The UK Knack Group Reviews Today’s Events ……

Team Tours Direct secures Middle East contract with new jobs created Team Tours Direct, a Swansea-based event management business, has secured a £661,000 contract with Adcore Holding JLT, which will see it operate in 15 Middle East countries. Team Tours Direct has secured several significant contracts in 2012 and 2013 and has recruited additional staff in Wales as a result.

Aberdeen oil services firm wins £10m worth of new contracts creating 10 new jobs Aberdeen oil services firm Operational Excellence is to add 10 new jobs as a result of new contracts worth a total of £10 million secured in the past three months. The new jobs will take the company's employee total to 30.

Bus refurbishment contract for Shropshire-based Rowan-Telmac brings potential new jobs Shropshire-based Rowan-Telmac has secured a £5m contract to supply new seats for 600 London double-decker buses, with support from Yorkshire Bank to purchase new equipment.  The company has been subcontracted to carry out the internal fitting work from Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus. The contract could create employment opportunities.

Whessoe acquired by Samsung C&T creating new jobs Whessoe, the Darlington-based liquid natural gas specialist, has been acquired by global engineering and construction company Samsung C&T.  The acquisition allows Whessoe to accelerate its growth plans, with its workforce expected to triple in less than five years. Turnover £46.7m, 140 employees.

New London office for BCL Legal brings new jobs Manchester headquartered BCL Legal has expanded with launch of a London office. James Batt, managing director, will head up the London office and will be joined by two employees

New Saltash office for Windcrop creates 30 proposed jobs Windcrop, installer of small-scale wind turbines has opened an office in Saltash creating up to 30 jobs.  The company already has 500 turbines throughout the UK and has now extended its reach to the South West.

Swagelok Teesside relocation signals on-going business expansion Swagelok Teesside, which provides fluid system products and services, has moved to a newly refurbished sales and service centre in Stockton-On-Tees.  The 5,885 sq. ft. unit at Preston Farm Industrial Estate provides an expanded assembly facility and training centre. It will allow Swagelok to continue the expansion of its services.

BT Sports Television Service creates 400 short time jobs and safeguards 200 more BT is to create 400 jobs across the UK, including at two of its Scottish call centres, with the launch of its sports television service.  The service will safeguard almost 200 jobs with people being retrained to work on customer support.  The initial launch will also create 400 short-term sales jobs for six months.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £9.5m finance secured by Pall-Ex Group for European expansion Logistics and delivery network Pall-Ex Group has secured a £9.5m finance deal from Santander Corporate & Commercial, which will enable the company to accelerate its expansion plans into the rest of Europe.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Grant secured for on-going vaccine development in Birmingham Staffordshire biotechnology company Prokarium and the University of Birmingham Institute of Microbiology and Infection, have been awarded a 0.4m grant from the Technology Strategy Board and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.  The grant will help to fund the development of Prokariums Vaxonella oral vaccine delivery platform as well as two specific vaccine candidates.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: £5.3m fund supports synthetic biology projects The Technology Strategy Board and Research Councils are supporting 15 UK projects through a 5.3m fund. The grants have been awarded through a competition for business-led, collaborative projects aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of using synthetic biology to create novel or improved products or processes.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: LDC acquires Findel division LDC, the private equity division of Lloyds Banking Group, has supported the management buyout of Leicestershire-based NRS Healthcare, from its parent company Findel Plc.  Home Shopping group Findel sold the division for £24m.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Wymondham Abbey awarded Heritage Lottery grant Wymondham Abbey in Norfolk has secured a £1.5m Heritage Lottery grant to create a learning centre, visitor centre, new choir vestry, study space and medieval herb garden.  The Abbey has also secured £500,000 from the Wymondham Preservation Trust, and financial support from South Norfolk District Council and other organisations.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Bank Funding for Cornish fruit and vegetable wholesaler Potfresh Cornish fruit and vegetable wholesaler Potfresh has expanded its business after receiving a bank loan.  The company has purchased its existing 53,000 sq. ft. unit and acquired the unit next door to increase its facilities.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Bank funding secured for Shrewsbury housing scheme A residential property developer Primesave properties has begun the final stages of work on a new housing scheme in Shrewsbury, supported by a £360,000 loan from Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking.  Primesave will also begin work on a one-unit development in Frankwell in Shrewsbury in six weeks time, which is being supported with a further £100,000 loan from Lloyds TSB.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: LDC exits MB Aerospace Investment LDC, the private equity division of Lloyds Banking Group, has exited its investment in Lancashire engineering group MB Aerospace. US-based private equity group Arlington Capital Partners has taken a majority stake in MB Aerospace.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Funding secured for Synthace innovative technology development London-based Synthace, a synthetic biology company, has secured funding from the Technology Strategy Board award, to support the development of its technology. Synthace use micro-organisms to convert small molecules into different, more useful products.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Management Buyout of Leicestershire-based Nottingham Rehab Leicestershire-based Nottingham Rehab has been acquired from parent company Findel Plc in a £24m management buyout. The management team was backed by LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group. The company plans to expand its range of products and increase its acquisition strategy to achieve organic growth. Turnover £76.8m.

Private Equity / Bank Funding: Partnership with Friends of Elvaston Castle secures funding Social Enterprise East Midlands and Friends of Elvaston Castle are planning to establish an organisation to run Elvaston Castle, which is being sold by Derbyshire County Council because of high maintenance costs.  The partnership has won funding from the Social Investment Business, which will be used for research and legal advice to help support its bid.

Penny Winter – The UK Knack Group

www.theukknackgroup.co.uk