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Recom in good shape for Barry’s Bootcamp

Sam Whitear
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A Salford Quays company has been appointed as the main contractor for a new Barry’s Bootcamp fitness studio in London after successfully completing the firm’s latest UK venue in Manchester.

Recom Solutions is managing the design, procurement and fit-out for Barry’s Bootcamp in Canary Wharf. The venue is due to open next month.

Recom’s appointment follows its role as the principal contractor for the new Barry’s Manchester in the ABC Building at Enterprise City, a purpose-built cluster for the creative, media and technology industries on the site of the former Granada Studios.

The 5,500 sq ft studio, the first Barry’s Bootcamp in the UK outside the capital, opened at the end of November.

It is equipped with the firm’s trademark red lighting and nightclub-specification sound system, as well as customised treadmills, daily fitness classes, a Fuel Bar, showers, a towel service and athleisure and retail partnerships.

Recom was appointed for the Manchester project following a tender process. The contract was completed in 10 weeks.

Recom director Jason McKnight said: “The Manchester scheme was fast-paced, very detailed acoustically and an absolute pleasure to be part of.

“Our team is used to intensive high-end programmes where a keen eye for detail makes or breaks a project.

“The scheme was another feather in our cap of successfully delivering fit-out schemes in the north west, and we are delighted to have now started on the next Barry’s Bootcamp in London, once again as the principal contractor

“Winning repeat work with clients is in line with a key aspect of our business strategy and this new contract demonstrates our ability to secure projects with national firms beyond our north west heartland.”

James Macaskill, co-owner of Barry’s Bootcamp UK, said: “Right from the start when we appointed Recom, its team was very proactive in procurement, design management and client liaison.

“The project was well-managed onsite and, as our first outside of London, it is one of which we, Recom and Manchester can be proud.

“We have now appointed Recom to deliver our next scheme in London.””

Financial consultants expand in Hale

Sam Whitear
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Now Financial Planning Ltd based at 168 Ashley Road, Hale is growing and expanding into adjoining premises.

It has taken a further 600 sq ft of self-contained office accommodation on the first and second floors to the rear of the building at 3A Cecil Road, Hale. The business has taken a 10 year lease at a rent of £13,000 per annum.

Andrew Morgan, partner, Now Financial Planning, said: “The business has been steadily growing over the last few years and the additional space became available at the right time and we only needed to unlock a door to access it enabling us to occupy a total of 2000 sq ft in one building.  We are looking forward to building on our growth.”

Key Travel takes ninth floor at Bruntwood’s iconic St James’ building

Sam Whitear
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Leading property company Bruntwood has welcomed third sector travel management leader Key Travel to the newly refurbished ninth floor of its landmark St James’ building on Oxford Road in Manchester.

Key Travel recently announced a merger with Raptim Humanitarian Travel to form the world’s largest travel management company exclusively focused on the academic, humanitarian and faith sectors.

The merged business, which has over 500 employees in ten countries and sales of over £350 million, has taken the entire newly-refurbished ninth floor at St James’, which is just under 20,000 sq ft.

The St James’ Building dates back to 1912 and was once the headquarters of the Calico Printers Association. Bruntwood has sensitively transformed the landmark with a comprehensive refurbishment, which has regenerated the historic building creating a vibrant, contemporary home for Manchester’s next generation of businesses.

One of the finest period properties in the city, St James’ also boasts some of the best digital connectivity in Manchester and as part of the Oxford Road Corridor Innovation District, offers the opportunity to link and collaborate with a wealth of innovative organisations based on the doorstep.

Following the ninth floor refurbishment, Bruntwood harnessed projection mapping and augmented reality (AR) to showcase the suite, creating a bespoke AR app to provide potential customers with an immersive viewing experience.

Adam Selka, Senior Asset Manager at Bruntwood Works, said: “It’s wonderful to be welcoming Key Travel to this outstanding suite, particularly at this exciting point in the business’ journey. Following our work to regenerate the suite, we harnessed technology in the form of an AR experience to animate the space and show its potential to viewers, but there’s nothing quite like seeing a company move into a new suite and bring it to life by putting their own stamp on the space!

“The ninth floor at St James’ is a unique space in the city, offering a spacious, dynamic open plan environment in a beautiful period property complete with outstanding contemporary features, facilities and amenities. St James’ also offers customers excellent connectivity, and great access to a vibrant community of the most innovative and exciting organisations in the region. It’s a great space in an unbeatable location and we wish the Key Travel team the very best of luck as they settle into their new home.”

John O Sullivan, Managing Director for Key Travel in the UK said: “Although we continue to grow our company globally, our Manchester office has always been and will continue to be the heart of our operations. The move to St. James’ will reinforce our presence in the city whilst perfectly accommodating our objectives for future growth and providing a great working environment for our people. We are truly looking forward to becoming part of the history of this great building.”

Northcoders opens permanent base in Leeds

Sam Whitear
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Manchester headquartered Northcoders, the UK’s leading coding bootcamp for graduate outcomes, has launched a brand new campus in Leeds city centre.

Northcoders was established in Manchester back in 2015 and its very first course launched a year later. Since then it has trained nearly 300 people via 23 cohorts. In the past year, on average 96% of students from across all its courses have secured software developer job offers within fifteen days of graduating and on starting salaries of £25k. Its 80-plus hiring partners are spread across the North and include major names in the automotive, education, healthcare, fin-tech and transport sectors.

The new site is located at Platform – the city’s newest tech community, created by leading property company Bruntwood, which is adjacent to Leeds train station. A team of dedicated teaching and support staff will work across both the Leeds campus and the existing Manchester base in Federation House.

The main course being offered in Leeds is Northcoders’ 12-week, full-time flagship Coding Bootcamp programme which has been devised for career changers. It starts on Monday 25th February. Over the years, Northcoders has helped all types of people switch their careers into tech including delivery drivers, customer service advisers, property managers, accountants, teachers, refugees, supermarket workers, warehouse operatives and social workers as well as mothers looking to return to work.

The comprehensive Coding Bootcamp course covers all of the key skills required to become a Software Developer and launch careers in the world’s most popular and in-demand programming languages. The curriculum includes a deep-dive into programming, building APIs, working with databases, making accessible websites, front end frameworks and an introduction to UX and Dev Ops. All of this will lead up to a final two-week project where students will consolidate everything they’ve learned before graduating and being ready for employment.

As well as the Coding Bootcamp, Northcoders is also staging its two-evening Introduction to Programming course which will start on January 22nd. It has been especially created for absolute beginners and for anyone who is considering a possible career in coding. Introduction to Programming’s simple aim is to provide an accessible platform where people can explore if coding could be right for them via a mixture of short tutor-led sessions and project-based workshops.

Chris Hil, founder of Northcoders, said: “As a business, we have wanted to open a base in Leeds for a while but the timing and location had to be right. Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region has a dynamic and exciting tech community so we wanted to add to that mix by offering a first class coding bootcamp that taught the skills employers actually need.”

Chris added: “A lot has been said about the Northern Powerhouse but for us it’s really just about creating better collaboration across the Pennines. We are so excited about opening in Leeds and our focus in now on delivering a calendar of world class courses that will deliver the coding stars of the future.”

Craig Burrow, director Bruntwood, Leeds, said: “Software developing is one of the fastest growing industries in the UK and there is strong demand for coders across the world.  Platform is home to a specialist Tech Incubator and we know well the dynamism in the digital sector – and the exciting career opportunities it offers.  The availability of courses to help people gain the necessary skills serves an important purpose and we are pleased to be able to support Northcoders in their new venture.”

Green light for Redfern redevelopment at NOMA

Sam Whitear
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NOMA, a 20-acre mixed-use neighbourhood in Manchester city centre, has secured planning permission to redevelop Redfern, a Grade II listed former warehouse and office building, into modern office space with ground-floor retail and leisure units. Hermes Investment Management is the investment manager of NOMA, working on behalf of an institutional investor.

Under the plans approved by Manchester City Council, Redfern will be revamped to offer over 50,000 sq. ft. of Grade A contemporary office space spread across six floors. Industrial-chic features such as exposed airducts and suspended lighting will help appeal to the tech and creative firms who increasingly power Manchester’s economy, together with a new roof terrace where workers can relax and socialise.

Redfern’s famous redbrick façade, a hallmark of Dutch Modernist architecture, will also be maintained, with the original period window fittings restored in line with NOMA’s commitment to preserving local heritage.

An additional 7,600 sq. ft. of mixed retail and leisure space split across three units will be provided on the ground floor, which was previously a basement until the excavation of Sadler’s Yard, Manchester’s newest public square.

Redfern was previously home to PLANT NOMA, a community workshop and ‘village hall’, which has now relocated to Old Bank on the other side of Sadler’s Yard.

Stephen Bradley, Senior Asset Manager at Hermes Investment Management, said: “The go-ahead for Redfern’s redevelopment underlines Manchester City Council’s continued confidence in our vision for NOMA. There is now real momentum behind the neighbourhood, with Amazon moving into nearby Hanover. Dantzic, another listed building, is due to complete in early 2019. We look forward to taking Redfern forward and will soon be outlining our plans for the new-build opportunities at NOMA, helping cement our position as the UK’s first innovation district.”

Richmal Wigglesworth, Associate at Sheppard Robson, said: “Redfern – our third refurbishment of a listed building on the estate – is an important part of the NOMA jigsaw, fusing desirable office space and staff amenities with the new neighbouring public space, Sadler’s Yard. The strong civic presence of the building, helped by ground floor uses that directly address the public space, will create a vibrant atmosphere and contribute to the NOMA place making. Occupants will feel connected to the building’s heritage, with sensitive refurbishment sitting alongside new elements, such as the addition of a roof terrace area for the office tenants.”

Belle Vue boosts fleet with £650,000 investment

Sam Whitear
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Bus and coach hire firm Belle Vue Manchester has invested £650,000 to expand its fleet as it gears up for growth in 2019.

The Stockport-based operator has acquired two double-decker executive coaches and a wheelchair-accessible coach.

Managing director Phil Hitchen said the 85-seater Van Hool Astromega and
83-seater VDL Bova Synergy enable Belle Vue to meet increased demand from larger groups.

The coaches are air-conditioned and have reclining seats, mood lighting, a drinks servery, washroom facilities and a DVD system.

They are being used for educational tours of Europe and for private groups booking trips in the UK.

Belle Vue has also upgraded its other double-decker executive coach, a Volvo B12B Jonckheere.

Managing director Phil Hitchen said: “Good quality double-decker coaches are generally in short supply across the industry but they have the advantage of enabling larger groups to save on cost, as they only need to book one vehicle instead of two.

“Our new coaches greatly benefit our strategic partnerships with educational tour operators taking students to Europe, and are proving popular with key clients for UK trips.”

Phil said the wheelchair-accessible Mercedes-Benz Tourismo enables Belle Vue to better cater for elderly and disabled groups booking social outings.

“The lift means that passengers who use a wheelchair or find it difficult to board on foot have easy access to the coach. We regularly run day trips for such groups, and this addition to the fleet was made with them in mind,” he said.

“We are constantly investing to provide the best possible service to our clients and to ensure our fleet is the most modern around. We are now well-placed to expand the business in 2019.”

Manchester wipes manufacturer Techtex buys out competitors to strengthen presence in healthcare and industrial wipes sector

Sam Whitear
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Manchester-based suppliers of healthcare and industrial fabrics, Technical Textile Services Ltd., which trades as Techtex, has announced the acquisition of two competitors, Whitminster International Ltd and Klenzeen Ltd.  The sum paid is undisclosed, but the newly-enlarged business enjoys a £20m plus turnover, and the deal makes Techtex the largest UK independent manufacturer of high-quality cleansing wipes, taking the workforce to 90.

With two divisions supplying healthcare and industry, the company sources non-woven fabrics and manufactures a range of dry and wet wipe products including branded, private label and generic products.

The company operates from a modern, 70,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and warehouse facility at the Rhodes Business Park, Middleton, north Manchester. The two acquired businesses share the same directors and are based on a site in Stafford, from where operations will continue.

The founding partners Sales Director David Beardsworth, Finance Director Steve Oldfield and Operations Director Brian Whitney are joined by Whitminster and Klenzeen directors Julian Ashworth, who becomes General Manager, and David Thompson, who becomes Sales Manager.

The buy-out is the fourth by Techtex in the past decade and displays the strong growth curve the company is on, said Techtex spokesman and group Sales Director David Beardsworth.

“These acquisitions will further strengthen our offer to customers in healthcare and industry and will enhance our offer to new markets, including significant overseas opportunities,” said Mr Beardsworth.

Techtex products including its own Clinitex brand are found widely in NHS hospitals across England, Scotland and Wales as well as in care homes, private hospitals, shops and factories and the company will continue to supply the Whitminster and Klenzeen brands, which are well-known predominantly in the industrial and Janitorial marketplace.

Mr Beardsworth says: “Current customers of all the companies now under Techtex should know that it is business as usual, and thanks to our combined resources, we are focused on an even keener approach to customer service, technical expertise and product quality.”

Acquisition funding was provided by HSBC. Mark Boyle, HSBC UK’s Relationship Director for Greater Manchester, said: “Technical Textile Services has a strong reputation in its industry and a clear growth strategy. We’re proud to support the company as it expands through this acquisition into new markets; achieving sales growth, boosting its manufacturing capacity and creating new jobs in the area.”

Debbie King and Jenny Goodwin from Farleys Solicitors advised Techtex, alongside Ian Liddle who provided support on the property aspects of the acquisitions. Debbie said: “Techtex have a clear vision and ambitious plans for growth and these latest acquisitions mark an important milestone in that journey. We are delighted to have played a key role in securing the next stage in Techtex’s expansion and look forward to supporting them in the future.”

Tax advice was provided by Nadeem Hussain, from Pierce Business Advisory and Accountancy Group. He said: “Techtex is a really forward-thinking company and has seized fantastic opportunities within the sector to create a strong business model. We’re delighted to have played such a key role in their acquisition and we look forward to supporting them in the future with their continued growth.”

Hub help Informed Solutions reach out to a global marketplace

Sam Whitear
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A leading provider of technology services to the private and public sectors has signed a series of big-name clients following support from GC Business Growth Hub.

Altrincham-based Informed Solutions was already a long-established, successful business with other UK offices in London and Edinburgh, as well as Australian offices in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Such as been the success of its approach, the company won a Queen’s Award for Innovation in April, an ICT Excellence Award for Emerging Platforms at the World IT Congress in India in February, having previously also won multiple awards at the Australian itNews Benchmark Awards in recent years.

However, Informed Solutions Group CEO Elizabeth Vega realised that for the business’s continued development and to strengthen the company’s brand, Informed Solutions needed to reflect this progress in its marketing strategy.  At the core of her plans was the launch a new website that authentically reflected the company’s core values while adapting to the different needs of the UK and Australian markets.

Therefore, in early 2017, Elizabeth sought the support of GC Business Growth Hub, part of The Growth Company. After sitting down with the company to identify key areas for improvement, the Hub sent two of the firm’s leadership team on the Greater Connected programme, an intensive business accelerator initiative geared towards supporting the start-up and scale-up ambitions of digital, creative and technology SMEs. The programme helped the leadership team to clearly define the scale-up plans for the business and take a more strategic approach to communications.

This resulted in Informed Solutions launching a new global website in October 2017 to coincide with the company’s 25th anniversary, which Informed Solutions directly attribute the signing several new high-profile clients to, including the NHS, Royal Mail and Ofsted in the UK and National Archives Australia. In turn, these new contracts have led to 15 new full-time staff, four one-year student work placements and eleven new contractor roles.

Elizabeth Vega, Group CEO said: “Following the new website launch, we immediately saw an increase in visitors, including a 130 per cent increase in traffic towards our ‘platforms and solutions’ page and a 110 per cent increase in traffic towards our ‘industry capabilities’ page.

“Our upward trend in traffic has also continued across our social media channels. This is reflected in a 100 per cent increase in page views in the space of a month on our company LinkedIn site, and a 190 per cent increase in tweet impressions on Twitter and 34% increase in profile visits.”

Richard Jeffery, director of business growth, GC Business Growth Hub, said: “Informed Solutions already had a long track record of success. Nonetheless, Elizabeth and the rest of the leadership still recognised that the company could achieve new levels of success.

“The Greater Connected programme is geared specifically to businesses in Informed Solutions’ sector, and it gives us great pride that Elizabeth and her team credit the changes made after going through the programme to the signing of multiple new clients.”

Major waterfront scheme The Green Rooms at MediaCityUK tops out

Sam Whitear
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A major 19-storey waterfront scheme in MediaCityUK has topped out.

The Green Rooms is being funded by a joint venture between Atlas Residential and IP Investment Management.

The market-leading residential scheme, which boasts 238 apartments, is being delivered by MediaCityUK’s joint venture partners, Peel Land & Property Group and Legal and General Capital.

Located adjacent to BBC offices on the Manchester Ship Canal, directly opposite ITV’s ‘Coronation Street’, Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, and Imperial War Museum North, The Green Rooms is nearing completion.

Jonathon Ivory, Managing Director of Atlas Residential UK, said: “The Green Rooms is situated in the heart of MediaCityUK and is within minutes of some of the UK’s most visited attractions.

“We are pleased to announce that the 19-storey scheme will top out in early 2019 and are excited to be providing high quality apartments for Manchester and Salford’s growing population.”

He added: “MediaCityUK is integral to Greater Manchester’s regeneration story and we are delighted to be part of this.  Providing a mix of spacious and well-lit one, two and three-bedroom apartments was always our aim and we are close to completing what has always been a community-focused vision.”

Together with investment manager IP Investment Management, the partnership acquired what is now The Green Rooms at MediaCityUK in September last year.

The Green Rooms will also include a gym with dedicated space for both yoga and pilates.  In addition, this amenity will offer residents the opportunity to join and participate in a range of fitness classes.  The business lounge will boast high-speed internet, sofas, coffee tables and work space.

Selina Williams, Executive Director of IP Investment Management said “We are delighted to have reached this key construction milestone in this, our first investment in the UK build-to-rent sector working with Atlas Residential. We look forward to seeing the realisation of Atlas’ vision when the building has completed and opens.”

Greater Manchester set to cook up next generation of food & drink superstars

Sam Whitear
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Recipe4Success, Greater Manchester’s highly successful business development initiative aimed at supporting small food and drink producers and operators, has announced details of its latest programme which begins this month.

The next Recipe4Success programme, which helps ambitious companies looking to grow their business, will be officially launched at the offices of PwC on Hardman Street in Manchester on Tuesday 8th January.

Budding food and beverage entrepreneurs who attend the launch will be able to find out more about the programme and what it offers to ambitious firms wanting to succeed in the food and drink sector.

At the end of the programme participants will also get the chance to pitch to a major supermarket buyer with a view to securing a national listing for their product.

Previous Recipe4Success programmes have already helped a large number of fledgling Greater Manchester businesses see their products stocked in major supermarkets, including Tesco and Morrisons, and specialist independent retailers.

One recent graduate of the scheme is Alex Markham, founder of SOOP.

SOOP, who are based in Ancoats, produce a range of high-quality, fresh noodle soups which contain no MSG, no freeze-dried vegetables and a minimum of processed ingredients.

Earlier this year, on the advice of the Recipe4Success team, Alex entered the Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste Awards 2018 and won six gold stars.

Out of 12,634 products to be judged in total, only 192 products were awarded the most prestigious 3-Star Award. This included SOOP’s Tofu & Wild Mushroom product.

Alex said of the Recipe4Success programme: “The awards were a game-changing moment for our business and one that’s only happened thanks to the advice of the Recipe4Success scheme.

“As a result of our participation in the programme our products are now in several independent retailers across the country and will shortly be on the shelves of Selfridges and Harrods. We’re also in talks with a major supermarket brand about a trial. If that goes well, we’ll be rolling out the product nationwide.

“Throughout our journey the Recipe4Success team’s industry experience has been invaluable. From advice on costings to introduction to supermarket buyers, they have been a vital source of information from day one.

“Their help has given me the confidence to take the product from being produced in my home kitchen to a purpose-built facility where we have the capacity to produce 15,000 SOOPs per week. I would therefore strongly encourage any small-scale or start-up food producers to register on the scheme.”

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