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Stockport law firm completes deal as award-winning Welsh Hotel is sold

Sam Whitear
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Stockport law firm, SAS Daniels LLP, has led an expanding hospitality group through its purchase of the independently owned and run Beaufort Park Hotel and Conference Centre, in North Wales.

The deal was led by Corporate Partner Paul Tyrer who advised JDP Hotels 2 Ltd through the acquisition of Beaufort Park Hotel’s business and assets, including its 106-bedroom building, for an undisclosed sum.

The hotel, based in Mold, is also a leading conference and events centre and was previously owned by David Byers who has retired from the hospitality industry.

JDP Hotels 2 Ltd, headquartered in the Midlands, is owned and run by entrepreneur, Pranay Paw and his family. The group already owns and manages the Best Western Hotel St. Pierre in West Yorkshire.

The company has acquired the award-winning Beaufort Park Hotel as part of its ongoing growth plans. It plans to invest in upgrading the Welsh property which will remain as a hotel and conference centre. This has also ensured 80 staff will remain employed at the business.

Paul Tyrer, Partner at SAS Daniels, said: “JDP has been hugely successful in establishing its hospitality business, so it was a natural progression to add to its growing portfolio. There are many considerations to buying a business of this size, but we’ve been able to assist Pranay and his team to complete on the purchase with minimal disruption to all the involved parties. We wish them the best of luck as the new owners of Beaufort Park Hotel.”

Pranay Paw, Founder and Managing Director of JDP Hotels 2, said: “Beaufort Park Hotel was an obvious investment choice for us as we increase the number of hotel properties in our portfolio. Its location, being near Chester, Snowdonia and historic Welsh castles, is coupled with its reputation both locally and within the industry. We would like to thank all those involved in the process and we’re excited to now be able to move forward with our plans for Beaufort Park.”

Also involved in the deal, was Steven Percy from SAS Daniels’ commercial property team, whilst Dudley-based Higgs and Sons acted for NatWest who provided funding for the deal. Burnetts advised Beaufort Park Hotel Limited on the sale.  The transaction was led by Corporate Partner Michael Walby, with support from Rebecca Davidson.  Partner Robbie Mather advised on property matters.  The deal was brokered by Ryan Lynn of Christie & Co.

Why you can’t afford to miss the 2018 International Business Festival

Sam Whitear
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For those of you who don’t know much about the International Business Festival, I’ll let the statistics speak for themselves: Our two previous events facilitated more than £500m worth of business deals, and helped companies secure export contracts worth £87m.

The big figures are great; but the Festival – taking place over three weeks in Liverpool this June – is about so much more than money.

Firstly, no business should think it’s not for them, or be pua t off by the name. Yes, it’s a proudly international event, with more than 100 overseas delegations expected to arrive in the city, hungry to do business. But you don’t need to be an established exporter to make the most of the event. There’ll be a wealth of practical advice for every type of British business, no matter the size.

In our Knowledge Hub, for instance, you’ll find how-to sessions on accessing finance, building your leadership and skills capacity, and finding opportunities in new markets. Whether taking their first steps towards export, or looking to gain a foothold in a new territory, entrepreneurs will be able to tap in to a wealth of intelligence.

There are general sessions on retaining a motivated workforce, accessing Innovate UK or Department for International Trade support, trading with China, India or the US, and readying companies for investment. And we’ll have sector-specific sessions, such as those looking at future opportunities in transportation and logistics, using nanotech to create healthier foods and cyber security in the creative industries.

Perhaps the single most important aspect of our Festival is the unparalleled opportunity it presents for networking.

Past delegates often tell me the Festival was where they made the vital connection that transformed their business. We’ve welcomed more than 30,000 delegates to the Festival’s two previous editions and this year we’re expecting as many as 3,000 people on every one of our nine sector-themed days.

As one small business owner told us: “It’s a place literally filled with potential new clients; an opportunity to tap in to specific sectors.”

We know busy businesspeople need to be sure they can reach the most relevant people. So we’re using the online Delegate Select platform which will enable ticketholders to see who else is attending – find out their industry, where they operate and whether they are looking to buy, sell, invest or source products – before fixing up meetings with them. Going live in the run-up to the event, the platform will also allow people to connect with the 1,500 or so attending specialist ticketed events within the Festival site.

But why do we call our event a festival? Why not a convention, or a conference? Well, it’s a little bit different to your standard industry fare. Yes, there’s an international marketplace for up to 100 exhibitors to showcase their offer. Yes, we’ll talk about practical issues within the theme of the day, be that Global Economics, Urbanisation & Cities, Sustainable Energy, Future Transport, Manufacturing, Global Logistics & Shipping, Health & Life Sciences, Creative Industries, and Culture, Sport & Travel.

However, in the Futures Stage, we have our version of Glastonbury’s famous Pyramid. This is where the stars of each focus sector will take a step back, think outside the box, and look ahead to where industries might be in 20, 30 or 50 years. It’s the place where entrepreneurs can arm themselves with the knowledge to help their business cope with disruption. Or perhaps it’ll help germinate an idea that changes the shape of your business forever.

We’ve got household names like our Creative Industries host Wayne Hemingway, tech pioneers like ARM Holdings CEO Simon Segars – who you can probably thank for the fact your smartphone works – and rising stars like Dr Amrit Chandan and Carlton Cummins, whose company Aceleron are revolutionising energy systems with advancements in battery technology.

Delegates will be able to see the very latest technology in action in the UK Innovation Hub where, with the support of the government and Innovate UK, we’ll also be showcasing some of the UK’s most exciting and creative projects.

Take into account the chance for entrepreneurs to earn a spot on our Futures Stage, pitching to an audience of investors from UK Business Angels Association, overseas delegates travelling from more than 100 countries, and a stunning location on Liverpool’s famous waterfront, and you’ll start to understand why we call it a Festival.

In the words of our patron HRH The Duke of Cambridge “Since its launch, the Festival has been successful in helping businesses to attract significant investment and access to opportunities. The International Business Festival has a vital role to play in providing the support and connections they need to grow.”

The question is, can you afford not to be there?

BJSS wins The Queen’s Award

Sam Whitear
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BJSS, the award winning, delivery-focused IT consultancy has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for its software delivery approach – Enterprise Agile.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is one of the world’s most distinguished business awards, celebrating and recognising enterprise excellence in UK companies. Announced annually by Her Majesty the Queen, the awards follow a rigorous and highly competitive judging process and are only bestowed on organisations that maintain the highest levels of business excellence.

Conceived by BJSS in 2008, Enterprise Agile is based on the company’s software delivery experience, often in challenging, deadline-sensitive environments, and has ensured the delivery of some of the world’s most ambitious IT transformation programmes. Enterprise Agile addresses critical technical risks at the beginning of the project delivery, and prescribes innovative processes that enable Agile to be successfully adopted by public and private sector organisations.

One notable Enterprise Agile success is the complete re-engineering of the NHS legacy Spine national healthcare infrastructure. NHS Spine 2 was delivered by a combined NHS and BJSS team that worked collaboratively to build what is believed to be the one of the largest and most significant Open Source systems in the public sector to date. This easier, faster and cheaper system is the technological backbone of the NHS, and has successfully achieved an 89% improvement in response time, whilst saving the NHS £21 million in its first year of operation.

Glynn Robinson, managing director of BJSS says: “We are honoured to have won this prestigious accolade and to be recognised by the Queen’s Award for our innovation. This is a significant moment for us as we celebrate our 25th year of operation, and is a real testament to our commitment to leadership and excellence in technology delivery.”

North West businesses recognised for excellence in Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

Sam Whitear
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230 businesses have been announced as winners of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s 92nd birthday.

Now in its 52nd year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise is the most prestigious business award in the country, with winning businesses recognised as being among the best in the country and able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next 5 years.

This year, 230 businesses from across the UK have been recognised for their contribution to international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity. A record 152 businesses are winning an award for International Trade.

Winners in the North West include businesses leading the way in a broad range of industries – from nuclear decommissioning through to pet food.

Successful businesses in the North West include:

  • 15 winners of the international trade award;
  • 5 winners of the innovation award; and
  • 2 winners of the sustainable development award.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “The UK has some of the most entrepreneurial and innovative minds in the world delivering jobs, growth and greater choice for consumers and I am proud to see a wealth of these businesses being recognised today.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, supporting more than 1 million jobs and revenues of £111 billion in the North West. Through our Industrial Strategy we are building a Britain in which they will continue to thrive.”

Elucigene Diagnostics, a molecular diagnostics company based in the heart of Manchester’s innovation district, won an award for international trade with more than 80% of Elucigene’s annual sales coming from exports.

Dr Mark Street-Docherty, Elucigine Diagnostics Chief Executive, said: “We are thrilled to have won this most prestigious award. Taking a UK-only approach to our sales would not have delivered the strong growth we wanted to see and it is great to be flying the flag for UK life sciences internationally.

“Winning the Queen’s Award has been a tremendous team effort and it is a wonderful vote of confidence as we look to the next phase of our growth.”

New Bailey pre-let boosts Q1 Manchester take-up

Sam Whitear
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Take-up of office space in Manchester city centre was more than double the corresponding period of 2017, with total take-up for Q1 2018 reaching 442,083 sq ft, according to the Manchester Office Agents Forum (MOAF).

The standout transaction was the pre-letting of 3 New Bailey to HM Revenue & Customs, a deal totalling 157,153 sq ft, the largest pre letting in central Manchester for over a decade.

In total, there were 82 transactions completed in Q1, other notable deals included Irwin Mitchell (33,382 sq ft) and CBRE (11,309 sq ft) both taking space at One St Peter’s Square. Together with the 3 New Bailey deal, these three transactions accounted for 45% of all take-up in Manchester city centre.

Rob Yates, Partner and Head of North West office agency at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “The pre-letting of 3 New Bailey is a watershed for the city. We have long been of the view that the supply of quality office accommodation is constrained and savvy occupiers are having to respond to this by committing to pre-lets. This deal is a significant milestone for Manchester. Not only is it one of the largest in the city for over a decade, it’s also one of the biggest regional office lettings completed in the first three months of this year. After a strong start we expect the final 2018 take-up figures will top 1m sq ft for the fifth consecutive year.”

In South Manchester, Q1 take-up totalled 178,189 sq ft, a 27% increase on the corresponding period from 2017. Encouragingly large scale occupiers have returned to the market as evidenced by the Hut Group’s acquisition of 40,283 sq ft at the 4M Manchester Airport. In Warrington, take-up for Q1 was 70,680 sq ft, which is a 17% decrease on the corresponding period in 2017. The highlights in Q1 were at Lingley Mere where 10,817 sq ft was let to Asics and at Cinnabar Court where 10,200 sq ft was acquired by Greensil.

Paul Mills, at Obi Property, said: “The Q1 figures for out-of-town office markets are encouraging. There is a good quantity of larger requirements circulating in the marketplace and we therefore expect take up to continue to be very strong during the remainder 2018.”

Formed in 2009, MOAF members include Avison Young, BE Group, CBRE, Colliers International, Canning O’Neill, Cushman & Wakefield, Edwards & Co, GVA, Hallams Property Consultants, JLL, Knight Frank, LSH, Matthews & Goodman, OBI Property, Savills, Sixteen Real Estate, and TSG Property Consultants.

Flexible firm Love Energy Savings is to launch free yoga classes for staff as part of their commitment to workplace happiness

Sam Whitear
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The Bolton-based price comparison service, which specialises in securing cheaper energy tariffs for businesses, say they’ll incorporate yoga into their existing weekly fitness sessions.
That’s on top of giving their 220-strong team free fruit and free access to the company gym.
The announcement also comes after they recently implemented a new staff incentive scheme which sees them dishing-out monthly prizes for good performance.
Love Energy Savings Managing Director Phil Foster even takes the fitness classes himself.
He said: “We’re not perfect, and there are always things we can improve upon, but we take the health and wellbeing of our staff seriously and we like to think we go the extra mile.
“I’m a huge believer in investing in staff, as we’re simply dead without them.
“And as such we’ve been holding free fitness classes once, sometimes twice, per week in the on-site gym.
“We’ll now also look to incorporate yoga classes, too, in a bid to get more people interested in coming along and taking part.
“We’ve also made nutritional meals available in our on-site cafe, free fruit, and staff nights out because if our staff are happy that happiness transmits straight down the phone to our customers.”
As for Phil’s own involvement in the fitness regime at Love Energy Savings, the qualified ‘Level 1 Personal Trainer’ laughs: “I take the fitness classes myself.
“It’s really taken off, and it’s a brilliant way of engaging with employees.
“Sometimes staff from the Service centre and from the Operations department will come together for the first time.
“To work up a sweat with each other in the gym is a great way of forging good working relationships – and that helps the entire company.
“Most of all, the fitness classes are good fun. Long may that continue.”
That commitment to the workforce appears to be paying off.
On the popular website ‘Glassdoor’ – where employees and former employees can post anonymous reviews about a company and their management – Love Energy Savings currently has a rating of 4.8 out of 5.
A further 93% would ‘Recommend’ the job to a friend, while Phil himself has an impressive 99 per cent approval rating.
Phil adds: “Our rating should be at that level, because we treat our staff well and we like to give them the best development we can so they keep improving.”
Third Party Intermediaries like Love Energy Savings typically have a high turnover of employees.
But Phil and his team have sought to tip the odds back in their favour by adopting a strategy where all newcomers are put through a two-week, classroom-based training course when they initially join.
Phil reveals: “We want to avoid situations where staff are underperforming because they’re simply not sure what they should be doing. This way, staff have the confidence to really hit the ground running.”
In 2012 LES employed 70 members of staff. That figure now stands at over 200.
The firm also recently celebrated its 5,000th customer review on the website Trustpilot, where it boasts a ‘TrustScore’ of 9.6 out of 10 and the full five stars.
Their customers save, on average, around £1,046 per year and LES is on course to hit 80,000 individual business contracts in 2018 – up on last year’s total of 50,000 contracts.
Meanwhile turnover is on course to almost double in two years – going from £12,774,933 in 2016 to a forecasted £19,750,864 in 2018.

Success brewing for Marble Beers after record year

Sam Whitear
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A Manchester micro-brewery that specialises in experimental ales, lagers & beers is toasting a record year for production after boosting sales in international markets.

Marble Beers attributes its growing success to a string of collaboration projects and limited-edition releases which have a growing fan base at home, in Europe and further afield.

The brewery, which has its 21st birthday this year, is based in two railway arches in Williamson Street and the company boasts three popular beer focused venues in the city – The Marble Arch Inn, 57 Thomas Street and Marble Beerhouse, employing 48 members of staff in total.

It also has a growing e-commerce operation, shipping beers and merchandise to aficionados across the globe.

Jan Rogers, director at Marble Beers, said: “This year is shaping up to be really exciting for us. Demand from foreign markets is seeing excellent growth, while our UK customer base continues to expand.

“I think what makes us successful is that we pride ourselves on creating products that we love to drink. We are always keen to experiment, and this year have plans for three new ranges, we are planning a sour programme, a hoppy range and some big adjunct stouts.”.

The business produced 4,140 hectolitres last year – the equivalent of around 730,000 pints of beer and whilst planning to stay under The Small Brewers Relief threshold, production is set to increase by 500 hectolitres this year.

The company is being advised by North West accountancy firm MHA Moore and Smalley, including advice on research and development tax relief.

The company invests significant sums in R&D which it uses to develop new flavour profiles, improve processes and increase the quality of beer including freshness, product stability and small pack shelf life.

Stephen Haywood, tax manager at MHA Moore and Smalley, added: “Marble’s research into new flavours, yeast, hops and barrelling techniques is what makes it stand out from the crowd.

“It’s commitment to innovation has enabled the business to claim back significant funds in research and development tax relief, which can then be reinvested back into growing the business.”

Founded in 1997, Marble Beers specialises in innovative cask, keg, can and bottled beer. The brewery was originally housed in the rear of The Marble Arch Inn before moving to Williamson Street in 2009.

The team at CheckdMedia celebrate 6 years

Sam Whitear
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The CheckdMedia team, based in Manchester, has celebrated 6 years of social marketing with a toast and video to commemorate and look back at what they have achieved over the past years.

One brand, has grown in to 6 brands which between them can reach a huge network of over 2.3M fans and an audience of over 7 million. These brands have been providing viral content for over five years, ensuring that their audiences continue to grow organically. During 2017, CheckdMedia extended its brand portfolio with the acquisition of Oddschanger with over 120,000 fans and followers.

With the founding partners of the business not even 30, the ethos injected into CheckdMedia is that of optimism and innovation. The team of 2 at home, has now grown in to a huge team of 50+ at their central Manchester office and that enthusiasm can be seen by all of their employees.

The company also prides itself on supporting the community and raising awareness. CheckdMedia having already helped Kettering Town in their battle from extinction, more recently, raised over £1,000 for Sport Relief by riding 874 miles (the length of the country) on an exercise bike in their Manchester office, with support from some of their partners and local companies which saw them feature in two of Sport Relief’s social videos.

Jamie Knowlson, CheckdMedia CEO said “The growth of CheckdMedia over the past 6 years has been phenomenal and it’s all down to the commitment and enthusiasm from the team we have put together.”

CheckdMedia’s communities continue to grow by the minute and there’s no signs of them stopping.

Food bank scoops £500 as Equilibrium community support scheme offers its first Greater Manchester grant

Sam Whitear
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Ardwick & Longsight Food Bank has been awarded a £500 grant from wealth management company Equilibrium Asset Management.

Run by local churches, the independent food bank relies on voluntary food and cash donations to provide emergency food parcel services for refugees, the homeless and impoverished community.

It also offers a signposting service to agencies in Manchester who provide help concerning rape, abuse, debt, mental health, job seeking and those learning to speak English.

Welcoming the donation, Ardwick & Longsight Food Bank volunteer Paul Chantry said the “grant will enable the funding of essential resources for running the food bank and emergency food for the very poor in the area”.

Equilibrium launched the Greater Manchester community support scheme – which gives the region’s charities, voluntary groups and not-for-profit organisations the chance to win grants ranging from £100 to £500 – in January 2018, following the success of identical initiatives in both Cheshire East and Chester.

This quarter, the £500 Cheshire East grant was awarded to the central Cheshire buddy scheme, a charity which supports children, young people and adults with disabilities by providing clubs, activities, days trips and residential weekends. Chester Supertrees have been awarded £500 from Equilibrium’s Chester and district support scheme which will contribute towards their project to improve the bio-diversity, wildlife and air quality currently present in Chester.

Debbie Jukes, partner at Equilibrium Asset Management, said: “Our community support scheme has been a resounding success since we started three years ago, and we consider ourselves very fortunate to be able to offer funding.

“The community support scheme is one of many initiatives the financial planning experts run as part of its charitable foundation, which aims to raise £250,000 for local charities by 2020.

“We hope our funds will go a good way towards helping these organisations continue the excellent work they do.”

The wealth management company has run the scheme since 2015 and has awarded over £12,500 in funds to community groups to date.

Reviewed quarterly, the Wilmslow-based wealth management company says applications to the second round of this year’s community support scheme can be submitted up until Sunday 24th June.

Projects that promote party political activities or religious causes, projects that benefit or involve animals and commercial enterprises are not accepted.

Cushman & Wakefield Names Chair of Public Sector and Head of Manchester Office

Sam Whitear
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Cushman & Wakefield has named John Keyes as Chair of Public Sector and Caroline Baker as head of its Manchester Office. The promotions are effective immediately.

International Partner John Keyes is a strategic advisor to significant public sector organisations and agencies, ensuring their property is aligned with their business needs. He will focus fully on the role, stepping back from also running the Manchester office with Baker taking up the reins.

Cushman & Wakefield is appointed to numerous public sector frameworks and works extensively with clients across central and local government and the health and education sectors. The firm advises the public sector not only as occupiers of commercial property but also on how best to use the private sector to viably deliver its policy aims, from housing delivery to social care to urban regeneration.

John Keyes, Chair of Public Sector, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “We have a long and successful track record of partnering with the public sector, bringing an innovative and commercially-minded focus on delivery that drives value for money for the public purse.

“I will be developing these already-strong capabilities further on behalf of our clients. As public sector organisations face increasing budgetary and demographic pressures they are having to change the way they deliver services. We are focused on providing genuine insight and best-in-class advice applied consistently across our business to help our clients in this sector operate effectivity.”

Caroline Baker has worked for Cushman & Wakefield since 1997 and has been a Partner in the Manchester office since 2001. A development specialist, she has also been heavily involved in Cushman & Wakefield’s diversity and inclusion programme Inspire.

She will lead a team of more than 100 staff delivering a broad range of real estate services from the firm’s Marsden Street offices. She will report to Tim Cameron-Jones, Head of Cushman & Wakefield North.

Caroline Baker, Head of Manchester Office, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “I’m really looking forward to leading a team with unrivalled experience in the North West, and continuing to build on our excellent reputation at an exciting time for the region. We are proud to be involved in many of the region’s transformative schemes, delivering innovative work with the public and private sectors to stimulate investment, improve our town and city centres and ensure the necessary homes are built.”

George Roberts, Head of UK & Ireland, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “We see opportunities for growth in both our Public Sector and Manchester teams under the leadership of John and Caroline, two extremely talented and experienced professionals. Ensuring we have the right people leading our teams is an important part of our mission to deliver superior performance for our clients.”

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