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£12 million award for Rivington Chase

Sam Whitear
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Bolton Council has been awarded £12 million to create a new road across the £262 million Rivington Chase development which will enable much-needed homes to be built more quickly.

The money will also be used for remediating the land which the road will be built on.

The road will provide the main access to vehicles for Rivington Chase and will link the planned 1,700 home site with Middlebrook retail park, Horwich Parkway railway station, and junction 6 of the M61.

The government funding is to support local infrastructure to make housing developments viable and accelerate housing delivery.

Bolton’s award is the joint seventh largest in the country and the largest award in the North West among the 133 council-led projects to be given money.

Acting Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: “This is great news and we always promised we would address local residents’ concerns about access to the site and how any extra vehicles in the area would be catered for.

“We understood that the local community had concerns about highways infrastructure, and we said this would have to be in place before any houses are built.

“The level of investment proposed in the whole scheme will result in major direct financial investment into Horwich, which will benefit both the town and the whole borough.

“Work on the site will also bring hundreds of new jobs for the community.”

Rivington Chase is being delivered by the council and landowners including Bluemantle, Homes England (formerly the Homes and Communities Agency) and Network Rail.

The site has outline planning permission for 1,700 new homes and last November Bellway Homes received permission for 112 new homes to be built at the entrance to the site – the first phase of the comprehensive masterplan to deliver Rivington Chase.

Other applications will be submitted over the coming months for different phases of the scheme.

Wigan firm thrive from house move boom

Sam Whitear
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Local cardboard box manufacturers, Boxed-Up, have enjoyed a dramatic sales boost following trends in the UK property market.

According to data from Lloyds Bank, the number of house movers in the UK is at a 10 year high and as a result Boxed-Up have witnessed over a 20% increase in sales for their house moving packs in the last year alone.

The number of people moving homes in 2017 stood at 370,300 – its highest level since 2007, following continued low mortgage rates and an increasing demand for homes, according to Lloyds.

Kate Hulley, Director at Boxed-Up, explains: “These statistics definitely resonate with our team, who are dealing with an unprecedented amount of enquiries for home removal boxes as of late.”

Kate, who heads up the female-led team, goes on to say: “Whilst this trend is great for our business, it’s also an incredibly exciting time all-round for existing homeowners and young people looking to buy their first home.”

Lloyds also claim that increased employment levels have boosted people’s ‘buying confidence’, contributing to the trend.

Mortgage products director at Lloyds Bank, Andrew Mason, also claims that “house price increases will have boosted equity levels for many homeowners, enabling movement along the housing ladder.”

 Largest digital skills festival returns to tackle skills gap and support region’s growth

Sam Whitear
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The annual Digital Skills Festival, the only event of its kind in the North, returns to Manchester next month to help plug the widening skills gap.

The four-day event – which counts leading businesses such as Autotrader, CDL, and CodeNation among its sponsors – brings together those interested in a digital career with education providers and digital and tech businesses from across the region to boost talent and skills.

Now in its sixth year the event, which is organised by digital trade association, Manchester Digital, takes place from 13 to 16 of February at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

The Digital Skills Conference opens the first day of the festival; with a number of keynote speakers and futurists discussing the key issues affecting digital and technology businesses, such as growth, rewards, inclusivity and diversity. The lineup of experts includes John Harvey, delivery manager at MoneySuperMarket and Alex Alexandrescu, co-founder and chief strategist at Dicey Tech.

The results of the annual digital skills audit, which looks at the issues digital businesses in the North have experienced over the past 12 months, will also be revealed at the conference.

Students and job seekers wanting to break into the industry are invited to the Talent Day – held on 14 February from 11am-3:00pm – to meet businesses looking for new talent. More than 50 digital, creative and tech companies, including KPMG, TalkTalk and N Brown Group will be attending to discuss the range of careers in the industry and give workshops and seminars on how best to get on the ladder.

Over 25 schools have signed up to take part in the festival’s Experience Day, which offers students the chance to get practical digital skills including coding, website building and app development.

This year a new event has been added to the line up, called Digital Futures: Computing, Curriculum and Careers, which is aimed specifically at teachers and careers advisers at schools and colleges in Greater Manchester. The half-day event will feature inspirational speakers, as well as practical workshops in digital making, ed tech and careers, which are designed to help teachers improve their knowledge and expertise.

Katie Gallagher, managing director at Manchester Digital, said: “To achieve its ambition to become a leading digital city, Greater Manchester needs a strong pipeline of highly skilled digital talent. However, we are currently in the midst of a major talent shortage where demand for skilled professionals is outstripping supply.

“This is why the Digital Skills Festival is such an important event in showcasing the excellent career opportunities which are available with tech and digital businesses across the region. Not only this, but it presents a fantastic opportunity to bring the industry together, encouraging us to work towards solving our own problems rather than waiting for external solutions to present themselves.

“This Digital Skills Festival is an initiative to do just that – as well as tackling some of the key issues that our industry is currently facing, it aims to bring together education providers, business leaders and students to raise awareness, drive change and help deliver the volume and quality of digital and technology talent that our businesses need to thrive.”

John Harvey, delivery manager at MoneySupermarket commented: “Access to talent and the knock-on problems caused by the skills shortage are having a critical impact on businesses across the region. We’re hugely proud to be part of this year’s event, which will provide a great forum to discuss and tackle some of the key issues that our industry is currently facing.”

Morson Group acquires north american based engineering/technical staffing and project companies

Sam Whitear
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Morson Group is delighted to announce that it has acquired the Canadian parent company Strategic Infusion Inc. (SI).

Strategic Infusion was founded by experienced recruitment professionals Rick Goodman and Neil Smith in 2005.

Headquartered in Burlington, Ontario, it also has operations in the USA and Caribbean and core technical markets include nuclear and telecommunications. SI currently have over 400 contractors on assignment.

The acquisition includes SI’s four operating companies: in Canada, Commissioning & Technical Services (N.A) Ltd (CTSNA); in the USA, Commissioning & Technical Services (N.A) Inc (CTS US), Comtask Global Inc. (Comtask) and also MComm Solution of Puerto Rico Inc. (MComm).

Founded in 1969, the Morson Group is the UK’s leading technical recruiter and an engineering design and project management company with a global presence across engineering markets including rail, aerospace defence, nuclear and power, oil & gas, telecom, infrastructure and IT. With over 14,000 contractors on assignment and a group annual turnover over CAD$1.3 billion (£800million) the Group has 40 offices worldwide and is headquartered in Manchester, UK. The purchase strengthens Morson’s North American operations providing technical professional services in recruitment, consulting, turnkey projects and outsourcing. The exciting combination of SI and Morson will see the further development of a significant market leader with worldwide presence in nuclear and power, telecommunications, marine, aerospace, defence and other engineering sectors.

Ged Mason, CEO of Morson Group, comments: “There is a clear need for the talent and expertise in these sectors that we can source for our clients. The wider Group’s combined geographical presence will enhance reach and aid development of local personalized relationships with consultants, sub-contractors and clients and also provide the best possible continuity and variety of work assignments for our engaged contractor workforces.

“We are delighted that the SI team has joined the Morson Group family. SI, through CTSNA, has an extremely strong brand within Nuclear and Power and MComm/Comtask equally so in Telecom. Many of the staff at SI have long tenure with a wealth of experience and knowledge and the business shares similar values and culture with Morson. We look forward to offering our clients and contractors extended services and coverage as part of the enhanced Morson Group”.

Neil Smith, Co-Founder of SI comments: “We connect technical skills and talent – people – with our client’s projects and deliverables, it’s what we do! Our priority was to find a partner whose core values assured continuity for our loyal customers and enhanced our offering”.

Rick Goodman, Co-Founder of SI, adds: “Equally important to us was to identify a management team who share the same care and respect for the great employees who have contributed so much to our success, many of them for the majority of the company’s lifetime, we think we got a slam dunk with Morson!

Legal and financial advisors on the transaction were to Morson – Beyond Legal LLP, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Deloitte LLP. To SI – Duff and Phelps and Keyser Mason Ball LLP.

Personalised clothing business Clothes2order.com is celebrating record festive trading

Sam Whitear
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Like-for-like sales for the Christmas period were 30 per cent ahead of 2016, with the e-commerce company enjoying the busiest day in its entire 15-year history on Cyber Monday, which fell on November 27.

The Trafford Park business prints and embroiders logos and designs on to clothing, hats and other items for customers across the UK, and exports to more than 35 countries worldwide.

Managing director Sam Jones said the Christmas period trading highlights included strong growth for the company’s on-demand service, supplying UK and overseas retailers with clothing where they require a quick turnaround on customer orders.

Demand from consumers, companies and organisations for personalised and customised clothing also surged.

Among the best-selling personalised items this Christmas were hoodies, jumpers, sweatshirts, t-shirts, woolly and beanie hats, caps and aprons.

Sam said: “We have seen greater demand than ever for personalised gifts, from Christmas jumpers to t-shirts and hoodies specially designed for family occasions such as holidays, embroidered or printed with the name of each person participating.

“Alongside this we have fulfilled many more orders from companies buying festive clothing for their staff to wear at work, and from organisations such as theatre groups and dance schools promoting their Christmas shows and events.”

Clothes2order.com created more than 20 new production jobs in line with its growth during 2017, taking staff numbers to 150. It is the fastest-growing part of Quayside Group.

EY trumpets stellar year as it further strengthens its North West deals team

Sam Whitear
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EY’s North West Transaction Advisory Services team acted on deals totaling £6.5bn in 2017 – more than double the value of deals completed in the previous year (£3bn in 2016).

It acted on more than 30 completed deals in 2017, with highlights including Inflexion’s minority investment into Crewe-based fuel card provider Radius; the listing of Ramsdens Financial Services on AIM back in February; and North Edge’s disposal of Utiligroup to ESG in April.

Other completed deals include Old Mutual Global Investors’ investment in The Hut Group in August, Graphite’s investment in YSC and Kohler’s acquisition of Clarke Energy.

EY’s Transactions Advisory Services has recently been strengthened by welcoming Rob Jones, who has relocated from London to lead and grow EY’s Debt Advisory business in the North.

The North West Transactions Advisory Services team continues to grow in 2018, with the appointment of Paul Stott as director. Paul joins EY from ENER-G, where he was group transaction finance manager for four years, and he has previously worked at Deloitte.

Richard Harding, Partner and Head of Transaction Services for EY in the regions, said: “2017 was a standout year for our North West transactions team and our current levels of activity and pipeline show that 2018 is looking just as strong, which is why we have invested in growing our team further with Paul’s appointment.

“Paul not only brings previous experience of working on complex deals but also extensive knowledge of the energy sector – a particular strength for the North and an area we expect will see deal activity in the future.”

Mark Clephan, Partner and Head of Corporate Finance at EY in the North added: “Brexit has certainly not resulted in a slowing of deal activity in the region, if anything it has resulted in greater opportunity as European businesses look to shore up their position within the UK market before any impending changes take effect, particularly given the benefit to overseas buyers of sterling depreciation.

“I’m excited by the breadth of opportunity that is already presenting itself this early into 2018 – the many private equity firms in the region remain active and the businesses we act for locally, which are based across the UK, remain an attractive proposition for trade buyers internationally. 2017 will be a tough year to beat but we are confident and up for the challenge!”

Senior Project Architect leaves London for Hodder + Partners

Sam Whitear
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Senior Project Architect Shane McCamley has joined Hodder + Partners after having worked at several prestigious London based practices.

Shane’s appointment comes as the Manchester-based architectural practice continues to press on with high profile projects including the £200 million mixed-use St Michael’s scheme and RHS Garden Bridgewater.

Boasting 15 years’ experience, Shane – who undertook his degree at The University of Manchester – recently worked as a project architect for Herzog & de Meuron’s RIBA Stirling Prize shortlisted Blavatnik School of Government project for Oxford University.

He has also worked on the National Theatre’s Temporary Theatre project, The Shed, Allies & Morrison’s Lock Keepers residential project, and the Northwest Cambridge & Olympicopolis projects for Stanton Williams.

Stephen Hodder MBE, Chairman of Hodder + Partners, said: “It’s fantastic that an architect of Shane’s pedigree is joining us as we continue our journey into 2018.

“The projects Shane has worked on speak for themselves which is why we believe he will help us further improve our offer across all sectors, including in education, office and residential, transport and heritage.”

He added: “It’s no secret, following our 25th anniversary year in 2017, that the next 12 months is a year of delivery. We have some very significant projects and are in a great position to take on more interesting projects too.”

Shane, who previously worked in Manchester for Stephenson Bell Architects, said he was delighted to join Hodder + Partners.

“Hodder and Partners is an architectural practice that has long been on my radar due to the quality of work it has produced over more than two decades,” said Shane.

“Manchester is also a city I’m passionate about and I’m looking forward to being involved in a number of significant projects in the city and in other parts of the UK.”

Vengrove’s Evolution development, Agecroft Commerce Park, Salford on target for Q3 2018 completion

Sam Whitear
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Vengrove, the real estate investment management firm, has confirmed it is on track for completion of Evolution, its 200,000 sq ft (18,580 sq m) speculative industrial development at Agecroft Park, Salford.  Completion of the new, high quality warehouses is scheduled for Q3 2018.

Evolution is located on Agecroft Commerce Park, Salford and is just 3 miles from the M60 and 5 miles from Manchester City Centre. The location is already home to national and international occupiers, as well as third party logistics providers such as Nimans and Bunzl. The commerce park provides the ideal location for occupiers looking to benefit from excellent connectivity to the UK’s national motorway network via the A580 and the M62.

Unit 1 totals 130,000 sq ft (12,077 sq m), including a 5,000 sq ft (465 sq m) two-storey office and 67 car parking spaces. Unit 2 comprises 70,000 sq ft (6,503 sq m), including a 3,500 sq ft (325 sq m) two-storey office and 87 car parking spaces.

Tim Lucas, Head of Asset Management at Vengrove, comments: “We spent a significant amount of time ensuring the specification of the accommodation was occupier focussed and would attract high quality tenants.  There have been good levels of interest to date with various occupier visits and site inspections taking place. This is an exciting development for Vengrove and will provide Grade A warehouse accommodation in a great location, with excellent links to the motorway network and key locations including Manchester City Centre, Manchester Airport, Liverpool 2 (The Port) and Leeds.”

The Landing starts revamp of floor seven by awarding food and beverage contract

Sam Whitear
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The Landing @MediaCityUK has begun a major refurbishment of its seventh floor space by appointing Carla Taylor to run its brand new food and drink operations, in line with its strategic plans to become a globally recognised tech hub for early growth business.

Carla, who created the Penelope’s range of food businesses, has won a five year contract with The Landing to deliver the services. Part of the revamp of Floor 7 at The Landing – to be rebranded Social 7 when it reopens in March 2018 – the space become both a new hub for existing tenants, but also a brand new meeting areas, 200 person events space and local, national and international conference facilities for the tech industry.

Paul Billington, commercial director at The Landing, said: “Carla runs a number of food businesses around MediaCityUK already and her reputation for quality food provision is second to none. We are hugely looking forward to seeing what her team delivers here.

“Social 7 is a really exciting development, both for our tenant communities and for the wider tech community. It will have connected spaces and this, along with the development of our brand new events and conference facilities, is all part of our strategic business plans. We have a particularly strong offering for those in the rapid growth healthcare, education, government, music and VR/AR tech industries.”

Carla Taylor said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for my team. I’ve been running the Penelope’s businesses for nearly five years and we have always had a base at MediaCityUK, it has become home to us. We started in the grill outside the Dockyard by working with The Prince’s Trust and grew from there, also providing on set food for production companies.

“We’re planning on bringing a different approach to food and leaning on my experience in the food sector in New York with things like grazing tables, local produce – high quality, but reasonably priced. We’re also planning a 30 variety gin bar and partnerships with local fresh food suppliers. My team takes pride on our personable service and we look forward to getting to know the tenants and catering for their needs.”

Steven Wild, managing director of MediaCityUK, added: “The launch of Social 7 will bring a fantastic and new dimension to the catering and hospitality offering at MediaCityUK and will give our community a great space, to meet, socialise and do business. Carla and her team will inject the ‘anything is possible’ vibe into Social 7 and I’m sure it will be a great success.”

The Landing creates a unique environment where tech-led SMEs can thrive and grow, offering interactive testing labs such as Barclays Eagle Lab, an exciting working community and state of the art events spaces. It contributes more than £25m a year and 1500 jobs to the Greater Manchester Economy, almost £83m to the UK economy and has strong community roots, with over 450 Salford residents taking part in digital skills programmes in the past year.

Mike Blackburn OBE is appointed as new IoD North West Regional Chair

Sam Whitear
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Regional business leader Mike Blackburn OBE has been announced as the new Institute of Directors’ (IoD) North West regional Chair. Taking up the role following the end of Mike Perls’ three-year tenure, Blackburn will work with business leaders throughout the area, and with the IoD’s sub-committees in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire and Merseyside to communicate regional issues and influence national policy.

Mike, who is well known and respected in the region’s business community for his work with a number of private and public organisations is currently BT’s North West Regional Director and also Chairman of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership.

Within these roles, which also include his work with the Greater Manchester Enterprise Zone, the skills and employment partnership and GM’s Digital Strategy Board, he is well placed to champion the IoD’s work in the region as it supports entrepreneurs to grow and succeed by providing professional business training and networking opportunities. Mike is also a former winner of the IoD Director of the Year Awards; the national accolade for Non-Executive Director was presented to him in London in October 2016.

Mike said: “I am absolutely honoured and thrilled to have been appointed as the region’s new Chair.

“With this role comes great responsibility and, from the outset I want to affirm my commitment to our members; from day one I will use my voice to champion and promote the issues close to their hearts on a national stage.

“I am immensely proud to be an ambassador for the brilliant and diverse businesses we have in the North West; our world-class tech clusters who are doing amazing things that are putting our region on the global stage; our professional services businesses rooted in our cities; our defence sector organisations; and our ports and airports. I want to ensure that national policies are representative of the issues faced by every business and business leader, regardless of size, across our region.

“The IoD is a vehicle via which they can grow; I want to dedicate my time to making that happen.”

Added the IoD’s regional director Claire Ebrey, who headed up the search for the new Chair: “I am thrilled to welcome Mike to our team; he’s long been an advocate of the IoD and a part of our network for many years. His current platforms mean he is a great asset – and the perfect candidate to take the baton from our current Chair, whilst helping our members – and businesses across the region – navigate through the challenging political and macro economic issues ahead.

“Mike and I are in the fortunate position that we are working with passionate leaders and people so incredibly driven to grow their businesses. They spread their skills and energy, using their little black books to campaign for change and working hard on issues outside of their business.

“Mike’s own track record at multiple and recognisable North West organisations means he embodies this commitment and I am sure he will successfully fly our region’s flag on the national stage – helping us all do better business.”

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