The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

New Darlington premises and 40 new jobs for Almit Group Almit Group, the metal finishing company based in the Northeast, is moving to new 170,000 sq. ft. premises in Darlington, creating 40 jobs. The move comes as part of a 5m expansion with support from the RGF. The company employs 77 people.

New jobs and staff moves at Acutec, the I.T firm based in Birmingham Acutec, the I.T firm based in Birmingham, is continuing with plans for expansion after taking on 6 new staff members in 2013. 3 staff members have moved into new roles. The company now employs 24 people.

80 new jobs at Adams Foods Adams Foods, the cheese and butter supplier based in Staffs, is creating 80 new jobs as it expands its operations. The positions will include warehouse and technical roles. The company has a turnover of £300m and expects business to grow by 50% before 2018.

New exhibition venue means Farnborough International creating jobs Airshow organiser Farnborough International (FIL) has secured £2.5m from the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership to construct 53,800 sq. ft. of building units for exhibitions and events such as the Farnborough Airshow. The development is expected to create new business, employment and growth for the region. Turnover £1.9m.

Ballymena, Northern Ireland, hotel development brings potential new jobs Beechview Developments is to develop an £8m hotel, shop and petrol station in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, creating jobs and supporting tourism in the area. Beechview Developments is owned by County Antrim property developer Bryan Orr.

Capita SAP outsourcing agreement brings potential new jobs Capita has secured a major contract with SAP.  The technology company is to outsource its employee benefits system to Capita, to enable it to cope with its pensions auto-enrolment duties. Turnover £2.9bn, 40,370 employees.

Marketing Directors appointed at Carnival UK Carnival UK has made further appointments as part of a management restructure.  Chris Edgington joins P&O cruises in the newly created role of Marketing Director.  Angus Struthers joins sister cruise brand Cunard in the same role. Jeremy Tait joins as Insight Director covering both P&O Cruises and Cunard Line.

Sunderland-based Connor Solutions funds business growth Connor Solutions, the Sunderland-based electronics manufacturing company, is to invest 3.6m, with support from the Regional Growth Fund, at its Rainton Bridge plant. The investment will double its factory size to 50,000 sq. ft. with an aim to achieving turnover of £20m.

Newtown engineering site brings 40 new jobs at Control Techniques Control Techniques, the Newtown-based drives maker, is building a new engineering and design facility at its site in the town, creating 40 jobs for skilled workers. The move comes as part of its company expansion and with 1.5m of support from the Welsh Assembly.

East Midlands expansion at Gateley, the national law firm Gateley, the national law firm, has expanded its Nottingham and Leicester offices with the appointment of new real-estate partner Simon Taylor as well as 3 promotions. Real-estate associate Chris O'Donoghue will join in August 2013. Turnover has also increased 10% up to April 2013.

Care firm to create 50 new jobs in Warrington Home Instead, an at-home care company based in Warrington is to create 50 new jobs before June 2014, due to high demand for services.

Opening of London Edition hotel means new jobs expected Hotel operator Marriott International is opening an Edition hotel in London, under the management of hotelier Ian Schrager.  The London Edition will be launched in autumn 2013, with employment opportunities expected.

New City offices and new jobs planned at Ideafuel Creative Ideafuel Creative, the Lincolnshire-based design agency, has moved into the city centre as part of growth plans fuelled by recent high-profile projects for organisations such as Crimestoppers. The company, owner Carol Pass, employs 7 and will take on more as its growth continues.

Relocation of The Will Writing Company brings new jobs Nottingham-based firm The Will Writing Company has acquired a new office to accommodate its growing needs.  The company has recently taken on four more consultants and two head office staff and is recruiting again. It currently employs 50 staff with aim of tripling the workforce in three years.

Tyrrells Potato Crisps plans to double production with 70 new jobs Plans for Tyrrells Potato Crisps to double production in Herefordshire to keep up with the global demand for its luxury crisps and popcorn look set to be approved.  It proposes to change the use of a building at its Leominster site currently used for storage and install eight new fryers, which would double its current capacity. The move is also expected to add 70 jobs, taking the company's workforce to 230.

Birmingham-based technology services provider creates 10 new jobs Probrand, the Birmingham-based technology services provider, is investing 320k redeveloping its headquarters as it looks to create 10 sales and account management jobs and improve growth prospects. The company has a turnover of £36.57m.

Altrincham leisure and commercial development brings potential new jobs Property developer Nikal is planning a £70m, 4.5-acre regeneration scheme in Altrincham. Proposals for the Altair development include a leisure centre, restaurants and cafes, ice rink expansion, tenpin bowling alley, 150 homes and 35,000 sq. ft. of office accommodation. The development, due to start in 2014, could create employment and business opportunities.

4 new outlets bring new jobs at Store First Store First, the storage company based in Burnley, has opened a new outlet in Barnsley, with plans for premises in Leeds, Wakefield and Ellesmere Port during 2013. The company has a turnover of £18.8m and will create new jobs at the outlets.

Expansion funding secured by The Best of Slough bringing new jobs The Best of Slough, a marketing services company, has received funding from Thames Valley Berkshire Commercialisation Loan Scheme to help it recruit additional staff and move to a larger office.

40 new Leicester jobs at Cambridge Satchel Company The Cambridge Satchel Company is opening a 30,000sq ft. site in Leicester after seeing demand for its bags rise. The business is creating 40 new jobs and also transferring 40 staff from its existing site.  The new jobs will be full and part-time including a number of apprenticeships and will be filled over the next six months.

50 jobs created at West Midlands Fire Service West Midlands Fire Service has created 50 fire-fighter jobs, and received over 2,000 applications in one week, with 5,000 registering their interest online. This will be the first time new recruits have been taken on since 2010. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk

The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Innovation award for TerrainHopper as expansion into new premises creates jobs Lincolnshire-based TerrainHopper, which produces off-road mobility products, has won an Innovation award at Medilink East Midlands Business Competition.  Since launching in 2010, TerrainHopper has opened a manufacturing facility, patented and launched the TerrainHopper and is into the second production run after receiving worldwide interest.  It is now expanding into new premises and creating jobs.

New protection director appointed by Aegon UK Aegon UK has appointed John Wilkinson as its protection director.  In his new role Mr Wilkinson will be responsible for creating the insurers protection strategy.

Asda opening Leeds store with 140 new jobs Asda is to open a new 20,000 sq. ft. store in Beeston, Leeds, which is expected to create up to 140 new jobs.  Asda plans to demolish its existing Beeston store and build a bigger supermarket at the location.  Turnover £21.8bn, 177,140 employees.

40 new jobs at Brighouse Patent Walling System’s new industrial unit Barnsley based Brighouse Patent Walling System, have been given the go a head for expansion.  The company is to build a new 4,144 sq. metre industrial unit and redevelop a unit already on the site.  This will create 40 new jobs.

Major contract secured by BDP in Oxford with potential new jobs BDP has been appointed by Land Securities and The Crown Estate as lead architect on a 440m retail and leisure development in Oxford.  Construction work on the Westgate Centre scheme is planned to start in late 2014 with the new quarter opening in 2017. The development could create employment opportunities. Turnover 67.6m, 780 employees.

New UK head for Callcredit Information Group Callcredit Information Group, the Vitruvian Partners-backed credit services and marketing business, has appointed Graham Lund as new managing director of its UK operations.  Chief Executive John McAndrew will continue in his current role and will be responsible for developing the business' medium and long-term strategy

Penzance retirement housing and retail development brings potential new jobs Churchill Retirement Living is to develop 60 retirement apartments and 6,100 sq. ft. of retail space in Penzance, Cornwall.  The company will start construction work on the 0.66-acre site in late 2013.  The development could create employment opportunities. Turnover £53.9m, 120 employees.

New Director at Coventry based Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Coventry based Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has appointed a new director of manufacturing.  Wolfgang Stadler will be replacing Paul Cope who is retiring at the end of 2013.  Mr Stadler will be joining the company from BMW in Germany.

2 new Directors at Emms Gilmore Liberson Emms Gilmore Liberson, the Birmingham-based law firm, is continuing its expansion with the appointment of solicitor Kian Golestani as director of corporate services. Terry Cooper has also joined as head of its private client service. There are now 15 staff members in total.

New CEO to Head entire BT group Gavin Patterson promoted to head up BT Group, his role will be to lead BTs four principal lines of business, Global Services, Retail, Wholesale and Openreach, when he takes up the role in September. He takes over from Ian Livingston who has been asked by Prime Minister David Cameron to take on the role of Minister for Trade and Investment.

416 new jobs at Larne based Japanese company Larne based Japanese company, Terumo BCT, that makes medical devices is creating 416 new jobs.

500 new jobs at London based TNT London based, TNT have taken on 500 people in a trial that if successful could see a further 20,000 people taken on over the next 5 years.

30 new jobs at Mansfield based WH Davis Mansfield based WH Davis are to take on 30 new staff after winning a contract to supply their products for power generation.  The company who manufacture railway wagons and freight containers and have had to purchase new premises near to existing 11-acre site.

London office and restaurant development contract secured by Morgan Sindall with potential new jobs Morgan Sindall, the West Midlands-based construction and infrastructure company, has been appointed by the Crown Estate to refurbish a grade II-listed building on Regent Street, London. Once complete, the development will provide a restaurant and commercial office space.  The development could create employment opportunities.

Double letting at Mansfield offices brings 15 new jobs Network Space, the Merseyside property development firm, has achieved a double letting at its i2 office development in Mansfield. Havelock Europa, the interiors specialist, is relocating to the park while Healthcare Software Systems is expanding its offices. The lettings cover 5,219 sq. ft. and will create 15 jobs.

E-Commerce expansion at Newell Rubbermaid Newell Rubbermaid, the Sheffield-based consumer brand manufacturer which owns brands such as Rubbermaid and Sharpie, is expanding its e-commerce with the appointment of Jeremy Liebowitz as global e-commerce vice president. Turnover £20.9m.

New research jobs at Warrington-based Perfectus Biomed Perfectus Biomed, the Warrington-based bacteria testing company, has secured 50k from the North-West Fund for Biomedical, and 50k from Birmingham-based venture capital company Midven. The funding will be used on marketing and to expand its research team.

Business expansion Smartsource Water means recruitment of staff Smartsource Water, which helps consumers and businesses save money on water bills, has taken space at Fountain House in Reading, Berkshire, as part of its long-term expansion plans.  Smartsource Water has signed a ten-year lease on 15,105 sq. ft. of office space. It is launching a recruitment campaign.

Business expansion creating jobs at SP Services (UK), based in Telford SP Services (UK), based in Telford, Shropshire, has expanded into a 32,000 sq. ft. unit at Hortonwood Industrial Estate, in a £2m investment supported by Barclays.  The expansion has created 6 jobs.  The £7m turnover company, which supplies medical and rescue equipment, has grown rapidly and continues to expand into new markets.

New premises secured and potential new jobs at Kingston Wycombe Start-up serviced office provider, Kingston Wycombe, has taken space at the 62,400 sq. ft. Fountain House office building in Reading, Berkshire.  Kingston Wycombe has signed for 15,660 sq. ft. on a 15-year lease.  The expansion could create employment opportunities.

New jobs at Sunderland based software company, SaleCycle Sunderland based software company, SaleCycle is looking to expand its workforce after attracting a number of new big brand clients.  The company, which helps retailers recover lost sales from online shopping carts through its technology, is growing to meet demand for its services from clients including Monsoon, Sony, Hertz and Mango.

Safran aerospace contract secured by Tata Steel with potential new jobs Tata Steel has secured a five-year contract to supply aerospace steels to Safran Group, a manufacturer of aircraft, rocket engines and propulsion systems. The contract has an initial value of £9m, but this could increase. The significant contract could create employment opportunities. Turnover £10bn, 33,900 employees.

Tennants Auctioneers’ auction centre expansion means potential new jobs Tennants Auctioneers is undertaking an £8m expansion of its centre in North Yorkshire to create new facilities that will support further growth. It auction house will be extended, with work carried out by Esh Build.

2000 new jobs in West Bromwich retail park Watford based Vinci Construction are expecting the £140m retail park, New Square at West Bromwich to be open in July 2013, creating 2000 new jobs. The development will provide modern shopping and leisure facilities for West Bromwich and generate £200m of investment for the town.

Company expansion at WEB specialist Ixis means new jobs WEB specialist Ixis has recorded record turnover of £1.2m for the year 2012/13 and recruited four members of staff after it won a series of contracts and secured vital Government approval. The company was also recently appointed to the Governments G-Cloud III procurement framework, putting it on a pre-approved list of vendors from which public sector bodies can pick.

West Midlands-based MTI Welding Technologies factory expansion creates new jobs West Midlands-based MTI Welding Technologies, which makes friction and resistance welding machinery, has expanded its Kingswinford operation by 9,515 sq. ft. to 20,133 sq. ft.  The company has growing UK and overseas order books and is adding 3 staff to its 35-strong team.  It has recorded increased turnover with success in export markets.

Housebuilding expansion in Northern England means senior appointments at Willmott Dixon Willmott Dixon is expanding its housebuilding business in Northern England and has appointed Stuart Belfield as operations director and Richard Sterling as sales and marketing manager.  The company has secured a place on the Homes and Communities Agency Delivery Partner Panel 2 framework. It has gained £200m in housing work in 2013. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group

www.theukknackgroup.co.uk

The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

£10bn aircraft order means 3,000 new jobs in Ryanair Dublin-based Ryanair has confirmed a £10bn order for 175 new 737-800 Boeing aircraft, expanding its fleet to 400 over six years and creating 3,000 new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers.  The expansion will allow Ryanair to lower costs and airfares. Ryanair expects to serve 100 million passengers a year across Europe by 2019.

Aaron & Partners recruiting solicitors Aaron & Partners, the Chester-based commercial law firm, has recorded a 20% increase in fee income following its recent acquisition of Bennetts Legal.  Fee income for the year is approximately £7m. The expanding firm is recruiting more solicitors, and is investing in infrastructure, particularly IT, and new office facilities.

Cambridge based UroSens receives funding for Clinical Studies in 4 UK Hospitals Cambridge based UroSens, a diagnostic company developing tests for the detection of prostate and bladder cancer, has received a £500,000 funding and entered into crucial clinical trials. The funding has been provided by Esperante, a Netherlands based company, Northstar Ventures Finance for Business North East Accelerator Fund and existing investors. They have also been awarded a £250,000 grant from the Technology Strategy Board.

£18m Liverpool hotel project brings 150 construction jobs and 50 hotel jobs Contractor Balfour Beatty has started work on an £18m project to transform the Royal Insurance building in Liverpool into an Aloft branded hotel, for Starwood Hotels & Resorts.  Balfour Beatty is the main contractor on the scheme, which is expected to create 150 construction jobs and 50 jobs when the 116-room hotel opens.

Devon-based Portlebay Popcorn secures equity funding Devon-based Portlebay Popcorn has secured two rounds of equity investment from the Enterprise Investment Scheme.  It has used the funding to acquire specialist manufacturing and packaging equipment required for launch and brand development. The company was formed in 2012 by Jonty White and has secured contracts with Tesco and independent delis.

New company investment fund launched in Edinburgh Edinburgh-based London & Scottish Investment Partners (LSIP) has launched a £3m investment fund aimed at financing late-stage business ideas. LSIP comprises 20 individual investors and will focus on sectors such as food and drink, life sciences and manufacturing and technology. It plans to offer investments of £300,000 to £500,000 to six companies each year.

Derby retail park expansion creates 30 jobs Jobs are being created at a retail park owned by Henderson Global Investors in Derby.  Building work has started on a 2,500sq ft. unit for Costa Coffee and 1,000sq ft. units for Greggs and Subway, at the Kingsway Retail Park.  Up to 30 jobs could be created across the three businesses.

£2.4m funding secured by Lancashire-based Gilberts Foods with potential new jobs Lancashire-based Gilberts Foods, which supplies meat and poultry dishes to the wholesale, food service and retail sectors, is expanding its export business after securing £2.4m funding from HSBC. It already exports to Australia and is expanding to Europe and India. The expansion could create employment opportunities. £10m turnover, 65 employees.

AJB Group refurbished workshop brings new jobs Leicestershire joinery company, AJB Group has invested £1m in its workshop to help the business accommodate its growing order book.  The financial support has been provided by Barclays to refurbish the workshop, creating new jobs for local skilled craftsman.

Chief Executive to retire and successor appointed at Marshalls Marshalls, the Yorkshire-based hard landscaping specialist has appointed Martyn Coffey as chief executive designate, with effect from 9 September 2013. He will take over operational responsibility from current chief executive Graham Holden on 10 October 2013, when Mr Holden will retire from the role. Turnover £334.1m, 2,360 employees.

Bank funding secured Poundworld Retail to open 100 more stores Poundworld Retail has secured funding from Barclays to support its strategic growth plans.  The company has 214 stores nationwide and plans to open a further 100 stores over the three years to 2017, with new jobs expected. It also plans to diversify its product ranges.  4,300 employees, £290m turnover.

UKFast appointing acquisition team in business growth strategy UKFast, the Manchester-based cloud-computing specialist, is to seek an acquisition to take its growth to a new level.  It is appointing an acquisition team and is in talks with a number of people with backgrounds in private equity and corporate finance. £20m turnover, 120 employees. Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group www.theukknackgroup.co.uk