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Dept names Dimi Albers as Global CEO

Sam Whitear
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As part of its continued growth, international agency Dept has announced that Dimi Albers will lead the role of Global Chief Executive Officer. This is a new and pivotal position overseeing Dept’s rapid expansion across the globe.

Over the past twelve years, Dimi has taken on various roles in the agency including founding its Amsterdam office in 2011 and undertaking daily management with Frank Schmid of Dept’s founding agency TamTam in 2015. Frank will be working alongside Dimi in the role of COO.

In response to the appointment, Paul Manuel, Chairman of Dept’s Board said: “Dimi is one of a kind. He has a deep understanding of our market and a huge drive to serve our clients in the best way possible. Having been with our agency for over twelve years, he represents both our culture and driven nature.”

Dimi Albers, Global CEO, said: “By giving clients access to specialised digital teams that combine data, creativity and technology, Dept is developing rapidly from its current position as a top-3 European player to a leading global digital agency.

“We firmly believe that our ‘new kind of agency’ approach can benefit brands immensely, as Dept clients receive an integrated one-stop-shop with simple structures, speed, clarity, and personal contact.”

It was a strong start to 2019 for Dept in the UK with the acquisition of e3creative, one of Manchester’s most successful digital agency, cementing its UK headquarters in the northern city with a talented team of 140 craftsmen. Additionally, Dept launched its UK Commerce division (formerly known as BE EXCELLENT – Germany’s leading Salesforce Commerce Cloud implementation partner). Dept also launched a new Digital Teams service offering organisations a flexible team of proven experts to accelerate and deliver digital transformation projects.

Managing Director of Dept UK, Jasper van de Luijtgaarden added: “2019 is an important year for Dept in the UK; we’re looking to expand and complete our service portfolio in order to provide our clients with full-service capabilities. We’ll be focusing on building the best agency in the country, enabling our clients to maximise the breadth of our integrated service offering to accelerate their digital reality.”

Innovative Manchester businesses could benefit from millions more in R&D tax relief

Sam Whitear
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Businesses in Manchester could be claiming millions more in research and development (R&D) tax credits as more than eight in 10 companies across the city are eligible, according to tax relief specialists Catax.

A massive 84 per cent of companies in Manchester have developed new products or business processes in the last two years, spending an average of £209,758 on these innovations, research shows1.

This means these companies are in line for valuable R&D tax relief that the government provides to encourage innovation.

But so far only 48 per cent of all Manchester firms report having claimed the tax credits which means at least 43 per cent of eligible firms could start claiming, boosting their revenue by tens of thousands of pounds every year, according to the study.

Manchester business executives believed the average value of an R&D tax relief claim in the first year to be just £19,118 when the true figure is more than double that, at £49,000 for firms in all sectors nationwide. R&D doesn’t have to have been successful to qualify and claims can be backdated at least two years2.

Companies in Manchester have previously missed out on R&D claims either because they don’t think they qualify or they incorrectly believe that it is expensive and time consuming and ‘would not know where to start’.

This is despite 76% of businesses in Manchester being aware that companies can claim R&D tax relief if they develop a new product or service, according to the Censuswide survey.

Across the UK, the number of firms that have ever claimed is 37%, which puts Manchester ahead of the national average.

Mark Tighe, CEO of Manchester-based tax relief specialist Catax, commented:

“There is a great opportunity here for Manchester’s business sector to really cash in on its impressive investment in innovation by ensuring all eligible companies claim what they are due in R&D tax credits.

“With average annual R&D claims sitting in the tens of thousands, this is a major untapped revenue stream for many Manchester companies and could make a huge difference to their bottom lines.

“There is still a misconception among many companies that R&D is all about science laboratories and test tubes and is not related to their own work. We’d like to see this change.

“Companies in Manchester invest hundreds of thousands each year on developing new products and services so business executives looking to improve margins and efficiencies should take a proper look at their R&D tax relief entitlements.

“If all this money were reinvested in the businesses to fuel further growth and innovation, it could really supercharge the whole city’s economy.”

Inspired Recruitment and CCS Recruitment appoints first Marketing Manager

Sam Whitear
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North West based recruitment specialists Inspired Recruitment and CCS Recruitment have appointed Cezara Glynn as Marketing Manager.

Creation of the new role follows an exciting period of expansion at the organisation, as the business continues to invest in its search for top talent.

Founder and Director, Sean Hickey said: “We have experienced significant growth over the last two years and the appointment of our first Marketing Manager is the next big step to drive the brand further developing the IT, and construction markets.

“We’re delighted that Cezara has joined our team, and there are exciting times ahead for Inspired and CCS.”

Cezara will focus on developing the company’s brand, content and digital strategy. She will be responsible for supporting business development, creating and managing marketing material for Inspired Recruitment and CCS Recruitment, in a bid to expand partnerships with clients and candidates across the North West, UK and Europe.

“Recruitment is an extremely competitive industry, so a coherent, effective marketing strategy is vital for Inspired and CCS,” she said. “I’m very much looking forward to putting my digital and creative skills to good use and helping to drive further tangible growth for the organisation.”

Cezara brings more than nine years’ marketing experience to her new role. She started her career as a junior reporter for Tameside & Glossop Chronicle, before moving into communications and digital marketing in a variety of sectors, including higher education, IT, and digital marketing.

Sean added: “At Inspired and CCS we care passionately about our candidates’ careers and matching the best skilled individuals with our clients’ objectives. Cezara aims to enhance the quality of our communications and relationship building to deliver that added value to our work for candidates and clients alike.”

Visualsoft strengthens tech team with new head of IT and security

Sam Whitear
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Manchester based leading e-commerce and digital agency, Visualsoft, has appointed a new head of IT and security to its growing team.

In his new role, Lee will help to enhance the security of Visualsoft’s eCommerce platform software for retailers.  Enhancing the infrastructure to scale up and out. In addition, he will introduce greater automation to drive reliability and resilience.

Having previously worked at Avid Technology as a Global IT operations and systems manager, Lee brings a wealth of relevant experience to the role.

Lee joins Visualsoft’s team, of over 300 staff, who specialise in the design, build, support and marketing of online stores for retailers across the UK. Charles Clinkard, Little Mistress and The Lakes Distillery are amongst the brands on the business’ ever-growing client list.

Commenting on his appointment, Lee said: “I look forward to seizing this opportunity to make a positive difference at Visualsoft. Security is a vital facet of modern-day online retail, so I’ll be taking our infrastructure to the next level with the development and IT operations teams.”

Neil Innes, Chief Technology Officer, commented: “The nature of our business means security is of the utmost importance to both ourselves and our clients. Online security has always been a top priority for eCommerce and m-commerce retailers. After recent cyber-attacks and data breaches, such as Dixons Carphone Warehouse, we want to ensure our clients have the best security solutions in place to protect their brand reputation. We’re thrilled to have Lee on board to grow this department further and further bolster our security processes.”

Manchester charity makes significant donations

Sam Whitear
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A whole host of North West charities are to benefit from significant five figure donations.

Manchester-based Red Sea Pedestrians, a charity which raises valuable funds for organisations throughout the region, celebrated its 10th anniversary by donating more than £100k to 10 charities.

Charities such as Wood Street Mission, The Toy Appeal, Park Lane School, Ronald McDonald House, Beechwood Cancer Care, Centre Point, Teenage Cancer Trust, Grace’s Place, Henshaws Society for the Blind, Manchester and Reuben’s Retreat all received the funds at a recent special anniversary event.

Trustees of Red Sea Pedestrians like to choose charities who they know will be close to everybody’s heart and whose need for support is the greatest.

Antony Wagman, chair of trustees of Red Sea Pedestrians, said: “There is no better way to celebrate the Red Sea Pedestrians’ significant milestone than to provide vital support for other local charities.

“Each year we receive tremendous support and generosity from our supporters, it is greatly appreciated and without their help and donations, we wouldn’t be able to assist fellow charities across the North West.

“For our 10th anniversary, we opted to do something different and help out 10 different organisations from across the region. It brings a smile to my face knowing that we’ve made significant donations to 10 charities, each of which is such a worthy cause.”

BRAND NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY FOR HEATROD ELEMENTS

Sam Whitear
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Specialist heating company Heatrod Elements has successfully completed a £500K move to a brand-new manufacturing facility at Top Deck Industrial Estate in Bolton; a move which will accommodate the company’s ambitious plans for the future.

With a drive for continued sales growth the move to new premises will play an integral part in Heatrod’s plans to develop a more extensive scope of industrial products and solutions, whilst continuing to service its traditional domestic market.

Heatrod is a member of The Backer Group and part of the global NIBE Element Group, one of the world market leaders in the design and manufacture of components and solutions for intelligent heating and control. Says Simon Ellam, Managing Director: “When I joined the company in 2013 I sat down with the team from the head office in Sweden and we set out a very specific strategy to target the industrial market and grow this area of the business. We have already made huge strides in this direction, but our new premises provide us with a fantastic base from where we can develop even further.”

Said Christer Fredriksson, Chief Executive of the global NIBE Group, who travelled from Sweden to attend the official opening: “As a group we have 60 factories all over the world, but during my 27 years with NIBE there have been very few times we have been able to open a brand-new factory. With new technology and under Simon’s leadership we are in a great position to take Heatrod to the next level and when it comes to the industrial market, I believe this allows us to consolidate our position as the leading manufacturer of electric heating products in the UK”.

Heatrod’s capabilities in the industrial process heating sector have been further bolstered over the last two years with the strategic acquisitions of Ormandy Electric and Braude, both of which operate in specialist process heating sectors. Core capabilities remain within electric heating and resistance products with the ability and experience to provide application specific engineering locally and from the wider group business.

The move has also helped to streamline Heatrod’s manufacturing processes, reduce waste and improve energy efficiency, providing a much more cost-effective base for production. The team identified the new premises at Seddon Developments’ Top Deck Industrial Estate as a good fit for the company’s environmental requirements. With solar power and a low carbon footprint it forms part of Heatrod’s drive towards a more sustainable and environmentally sound production facility.

Says Simon Ellam, Managing Director of Heatrod Elements: “To move an entire manufacturing facility is a huge task so it has been a very challenging 12 months. But thanks to a fantastic team of people, who have put in a lot of hard work, we have achieved something incredible. We’ve already had a great start to 2019, but it’s all about productivity so there’s always more work to do! We’re looking forward to a great future.”

Peter Gallagher appointed new Head of Colliers’ Manchester Office

Sam Whitear
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Global real estate company Colliers International has today announced that Peter Gallagher has been appointed new Head of its Manchester Office.

With over 40 years’ experience advising on a broad range of mixed-use commercial developments across Greater Manchester, Peter joined Colliers as a Director in the National Offices team in 2014.

During his time with Colliers, Peter has continued to be involved in major placemaking projects across the city, whilst providing trusted leasing and marketing advise on a number of high value office schemes for clients including Hermes Investment Management, Royal London Asset Management and Legal & General.

“Peter is a highly respected member of the Manchester business community and a trusted advisor to clients, having played instrumental roles in transformative projects that have helped shape Manchester into the truly cosmopolitan city it is today,” said Tony Horrell, CEO UK & Ireland, Colliers International. “From his involvement in rebuilding parts of Manchester after the 1996 bombing, through to his current work providing development, leasing and marketing advice on the major mixed-use redevelopment scheme, NOMA – his knowledge and understanding of the city and its players will be invaluable as he moves forward as our new head of the Manchester office.”

Peter added: “I am proud to be a part of the incredibly talented team of professionals we have working here in our Manchester office. Since joining Colliers five years ago, I have been impressed with the way in which our people are empowered to be masters of their own destiny. This entrepreneurial spirit garners a sense of pride through which employees have the freedom to be creative in the way that they respond to clients’ needs, allowing Colliers to offer something different from our competitors.

“It is exactly this ethos that I hope to encourage and promote as I embark on this new role as Head of Colliers’ Manchester office. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with my fellow Manchester colleagues to nurture our emerging talent, embracing new technologies as we strive to provide the best possible service to our customers, whilst having a bit of fun along the way.”

Runway Visitor Park to mark the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s first flight

Sam Whitear
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The Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport will play host to a special event in March to celebrate 50 years since Concorde first took to the skies.

The Aviation Society at Manchester Airport has organised the unique event on March 2, 2019.  It will see afternoon tea served under the wings of British Airways’ flagship Concorde – G-BOAC.

As well as a tour of the aircraft, visitors will be able to enjoy a Q&A with special guest Fred Finn who flew on Concorde more than anyone else – over 700 times since it first took to the skies in 1969.

To mark the occasion, the Concorde on display at the park has been modified to enable its famous drooped nose to move once again. Film footage of Concorde’s first flight and its arrival into Manchester will be also be aired.

Rob Pattison, Runway Visitor Park Manager, said: “Concorde is such a unique and well-loved aircraft.  We’re incredibly lucky to have the flagship of the Concorde fleet, Alpha Charlie, housed at the Runway Visitor Park. Our visitors have been enjoying tours of this magnificent aircraft for fifteen years and I’m excited to mark the jubilee anniversary of Concorde’s first flight with this unique event.”

Peter Hampson, Chairman of The Aviation Society, said: “This will be the first time Alpha Charlie’s famous drooped nose will be brought back to life for the public since the aircraft landed at Manchester. A raffle will take place at the event, the winner of the star prize will sit in the Captain’s seat and operate the actual controls of the nose – something not many people can say they’ve done.”

Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks promotes Royston Scott to Procurement & Logistics Director

Sam Whitear
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Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks, the Manchester headquartered agency which specialises in creating engaging kids activity packs for some of the world’s biggest family brands, has promoted Royston Scott to Procurement & Logistics Director. Royston has worked at Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks since its inception in 2010.

His new role will see him head up all the procurement and logistical aspects of the business including the tendering of projects and liaising with its supply chain – from initial briefing all the way through to the manufacturing process and fulfilment. His remit includes dealing with factories and production suppliers across the UK, Europe and Asia as well monitoring product safety legislation and scheduling to ensure every pack is safe for children to use and is delivered to clients on time.

The agency’s client roster includes the TUI Group, Oman Air, the National Trust and Etihad Airways.

Royston said of his promotion: “I’ve been part of the Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks journey since the start so this promotion means a lot – especially as I am now part of the executive management team so I will play a key role in fulfilling our objectives of driving the business on to the next level.”

Zoe Telfer, Client Services Director, added: “Royston is an integral part of the business so his promotion is hugely deserved and recognises the value he adds to our clients and team.”

Mitchell Charlesworth strengthens corporate recovery and insolvency team

Sam Whitear
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Manchester accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has bolstered its corporate recovery and insolvency team with the appointment of Tim Brock.

Tim has more than sixteen years’ experience in restructuring, accelerated mergers and acquisitions and insolvency across a variety of sectors including retail, education, charity, manufacturing and property. A chartered accountant and insolvency practitioner, Tim qualified with KPMG and has undertaken roles in industry in strategic management, cost reduction and business partnering. He joins as an assistant manager in the firm’s Manchester office.

Jeremy Oddie, partner and head of the corporate recovery and insolvency team at Mitchell Charlesworth comments: “As a firm we are focused on continually investing in our team and recruiting the best talent we can to ensure we continue to deliver the highest-quality service to our clients. Tim’s track record and broad expertise make him an ideal fit for the team.”

Commenting on his new role, Tim said: “Mitchell Charlesworth has a well-established and highly regarded corporate recovery and insolvency practice and I’m looking forward to working with the team to help organisations experiencing underperformance, financial challenge or distress to find practical commercial solutions.”

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