intuitive drag & drop interface that allows any user to design fully interactive online forms that are tightly integrated with every other piece of customer data. This allows core information captured within the form to then be merged into standard emails, SMS or even physical letters.

Digital journeys can be completed in a single session, or users can come back to forms and revisit them over time as needed, and a full PDF can be exported or sent back to the customers if required.

Existing customers have already extensively embraced this new feature, with forms being created and used for: mortgage applications, loans, expenditure assessments, insurance quotes and even recording details of pending house moves!

John Jackson, Owner and Managing Director of FLG, said: “The FLG product has always grown organically, but last year we invested heavily in our product & development teams to give us the ability to really drive new features. The recent releases show our ability to innovate and our dedication to respond to what our customers are asking for. We’re now releasing fantastic new features every few weeks – listening to our customers, which drives our product roadmap.”

Journeys is available to all customers in early release now, together with new calendar integration to Google and Microsoft for setting agent appointments, and a fully integrated reporting and analytics product.

The FLG platform provides customers with a powerful CRM at its core, presenting organisations with the ability to communicate with customers across multiple channels, create compelling marketing campaigns, build intelligent workflows that drive sales processes. It has already found significant success within the legal, finance and insurance sectors, with customers including Gladstone Brookes, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, TFS Loans, Etico Group and Stonebridge Rock amongst many others.

Deloitte sponsors Rugby League World Cup 2021

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RLWC2021 has announced Deloitte as its Official Professional Services Partner that will see the two organisations work together to deliver the tournament’s strategic goal of being the most digitally-connected sports entertainment event in 2021.

Over the next two and a half years, Deloitte will collaborate with RLWC2021 to help create and implement the tournament’s digital strategy, which will play a critical role in providing a world class and innovative fan experience before, during and after the tournament.

As the latest commercial partner of the tournament, Deloitte will develop an activation programme that supports the values and ambition of RLWC2021

The Deloitte team will help RLWC2021 to develop their digital ecosystem and put a strategy in place to support and deliver a digitally driven tournament aligned with RLWC2021 strategic goals.

In 2021, England will welcome nations to the 16th Rugby League World Cup, where for the first time in history, the men’s, women’s and wheelchair games will be played concurrently – championing inclusivity, which has been at the forefront of RLWC2021 planning.

RLWC2021 Chief Executive, Jon Dutton, said: “For this tournament to be a success, we have to offer a unique experience and engage with both core fans and a new group of customers. Digital presence is absolutely crucial to reach new and existing fans, but also to ensure an event experience like no other.

“We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Deloitte – which is known across the globe – to help shape and build our digital strategy. This is a true team-effort, where our shared goal is to become the most digitally-connected sports entertainment event in 2021. We can’t wait to develop our collaboration and enhance the World Cup experience for the hundreds of thousands who will attend matches and the millions who will follow the tournament.”

Stuart Cottee, Deloitte practice senior partner for Yorkshire & the North East, said: “The Rugby League World Cup 2021 is a truly global event taking place right on our doorstep. Nearly 90% of the tournament’s games, including all three finals, will be held in the Northern Powerhouse. The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will firmly put the North of England on the world stage. Deloitte employs over 1400 people across our offices in the North, we are proud to be sponsoring the tournament and supporting its development to be the most digitally-connected sports entertainment event in 2021.”

Sean Beech, Partner for Deloitte in the North West, added: “The foundations of Rugby League were built in the North before becoming one of this country’s greatest sporting exports. Our sponsorship of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 aligns really well with Deloitte’s values, most especially in respect of inclusivity. This tournament will provide a stage for the best players in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair game to shine together for the first time and all three finals will be played in the North. We are really proud to be playing our part in this landmark event.”

Picton appoints Savills and CBRE at Salford Quays

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Picton has instructed international real estate advisors Savills and CBRE to market the last remaining floor of office space at Metro in Salford Quays.

The five-storey property, which totals circa 85,000 sq ft, is set to undergo a major reception refurbishment which will include the creation of a business lounge within the reception area along with much improved cycle and shower amenities. The 17,700 sq ft fourth floor will be fully refurbished and is now available. The rest of the building is let to occupiers including BAM Construction, Hamburg Süd and Insight.

Daniel Barnes, associate director in the office agency team at Savills, commented: “Metro is located directly adjacent to Salford Quays Metrolink station and also offers a generous parking provision.  The upcoming reception and office refurbishment will transform the amenity space of the building to deliver best-in-class workspace with excellent connectivity to the city centre and wider motorway network.”

Three new partners at KPMG in Manchester

Business advisory firm KPMG has strengthened its offering to Manchester’s business community with the appointment of three new partners.

Based in the firm’s St Peter’s Square office, Rick Harrison, Joanne Brien and Daniel Hurley will respectively bolster the firm’s restructuring, tax and insurance practices.

Rick brings more than fifteen years’ experience in corporate restructuring, turnaround, refinancing and insolvency to KPMG.  He joins the firm from Deloitte where he worked with corporates, lenders and financial sponsors to support businesses facing challenges. He has worked with businesses across the North spanning a wide variety of sectors, ranging in size from owner managed companies to large, multinational organisations.

Joanne Brien has been promoted to partner in KPMG’s tax practice. Her team spans KPMG’s Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham offices. She advises privately owned and listed companies across the North and Midlands on all aspects of executive pay, including employee share plans and corporate governance.

Daniel Hurley has also been promoted to partner in KPMG’s actuarial insurance team. He specialises in life insurance, with a particular focus on actuarial reporting and transformation. In the last three years Daniel has worked closely with Aviva, Phoenix Group and LBGI.

In addition to the new partner appointments, KPMG has also promoted Gareth Holly and Edward Bartlett to director in the firm’s Manchester consulting and legal practices.

Nicola Quayle, Office Senior Partner at KPMG in Manchester, said: “We’re always on the lookout for the best external talent, but it’s also very rewarding to welcome the colleagues we work alongside every day to the KPMG partnership. Together, Rick, Joanne and Daniel reflect the experience and depth of specialist expertise we offer both Manchester’s business community, and organisations across the wider North of England.

“As a region, we are still navigating a challenging economic and political landscape. I’m confident our new partners will help us support business leaders through this period and continue to build our reputation as a full-service business advisory firm.”

Joining Rick Harrison in the firm’s Northern restructuring team is James Clark, also from Deloitte, as a new associate partner based in KPMG’s Leeds office.

David Costley-Wood, restructuring partner at KPMG in Manchester, added: “High profile insolvencies, both regionally and nationally, since the start of the year provide a reminder of the challenges faced by companies as they grapple economic and political uncertainty and tougher trading conditions.

“The appointments of Rick and James are the latest in a string of investments we’ve made in our market-leading restructuring practice in the North. Combined, they have more than 30 years’ experience supporting businesses in times of distress. We’re confident their arrival will help us continue to work on some of the highest profile mandates in the UK.”

PR Agency One blossoms with new client

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Retail and ecommerce specialist, PR Agency One, has been appointed by one of the world’s largest online florists, SerenataFlowers.com, to implement its communications strategy as it embarks on a period of growth.

The e-tailer has been operating in the UK since 2003 and is now one of the largest online flower retailers in the world, according to site visit data from SimilarWeb.

PR Agency One was appointed following a competitive pitch process and will be responsible for the online florist’s entire communications strategy – including consumer media relations and corporate profiling activity.

The agency will focus on building brand awareness of SerenataFlowers.com amongst its key target audience, and improving the website’s organic performance.

James Crawford, managing director at PR Agency One, said: “SerenataFlowers.com has led the transformation of the floristry market over recent years, and as the business embarks on a journey to become the world’s largest online florist, marketing and PR efforts to boost visibility, awareness and in turn, sales, are imperative.

“We are thrilled to have been appointed by SerenataFlowers.com as it looks to scale up its UK operation and expand its offering. We are confident in our ability to deliver a multi-channel campaign and build on the business’ success.”

 

Businesses in the North West urged to enter Innovation Showcase Competition

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Entries for this year’s regional Innovation Showcase Competition open today.

Organised by GC Business Growth Hub, part of The Growth Company, the competition is one of the highlights of the Venturefest North West 2019 event.

This year’s competition has four categories for small and medium-sized businesses to enter:

  • Product Innovation
  • Service Innovation
  • Digital Innovation
  • Innovative Established Business

Innovative entries that address the challenge of the aging society, recognising older members of our population are creating new demands for technologies, products and services, are particularly welcome.

Winners of each of the categories will receive a package of business support provided by partners of the Hub, while all applicants will be able to benefit from specialist business advice as part of the competition process.

It’s free to enter and all a business needs to do is fill in a short online form on the Venturefest North West website.

Those shortlisted will then go through to the quarter and semi-final stages, taking place between July and September, before the finalists pitch to an audience of potential customers and investors at Manchester Central on Wednesday 20 November.

In addition, an Audience Award, voted for by Venturefest delegates, will be handed out, and an Overall Winner will also be crowned.

Reach and Rescue won both the Product Innovation and Overall Winner categories last year for its range of specialist telescopic rescue equipment.

Jo Taylor, director, said: “Reach and Rescue benefitted tremendously from winning the Innovation Showcase Competition.

“First, it has confirmed that we’re growing the business the right way. Then there’s the PR we received, which was fantastic and definitely raised awareness of our products. And it also had a huge impact on our team – it still gives us a proud feeling to say ‘we are an award-winning company’ and to know the hard work has paid off.”

Entries for the 2019 Innovation Showcase Competition are now open to SMEs from across the North West. To enter, visit VenturefestNorthWest. The deadline for entries is Monday 8 July 2019. Venturefest North West 2019 is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Businesses looking to access specialist support can visit BusinessGrowthHub for more information about the organisation’s extensive range of services.

 

Bitrez wins Queen’s Award for Innovation

Bitrez Ltd, the UK’s leading manufacturer of specialist polymers and chemicals has been named a winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

The Wigan-based company secured the award in the Innovation category for its Bisphenol A (BPA) free resin, Curaphen.

Launched in 2013, Curaphen is used for the internal coatings of food and drink packaging.

Following a worldwide health scare regarding the potential harm caused by BPA to humans, with media emphasis directed to expectant mothers and babies, Bitrez developed Curaphen – an alternative polymer to BPA based grades, for use with non-epoxy-based systems.

Bitrez’s exports have increased by 45 per cent in the past five years, with almost a third of this coming from Curaphen. The company has also doubled its capacity and now runs a 24-7 operation to ensure it can continue to meet increasing volume requirements. To date, Bitrez has sold over 800 tonnes of Curaphen equating to millions of food and packaging containers safely coated with Curaphen every week.

Paul Jones, Bitrez Ltd Managing Director and formulator of the product said: “I’m delighted that Bitrez has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise especially in the innovation category. Resolution of regulatory and technical problems is at the heart of our business strategy and commitment to product development. This is what drives us to continue to design products like this Curaphen grade and being able to manufacture an alternative to conventional BPA derivatives with equivalent performance is a great example of the positive impact creative chemistry and ingenuity can have on our lives.

“This award celebrates everyone at Bitrez who worked so hard to bring the product to market, as well as the loyalty of our much valued supplier and customers who trust in our expertise and commitment to develop innovative products to comply with regulatory reform.”

Nijman Zeetank develops its niche transport and logistic offerings

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Nijman Zeetank, a leading North West specialist international logistics company, is looking forward to a period of sustained growth, following increased demand for its specialist services across the UK and Europe.

The firm, which has UK bases in St. Helens and Hull, provides organisations across Europe with safe, reliable, transparent and cost-effect logistics solutions. Offering transport via road, sea and rail, Nijman Zeetank works across many sectors, transporting glass, chemical liquids, fuels and cryogenic gasses.

The logistics specialist has worked closely with Pilkington Glass since the 1960s and took over the whole Pilkington UK Transport Division in St. Helens in 1993, further reinforcing the already strong relationship with Pilkington Glass. Consequently, Nijman Zeetank recently celebrated 25 years in business in the UK.

One of the highlights of this relationship is the work associated with the development of ‘floatliner’ vehicles, which carry large and heavy sheets of flat glass, with loads of up to 29 tonnes.

More recently, besides their long-standing significant involvement with dangerous goods logistics, the company has diversified into the transportation of concrete castings for the property market, LNG transportation from inbound ports, as well as general haulage.

Bill Owen, Technical Director, Nijman Zeetank, said: “Demand for our specialist, diverse offerings is growing day by day, as organisations across the UK seek to safely, cost-effectively and confidentially transport their products across Europe.

“We employ 70 logistics professionals at our St. Helens site, servicing more than 140 clients, with over 70 specialist vehicles. Last year, we were delighted to be recognised for our capabilities and skillsets, with the St. Helens Chamber of Commerce’s Excellence in Logistics award.

“As part of our bespoke offering, we also take responsibility for the preparation of import and export documents, as well as the clearance of good travelling across borders.

“We are experts in transport and logistics, who enjoy the confidence, trust and respect from our customers to deliver on time, intact and cost effectively.”